by Richard Prior
Staff Writer
There are a lot of people keeping their eyes on the Jacksonville Jaguars these days.
The Minnesota Vikings, looking ahead to the preseason opener against the Jags Saturday at the Metrodome.
Coaches, who are looking for signs of resilience and flashes of brilliance.
Trainers and paramedics, who are looking for the smallest sign of heat fatigue.
And plenty of visitors, who look in awe at the players, seemingly too fit to be felled by anything as ordinary as the weather.
“It’s a tough one to figure out,” said Andy Ebert of Ponte Vedra Beach. “It’s a mystery.”
Wide receiver Donald Hayes on Wednesday became the third Jaguars player taken to the hospital for a heat-related illness. The others were defensive linemen Larry Smith, who collapsed on the second day of practice, and John Henderson, who collapsed on the fourth day.
They were soon released from the hospital.
“I don’t understand why this is happening,” said Ebert, who brought his two sons, Logan, 9, and Cole, 7, to the practice field beside Alltel Stadium. “It’s no hotter than it was 50 years ago.
“Obviously, with all the equipment on, that’s a huge difference. But it’s not really all that hot out.
“It’s got to be something with the guys, their conditioning, the supplements they’re taking.”
On Wednesday, when Hayes cramped up and started to spasm, the heat index reportedly was 86. During the Thursday morning stretching exercises, trainers walked among the players down on the field, making sure they had plenty to drink.
Logan and Cole Ebert appeared spellbound by the sight of such big men rumbling out on the field, if only at half speed.
“It’s incredible that they open this up to the public,” their father said. “It’s good to be able to get so close to these guys, see how big they are. Especially for the kids.”
Bobby Scribner of Jacksonville brought 3-year-old Bryan to the practice for the first time “to see how the team’s doing and get a feel for the new era with Jack Del Rio.”
He said the heat and humidity in Jacksonville can get to anyone, especially if they’re cocooned in all their equipment.
“No matter how much you try to gear up for it, once you get into the pads and have that extra weight, I think it can take its toll,” said Scribner. “I think at times it takes a little conditioning, a week or two, to get used to it.”
Nothing more mysterious than the players’ size may make them more vulnerable to the heat, he suggested.
“You don’t realize how big they are until you get up close to them,” said Scribner. “It’s pretty impressive. When you add — I’ve heard up to 30 pounds of gear— to their already massive size, that’s an extra toll.”
Gordon Seaman is program director with an organization in St. Augustine that works with mentally retarded and mentally impaired clients.
He and four other staff members were at the practice with 22 people who are part of the program.
“They absolutely love the Jaguars,” said Seaman. “They’re really excited to come up and see them play.”
He, too, is a big fan who hopes the team can come to terms with quarterback Byron Leftwich, the first round draft pick whose contract holdout is now in its 15th day.
“I hope he signs with them, and we can move on from there,” said Seaman. “He’s phenomenal. I think he’s going to be one of the best quarterbacks in the league.”
Thursday’s visit was the third trip for Seaman’s group, who will attend one more practice.
“They’re really big fans,” said Seaman. “It does a lot for them to come out and see these guys play.”
Bob Barry of Woodbine, Ga., is thinking about shifting allegiances.
“I’ve been a Redskins fan for 35 years, but I’m looking to get converted,” said Barry, who retired from his home in Washington, D.C., four years ago. “This is . . . I’m really impressed.”
Barry was in town to run some errands and pick up tickets for the preseason game against the Redskins.
“I wanted to come down and see what their big guns are like and see what the attitude of the fans is like. Just get a feel for it.”
He liked what he saw.
“You can come down and watch them every day,” he said. “I think that breeds more fans getting interested, more fans coming in the morning if they can or after work.
“It’s just a great idea.”