Talk » int. You can see that hes had some repetitions out

WINNIPEG - Another honour for NFL defensive lineman Israel Idonije. The 33-year-old from Brandon, Man., received an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree Thursday from the University of Manitoba. Idonije, a defensive lineman with the Chicago Bears, played his college football at Manitoba and is the only player in school history to play in the NFL. Two weeks ago, Idonije received the Order of Manitoba. Idonije is a native of Nigeria but moved to Canada with his family when he was four years old. The six-foot-six, 275-pound Idonije is entering his 12th NFL season, 10th with Chicago. He broke into the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Cleveland Browns in 2003 but joined the Bears practice squad later that season. Idonije has appeared in 149 career NFL games, starting 50. He has amassed 273 tackles, 29 sacks, six fumble recoveries and eight blocked kicks. Idonije ranks fourth in NFL history in blocked kicks since 1992 when stat first was recorded. He appeared in 15 games last season with Detroit before re-signing with Chicago as a free agent. Idonije has also created his own comic book, "The Protectors." Nick Ahmed Jersey . Kerr said he had dinner with Jackson, his former coach with Chicago and the new Knicks team president, on Friday night and they talked again Saturday. Kerr is in New York to work the game between the Brooklyn Nets and Toronto Raptors for TNT. Robbie Ray Jersey . Nix is a career .218 hitter in 425 games over six seasons. The 31-year-old right-handed hitter batted .270 with a homer this spring for Tampa Bay. http://www.diamondbacksteamshop.com/Diamondbacks-Yasmany-Tomas-Kids-Jersey/ . Still, Inter moved one point ahead of Parma in the race for fifth place and the final Europa League spot. Udinese remained 14th, 11 points above the relegation zone. Inter was beaten 2-1 by Atalanta at home on Sunday and has won only seven of 16 matches at the San Siro this season, as the squad seems to still be searching for its identity under new owner Erick Thohir and first-year manager Walter Mazzarri. Chris Owings Jersey . -- David Price didnt think he would be in Port Charlotte this spring. Ketel Marte Jersey .200. His solution to his hitting woes was business in the front and a party in the back."That would be a mullet," Norris says.JUPITER, Fla. -- After spending years trying to find a quality shortstop, the St. Louis Cardinals now appear to have an excess. The Cardinals introduced their newest acquisition, Cuban shortstop Aledmys Diaz, on Monday. Within the organization, some have compared him to a young Derek Jeter. "He walks like him you can see some of that there," St. Louis general manager John Mozeliak said. Diaz liked to heard that. "He thinks Derek Jeter is definitely the model ballplayer that everyone should look up to, that he looked up to in the opportunities that he had in Cuba to watch baseball games," said translator Moise Rodriguez, a team employee. "Hes a world-renowned baseball player that comes across as somebody thats a leader and somebody that everybody should try to be like." The Cardinals signed Diaz to a four-year deal over the weekend only months after signing current shortstop Jhonny Peralta, a two-time All-Star, to a free agent contract of the same length. Having Peralta will allow the Cardinals to take their time with the 23-year-old Diaz, who will begin this season in the minor leagues and likely be given a chance to learn multiple infield positions. "We plan on being patient with him," Mozeliak said. "He hasnt played baseball in, really, over a year and a half competitively. Its not something where were looking to have him put his fingerprints on the major league team tomorrow. We can give him time to develop and let him, from a talent standpoint, take his time to get back to wheree he was.ddddddddddddquot; Diaz defected from Cuba to Mexico in 2012. The Cardinals scouted Diaz in Mexico and worked him out earlier this spring at the Roger Dean Stadium complex. "I thought he did a lot of things well," said St. Louis manager Mike Matheny, who attended the Jupiter workout. "You are just looking at tools at that point. You can see that hes had some repetitions out there. He knows what hes doing. Swinging the bat, the ball jumped off. Just a guy that you could tell hes been around the game a while." Diaz hit .315 with 12 home runs in 270 at-bats during the 2011-12 season in Cuba. Mozeliak expects Diaz to continue to hit for average with gap power as a major leaguer. "Were very confident that he can be an offensive middle infielder, specifically a shortstop," Mozeliak said. Diaz went through practice with his new team before Mondays game against Detroit, but it will be some time before he appears in a major league spring training exhibition. Later this week, he will return to Mexico to finalize his work visa. Until that issue is cleared, Diaz can work out with the big league club but can only play in games on the back fields. "Its always been his dream to try and compete at the highest level in the world," Rodriguez said. "Obviously this represents that. Yeah, there are some challenges and difficulties. But for him, being able to come here and try to compete with the best in the world in the industry is something that hes always looked forward to doing." ' ' '