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HOUSTON - Alfred Blue didnt spend any time feeling sorry for himself when he didnt hear his name called until the sixth round of this years NFL draft.Houstons rookie running back had long heard a familiar refrain from coaches that helped him navigate what would have been a disappointing time for many players.Coaches always told me, its not where you begin, its how it ends, Blue said.And in Houston he found a perfect example of that sentiment when he joined a backfield starring Arian Foster. Foster went undrafted out of Tennessee before signing as a free agent with the Texans and eventually developing into one of the NFLs best running backs.On Sunday when Foster was out with a groin injury, it was Blues chance to shine. The former LSU back took advantage of the opportunity, carrying a franchise-record 36 times and tying Houstons single-game rookie rushing record with 156 yards.He didnt allow himself to soak in the moment during the win over the Browns. He was too busy worrying about the next carry.I never during the game sat down and relaxed like: Wow, Im doing good, he said. Just keep your foot on the pedal. I knew I was running the ball hard and (I said) just keep doing what youre doing and running the ball hard.It was a culmination of years of hard work for Blue, who was likely headed for a higher draft position before tearing his ACL in the third week of the 2012 season. He spent months recovering and said he didnt really feel like himself again until midway through his senior season.It was very difficult. There are a lot of obstacles to overcome, Blue said. Youve got to get your confidence back. Youve got to train harder. Youre behind everybody, so really youre coming from the back of the line to get back to where you were.When he was drafted by the Texans, Blue was determined to crack the 53-man roster and decided hed worry about everything else after that. He developed an immediate bond with Foster, watching him intently on the practice field and asking him for pointers off of it.He said the No. 1 thing Foster tried to drill into his head was the importance of being patient.When you do get carries you want to try to impress people so youre not really running with patience, Blue said. Youre just trying to get it done and make that big run to wow the coaches.It took a while, but Blue finally understood why Foster harped on that singular point.As the season went on, I kind of started to understand what Arian was saying, he said. You cant force it. Just be patient and that long ones going to come.Foster is listed as day to day this week, but even if he returns on Sunday, coach Bill OBrien said theyll use Blue, too. OBrien was asked if Blues performance on Sunday gave him confidence in the young running back. He insisted that he didnt need that game to feel that way about him.I have a lot of confidence in Alfred. I really do, OBrien said. If I didnt have confidence in Alfred, I wouldnt have played him against Cleveland. I would have played (Jonathan) Grimes more.And it isnt just OBrien who has noticed Blues work this season. Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis raved about him as the Bengals prepare to meet Houston on Sunday.He really did a great job of making a lot of yardage after contact last week, Lewis said. Hes an impressive player. Obviously going through the draft process ... we had evaluations of guys and thought he was a talented player.___Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL Custom New England Patriots Jerseys .Lets go back to the Avs, who have become one of the funnest teams to watch in this years playoffs. Lawrence Guy Jersey . Acclaimed by world football leaders but held in contempt by many football fans. Blatter should arrive at the Itaquerao stadium in Sao Paulo to watch host Brazil play Croatia confident that this tournament -- his fifth as president -- wont be his last leading the worlds favourite sport. http://www.officialnewenglandpatriotsfootball.com/authentic-vincent-valentine-jersey-womens . After rookie right-hander Alex Colome excelled in a 5-2 victory in the opener, the Rays fell to Chris Tillman and the Orioles 4-1 on Friday night. Kevin Faulk Jersey . Torres tells Spanish daily AS "in football you never know where you will be inside one month. Im going to work hard, thats all you can do with this last part of the season so important. LaAdrian Waddle Jersey . Last July, F1 teams held in-season testing sessions at Silverstone to assess new tires provided by Pirelli after several blowouts on the same circuit at the British Grand Prix in June prompted a furious response from drivers and even a boycott threat the following week.(SportsNetwork.com) - The Toronto Maple Leafs will take aim at their first five-game winning streak in nearly seven years when they visit the Phoenix Coyotes for Mondays clash at Jobing.com Arena. Toronto has recorded a season-high four straight wins on the heels of a four- game slide, but the Maple Leafs havent claimed five consecutive victories since Jan. 27-Feb. 6, 2007. The Leafs have notched four or more goals in each of their past three wins and recorded a 5-3 decision in Saturdays home test against the rival Montreal Canadiens. James van Riemsdyk scored the game-winning goal in the third period before Joffrey Lupul sealed the win with an empty-netter in the closing seconds. Lupul, Mason Raymond and Phil Kessel all posted a goal and an assist, while Cody Franson also scored for the Maple Leafs. Kessel has recorded a point in five straight games, logging three goals and seven helpers during the tear. Jonathan Bernier stopped 30 shots in the win, which helped Toronto pull within four points of the Canadiens for third place in the Atlantic Division. The top three teams in each division receive an automatic berth in the playoffs. "Obviously the magnitude of this game was huge," said Toronto forward Nazem Kadri. "For us to chase that top spot in the division is still a realistic goal for us. We knew we had to come out and play against a very good team." Toronto is currently in postseason position as it holds the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference.dddddddddddd The Leafs made the playoffs last spring to end a club- record postseason drought of seven seasons. The Leafs are kicking off a four-game road trip tonight and are just 8-10-4 as the guest this season. Toronto has lost three straight and four of its past five tilts in Phoenix, but the Leafs have won seven of 13 overall meetings in the series. The Coyotes have won two straight heading to Mondays tilt, giving the club consecutive wins for the first time since Dec. 10-12. Phoenix hasnt won three in a row since a five-game run from Oct. 26-Nov. 5. Phoenix has notched both of its recent wins on home ice and will cap a three- game stay in the desert tonight. The Coyotes picked up a 3-2 win over New Jersey on Saturday. Martin Hanzal tallied a goal and an assist to lead the way on offense, while Mike Smith made 32 saves in the victory. Jordan Szwarz and Jeff Halpern also scored for Phoenix and Keith Yandle supplied two helpers in the Coyotes second straight win after a four-game slump. "It is a great night for me. Our line has been playing well recently. It was nice to get rewarded early and get a goal for our team," Szwarz said. Phoenix improved to 14-7-3 as the home team this season. 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