really happy to represent my community wherever I go,

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Little Daryl Homer saw a cool picture of a fencer in a book and wanted to try it. His mom was flummoxed. They lived on Gun Hill Road in the Bronx. Where could she find a place that taught such an upper-crust sport? Several years later, she saw a television commercial with a man fencing for the right to enter a taxi. The man with a sabre in his hand was Peter Westbrook.That moment came full circle Wednesday night in the Olympics, when Homer won silver in individual sabre. Its the first mens individual sabre medal for the United States since Westbrook won bronze in 1984.This has been a journey for 15 years, said Homer, who finished sixth in the 2012 Olympics. Im happy to be on the podium, happy to have competed, happy to have left it all out there. And happy that I had faith in my ability.Homers journey began at age 11, at the Peter Westbrook Foundation in New York City, which is dedicated to enriching the lives of youths from underserved communities. More than 4,000 participants have passed through the program since it was founded in 1991, 85 percent of them African-American or Latino.Homer and Westbrook are both African-American, and Westbrooks foundation has become a pipeline for black Olympic fencing talent. Westbrook himself competed in five Olympics. His program sent four black fencers to the 2004 Olympics. This year in Rio, black Westbrook alumni include Homer, Nzingha Prescod and Ibtihaj Muhammad, who competed for the U.S. wearing the hijab of her Muslim faith.Im always really happy to represent my community wherever I go, said Homer, 26. But I always tell people there are more black fencers than you think there are. There are more black fencers on the team [five of the 17 U.S. fencers are black] than people think there are, currently. So it is great to be able to represent my community, but this is a win for us; its a win for America.Homer is only the fourth American man to win an individual sabre Olympic medal, joining Westbrook, William Grebe (silver, 1904) and Albertson Van Zo Post (bronze, 1904).At a muscular 5-foot-8, Homer is small for a fencer but thrives on big stages. He has won several Pan American Games titles, and in 2015 he became the first American sabre fencer to medal at the world championships with a silver in Moscow.I love the pressure of it, I love being free, and I love putting all the marbles on the table and seeing whos gonna get em, said Homer, who is not lacking in confidence. Im an all-or-nothing dude.His profile has grown leading up to Rio, with appearances ranging from Vogue magazine to A$AP Fergs New Level video. But Homer struggled in competition after trying to tweak his technique after his silver at the 2015 worlds. I had to quiet my mind, stop thinking so much, trust the people around me, he said.One of those people was Westbrook. They spoke a half-dozen times per week as he trained for the Games.Take the pressure off, fence every touch and go for everything, Homer recalls Westbrook saying. Really enjoy yourself and have fun fencing. Sometimes the fun can get sucked out.I wouldnt have found an access point to fencing without Peter, Homer said, medal gleaming on his chest. So [without him], I probably wouldnt be here. Sharks Jerseys China . -- Jacksonville wide receiver Cecil Shorts will likely be a game-time decision whether hell play Sunday in the Jaguars home game against the San Diego Chargers. Evander Kane Jersey Large . P.A. Parenteau scored early in the third period to help the Avs edge Toronto 2-1 on Tuesday night. Cory Sarich also scored for Colorado (3-0-0), which is off to its best ever start. http://www.customsharksjersey.com/ . 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SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kawann Short said he wont hold out while awaiting a new contract from the Carolina Panthers.Short reported to training camp on time Wednesday, the same day the Panthers announced they gave safety Kurt Coleman a three-year extension that runs through the 2019 season. Financial terms were not released.Short said hell play this season under his current deal if he doesnt receive a contract extension. The defending NFC champions begin practice Thursday night at Wofford College.Its not about the contract, its about helping this team, Short said. I love the Carolina Panthers. Hopefully things will get done.Short, entering the fourth and final year of his rookie contract, is set to cost $1.47 million under this years salary cap.He significantly outperformed that deal last season when he finished with 11 sacks and three forced fumbles and became the first defensive tackle to win NFC Defensive Player of the Month twice in a season. Short is expected to command a huge deal comparable to the five-year, $86 million contract the New York Jets gave to Muhammad Wilkerson and the six-year, $103 million deal the Philadelphia Eagles handed Fletcher Cox.Both deals averaged more than $17 million per season.Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman is hopeful a long-term deal can be worked out with Short.We are in conversations (with his agent) and as long as you are in conversation something good can happen, so well see, Gettleman said. Contracts will get done when they are supposed to.Short said hes happy to see interior defensive linemen collecting big money.Its like the point guard and center thing, Short said. You want to play point guard sometimes (when you are) a center. But big guys need love, too. To see big guys get rewarded like that is a blessing.But he said his focus right now is on football, not finances.While thhe Panthers are continuing to negotiate with Short, he wouldnt say if the two sides are close to reaching a deal.dddddddddddd.Its going to take time, but Im patient, Short said.When asked if he thinks a deal will get done by the end of training camp, Short replied: I dont know. Its hard to tell. If so, I will be happy for it. Last year was a great year for me, but I need to do even better this year.Coleman was rewarded Wednesday for his outstanding season.He led the Panthers and finished tied for third in the NFL with career-high seven interceptions in his first season in Carolina. He contributed to a team that ranked sixth in the NFL in total defense and led the NFL in interceptions (24), takeaways (39) and points off turnovers (148).Said Gettleman: Kurt is a pros pro and hes a great fit for us. He had a career year last year and does everything we ask. And he adds a veteran presence in the DB (defensive back) room.The 28-year-old Coleman finished third on the team with 103 tackles.When you go through situations you want whats best for your family and whats best for the team, and Im really excited, Coleman said. Im fortunate to be a part of this team for three more years.Wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin and linebacker Luke Kuechly are all go for training camp as expected, according to coach Ron Rivera. Cornerback Bene Benwikere has been placed on the PUP list but can be activated at any time.Overall, Rivera said he feels good about his team, although he knows the heat is on -- and hes not just talking about the 100 degree temperatures in Spartanburg.My feeling is we are the hunted, Rivera said. We are where a lot of people want to be.---Online: AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '