KANSAS CITY http://www.ravenscheapstores.com/marquise-brown-jersey-cheap , Mo. (AP) — Chiefs safety Eric Berry sounded confident Friday that he’ll be on the field when Kansas City plays the New England Patriots in the AFC championship game at Arrowhead Stadium.The three-time All-Pro has been a full participant in practice this week after dealing with a heel injury, but needs the OK from coach Andy Reid to take the field on Sunday night.“I feel pretty good. Just talk to coach and see what he wants to do and go from there,” Berry said. “It would mean a lot not just for me and my family and my teammates, but the organization.”Berry tore his Achilles’ tendon in last year’s opener, sidelining him the rest of the season. He returned in time for summer workouts and the start of training camp. But a mysterious heel injury popped up that kept Berry off the field until Week 15 against the Chargers.Berry played more the following week on the turf in Seattle, but the injury recurred and he missed the regular-season finale against Oakland and the divisional round matchup against Indianapolis.“It was pretty frustrating, but you just have to keep rolling,” said Berry, who nevertheless broke down the pregame huddle with an emotional pep talk. “Keep focused and keep your head down.”Berry has become a pro at overcoming adversity.He missed most of one season with a torn ACL in his knee, and he missed the end of another when he was diagnosed with cancer. In both instances, he recovered in time to play the following season.However Jaylon Ferguson Jersey , those situations were relatively straightforward. There was a clear diagnosis and obvious path toward recovery. But the heel has been a challenge for Berry and the organization, once viewed as a “day-to-day” situation that became a saga that lasted months.There have been various reports, always citing unnamed sources, of a heel deformity that causes intense pain, but the Chiefs and Berry have refused to confirm them.Asked several times about the injury Friday, Berry merely replied: “It’s hard to explain.”Berry said he wasn’t concerned about the field causing the heel problems. It was torn up in the divisional round after several inches of snow fell before the game. The grounds crew spent this week replacing the turf between the hashes, along the sidelines and in one of the end zones.“I’m just being prepared for every situation,” Berry said. “Our field crew, grounds crew is very good. They do a very good job. Just trusting in them that they can get the job done.”Berry’s value lies not just in his athletic ability, though the Chiefs could use some help covering Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski on Sunday. Rather, his biggest benefit to a defense that has struggled mightily at times this season may be his leadership and on-field demeanor.“A huge impact. He’s a huge player for us Quinnen Williams Jersey ,” Chiefs linebacker Dee Ford said, while defensive tackle Chris Jones said “the physicality he brings to this team and the leadership role is amazing.”When he’s at his best, Berry is one of the best safeties in the NFL, adequate in coverage and dynamic at stuffing the run. But even at a fraction of his best, Berry is still talented enough to impact a game, and that’s why his return could prove so critical to the Chiefs.“I mean, Eric’s a good football player. He’s an All-Pro player,” Reid said. “That’d be an obvious statement, but it’s another good player in the mix. A great player.”Notes: Chiefs OLB Dorian O’Daniel (hamstring) was ruled out for the game. … WR Sammy Watkins (foot) and RB Spencer Ware (hamstring) participated in practice all week and are expected to play. KINGSPORT, Tenn. (AP) — John Michels, a College Football Hall of Famer whose 27 seasons as a Minnesota Vikings assistant coach included all four of their Super Bowl appearances http://www.cowboyscheapauthenticstore.com/trysten-hill-jersey-cheap , has died. He was 87.Michels’ daughter, Sarah Michels-Dunkel, said Friday that her father died Thursday in Kingsport.Michels worked on the Vikings’ coaching staff from 1967-93, making him the longest-tenured assistant coach in franchise history. He was the offensive line coach that entire stretch, most of it under coach Bud Grant, aside from one season a running backs coach.He played for the Philadelphia Eagles in 1953 and 1956 before joining the Canadian Football League’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers, where he played for Grant. Michels later worked on Grant’s coaching staff at Winnipeg and with the Vikings. Michels also was an assistant at Texas A&M for one season.He was a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army from 1954-56.Michels played guard on Tennessee’s 1951 national championship team and earned consensus All-America honors in 1952.He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1996 and entered the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 1999.