couple more by just a hair that could have been really exciting for the big picture.Fyfe grew up 80 miles west of Lincoln in Grand Island, and when he wa

NAPA, Calif. -- The Oakland Raiders sustained a significant blow Wednesday with the news that starting left tackle Jared Veldheer will need surgery on his torn left triceps and will miss a significant portion of the upcoming season. Veldheer has been bothered by the triceps throughout training camp and had a second MRI performed on Tuesday when it did not feel any better. After consulting with doctors and the team, Veldheer decided to have the surgery. "Its a disappointment for all of us," coach Dennis Allen said. "But again were going to play 16 games this year. The teams that are able to push through those things mentally, those are the teams that have success. Everybody has injuries. Thats one well just have to deal with." Allen said Veldheer would miss a significant amount of time but hoped he would be back at some point this season. Allen said Veldheer would be a candidate to be placed on injured reserve with a designation to return, which would require him to miss at least the first eight weeks. The Raiders can place Veldheer on that list starting Sept. 3. He would be required to sit for six weeks and then could practice for two more before being eligible to be activated in time for the teams eighth game on Nov. 3 against Philadelphia. Teams can only use that designation on one player and Allen said he wouldnt know for sure whether that would be an option for Veldheer until after the surgery. The injury to Veldheer gives a shot at a starting role to Alex Barron, a former first-round pick by the St. Louis Rams who has not played a game in the NFL since 2010. "Of course its an opportunity," Barron said. "First and foremost its an opportunity to be here, period. Its another opportunity obviously to go up on the chart and help the team as best I can. My whole thing is Im going to continue to work and try to help the team as best I can." Barron was drafted 19th overall in 2005 out of Florida State but struggled for almost his entire five seasons in St. Louis. He started 74 games and played both left and right tackle but was plagued by penalties and poor blocking. He committed 43 false start penalties -- including 13 in 2006 -- and 13 holding penalties while allowing 33 sacks, according to game tracking from STATS LLC. He was traded to Dallas in 2010 and played 11 games with the Cowboys. But Barron hasnt played since, spending a little time with New Orleans and Seattle without ever getting into a game. "I think Alex has been playing very well," quarterback Matt Flynn said. "I was with him in camp last year in Seattle. He seems like a different guy here. Hes playing well, playing aggressive and really coming into his own." Veldheer was perhaps Oaklands most indispensable player, given his talent and the importance of the position he plays. He had started the past 42 games at left tackle, missing only one offensive snap in that entire time. A third-round pick out of Hillsdale College in 2010, Veldheer was an emerging left tackle in the NFL who was counted on as a major piece of the Raiders rebuilding project. Veldheer was rated by Pro Football Focus as the eighth best pass-blocking left tackle in the NFL last season. He has been responsible for just four sacks in each of the past two seasons, according to STATS LLC. "Its a real big blow," right tackle Khalif Barnes said. "Jareds a big part of our line. Hes a big guy. He comes to work every day, you never hear him complaining, just tries to go in, get the job done, he just tries to perfect his craft every day at practice. Hes a good part of our team, a good leader for our team." The Raiders have been hampered by injuries on the line throughout camp. Right guard Mike Brisiel has been out all week as he struggles to recover from off-season ankle surgery. Lucas Nix, who is batting with Tony Bergstrom for the left guard spot, has also missed significant time in camp with an undisclosed injury. Second-round pick Menelik Watson has not practiced all camp with a calf injury. With Oakland changing blocking schemes from a zone system last year to more power blocking this season, the lack of continuity on the line is concerning. "It definitely hurts," centre Stefen Wisniewski said. "Weve had a couple of left guards in there, a couple of right guards in there, and now were working with a new left tackle. But I think were all communicating really well. I think its just a matter of getting your footwork right, and getting some of those combination blocks right."TreQuan Smith Womens Jersey . Still, Brewers manager Ron Roenicke thought taking him out before the fifth inning was an unusual move. 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It was a victory that ended a decade of frustration for Parker and a talented French generation, which lost the final against Spain two years ago and took bronze in 2005.LINCOLN, Neb. -- For three years, Ryker Fyfe has been Nebraskas No. 2 quarterback, and it took until senior day in his fifth season for him to realize the quintessential dream of football-loving boys who grow up in the state.Fyfe started a game at Memorial Stadium, and he came away a winner Saturday.I didnt know if this day would ever come, to be honest, said Fyfe, who turned 23 on Sunday. But it did, and I was ready.Fyfe might not be done yet, even though he broke a bone in his left (non-throwing) wrist in the 28-7 win over Maryland . He already has had surgery to place a pin in the wrist, and he and four-year starter Tommy Armstrong both were to practice Monday. Armstrong has been nursing a hamstring injury for more than a week.Coach Mike Riley said Monday he should have a good idea after practice Tuesday whether one or both of them will be available for Fridays game at Iowa. Zack Darlington, who moved from quarterback to receiver last spring and serves as the holder, also was to take practice snaps.If Fyfe plays, hell wear a brace on his wrist.The No. 17 Huskers (9-2, 6-2) will be playing a high-stakes game against the Hawkeyes (7-4, 5-3). A win, coupled with a Minnesota upset of No. 5 Wisconsin on the road Saturday, would send Nebraska to the Big Ten championship game as the West Division representative.Fyfe turned in a confidence-building performance against Maryland. He led touchdown drives of 72 and 54 yards on the Huskers first two possessions and a 78-yard TD drive on the fourth.Ryker played out of his mind, said Jordan Westerkamp, who caught a career-high eight passes, including a 4-yard touchdown. It was awesome having him back there. We were real successful in all areas of the game today.In the first half, Fyfe completed 14 of 20 passes for 153 yards and converted five third downs, four on passes and another when he ran around the right end for 21 yards. He also broke off a 14-yard run to conveert a fourth-and-1.dddddddddddd.Those early successes were critical for a quarterback who until Saturday had played sparingly this season, Westerkamp said.To get in there and to make some plays right away and to just get after it was a huge confident booster to Ryker and to all of us, he said.Fyfe cooled off in the second half and finished 23 of 37 for 220 yards. Most important, he didnt commit a turnover. In his only previous start, on the road against Purdue last year, he was intercepted four times and fumbled in a 55-45 loss. Thats a distant memory now for Fyfe.I promise I am not surprised at all, Riley said. The guy has some special qualities that are real important to quarterbacking. He has got a nice release, he has obviously got poise, and he has got good vision. He put a lot of balls in a nice location for guys to make some plays today. He missed a couple more by just a hair that could have been really exciting for the big picture.Fyfe grew up 80 miles west of Lincoln in Grand Island, and when he was playing at Grand Island Senior High, his favorite receiver was Sam Foltz. The two walked on together to Nebraska , with Foltz becoming an All-Big Ten punter. Foltz died in a July car accident in Wisconsin, and the Huskers dedicated this season to him.The senior day ceremony featured a tribute to Foltz, and that made for an emotional pregame.This should be a game that I should be walking out with Sam for my last game, but I knew he was with us, with me, in spirit, Fyfe said.Foltzs parents, Gerald and Jill Foltz, greeted each senior as he came out of the tunnel. Fyfe said he shared a special moment with them.They talked to me, gave me a hug and said, `Hell be with you out there. Just go out and play hard. So it was fun.---More AP college football: http://collegefootball.ap.org ' ' '