The Bills were a youth subculture that thrived in Léopoldville (modern-day Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo) in the late 1950s, basing much of their image and outlook on the cowboys of American Western movies. Its name was taken from Buffalo Bill.

Background

Bills were gangs of teenagers that dressed in cowboy outfits and went against the current political view.They wore cowboy hats that were brown and had cowboy boots. From 1957 to 1959, half a dozen movie theaters opened in the "African" neighborhoods in Léopoldville (the city was segregated into African and European areas). The majority of Léopoldville's population was under 20, and most of these youths were educated to only primary level, since the colonial government reserved most of the secondary school places for Europeans. Poor education resulted in large scale unemployment, and, with little else to do, the youths began to make the theaters their meeting points. They were particularly drawn to Western movies, and "Billism" began to incorporate many of the motifs into their lives. The portrayal of Buffalo Bill in the movies was especially appealing partly because of the similarity to hunter heroes of Congolese culture. The character of Buffalo Bill had already appeared in over 20 films by that time, but the most influential movie is thought to be 'Pony Express', where Charlton Heston played Bill.

Way of life

The Bills dressed in cowboy outfits (kerchiefs, jeans and shirts) sold in Kinshasa. The names of the 'territories' for each gang echoed those of the Western United States (Texas, Santa Fe), and the gangs themselves were usually named after their territories (such as the "Texas Bills"), but occasionally strayed outside the Western United States pantheon (such as "Godzilla"). Some commentators have suggested they provided a street-level counterpart to the more refined and overtly political anti-colonial struggle that was then being fought by some of the ''évolués'' (the middle class educated elite).

Hindoubill

The Bills developed their own argot called Hindoubill (or Hindubill). The origins of this name are obscure, but may relate to either the Hindi films occasionally shown in Kinshasa, or to the Bills conflating the Native American "Indians" of "Cowboys and Indians" with the Indians of India (à la Columbus' mistake).

References

De Boeck, Filip & Plissart, Marie-Françoise. (2004) ''Kinshasa: Tales of the Invisible City'' Ludion. ISBN 90-5544-528-2. Photography and analysis of everyday life in Kinshasa, together with extensive quotations from contemporary Congolese. The last chapter is available as a PDF here

Stewart, Gary. (2000) ''Rumba on the River: A history of the popular music of the two Congos'' Verso. ISBN 1-85984-744-7. Tells the story of Congolese music, history, and popular culture.

Category:Democratic Republic of the Congo culture Category:History of subcultures

name	Yu Dafu
birth date	December 07, 1896
birth place	Fuyang, Zhejiang, China
death date	September 17, 1945
occupation	Short Story writer and Poet
website	}}

Yu Dafu () (December 7, 1896—September 17, 1945). Born in Fuyang, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, was a modern Chinese short story writer and poet.

Early years

Yu Dafu's father died at when he was only three, leaving the family poverty-stricken and destitute. He received a number of scholarships through the Chinese government and went on to receive a traditional Chinese education in Hangzhou. Chronologically he studied in Jiangxing-Fu Middle School (before he came to Hangzhou), Hangzhou-Fu Middle School, Yuying Academy (育英学堂, formerly of Zhejiang University).

In 1912, he entered Hangchow University (later its major part merged into Zhejiang University) preparatory through examination. He was there only for a short period before he was expelled for participation in a student strike.

He then moved to Japan, where he studied economics at the Tokyo Imperial University between 1913 and 1922, where he met other Chinese intellectuals (namely, Guo Moruo, Zhang Ziping and Tian Han). Together, in 1921 they founded the ''Chuangzao she'' 創造社 ("Creation Society"), which promoted vernacular and modern literature. One of his earlier works ''Chenlun'' 沉淪, also his most famous, published in Japan in 1921. The work had gained immense popularity in China, shocking the world of Chinese literature with its frank dealing with sex, as well as grievances directed at the incompetence of Chinese government at the time.

In 1922, he returned to China as a literary celebrity and worked as the editor of ''Creation Quarterly'', editing journals and writing short stories. In 1923, after an attack of tuberculosis, Yu Dafu directed his attention to the welfare of the masses.

In 1927, he worked as an editor of the ''Hongshui'' literary magazine. He later came in conflict with the Communist Party of China and fled back to Japan.

Second Sino-Japanese war

After the start of the Second Sino-Japanese war, he returned to China and worked as a writer of anti-Japanese propaganda in Hangzhou, and later in Zhejiang. From 1938 to 1942, he worked as a literary editor for the newspaper Sin Chew Jit Poh in Singapore.

In 1942 when the Imperial Japanese Army invaded Singapore, he was forced to flee to Sumatra. Known under a different identity, he settled there among other overseas Chinese and began a brewery business with the help of the locals. Later he was forced to help the Japanese military police as an interpreter when it was discovered that he was one of the few "locals" in the area who could speak Japanese.

In 1945, he was arrested by the Kempeitai when his true identity was finally discovered. It is believed that he was executed by the Japanese shortly after the surrender of Japan.

Works

''Chenlun'' 沉淪 "''Sinking''" (1921)

''Riji jiuzhong'' 日記九種 “''Nine Diaries''” (1927)

''Guoqu'' 過去 “''The Past''" (1927)

his first novel?? (1928) (moderately successful)

his second novel?? (1932)

''Chuben'' 出奔 "''Flight''" (1935)

His most popular work, breaking all Chinese sales records, was ''Jih-chi chiu-chung'' "''Nine Diaries''", which detailed his affair with the writer Wang Ying-hsin. The most critically acclaimed work is ''Kuo-ch'u'' or "''The Past''", written in 1927.

References

Encyclopædia Britannica 2005 Ultimate Reference Suite DVD, article- "Yü Ta-fu"

External links

Category:1896 births Category:1945 deaths Category:Chinese expatriates in Japan Category:Hangzhou High School alumni Category:People from Hangzhou Category:Republic of China poets Category:University of Tokyo alumni Category:Zhejiang University alumni

de:Yu Dafu es:Yu Dafu fr:Yu Dafu it:Yu Dafu no:Yu Dafu zh:郁達夫

Name	Mark Sanchez
Width	250
Currentteam	New York Jets
Currentnumber	6
Currentpositionplain	Quarterback
Birth date	November 11, 1986
Birth place	Long Beach, California
Heightft	6
Heightin	2
Weight	225
Debutyear	2009
Debutteam	New York Jets
Highschool	Mission Viejo
College	Southern California
Draftyear	2009
Draftround	1
Draftpick	5
Pastteams	New York Jets (–present)
Status	Active
Highlights	Tied for most postseason road victories by an NFL quarterback (4) ''Sporting News''' All-Rookie Team selection 3× Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week Winner Other accomplishments
Statweek	17
Statseason	2010
Statlabel1	Pass attempts
Statvalue1	871
Statlabel2	Pass completions
Statvalue2	474
Statlabel3	Percentage
Statvalue3	54.4
Statlabel4	TD–INT
Statvalue4	29–33
Statlabel5	Passing Yards
Statvalue5	5,735
Statlabel6	Passer rating
Statvalue6	70.2
Nfl	SAN091667 }}

Mark Travis John Sanchez (born November 11, 1986) is an American football quarterback for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft as the fifth overall selection by the Jets and the second quarterback overall. He played college football at the University of Southern California (USC).

Sanchez grew up in a well-disciplined and athletic family. In the eighth grade, he began to play football and began to learn the intricacies of the quarterback position, training with his father, Nick. A well-regarded prospect, Sanchez committed to Southern California following his successful high school career in which he led his team to a championship title during his final season. At USC, Sanchez was relegated as the backup quarterback during his first three years though he rose to prominence due to his brief appearances on the field in 2007 due to injuries suffered by starting quarterback John David Booty. Sanchez also became popular within the community due to his Mexican-American heritage. Named the starter in 2008, Sanchez led USC to a 12–1 record and won the Rose Bowl against Penn State for which Sanchez was awarded the Most Valuable Player award for his performance on offense.

Although many considered him too inexperienced, Sanchez announced his intention to enter the NFL Draft. He was selected by the Jets and named the starting quarterback prior to the start of the season. Despite a subpar performance, Sanchez led the Jets to the AFC Championship Game, a losing effort to the Indianapolis Colts, becoming the fourth rookie quarterback in NFL history to win his first playoff game and the second to win two playoff games. In his second season, Sanchez continued to develop and led the Jets to the playoffs and the team's second consecutive AFC Championship Game where they narrowly lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 24–19.

With the win over the New England Patriots the week prior, Sanchez tied four other quarterbacks for the most post-season road victories by a quarterback in NFL history. In leading the Jets to two consecutive conference championships, Sanchez joined quarterback Ben Roethlisberger as the only two quarterbacks in NFL history to reach the conference championship in their first two seasons in the league.

Early life

Mark was born in Long Beach, California to Nick Sr. and Olga Sanchez. When Mark was four, his parents divorced; Mark and his brothers, Nick Jr. and Brandon, stayed with their father but their mother remained involved in their upbringing. Mark initially lived in Whittier and Pico Rivera; when he was six his father moved with the children to Rancho Santa Margarita, a predominantly white neighborhood of Orange County.

Mark's father remarried and raised them strictly, seeking to influence them to become leaders. Throughout his childhood and teenage years, Mark's father would have him combine athletic and mental training. Mark would have to dribble a basketball without looking at it while reciting multiplication tables; practice baseball swings in a batting cage while answering questions about the periodic table and similar combined drills that his father hoped would develop quick thinking and self-confidence that would guide Mark in all areas of life and not simply sports.

By the time Mark entered the eighth grade, he had developed an interest in football but was unsure of what position to play. His father consulted coaches Bill Cunerty, who formerly coached at Saddleback College, and Bob Johnson, the head coach at Mission Viejo High School. Both coaches stated Mark could be a quarterback if he applied himself and was open to learning the intricacies of the position. Nick Sr. trained Mark during sessions in their backyard or at the park. Mark, who was attending Santa Margarita High School, joined the football team. During his first pass attempt as a sophomore, Mark threw a 55-yard touchdown.

Prior to his junior year of high school, Mark transferred to Mission Viejo, where Johnson, who was recognized as a "quarterback guru" having trained professionals like Carson Palmer, was head coach. Under Johnson's tutelage, Mark felt he would have a better opportunity to become a better player. Johnson tutored Mark on the complexities of the position and in two seasons with the team, Mark led the Diablos to a 27–1 record culminating with the California Interscholastic Federation Division II championship in 2004.

Mark was named football player of the year by several major college recruiting services and was considered the top quarterback in the nation upon the conclusion of his high school football career in 2005. In July 2004, Mark announced his commitment to the University of Southern California.

College career

Being named the nation's top quarterback coming out of high school, Sanchez was well regarded upon his arrival at USC. With upperclassmen Matt Leinart and John David Booty returning, Sanchez did not play during his freshman year in 2005, opting to preserve a year of eligibility. During this time, he participated as the quarterback of USC's scout team, earning the Trojans' Service Team Offensive Player of the Year Award.

In April 2006, Sanchez was arrested after a female USC student accused him of sexual assault. He was released from jail the following day and suspended. On June 3, 2006, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office announced no charges would be filed, and Sanchez was reinstated, though he was disciplined by the football team for underage drinking and using false identification on the night he was arrested.

At the outset of the 2006 season, Sanchez competed for the starting quarterback position; once Booty, a junior, suffered severe back spasms caused by a pre-existing back condition, surgery was required and Sanchez was promoted to run the first-team offense during the spring as Booty recovered. Coaches stated Booty would be considered the starting quarterback when he returned for fall practice. During the 2006 season, Sanchez saw limited playing time in games against Arkansas, Stanford and Oregon. Through those three games, Sanchez completed 3 of his 7 pass attempts for 63 yards and 1 interception. He also saw additional action against Arizona, Michigan, and Notre Dame but he did not attempt a pass in those contests.

In fall practice, before USC's 2007 season, Sanchez broke his right thumb, missing the first game against Idaho; he returned the following week and served as the primary backup to Booty. Sanchez earned limited playing time in wins against Nebraska and Washington State. Sanchez was named the starting quarterback by head coach Pete Carroll against Arizona after Booty suffered a broken finger during a 24–23 loss to Stanford.

On October 13, Sanchez led USC to a 20–13 victory, overcoming a wavering performance during the first half of the game in which he threw two interceptions, as Arizona went on to tie the game going into halftime. During the second half, Sanchez was more proficient passing the ball and ultimately finished the game completing 19 of his 31 passes while throwing for 130 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. With Booty still recovering, USC elected to start Sanchez for a second consecutive week against Notre Dame; he made significant improvements, completing 21 of his 38 passes for 235 yards and four touchdowns in a 38–0 victory over Notre Dame.

On October 27, Sanchez started for the final time in place of the injured Booty, in an away game against Oregon. USC lost, 24–17; Sanchez having two passes intercepted by Oregon safety Matthew Harper in the second half. The first interception led to a fourth-quarter touchdown that gave Oregon a 14-point lead; the second interception ended USC's final chance for a comeback. In spite of a myriad of mistakes committed by his team mates in addition to his own, Sanchez publicly accepted blame for the loss. The following week, against Oregon State, Booty returned as USC's starting quarterback, with Sanchez resuming his position as Booty's backup. Sanchez did not perform in subsequent games and finished the season with 695 yards and seven touchdowns with five interceptions.

Sanchez entered spring practice after the 2008 season as the front-runner to take over the starting quarterback position, but faced strong competition from redshirt freshman Aaron Corp and Mitch Mustain, a transfer from Arkansas, where he had been the starting quarterback; Mustain, like Sanchez, was named the top quarterback in the nation upon the conclusion of high school career in 2006. By the end of spring practice, Carroll announced Sanchez would be the starting quarterback heading into the fall. During the first week of fall camp, Sanchez dislocated his left kneecap during warm-ups prior to practice; trainers immediately put the kneecap back into place. After missing nearly three weeks, Sanchez was cleared to play in the opener against Virginia. Before the opener, Sanchez was contacted by USC's previous three quarterbacks—Carson Palmer, Leinart and Booty—who wished him well and offered general advice.

In the opener at Virginia, Sanchez threw for a career-best 338 yards, completing 26 of his 35 passes for three touchdowns and one interception. The Davey O'Brien Foundation named him the O'Brien Quarterback of the Week and his performance garnered early Heisman discussion. The Trojans suffered a stunning 27–21 loss against Oregon State on September 25. By seasons end, the Trojans' lone loss was enough to remove them from contending for the BCS National Title and instead they were to play in the Rose Bowl against Penn State. The Trojans defeated the Nittany Lions 38–24. Sanchez won the 2009 Rose Bowl Most Valuable Player award for his performance on offense; his 413 passing yards ranked second in the history of the Rose Bowl and fourth in Trojan history. With Sanchez starting all thirteen games, the Trojans ended the season 12–1 and ranked number two in the Coaches' Poll and number three in the AP Poll. Sanchez finished the season with 3,207 yards passing, 34 touchdowns, second most in Trojan history, behind Leinart, and 10 interceptions.

Upon the conclusion of the Rose Bowl, Sanchez stated it would be "hard to say goodbye to [USC]. I don’t think I can do it." However, with the subsequent announcement that other NFL-caliber quarterbacks, such as Sam Bradford, Tim Tebow and Colt McCoy, had decided to stay in school, rumors arose that Sanchez would use the opportunity to enter the 2009 NFL Draft. On January 15, Sanchez announced his plans to forgo his final year of college eligibility and enter the 2009 NFL Draft, although he continued as a USC student and completed work on his degree in the spring of 2009 while preparing for the draft.

Sanchez became the first USC quarterback to leave early since Todd Marinovich did so after the 1990 season. During the press conference, head coach Pete Carroll made it clear that he did not agree with Sanchez's decision, and advised him of the low success-rate of quarterbacks who left college early. Despite the public disagreement, the two remained close afterward.

Professional career

2009 NFL Draft

Following the press conference, Sanchez hired his older brother and business litigator, Nick Sanchez, to be his agent alongside David Dunn, who represented Carson Palmer. Sanchez received an invitation to the 2009 Scouting Combine where his performance was well-received. He was ranked as one of the top two quarterbacks, behind fellow junior quarterback Matthew Stafford from the University of Georgia. In the final days leading up to the draft, several NFL teams expressed serious interest in Sanchez, including the Seattle Seahawks (No. 4 selection), Cleveland Browns (No. 5 selection), Washington Redskins (No. 13 selection), and New York Jets (No. 17 selection).

{{nfl predraft | height ft = 6 | height in = 2 | weight = 227 | dash = 4.88 | ten split = N/A | twenty split = N/A | shuttle = 4.21 | cone drill = 7.06 | vertical = 32.5 | broad ft = 9 | broad in = 8 | bench = DNA | wonderlic = 28 | note = Did not attempt bench. Ten and twenty splits are not available. }}

New York Jets

The New York Jets drafted Sanchez using the fifth overall selection in the 2009 NFL Draft, making him the first quarterback selected by the franchise in the first round since Chad Pennington. To select Sanchez, the Jets traded their first and second round selections and three players, Kenyon Coleman, Abram Elam and Brett Ratliff, to the Cleveland Browns. At the time, the selection was lauded as good value for the team and for Sanchez. Sanchez reached an agreement with the team on June 10, 2009, signing a five-year, $50 million contract, with $28 million guaranteed. It is the largest contract the Jets signed a player to in franchise history.

Heading into his rookie training camp, Sanchez was listed as the second quarterback behind veteran Kellen Clemens. Jets head coach Rex Ryan viewed the camp as an opportunity for both quarterbacks to compete against each other to determine the eventual starter for the 2009 season. On August 26, 2009, Sanchez was named the starter, becoming the first rookie quarterback to start the season for the franchise since Dick Jamieson in 1960.

Sanchez started his first regular season NFL game against the Houston Texans on September 13, 2009, throwing his first touchdown pass, a 30-yard reception, to Chansi Stuckey. Sanchez and the Jets won the game 24–7, with Sanchez throwing for 272 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He was named the Pepsi Rookie of the Week for his performance in the game, the first of three consecutive Rookie of the Week awards. He played his first home game a week later versus the New England Patriots, a 16–9 victory; it was also his first division game and his first rivalry game. It was the Jets' first victory over New England at home since 2000. With a 24–17 victory over the Tennessee Titans in week 3, Sanchez became the first rookie quarterback to start and win his first three games of an NFL season. However, his performance began to regress as he had a pass intercepted for a 99-yard touchdown return, and fumbled another attempted pass in the end zone for another touchdown, as the Jets fell to the New Orleans Saints in week 4. These two plays were enough to spoil an otherwise strong outing from the Jets's defensive unit as the team dropped to a 3–1 record. Following the loss to New Orleans, Sanchez received criticism in a 16–13 overtime loss to the Buffalo Bills in week 6 when he threw five interceptions against a lowly Bills defense that previously had only four interceptions the entire season. The Jets ended their losing streak in a 38–0 victory against the Oakland Raiders in week 7 however, Sanchez was criticized after he was seen eating a hot dog on the Jets's bench in the fourth quarter.

In the team's second meeting against the Bills on December 3, 2009, Sanchez suffered a sprained PCL in the third quarter, prompting the veteran Clemens to take his place. Though there were no setbacks to the injury, head coach Ryan benched Sanchez the following game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for precautionary reasons, much to Sanchez's dismay. At 7–7, the Jets had a chance to secure a playoff berth if they won the remainder of their games. One such game was against the Indianapolis Colts who had 23 consecutive regular season wins. Sanchez and the Jets engineered a comeback win following Colts head coach Jim Caldwell's decision to controversially rest the team starters in the third quarter with a five-point lead. The following week, on January 3, 2010, Sanchez led the team into the playoffs despite a subpar effort, completing eight of sixteen passes for sixty-three yards, en route to a 37–0 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, who rested their starters as the team had already clinched the AFC North division title and a playoff berth. The manner of the two wins, which gave the Jets their first playoff berth since 2006, caused many to claim the team had "backed into the playoffs". Sanchez completed his rookie season with 2,444 yards, 12 touchdowns and 20 interceptions.

In the wild card round, that took place on January 9, 2010 at Paul Brown Stadium, Sanchez led the Jets to another victory over the Bengals, 24–14, behind his positive performance where he completed 12 of his 15 passes while throwing for 182 yards and a touchdown with a passer rating of 139.4. Sanchez became the fourth rookie quarterback in NFL history to win his first post-season contest, and the second to do so on the road. On January 17, 2010, Sanchez, with the help of fellow rookie Shonn Greene, defeated the heavily favored San Diego Chargers 17–14 to attain the Jets's third AFC Championship appearance in franchise history. Sanchez became only the second rookie quarterback to win two consecutive playoff games, after Joe Flacco. In a rematch of their regular season meeting, Sanchez performed well in the first half however, the offense succumbed to the Colts defense in the second half and the Jets gave up an 11 point lead and lost 30–17, ending the Jets's Super Bowl aspirations. Sanchez was named to ''Sporting News''' All-Rookie team for his performance during the season.

On February 17, 2010, Sanchez had surgery to repair the patella ligament in his left knee that he originally injured when he played for USC. The surgery was successful. Sanchez was expected to miss early workouts and return in time for training camp however Sanchez made a quick recovery and participated in team drills during Organized Team Activities (OTA). The Jets opened the 2010 season with a 5–1 record however, the passing game was subpar as Sanchez struggled to accurately throw the football. Sanchez recorded his first career 300-yard passing game in a win over the Detroit Lions on November 7, 2010. At 10–4, the Jets faced the Chicago Bears on December 26, 2010 with a chance to clinch a playoff berth. Though Sanchez injured his shoulder in a victory over Pittsburgh the previous week, he started the game completing 24 of his 37 passes for a touchdown and an interception. However, the Jets were unable to defend the Bears's offense and subsequently lost the game 38–31 after a comeback drive was halted when Sanchez was intercepted. Due to a loss by the Jacksonville Jaguars that same day, the Jets clinched the playoff berth. Sanchez finished the season with 3,291 yards, 17 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

The Jets finished the season with an 11–5 record and entered the wild card round facing the Indianapolis Colts in a rematch of their previous encounter in the AFC Championship. Although Sanchez had a subpar performance completing 18 of his 31 passes and throwing an interception, he led the team in the final minutes of the game on a comeback drive culminating with kicker Nick Folk kicking the game-winning field goal as time expired. The Jets went on to face rival New England Patriots in the divisional round and upset the heavily favored Patriots 28–21 as Sanchez completed 16 of his 25 passes for 194 yards and three touchdowns. With the win, Sanchez tied Len Dawson, Roger Staubach, Jake Delhomme, and Joe Flacco for most post-season road victories by a quarterback in NFL history. The team traveled to the AFC Championship, for a second consecutive season, to face the Pittsburgh Steelers on January 23, 2011. After heading into halftime down 24–3, the team, led by Sanchez, engineered a comeback following a heartfelt speech given by the quarterback at halftime. However, the team fell short as their final offensive drive was stymied by the Steelers defense and the Jets lost 24–19.

Prior to the outset of the 2011 season, head coach Rex Ryan named Sanchez the team captain.

Player profile

Sanchez has been praised for his ability to maintain composure, in spite of defensive pressure, and focus on finding an open receiver on the field thus, allowing him to extend the team's offensive series. In his two-year career, Sanchez has had five fourth quarter comebacks and several game winning drives. His calm demeanor in pressing situations has earned him the respect of Bill Parcells and Sam Wyche and has even garnered comparisons to Ben Roethlisberger and Joe Montana.

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Sanchez is known for his fierce, competitive nature. In December 2010, following dismal performances, Rex Ryan threatened to reduce Sanchez's repetitions with the first-team offense during practice. Sanchez was immediately incensed and at one point was prepared to fight Ryan for his job.

Sanchez has also been praised for his arm strength, immediately drawing comparisons to Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath. Sanchez has proven to be proficient in short passing situations as well. He is well-respected and viewed as a leader amongst his peers.

After undergoing knee surgery following his rookie season, Sanchez established "Jets West" in 2010, an annual off-season camp located in his home state of California. Sanchez hosts workouts and offers classroom review sessions for his skill-position teammates on offense for one week. Originally intended to aid his rehabilitation, the sessions have grown into an extension of his leadership and fosters an environment to build team chemistry albeit exclusively with his offensive counterparts. During the NFL labor dispute, Sanchez managed to organize private workouts with over forty of his teammates.

Personal life

Sanchez is an avid fan of musical theatre. He was a presenter at the 2010 Tony Awards, where he introduced a number from the Broadway musical ''Memphis''. On stage at Radio City Music Hall, Sanchez stated, "I've become a huge fan of musicals since I've come to New York, and I've taken some heat from guys on the team, believe me."

Sanchez's father is a fire captain for the Orange County Fire Authority and a member of the national urban search and rescue team. In college, Nick Sanchez played quarterback for East Los Angeles College, was later a sergeant in the United States Army. His two older brothers both played college football. Nick Jr. attended Yale University where he played quarterback while Brandon attended DePauw University where he played on the offensive line. Nick Jr. went on to attend the USC Law School and is a business attorney; Brandon became a mortgage broker.

Philanthropic works

Sanchez has been involved in multiple charities including the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation to help raise awareness for Type 1 diabetes. He is also involved with Sam's Club's ''Giving Made Simple'' which, helps raise awareness about childhood obesity and how families can prevent it.

Sanchez has worked with the Teddy Atlas Foundation through which he met Aiden Binkley, a terminally ill 11-year old struck with rhabdomyosarcoma. Sanchez developed a bond with Binkley and the two remained close friends until Binkley's death in December 2010 which devastated Sanchez.

Mexican-American identity

When Sanchez was elevated to prominence at USC, he found himself a symbol of Mexican-American identity and a role model for younger generations. Sanchez was placed on center stage in Los Angeles, home to more than 4.6 million Hispanics, the majority of whom are of Mexican descent. While there had been previous, successful Mexican-American quarterbacks such as Tom Flores, Jim Plunkett, Joe Kapp, Jeff Garcia, Tony Romo, and Marc Bulger, unlike most of his predecessors, Sanchez is a third-generation, full Mexican and none had been embraced to the extent Sanchez was. USC fans began playing up Sanchez's ethnicity by wearing items such as sarapes, lucha libre masks and homemade "¡Viva Sanchez!" T-shirts. His rise to fame within the Mexican-American community was compared to that of boxer Oscar De La Hoya and baseball pitcher Fernando Valenzuela.

While starting for an injured John David Booty in 2007, Sanchez wore a custom mouthguard that featured the colors of the Mexican flag in honor of his heritage. It became a prominent issue after his nationally televised game against Notre Dame. The mouthpiece became a symbol for two opposing viewpoints: for Mexican-Americans, it was a symbol of unity—Sanchez accepting his heritage; for critics, the gesture symbolized a radical political statement. Sanchez, who was born and raised in the United States, reportedly received letters urging him to return to Mexico. Sanchez responded to the controversy stating, "It’s not a Mexican power thing or anything like that. It’s just a little bit of pride in our heritage. Hopefully, it inspires somebody and it’s all for the best." Overwhelmed by the attention and shying away from politics, Sanchez stopped wearing the mouthpiece, but began participating in other efforts to help the Hispanic community.

Sanchez, who knew how to speak some Spanish but was not bilingual going into his junior season at USC, began to take Spanish lessons so he could have conversations with others who share his heritage and conduct interviews with the media without the use of a translator. The USC band played "El Matador" when Sanchez would take the field. Sanchez participated in a fundraiser to help provide school supplies to first-graders in the city of Long Beach and region of South Bay, and helped Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa give holiday gifts to impoverished families. By the end of his USC career, he had been hailed as a significant role model for Hispanic youth. Sanchez serves as the Ambassador to the Inner-City Games Los Angeles, an after-school program that provides "at-risk youth" with positive, alternative activities. Sanchez was most recently seen throwing out the first pitch at a Los Angeles Angels game in July 2009 on behalf of the Inner-City organization. ESPN Radio came to an agreement with the Jets to broadcast all of the team's regular season games in 2011 on 710 ESPN Radio in Los Angeles. The agreement came about due to Sanchez's continued popularity in California.

Statistics

USC

7 !2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season 114 !2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season 366

rowspan="2"	Year !! rowspan="2"|Team !! rowspan="2"|G !! rowspan="2"|GS !! colspan="8" |Passing !! colspan="4" |Rushing
! Att !! Comp !! Pct !! Yds !! Y/A !! TD !! Int !! Rtg !! Att !! Yds !! Avg !! TD
![[2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season	3	0	|	3	42.9	63	9.0	0	1	89.9	4	-5	-1.3	1
2007 !	USC	6	3	|	69	60.5	695	6.1	7	5	123.2	14	22	1.6	0
2008 !	USC	13	13	|	241	65.8	3207	8.8	34	10	164.6	52	16	0.3	3
Total !! 22 !! 16 !! 487 !! 313 !! 64.3 !! 3965 !! 8.1 !! 41 !! 16 !! 153.9 !! 70 !! 33 !! 0.3 !! 4

New York Jets

Regular season

364 !2010 NFL season 507

rowspan="2"	Year !! rowspan="2"|Team !! rowspan="2"|G !! rowspan="2"|GS !! colspan="8" |Passing !! colspan="4" |Rushing !! colspan="2" |Sacked !! colspan="2" |Fumbles
! Att !! Comp !! Pct !! Yds !! Y/A !! TD !! Int !! Rtg !! Att !! Yds !! Avg !! TD !! Sack !! YdsL !! Fum !! FumL
![[2009 NFL season	15	15	|	196	53.8	2444	6.7	12	20	63.0	36	106	2.9	3	26	195	10	3
2010 !	NYJ	16	16	|	278	54.8	3291	6.5	17	13	75.3	30	105	3.5	3	27	171	9	1
Total !! 31 !! 31 !! 871 !! 474 !! 54.4 !! 5735 !! 6.6 !! 29 !! 33 !! 70.2 !! 66 !! 211 !! 3.2 !! 6 !! 53 !! 366 !! 19 !! 4

Playoffs

68 !2010 NFL season 89

rowspan="2"	Year !! rowspan="2"|Team !! rowspan="2"|G !! rowspan="2"|GS !! colspan="8" |Passing !! colspan="4" |Rushing
! Att !! Comp !! Pct !! Yds !! Y/A !! TD !! Int !! Rtg !! Att !! Yds !! Avg !! TD
![[2009 NFL season	3	3	|	41	60.3	539	7.9	4	2	92.7	6	-2	-0.3	0
2010 !	NYJ	3	3	|	54	60.9	616	6.9	5	1	97.3	5	11	2.2	0
Total !! 6 !! 6 !! 157 !! 95 !! 60.5 !! 1155!! 7.4 !! 9 !! 3 !! 94.3 !! 11 !! 9 !! 0.82 !! 0

Career highlights

Awards and honors

{|class="wikitable" width="80%" text-align: center; |- !style="background:#ccccff;"|Award/Honor !style="background:#ccccff;"|Time(s) !style="background:#ccccff;"|Year(s) |- !colspan="10" style="text-align: center; background:#ccccff;|National Football League |- |Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week |3 |2009 |- |''Sporting News''' All Rookie Team |1 |2009 |- !colspan="10" style="text-align: center; background:#ccccff;|College |- |Rose Bowl Champion |3 |2007, 2008, 2009 |- |Rose Bowl Offensive Most Valuable Player |1 |2009 |- |First Team All-Pac 10 |1 |2008 |- |''Sports Illustrated'' and ''Pro Football Weekly'' All-American Honorable Mention |1 |2008 |- !colspan="10" style="text-align: center; background:#ccccff;|High school |- |Super Prep All-American Player of the Year |1 |2004 |- |Parade All-American Player of the Year |1 |2004 |- |CIF Division II Champion |1 |2004 |- |All-CIF Division II Co-Offensive Player of the Year |1 |2004 |- |}

Records

{|class="wikitable" margin: 5px; text-align: center; |- |+NFL Records |- !style="background:#ccccff;|Accomplishment !style="background:#ccccff;|Record (as of January 24, 2011) |- !style="background:#ddddee;" colspan="2"|Regular season |- !colspan="10" style="text-align: center; background:#ccccff;|''None'' |- !style="background:#ddddee;" colspan="2"|Postseason |- |Tied for most post-season road victories by a quarterback in NFL history (tied with Len Dawson, Roger Staubach, Jake Delhomme and Joe Flacco) |4 |- |}

References

External links

New York Jets bio

USC Trojans bio

Mark Sanchez at ESPN.com

Category:1986 births Category:Living people Category:American football quarterbacks Category:American sportspeople of Mexican descent Category:New York Jets players Category:People from Long Beach, California Category:Sportspeople from Orange County, California Category:Players of American football from California Category:U.S. Army All-American football players Category:USC Trojans football players

da:Mark Sanchez de:Mark Sanchez es:Mark Sanchez fr:Mark Sanchez it:Mark Sanchez ja:マーク・サンチェス pt:Mark Sanchez fi:Mark Sanchez tl:Mark Sanchez

Currentteam	Buffalo Bills
Currentnumber	29
Currentpositionplain	Cornerback
Birth date	December 19, 1980
Birth place	Waycross, Georgia
Heightft	6
Heightin	0
Weight	195
Debutyear	2003
Debutteam	San Diego Chargers
College	Tuskegee
Draftyear	2003
Draftround	2
Draftpick	46
Pastteams	San Diego Chargers (-) Jacksonville Jaguars () Buffalo Bills (–present)
Status	Active
Statweek	9
Statseason	2010
Statlabel1	Tackles
Statvalue1	359
Statlabel2	Sacks
Statvalue2	0.0
Statlabel3	INTs
Statvalue3	11
Nfl	FLO150404 }}

Drayton Florence, Jr. (born December 19, 1980 in Waycross, Georgia) is an American football cornerback for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Tuskegee.

Florence has also played for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Early years

Florence was an all-district selection at Vanguard High School in Ocala, Florida, but spent his sophomore year at Richland Northeast High School in Columbia, South Carolina.

College career

Florence attended Tuskegee University (2001–2002) after transferring from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (1999–2000). He registered school-record three returns for touchdowns on interceptions at Tuskegee. As a senior, he was named first-team Division II All-America by the ''Associated Press'' and ''American Coaches Association''. He majored in social work.

Professional career

2003 NFL Draft

Florence was drafted by the Chargers 46th overall in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft and was the 2nd cornerback selected by Chargers that draft after Sammy Davis. He is the highest drafted NFL player from Tuskegee University

!Ht	!Wt	!40-yard dash	!10-yd split	!20-yd split	20-yard shuttle>20 ss	3 cone drill>3-cone	Vertical jump>Vert	Broad jump>Broad	Bench Press>BP	!Wonderlic

San Diego Chargers

Initially drafted as a nickel back who could fill in at safety if needed, Florence had fought his way to become a legitimate starting cornerback in the NFL across Quentin Jammer.

2007 playoffs

On Sunday, January 14, 2007 in the AFC Divisional Playoff game against the New England Patriots after a muffed punt by wide receiver Eric Parker at the San Diego 31 yard line, Florence committed a personal foul, head-butting Patriot TE Daniel Graham following a 3rd and long play. During the play, the Charger defense had stopped the Patriots for a 7 yard loss putting the ball at the Charger 37 yard line (apx. 53 yard field goal range). The result of the penalty was a Patriots first down on the Charger 18. The extension of the drive led to a Stephen Gostkowski 34 yard field goal. The Patriots went on to win the game 24-21.

The NFL fined San Diego Chargers cornerback Drayton Florence $15,000 for the illegal hit he put on Houston Texans Quarterback Matt Schaub on Sunday October 28. On an interception return, Florence drilled Schaub from the blind side, and he was penalized 15 yards for unnecessary roughness. The league ruled that on a change of possession, Florence unnecessarily made helmet-to-helmet contact with Schaub, who suffered a concussion and missed the rest of the game.

Jacksonville Jaguars

On March 1, 2008, Florence was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars to a six-year $36 million contract with $13 million in guaranteed money. After only one disappointing season with the team he was released on February 11, 2009.

Buffalo Bills

On March 3, 2009, Florence was signed by the Buffalo Bills. Florence has fought his way into the starting rotation under Head Coach Chan Gailey and the man responsible for drafting him, GM Buddy Nix. Florence has responded by leading the Bills in takeaways, including a fumble returned for a touchdown against the Bengals and an interception returned for a touchdown against Minnesota, two weeks apart.

On July 27th, 2011, Florence re-signed with the Bills for 3 years $15 million.

Personal

He is the cousin of Chicago Rush wide receiver Carlos Wright.

References

External links

Buffalo Bills bio

Jacksonville Jaguars bio

Category:1980 births Category:Living people Category:People from Ocala, Florida Category:American football cornerbacks Category:Tuskegee Golden Tigers football players Category:San Diego Chargers players Category:Jacksonville Jaguars players Category:Buffalo Bills players

name	For Real
background	group_or_band
genre	R&B;, Pop, Dance
years active	1993–1999
label	Arista RecordsA&M; Records, Rowdy Records
past members	Wendi WilliamsLatanyia BaldwinJosina Elder Necia Bray-Gates
notable instruments	}}

For Real was an American R&B; and soul quartet, that formed in 1993. In the latter part of that decade they were nominated for a Grammy, Billboard Music Award, and Soul Train Music Award.

Biography

For Real secured their recording contract by accident. "We were picking up our manager from the airport. So we decided to greet him with an acappella song. Someone from A&M; records just happened to be in the airport and heard them perform. Not long after, they were signed," said Latanyia Baldwin.

The band released their debut album, ''It's a Natural Thang'', with production from Brian McKnight on A&M; Records in 1994, and it became a critical success, including a rare four stars from Rolling Stone Magazine. Their first single, "You Don't Wanna Miss" hit #28 on the ''Billboard'' chart, courtesy of a danceable new jack swing remix by Steve "Silk" Hurley, which was featured in the song's video. A second single, "Easy To Love," peaked at #65 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The album scored another chart hit with the a cappella love song, "You Don't Know Nothin'," which was written and produced by Mervyn Warren, and which peaked at #27. The song peaked at #54 in the UK Singles Chart in July 1995. The album sold over one million copies worldwide, and peaked at #80 on the Billboard 200.

In 1995, the band appeared in Italian ''Vogue'', modeling mens suits. They toured alongside Stevie Wonder, and lent their voices to the Martin Scorsese film project ''Grace of My Heart.'' The foursome also forayed into acting with appearances in the film ''Shake, Rattle and Rock!'' starring Renée Zellweger and Howie Mandel on ''Showtime''.

They also hit the US Top 20 with the single "Freedom (Theme from Panther)" featuring Aaliyah, TLC, En Vogue, BlackGirl, SWV, and Vanessa Williams from the movie ''Panther''. They also recorded a duet with Stevie Wonder called "Stubborn Kind Of Fellow", which appeared on the Marvin Gaye tribute album, ''Inner City Blues: The Music Of Marvin Gaye.'' For Real also recorded songs for the soundtracks of the films ''Waiting to Exhale'' and ''Fled'' respectively.

After a label change from A&M; to Dallas Austin's Arista imprint Rowdy Records in 1996, For Real struck again with the Austin-produced, 60s-leaning single "Like I Do," from their second album ''Free''. "Like I Do" hit #10 on the Billboard singles chart, the video also earned a Billboard nomination for Best R&B; Clip, the album made the Top 100, and nearly 400,000 copies in the US, the album's next and last single was the Diane Warren-penned pop ballad "The Saddest Song I Ever Heard" which hit #65 on the Top 100 singles chart. The band performed "Saddest Song" on the TV show All That. ''Free'' included production from top R&B;/pop producers like Babyface, Mario Winans, and Jon B.

The band also recorded three songs ("I Do", "Born to Love That Boy" and "Unwanted Number") and appeared in the critically acclaimed film ''Grace of My Heart''. The films soundstrack won a Satellite Award in 1997.

In January 1997, the band won an American Music Award for their work on the ''Waiting to Exhale'' soundtrack, in Summer 1997, the group earned a Soul Train Award nomination for Album Of The Year (By A Group, Band Or Duo) for "Free".

In 1999, Wendi Williams lent her voice to the Emmy winning film ''Introducing Dorothy Dandridge'', with Halle Berry, in which Berry plays a singer but Williams is behind her singing voice.

In 2002, their song "Love Will Be Waiting At Home", appeared in the movie, ''Two Can Play That Game'', that starred Vivica A. Fox and Morris Chestnut.

In 2009, CoryLavel began to work with Josina Elder on her new album.

Discography

''It's a Natural Thang'' (1994)

''Free'' (1996)

Awards and nominations

Year	Result	Award	Category	Work
	Nominated	Grammy Award	Album of the Year	Waiting to Exhale
	Nominated	Billboard Music Award	Best Clip - R&B;	"Like I Do"
	Nominated	Soul Train Music Award	Album of the Year (By a Group, Band or Duo)	''Free''

References

External links

SingingFool.com Streaming music videos for "Like I Do" and "The Saddest Song I Ever Heard"

Allmusic Discography, biographies, and pictures

IUMA Group photos, lyrics, message board, audio streams, and bio.

Google Album info, photos, and lyrics

Category:American pop music groups Category:American rhythm and blues musical groups Category:African American musical groups Category:American girl groups Category:American soul musical groups Category:Musical groups established in 1992 Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1999