Diné fans support Cardinals at training camp

(Special to the Times - Donovan Quintero)

TOP PHOTO: Lane Manygoats, 6, left, and Antonio Manygoats, 9, from Flagstaff, hold their autographed Arizona Cardinals jerseys Sunday at the Walkup Skydome at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff.

LOWER PHOTO: Jeremy Gishy, left, a fan of the Arizona Cardinals, from Greasewood Springs, Ariz., and Dallas Cowboys fan Marvell Hubbell, from Ganado, watch the Cardinals practice Sunday. Hubbell says that if the Cardinals do well this year he will become a fan.

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The Cardinals officially opened their NFL training camp on Saturday and hundreds of fans wore their favorite Cardinals jersey on Sunday hoping to get autographs from No. 11 Larry Fitzgerald, No.7 Matt Leinart, No. 24 Adrian Wilson and No. 36 Beanie Wells.

Manygoats carried his Fitzgerald replica jersey.

Fans also wore former Cardinals jerseys for players such as Kurt Warner, Anquan Boldin and the late Pat Tillman.

With heavy rains on Sunday, practice was moved inside and after two hours of workouts, hundreds of autograph seekers lined the stadium's grandstands as they waited and shouted for players to sign autographs, including Antonio's brothers, Alexander Manygoats Jr. and Lane Manygoats.

The three finally got autographs from running backs Jason Wright and Tim Hightower, quarterback Matt Leinart and head coach Ken Whisenhunt.

"I got Larry," said Alexander, 11. "It's pretty exciting. "I'm going to tell all my friends at school that I got Fitzgerald and that I went to all their practices. Fitz is my favorite."

The boys' father, Alexander Manygoats Sr., said it's always exciting for his children to accompany him to the Cardinals training camp every year. He has lived in Flagstaff for 27 years.

"It feels good every time we come out here," he said as his children continued to seek autographs. "I've been coming here ever since 1985 and I was here when they first moved up here. It's always been nice and always having a good time to be with the kids."

Also attending the training camp were Jeremy Gishy of Greasewood Springs, Ariz., and Marvell Hubbell of Ganado. Hubbell looked out of place as he wore his favorite team jersey - the Dallas Cowboys.

"I have relatives that live in Fort Worth, Texas," Hubbell said. "Everyone there in Fort Worth are Cowboys fans and my family are Cowboys fans, so it runs in the family and so I'm a Cowboys fan."

"There's a lot of Navajos that are Cowboy fans and from what I hear it's passed on through their family," Gishy said. "I can't say much 'cause (Hubbell's) family are Cowboy fans and if my family were Cowboy fans, I guess I'd be a fan too. But because of my family, I'm a Cardinals fan."

"Well, I guess we'll see how (the Cardinals) do this season," Hubbell said. "They look like a fresh team to me. I really don't know."

Dwayne Sheen of Flagstaff was with his two daughters who were also seeking autographs. They got one from Leinart and one from offensive lineman Deuce Lutui.

"We try to come every year," Sheen said. "It's pretty cool to come out here and get autographs. We got Matt Leinart, Lutui and Dockett. It's gets pretty exciting. There are a lot of people here trying to get autographs. It's crazy."

"Glad you guys are here," Fitzgerald said to this reporter. "We're appreciative of fans that come out and support us. We don't care about colors, creed, age, size, none of that matters. We just want everybody to come out and support us and have fun. It's exciting.

"We just want to put a good product out on the field to make the fans proud," said the 7-year veteran from the University of Pittsburgh. "Right now, it's only our second practice and we're out here working hard and trying to get our body to prepare to go deep into the postseason."

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