NFL ROUNDUP \ News and notes

Falcons: Michael Vick won’t be recognized by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference at its convention this week after all. “There is no award, there is no honor for Mike Vick,” SCLC spokesman David Stokes said. Last week, SCLC President Charles Steele said the group was discussing how the embattled Atlanta Falcons quarterback would be acknowledged at the five-day event. The SCLC had reached out to Vick through his mother to invite him to the convention. The group was told he cannot travel outside of Virginia, where he has pleaded not guilty to charges of sponsoring a dogfighting operation. Steele had said his group was “in support of Michael as a human being. ... Right now, he’s feeling discarded, ostracized by people who are rushing to judgment. It’s our responsibility to save him.” Stokes was not aware of any mention of “recognition” for the player and said Vick would not be part of the convention. “The president said in last week’s press conference that the SCLC supports him because everyone is innocent until proven guilty,” he said. State Rep. Tyrone Brooks of Atlanta, once an aide to Martin Luther King Jr. in the SCLC, said he told Steele last week that the Vick case was a distraction. “I just don’t think it should be discussed at the convention or as part of the black agenda,” Brooks said when reached on his cell phone. “I’m not trying to make it an issue. I just don’t think it ought to be out there.” Instead, Brooks said, the SCLC should concentrate on such issues as violence and the incarceration of young black people across the country. “To talk about a superstar athlete who’s got millions and millions in the bank, with the resources available to put together a defense team ... we’re mixing up our priorities to the extent that it causes confusion,” he said. Also last week, Atlanta and Georgia leaders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People asked the public and corporate sponsors to withhold judgment on the case until Vick can be tried in court.

Cowboys: Terrell Owens returned to practice Tuesday with the Dallas Cowboys after missing two days because of back spasms. Coach Wade Phillips hadn’t ruled out T.O. playing in Thursday’s preseason opener. So it’s possible that after being on the field for the team’s final full workout in the Alamodome, the receiver could start against Indianapolis. Owens had an MRI on Monday, when he missed practice for the second day because of muscle stiffness in his lower back. The test showed no problems, and Owens got treatment from team trainers.

Dolphins: New Miami Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter underwent arthroscopic knee surgery for the third time in two years on Tuesday. The surgery was performed by Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala., after Porter went there for a second opinion. The Dolphins had not yet received a report on what repairs were made. “They decided to go in and take a look at it,” Dolphins coach Cam Cameron said. “They do say it’s something minor.” Porter is expected to be sidelined at least two weeks, and he might miss all four exhibition games. The first is Saturday against Jacksonville. Porter has been out of action since Friday because of the injury, which began bothering him during the offseason. He received a guaranteed $20 million in March to sign with Miami after spending his first eight NFL seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Porter’s replacement will be Donnie Spragan, who started nine games each of the past two years. Despite the surgeries, Porter has missed only six games in his NFL career. Cameron said tackle Anthony Alabi’s left knee injury appears to be minor. Alabi limped off the field Monday morning, but there was little minor swelling, Cameron said. Porter, a three-time Pro Bowl linebacker, missed most of training camp and all four exhibition games in 2005 after needing left knee surgery — a problem aggravated when he jumped to celebrate winning a training camp blocking competition. He returned to play in all 16 regular-season games and four playoff games for the Super Bowl champion Steelers. Porter had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in May 2006. He went on to play in 14 games, missing two because of a hamstring injury. After eight seasons, the Steelers released him in a salary cap move last spring. Porter signed a five-year, $32 million deal with Miami.

Saints: What looked like a serious knee injury to Saints starting left tackle Jammal Brown on Tuesday morning was later diagnosed as a bone bruise. “Everything came back structurally intact,” team spokesman Doug Miller said during Tuesday afternoon’s practice. Earlier Tuesday, trainers carted Brown from the practice field when he crumpled to the ground with a right knee injury. Teammates said he appeared to be in a lot of pain, but head coach Sean Payton said following the morning practice that trainers were optimistic the injury would not require surgery. “His knee appeared stable on the practice field,” Payton said. “A lot of times you can tell right away if there’s looseness in the joint, but there appeared to be pretty good stability.” Brown had an MRI shortly after that did not reveal a serious injury. Brown, who was drafted with the 13th pick in the first round in 2005 out of Oklahoma, started at right tackle as a rookie and was moved to left tackle last season, when he was selected as a Pro Bowl starter. He’s part of an offensive line that allowed 23 sacks in 2006, fourth lowest in the league. It was not immediately clear how long Brown would be out of action. The Saints open their regular season Sept. 6 at Indianapolis. In the meantime, second-year tackle Zach Strief might fill in.

Associated Press