FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                         CONTACT:
NFL-77                      10/5/04                                        MATT HILL, NFL, 212-450-2080
                                                                                    Hillm@nfl.com

                                                                                     DAVE DECECCO, PEPSI-COLA, 914-253- 2655
                                                                                     David.DeCecco@Pepsi.com

 

BUCCANEERS WR MICHAEL CLAYTON, BILLS WR LEE EVANS,
RAMS RB STEVEN JACKSON, STEELERS QB BEN ROETHLISBERGER & RAVENS KR-PR B.J. SAMS
CANDIDATES FOR PEPSI NFL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK HONORS

Fans To Vote For Winner On NFL.com

Wide receiver MICHAEL CLAYTON of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, wide receiver LEE EVANS of the Buffalo Bills, running back STEVEN JACKSON of the St. Louis Rams, quarterback BEN ROETHLISBERGER of the Pittsburgh Steelers and kick returner-punt returner B.J. SAMS of the Baltimore Ravens are the finalists for PEPSI NFL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK honors for games played on October 3-4, the NFL announced today. 

Fans can vote for one of these five players on NFL.com beginning Tuesday morning and ending on Thursday afternoon to determine the PEPSI NFL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK.  The PEPSI NFL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK will be announced Thursday afternoon on NFL.com.

After the regular season, five players will be nominated for Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year honors.  Fans can vote for the winner on NFL.com throughout the month of January.  The winner will be announced at a press conference at Super Bowl XXXIX in Jacksonville.

A closer look at the finalists:

  • Tampa Bay’s Michael Clayton caught four passes for a team-leading 91 yards and one touchdown, his first in the NFL, in the Buccaneers’ 16-13 loss to the Denver Broncos.  Clayton dove to catch a pass from quarterback Brad Johnson in the second quarter, then got up and ran into the endzone for a 51-yard touchdown.
  • Buffalo’s Lee Evans caught four passes for 93 yards in the Bills’ 31-17 defeat at the hands of the AFC East-rival New England Patriots.  Evans had a 55-yard reception that led to a first-quarter field goal for the Bills.  He ranks second on the team with seven catches for 170 yards.
  • St. Louis’ Steven Jackson carried 10 times for 46 yards and his first career touchdown in the Rams’ 24-14 victory over the NFC West-rival San Francisco 49ers.  Jackson scored on a two-yard run just before halftime to put St. Louis ahead 24-0.
  • Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger completed 17 of 25 passes for 174 yards and one touchdown in the Steelers’ 28-17 victory over the AFC North-rival Cincinnati Bengals.  Roethlisberger put Pittsburgh ahead 14-7 in the second quarter with an 11-yard touchdown pass to fullback Verron Haynes. 
  • Baltimore’s B.J. Sams returned two punts for 67 yards, including a 58-yard touchdown return, and six kickoffs for 183 yards in the Ravens’ 27-24 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.  Sams’ touchdown return tied the game at 17 just before halftime.  His longest kickoff return was 44 yards.
     

This is Pepsi’s third year as the official soft drink sponsor of the NFL.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                      CONTACT:
NFL-76                      10/5/04                                                     Matt Hill, NFL, 212-450-2080
                                                                                                 Hillm@NFL.com

Howard Clabo, FedEx, 901-434-7786
            Howard.Clabo@fedex.com
                                                                                               

 

PATRIOTS QB TOM BRADY, CHARGERS QB DREW BREES & JAGUARS QB BYRON LEFTWICH; GIANTS RB TIKI BARBER, CARDINALS RB EMMITT SMITH
& CHIEFS RB PRIEST HOLMES CANDIDATES FOR
FEDEX AIR & GROUND NFL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK HONORS

Fans To Vote For Winners On NFL.com

Quarterbacks TOM BRADY of the New England Patriots, DREW BREES of the San Diego Chargers and BYRON LEFTWICH of the Jacksonville Jaguars are the finalists for FedEx Express NFL Player of the Week honors for games played on October 3-4, while running backs TIKI BARBER of the New York Giants, EMMITT SMITH of the Arizona Cardinals and PRIEST HOLMES of the Kansas City Chiefs are the finalists for FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Week honors, the NFL announced today.

Fans can vote for one player in each category on NFL.com from Tuesday morning through noon on Thursday to determine the FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week.  The FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week will be announced Thursday on NFL.com and Friday in USA Today. 

Fans will be voting for more than their favorite player.  The weekly FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week Awards are a win for the local community.  Along with the award, FedEx will donate $5,000 every week to the local children’s hospital in each winning market.  The children’s hospitals in the two season-long winner’s markets, announced at this year’s Super Bowl, will be awarded $25,000 each.  That means that FedEx will deliver nearly $250,000 to local children’s hospitals around the country in recognition of the FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week Award winners. 

A closer look at the FedEx Express NFL Player of the Week finalists:

  • New England’s Tom Brady completed 17 of 30 passes for 298 yards and two touchdowns for a 112.9 passer rating in the Patriots’ 31-17 victory over the AFC East-rival Buffalo Bills.  Brady’s first touchdown pass tied the game at 17 before halftime, while his second put the Patriots ahead for good in the fourth quarter.
  • San Diego’s Drew Brees threw for 206 yards and three touchdowns on 16 of 20 passing for a passer rating of 149.2 in the Chargers’ 38-17 win against the Tennessee Titans.  After Tennessee closed San Diego’s lead to 24-17 in the fourth quarter, Brees responded with a 58-yard touchdown pass to Reche Caldwell to seal the win.
  • Jacksonville’s Byron Leftwich completed 29 of 41 passes for 318 yards and one touchdown for a passer rating of 101.5 in the Jaguars’ 24-17 loss to the AFC South-rival Indianapolis Colts.  Leftwich’s 40-yard, fourth-quarter  touchdown pass to wide receiver Jimmy Smith on fourth down tied the score at 17 before the Colts

A closer look at the FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Week finalists:

  • The New York Giants’ Tiki Barber carried 23 times for 182 yards and one touchdown in the Giants’ 14-7 victory over the Green Bay Packers.  Barber’s touchdown came on a 52-yard run in the third quarter.
  • Kansas City’s Priest Holmes ran for 125 yards and two touchdowns on 33 carries in the Chief’s 27-24 victory over the Baltimore Ravens.  Holmes sealed the win with a one-yard touchdown plunge in the fourth quarter.
  • Arizona’s Emmitt Smith carried 21 times for 127 yards and one touchdown in the Cardinals’ 34-10 win against the New Orleans Saints.  Smith also threw his first career pass, a 21-yard touchdown strike in the second quarter.

FedEx, the premier global provider of transportation, e-commerce and supply-chain management services, is the Official Delivery Service Sponsor of the NFL, Super Bowl and Pro Bowl.  Through the weekly FedEx Air and Ground Awards, FedEx recognizes those NFL players who represent the same speed, precision and teamwork that their customers have come to expect from the full range of FedEx air, ground, freight and international shipping services.


Contact:                                                                                 

Seth Rubin                                                                              Matt Hill
Alan Taylor Communications                                                    National Football League
212-714-1280 x353                                                                  212-450-2080
seth@alantaylor.com                                                               hillm@nfl.com

 

WEEK FOUR NOMINEES NAMED FOR THE

“LEVITRAâ (vardenafil HCI) PLAY OF THE WEEK” 

Fan Voting Continues Through Noon ET Thursday at NFL.com

NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 28, 2004 – Arizona Cardinals running back Emmitt Smith’s 21-yard touchdown pass to running back Obafemi Ayanbadejo against the New Orleans Saints is among the five Week 4 nominees for the “LEVITRAâ (vardenafil HCI) PLAY OF THE WEEK.” 

The award is presented each Thursday during the NFL regular season to recognize the single most exciting play that week as determined by the fans.  Voting is open to the fans each week from Tuesday at Noon ET until Thursday at Noon ET, exclusively on NFL.com.  Each weekly winner will be a finalist for the “LEVITRAâ PLAY OF THE YEAR,” to be awarded at Super Bowl XXXIX in Jacksonville, Florida.

Fans who vote at NFL.com each week can also enter for their chance to win a three-day/two-night trip for two to Jacksonville, Florida to attend Super Bowl XXXIX on February 6, 2005, including round-trip airfare and hotel accommodations.

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Joe Horn’s nine-yard touchdown reception from Aaron Brooks against the St. Louis Rams was voted last week’s winner of the “LEVITRAâ PLAY OF THE WEEK” by the fans at NFL.com.

For details and video of this week’s nominees, past winners and the results of fan voting, log onto NFL.com.

In July 2003, Bayer Pharmaceutical Corporation (Bayer) & GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), co-marketers of LEVITRA  (vardenafil HCI), a prescription medicine that is used to treat erectile dysfunction (ED), announced their groundbreaking sponsorship of the NFL.

 

Week #4 Nominees

Troy Polamalu, S- Pittsburgh Steelers- 26-yard interception return for touchdown

 

With just over two minutes to play in the fourth quarter of the Pittsburgh Steelers match-up with the AFC North-rival Cincinnati Bengals, Steelers’ safety Troy Polamalu intercepted a pass from Bengals’ quarterback Carson Palmer and weaved his way 26 yards for a touchdown. Polamalu's interception return sealed Pittsburgh’s 28-17 victory.

 

Reche Caldwell, WR- San Diego Chargers- 58-yard one-handed touchdown reception

 

Midway through the fourth quarter of the San Diego Chargers 38-17 victory over the Tennessee Titans, Chargers’ wide receiver Reche Caldwell made a one-handed catch on a pass from quarterback Drew Brees and sprinted to the endzone for the 58-yard touchdown. A Titans’ cornerback nearly intercepted the pass before Caldwell caught it and scored to put the Chargers ahead 31-17.

 

Emmitt Smith, RB- Arizona Cardinals- 21-yard touchdown pass

 

With one minute left in the first half, Arizona Cardinals’ running back Emmitt Smith threw his first ever pass, connecting with fullback Obafemi Ayanbadejo for a 21-yard touchdown to give the Cardinals a 14-3 lead over the New Orleans Saints. Smith took a pitch from quarterback Josh McCown and began to run to his right before pulling up and throwing to Ayanbadejo for the fullback’s first reception of the season. Smith also gained 127 yards rushing to help Arizona to its first win of the season, 34-10.

 

Amos Zereoue, RB - Oakland Raiders - 55-yard touchdown run  

Early in the second quarter of the Oakland Raiders match-up with the Houston Texans, Raiders’ running back Amos Zereoue took a handoff from quarterback Kerry Collins, evaded several defenders and dashed 55 yards for a touchdown. Zereoue finished the day with 117 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries in Oakland’s 30-17 loss to Houston.

Richard Seymour, DT - New England Patriots - 68-yard fumble-return for a touchdown

With 2:44 remaining in the fourth quarter and the Buffalo Bills threatening to tie the game, New England Patriots’ defensive end Richard Seymour scooped up a fumble and returned it 68 yards to seal the victory. With a 31-17 win over the Bills, the Patriots secured their NFL record-tying 18th-consecutive victory.

About LEVITRA

LEVITRA is a prescription medicine that is used to treat erectile dysfunction (ED). Men taking nitrate drugs, often used to control chest pain (also known as angina), should not take LEVITRA. Men who use alpha blockers, sometimes prescribed for high blood pressure or prostate problems, also should not take LEVITRA. Such combinations could cause blood pressure to drop to an unsafe level.

You should not take LEVITRA if your doctor determines that sexual activity poses a health risk for you. Men who experience an erection for more than four hours should seek immediate medical attention. LEVITRA does not protect against sexually transmitted diseases.  

The starting dose of LEVITRA is 10 mg taken no more than once per day. Your doctor will decide the dose that is right for you. In patients taking certain medications such as ritonavir, indinavir, ketoconazole, itraconazole, and erythromycin, lower doses of LEVITRA are recommended, and time between doses of LEVITRA may need to be extended.

In clinical trials, the most commonly reported side effects were headache, flushing, and stuffy or runny nose. LEVITRA is available in 2.5-mg, 5-mg, 10-mg, and 20-mg tablets.

About Erectile Dysfunction

The consistent or recurrent inability of a man to attain and/or maintain a penile erection sufficient for sexual performance1 – is a common health condition among men that is largely untreated.  It is estimated that some degree of ED affects more than one half of all men over the age of 402– 152 million men worldwide3 and 30 million men in the United States alone.4

Despite the high prevalence of sexual problems, nine out of 10 men in the U.S. have not yet sought treatment from a physician.5

1. Jardin A, Wagner G, Khoury S, et al. Recommendations of the 1st International Consultation on Erectile Dysfunction.  Co-sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO), International Consultation on Urological Diseases (ICUD) and Societe Internationale d’Urologie (SIU) and held July 1-3, 1999, Paris. 2000, p. 713.

2. Feldman HA, Goldstein I, Hatzichristou DG, et al. Impotence and its medical and psychosocial correlates: results of the Massachusetts Male Aging Study. J Urol 1994;151:54-61.

3. Aytac IA, McKinlay JB, Krane RI. The likely worldwide increase of erectile dysfunction between 1995 and 2025 and some possible policy consequences. BJU Int 1999;84:50-56

4. National Institutes of Health, Consensus Development Conference Statement, December 7-9, 1992. Online data: http://odp.od.nih.gov/consensus/cons/091/091_statement.htm. (accessed 8/26/02).

5. Laumann EO, Paik A, Rosen RC. Sexual dysfunction in the United States: prevalence and predictors.  JAMA 1999;281:537-544.

About Bayer Pharmaceuticals Corporation


Bayer Pharmaceuticals Corporation (www.bayerpharma.com) is part of the worldwide operations of Bayer HealthCare AG, a subgroup of Bayer AG. Bayer HealthCare, with sales of approximately 8.9 billion Euro in 2003, is one of the world’s leading, innovative companies in the health care and medical products industry. The company combines the global activities of the divisions Animal Health, Biological Products, Consumer Care, Diagnostics Professional Testing Systems and Diagnostics Self Testing Systems and Pharmaceuticals. 34,600 people are employed by Bayer HealthCare worldwide.

Our aim is to discover and manufacture innovative products that will improve human and animal health worldwide. Our products enhance well-being and quality of life by diagnosing, preventing and treating disease.

Forward Looking Statement

This news release contains forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer’s public reports filed with the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (including its Form 20-F).  Bayer assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

About GSK

GlaxoSmithKline – one of the world’s leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies – is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer.

For more information about LEVITRA, please visit www.LEVITRA.com.

 

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