EUGENE, Ore. -- Defending Olympic champion Aries Merritt rushed back from a kidney transplant to be ready for Rio. He wont let Zika stand in his way, no matter how much his doctors object.Qualifying in the 110-meter hurdles at Olympic track and field trials begins Friday. Should Merritt make the U.S. team, he said he wont think twice about racing in Rio even though the mosquito-borne virus could pose a greater risk to him than most because of the transplant.Theyre very, very concerned. Theyve asked me many, times: Have you considered not going? said Merritt, who holds the world record in the hurdles (12.80 seconds in September 2012). Im like, Well, thats not an option. If I make it, Im going.The reason is simple: At 30, he doesnt know if this sort of chance will come around again.Merritt won bronze at last years world championships in Beijing with his kidneys barely functioning because of a genetic disorder. He received the transplant from his sister less than a week later. He had another follow-up surgery in October because of complications.He is still healing.Doctors told me I was supposed to be running maybe next year, not this year, Merritt said. I really dont have that option to skip Olympic Games. Its not something I can skip. ... I dont have time to be skipping stuff.He got a late start on training because of the transplant, and other than a groin strain that cost him a few weeks, he says hes in competition shape.Its definitely been an uphill battle, Merritt said. There are minor setbacks that happen. Every athlete goes through [something]. It wouldnt be a journey if we didnt have something. It just cant be perfect all the time.Merritt didnt let anyone know until just before worlds last August, but he was suffering from a rare genetic disorder that was diagnosed in 2013. For years, it turns out, his kidneys have been faltering, to the point where he ran the final at worlds on Aug. 28 at about eight pounds under his normal weight and with his kidneys barely functioning.He finished 0.01 seconds behind Hansle Parchment of Jamaica for second. Sergey Shubenkov of Russia took gold.Competing at worlds last season with no kidney function was horrible, Merritt said. There was a 90 percent chance Id never run again. I just so happened to beat those odds. Kind of like the odds of going to the Olympic Games.Contrary to a handful of golfers and other athletes who are skipping the Olympics because of fears of the illness, Merritt says hell be there if he qualifies.Hell take plenty of precautions: wearing long sleeves, applying insect repellent and planning to stay indoors as much as possible.Other than that, theres not much he can do.We have Zika back in America, he said. I havent gotten it yet. I dont think its that big of deal. Jerry Tillery Youth Jersey . The team says the Spain international has a muscle pull in his right leg. Barcelona hosts third-division side Cartagena in the return leg of their round-of-32 tie after winning their first meeting 4-1. Drue Tranquill Womens Jersey . Siddikur, whose previous win on the circuit came in Brunei three years ago, finished his bogey-free round with a birdie on the 18th for a total of 17-under 199. Indias Shiv Chowrasia, who has finished runner-up in this tournament twice, was in second place after a 66. http://www.prochargersteamstore.com/Youth-Joey-Bosa-Elite-Jersey/ .com) - The Montreal Canadiens embark on their first road trip of the season as they head out west to battle the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night. Mike Williams Jersey . Its 1987 and a Brazilian playmaker, known as Mirandinha, is being paraded around St James Park to the passionate Newcastle fans. Easton Stick Youth Jersey . The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Lions have not announced the hiring, which was first reported by ESPN. Lombardi, the grandson of former Green Bay Hall of Fame coach Vince Lombardi, has been an offensive assistant on Sean Paytons New Orleans staff since 2007. NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Andre Johnson grabbed the ball going out of bounds on Clevelands second onside kick within two minutes, finally allowing the Tennessee Titans to relax.Its the kind of winning play the Titans simply havent made enough in recent years on their own field.Marcus Mariota threw for 284 yards and three touchdowns, and the Titans held on to beat the Cleveland Browns 28-26 Sunday for their second straight victory -- the first time theyve won consecutive games since the end of the 2013 season.Im not sure in the last couple years that we win that game, Titans coach Mike Mularkey said. This year we found a way to win the game. Obviously, we dont want to make it that close. We did a lot of good things in that game.The Titans (3-3) matched their win total for all of last season when they went 3-13 and wound up with the No. 1 draft pick overall. They also beat a team other than Jacksonville on their own field for the first time since the 2013 season finale and improved to 3-16 in Nashville .Cleveland (0-6) now is mired in its worst start since 1999 when the Browns lost their first seven as an expansion franchise.Not that the Titans care after losing to the Browns each of the past two seasons, especially with the Browns nearly pulling off another thrilling comeback. They made NFL history here in 2014 rallying from 25 points down to win.This time, they trailed 28-13 when Cody Kessler hit Terrelle Pryor Sr. for a 5-yard TD with 2:07 left, but his pass on the 2-point conversion failed. Browns coach defended his decision to go for 2 so early.I knew at some point I was going to have to take a whack at it, Jackson said. Obviously, we didnt make it, then had to kick and try to get the onside. Gave ourselves a chance at that time. That was what we needed to do.The Browns recovered their first onside kick, and Duke Johnson Jr. scored nine plays later.On their second onside kick, Johnson got his hands on the ball as it went out of bounds for Tennessee. Titans wide receiver Kendall Wright said he wasnt too worried.dddddddddddd.They onside kicked it to a Hall of Famer, Titans wide receiver Kendall Wright said of Johnson.OPENING DRIVEThe Titans opened the game with a 75-yard drive capped by an 11-yard TD pass from Mariota to Rishard Matthews . That was their first opening TD drive since the season opener of 2015. A big key was Mariota who showed just how fast he is on the Titans first play from scrimmage as he kept the ball and went 41 yards up the Browns sideline.LONGEST TD PASS OF SEASONTennessees longest touchdown pass of the season was a 30-yarder in Week 2 as the Titans rallied to beat Detroit 16-15. Mariota topped that with a 48-yard pass to Kendall Wright in the second quarter. Wright stretched out and dove for the ball, landing around the 5 and sliding near the 2 before getting up and into the end zone as he was hit. Wright finished with eight catches for 133 yards.KESSLER HEALTHYKessler, knocked out of last weeks game with an injured chest, was sacked six times by Tennessee. He threw for a career-high 336 yards and also had two TD passes, both to Pryor.POYER TO HOSPITALBrowns defensive back Jordan Poyer was taken to a Nashville hospital with a lacerated kidney and possible concussion after a being crushed on a block when chasing down Titans returner Marc Mariani when Antonio Andrews hit him, knocking Poyer to the ground with 6:33 left in the second quarter. Andrews was flagged and penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct on the blindside hit.The hit left Poyer bent over on the grass for a few minutes before he walked to the sideline. He was carted to the locker room and then to a local hospital. Obviously, we all know thats pretty serious, so well see where he is from there, Jackson said---Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: https://twitter.com/AP-NFLFollow Teresa M. Walker at www.twitter.com/teresamwalker ' ' '