CORTLAND, N.Y. (AP)
Nick Mangold had an Olympic-sized change of heart.
The All-Pro center left New York Jets training camp Saturday to fly to London to watch his sister Holley compete in the Summer Games. Mangold had insisted previously that he wouldn't go because he didn't want to leave his teammates in the middle of camp to take an overseas trip.
But coach Rex Ryan - along with several teammates - kept trying to lay "the guilt trip on him" to watch Holley compete in the women's weightlifting competition, which begins Sunday. "You know what? His teammates understand," Ryan said Wednesday. "I think they are pushing him as well. It's not just me."
Well, it worked, as Mangold sent a message on Twitter early Saturday saying: "Anyone want to guess where I'm heading?" with a picture from an airport terminal. He also thanked the organization and added, "Go (at)HolleyMangold!"
CBSSports.com first reported Mangold's decision.
The Jets (No. 17 in the AP Pro32) were scheduled to have their green-and-white scrimmage Saturday night then the day off from practice Sunday. Mangold is not the only player to leave camp this weekend. Right guard Brandon Moore is in Canton, Ohio, to watch former teammate Curtis Martin be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Holley Mangold is competing as a superheavyweight and was initially considered a prospect for the 2016 Olympics. But she increased her lift totals by more than 70 pounds and made this year's team. The 22-year-old had made headlines a few years ago when she became the first high school girl in Ohio to play for a state title in football.
When the Jets reported for camp on July 26, Nick Mangold said he wished he could have gone, but would figure out a way to watch his sister compete on television. He'll now get a chance to see his sister compete for the United States in person.
"It's awesome, and I'm extremely proud," Nick Mangold told The Associated Press in June. "I mean, it's an amazing accomplishment. As an older brother, you love to see your siblings do great things and this is something she tried to do and was successful at it and it's a great thing to see."
Nick Mangold had an Olympic-sized change of heart.
The All-Pro center left New York Jets training camp Saturday to fly to London to watch his sister Holley compete in the Summer Games. Mangold had insisted previously that he wouldn't go because he didn't want to leave his teammates in the middle of camp to take an overseas trip.
But coach Rex Ryan - along with several teammates - kept trying to lay "the guilt trip on him" to watch Holley compete in the women's weightlifting competition, which begins Sunday. "You know what? His teammates understand," Ryan said Wednesday. "I think they are pushing him as well. It's not just me."
Well, it worked, as Mangold sent a message on Twitter early Saturday saying: "Anyone want to guess where I'm heading?" with a picture from an airport terminal. He also thanked the organization and added, "Go (at)HolleyMangold!"
CBSSports.com first reported Mangold's decision.
The Jets (No. 17 in the AP Pro32) were scheduled to have their green-and-white scrimmage Saturday night then the day off from practice Sunday. Mangold is not the only player to leave camp this weekend. Right guard Brandon Moore is in Canton, Ohio, to watch former teammate Curtis Martin be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Holley Mangold is competing as a superheavyweight and was initially considered a prospect for the 2016 Olympics. But she increased her lift totals by more than 70 pounds and made this year's team. The 22-year-old had made headlines a few years ago when she became the first high school girl in Ohio to play for a state title in football.
When the Jets reported for camp on July 26, Nick Mangold said he wished he could have gone, but would figure out a way to watch his sister compete on television. He'll now get a chance to see his sister compete for the United States in person.
"It's awesome, and I'm extremely proud," Nick Mangold told The Associated Press in June. "I mean, it's an amazing accomplishment. As an older brother, you love to see your siblings do great things and this is something she tried to do and was successful at it and it's a great thing to see."
