Jackson

Sometimes, blogger Matt Vensel fires a few questions at rookie cornerback and returner Asa Jackson. The Ravens' fifth-round pick in April's draft, Jackson is a Sacramento native who played his college ball at Cal Poly. MV: A year ago, you were at Cal Poly trying to get with an NFL team. Now you're getting ready to play in the Super Bowl. When you first got the call from the Ravens, is this what you expected to happen at some point ? AJ: When I got that call, I couldn't have been asked to be put in a better situation, especially being a defensive player with all of the leaders on this team, just the mentality that this team has. I don't know if anyone expects to be playing in the Super Bowl in their rookie season, but greatness is something that is expected around here.

As she prepares to step down as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, Lisa P. Jackson says one of the "prouder moments" of her tenure was President Obama's agreement to have the federal government take the lead in trying to ramp up the lagging Chesapeake Bay restoration effort. Jackson, whose agency's work to address climate change and reduce air pollution have drawn much more attention and controversy, recalled with pride her role in helping to renew a cleanup effort that had repeatedly failed to reach its goals in the decades before Obama took office.

Running back Bernard Pierce (knee) and cornerback Asa Jackson (thigh) were the only Ravens not participating in the early portion of Thursday's practice open to reporters. Pierce didn't have a carry in Saturday's playoff game against the Denver Broncos after the third quarter. However, he said Wednesday that he will play Sunday in the AFC championship game against the New England Patriots. Pierce was limited in Wednesday's practice. Jackson was the only Ravens' player not to participate in Wednesday's practice.

The Ravens on Friday made a roster move before Saturday's playoff game in Denver, placing injured offensive lineman Jah Reid on injured reserve and activating rookie cornerback Asa Jackson to their 53-man roster. Reid missed last weekend's wild-card win against the Indianapolis Colts with a toe injury, and he did not participate in practice at all this week. Reid started seven games at left guard this season and played in nine games overall. With Reid out against the Colts, the Ravens started Bryant McKinnie at left tackle, moved Michael Oher to right tackle and shifted rookie Kelechi Osemele, a second-round pick, to Reid's spot at guard.

Fourteen members of the defending national champion Loyola men's lacrosse team took time from their holiday break today to travel to Newtown, Conn., and lead a youth clinic in the town rocked by a mass shooting last month at Sandy Hook Elementary School. The trip was the idea of freshman defenseman  Jason Crane (Chesapeake-Anne Arundel). Players departed Maryland this morning and picked up teammates on the trip to Connecticut. Others who live in the New England region met the team in Newtown.

Kudos to Lisa Jackson, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency who is stepping down from her cabinet-level position after the president's State of the Union address in January ("Chief of EPA to leave post," Dec. 28). Ms. Jackson has performed brilliantly in an often thankless job. Because of her efforts, the nation has been spared countless deaths and illnesses due to polluted air, water and soil. She was vilified by Republicans who accused her of harming the economy and slowing job creation.

An even-tempered wrestler, McDonogh's Jack Clark has twice won the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association and private schools state tournaments, as well as a National Preps crown after having been a runner-up the past two years. But during the host Eagles' McDonogh Holiday Duals on Friday, the 145-pound junior showed how dominant he can be against the best Maryland has to offer when he's a little fired up. Clark began the day with a pin over John Carroll's Artie Milner before scoring a 21-5 technical fall over Wilde Lake's Malik Jackson.

Darion Atkins scored a career-high 17 points as one of four players in double figures to lead Virginia over visiting Morgan State, 75-57, on Wednesday night. Dewayne Jackson had a season-high 32 points - one shy of his career high - on 11-for-16 shooting to lead the Bears (3-5), who have lost two straight after a two-game winning streak. Akil Mitchell added 15 points to go with 12 rebounds for the Cavaliers (9-2), who won their eighth straight game. Virginia overcame an early challenge from a pesky Morgan State squad that kept fighting well into the second half, continuing an impressive run in which their average margin of victory has been more than 20 points.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Orioles added their latest reclamation project Wednesday, agreeing to terms with first baseman Conor Jackson on a minor league deal with an invitation to major league spring training, executive vice president Dan Duquette announced. Jackson, a 2003 first-round draft pick of the Diamondbacks, put together three straight seasons of at least a .294 average, .368 on-base percentage, 12 homers and 60 RBIs from 2006 to 2008 with Arizona. But he's played in more than 60 big league games in a season just once since 2008, shuffling between the majors and minors within four different organizations during that span.