Like it is : NFL weighs talent, size of Andrews brothers January 13, 2004 Wally Hall Arkansas Democrat-Gazette The seats were sturdy. Had to be. Between them they were holding more than 700 pounds. There is no doubt they are brothers, not just the size, but the voices and polite manners. Last week, Shawn Andrews and his older brother Stacy, signed with Rich Moran, president of Professional Sports Marketing. They also signed with Kenny Shemin, a well-known Fayetteville attorney. With that out of the way, they had a Friday meeting to discuss plans about the upcoming NFL combine camp. While Shawn munched on a chicken sandwich, Stacy sipped water and listened to Moran outline the next six to eight weeks for them. It was decided they would leave the next morning for Athletes Performance camp in Scottsdale, Ariz., for strength and conditioning programs. Shawn, more than his 6-6, 340-pound brother, needs to shed a few pounds. For Christmas he got the book The South Beach Diet, which is supposed to be a healthier version of the Atkins diet. Shawn has been reading it. Yet, make no mistake, the kid from Camden, a two-time All-American offensive tackle for the Arkansas Razorbacks, is never in a mood to talk about his weight. Not anymore. "No one who needs to lose weight wants anyone else talking about it," he said quietly. The camp should help Shawn shed some pounds, but it might help Stacy even more. Stacy didn’t play football until his senior year at Ole Miss. He was an All-American on the track team throwing the discus and shot. However, there are some teams hoping to steal him like San Diego did Courtney Van Buren out of UAPB last year. Van Buren was not invited to the combine camp — both Andrews have been thanks to their agent — but after two months at Athletes Performance, Van Buren worked out for several teams individually and was drafted in the third round. He became a rookie starter until a knee injury finished his season with four games to go. Stacy has the same type of upside. He’s big and athletic. When Ole Miss drove for its game-winning touchdown last season against Auburn, every run was behind Stacy. For some reason, he didn’t play again. He’s currently listed as a guy who could go in the seventh, and final, round. With his natural athleticism, he may impress the scouts enough at the Combine that his stock moves way up. Bet on that happening. Friday was more than just football planning. Late Friday Shawn met with his doctor, James Suen, who had advised him not to play in the Independence Bowl, and was told the almost two months of treatment with antibiotics and steroids for polyps in his sinus cavities had not worked. His breathing is still limited to about 30 percent of normal. After the NFL Combine Camp, Shawn will have surgery to move the polyps and should be good to go six to eight weeks later. While it is not a common procedure, he is far from the first football player to have to have surgery for this condition, which can be caused and definitely made worst by breathing in dust, mold and pollen, which is hard not to do when you are face down in the grass and dirt 20 to 30 minutes every day. Which was what Shawn couldn’t do in the Independence Bowl, although he did attend the game. "I sat in the nosebleed section with my mom," he said. "I wasn’t going to miss it. I know some people feel like I let them down, but I had to listen to my doctor, and then I blew my finals, probably because I couldn’t sleep for weeks because of the breathing problem. "I tell you this, it was very hard to sit in the stands and watch my teammates, but no one pulled for them louder or harder than me." Someday, Shawn will be remembered more for what he gave to the Razorbacks program; until then, he and his brother are working hard toward playing in the NFL.