Sheppard a happy fit with Jets

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - Lito Sheppard is free. He doesn't wonder anymore, doesn't worry. He knows that there is football, and good football, to be played outside Philadelphia.

And Sheppard feels appreciated.

It can be the harshest lesson for some, that the NFL is more than just the pinnacle of football, that it is, first and foremost, a business, and decisions are made with heads, not hearts. Sheppard learned that the hard way. He saw the ugliest side.

But it's all good. Now.

Sheppard is still playing, not with the Eagles but with the New York Jets, the lone underdog alive in the playoffs. He's a starter again, as he was in those NFC championship games with the Eagles, and today, Sheppard and the Jets' No. 1 defense will try to slow the Indianapolis Colts' prolific offense. All that is at stake is a trip to the Super Bowl.

After four title games in seven seasons in Philadelphia, Sheppard understands what's ahead. Aside from offensive lineman Alan Faneca, a former Steeler, Sheppard has the most playoff experience on the Jets. But Sheppard's path to this AFC championship game, personally and with his new team, was exponentially harder, he said, than it ever was in Philly. That makes this latest opportunity that much sweeter.

"Being that the organization hasn't been this far in so many years, I think it is a little more special," Sheppard said last week. "They're not so spoiled, so to say. Not to say it's a bad thing, but I think the Philadelphians are a little spoiled, and I think that's why they give Donovan [McNabb] so much hell for what he does. They're just spoiled of getting to this point.

"Coaches and players, they'll tell you. Every day you've got to be blessed and take advantage of these opportunities, because you never know when they're going to come back around. There's so many things that affect a team that allows a team to get to this point, you just can't take it for granted."

Sheppard, 28, certainly doesn't. He's happy and healthy, a dad for the fourth time - his son was born this month - and a cherished veteran in the Jets' locker room. He's the one with the Super Bowl stories. He's the one who's been there before.

And for the first time in a long time, Sheppard feels appreciated.

A fresh start