Eagles - Andrews finds fans supportive

TRAFFIC was sporadic at the autograph table where Shawn Andrews sat yesterday during the Eagles' Carnival, on Lincoln Financial Field's club level, overlooking 11th Street. Tickets, sold in advance, were $25, and in his news conference the day before the Carnival, held following his first practice since he rerturned from struggling with depression, Andrews had said he wasn't certain he would attend. He was leery of fan reaction. "It's kind of been slow; it's to be expected," the Birds' two-time Pro Bowl right guard said during a lull, running his hands across the stack of markers he was allotted, the ink silver or black, depending on the background of the object being signed. "Who wants to spend money on a guy who's not [been] here? Who knows if he's going to show up? Caused all this confusion. I wouldn't have bought a ticket to see me, either." The fans who did drop by seemed extremely supportive. Andrews' fears, stoked from reading anonymous postings on Internet message boards, were not realized. Of course, it's much easier to say something cruel about a 6-5, 330-pound man on the Internet than it is when you are facing him, especially when he is flanked by three security guards and an Eagles PR official. "It's been great," Andrews said. "I felt at some point I would have to face the fans, so I figured it might as well be now." During the time a Daily News reporter was standing nearby, fans generally wished Andrews good luck in the coming season. One man prompted his preschool-aged daughter to say, "See you at the Super Bowl." A few said, "Good to see you" in a tone that implied they were aware of Andrews' struggles. Andrews complimented the sparkly magenta shoes of a young fan named Nyrah, who beamed appreciatively. "The line is kind of - everything is organized so that it's kind of 'fly by' - but some people lean in and say positive things; 'I'm dealing with it,' 'Keep your head up.' It really makes me feel good that I'm not the only one going through it," Andrews said. "I kind of feel like some of the fans are going through it with me, those that are admitting it, those that know that they have it." Much of what Andrews said about his struggle on Saturday he'd said before, in various interviews since acknowledging to the Daily News on Aug. 4 that he was taking medication for depression. The most significant revelation was when Andrews acknowledged he was responsible for the skepticism some teammates showed toward the depression admission. Between July 24, when he failed to show at Lehigh, and Aug. 4, Andrews acknowledged he brought up other "issues" in text messages and phone conversations with teammmates, as a smokescreen. "I was kind of pessimistic how my teammates would receive me," Andrews acknowledged Saturday. " . . . There were a lot of rumors. I admitted to my teammates I created a lot of those rumors. At the time, Coach [Andy] Reid didn't know [the truth]. People were saying [it was really about his] contract, didn't want to play football anymore, and I admit that I created those rumors, just out of a lot of frustration, and didn't care what people thought." Teammates, Andrews said, "really didn't know" what the truth was. "You have a guy who's quick-tempered, who's to the point where, I really didn't care anymore. That's not the real me; I just didn't realize what I was going through," he said. "A few weeks ago was the first time I've ever opened up to anybody about anything. That was part of the reason" he was wary of their response. "Coach Reid, after he realized that Shawn Andrews did have a serious problem, he was very positive about the situation. He's a funny guy - he helps you laugh, tries to make the situation better." Reid said Saturday that Andrews "seems to be in a good place right now." Andrews said he would like to play in Friday's preseason game at New England, but Reid said they would see how things went this week. The coach spoke again of setting up a support network for the player the Eagles traded up to take 16th overall in the 2004 draft. Andrews was asked yesterday if he felt he had resolved teammates' possible questions or doubts. "I just wanted to talk to those guys face-to-face, man-to-man," said Andrews, who addressed the team soon after he arrived at Lehigh, a week ago yesterday. "I just felt like, whether they believed me or not, I did my part. In my mind, I hope they believe me. I think, for the most part, they do. And I hope they respect me. If they don't, they will. "I really can't put it into words - I'd like their respect as a player, but I'd like their respect as a person, first. Life is short, and there are a lot more things I can count that are more important than football." That's certainly true. But when a player, particularly one in Andrews' position, says it, people hearing him sometimes wonder if he really wants to play football. "Like I said, I had a million and one thoughts going through my head," Andrews said. "I just lost my love for a lot of things. I didn't know which direction I was headed. Football wasn't even a thought." That has changed with time and therapy, he said. "I would love to play against the Patriots. I mean, it feels good to be back and around my teammates," Andrews said in his news conference. "You don't get that camaraderie in too many other places."