TORONTO -- Ask people who know Bradley Orr and the reviews of the veteran English fullback are glowing. Mitch Richmond Jersey . A great teammate. An experienced professional. A player to watch and learn from. "Hes a fabulous member of any squad," said Toronto FC captain Steven Caldwell, whos known the 31-year-old Orr for more than 15 years and shares an agent. "A real character, a real winner." That character, in part, was forged the hard way. As a young man, he made mistakes that led to jail. Then the Liverpool native learned from them. If Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment is looking for someone to mentor 21-year-old Raptors centre Jonas Valanciunas, charged this week with drunk driving, it probably need look no further than its sister soccer team and Orr. He made headlines in 2006 when he was one of three Bristol City players jailed for their part in a nightclub brawl. A fourth player was given community service. Orr and a teammate were sentenced to 28 days in jail. Wales international David Partridge was given two months behind bars. The players were also suspended and fined two weeks wages by their club. "Soccer Heroes in Prison Shame" was the headline in Englands Sun tabloid. It didnt help that just days before sentencing, Orr was sent off for attempting to head-butt a teammate during a nationally televised game. Some eight years later, Orr believes his biggest mistake was just being at the Romeo Browns nightclub. "Not a lot of people actually know the story and what happened," said Orr, who doesnt shy away from his past or his missteps. A teammate -- "not necessarily a friend" -- was thrown out of the nightclub and then became involved in a brawl with bouncers, two of whom were also charged later. "Things got out of hand. It was wrong place wrong time," said Orr. "He ended up getting a beating. I tried to stop it, got caught up in it and ended up finding myself in prison at the age of 23. "Not ideal but I probably wouldnt change it, because from that, a lot of thought and reflection went on. I decided there and then its either give it everything youve got and try to make the most of this amazing opportunity that Id been given. Or Im going to find myself like many other lads around the same age, and certainly from the same city, on the scrap heap where youve got a bit of ability, youve got the talent but you havent quite got the mentality or the maturity or the discipline to succeed." Orr said he made "little adjustments," worked on his weaknesses and "really knuckled down and gave it everything." "Its eight years down the line and Im still playing football for a living. Ive got an amazing family here with me. Ive got a lot of people who mean a lot to me." Many of those stuck by him during those "dark times." "I was a young lad, I was distraught. I thought my career was finished. You think the worst at that age and I had 23 hours a day to think about it in a cell." "Im just glad I learned from a mistake, in a positive way," he added. "The outcome since then has pretty good so far. I think Ive had a decent enough career and one I can look back (at) with pride. "Even though that was an isolated incident and Im not proud of it, I certainly wouldnt change it because its probably helped make me who I am." Orr pleaded guilty based on advice that he would get some kind of community service. His father and girlfriend came to court, expecting to drive him home. Instead he was taken directly below to the cells. Orrs soccer journey featured stints with Newcastle United, Burnley, Bristol City, Queens Park Rangers, Blackburn Rovers, Ipswich Town and Blackpool before joining Toronto FC on loan in late January. He spent the bulk of his career with Bristol City, playing more than 225 games between 2004 and 2010. At 31, Orr is one of the grey beards on Toronto FCs squad. Only Dwayne De Rosario (35), Caldwell (33) and Jermain Defoe (by less than a month) are older. Orr showed his value Saturday in Columbus when injuries and suspension pressed him into service as centre back, alongside 21-year-old rookie Nick Hagglund. Toronto blanked the previously unbeaten Crew 2-0 with Orr one of three TFC players subsequently named to the MLS team of the week. The performance out of position is just why manager Ryan Nelsen acquired Orr. "For me, we needed just hardened guys who have kind of seen both sides of the tracks, if you know what I mean," Nelsen said. "Just so our young guys can learn what it takes to be a pro, to win away (games), to do the little things that it takes to be a good team. And you generally learn that from experience." Nelsen knows talent is not everything. Character plays a huge role in how far a player goes. "Our young guys have got to see that. Because its the best lesson to learn, that theyve got to do a lot of ugly stuff before they can kind of get to that top." Ask Orr about Hagglunds performance in Columbus and the veteran beams. "He was fantastic. I was delighted for Nick. His attitude towards his profession is absolutely (a) different class. He comes in every day really willing to learn and work hard. And theyre the type of lads who you want to see do well." One of the reasons Orr opted for MLS was he wanted to take himself out of his comfort zone and test himself. He has not regretted the move. Orr, who came to Canada with his wife and five-year-old twin boys, has marvelled at the passion of Torontos fans for sports. "Its really mind-blowing," said Orr. He is also blown away by Toronto FCs set-up "How can you not love this place?" he asked, pointing at the clubs well-appointed training centre. "The facilities are world-class. The citys fantastic." "So far Im loving it. Hopefully that can continue and I cant see no reason why not," he added. Orr has jumped right into Torontos sports community, taking in both Leafs and Raptors games. Hes also not afraid of getting out among the fans. A lifelong "big, big" Liverpool fan -- his 21-year-old nephew Jon Flanagan plays for the Reds -- Orr recently found out where the local supporters club was based. So he and Caldwell, with sons in tow, dropped in to see a recent Sunday game over breakfast. Ty Lawson Kings Jersey . Louis Cardinals a hard-fought victory. The Colorado Rockies intentionally walked Yadier Molina with one out and runners on first and third to load the bases for Kozma. Custom Sacramento Kings Jerseys . -- Rookie Victor Oladipo came off the bench to score 20 points and Glen Davis had 18, leading the Orlando Magic to a 112-98 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night. http://www.kingsbasketballpro.com/Arron-Afflalo-Kings-Jersey/ . - Joao Plata scored twice in the final 24 minutes, including the winner in stoppage time, to help Real Salt Lake remain unbeaten with a 3-2 victory over the winless Chicago Fire on Saturday night.SHANGHAI, China -- Canadian Milos Raonic has advanced to the third round of the Shanghai Masters with a win over Fernando Verdasco of Spain. The 10th seed from Thornhill, Ont., edged the Spaniard 7-6 (1), 3-6, 6-3 on Wednesday. Raonic is making a late-season run at qualifying for the ATP Finals, as well, reaching back-to-back finals in Bangkok and Tokyo the last two weeks. He won the title in Thailand but lost to Juan Martin del Potro in Japan. Hes 10th in the standings for the ATP Finals, trailing Richard Gasquet of France by less than 300 points. Raonic will play No. 8 Stanislas Wawrinka in the next round after the Swiss defeated South African Kevin Anderson 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (5). Fellow Canadian Vasek Pospisil of Vernon, B.C., was eliminated following a 7-5, 7-6 (4) loss to Gael Monfils of France. Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic survived a scare when he landed awkwardly on his right foot and recovered to beat Spains Marcel Granollers 6-2, 6-0. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal had fewer problems in their second-round matches. Federer rebounded from an early break to defeat Andreas Seppi of Italy 6-4, 6-3, while Nadal, who reclaimed the No. 1 ranking this week, dispatched Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine 6-3, 6-2. Djokovic hit a running backhand in the first game of the second set and then leaped in the air, wincing in pain. He called for a medical timeout after the game to have his foot wrapped and appeared slightly tentative after returning to the court, not bothering to chase after a couple of shots. The Serb dominated the rest of the match, however, closing it out in 70 minutes to set up a third-round match with Italian Fabio Fognini, who advanced when Tommy Robredo retired with a wrist injury while trailing 7-6 (3), 2-1. Djokovic said the problem wasnt serious, without elaborating about where specifically he felt the pain. "It was just an awkward movement," he said. "I was running and I made a quick movement that caused a sharp pain. Its all good now," he added succinctly when questioned further. Federer, the fifth seed, had more unforced errors (29) than winneers (19) in his first match since a fourth-round loss at the U. Malachi Richardson Jersey. . Open, but he made quick work of the 22nd-ranked Seppi. "Even though it didnt feel like Ive been away for a long time, you kind of know it," Federer said. "Instead of just thinking point for point, what do I want to do, your mind starts to wander -- not in a bad way, but its just not that natural yet." Federer next plays Monfils, with a possible quarter-final with Djokovic looming. Two other top players, Tomas Berdych and Juan Martin del Potro, also came through with victories despite struggling with injury and illness. Fourth-seeded Berdych rebounded from a back injury sustained in the semifinals of the China Open last week to defeat Feliciano Lopez 7-6 (5), 6-2. He said after his last match he could barely stand or walk when he retired against Nadal. "I wouldnt say (my back is) 100 per cent, but I decided I was competitive enough to go on court and try to play," he said. "Looks like it was a smart decision." Del Potro, meanwhile, overcame a fever and 50 winners from big-hitting German Philipp Kohlschreiber to advance 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4). After the match, del Potro said he started feeling sick on Tuesday night and relied on his serve to win the match since running was difficult. The Argentine withdrew from the doubles to rest for his next match against 11th-seeded Tommy Haas, a 6-4, 6-4 winner over German compatriot Daniel Brands. Like Raonic, del Potro and Berdych are also fighting for spots in the ATP Finals, a task made slightly easier by the withdrawal on Wednesday of Andy Murray, who is recovering from back surgery. Del Potro and Berdych would qualify for the eight-man field by making the final in Shanghai. Federer needs to do a bit more work -- hes in seventh place in the standings, with a number of players within striking distance. Two of them moved into the next round on Wednesday: No. 7 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Wawrinka. American John Isner, an outside shot for London, however, was ousted by Argentine Carlos Berlocq 6-4, 7-6 (4). 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