JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Aaron Ross didn't want to miss the Olympics again.
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Training camp prevented him from traveling to Beijing to see his then-girlfriend, U.S. runner Sanya Richards, compete four years ago. Now that they are married and with the London Games quickly approaching, Ross started setting up his trip even before he signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars last month.
The Jaguars obliged, granting Ross permission to skip part of camp in August to see his wife run.
"That's really huge," Ross said Wednesday. "It speaks volumes about what they're trying to preach here. They preach family first here, and they're not just preaching it. They're actually showing it firsthand. It was important to me, and they made it happen."
Richards, who now goes by Richards-Ross, won gold in the 1,600-meter relay in 2004 and 2008 and claimed bronze in the 400 meters in Beijing. But she is seeking her first individual Olympic gold medal.
Although Richards-Ross still must qualify for the London Games, she is considered a strong favorite to make her third consecutive Olympics. She posted on her Twitter page that the Jaguars' decision to let Ross attend was "The best news ever.... Now all I have to do is get there!!!!"
Ross is waiting for the track-and-field schedule to come out before planning his trip. And since he is battling Rashean Mathis for a starting job opposite Derek Cox, Ross doesn't intend to be gone from camp for more than a few days.
"I won't go until her final race," said Ross, who started 41 games over the previous five seasons for the New York Giants. "I want to miss as little time as possible."
Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press
