By Fred Goodall
The Associated Press

SAN DIEGO - Joe Jurevicius could barely push himself to get on a plane and fly to the NFC championship game. It wasn't any easier to leave for the Super Bowl. The Tampa Bay receiver rejoined the Bucs late Tuesday night and practiced Wednesday after spending the beginning of the week in Tampa with his wife, Meagan, who gave birth prematurely to their first child on Jan. 14.

"I feel bad for leaving my family, but it's the last week of work. Next week I'll be able to be there 24 hours a day," Jurevicius said. "It's difficult, but there's some greater meaning behind this. Our family is tough and we're going to handle it well."

He wouldn't discuss details of the infant's condition, however he did say 9-day-old Michael was improving. His wife is still recovering from surgery, but has been released from the hospital.

"I really don't want to get into that. He's got a condition and he's in neonatal intensive care right now," Jurevicius said.

"Seeing him with tubes in him and monitors on him, that's a very hard thing to take. But those tubes are helping him, so I'm grateful right now."

Jurevicius missed three days of practice following the baby's birth, then flew to Philadelphia for the conference title game. His only reception, a 71-yard catch-and-run, set up Tampa Bay's first touchdown in a 27-10 victory over the Eagles.

"If I didn't have anything to contribute in that game, I wouldn't have shown up," the fifth-year pro said. "There was a point last week where I didn't know if I was going to play. I was being tormented with emotion. My family pushed me out the door."

Jurevicius said support he's received from coach Jon Gruden and teammates has meant a lot, too.

"He is dealing with a very personal matter that involves his family," Gruden said. "We are here to support him, but this is professionally the greatest time of his life.

"He is one of our few players who has been to a Super Bowl. So we need his leadership and expertise because we are all new to this."

Jurevicius, one of three ex-New York Giants on the Bucs roster, is preparing for his second Super Bowl in three years. So are tackle Lomas Brown and linebacker Jack Golden, reserves who don't figure to play much Sunday.

But Jurevicius is the third man in Tampa Bay's three-receiver sets and has been one of the keys to the team's improvement on offense the second half of the season. He finished with 37 catches for 423 yards and four touchdowns, and has four receptions for 119 yards and one TD in the playoffs.

Teammates were not surprised Jurevicius contributed in the NFC title game, despite not practicing last week. This week, the only thing he missed by staying behind in Tampa was Super Bowl media day on Tuesday.

"The focus now should be trying to win a Super Bowl," he said. "Things are pretty stable back home. I have a job to do. I'm going to try to put this behind me for a couple of days.

"The kid is a fighter. I'm proud of him for that. He's finally turning the corner. I look at him as inspiration. ... If that kid is fighting, the least I can do is play."

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