9th Texas A&M football player to be arrested.
Texas A&M receiver Nick Rhodes has been accused of punching his roommate and hitting him with a guitar after the man asked him for rent money.
Rhodes, a redshirt freshman from Brownwood, was arrested on Thursday and charged with Class A assault, a misdemeanor. He posted $7,000 bond on Friday afternoon.The roommate suffered several scratches and cuts, according to a College Station police report, but he declined medical treatment.Rhodes refused to come out of his room when police arrived and officers kicked in the door to arrest him. Police Sgt. Mike Dean said Rhodes was arrested without incident.Nine Texas A&M football players and one recruit have been arrested since November.
posted by Anonymous @ 9:35 AM
2 Air Force players are charged for using steriods.
Air Force coach Fisher DeBerry said two players who will be court-martialed on charges of using steroids have admitted they made a mistake. Junior running back Matthew Ward, charged with wrongful use and possession of the anabolic steroid methandrostenolone, will be court-martialed Sept. 8. A date hasn't been set for junior linebacker Overton Spence Jr. on charges of wrongful use, distribution and possession of methandrostenolone.Speaking at the Mountain West Conference meetings in Nevada this week, DeBerry said both players came into his office this spring and told him they made a mistake.The cadets said they didn't know what they were taking when they used pills that turned out to be methandrostenolone, DeBerry said. He said he believes them."Based on what they said, they didn't know what they were taking," DeBerry said. "They were told they were supplements and they have never given me any reason to otherwise not believe them. They have always been very true players and good gentlemen and done everything we asked them to do in the program."Both players have been suspended from the football team. If convicted, Ward faces 10 years of confinement while Spence could receive 25 years. Both face dismissal from the Air Force and forfeiture of pay and allowances.The school has begun random testing of cadets and some employees for steroids in what experts say is an unusual step for any college.Two other cadets also face steroids charges. An evidence hearing for senior Eric M. Swartz is scheduled for Aug. 2. Commanders are deciding whether a court-martial is in order for Jonathan S. Belkowitz.A fifth investigation is ongoing.DeBerry said he doesn't think the steroid issue has tarnished his program."It's like a lot of other coaches, you don't have a lot of control over the situation and your athletes," he said. "They made the decision to use. They could have said no when a guy told them, 'I have some supplements that can help you."'DeBerry also said he favored the random steroid testing policy that began in June."Obviously, there must be a problem so we should very much do that," he said. "Our responsibility is to the American taxpayer, I believe that. They are paying for their education."
posted by Anonymous @ 8:48 AM
Former Air Force coach dies.
Ben Martin, football coach at the Air Force Academy from 1958-77, has died. He was 83.
Martin, who died Saturday, recently had a heart attack, Air Force assistant athletic director for media relations Troy Garnhart said Sunday."This is a real sad day for Falcon football," current coach Fisher DeBerry said in a statement on the team's Web site. "We enjoy a national prominence because of the foundation Ben Martin built."A graduate of the Naval Academy, Martin replaced Buck Shaw as Air Force's coach. Despite scant talent and rarely scrimmaging to prevent injuries, Martin lead the team to the 1959 Cotton Bowl, where the team tied Texas Christian 0-0.Under Martin, Air Force went 96-103-9 and also appeared in the 1963 Gator Bowl and 1970 Sugar Bowl.After retiring from coaching, Martin became a television and radio commentator.
posted by Anonymous @ 8:38 AM
Williams DB for Oregon State was killed in a car accident.
Oregon State defensive back Justin Williams was killed when the pickup truck he was riding in flipped over after it was struck by another vehicle.
Oregon State Police Lt. Dale Rutledge said the crash happened Friday night 20 miles south of Portland on Interstate 5."The two drivers got involved in a confrontation; you could call it 'road rage,' " Rutledge said. "One driver lost control and struck the second vehicle, a Toyota pickup, which rolled."The 19-year-old Williams, of Los Banos, Calif., was the only fatality.The pickup was driven by Williams' uncle, 40-year-old Michael .
"I'm in a state of shock -- our hearts and prayers go out to the family," Oregon State athletic director Bob De Carolis said.
posted by Anonymous @ 8:27 AM
Cowher signs for another 2 years with the STEELERS
Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher signed a two-year contract extension Monday -- the second time since 2001 he has agreed to a new deal after his team missed the playoffs the preceding season.
The extension, which carries through the 2007 season, is expected to keep Cowher's salary competitive with those of the game's highest paid head coaches.Cowher agreed to his current contract, which runs through the 2005 season, after the Steelers rebounded from consecutive losing seasons by going 9-7 in 2000 but still missed the playoffs.The 47-year-old Cowher has a 115-76-1 record in 12 seasons, with only three losing seasons. His seven division titles are the fifth most in NFL coaching history, and the Steelers have reached the playoffs 12 times under Cowher despite missing them four of the last six seasons.Cowher has traditionally signed extensions with two years remaining on his contract, and did so again this year. The Steelers begin training camp Friday, and both sides sought to get a deal done before then to avoid distractions. In the past, the team usually has not negotiated contracts once a season begins."We are excited about extending Bill's contract to continue the success he has brought to our team over the past 12 years," Steelers president Art Rooney II said.Cowher has the most seniority of any active NFL coach, and only eight coaches have coached one team longer than Cowher has -- including Chuck Noll, his predecessor, who led the Steelers from 1969-1991. Cowher's 122 career victories, counting postseason wins, are second in team history to Noll's 209.While the Steelers change coaches less frequently than any other team in major pro sports -- they have had only two coaches in 35 years -- Cowher goes into this season following yet another realignment of his coaching staff.The Steelers fired defensive coordinator Tim Lewis after last season and brought back Dick LeBeau, who previously held the job in the mid 1990s. Offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey also left to become the Bills' coach and was replaced by Ken Whisenhunt, formerly an offensive assistant. Offensive line coach Russ Grimm also added the title of assistant head coach.
posted by Anonymous @ 8:21 AM
D. McClover signs with the JetsThe Jets signed seventh-round pick Darrell McClover on Sunday.
The Jets signed seventh-round pick Darrell McClover on Sunday.McClover, a 6-foot-2, 226-pound linebacker from Miami, was the first of the Jets' four seventh round selections. He was a standout special teams player during his career with the Hurricanes and moved into the starting lineup last season.McClover is the fourth of the Jets' 10 draft picks to have signed, joining safety Erik Coleman, defensive end Trevor Johnson and safety Rashad Washington.
posted by Anonymous @ 8:02 AM
Patriots sign and release 2 players.
The Patriots signed draft picks P.K. Sam and Christian Morton on Sunday and released two other players. Sam, a 6-foot-3, 210-pound wide receiver, was selected in the fifth round, 164th overall, after his junior year at Florida State. In three seasons at Florida State, Sam caught 76 passes for 1,066 yards and seven touchdowns. Morton, a 6-foot, 188-pound cornerback, was selected in the seventh round, 233rd overall. He had 120 tackles and five interceptions in four years at Illinois. Morton also handled kickoff and punt returns for the Fighting Illini, compiling 671 yards on 35 kickoff returns and 337 yards on 30 punt returns with one touchdown. The Patriots also released defensive lineman Ryan Atoe and wide receiver Ricky Bryant. Atoe was signed by the Patriots in June after spending the 2004 NFL Europe season with the Cologne Centurions. Bryant was signed as a non-drafted rookie free agent out of Hofstra in May.
posted by Anonymous @ 7:52 AM
Chad Hutchinson released by the Dallas Cowboys
With their quarterback depth chart overstocked, the Dallas Cowboys on Friday phoned the agent for two-year veteran Chad Hutchinson, apprising Scott Boras that his client will be released before the team reports to training camp next week.
The decision on Hutchinson's fate has been anticipated for more than a month. During the offseason, the Cowboys having added veteran Vinny Testaverde as a free agent and traded for Drew Henson. Coach Bill Parcells indicated he would not go to camp with five quarterbacks, since there is not enough time to get meaningful snaps for all of them.Incumbent starter Quincy Carter tops the depth chart, followed by Testaverde, Henson and second-year pro Tony Romo. Dallas won a bidding war for Hutchinson in 2002, signing him as a free agent to a contract that included a $3.1 million bonus. Hutchinson had abandoned his football career with two seasons of eligibility remaining at Stanford, signed a baseball contract with the St. Louis Cardinals, and then opted to return to the gridiron in 2002.Most scouts believed that Hutchinson, who had a short stint with the Cardinals at the major league level during his four-year baseball career, would have been a first-round choice in the NFL had he continued at Stanford. Obviously, the Cowboys and owner Jerry Jones thought that was the case and believed Hutchinson could quickly regain his football form.
It will be interesting to see if any team claims Hutchinson, who has a strong arm but lacks accuracy and mobility, once he is officially waived. A few teams have hinted they might consider auditioning him if he clears waivers.
posted by Anonymous @ 7:17 AM
Steven Jackson signes with St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams signed first-round draft pick Steven Jackson to a five-year, $7 million contract on Sunday. The deal includes a $4 million signing bonus for Jackson, the 24th overall pick and the first running back taken. He ran for 3,625 yards and 39 touchdowns in three seasons at Oregon State.The Rams envision Jackson as the successor to Marshall Faulk, who is entering his 12th NFL season. Faulk, 31, is signed through 2008.Rocky Arceneaux of St. Louis is the agent for both players. He said Jackson had made it a priority to sign before training camp, which begins Wednesday with two workouts in Macomb, Ill."We never anticipated any problems," Arceneaux said. "It was very important for Steven to be in camp on time, so we sort of pushed for that."The Rams' first-round pick last year, defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy, missed five days of workouts before signing.As a senior, Jackson gained 1,545 yards and scored a career-high 19 touchdowns while also establishing himself as a receiving threat for the first time. He had career bests in receptions (44), receiving yards (470) and receiving touchdowns (3).St. Louis traded up two slots after the Dallas Cowboys -- widely expected to snag Jackson with the 22nd pick -- traded down. The Rams gave Cincinnati the 26th overall pick and a fourth-round pick to grab Jackson at 24.Jackson was the first offensive player taken in the first round by the Rams since 2000, when they selected running back Trung Canidate.The Rams have signed five of their seven draft picks. Jackson joins safety Jason Shivers, center Larry Turner, linebacker Brandon Chillar and tight end Erik Jensen under contract. Third-round pick Tony Hargrove, a defensive end from Georgia Tech, and sixth-round pick Jeff Smoker, a quarterback from Michigan State, remain unsigned.But both are expected to be under contract before the start of camp
posted by Anonymous @ 7:15 AM
Maurice Williams on a five-year contract extension with Jacksonville Jaguars
Looking to secure their future at right offensive tackle and to ensure that one of the NFL's emerging young lineman does not depart in free agency next spring, the Jacksonville Jaguars have reached agreement with Maurice Williams on a five-year contract extension. The extension is worth $21 million and includes $8 million in guaranteed money. Williams, 25, was entering the final season of the original four-year deal that he signed as a rookie in 2001. Without an extension, he would have been eligible for unrestricted free agency after the 2004 season, and likely would have been one of the top players in the pool of available veterans next spring.A starter in all three seasons when healthy, Williams stepped right into the first unit on the opening day of his initial training camp, and has become a fixture at right tackle. Williams played every offensive snap as a rookie then missed much of the 2002 season with a broken leg. He returned in 2003 and sat out just two snaps the entire year.Pro personnel men around the NFL regard Williams among the top right tackles in the league and, given his youth, he figures to keep getting better.Clearly, the Jaguars did not want there to be any chance they would lose him as a free agent, and the organization was proactive in seeking the extension. At 6-feet-5 and 310 pounds, the former University of Michigan star has rare athleticism.
Williams was a second-round draft choice, the 43rd player selected overall in 2001, and the fourth offensive tackle to go off the board.
posted by Anonymous @ 7:06 AM
Williams from the Miami Dolphins has retired!
Williams has decided to retire at the peak of his career, stunning the Miami Dolphins and leaving an enormous void in their backfield less than a week before the start of training camp.
Williams, who rushed for 3,225 yards in two seasons with the Dolphins, phoned from Hawaii to inform coach Dave Wannstedt of his decision, then continued his travels by flying to Tokyo.
"He wants to get on with his life, wants to move on to bigger and better things," Miami Herald reporter and ESPN commentator Dan Le Batard told SportsCenter.
"I just don't want to be in this business anymore," Williams told the paper. "I was never strong enough to not play football, but I'm strong enough now. I've considered everything about this. Everyone has thrown every possible scenario at me about why I shouldn't do this, but they're in denial. I'm happy with my decision.
"I'm finally free. I can't remember ever being this happy."
Williams has always been a breakaway threat. But retirement at age 27?
For the Dolphins, Williams' departure is the latest setback in an abysmal offseason. It included an odd organizational reshuffling with the hiring of former quarterback Dan Marino, who resigned as vice president 22 days later.
Now, because of the timing of Williams' retirement, the Dolphins head into training camp with few options for filling the vacancy at running back. Eddie George, who might have been a possibility, signed Friday with the Dallas Cowboys. For the moment, the job belongs to three-year backup Minor, who has yet to start an NFL game.
posted by Anonymous @ 6:27 AM
