Sports

NFL All-Pros: Kelce, Jefferson unanimous; 16 first-timers

Published

1 year ago

2023-01-13

NFL All-Pro Team is made up of Travis Kelce, Justin Jefferson, and Sauce Gardner. Sauce Gardner is the first rookie cornerback to be chosen in 41 years.

Kelce of the Chiefs and Jefferson of the Vikings won first-team votes from all 50 members of a panel of media members who covered the NFL on Friday.

Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs, Nick Bosa of the San Francisco 49ers, and Chris Jones of the Kansas City Chiefs received 49 of 50 first-team votes. With four players on the first team, the Chiefs and Niners led the way.

Gardner, the New York Jets’ fourth-round pick, was named on all 50 ballots and received 43 first-place votes. Ronnie Lott, a Pro Football Hall of Famer, was the final rookie cornerback chosen for the first team in 1981.

Hard Work Pays off In The NFL

“That means a lot to me,” Gardner. “It was one of my objectives before training camp. It is something I hope for. I worked extremely hard for it. It’s unquestionably a blessing.”

Jason, Kelce’s older brother, was also named to the first team for the fifth time in his career, keeping him one step ahead of his pass-catching brother. Lane Johnson, a fellow Philadelphia Eagles lineman, joins Jason Kelce on the squad.

“Big honor, very pleased for (Johnson), who is undoubtedly the finest tackle in the NFL, especially on the right side,” Jason Kelce

Johnson, a two-time All-Pro, has missed the last two games due to an adductor injury but hopes to be back when the Eagles host a divisional-round playoff game next week.

“We spend a lot of time and effort into the game, and as you get older, you start to cherish it,” Johns

An Honour To Be Selected

Josh Jacobs of the Las Vegas Raiders is one of 16 first-time All-Pros. Jacobs led the NFL in rushing with 1,653 yards, 12 touchdowns, and a 4.9-yard-per-carry average. Despite finishing 6-11, the Raiders had three first-team picks.

“The year clearly didn’t go how we wanted it to, but it’s absolutely an honor to be selected,” Jacobs

The other newcomer on offense is Jefferson, who had a league-high 128 catches and 1,809 yards receiving. Tyreek Hill of Miami made it for the fourth time, the third as a receiver. Hill caught 119 passes for 1,710 yards and seven touchdowns in his rookie season with the Dolphins. Davante Adams of the Raiders was selected for the third time. In his debut season in Las Vegas, Adams had 100 receptions for 1,516 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Cowboys right guard Zack Martin is a six-time All-Pro, as are 49ers left tackle Trent Williams and Browns left guard Joel Bitonio.

Bosa Led The NFL

Mahomes was an All-Pro as well as the NFL MVP in 2018. He led the league with 5,250 yards passing and 41 touchdowns, guiding the Chiefs to their seventh straight AFC West title. Jalen Hurts of Philadelphia received one first-team vote, keeping Mahomes from becoming a unanimous choice.

The only returning All-Pros on defense are Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons, 49ers linebacker Fred Warner, and Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick is back for the third time. Parsons, who had 13 1/2 sacks in his rookie season, made the team as a linebacker.

All-Pro NFL selections included Bosa, Jones, Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith, Bills linebacker Matt Milano, Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II, and Niners safety Talanoa Hufanga.

Bosa led the NFL in sacks with 18 1/2. Williams had 11 points.

“I tell my wife my goals every day so she can hold me accountable and make sure I do the right thing,” Williams told the Associated Press. “To hear this news, all of my hard work has paid off, and I must continue to do the same.”

All Six Special-Team Players Are Also Rookies

They are the Raiders’ Daniel Carlson, the Chiefs’ Tommy Townsend, the Packers’ Keisean Nixon, the Patriots’ Marcus Jones, the Commanders’ Jeremy Reaves, and the Vikings’ Andrew DePaola.

The AP’s new voting system debuted this year. Voters selected a first and second team. First-team votes are worth three points, while second-team votes are worth one point.

SOURCE – (AP)

Sports

Miami Dolphins Agree To Sign Odell Beckham Jr. To A 1-Year Contract

Published

14 hours ago

2024-05-03

Kiara Grace

AP News - VOR News Image

Miami Gardens, Florida – The Miami Dolphins have agreed to sign wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to a one-year contract, a source informed The Associated Press on Friday.

The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the contract had not yet been formalized.

The NFL Network initially reported on the pact, estimated to be valued at up to $8.25 million.

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Miami Dolphins Agree To Sign Odell Beckham Jr. To A 1-Year Contract

Beckham, 31, will be joining his sixth franchise, having previously played for the Los Angeles Rams, Baltimore, Cleveland, and the New York Giants, who drafted him 12th overall in 2014. He won a Super Bowl with the Rams in 2021-22.

Beckham will join Tyreek Hill, the Dolphins’ receiving yards leader last year, and Jaylen Waddle, his fast opponent. Hill and Waddle combined for more yards (2,813) than any other wide receiver tandem in the NFL in 2023, but Miami lacked depth at wide receiver beyond those two.

The Ravens released Beckham in March after he had 35 catches for 565 yards and three scores with Baltimore last season. He visited the Dolphins earlier in the offseason and received an offer, but the two parties have yet to reach a deal.

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Miami Dolphins Agree To Sign Odell Beckham Jr. To A 1-Year Contract

“Things went great with him,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel stated in March. We made him an offer, and business takes time, especially with someone like Odell, who has had a fantastic career and still has a lot of football and choices ahead of him. I’m completely ready to teach him if we can reach a deal, and I believe both sides are working toward that goal. “We will see what happens.

Beckham established himself as one of the league’s top receivers throughout his first three seasons with the Giants. He had three consecutive 1,300-yard seasons after being drafted by New York out of LSU, and he grabbed one of the most memorable touchdowns in NFL history in his rookie season when he extended his body, leaping backward and reaching as far as he could with one hand to pull in a 43-yard pass from Eli Manning.

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Miami Dolphins Agree To Sign Odell Beckham Jr. To A 1-Year Contract

Beckham was traded to the Browns in 2019 and played two seasons there before joining the Rams. He caught a touchdown pass in Super Bowl LVI before suffering an ACL injury that sidelined him for the 2022 season.

SOURCE – (AP)

Sports

Brittney Griner Says She Thought About Killing Herself During First Few Weeks In Russian Jail

Published

2 days ago

2024-05-02

Kiara Grace

AP - VOR News Image

Phoenix — Brittney Griner, a WNBA star, says she considered suicide during her first several weeks in a Russian jail following her 2022 drug-related arrest.

Griner spoke for the first time about her months-long captivity in Russia during an hour-long interview broadcast on ABC Wednesday night. Her memoir, “Coming Home,” is scheduled to be released on May 7.

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Brittney Griner Says She Thought About Killing Herself During First Few Weeks In Russian Jail

Griner was seized after arriving at a Moscow airport when Russian investigators claimed a search of her luggage found vape cartridges purportedly containing cannabis oil.

“I wanted to take my life more than once in the first few weeks,” Griner told interviewer Robin Roberts. “I felt like leaving here so badly.”

She opted against it in part because she was concerned that the Russian authorities would not return her body to her family.

Her plight began at the same time Russia invaded Ukraine, escalating tensions between Russia and the United States, and ended only after she was released in exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.

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Brittney Griner Says She Thought About Killing Herself During First Few Weeks In Russian Jail

Griner stated that she was ordered to compose a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin before being released.

“They had me write this letter. “It was in Russian,” she explained. “I had to ask for pardon and gratitude from their so-called great leader. “I didn’t want to do it, but I also wanted to get home.”

She was dismayed when she boarded the plane for the transaction and found that Paul Whelan, another American held in Russia, was not with her.

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Brittney Griner Says She Thought About Killing Herself During First Few Weeks In Russian Jail

“I continued on and didn’t see him; perhaps he’s next. “Maybe they’ll bring him next,” she added. “They shut the door, and I was like, Are you serious? “You are not going to let this man come home right now.”

Griner plays for the Phoenix Mercury. The WNBA season starts on May 14.

SOURCE – (AP)

Sports

Adrian Newey, Red Bull’s Chief Technical Officer, Will Step Down From The F1 Team.

Published

3 days ago

2024-05-01

Kiara Grace

AP News - VOR News Image

Milton Keynes, England – Red Bull announced Wednesday that Adrian Newey, the designer who played a key role in Red Bull’s Formula One supremacy, will retire early next year.

The 65-year-old Newey will retire from his nearly two-decade career at Red Bull in the “first quarter of 2025.”

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Adrian Newey, Red Bull’s Chief Technical Officer, Will Step Down From The Formula One Team.

“For almost two decades it has been my great honor to have played a key role in Red Bull Racing’s progress from upstart newcomer to multiple title-winning team,” stated the former Ferrari driver. “However, I feel now is an opportune moment to hand that baton over to others and to seek new challenges for myself.”

Adrian joined Red Bull in 2006 and has helped the team win seven driver’s titles, including the last three seasons for defending champion Max Verstappen and six constructors’ crowns.

Red Bull announced that its chief technical officer will step away from F1 design to focus on the company’s first hypercar, the RB 17.

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Adrian Newey, Red Bull’s Chief Technical Officer, Will Step Down From The Formula One Team.

“All of our greatest moments from the past 20 years have come with Adrian’s hand on the technical tiller,” Red Bull team principal Christian Horner stated. “When Adrian joined Red Bull, I knew he was already a famous designer. Two decades and 13 championships later, he is remembered as a true legend. He is also my friend, and I shall be eternally grateful to him for everything he contributed to our collaboration.”

The news of Newey’s leaving could result in a bidding war for his services. Because Newey is free to join another team after leaving Red Bull, he has the potential to have an impact on the 2026 vehicle for whichever team he chooses. The next major regulatory reform is scheduled for 2026, and having Newey on board would provide a huge edge to his future employers.

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Adrian Newey, Red Bull’s Chief Technical Officer, Will Step Down From The Formula One Team.

Newey’s dismissal comes after Horner was accused of “inappropriate behavior” by a female coworker. Red Bull’s parent company GmbH exonerated Horner and has consistently refuted the allegations.

SOURCE – (AP)