Month: February 2022

Apr 4, 2019; Minneapolis, MN, USA; NCAA president Mark Emmert speaks during a press conference at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

NCAA relaxes marijuana testing policy

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The NCAA said Friday that it was taking steps to loosen its policy on marijuana for athletes.

Though marijuana testing will still take place, the threshold for its psychoactive ingredient, THC, is being raised from 35 to 150 nanograms per milliliter.

Further, athletes will not lose any eligibility for up to three positive tests.

The changes are effective immediately, and retroactive to drug tests taken in the fall 2021 semester.

“Reconsidering the NCAA approach to cannabis testing and management is consistent with feedback from membership on how to better support and educate student-athletes in a society with rapidly evolving public health and cultural views regarding cannabis use,” NCAA chief medical officer Dr. Brian Hainline said in a statement. “Marijuana is not considered a performance-enhancing substance, but it remains important for member schools to engage student-athletes regarding substance-use prevention and provide management and support when appropriate.”

–Field Level Media

All-purpose star Lionel "Little Train" James died at the age of 59 on Feb. 25, 2022.

All-purpose star Lionel ‘Little Train’ James dies at 59

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Former San Diego Chargers and Auburn standout Lionel “Little Train” James died Friday. He was 59.

Auburn officials announced the death and said James died after a lengthy illness.

James earned the “Little Train” nickname due to his 5-foot-6 stature and surprising strength and he produced big on the field.

With the Chargers, he set an NFL record with 2,535 all-purpose yards in 1985 when legendary coach Don Coryell featured him all over the field and on both kickoff and punt returns. The mark stood for 15 yards and still ranks fourth in NFL history.

He also set an NFL record for receiving yards by a running back that season with 1,027. That mark remains second all-time after being passed by Marshall Faulk (1,048) of the St. Louis Rams in 1999.

Also in 1985, James led the AFC with 86 receptions, rushed for 516 yards, accumulated 779 yards on kickoff returns and had 213 on punt returns.

Overall, James caught 209 passes for 2,278 yards and 10 touchdowns and rushed for 1,062 yards and four scores in 67 games (22 starts) with the Chargers from 1984-88. He returned two punts for touchdowns while averaging 9.6 yards per return and averaged 21.2 on kickoff returns.

At Auburn, James was in the same star-studded backfield as legendary Bo Jackson and future NFL player Tommy Agee.

He rushed for 2,068 yards and 12 touchdowns from 1980-83. The yardage ranks 18th in Auburn history and his 6.1 average per carry ranks fourth.

When James showed up at Auburn, he weighed just 150 pounds.

“Pound for pound one of the greatest all-purpose players to play the game of football,” Agee said through Auburn. “Always put the team first.”

Said current Tigers coach Bryan Harsin in a Twitter post: “Saddened to hear about the passing of @AuburnFootball great Lionel “Little Train” James. A true Auburn Man. Our condolences to the James family. Rest In Peace Lionel.”

James was a fifth-round pick by the Chargers in the 1984 draft.

James later served as tight ends coach at Auburn for two seasons (1996-97).

–Field Level Media

In 14 seasons with the Colts Reggie Wayne compiled 14,345 yards receiving and 82 touchdowns. Xxx Colts 35 Jpg Spt Sports Usa

Report: Colts considering Reggie Wayne as WRs coach

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The Indianapolis Colts are “strongly considering” Reggie Wayne as the team’s wide receivers coach, The Athletic reported on Friday.

Wayne, 43, certainly knows a thing or two about the position. The six-time Pro Bowl selection ranks second only to Pro Football Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison on the franchise list in catches (1,070), receiving yards (14,345) and receiving touchdowns (82).

Wayne played in 211 career games (197 starts) with the Colts, who inducted him into their Ring of Honor in 2018.

He also served as a volunteer coach for the team during training camp in 2018.

The Colts are in need of a wide receivers coach to replace Mike Groh, who accepted an offer for the same position with the New York Giants.

–Field Level Media

Dec 26, 2021; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers helmet and ball during the first quarter between the Carolina Panthers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Buccaneers to play 2022 home game in Munich

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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be the home team this fall when the NFL plays its first-ever regular-season game in Germany, Sports Business Journal reported Friday.

An official announcement is due Monday, at which time the Bucs’ opponent will be announced, per the report.

The NFL announced earlier this month that Munich will host one of five international games this upcoming season. One will be played in Mexico and three in London.

The Buccaneers have home games set in 2022 with their division opponents — the Falcons, Panthers and Saints – as well as with the Ravens, Packers, Chiefs and Seahawks. The Bengals and Rams, who met in Super Bowl LVI, also are on Tampa Bay’s home schedule.

In December, the NFL granted four teams access to Germany for marketing, commercialization and fan engagement as part of the NFL International Home Marketing Areas initiative. The teams were the Buccaneers, Chiefs, Patriots and Panthers.

–Field Level Media

Jan 2, 2022; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy during the first quarter against the New York Giants at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports

Chiefs bring back Matt Nagy as senior assistant, QB coach

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Fired by the Chicago Bears in January, Matt Nagy rejoined the Kansas City Chiefs as a senior assistant and quarterbacks coach.

Nagy was the offensive coordinator for the Chiefs before he spent four seasons as head coach of the Bears.

Mike Kafka, the Chiefs’ quarterbacks coach last season, was named offensive coordinator of the New York Giants.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes said when Nagy left Kansas City that he was influential in helping him “play fast, be myself” in the NFL.

The Chiefs signed current offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy to a one-year contract this week.

Nagy joined the Chiefs under head coach Andy Reid in 2013 as quarterbacks coach and was elevated to co-offensive coordinator in 2016. He was offensive coordinator in Kansas City in 2017, but Reid remained the primary play-caller.

–Field Level Media

Jan 17, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) scrambles out of the pocket against the Los Angeles Rams during the second quarter of the NFC Wild Card playoff game. Nfc Wild Card Playoff Cardinals Vs Rams

Cards owner on Kyler Murray: ‘Put me in the category that I love him’

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Arizona Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill said the team is having “positive conversations” with quarterback Kyler Murray.

Speculation about the status of Murray’s relationship with the team began after the quarterback scrubbed his social media sites of Cardinals references following the Pro Bowl.

“I’m not a big social media guy, I don’t know the nuances of some of this stuff,” Bidwill said during an appearance on 98.7 FM in Phoenix on Friday morning. “But I think there was a lot of interpretation around that that was inconsistent with the conversations that not just I have had but that Kliff (Kingsbury, coach) and Steve (Keim, general manager) have had.

“They are positive conversations that are going in the right direction. We know we have to get better. I know Kyler put out the statement, ‘Love me or hate me … I’m going to get better.’ Well, put me in the category that I love him, and I know he’s going to get better.”

Murray, 24, is entering his fourth season with Arizona after being selected by the club with the top overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft. The Cardinals are expected to pick up the fifth-year option of the contract on Murray.

“These contracts, especially the quarterback contracts, are very complicated,” Bidwill said. “Most of the big ones are done further down the road (of the offseason). I think Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen were done in the summertime, others were done in the summertime. So we’ve got time.

“We also have other priorities. Free agency starts in a couple of weeks, and as well we have to get a couple of guys re-signed. The salary cap, it’s one big pie and you’re making room (with a QB extension) for a big new piece of the pie that will replace the rookie contract. The structure of it, the timing of it, it’s a complicated process. It takes some time.”

Arizona started last season 7-0 before limping to an 11-6 finish and a wild-card berth.

Murray threw for 3,787 yards, 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 14 games, missing three due to injury. He completed a career-high 69.2 percent of his throws and added 423 rushing yards and five touchdowns.

–Field Level Media

Dec 19, 2021; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Carolina Panthers tight end Ian Thomas (80) jogs on the field prior to the game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Panthers TE Ian Thomas signs 3-year contract

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Carolina Panthers tight end Ian Thomas signed a three-year contract on Friday.

Financial terms of the deal were not announced by the club, however NFL Network reported it is worth a total of $16.95 million with $8 million fully guaranteed. He will receive $6.435 million in the first year of the contract, per the report.

Thomas, 25, was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on March 16.

Thomas had 18 catches for 188 yards and zero touchdowns last season. He has 90 receptions for 802 yards and four scores in 65 career games (30 starts) since being selected by the Panthers in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

–Field Level Media

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd (83) pulls in a pass over Baltimore Ravens safety Tony Jefferson (31) for a touchdown reception before the play is overturned after official review in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 16 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Baltimore Ravens at Paul Brown Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, Dec. 26, 2021. The Bengals improved to 9-6 on the season with a 41-21 win over the Ravens. Baltimore Ravens At Cincinnati Bengals Week 16

Ravens re-sign S Tony Jefferson

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The Baltimore Ravens re-signed veteran safety Tony Jefferson on Thursday, extending his second stint with the team.

Jefferson, 30, spent three seasons starting in Baltimore’s secondary before an ACL tear cut short his 2019 campaign. After missing all of 2020, he caught on for two games with the San Francisco 49ers last year.

After San Francisco released Jefferson, he signed with the Ravens’ practice squad in December. The Ravens soon elevated Jefferson to the 53-man roster, and he appeared in four games, recording 17 tackles, one sack and one pass breakup.

In 104 career games (66 starts) with the Arizona Cardinals (2013-16), Ravens and 49ers, Jefferson has amassed 469 tackles, 9.5 sacks, eight forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and four interceptions.

–Field Level Media

Aug 28, 2021; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Ken Norton, Jr., stands on the sideline during the third quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Report: UCLA hires Ken Norton Jr. as LB coach

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Ken Norton Jr. is returning to his alma mater as UCLA’s next linebackers coach, according to a report from The Athletic on Thursday.

Norton, who most recently served as the Seattle Seahawks’ defensive coordinator, played linebacker at UCLA from 1984-87. He went on to play for 13 seasons in the NFL, six with the Dallas Cowboys and seven with the San Francisco 49ers.

The Seahawks fired Norton at the end of the season, ending his four-year stint as defensive coordinator. He was the Oakland Raiders’ defensive coordinator from 2015-17 and served as the Seahawks’ linebackers coach from 2010-14.

Norton has previous college coaching experience. He was the linebackers coach at Southern California from 2004-09, where he helped develop players such as Lofa Tatupu, Brian Cushing, Clay Matthews III and Rey Maualuga.

–Field Level Media

Dec 31, 2021; Arlington, Texas, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide offensive lineman Evan Neal (73) celebrates the win over the Cincinnati Bearcats after the 2021 Cotton Bowl college football CFP national semifinal game at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Alabama’s Evan Neal picking up support as No. 1 pick

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When push comes to shove, the public believes the Jacksonville Jaguars will choose to protect franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence rather than make life more difficult on opposing signal-callers.

Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson remains the +165 favorite at BetMGM to be the first pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. However, his odds have lengthened since opening at +100.

Meanwhile, Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal has seen his odds shorten from +2500 to +175 with the public backing him with 33.2 percent of the bets and 43.2 percent of the money wagered on the No. 1 pick. Neal started 40 games at Alabama across both tackle positions and left guard.

Neal has already overtaken Hutchinson at DraftKings, where the former Crimson Tide star is being offered at +120 to +200 for Hutchinson. Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux and North Carolina State offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu are both being offered at +700.

Thibodeaux has been backed by the second-most money wagered at BetMGM with 13.7 percent of the handle at +350 odds. Hutchinson has been backed by 13.3 percent of the money and 15.7 percent of the bets to Thibodeaux’s 11.8 percent.

Ekwonu has been another rising name with several teams holding tops picks likely to be in the market for pass protectors. He opened at +10000 to be the No. 1 overall pick but is now being offered at +400 at BetMGM.

The Detroit Lions hold the No. 2 overall pick followed by the Houston Texans, New York Jets and New York Giants in the top five.

Lindy’s Pro Football Draft guide listed edge rusher and offensive tackle among the Jaguars’ three biggest needs entering the offseason. Edge rusher was also listed among the Lions’ and Texans’ top three needs, while the Giants could be looking at replacing up to four starters along their offensive line.

–Field Level Media