Latest news with #AsanteSamuel
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
AFC East rival run ‘like a Little League team,' former Patriots star says
Asante Samuel thinks the Miami Dolphins are a mess. In last week's episode of his podcast, 'Say What Needs To Be Said,' the former New England Patriots star blasted Miami for how it handled the trade of cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Advertisement 'There's no leadership in the Dolphins organization,' Samuel said. 'Mike McDaniel is a pushover. Chris Grier, the general manager, he has no backbone. These guys over here, the Miami Dolphins, they are running this team like a Little League team. No one can stand up to the players, they are terrified of their own players, and they have no control over their players.' Last week, the Dolphins traded the three-time All-Pro cornerback to the Pittsburgh Steelers in a deal that netted them defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick in return. Samuel, a four-time Pro Bowler at cornerback himself, blasted the decision. 'The Dolphins had no reason to trade Jalen Ramsey other than they're sensitive,' he said. Advertisement Samuel noted that Fitzpatrick represents an upgrade at safety. However, he argued that moving Ramsey there would have been a much better option. Samuel started his career in New England, winning a pair of Super Bowls during his first two seasons. After five years with the Patriots, Samuel left to play for the Philadelphia Eagles, making three Pro Bowls in four seasons. Samuel finished his 11-year NFL career with a pair of seasons with the Atlanta Falcons. More Patriots Content Read the original article on MassLive.
Fox News
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
Deion Talks Health, QBs, NIL: Coach Prime's Top Moments From Big 12 Media Days
Deion Sanders was in his usual form when he met with reporters at Big 12 Media Days on Wednesday, exuding his typical charisma while at the podium. However, the Colorado coach didn't provide updates on his health. Sanders said he wanted to keep the focus on his football team when he was asked about the challenges he's faced as he's been away from the program for the last couple of months due to an unknown health issue. "Average day, I'm looking good. I'm living lovely," Sanders told reporters. "God has truly blessed me. Not a care in the world. Not a want or desire in the world." While he was coy about his health status, Sanders thanked Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark and the rest of the conference's coaches for checking up on him during his recent struggles. "I love them, they've been calling and checking on me, making sure I'm straight," Sanders said. Sanders, who'll turn 58 in early August, missed Colorado's annual summer camps in June due to the undisclosed health issue and has been spending time at his home in Texas. Big 12 Media Days were held in Frisco, which is roughly 90 minutes away from Sanders' residence in Canton, Texas. The only information Sanders has shared about the illness came when he appeared on former NFL player Asante Samuel's podcast in late May. As Samuel wished Sanders well, the Colorado coach said what he was "dealing with right now is at a whole 'nother level" and that he had lost 14 pounds. Still, Sanders said he planned to return to coaching whenever the illness subsided. Sanders certainly spoke like someone who would be back on the sideline for the upcoming season on Wednesday, fielding numerous questions over his near-20-minute-long press conference. In terms on-field matters, the biggest question surrounding Colorado is its quarterback situation. Colorado brought both Kaidon Salter and Julian "JuJu" Lewis to Big 12 Media Days this week, with Sanders saying he hasn't decided which one of the two will replace his son yet. "We brought both of them because we don't know which one is going to start," Sanders said. In a follow-up, Sanders said there would be situations where he would feel comfortable playing both quarterbacks. "As long as they're doing their jobs and winning," Sanders said. "We definitely want to continue to develop JuJu. But Kaidon is unbelievable. Kaidon is off the chain. He's been there, done that and he can get the job done. I wouldn't have brought him here if I didn't trust him. But JuJu is coming around the mountain when he comes. I love him. I love what he brings to the table. "I don't know how it's going to play out, as long as it plays out. We can't lose either way, with either of those two." Salter was one of the top quarterbacks to transfer this past offseason. The former Liberty quarterback is 20-4 all-time as a starter, winning Conference USA's Most Valuable Player in 2023 as he helped the Flames go 13-0 before losing in the Fiesta Bowl. He threw for 1,886 yards, 15 touchdowns and six interceptions to go with 587 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns in 11 games last season. Lewis, meanwhile, was widely viewed as one of the best quarterback prospects in the 2025 recruiting class. The incoming freshman was ranked as the 10th-best quarterback in the class by 247 Sports. Sanders also weighed in on larger matters throughout the college football landscape on Wednesday. When he was asked about his relationship with Texas Tech head Joey McGuire, Sanders ribbed his counterpart for the recent spending the program has done to land top transfers and recruits. "Joey got some money! Joey, where you at, baby? Spending that money! I love it," Sanders said with a wide grin. "Once upon a time, you guys was talking junk about me going in that portal. Now, when everyone go in the portal, it's OK. It's cool when they do it. It's a problem when I do it." Sanders later said "I love me some Joey McGuire," praising him for how he handled Texas Tech fans when they threw tortillas during Colorado's game against the Red Raiders in Lubbock last season. Still, Texas Tech has formed a squad that will likely threaten to try and take Colorado down from one of the top spots in the Big 12 in 2025 and beyond. The Red Raiders landed the No. 2 class in the transfer portal this offseason, via 247 Sports, reportedly spending more than $10 million to do so. Texas Tech also agreed to a lucrative revenue-sharing deal with 2026 five-star recruit Felix Ojo earlier in July. Texas Tech's deal with Ojo was made possible after the approval of the House v. NCAA settlement in June, which allowed schools and student-athletes to agree to revenue-sharing deals starting on July 1. The approval of the lawsuit brought further questions about the future of college sports as schools will be allowed to spend roughly $20.5 million in revenue-sharing deals with student athletes for the 2025-26 academic year. In his first comments since the approval of the lawsuit, Sanders iterated that he'd like to see a salary cap be implemented in college football moving forward. "That's what the NFL does," Sanders said. "The problem is, you've got a guy that's not that darn school and you could give him a half-million dollars and you can't compete with that. That don't make sense. "All you have to do is look at the playoffs and see what those teams spent, and you understand darn near well why they're in the playoffs. It's kind of hard to compete with somebody that's giving $25, $30 million to a freshman class. It's crazy. We're not complaining. … But what's going on right now don't make sense." Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? 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Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Deion Sanders to Rejoin Colorado at Big 12 Media Days, Per Report
Deion Sanders to Rejoin Colorado at Big 12 Media Days, Per Report originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Colorado Buffaloes head football coach Deion Sanders is expected to make his first public appearance in over two months this week amid an undisclosed health issue. Advertisement According to Brian Howell of the Boulder Daily Camera, Coach Prime will make the 90-minute trip from his home in Canton, Texas to rejoin five of his players at Big 12 Football Media Days at The Star in Frisco. 'I did talk to somebody this week that said, 'Hey, Coach Prime will be there,'' Howell said. 'It sounds like his health is getting better and things are going well. I was told he will be there. He is the last guy to go (speak), and it's only about an hour and a half from the house, so you would think he can make that.' Sanders and five Colorado players are scheduled to appear Wednesday. We first learned of Sanders' latest health setback during a podcast appearance with former NFL cornerback Asante Samuel in late May. He revealed that he had lost 14 pounds. There have been very few details about his condition, but this appearance will mark his first major media event since a press conference April 22. Advertisement 'I've done no media. I've done nothing for a minute,' Sanders said on Samuel's podcast. 'So coming on with you is something. I ain't been in front of nobody for a minute. I lost about 14 pounds. I'm coming back, but I needed this.' Sanders missed his only Pac-12 Media Days in 2023 while recovering from surgeries to remove blood clots in both of his legs. Before that, the Hall-of-Famer has two toes on his left foot amputated during his time as Jackson State. While in Texas, Sanders has hosted visits from friends and supporters, including Travis Hunter, former NFL cornerback Adam 'Pacman' Jones, former Dallas Cowboys teammate Michael Irvin, and rapper Lil Wayne. Colorado opens preseason camp later this month. During Sanders' time away, quarterback coach Quincy Avery questioned his long-term commitment to Colorado, saying Sanders may face a choice about whether to continue coaching. Advertisement Related: Deion Sanders' Sends Tear-Jerking Message to Mother in Nike Tribute Sanders will enter his third season at Colorado without his sons, Shilo and Shedeur Sanders. He'll be faced with another significant roster turnover with mostly transfers coming to Boulder. Sanders will bring both quarterbacks Kaidon Salter and Julian Lewis to Big 12 Media Days. The duo are joined by offensive tackle Jordan Seaton, cornerback DJ McKinney and kicker Alejandro Mata. Seaton and McKinney were named to the preseason All-Big 12 team on Monday. Related: Deion Sanders Throws Support Behind MrBeast's Philanthropy Efforts Sanders recently signed a five-year, $54 million contract extension, making him the highest-paid coach in the Big 12. Colorado opens the 2025 season on Friday, Aug. 29 against Georgia Tech (8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN). This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
Fox News
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
Former NFL star Asante Samuel Sr unleashes on Dolphins, questions team's leadership after Jalen Ramsey trade
Asante Samuel Sr. spent the majority of his NFL career with the New England Patriots. His son, Asante Samuel Jr., spent the first four years of his professional football career with the Los Angeles Chargers. The younger Samuel is currently listed as an NFL free agent. The Miami Dolphins recently sent three-time All-Pro defensive back Jalen Ramsey to the Pittsburgh Steelers and could be looking to bolster their cornerback room. But the elder Samuel's recent scathing comments on the state of the Dolphins franchise could put a damper on the possibility of his son landing in South Florida. From Samuel Sr.'s point of view, the Dolphins organization suffers from deficiencies from the top down. He shared his sentiments about the franchise during a recent appearance on his "Say What Needs To Be Said" podcast as he reacted to the trade that sent Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith to Pittsburgh. The Dolphins did acquire safety Minkah Fitzpatrick in exchange for Ramsey and Smith. Both teams also traded draft picks as part of the deal. "The Dolphins had no reason to trade Jalen Ramsey other than they're sensitive. There's no leadership in the Dolphins organization," Samuel asserted. "[Head coach] Mike McDaniel is a pushover. Chris Grier, the general manager — he has no backbone. These guys over here, the Miami Dolphins, they are running this team like a little league team. No one can stand up to the players. They are terrified of their own players, and they have no control over their players." The Sun Sentinel reported that Ramsey was tardy to team meetings and practice sessions on a routine basis during his tenure with the Dolphins. In 2023, the star cornerback also reportedly clashed with Vic Fangio — the Dolphins defensive coordinator at the time. "He became a symbol of the Dolphins just collecting talent rather than building a team," the report from June stated. "Ramsey and Tyreek Hill were constantly late for practices or meetings in a manner that set the culture of last year's Dolphins." While the Dolphins have had some regular-season success under McDaniel, he has yet to guide the team to a postseason victory. The Dolphins' last playoff victory came in 2000. Ramsey is credited with 24 career interceptions. He will join a cornerback room in Pittsburgh that features Darius Slay Jr. and Joey Porter Jr. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Time of India
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
'Sensitive, spineless, soft': Asante Samuel questions Dolphins culture in ruthless rant
Asante Samuel rips Dolphins to shreds—calls entire organization a joke You know it's serious when a retired NFL star calls an entire franchise a 'Little League team.' Former All-Pro cornerback Asante Samuel Sr. just dropped one of the spiciest takes of the offseason, aimed straight at the heart of the Miami Dolphins. From head coach Mike McDaniel to GM Chris Grier, Samuel dragged the entire front office, calling them soft, spineless, and totally lacking leadership. And the internet? Oh, it's fully in flames. Pushover coach? Spineless GM? Asante Samuel goes off on the Dolphins and fans are spiraling On his recent appearance on Say What Needs To Be Said , Asante Samuel unleashed a no-holds-barred rant that sounded more like a roast than analysis. He didn't just criticize, he eviscerated: — NFL_DovKleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) 'They're sensitive, there's no leadership in the org. Mike McDaniel is a pushover, Chris Grier has no backbone. They're running this team like a Little League team.' He's not wrong about the Jalen Ramsey trade being controversial. Ramsey, a major defensive asset, was shipped off to the Steelers in a move that confused fans and insiders alike. But Samuel claims this wasn't strategic, it was emotional. 'They didn't trade him for football reasons. They traded him because they were in their feelings.' This stings especially since even McDaniel himself admitted after the Dolphins' late-season collapse that players had taken advantage of his leniency. Samuel didn't mince words about the GM, calling him spineless for failing to control the locker room and manage egos. In Samuel's view, the organization is being run with zero toughness, structure, or accountability. The rant also comes amid questions about Miami's leadership style, especially after the team collapsed down the stretch last season and flamed out in the playoffs. Did he go too far or just say what fans have been thinking? Asante Samuel isn't the first to raise this concern. With a flashy offense and big names on defense, Miami should be a contender. But their late-season fades and locker room drama say otherwise. McDaniel, known for his quirky personality and player-friendly vibe, has been called everything from a genius to a meme. But in high-stakes moments? Critics say he's struggled to command authority. Whether you think Asante Samuel is just stirring the pot or dropping facts, one thing's clear, he didn't hold back. He called out the entire Dolphins org, and now every move McDaniel and Grier make will be under a microscope. Also read - Tom Brady's dating life has become the most confusing mystery in Hollywood—here's what we know Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
