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American Press
a day ago
- Sport
- American Press
Sulphur's Bryer Prince faces down adversity, state champion back in saddle after serious injury
Sulphur cowboy Bryer Prince won scored a 69 point ride in the second-go round of bareback riding at the Louisiana High School Finals Rodeo on Friday, May 30, 2025, at Burton Coliseum. (Rodrick Anderson / American Press) Vince Lombardi, former Green Bay Packers head coach and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame once said, 'It's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up.' That would describe Sulphur cowboy Bryer Prince. The high school junior has been knocked down a few times. But each time, he battled through adversity and became a three-time state champion bareback rider. In February, he was severely injured at a rough stock riding clinic, including facial fractures. Once he decided to get back to work, Prince said he felt better than ever. Since March, he has won four of six rodeos and finished second in the other two. 'I got my face smashed in and broke three bones in my cheek,' Prince said. 'I was doubting things, but something told me to just keep getting on. 'A couple of weeks went by and everything, I came across a Bible verse, Proverbs 3:5-6. That got me out of a hard place. I was fighting my mind real bad, and I just decided to get on again. I came back, and I was better than before. It really gave me a confidence boost. I started working out pretty every day of the week.' He first tried bareback riding as a freshman in 2023, and it didn't go so well. He blacked out coming out of the chute. But it wasn't his last ride, and he said with practice it eventually got easier. 'I blacked out,' Prince recalled. 'I hung off the side of him, and my dad and my brothers and sisters called me 'side-saddle.' 'They said I was riding side-saddle because I was hanging off the left side. That is how my first ride went. The more I got on it kind of went away, and the more I could see better out in the arena. You are not getting hit with that adrenaline rush that fast and black out.' Bareback riding is not for the faint of heart. Prince said the event is quite a bit more complicated than using brute force to tame the 1,000-pound-plus horses used for the event. 'It is definitely more technical,' Prince said. 'There are a lot of things that go into it. You have your free-arm placement, you have to lift on your rigging, and you have to beat the horse to the ground before his front feet hit the ground. 'There is a lot more that goes into it than what people think. It is not just hold on and nod your head.' He gets a lot of help from cousins Hadley Prince, a state champion bareback rider, and Scooter Prince, who was the 1994 National High School Finals Rodeo saddle bronc riding champion, plus six-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier James Boudreaux. 'They are always there rooting for me,' Prince said. '(Hadley) always pulls my rigging, jacks with me a little bit and slaps me around and gets me going. 'They are there for me anytime I need it, anything I need. James Boudreaux helps me out a lot. I go over there and get on his bucking machine. That is where I get my practice in.' Prince has already secured his third consecutive state championship with a 48-point lead over Fisher Burnworth, but that is not going to stop him from trying to keep winning this week at Burton Coliseum. He had a 46-point ride in the first-go round on Thursday and won the second-go round with a 69-point ride Friday morning. 'I basically have it (state championship), but you don't have it until you have it,' Prince said. 'I didn't come to the finals just to win state. I want to win every round. It is definitely going good for me. It is better than last year. 'Something about this year is just like a boost. I have excelled so much since last year. I can't explain it.'
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Packers WR Jayden Reed spends extra time with JUGS machine to help cure drops problem
Packers WR Jayden Reed spends extra time with JUGS machine to help cure drops problem Extra time with the JUGS machine was the remedy of choice for Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed after a 2024 season that featured too many drops. After Wednesday's OTA session, Reed said he's been using the JUGS machine -- a mechanical throwing device used by all NFL teams -- every day this offseason. 'Drops was a problem for me last year,' Reed said, via Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. 'I've been on the JUGS machine every day this offseason. Obviously, that will help.' More consistency catching the football is a must for a talented and versatile wide receiver who left too many yards on the field as a second-year player. Reed dropped 10 of his 79 targets and had at least one drop in nine games during the 2024 season, according to Pro Football Focus. His 10 drops ranked second among wide receivers, while his drop percentage of 15.4 percent ranked as the third highest among receivers with at least 40 targets. Unfortunately for the Packers, too many of the drops from Reed and Dontayvion Wicks -- who combined for 20 drops in 2024 -- came in big spots, like third down. Despite the drops and a late season slump, Reed still averaged 15.6 yards per catch and 2.20 yards per route run -- both excellent numbers for a wide receiver. He went over 1,000 total yards in 2024 but could have been a true game-changer had he held onto the football better in the passing game. Not all the catching numbers were poor -- Reed did complete 8-of-12 contested catches in 2024. Also, this appears to be a new problem. As a rookie, Reed dropped only four passes and had a drop percentage of 4.5. And drops weren't a big issue as a collegiate player -- Reed dropped only 17 passes and had a drop percentage of 7.5 across four seasons and over 300 targets. Catching a football in a professional football game is a task with a lot of variables in play. Where is the ball located accuracy-wise? Are there defenders nearing in or close by? Receivers must use proper technique and have razor-sharp concentration to consistently make catches within the chaos. Like most receivers, Reed is putting in the work on the JUGS machine this offseason. The hope is he'll be more consistent catching passes from Jordan Love in 2025.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Packers honor Wisconsin law enforcement officers with Protect & Serve Award
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – The Green Bay Packers recognized several Wisconsin law enforcement officers with the Packers Protect & Serve Award, honoring them for going above and beyond the call of duty. Award recipients were treated to a special luncheon and presentation, featuring remarks from Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy and Two Rivers Assistant Police Chief Melissa Wiesner. Each honoree received a hand-crafted wooden American flag and a $2,000 grant to benefit their department or a nonprofit organization of their choice. Local mural painter finishes new artwork, showcasing person skiing down Green Bay's coal piles The award is part of Green Bay Packers Give Back, the team's community outreach initiative, and is jointly funded by the Packers and the NFL Foundation. Honorees included: Officer Devan Arbay, UW-Madison Police Department Deputies Jaime Buelter, Jerad Landheer, and Kayla Tritt, Dodge County Sheriff's Office Sergeant Brian Chic, West Milwaukee Police Department Officer Connor Cunningham, UW-Madison Police Department State Trooper Jose I. Del Rio Aviña, Wisconsin State Patrol Conservation Warden Zack Feest, Wisconsin DNR Detective Nicholas Krahn, Dane County Sheriff's Office Officer Felicia Labatore, Kenosha Police Department Deputy Justin Neumann, Kewaunee County Sheriff's Department A/Captain Michael Sobieck, Green Bay Police Department Officer Dustin Wichmann, Eagle River Police Department K-9 Officer Flash and handler Officer Cole Parker, Hartford Police Department School Resource Officer Payne Hughes, Appleton Police Department Two Rivers Police Department Kaukauna's 'Live! From Hydro Park' summer concert series returns June 11 The awards were created by Oneida Police Sergeant Nathan Ness through his small business, HomeLee Woodworking. The Packers' charitable impact last year totaled more than $13 million through various initiatives. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
After big 2024 season, Packers RB Josh Jacobs wants more explosive plays in 2025
After big 2024 season, Packers RB Josh Jacobs wants more explosive plays in 2025 Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs produced a big-time statistical season and made the Pro Bowl during his first season in Green Bay, but the veteran runner wants to become truly elite in 2025 -- and he thinks reaching that goal will require more explosive, game-changing runs. After Wednesday's OTA session, Jacobs said he left some yards "on the table" in 2024, when he turned 301 carries into 1,329 yards -- the sixth-most rushing yards in the NFL. The difference between Jacobs and those ahead of him? Winning in a couple of big spots and creating more explosive runs. "It was a few plays where I had some 1-on-1s, where if I made a person miss or broke that tackle, it was the difference between a 20-yard gain and a 60-yard gain. Those little things like that, those make people elite. So that's what I'm trying to come into the offseason and work on," Jacobs said. Jacobs has the right idea, according to the numbers -- he produced zero runs of 40 or more yards and only seven of 20 or more last season. In comparison, Saquon Barkley -- who won the rushing title with over 2,000 yards -- had 17 runs of 20 or more and seven of 40 or more. Jacobs might not have Barkley's elite breakaway speed, but making a linebacker or defensive back miss at the second level can still be the difference between a 10-yard run and a 50-yard run. Jacobs said he worked on conditioning and body callousing to ensure he's always in a position -- regardless of time in a game or week of the season -- to create a big play in a big spot. It's possible a few upgrades along the offensive line, starting with the addition of left guard Aaron Banks, will help Jacobs accomplish his goal. According to Pro Football Focus, Jacobs gained 1,039 of his 1,329 yards after first contact, highlighting how much individual effort it took to gain consistent yards in 2024. In comparison, Barkley gained just over half of his total yards after first contact -- suggesting he had superior blocking from the Eagles offensive line. Mix good blocking with an elite talent and the numbers will follow. The Packers already have the elite rushing talent in Jacobs, but the consistency of the run blocking must improve. "If you take a good back and you give him space, that separates a lot of people," Jacobs said. Jacobs finished the 2024 season with four runs of 30 or more yards and a long run of 38 yards. He did have 33 runs of 10 or more yards, ranking sixth overall. Challenging for the rushing crown in 2025 might require Jacobs to turn more of the 10-yard runs into 30-yard runs, and turning his 30-yard runs into the long, game-changing plays that backs such as Barkley and Derrick Henry produced last season.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Packers QB Jordan Love after lobbed first pitch at Brewers game: 'Next pitch will be better'
Packers QB Jordan Love after lobbed first pitch at Brewers game: 'Next pitch will be better' The ability to throw a football at the professional level doesn't automatically make one good at throwing a baseball, as Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love found out while throwing out the first pitch before the Milwaukee Brewers home game on Memorial Day this week. Love said he didn't give himself any warmup tosses and ended up just throwing the pitch like a football, which turned his thrown into more of a lob than a pitch. The Packers quarterback vowed his next first pitch would be better. "First pitch, it made it there. A little bit of a lob pass. Threw it like a football," Love said after Wednesday's OTA session. "Definitely need to get some more experience throwing a baseball. Get a little warmup next time, and I'll be good. Next pitch will be better." A warmup might have helped -- Love said he got caught up talking with players and Brewers staff before the pitch on Monday, so he ended up on the mound at American Family Field without any prior practice. The throw -- caught by Brewers star Christian Yelich -- ended up slow and high and out of the zone. In fact, Yelich had to get out of his catcher's stance to make the catch. Love admitted it's "been a while" since he's thrown a baseball. He said he stopped playing baseball in middle school. "I'm just happy I got it there, didn't skip it," Love said. Here's the pitch from American Family Field: While the throwing mechanics for football and baseball are similar, pitching a baseball typically requires a bigger stride and longer arm path. As the video shows, Love took a short stride, threw the ball completely over the top and released early, resulting in a slow, lobbed pitch. But like Love said, at least he didn't skip the throw or completely miss the target. At the end of the day, the ball ended up in the catcher's glove. Disaster averted for the Packers quarterback. We'll give this first pitch a 3/10, but it ranks nowhere near the worst of all time. Hopefully, Love gets another chance -- at a Brewers game as the Packers quarterback -- to make amends.
