Latest news with #McNeill
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Taylor Decker, Alim McNeill, Malcolm Rodriguez headline injured Detroit Lions on PUP list
Six Detroit Lions players were placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list before the start of training camp, highlighted by a couple stars and a big name. Left tackle Taylor Decker, defensive tackle Alim McNeill and linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez will not take part in practice for the foreseeable future as they've been placed on the PUP list. McNeill and Rodriguez were expected to be on the PUP list as they continue their recovery from season-ending injuries suffered late last fall, while Decker comes as a bit of a surprise. The Lions did not list what injury Decker is currently out with. Cornerback Khalil Dorsey, offensive guard Miles Frazier and defensive lineman Mekhi Wingo were the other three players placed on the PUP list. Within a 17-day period last season, McNeill and Rodriguez both tore the anterior cruciate ligament in their right knees. Rodriguez went down in a Thanksgiving Day win over the Chicago Bears and McNeill suffered the same fate in a Dec. 15 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Each players isn't expected to return to action until later this year. Until they are activated, neither McNeill nor Rodriguez will count against the 53-man active roster limit. While the absence of Rodriguez and McNeill will hurt, the Lions are well-fortified at the positions they play after making a number of moves this offseason. At linebacker, Detroit re-signed Trevor Nowaske and added both Grant Stuard and Zach Cunningham. They also beefed up the interior of the defensive line, bringing back Levi Onwuzurike before signing Roy Lopez and drafting Tyleik Williams in the first round. The offensive line, however, continues to take hits. Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow surprisingly decided to retire during the offseason, a move that just became official, while his potential replacement, second-round pick Tate Rateledge out of Georgia, has yet to sign his contract. It's unclear at this time if Decker is expected to miss any regular season time with whatever injury he currently has. Contact Rainer Sabin at rsabin@ Follow him @RainerSabin on X This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Taylor Decker, Alim McNeill headline injured Detroit Lions on PUP list
Fox Sports
4 days ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Lions' DL Takes Another Blow With Levi Onwuzurike (ACL) Ruled Out For 2025 Season
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike is out for the season after having knee surgery, a setback for a franchise that was counting on him to fill in for Alim McNeill. Lions coach Dan Campbell made the announcement on Sunday morning, just before his team had the NFL's first training camp practice of the year. The 27-year-old Onwuzurike started in a career-high 11 games last season, including Detroit's loss to Washington in the divisional round. His playing time increased when McNeill had a season-ending knee injury in December. McNeill, who signed a $97 million, four-year contract extension last October, is out indefinitely. Onwuzurike's injury gives rookie defensive tackle Tyleik Williams a chance to play a significant role when the two-time defending NFC North champions kick off the season Sept. 7 against the Green Bay Packers. Detroit drafted the former Ohio State standout with the 28th pick overall in the NFL draft. The 6-foot-3, 334-pound Williams started 13 games for the national champion Buckeyes and had 46 tackles, including eight for losses and 2.5 sacks. The Lions will also lean on 31-year-old defensive tackle DJ Reader and newly acquired veteran Roy Lopez, who started 16 games last season for Arizona and has 50 career starts with the Cardinals and Houston Texans. Reporting by The Associated Press. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! recommended Item 1 of 3 Get more from the National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Fox Sports
5 days ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Lions DL Levi Onwuzurike out for season with ACL surgery, setback for team with ailing Alim McNeill
Associated Press ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — Detroit Lions defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike is out for the season after having knee surgery, a setback for a franchise that was counting on him to fill in for Alim McNeill. Lions coach Dan Campbell made the announcement on Sunday morning, just before his team had the NFL's first training camp practice of the year. The 27-year-old Onwuzurike started in a career-high 11 games last season, including Detroit's loss to Washington in the divisional round. His playing time increased when McNeill had a season-ending knee injury in December. McNeill, who signed a $97 million, four-year contract extension last October, is out indefinitely. Onwuzurike's injury gives rookie defensive tackle Tyleik Williams a chance to play a significant role when the two-time defending NFC North champions kick off the season Sept. 7 at Green Bay. Detroit drafted the former Ohio State standout with the 28th pick overall in the NFL draft. The 6-foot-3, 334-pound Williams started 13 games for the national champion Buckeyes and had 46 tackles, including eight for losses and 2 1/2 sacks. The Lions will also lean on 31-year-old defensive tackle DJ Reader and newly acquired veteran Roy Lopez, who started 16 games last season for Arizona and has 50 career starts with the Cardinals and Houston Texans. ___ AP NFL: recommended Item 1 of 3
Winnipeg Free Press
5 days ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Lions DL Levi Onwuzurike out for season with ACL surgery, setback for team with ailing Alim McNeill
ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — Detroit Lions defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike is out for the season after having knee surgery, a setback for a franchise that was counting on him to fill in for Alim McNeill. Lions coach Dan Campbell made the announcement on Sunday morning, just before his team had the NFL's first training camp practice of the year. The 27-year-old Onwuzurike started in a career-high 11 games last season, including Detroit's loss to Washington in the divisional round. His playing time increased when McNeill had a season-ending knee injury in December. McNeill, who signed a $97 million, four-year contract extension last October, is out indefinitely. Onwuzurike's injury gives rookie defensive tackle Tyleik Williams a chance to play a significant role when the two-time defending NFC North champions kick off the season Sept. 7 at Green Bay. Detroit drafted the former Ohio State standout with the 28th pick overall in the NFL draft. The 6-foot-3, 334-pound Williams started 13 games for the national champion Buckeyes and had 46 tackles, including eight for losses and 2 1/2 sacks. The Lions will also lean on 31-year-old defensive tackle DJ Reader and newly acquired veteran Roy Lopez, who started 16 games last season for Arizona and has 50 career starts with the Cardinals and Houston Texans. ___ AP NFL:
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Yahoo
‘I thought I was gonna die.' Irmo teen recounts pit bulls' attack at Harbison
A tree stump had never looked so good. Connor McNeill, 19, had been out for a late afternoon solo jog in Harbison State Forest last week, in a free-flowing zone as he listened to music, when he suddenly spotted two pit bull-type dogs. 'To my left, I see two pit bulls running out of the forest toward me,' McNeill recalled in an interview with The State newspaper. He knew the danger those kinds of dogs might pose. 'When I saw them, my heart dropped to my stomach.' Before he reached the stump and made what could have been his last stand, McNeill engaged in a duel with the dogs that he described as large, weighing maybe 90 pounds each and 'well-muscled and well-fed.' 'They started to encircle me, similar to how wolves hunt, one tried to go behind, one to the front, and I had to get in an athletic stance. One tried to jump on me, but I squatted, did a little fireman's carry and threw it over my shoulder. Then I had to kick them off of me and punch them in their faces. I kept on looking around me seeing if there's anything I could climb.' Seeing no refuge, McNeill kept moving until across a meadow he glimpsed the stump. He had no weapons and was only wearing khaki shorts, Nike running shoes and a black T-shirt. He jumped on the stump, and the dogs kept on attacking. 'I was kicking them and punching them and and they almost got up there and I had to kick them off of me. I was on the stump for 30 minutes.' Hitting the pit bulls was a surreal experience. 'Their skulls are so dense. It's almost like hitting a brick wall. You can hit them and then they'll bounce back. They're not fazed by it.' During that time, he yelled for help. No one heard him in the 2,137-acre nature preserve, which has some 18 miles of jogging trails. He called 911. No one answered. He reached his aunt, Megan McNeill, and his twin sister, Chloe McNeill, and told them to call 911, all the while contending with the dogs lunging at him. The dogs were barking nonstop — as loud as dogs can bark,' he said. Find my iPhone saved his life Fortunately, McNeill and Chloe had location-sharing on their cellphones, so she and his aunt were able to tell police where he was, all the while driving to Harbison to reach him. 'That was a crucial component of my life being saved,' McNeill said. 'I had Find my iPhone on so they could access my location.' After about 30 minutes, his sister and aunt showed up, ramming their car through two locked gates in the park to reach a site near McNeill. They couldn't get through a third locked gate. Exiting the car, McNeill's sister ran down a hill toward him. The dogs started to move toward her. McNeill waved her back. He had been nearing the end of his strength. 'Not to be dramatic, but I genuinely like thought I was gonna die.' 'I yelled at the dogs and attracted them back to me,' McNeill said. 'I didn't want them to go after my sister.' His sister waited on the hill, until his aunt arrived with two sticks. Then the two women, each holding a stick, walked down the hill. McNeill threw a rock at the dogs. His aunt told him to run down a road to where the police were so he could tell them where the women were. Meanwhile, the dogs vanished, and the police arrived. 'She (Chloe) has a ticket for damaged state property, but it's kind of my fault because I told her to break down the gates and come run the dogs over because I was going to die.' Dogs out to kill 'If it was a couple of minutes later, I would definitely not be here,' he said. 'They were aiming for the neck.' McNeill — who loves to exercise, stands 5-foot-11 and weighs 149 pounds — is in far better shape than most Americans. He trains for Spartan Ultra races — grueling 32-mile, obstacle-strewn trail runs that can take 10 hours to complete. He lifts weights five times a week. All of this is to get him in shape to take a military gap year after graduating from Irmo High School in May. In November, McNeill will start basic training at the U.S. Army's Fort Jackson, followed by five months at combat medic school in San Antonio before entering The Citadel later in 2026. His fitness saved his life, he believes. 'If this was a child or someone out of shape or like an elderly person, they would be dead within seconds,' he said. 'They were trying to hunt and pin you down.' He thinks he's very lucky. He suffered no dog bites, unlike a Columbia-based federal prosecutor, Winston Holliday, who was ambushed at Harbison by what are believed to be the same two vicious dogs the day after the dogs attacked McNeill. Holliday, 57, suffered serious bites on his arms and legs and required 17 stitches. He is undergoing a series of rabies shots. Many of his bites came on the back of his legs, where one dog got behind him. The free-roaming dangerous dogs still have not been found. Because of the attacks, Harbison has been temporarily closed to the public since Monday at least until noon Thursday. Officials are evaluating the situation. McNeill says his sister and aunt showed up at just the right time. 'If it was a couple of minutes later, I definitely would not be here,' McNeill said. 'Those dogs definitely wanted some blood.' Traps for dogs Victoria Clary, superintendent of Columbia Animal Services, said this week that traps have been put out in an effort to capture the attacking dogs. The traps are metal boxes with food inside that would attract dogs. When a canine enters, he will likely step on a pedal, triggering the trap's closure. 'It would confine the animal safely and unharmed,' she said. 'As of around 9 a.m. this morning, the dogs have not been caught,' Clary said Wednesday. Clary said that when the park reopens, 'We would certainly encourage visitors to the park to be accompanied by somebody else.' Visitors should also carry cellphones, she said, 'but the safest thing is to have somebody with you.' The Richland County Sheriff's Department, Columbia police and the S.C. Forestry Commission are all involved in the search for the dangerous dogs. According to Pawmetto Lifeline, a Columbia-based animal advocacy organization that works for a long-term solution for the overpopulation of large mixed breed dogs, seven people have been killed in South Carolina by large mix breed dogs since 2021 and 11 critically injured. 'When large breed dogs are not trained, socialized or properly managed, they can do extensive harm if they attack. The municipal shelters are overwhelmed with large breed mix dogs and they are being euthanized at the highest rate of any breed,' Pawmetto Lifeline CEO Denise Wilkinson said. The group backs a legislative proposal, to be called Jayce's Law, aimed at cutting down the overpopulation of large mix breed dogs.
