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USA Today
13 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Sean Payton regretted his Alvin Kamara comparison at the time, but may have got it right
Sean Payton regretted his Alvin Kamara comparison at the time, but may have got it right Kamara's numbers, play style mirror Marshall Faulk's career We're entering the part of the offseason where we start to get kind of wistful. A little nostalgic. Introspective, maybe. Look back on years past, and consider how comments made before look with the benefit of hindsight. Back when he was leading the New Orleans Saints as their Super Bowl-winning head coach, Sean Payton had a blunt reaction to being asked about comments he'd made comparing rookie draft pick Alvin Kamara to Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk, who he had coached in college at San Diego State. Payton had complimented how quick a learner and adept a receiver both players had been (similar body types helped; Faulk played at 5-foot-10 and 211 pounds, while the Saints list Kamara at 5-foot-10 and 215), but that's where the comparison stopped. "Stop," Payton told reporters back in 2017. "Marshall Faulk's a first ballot Hall of Famer. We're not doing that to a rookie running back. This kid has got really, really good football intelligence. He has good transitional speed. But even when I made the comparison back in training camp it was prefaced with, hey, not making a comparison to Marshall, I'm just saying he's a guy that learns very quickly and that's how Marshall was. I just don't want to see Marshall Faulk headlined with Alvin Kamara, that's all." But you can't put the toothpaste back in the tube, and Payton's comparison has only looked more apt with time. He's right that Faulk was a different caliber of player than Kamara, but he was also right to compare the two in the first place. At this stage in his career, Faulk had appeared in 121 games, totaling 2,155 carries (17.8 per game) with 548 receptions (4.5 per game), amassing 14,889 yards from scrimmage with 79 touchdown runs and 31 touchdown catches. He had also been selected for six Pro Bowls, was a six-time All-Pro, had won league MVP, and was named Offensive Player of the Year three times. Kamara doesn't have as many accolades, but his five Pro Bowls and two All-Pro appearances are nothing to sneeze at. Through his first eight years he's appeared in 115 games, recording 1,543 rushing attempts (13.4 per game) and catching 573 passes (4.9 per game). He's gained 11,541 yards from scrimmage. So while they have averaged the same number of yards per carry (4.4), the four extra rushes per game that Faulk got made a very big difference. And now Kamara is on the verge of doing something special. He's 238 receiving yards away from joining Faulk, Marcus Allen, and Tiki Barber to become the fourth running back in NFL history to gain at least 5,000 yards as both a rusher and receiver. Look at the numbers: Marshall Faulk: 12,279 rushing yards, 6,875 receiving yards Marcus Allen: 12,243 rushing yards, 5,411 receiving yards Tiki Barber: 10,449 rushing yards, 5,183 receiving yards Alvin Kamara: 6,779 rushing yards, 4,762 receiving yards It feels like a safe assumption that Kamara will go the distance and join those great players in the 5,000-yard (10,000?) club, but just how far can he go? Kamara's contract is set to run out after the 2026 season, so he has at least two more years to keep building on his legacy. He's talked before about not wanting to play football until his body breaks down, and his abundance of interests away from the field gives him options. If he decides to keep playing after this contract runs out, he might close the gap with Faulk in the end. Maybe. And here's one more stat for the road. Since the two-point conversion was adopted in 1994, just two players have successfully converted it seven times. Those two players? Marshall Faulk, and Alvin Kamara.
American Press
2 days 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.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives Releases Groundbreaking 'Minority and Missing Initiative Report'
Alexandria, Va, May 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On Saturday, May 25th, National Missing Children's Day, the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) released its latest Minority and Missing Initiative Report, highlighting critical disparities in how missing persons cases involving communities of color are handled across the country. The report urges renewed commitment to protecting vulnerable children and families and serves as a call to action for law enforcement, policymakers, media, and the general public. The report was developed in partnership with the Safety Blitz Foundation's National Child ID Program, the NFL Alumni Association's Caring for Kids Campaign, the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), FBI-Law Enforcement Executive Development Association (FBI-LEEDA), and National Night Out. The report reflects findings from a year-long review of data from state agencies and leading organizations including the FBI's National Crime Information Center Missing Person File, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), and the National Human Trafficking Hotline. Key Findings: Key Recommendations: Voices of Support: 'The safety of our children is at the heart of our mission to protect and serve future generations. At the Pro Football Hall of Fame, we're proud to support this work by providing the Gift of Safety through the National Child ID Program,' said Coach Mike Singletary, Pro Football Hall of Fame Chicago Bears Linebacker. 'As one of the founding members, I'm proud to continue championing the National Child ID Program, which has always focused on protecting our most valuable asset—our children,' said Randy White, NFL Hall of Famer. 'As a father and grandfather, few things are more terrifying than the thought of a missing child. The Child ID Kit equips families with critical tools to immediately provide law enforcement with essential information, saving precious time searching for their loved one,' said Jerry Kramer, NFL Hall of Fame inductee. 'I am grateful for the work of NOBLE, NCAI, and FBI-LEEDA to compile the most comprehensive report on minority, missing, and murdered and missing Indigenous persons, bringing attention to these important crises. I look forward to continuing our work together to ensure every child is brought home safely to their families,' said Kenny Hansmire, Executive Director, National Child ID Program. 'We must continue our efforts until every child is safely home.' The Minority and Missing Initiative Report can be found here. ### About The National Organization of Black Law Enforcement ExecutivesSince 1976, The National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) has served as the conscience of law enforcement by being committed to justice by action. NOBLE represents over 4,800 members internationally, who are primarily African American chief executive officers of law enforcement agencies at federal, state, county, and municipal levels, other law enforcement administrators, and criminal justice practitioners. For more information, visit and follow on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TwitterCONTACT: Vistra Communications NOBLE 813-961-4700 PR@
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
View all of Demaryius Thomas' franchise records with the Broncos
View all of Demaryius Thomas' franchise records with the Broncos Late, great Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas ranks third on the team's all-time receiving list for receptions (665), only trailing Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe (675) and two-time Super Bowl champion Rod Smith (849). DT also ranks second in receiving yards (9,055) and second in receiving touchdowns (60), only trailing Smith in both categories (11,389; 68). After Thomas was elected to the team's Ring of Fame on Tuesday, here's a look at the receiver's franchise records, courtesy of the team. Demaryius Thomas Broncos records Regular Season Career 100-yard receiving games (33) Career multi-receiving touchdown games (10-tied) Career receptions per game (5.3) Career receiving yards per game (72.4) Career touchdowns per game (0.48) Single-season receiving yards (1,619 – 2014) Single-season receiving touchdowns (14-tied – 2013) Consecutive games with 100 receiving yards (7 – 10/5/14-11/16/14) Single-game receiving yards (226 – vs. Ari., 10/5/14) Single-game 25+yard receptions (4-tied – at N.E., 10/7/12) Postseason Career 100-yard receiving games (3-tied) Career receptions (53) Career receiving touchdowns (6-tied) Single-game receptions (13-tied – vs. Sea., 2/2/14) Single-game receiving yards (204 – vs. Pit., 1/8/12) Single-game receiving average (51.0 – vs. Pit., 1/8/12) Single-game 25+yard receptions (4 – vs. N.E., 1/19/14) Single-game longest reception (80t-tied – vs. Pit., 1/8/12) The Broncos will officially induct Thomas into their Ring of Fame at halftime of their Week 7 game against the New York Giants on Oct. 19. The late receiver will be represented by his mother, Katina Smith. Related: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans.
Associated Press
2 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Jackpot Digital to Exhibit Jackpot Blitz Dealerless Poker Table at the 2025 WSOP in Las Vegas
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 30, 2025) - Jackpot Digital Inc. (TSXV: JJ) (TSXV: (OTCQB: JPOTF) (FSE: LVH3) (the 'Company' or 'Jackpot') is pleased to announce that it is exhibiting its dealerless Jackpot Blitz® electronic poker table at the 2025 World Series of Poker ('WSOP'). The WSOP is currently underway and will continue until July 16, 2025, at the Paris Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Jackpot Blitz® is a cutting-edge dealerless electronic poker table game designed to provide players with a fast-paced, interactive gaming experience. The machine blends the excitement of poker with advanced technology to create a seamless and immersive multiplayer live poker experience. Jackpot Blitz® dramatically reduces labor expenses and HR staffing, maximizing operational efficiencies for casinos and card rooms. Momentum continues to build as the Company executes its land-based expansion in North America and several international jurisdictions. In addition to Jackpot's cruise ship customers, which include Carnival Cruises, Princess Cruises, Holland America, AIDA, and Costa Cruises, Jackpot has announced land-based installations or orders in Canada and the United States, including California, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Saskatchewan, U.S. Virgin Islands, Washington, as well as several international jurisdictions. To view a short video of Jackpot Brand Ambassador, Pro Football Hall of Fame and Super Bowl winning coach, Jimmy Johnson, sharing the advantages of the world leading Jackpot Blitz®, click the thumbnail below: [ This video cannot be displayed. Please visit the source: ] Cannot view this video? Visit: About Jackpot Digital Inc. A positive disruptor in the casino business, Jackpot Digital Inc. is a leading provider of electronic poker table games, offering innovative gaming solutions to casinos worldwide. The Company specializes in the development and deployment of dealerless multiplayer poker ETGs, providing operators with efficient, cost-effective, and revenue-generating alternatives to traditional live-dealer table games. Jackpot Digital is committed to enhancing the player experience and helping operators optimize their gaming offerings. For more information on the Company, please contact Jake H. Kalpakian, President and CEO, at (604) 681- 0204 ext. 6105, or visit the Company's website at On behalf of the Board of Jackpot Digital Inc. Jake H. Kalpakian President & CEO Trading in the securities of the Company should be considered speculative. The TSX Venture Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Certain statements contained herein are 'forward-looking'. Forward-looking statements may include, among others, statements regarding Jackpot's future plans, the obtaining of To view the source version of this press release, please visit
