Latest news with #RoseBowlMVP
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ryan Williams Reveals Conversation With Jeremiah Smith During College Football 26 Cover Shoot
Ryan Williams Reveals Conversation With Jeremiah Smith During College Football 26 Cover Shoot originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Alabama's Ryan Williams and Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith were two true freshmen playmakers who stole the show last season. Advertisement Both wide receivers appeared on the Freshman All-American teams and Smith broke out in a big way thanks to the Buckeyes winning a national championship. With the pending July 10 release of EA Sports College Football 26, Smith and Williams are expected to be a significant part of the game's marketing, given their status as premier players from two of college football's biggest programs. Williams, while being interviewed by On3's Andy Staples, revealed the topics of conversation shared with Smith during the game's cover shoot. "Whenever we were in Pasadena, of course, we talked about last season and him winning a national championship. I was super happy for him," Williams said. Advertisement Smith finished the 2024 season with 76 receptions for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also ran for one touchdown and rushed for 47 yards. In addition to being the Rose Bowl MVP, the 6-foot-3, 215-pound receiver was Big Ten Receiver and Freshman of the Year as well as a first-team All-American. Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Ryan Williams (2).Will McLelland-Imagn Images "But you know, we both agreed that although last year was super fun, super great and we both had good freshman seasons," Williams continued. "We left a lot on the table. Just with that experience from last season, we're still super excited for what's to come this season." Williams ended last year with 48 receptions for 865 yards and eight touchdowns. He also added 48 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. Advertisement Expectations for both Ohio State and Alabama are high, as it should be for two of the biggest schools in the country. In ESPN's latest way-too-early rankings, the Buckeyes are Crimson are listed at No. 5 and No. 9, respectively. Both programs have yet to name a starter at quarterback after each school lost last season's starter to the NFL draft. Alabama and Ohio State both begin next season on Aug. 30, with the Buckeyes hosting the Texas Longhorns and the Crimson Tide traveling to Tallahassee to play the Florida State Seminoles. Related: Kalen DeBoer Takes Clear Stance on Nine-Game SEC Schedule After Alabama's CFP Snub Related: Ohio State's Battle Between 5-Star QBs Has Predicted Winner This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Pair of Nittany Lions make 2026 College Football Hall of Fame ballot
Pair of Nittany Lions make 2026 College Football Hall of Fame ballot A pair of Penn State stars could soon be enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame. Defensive end Courtney Brown and running back Ki-Jana Carter were among 79 players nominated by the NFF College Football Hall of Fame on the 2026 ballot, which was released Monday. Both players are expected to be approved after standout careers in Happy Valley. Brown, who played at Penn State from 1996-99, was viewed as one of the top players in college football during his senior season. He was named a unanimous All-American and the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year en route to the No. 1 overall draft selection in 2000. He finished with 33 career sacks, setting the NCAA record at the time, which still ranks best in Penn State program history. Brown's 13.5 sacks in his senior year rank fourth among Nittany Lions all time. Carter was also a No. 1 overall pick, selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in 1995. He was a Nittany Lion from 1992-94, earning unanimous All-American honors as a junior when the Nittany Lions posted an undefeated season. He was named the Rose Bowl MVP to cap off his college career. Carter's 1994 season includes the third-most rushing yards and second-most rushing touchdowns in program history, and he currently has the fourth-most career rushing touchdowns of any Nittany Lion.
Miami Herald
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Browns sign first-round DT Mason Graham
Cleveland Browns first-round draft pick Mason Graham signed his four-year rookie contract. Graham's representation told multiple outlets on Tuesday that the deal was fully guaranteed and is worth $40,874,191, which is slightly more of the rookie scale ($40,806,872), per Spotrac. The contract includes a $26.4 million signing bonus, per Spotrac, and the standard fifth-year option. The Michigan defensive tackle was selected by the Browns with the fifth overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft. Cleveland entered the draft with the No. 2 pick and moved back in a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars, acquiring a first-rounder in 2026 as part of the package. Graham, who was the Rose Bowl MVP in Michigan's win over Alabama, totaled 45 tackles and 3.5 sacks in 2024. In 37 games at Michigan, Graham had 107 total tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 9.0 sacks, three passes defended and one forced fumble. --Field Level Media Field Level Media 2025 - All Rights Reserved
USA Today
26-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
A legend. A rookie. A number: Hall of Famer Warren Moon embraces Titans' Cam Ward
A legend. A rookie. A number: Hall of Famer Warren Moon embraces Titans' Cam Ward Show Caption Hide Caption Shedeur Sanders lands with Browns after shocking slide in NFL Draft Shedeur Sanders stunned the NFL with his slide in the 2025 Draft, but in the end the Browns took him in the fifth round and here's what they're getting. Sports Pulse NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Humility. Warren Moon brought it up when I asked about the biggest challenge facing Cam Ward against the pressures of major expectations as the No. 1 pick in the draft. The Hall of Fame quarterback didn't start with physical skills, work ethic or playbook study – all of which are obviously important – but instead went straight to the character trait in assessing what the Tennessee Titans rookie needs to project. 'The biggest thing is being himself, being who he has been his whole journey, which is, he seems pretty humble, which I think you need to be as a quarterback,' Moon told USA TODAY Sports, shortly after presenting Ward with a suddenly 'unretired' No. 1 jersey during a ceremony on Friday afternoon at the team's headquarters. 'We're seeing right now another quarterback who if he showed a little bit more of that perception, he might have been drafted yesterday.' Moon didn't mention Shedeur Sanders by name, but it was a handy reference – Sanders' slide to Day 3 has been the biggest story of the draft, dwarfing Ward's rags-to-riches ascent to the top spot – while making a point about Tennessee's Great New Hope. 'I think he shows that,' Moon added of Ward's humility. 'He shows work ethic and when he gets out on the field and in the classroom, I think he'll earn the respect of his teammates. And once that comes, that's when you start forming that great bond that adds up to success. It's a process for a young quarterback.' Ward, 22, has certainly made distinct impressions for down-to-earth leadership, as he navigated through three colleges in five seasons, finishing up with a banner 2024 season at the University of Miami. But on the humility meter, there was one thing he said about Moon – amid glowing praise, mind you – that gave me pause. A few weeks ago, Ward called Moon and asked if he could wear the No. 1 jersey that the franchise effectively retired nearly 30 years ago to honor the legendary passer. Moon passed for 49,325 yards and 435 touchdowns in 17 NFL seasons. Before that, he threw for 21,228 yards and 144 TDs over six seasons in the Canadian Football League. 'Before I called him, I made sure I watched his highlights to make sure he was legit,' Ward said. 'So, he was. He was legit.' Moon legit? Ward undoubtedly has some sense of humor. I think. Ward was a zero-star recruit coming out of high school but rose to the top of the draft. Moon was the 1978 Rose Bowl MVP for the University of Washington who was forced to play in Canada because NFL teams wouldn't allow him to compete as a quarterback. Two men, two generations, two journeys with unique adversities. When I asked Ward if Moon's football journey resonated with him, he said: 'A little bit I would say. I also think it was a different time, too. The game's progressed many years. There's a lot of plays I've seen, he's doing five-step drops…and they're running the quick game. That's not what we're doing nowadays.' Ward didn't mention anything about any inspiration from Moon's journey – which led to him becoming the first Black quarterback inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame -- or his resilience in the face of NFL rejection. Memo to Cam: Watch the riveting three-part documentary on Amazon Prime, Evolution of The Black Quarterback, hosted by Michael Vick. The treatment of Moon's saga is among the best segments of the entire series, so pivotal to the big picture theme. No, Ward wasn't rejected by the NFL. But you'd think he could relate to Moon, different generation or not, given the rejection from several major colleges that snubbed him coming out of Columbia High School in West Columbia, Texas. Besides, Calvin Ward has told his son about Moon's significance with the Houston Oilers. The Wards lived about an hour's drive south of Houston, and Calvin remembers how Moon, the rare Black NFL quarterback in the 1980s, was hailed as a hero in the Black community in south Texas. 'I told him how important Warren Moon was as a Black quarterback,' Calvin Ward told USA TODAY Sports. 'Quite honestly, he should've been in the NFL way before.' Cam asked his father if he could connect him with Moon, as he sought permission to wear the No. 1 jersey that Moon wore for the Oilers. Calvin got ahold of the number, texted Moon and arranged the call. Know that Moon is practicing what he preaches about humility. No, it is hardly automatic that a legendary player will relinquish a retired number. Ask Abdul Carter. The former Penn State edge rusher, drafted third overall by the New York Giants on Thursday night, thought it would be a good idea to make the request to Lawrence Taylor to wear No. 56. Think again. According to the New York Post, Taylor's responded as follows: 'Get another number -- I don't care if it's double zeroes -- and then make it famous.' Shedeur Sanders' dramatic NFL draft slide seems deeper than pure football Moon, on the other hand, told Ward he would give the request some thought. It marked the third time that Moon was approached to relinquish the number. Of course, he twice rejected the requests. This time, after discussing the matter with Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk, he made a final decision about a day before the Titans made their selection of Ward official. Moon said Ward's request was different because he was a quarterback and had roots on the outskirts of Houston. 'It wasn't easy,' Moon said of his decision. 'When you think about your legacy and the things you established when you were playing, you want to make sure those things continue. As I looked at it, it was a Houston Oilers jersey that I played in. He's playing in a Tennessee Titans jersey, even though we're all part of the same organization.' The franchise moved from Houston in 1997 and was renamed the Titans in 1999. 'Nobody has ever worn that number for the Tennessee Titans,' Moon added. 'So, he has a chance to create a great legacy for that number. When I started thinking about it, it was two different uniforms, two different cities, two different fan bases, made it easier for me to do.' That it is Ward who is the franchise's new No. 1 matters, too. Moon watched the quarterback in college, particularly during his two seasons at Washington State, when he gave Moon's UW alma mater fits. And all that Moon has heard about Ward's character and the influence of his family, makes him proud of the rookie. Moon said, 'I just have a lot of respect for him.' Which represents yet another layer of humility. Follow Jarrett Bell on social media: @JarrettBell
