Latest news with #rookie
Washington Post
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Mystics forward Kiki Iriafen named WNBA rookie of the month
Kiki Iriafen's eyes widened with a bit of confusion as Washington Mystics Coach Sydney Johnson stood in front of the team Wednesday and announced she had won an award. She quickly covered her face with both hands, shielding a cheeky smile, as teammates clapped and demanded a speech. Less than 24 hours after scoring a career-high 20 points in just her eighth WNBA game, Iriafen picked up her first piece of hardware as a pro. The WNBA named her rookie of the month for May after a blazing start to her career.
New York Times
2 days ago
- Health
- New York Times
Cowboys need more from Tyler Guyton, and he's making significant changes to improve
It's hard to find answers to questions about the Dallas Cowboys on the field of OTA practices. Contact is nonexistent and players are just getting back into the groove of team activities after months away from the building. One of the biggest questions this season for the Cowboys will be how well Tyler Guyton can rebound from a tough rookie season. For nearly a decade, left tackle was the least of anybody's worries, as Tyron Smith anchored the spot at an All-Pro level. Toward the end of Smith's time in Dallas, injuries started to become a bigger factor. After working through it for a few years, the Cowboys let Smith walk in free agency last year. Advertisement A month later, they drafted Guyton in the first round to become the left tackle of the present and the future. Things went off-kilter from the start. The Cowboys eased Guyton into the starting unit in training camp. Once Guyton assumed the starting role in camp, he was sidelined for a while due to injury. All of that happened before the season even began and the actual trials and tribulations for a rookie offensive lineman in the NFL kicked into high gear. 'Of course, there are going to be ebbs and flows,' Guyton said of last year's errors. 'I understand that it already happened. It's in the past and I'm going to move forward from it and learn from my mistakes.' The rookie mistakes came in different forms. Guyton struggled on the field as he tried to grasp NFL speed while also handling a position change, going from right tackle in college to left tackle in the pros. The external pressure didn't do him many favors, either. Taking over for an elite player like Smith, who not only possessed a large frame like Guyton but also underwent the same position change when he entered the league, was not an easy task. In addition to Guyton's struggles against defensive players, he also had an issue with discipline. Guyton finished the season tied for the second-most penalized player in the NFL with 14 penalties. Five of those infractions were false starts, and another five were holdings. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer went out of his way to praise the work Guyton has done since the end of his rookie season a few months ago. Schottenheimer said Guyton was one of the first players back in the building and expects consistency and stability could help the second-year player out of Oklahoma. 'I think some of the new things that (offensive coordinator) Klayton Adams and (offensive line coach) Conor Riley have brought from a fundamental standpoint really fits him,' Schottenheimer said. 'He hasn't played offensive line a whole lot, then he played right tackle at Oklahoma. Then, we moved him to left tackle. It's obviously a premier position. Then, you miss quite a bit of time last year in training camp. 'He has not missed a day. He was one of the first guys back in the building. … He understands how important this year is for him, not just for him, but for our football team. He looks great and he's playing at a high level right now, going up against some good speed rushers.' All of the praise comes with an obvious disclaimer: there is no contact at practices right now, unlike the intense practices in training camp. Those training camp practices will differ greatly from the full-speed competition on Sundays. Guyton isn't just working harder, but he's also taken steps to work smarter. His physique and build are noticeably different than last year. He appears leaner, still carrying muscle in his frame but shedding some of the excess weight. That appearance is not by accident. Advertisement 'I think that I figured out a lot about what I need to do to take care of my body, to be able to play at a high level,' Guyton said. That revelation didn't come on the field or even in the weight room. 'I changed my diet completely around,' Guyton said. 'Fast foods are out. Fried foods are out. I just try to stick to a strict regimen of vegetables and salmon throughout the week of prep. It's definitely changed a lot, actually.' Guyton said the change in diet wasn't difficult for him, and there are too many things he misses from his previous habits of consumption, like from the Caniac Combo from Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers. The results he's seen have made things easier. 'It's easy when you feel better,' Guyton said. 'I feel like my body is more pure right now. I can move more freely, my joints feel better. It's been a great transition.' Guyton described his body as a constant work in progress. He still aims to become faster and stronger, while also adding more flexibility to his toolbox. Many of the external pressures Guyton faced last year are still there, but their presence has faded in intensity. The upcoming season is no longer about following in Smith's footsteps or dealing with a position change, even if those elements will always be part of Guyton's story. For Guyton, it's now about being a good player in his own right, and certainly better than what he showed in 2024.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Stars Veteran Forward Would Be Solid Pickup For Sabres
Titans QB Cam Ward: Full media availability following OTAs Tennessee Titans QB Cam Ward discussed his relationships he's built with the team, playing at the professional level compared to college, and much more. Ward says that he has really made sure to make strong relationships on the field as well as off. The rookie QB complimented his offensive line saying that it's one of the most athletic he has been around. 5:29 Now Playing Paused Ad Playing
Washington Post
5 days ago
- General
- Washington Post
Dallas Wings rookie Paige Bueckers to miss at least 2 games while in WNBA's concussion protocol
ARLINGTON, Texas — Dallas Wings rookie Paige Bueckers will miss at least two games after being placed under the WNBA's concussion protocol. The Wings said Friday that Bueckers, the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft out of UConn, was put in concussion protocol after their 97-92 loss at Chicago on Thursday night. The team didn't provide any specific details on what led to that move. She had 15 points, eight assists and five rebounds in the game. Bueckers won't play in Dallas' home game Saturday against the Sky, or at Seattle on Tuesday night. She will be re-evaluated after that. Dallas is off to a 1-5 start. Bueckers has averaged 14.7 points, 6.7 assists and 2.0 steals a game in her professional debut while playing a team-high 33.9 minutes per game. ___ AP WNBA:
New York Times
29-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
What a healthy Troy Fautanu and leaner Broderick Jones mean for the Steelers' O-line
PITTSBURGH — On a dreary Wednesday in Western Pennsylvania, as the rain poured relentlessly, Pittsburgh Steelers right tackle Troy Fautanu beamed with excitement, knowing that his return to the playing field signaled the end of his personal storm. 'Man, I've been looking forward to this for a really long time,' Fautanu said after the Steelers' second day of organized team activities. 'It's felt like a million years since I've been back out here.' Advertisement When the Steelers drafted Fautanu in the first round in 2024, the hope was that he could help transform a weakness on the offensive line into a strength. He impressed during training camp to put himself in position for early playing time. But during the preseason, he sustained a minor injury to his left knee that delayed his debut until Week 2 in Denver, where he played 55 offensive snaps. The following week, several members of Fautanu's extended family had flights booked to Pittsburgh to watch the rookie in his first home game at Acrisure Stadium. However, it turned out that the tough injury luck was only beginning. 'I remember exactly where it was,' Fautanu said Wednesday, pointing to the end zone. 'It was over there.' On the Friday ahead of the Week 3 game against the Los Angeles Chargers, the Steelers began practice with their classic drill, Seven Shots, which features seven plays from the 2-yard line. 'I was trying to anchor down,' Fautanu said. 'My foot just got caught in the ground weird. My body twisted. My leg didn't.' The torque tore the medial patellofemoral ligament in the 6-foot-4, 315-pound lineman's right knee and dislocated his kneecap momentarily. An MRI confirmed the news, and he was placed on injured reserve. Fautanu would have to undergo surgery in Los Angeles, followed by a rehab process estimated at four to six months. Though he didn't realize it right away, Fautanu's rookie season was over less than a week after it began. 'Once that happened, there were a lot of nights where you can't really see the light on the other side of the tunnel,' Fautanu said. 'You put so much into preparing for your rookie year. It was heartbreaking for me.' Fautanu, a deep thinker who says he can sometimes get himself into trouble on the field by overthinking, felt he 'didn't handle it the best' at times, as the weight of expectation and the early roadblock in his career festered into frustration. Advertisement 'You're going to have those good days, and you're gonna have those bad days,' Fautanu said. 'The good days were good, and the bad days were really bad. I was just thinking about, 'Am I gonna make it back? Is the team expecting me to be back?' There was a whole lot of stuff going through my head at the time.' Of all the teammates, coaches and others who supported Fautanu through the rehab process, he leaned most on his mother. 'My mom always knows best,' Fautanu said. 'When I'd get in those slumps, she'd call me and she knew what I was going through.' Now, about eight months removed from surgery, Fautanu is nearing the end of his long road to recovery. The coaches have been careful to work Fautanu back methodically. He's nearly up to full strength and expects he'll be a full participant when the pads come on at training camp. 'It made me more hungry than I already was,' Fautanu said. 'And I was pretty damn ready to play.' With Fautanu nearing full health, Steelers GM Omar Khan's vision for the offensive line can finally become a reality. From the moment Khan was promoted to general manager, he's made it a priority to remake the offensive line and build a team that can win games at the line of scrimmage. In his first two drafts, Khan spent two first-round picks on tackles (Broderick Jones in 2023 and Fautanu in 2024), a second-round pick at center (Zach Frazier in 2024) and a fourth-round pick at guard (Mason McCormick in 2024). Though the process is sound, the return on investment hasn't yet been realized. During the 2024 season, former left tackle Dan Moore Jr. allowed a league-high 12 sacks. Jones finished tied for second in that unflattering category with 11 sacks allowed. At the same time, the offensive line didn't open holes for running backs frequently enough, as Pittsburgh averaged just 4.1 yards per carry. Only six teams were less efficient on the ground. Advertisement Fautanu's return in and of itself is significant. It's essentially like an extra first-round pick. But the ripple effect is just as important. Even before the Steelers drafted Fautanu, they planned to play Jones at left tackle in the long term. However, that didn't come to fruition in 2024 because of Fautanu's injury, which forced Jones to spend his second NFL season on the right side. Though Jones has all the physical traits to be a successful tackle in the NFL, he also entered the league a bit raw after starting just 19 games at Georgia. Despite Jones' inexperience, the Steelers threw a lot onto his plate, asking him to start at right tackle and then, at some uncertain point, flip to the left side. With Fautanu back, Jones can focus his attention on just one position as he tries to prove he can play like a first-round pick following a pair of up-and-down seasons. 'They tried to make me the swing tackle (last year),' Jones said. 'It was kind of funky. I knew I'll be going back to left, so this offseason, I just tried to focus on nothing but the left side.' Jones reported to OTAs noticeably leaner, which was intentional. He played last year around 325-330 pounds and has now dropped about 20 pounds to be around 305 or 310. At times in Jones' second season, he didn't have the same quick feet that were a signature of his game. By slimming down, he's been more explosive at practice. 'Being back on the left, I feel like it's a bigger boost for me, just because I've been used to playing on the left side,' Jones said. 'Being out here going against people like Alex (Highsmith) and Nick (Herbig), it really helps with the confidence level. When you're able to block guys like that, it makes you feel like you can do it at any level versus anybody.' Fautanu and Jones are now in their long-term spots on the depth chart, but the spotlight is only beginning to shine on these two players. When Khan chose to take a patient, trench-oriented approach to roster building, it was a logical strategy for a team that needed upgrades, especially if it wanted to have a run-heavy offense. Now in Year 3 of the Khan era, it's time for the offensive line to become the reason the Steelers are competitive late into seasons. Advertisement But those bright lights are a welcome change for Fautanu after many dark days of rehab. 'Those nights sitting in my room, like, 'Man, am I going to come back from this?'' Fautanu said. 'But at the end of the day, I made it through. I feel like that's what made me stronger. That's what's going to make me and fuel me to play the best that I can for this team.' (Photo of Troy Fautanu: Joe Sargent / Getty Images)
