Former Dolphins LB Crowder abruptly announces retirement

MIAMI -- The NFL will be a bit quieter this season: Channing Crowder says he's retiring.

Crowder, one of the league's most notorious trash-talkers, said Tuesday he has decided to call it a career less than two weeks after being cut by the Miami Dolphins. The veteran linebacker made the announcement on WQAM-AM, where he has been a talk-show host.

"I know I can still play football," said Crowder, 27. "But I decided to hang it up. Now I'm not worried about icing my knees anymore or getting stingers or concussions. I did it long enough. I played football since I was 9 years old."

That included six NFL seasons, all in Miami, where Crowder developed a reputation as a jester and motormouth. For that reason, he conceded, his announcement might be met with skepticism.

"I'm not making a comeback," he said. "If somebody tells me I don't have to go through training camp and I can come in Week 1 and play -- but I don't see it."

After being released by the Dolphins, Crowder said, he tried out with the New England Patriots.

"It was just so weird," he said. "I went to their practice facility to work out, and I ran over the red dummies instead of the orange ones. I was so used to Miami, and I loved Miami so much."

Crowder said several other teams also expressed an interest in signing him, but he and his wife are expecting a baby, and he wants to remain in South Florida.

"I don't want to be jumping from team to team," he said. "Financially, we're stable. It's not there. I don't want to go."

Crowder's agent, Joel Segal, said he doesn't anticipate a change of heart for his client.

The NFL free agency cycle is in full effect, with teams and players agreeing to terms fast as training camps open. Get the latest on all the news right here.

"I think Channing has made a permanent decision to retire and pursue a career in broadcasting," Segal said. "He's a passionate guy. He loves football. He loved playing for Dolphins. Once that chapter ended, I think he's ready to move on."

Crowder played at the University of Florida before being drafted by the Dolphins in the third round in 2005. He was a starter for Miami since his rookie season, winning praise for his leadership and toughness while drawing criticism for his failure to make more big plays.

The day after they released Crowder, the Dolphins signed veteran Kevin Burnett as a replacement at inside linebacker.

Last season, Crowder made 33 tackles in 11 games. He missed five games with injuries.

After Crowder was released, Dolphins players said they would miss his yakking, which always kept the locker room loose. He famously feuded with New York Jets coach Rex Ryan.

"A lot of teams we played either hated me or loved me," Crowder said. "You love the stuff I talked, or you hated it because I was talking it to you. But I have friends around the league that enjoyed it. It got me going when I played."

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

View the original article here

After visiting former teams, Burress takes 1-year deal with Jets

Stuck in prison and his NFL career derailed, Plaxico Burress insisted he'd be back one day.

Rex Ryan and the New York Jets are giving him that second chance.

"I'm just grateful," a confident yet humble Burress said Sunday night. "I'm excited about the opportunity and I'm going to give them everything I've got because they put their trust in me to be able to come in and contribute and have an impact."

The one-year deal, reportedly worth $3.017 million fully guaranteed, is meant to match Burress' jersey number 17, Braylon Edwards' number the past two seasons, the New York Daily News reported.

The former Super Bowl star with the New York Giants signed a one-year deal with the Jets on Sunday after recently being released from prison, where he served 20 months on a gun charge. Burress, who turns 34 on Aug. 12, caught the game-winning touchdown in the Giants' upset of the unbeaten New England Patriots in the 2008 Super Bowl, before his career derailed after he accidentally shot himself in a New York nightclub later that year.

Debate: Right move by Burress?

"When something's taken away from you that you love, you know you love it more," he said. "You learn that playing in this business is definitely a privilege. I definitely miss being away from the game and the guys and being able to compete every Sunday with the best athletes in the world."

Now, the Jets are hoping Burress can revive his career the way Michael Vick did with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Vick served 18 months in prison for his involvement in a dogfighting ring before returning to football in 2009. He was eased back into things by the Eagles before taking over as the starting quarterback last year and capping a terrific season by being selected as The AP's Comeback Player of the Year.

Burress has a chance to make even more of an immediate mark for the Jets. He'll join the recently re-signed Santonio Holmes as one of Mark Sanchez's top receivers.

"I've never played with a guy on the other side of me who was that explosive," Burress said of Holmes. "It's going to be fun. I think we're going to drive some defensive coordinators crazy -- which way they want to roll their coverage in certain situations, in the red zone, so it'll be interesting to see how teams match up against us."

Burress wrote on his Twitter page: "East Coast here I come!" Sanchez retweeted his new receiver and added: "Paperwork in hand??? Haha welcome to the squad."

Burress was at the airport in Los Angeles on his way to a meeting with the San Francisco 49ers, according to media reports, but canceled that trip when the Jets contacted him. He agreed to come back to New York, but in green and white this time, without even visiting with the Jets or speaking to Rex Ryan.

"There was no sales pitch needed," he said. "You just look at all the pieces that are in place. You get a chance to compete for a world championship every year, play for a great organization, play with a great quarterback. I get to play beside Santonio Holmes and a future Hall of Famer in LaDainian Tomlinson."

Burress also appreciated how owner Woody Johnson and general manager Mike Tannenbaum met with him in 2009, despite his legal situation being uncertain at the time.

"They were really the first team to support me with everything that I had going on at that time," he said, "and it just felt right for me to be able to come here with everything that I had going on a couple of years ago, to have those guys approach me in the way that they did I just felt I made the right decision."

A few hours after announcing the agreement, the Jets were accepting pre-orders for replica Burress jerseys for $80 on their website. Matt Higgins, the Jets' executive vice president of business operations, tweeted that Burress would be wearing No. 17.

Burress met with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he spent his first five seasons, on Saturday after sitting down with Giants coach Tom Coughlin on Friday.

"His decision was to go elsewhere," Coughlin said. "It sounded like a bigger guarantee. I don't know all of the facts about that. That's what happens in this business. His decision was made and, again, we wish he and his family well."

Burress said there was a sense of closure with that meeting, and it was good "to kind of turn the page."

Because of the NFL's post-lockout rules, Burress can't practice with the team until Thursday. But clearly, the Jets are confident -- sight unseen -- that he has a lot left as they try for a Super Bowl run even though he hasn't played in the NFL since 2008.

There will be plenty of questions: How soon can he be in football shape? Has he lost a significant amount of speed? Does he still have those sure hands? Can he handle the media spotlight of being back in New York?

"I feel I'm in great shape," he said, adding that he'll surely be a little rusty. "I think a lot of people are going to be surprised with my conditioning and different things I've been doing in South Florida to get myself back to where I want to be, and that's definitely to get back to playing at a high level real soon."

One thing the Jets know is that Burress gives Sanchez a big receiver -- he's 6-foot-5 -- who's a red-zone presence to complement Holmes, Jerricho Cotchery, Dustin Keller and a solid running game with Shonn Greene and Tomlinson.

Burress pleaded guilty in August 2009 to attempted criminal possession of a weapon after accidentally shooting himself in the thigh at a Manhattan nightclub in November 2008, accepting a two-year prison term. He was released about three months early for good behavior, but will be on parole for two years.

He was told to get and keep a job, undergo substance abuse testing, obey any curfew established by his Florida parole officer, support his family and undergo any anger counseling or other conditions required by his parole officer.

Burress has 505 catches for 7,845 yards and 55 touchdowns in his NFL career with the Steelers and Giants.

The move softens the blow for the Jets after losing out on cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, who was New York's top priority after re-signing Holmes. But Asomugha surprisingly signed with Philadelphia, and the Jets were forced to turn their attention elsewhere.

Burress' career with the Giants was filled with terrific moments along with troubles -- missed meetings, a one-game suspension, a contract dispute. Then came the incident that changed his life.

He was released in April 2009, a few months before beginning his prison sentence. Now he's free and motivated to show he can still be a productive playmaker, and the Jets are willing to let Burress prove it while they go for a Super Bowl of their own.

"I've been around for a little while now and I'll just sit down with the coaches, sit down with the quarterback," Burress said, "and just learn the formations and where I need to be at. I don't think it's going to take me that long at all."

The Associated Press contributed to this report

View the original article here

Former Cowboys WR Williams appears headed to the Bears

One day after being cut by the Dallas Cowboys, wide receiver Roy Williams has agreed to terms with the Chicago Bears, NFL Network insider Jason La Canfora reported Friday, citing a source with knowledge of the situation.

Williams, who had a disappointing stint with the Cowboys after Dallas traded four draft picks to the Detroit Lions to get him, caught 37 passes for 530 yards and five touchdowns with the Cowboys last season. In his two-and-a-half seasons with Dallas, he had 94 catches for 1,324 yards and 13 touchdowns in 40 games.

In Chicago, Williams will be reunited with offensive coordinator Mike Martz, who was the Lions coordinator when Williams enjoyed his best years in Detroit. A first-round pick of the Lions in 2004, Williams joins a Bears receiving corps that featured only two receivers with more than 40 catches last season, Johnny Knox (51) and Earl Bennett (46).

View the original article here

NFL honors former Chargers DE as its Teacher of the Year

Former San Diego Chargers and Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Burt Grossman has been honored as the 2011 NFL Teacher of the Year, an award that recognizes former NFL players who have become teachers.

Grossman, 44, who teaches at Hoover High in San Diego, was chosen by a panel of educators and civic leaders that includes NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and former Commissioner Paul Tagliabue and will receive a $5,000 award. The NFL also will present a $5,000 grant to Hoover High School.

"Mr. Grossman has helped change the culture of our high school," Hoover High School vice principal Andreas Trakas wrote in his nominating essay. "Students who have issues both at home and school know that they have a connection with someone who cares and who can make a difference for them. ... I have seen Mr. Grossman use his unique and effective skills of communicating to students about 'raising their collective bar' personally, socially, as well as academically.

"His ability to share his own personal experience in order to develop a connection with some of our most challenging students and building trust and support has been a benefit to our school and community. He has gone as far as taking one of our homeless football players into his home to live, and has helped him do a complete 180 degree turn; (the student) has now accepted a full athletic scholarship to the University of Arizona."

"We couldn’t be more proud of Burt and his success with the students at Hoover High School," said A.G. Spanos, the Chargers' executive vice president and executive officer. "As an organization, it’s always exciting to see former players make an impact in academics and help our future leaders of tomorrow achieve success."

Said Goodell: "Former NFL players who transition to careers in education are able to use the values they learned on the football field -- integrity, preparation and persistence -- and carry them over into the classroom. We honor these former NFL players for their dedication to the profession of teaching."

The NFL Teacher of the Year Award has been presented since 1990 as an opportunity for players to honor teachers who made huge impacts in their lives, and the program now invites school administrators to nominate former NFL players who have become educators.

Grossman will be in Washington this week for a panel discussion featuring U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan on the value of teaching.

The Chargers took Grossman, a 6-foot-4, 275-pound lineman who played at the University of Pittsburgh, with the No. 8 overall selection in the 1989 draft. (Among those taken before him: Troy Aikman, Barry Sanders, Derrick Thomas and Deion Sanders.) He registered 38 sacks in five seasons in San Diego -- 10 in both his first and second years -- and played for the Eagles in 1994 before retiring.

Among the 10 finalists for the award were former Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams, Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Troy Drayton (Forest Glen Middle School in Coral Springs, Fla.) and former Detroit Lions fullback Cory Schlesinger (Allen Park, Mich., High School).

View the original article here

Former Cowboys LB Myles dead after heart attack, team says

Former Dallas Cowboys linebacker Godfrey Myles has died at 42 after suffering a massive heart attack, the team announced on its website.

Myles suffered the heart attack Wednesday and was on life support before his death late Thursday night, the Cowboys reported, citing reports.

The death initially was announced on the University of Florida football program's official Twitter account, which listed the cause of death as a massive stroke.

Myles, a first-team All-Southeastern Conference selection as a Gators senior, was drafted in 1990 by the Cowboys and played six seasons with the team. He was part of three Super Bowl championship teams and made 11 career starts, all during the 1995 season.

Myles was one of three men indicted in March on federal mortgage-fraud charges, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

View the original article here

Former NFL players gather at forum to discuss head injuries

When Eric Hipple was on the wrong end of bone-crushing hits during his NFL career, he wore it like a badge of courage.

Hipple knows better now. After a post-NFL life marked by pain, depression and personal tragedy, the former Detroit Lions quarterback is speaking out.

The 53-year-old was one of about 20 former players who shared their stories during an NFL-sponsored forum Wednesday at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Detroit. "NFL Community Huddle: Taking a goal line stand for your mind & body" addressed head injuries and mental disorders such as Alzheimer's and dementia.

The risk of memory-related diseases for former players, including Alzheimer's, is 19 times the normal rate for men ages 30 through 49, according to an NFL-commissioned study in 2009.

"Took a lickin' and kept on tickin'," Hipple told The Detroit News, referencing the nickname that he earned during a playing career that lasted from 1980 to 1989. "I actually took pride in that name."

Hipple's body is a walking cautionary tale of the realities of an extended career in professional football. He underwent seven surgeries in his 10 seasons and battled severe depression after his career was done. He was in denial about his head injuries for years, and he dealt with the suicide of his 15-year-old son in 2000.

"Even the best health care in the world doesn't do you any good if you don't use it," Hipple said. "That's the problem with stigma. It stops people from getting the services they need."

The forum featured panelists Dr. David Satcher, a former U.S. surgeon general, former Buffalo Bills safety Mark Kelso, and Sylvia Mackey, wife of Hall of Fame tight end John Mackey.

Sylvia Mackey belives her 69-year-old husband wouldn't have developed dementia had he been better protected during a 10-year career in which the Colts great missed only one game.

Mackey's story prompted the NFL and NFL Player's Association to create the "88 Plan" in 2007 to help support players with dementia and their families. More than $7 million has been distributed through the initiative.

One of the forum's goals is to erase the "tough guy" thinking that leads to long-term issues for pro football players.

"There was a saying, 'You can't make the club if you're in the tub' and you're hurt," former Lions linebacker George Jamison said. "I always tried to get back out there and play."

Satcher believes there has to be a new way of thinking when it comes to protecting the players.

"People take protection of the brain for granted," he said. "Hopefully that will change."

View the original article here

Romo marries former Miss Missouri in Dallas wedding

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and former TV sports reporter Candice Crawford have tied the knot in what was called the wedding of the year in Dallas.

Cowboys signal-caller Tony Romo married Candice Crawford on Saturday in a lavish Dallas ceremony that included about 600 onlookers. (Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press)

KDFW-TV says the nuptials were held Saturday evening at Arlington Hall, a historic mansion along Turtle Creek in uptown Dallas.

The Dallas Morning News reported Monday that about 600 guests attended the nuptials.

Former Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips was there, along with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones with his wife Gene. People Magazine reported that Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant also attended, along with receiver Miles Austin and guard Leonard Davis.

Groomsmen included the bride's brother and "Gossip Girl" actor Chace Crawford, tight end Jason Witten and linebacker Bobby Carpenter. Michelle Witten (Jason's wife), Cortney Carpenter (Bobby's wife) and Jossalyn Romo (Tony's sister) were bridesmaids, according to The Morning News.

Chace along with Danielle Derose, Tony's sister, read from Ephesians before the vows and the Wittens' son, C.J., served as ring bearer.

The 30-year-old Romo has been dating Crawford since late 2009. Crawford is a 25-year-old Lubbock native and former beauty queen. She was Miss Missouri in 2008.

The couple got engaged in December and registered at Crate & Barrel and Macy's.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

View the original article here

Lions hire son of former Titans coach Fisher to assist defense

ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- The Detroit Lions have hired Jeff Fisher's son to assist their defensive coaching staff.

The move to add Brandon Fisher was announced Thursday.

His father coached the Tennessee Titans from 1994 to 2010. Lions coach Jim Schwartz worked for Fisher as Tennessee's defensive coordinator before getting his first shot to lead a team in 2009.

Brandon Fisher assisted the Titans' offensive coaching staff for part of last season.

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

View the original article here

Former Titans great George calls out team for lack of effort

View the original article here

Haynesworth shows flashes of former dominance vs. Bears

ASHBURN, Va. -- Albert Haynesworth bullrushed offensive lineman Chris Williams into quarterback Jay Cutler, knocking the two Chicago Bears players down like dominoes. Now that's an awesome way to get a sack.

Haynesworth also jumped over an offensive lineman to grab Cutler at the 1-yard line, maintaining a strong grip as the quarterback reached to get the ball over the goal line for what appeared to be a touchdown. Redskins linebacker London Fletcher knocked the ball loose and recovered what was ruled a fumble -- and Bears coach Lovie Smith didn't challenge the ruling -- creating a huge turnaround play in a game decided by three points.

Haynesworth has mostly been a distraction and a disappointment since signing with the Washington Redskins last season. Imagine the possibilities if he keeps playing the way he did in Sunday's 17-14 victory over the Bears.

"It would be like Christmas Day, so to speak, getting the gift that you've always wanted," Fletcher said Monday. "That's the reason they brought Albert in here, because of how dominant he can be."

It has been all too easy to pick on Haynesworth and fellow well-paid teammate DeAngelo Hall lately, but, at least for a day, they looked like players worthy of big investments. Haynesworth was disruptive down low, and Hall tied an NFL single-game record with four interceptions as the defense rescued a sputtering offense and moved the Redskins (4-3) back above .500.

"Albert played exceptionally well," said Redskins coach Mike Shanahan, uttering four words that have been hard to come by this season. "It's the best that he's played, obviously, this season. But looking at film from last year, I think it's the best game he's played since he's been here."

The story is a familiar one. Haynesworth didn't want to play for the Redskins this season because they were switching to a 3-4 defense. He skipped a mandatory minicamp, asked for a trade, needed 10 days to pass a training-camp conditioning test and swapped frosty verbal volleys with Shanahan throughout the preseason.

Off the field, the two-time All-Pro has dealt with at least three lawsuits and other legal issues. He recently missed a game after his half brother died in a motorcycle accident, then wasn't allowed to play in the following game -- last week's loss to the Indianapolis Colts -- because Shanahan didn't deem him physically and mentally ready to play again.

"2010 has been the worst year of my life," Haynesworth said after Sunday's game, "so I just want to kind of get it over with and keep playing, hopefully."

From an emotional standpoint, Haynesworth spoke of how he was inspired by the memory of his half brother. From a strategic standpoint, he said the Redskins made his job simpler by taking him out of run-defense packages. Less thinking equals more production -- at least by Haynesworth's reckoning.

"When you have a lot to think about in football, a player's going to play slow," Haynesworth said. "Now that they took me out of the (run-defense) stuff and I can just play the nickel stuff and the stuff that I'm used to, I have a lot less to think about and go -- and just play the game."

Even so, Haynesworth couldn't resist another latent jab at Shanahan, saying the coach should have played him against the Colts.

"I would have loved to play. I played the Colts for seven years, twice a year, so I probably knew the Colts better than anybody on the team," said Haynesworth, referencing his tenure with the AFC South's Tennessee Titans. "But it was his decision."

Shanahan said Haynesworth won't be used solely as a pass-rush specialist with a seven-year, $100 million contract. The coach said Haynesworth played 33 snaps against the Bears -- about half of the defensive plays -- and fared well against both the run and pass.

"He played hard," Shanahan said. "We expect that type of effort out of him."

As for Hall, the four interceptions were a landmark day in a season in which he has allowed too many completions and been slowed by a sore back. It's hardly a coincidence that the Redskins matched their win total (four) from last season on the same day they matched their takeaway total (17) from 2009.

Still, after Sunday's game, Cutler wasn't backing down on Hall, saying: "I still think if we had to play him tomorrow, I'd go after him every time."

Hall responded by appearing on ESPN on Monday and saying that Cutler doesn't "really understand ... the game of football."

"For him to feel like he can come at me right now, it might be a quarterback being a quarterback," Hall said. "But obviously it didn't work out."

Notes: Redskins FB Mike Sellers was wearing a walking boot after the game. Shanahan said Sellers had an injury on the "bottom of the foot" and would be evaluated Wednesday. ... The Redskins planned to have Stephon Heyer alternate series with Jammal Brown at right tackle, but Heyer sprained his ankle early in the game. Shanahan said Brown still doesn't have full range of motion from last season's hip injury. ... S Kareem Moore is receiving limited playing time because of a sore right knee. He sprained the knee earlier this season. ... Shanahan said there's a chance RB Clinton Portis could return in two weeks after the bye, but it's not certain if he would reclaim the starting job from Ryan Torain. ... RB Chad Simpson, who tweaked a hamstring in practice last week, might return to practice Wednesday.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

View the original article here

Eagles fans applaud former QB McNabb in return to Philly

PHILADELPHIA -- Donovan McNabb has drawn his share of cheers -- and boos -- at Lincoln Financial Field.

So McNabb couldn't be sure how he would be greeted as the Washington Redskins' new quarterback on his return to Philadelphia.

The response Sunday was as kind as the City of Brotherly Love can be: a standing ovation.

When McNabb was the final Redskin introduced before the game, nearly everyone in the stadium -- many wearing No. 5 Eagles jerseys -- stood in tribute to the quarterback who led Philadelphia to five NFC title games before being traded to Washington in April.

McNabb raised his right arm to salute the folks in the stands and, soon after, embraced his successor, Michael Vick, near the 40-yard line. McNabb supported the Eagles' signing of Vick as his backup a year ago.

Vick left at the end of the first quarter with a rib injury.

Philly can be rough on its sports figures, but its fans also are knowledgeable enough to recall the good times. McNabb brought them plenty of those for 11 seasons, and fans responded Sunday with an outpouring of kindness not often associated with this city.

Of course, there were no cheers when McNabb immediately led the Redskins on a 39-yard drive to a go-ahead touchdown. But there was lots of happiness in the stands when tight end Fred Davis couldn't haul in McNabb's long throw on his first pass midway through the first quarter.

And near silence after McNabb's perfect TD pass to Chris Cooley made it 14-0.

During warmups, McNabb exchanged hugs with several Philadelphia players and spoke for a while with kicker David Akers, the only remaining Eagle who was with the team when the quarterback joined it -- to a chorus of boos at the draft -- in 1999.

The prospect of venom being spewed at McNabb for never actually winning a Super Bowl certainly existed Sunday. There was plenty of nastiness in the parking lots, but no hatefest inside the stadium.

Outside the Linc, the biggest pocket of protest was the "boo parade" organized by WIP radio personality Angelo Cataldi -- the same man who put together the 1999 outing to the draft in New York when the Eagles selected McNabb instead of running back Ricky Williams. About 35 people, including two men on stilts, a juggler and one dressed as a clown, walked to the Spectrum next door while voicing their displeasure with the quarterback they dubbed "Dontovan" and 'McChoke."

"The lazy, national media harped on the (draft-day booing) for 11 years and ignored everything else," Cataldi said. "They wanted a circus today, so we're giving them a circus."

But many fans recalled the five NFC Championship Games that McNabb led the Eagles to; they won only one of those, then lost to the New England Patriots in the 2005 Super Bowl. And they remembered all the playoff berths: eight, seven for which McNabb was the starting quarterback.

"For as long as he played here and the success he had, he deserves some kind of respect from the fans and the team," said Kyle DeRiemer of Philadelphia. "But I'd really like to see him before the game go up near (Eagles coach) Andy Reid and then walk right past him and not greet him."

That didn't happen, then McNabb really made Reid feel uncomfortable by leading Washington to a two-touchdown lead.

Standing next to DeRiemer, wearing a Jason Taylor Redskins jersey, was Ashlen Stayrook of Phoenix. She had no trouble defending McNabb.

"He should feel like he's coming home," she said. "I don't think he wanted to leave Philadelphia. But I think it will be a mixture of love and hate."

Once the teams kicked off, McNabb became an enemy quarterback again, regarded the same way as Eli Manning or Tony Romo would be.

McNabb's legacy in Philly still can't be determined.

"I think a lot of fans feel McNabb didn't fit in with the fabric of Philadelphia," Dan Perkins said. "He didn't show that outward emotion that a Charles Barkley or an Allen Iverson did. The fans responded to them because of that. They didn't see that from Donovan, and that's what they remember."

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

View the original article here