Terrell Owens announced on his Twitter account Tuesday that he will make his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction speech at his alma mater, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, on Aug. 4.
The former wide receiver had previously announced that he would not attend the Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony in Canton, Ohio, scheduled for the same date.
“After giving it much thought, I have realized just how much I want to celebrate what will inevitably be the best weekend of my life at a place that means so much to me,” he said in his statement.
?????? pic.twitter.com/SMz2KlZwzz
— Terrell Owens (@terrellowens) July 3, 2018
He will give his speech on campus at McKenzie Arena, scheduled to begin at 3:17 p.m. ET. The Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Canton begins at 7 p.m.
“I’m proud to be a Moc, and I’m honored to be able to share this experience with my family, friends, teammates and fans at the place that provided me an opportunity beyond high school and where I truly began to find myself as an athlete. Thank you to everyone who has supported my celebration decision. I look forward to seeing you all in Chattanooga,” he said in the statement, ending with his catchphrase, “Getcha popcorn ready!”
Hall of Fame selection Terrell Owens, who had been critical of the board of selectors in the past, will not attend the induction ceremony in Canton.
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Owens was selected for enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2018 along with Ray Lewis, Randy Moss, Brian Urlacher and Brian Dawkins. They will be joined by Bobby Beathard (contributor) and seniors committee nominees Jerry Kramer and Robert Brazile.
A finalist for the past three years, Owens had been a hot-button candidate after offering public criticism of the board of selectors when he was not chosen for the Hall in 2016 or 2017.
A third-round draft selection of the San Francisco 49ers in 1996, Owens ranks eighth all time in receptions (1,078), second in receiving yards (15,934) and third in receiving touchdowns (153). He played for the 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals during a career that spanned 15 years.
Owens played for the Mocs from 1992 to ’95 and had 133 catches for 2,320 yards and 19 touchdowns. He ranks second in career receiving yards and third in touchdown receptions at the school.
After a crushing playoff loss in January 2005, then-New York Jets coach Herm Edwards decided to change offensive coordinators. He fired Paul Hackett after four seasons and hired Mike Heimerdinger and did it so quickly that Hackett and Heimerdinger actually crossed paths that day in the team facility. As Hackett went in to clean out his office, Heimerdinger arrived to start his new job.
That snapshot pretty much sums up the history of the Jets’ offensive-coordinator job, which should be sponsored by a famous burger chain: In-N-Out.
The Jets will go into the 2018 season with their sixth offensive coordinator in the past eight years, making it one of the least secure jobs in the NFL. There are B-list actors with more security than Jets offensive coordinators, who usually need career rehab after a one-and-done in New York. The last person to go directly from Jets OC to an NFL head-coaching job was Joe Walton in 1983 — an in-house promotion after Walt Michaels was fired.
Coordinator
Years
Top ranking (Pts)
Outcome
Mike Heimerdinger
2005
29th
Fired
Brian Schottenheimer
2006-11
9th
Fired
Tony Sparano
2012
28th
Fired
Marty Mornhinweg
2013-14
28th
Fired
Chan Gailey
2015-16
11th
Retired
John Morton
2017
24th
Fired
ESPN
The new man in the revolving door is Jeremy Bates, who landed his first job as a quarterbacks coach under — wait for it — Heimerdinger in 2005. No team does strange symmetry quite like the Jets. It was a one-year gig, of course, as the entire coaching staff got cleaned out after a disastrous 2005 season. Bates returned last season as the quarterbacks coach, then got bumped up when John Morton was fired in January after one year.
“It’s exciting,” Bates said of his new job as the offensive boss. “It’s a fun responsibility.”
If Bates can mold Darnold into a franchise quarterback, the OC Curse will be history — fittingly, via a player from OC (Orange County, California). It will be a fascinating dynamic because, once upon a time, Bates was a Darnold in the coaching profession: young, talented and so full of potential. He had a chance to be Sean McVay before anybody knew about McVay.
Bates was a coordinator by age 34, but he was fired after only one year (2010) with the Seattle Seahawks. He did one season as the Chicago Bears’ quarterbacks coach (2012), then took a four-year break from the NFL. At the time, he was regarded by those in the industry as a smart coach who needed to improve his people skills. He spent part of his hiatus in the mountains, hiking the Rockies while seeking clarity in his life. By all accounts, he gained maturity and perspective during his time away.
“There are a lot of things I’ve learned,” Bates said. “I did take a little sabbatical. Anytime you get fired, you can look at it one or two ways: You can either not think about it and try to become a better person and a better coach, or you can just move on. I obviously took a lot of time by myself and thought about some things, and I look forward to seeing how they turn out.”
There’s an air of mystery surrounding Bates because he hasn’t called plays in eight years, and a lot has changed in the NFL in that span. He also hasn’t developed a young quarterback since 2006, when he was Jay Cutler’s position coach with the Denver Broncos. So, no, Bates isn’t walking into this job with the “hot assistant” label. Still, there are reasons to believe he can succeed:
• He has a prized pupil. Darnold, drafted third overall, is the Jets’ best quarterback prospect since Mark Sanchez in 2009. You can’t mold a hunk of clay into something special unless … well, you have actual clay.
• He and Darnold are an ideal match. Their personalities are different — Bates is fire, Darnold ice — but their approach to the game is similar. They’re blue-collar grinders.
Schematically, Darnold should be a perfect fit in Bates’ offense, the Mike Shanahan version of the West Coast system. It’s a quick-rhythm passing attack that also allows the quarterback to throw on the move, one of Darnold’s strengths. His 79.4 accuracy percentage last season on quick concepts (three-step drops) ranked No. 1 in the country, according to Pro Football Focus.
Bates sees the game through the eyes of the quarterback because he played the position in college.
“It’s awesome that he’s able to sit with us, and that he’s had experience with quarterbacks,” Darnold said. “We’re able to go through the playbook, and he understands what we’re thinking. He’s able to understand when I’m looking at the defense. Even just on tape, if he sees my helmet looking one way or the other, he understands what I’m thinking, just because he’s coached quarterbacks for so long and because he was one. It all goes hand in hand.”
• There’s a single vision on offense. That wasn’t the case last season, as the offense was an amalgam of different philosophies. Morton “wasn’t the right fit for the team,” said coach Todd Bowles, who wanted a better “mesh” between the passing game (Morton’s specialty) and the running game.
The Jets shouldn’t have those issues this season. Bates is reunited with new offensive line coach Rick Dennison, who holds the title of run-game coordinator. Dennison also is a Shanahan disciple. In fact, he and Bates were members of Shanahan’s Denver staff from 2006-08. Back then, Bates and Dennison collaborated on the weekly game plans, with Bates calling a majority of the plays.
“Rick Dennison is a huge bright spot, in my eyes, for the New York Jets,” Bates said. “I was with him for three years in Denver, so we have a close relationship. He is an unbelievable coach.”
• Bates is versatile. He made his bones as a quarterbacks coach, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be pass-happy. He has been involved with some successful rushing attacks — the ’08 Broncos ranked No. 2 — and the word from the Jets players is that he emphasized the ground game during offseason practices.
What team officials like most about Bates is that he’s a teacher, which they believe will help player development. His No. 1 pupil is Darnold. If he can teach Darnold how to be a winning quarterback, Bates probably will get a chance to outlast his predecessors.
Liverpool announced Monday that Mohamed Salah has signed a new long-term contract. It will reportedly keep the Egyptian star at Anfield for the next five years.
There was plenty of interest, specifically from Real Madrid, in luring Salah away from the Merseyside club after his historic debut season.
But Liverpool has temporarily quelled speculation over his future by getting the 26-year-old to put pen to paper on a contract that lasts until 2023, according to The Guardian’s Andy Hunter.
@LFC pic.twitter.com/GsNxSQtD0V
— Mohamed Salah (@MoSalah) July 2, 2018
It’s believed that negotiations over an improved contract kicked off in the weeks before the Premier League season ended with Liverpool securing a top-four finish. The Reds went on to feature in the Champions League final but lost to Real Madrid in a match that Salah was forced to leave early because of a shoulder injury.
Although financial details were not disclosed by the club, Salah reportedly had his pay doubled to £200,000 per week. The new deal is not believed to include a release clause.
Manager Jurgen Klopp believes that Salah’s commitment to Liverpool is an indication of the club’s growth and ability to retain its stars following the high-profile departures of world-class players such as Luis Suarez and, most recently, Philippe Coutinho.
“It demonstrates two things very clearly also: his belief in Liverpool and our belief in him,” Klopp told the team’s website.
“We want world-class talent to see they have a home at Anfield where they can fulfill all their professional dreams and ambitions – we are working hard together to achieve this.
“When someone like Mo Salah commits and says this place is my home now, it speaks very loudly I think.
“Equally, our commitment to him says we see his value and want him to grow even more and get even better within our environment.”
After he was labelled a flop during a brief spell at Chelsea, Salah went on to find success at Fiorentina and Roma before Liverpool signed him last summer.
An initial fee of €42 million ended up being one of the bargains of the century, as Salah went on to break the Premier League single-season scoring record by finding the back of the net 32 times.
Along with winning the PFA Player of the Year award, Salah could very well be the player to end Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Ballon d’Or duopoly when the game’s most coveted individual honour is awarded later this year.
TAMPA, Fla. — The Uber driver who accused Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston of assaulting her has released a statement through her attorney, John Clune, acknowledging the NFL’s work during its seven-month investigation that ultimately resulted in a three-game suspension for Winston.
“I am glad to see the NFL discipline Jameis Winston. I do appreciate his apology, even if it needs some work,” she said Friday.
“I would like to publicly acknowledge the NFL Investigators, particularly Lisa Friel and John Iannarelli, for their kind, professional and thorough investigation.
On the heels of Winston’s suspension, we look at the NFL’s investigative process and what the suspension means for the Buccaneers quarterback.
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“My experience should highlight the importance of believing women when they have the courage to come forward about sexual assault. Perhaps that night could have been prevented if others had been believed before me.
“Mr. Winston once said, ‘Girls should be silent, polite, and gentle.’ I disagree.
“#MeToo”
Clune acknowledged that the investigation was stressful on his client, but that she is “handling it as well as you could hope.”
“We were pretty impressed with the league’s handling of this,” Clune said. “The length of the suspension can be debated, but from Day 1 it was obvious that the NFL took the matter seriously, both the process and the final outcome.”
He added that his client “is at peace with the final discipline handed out.”
Clune also revealed that Winston’s former Florida State teammate Ronald Darby, who came to Winston’s defense when the allegations first surfaced in November 2017, told the league something different than what he tweeted when he claimed he was in the vehicle with Winston at the time of the incident.
“We understand that Ron Darby’s statement to the league was that he no longer recalled the Uber ride in question and that his text messages show that he was still outside the International club as Winston was finishing the ride,” Clune said.
In a statement on Thursday, the NFL said Winston violated the league’s personal conduct policy “by touching the driver in an inappropriate and sexual manner without her consent.”
The league began its investigation in November 2017 when the woman, who identified herself as “Kate,” told BuzzFeed that Winston reached over and grabbed her crotch while waiting at a drive-thru in March 2016 in Scottsdale, Arizona.
