Two high school cheerleaders from the same school are winning their fights for their lives after being shot during a sweet 16 party in Dadeville, Alabama, on April 15.
Cara Johns and Trinity Richards suffered multiple gunshot wounds, including head wounds, when gunmen opened fire during a teenage girl’s birthday party. The two girls are improving after their parents initially were told their injuries might not be survivable.
The shooting left four people dead and 32 others hurt, including 15 teenagers who suffered gunshot wounds.
Friends and family gathered for Alexis Dowdell’s sweet 16 celebration in the Mahogany Masterpiece dance studio in the small town of about 3,200 people on April 15. With the party well underway, at one point Alexis’ mother made an announcement to the crowd of some 60 people saying there shouldn’t be any guns at the venue after hearing a rumor that someone was armed. Then, around 10:30 p.m., dozens of gunshots abruptly turned a fun celebration into crime scene. Witnesses reportedly said there was not a fight or disturbance before the shooting started.
Among those killed were Philstavious “Phil” Dowdell, Alexis’ 18-year-old brother; Marsiah Emmanuel Collins, 19; Shaunkivia “Keke” Nicole Smith, 17; and Corbin Dahmontrey Holston, 23, according to the Tallapoosa County coroner.
Johns and Richards, who were cheerleader squad mates at Pike Road High School about an hour away from Dadeville, were among the five people left critically injured by the barrage. Trinity’s mother, Cheryl Sledge Richards, described on a GoFundMe page what the chaotic scene immediately after the shooting was like for her 16-year-old daughter.
“A medic on the scene contacted us through friends on social media to tell us that when he encountered Trinity he observed her agonal breathing, gasping for air every 15 seconds or so. When this occurs they expect a dying brain, heart attack or stroke,” Richards wrote on the fundraising page she started. “He said when triaged they had coded her as being beyond help but he saw something special in her as she lay there dying. He decided to provide her with an airway to save her life. We are grateful to him for that and praise God for guiding him.”
Trinity was hit by a bullet that entered near her right ear and traveled toward the front of her head. Left unable to speak or breathe on her own at first, by May 4 she’d progressed so far she was able to sit up and order a Starbucks coffee, AL.com reported.
According to Johns’ GoFundMe page, she is a junior in high school, on the cheerleading team, and had a part-time job at a local restaurant. The 16-year-old also remains in critical condition and “tubes are connected to her little arms and other parts of her body while machines beep and gurgle.”
Johns was reportedly taken off the ventilator and was able to breathe on her own as of May 2, according to Facebook post by her father Justin Johns. He also said that the stomach bleeding was under control and the blood clots disappeared.
“When I first walked into the room this morning she smiled at me which was a touching moment for me she knows who I am and she also knows a lot more,” he wrote on Facebook.
Johns’ GoFundMe account reached over $13,000 in donations and Richards has reached over $8,000.
According to CNN, six people were arrested and face four counts of reckless murder charges.
The six people arrested were Willie George Brown Jr., 19; Johnny Letron Brown, 20, of Tuskegee; Wilson LaMar Hill Jr., 20, of Auburn; Ty Reik McCullough, 17, and Travis McCullough, 16, both of Tuskegee; and another 15-year-old from Tuskegee whose identity was not released because of his age.
Police stated that all suspects except the 15-year-old were being held without bond in the Tallapoosa County Jail.
John Letron Brown’s mother Amanda Riley says her son is innocent, has a clean criminal record, and was set to college football this fall at Faulkner University, a NAIA school in Montgomery.
“He didn’t do any shooting. When the firearms started firing off, he got down on the floor,” she said to CBS. “My kids don’t carry weapons, I’m going to tell you that right now. The FBI just searched my house. They couldn’t find one weapon in my house. They didn’t find one bullet in my house and in my shed out back.”
A spokesperson for the school insisted in a statement that Brown was not an incoming student-athlete: “This young man was never headed to our university at all this fall.”
He along with the other five suspects still face murder charges.
Cheryl Sledge Richards wants to know why this atrocity happened.
“There were children dancing, singing, laughing. What are you thinking when you decide to shoot? I don’t understand that,’’ she told AL.com last week.
“We’ve waited to hear what the reason was but it doesn’t matter because whatever they end up saying, it’s not going to make any sense.”
Former NBA player J.R. Smith has thoughts about why current hoopers don’t acknowledge Howard Stern when they play at Madison Square Garden. The shock jock recently lamented how he sits courtside with other celebrities but gets no love.
“I’m sorry but what basketball player listens to him lol I don’t think I’ve met one! Black or not!”
Smith was quote-tweeted a response to media personality Taylor Rooks’ tweet about who Stern in is.
“Howard Stern is one of the most talented interviewers of all time. With that being said, this is a ridiculous stance many of them simply have no idea who he is,” Rooks tweeted. “And people not knowing you isn’t an insult.”
Stern’s lament over not receiving love from NBA players reeks of privilege. Who cares if NBA players don’t say hello to you?
“I’ll be sitting next to Tracy Morgan or Chris Rock,” said Stern. “You know, they seat you where they seat you. And a lot of times when I’m there, I’m next to Tracy Morgan, who is so funny. And he’s sitting there and like, a couple of the players will come over. They like give him that bro shake and stuff. And I’m like — these guys should hug me too. I mean, what am I? I grew up in a Black neighborhood, you know what I mean? I mean they should know that. But I get ignored.”
Chris Rock and Tracy Morgan, the celebrities that Stern says the players do talk to, are known far and wide among Black people. Stern’s shtick and radio show appealed to a different audience. One these players likely don’t have much in common with.
Stern did say he doesn’t think race plays a factor in the players not saying hello.
“No, not that I saw. I want them to. I want them to talk to me. I want them to come up and go, ‘Hey, Howard, fan of the show or something.’ I don’t get that,” he said. “And you know who comes up to me sometimes — the referees. White guys and Black guys, they’ll come up to me, White referees and Black. Like, ‘Hey Howard, hey.’ But yeah, a lot of the White referees. So I’m like, oh, is everything racial now? Can I get a shoutout from some of the players?”
No, apparently you can’t get a shoutout and it shouldn’t matter. These players don’t owe you anything.
The iPhone Generation Doesn’t Know Howard Stern
Stern was at his most popular between 1986-2005, his tenure on terrestrial radio. Yes, he received and continues to receive hundreds of million in salary from satellite radio. But he is less relevant.
These players today are of the iPhone and social media generation. A personality like Stern doesn’t resonate.
Stern is 69 years old and a multimillionaire. Enjoy your money and your courtside seats at New York Knicks games. There won’t be too many games left this season, as the Knicks are on the brink of playoff elimination. He doesn’t need players to say hello to him too.
Phoenix Suns shooting guard has always been a unique talent. From his feathery shooting touch to his immaculate footwork, “Book,” as he’s affectionately known, has the entire offensive package. But never before has the former Kentucky Wildcats star put it all on display like he has thus far in the 2023 NBA playoffs.
Booker has been on a tear through nine playoff games, averaging 28 points, five assists and five rebounds per game on 50 percent shooting. But it’s what he’s done the past couple of games versus the top-seeded Denver Nuggets that’s the talk of the postseason so far. With his team trailing the Nuggets 2-0 heading home, Booker went off, going for a combined 83 points, 21 assists and 12 rebounds in two wins. But it’s how efficiently he did it, on 78 percent shooting (34-43), that is a true testament to Booker’s work ethic and dedication to his craft.
Stephen A. Smith Lauds Booker’s Play
Book has been so good lately he’s even got ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith dubbing him the “light-skinned Mamba.”
During his “Know Mercy” podcast on Monday, Smith went there and pretty much compared the supremely talented Booker to a hoops legend, Kobe Bryant.
“I’ve been thinking about Kobe Bryant a lot lately. And you know what they say, the greatest compliment in the world is imitation. And when I look at this brother Devin Booker it’s the light-skinned Mamba. That’s right, that’s what I’m calling him, because he’s that kind of dude. It’s appropriate to have the conversation about how gifted and great this brother is, what he brings to the table.”
Smith says this conversation is appropriate, but is it really? He’s not speaking of just any ole body, he’s comparing Booker to one on the greatest players we’ve ever seen grace the hardwood.
Not So Fast, SAS, We’ve Seen This Movie Before
There’s no question as to how great Booker is playing, and he’s deserving of the praise being heaped upon him. But we must remember that this wasn’t happening until the new Suns owner Matt Ishbia, who’s under the gun for Sunday’s altercation with Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, came in and mortgaged his team’s future to trade for Kevin Durant. So in essence a huge reason for Booker’s success is because of the attention the great KD is demanding.
That in turn has allowed him much more space to operate, and with Durant being as selfless as he is, it’s allowed Booker even more of a green light, so to speak.
Smith made the mistake of calling Booker the next Kobe Bryant in 2021 following a Western Conference Finals Game 1 win over the Kawhi Leonard-less Los Angeles Clippers. And while the Suns advanced to the NBA Finals that season, they also blew a 2-0 series lead to the Milwaukee Bucks, losing in six games.
Smith’s tune even changed since the Suns ousted an injured Clippers team in five games. He once referred the Suns as full of star power, but he didn’t really seem to believe in their long-term projections until KD arrived. And that’s when Booker took off.
So let’s proceed with caution. Although Booker is the best shooting guard in the NBA, he’s no Kobe Bryant.
Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic roughed up an owner of an opposing NBA franchise —during the NBA playoffs and without home-court advantage — during Sunday’s Game 4 loss to the Phoenix Suns. With two and a half minutes left in the second quarter, Josh Okogie of the Suns flew into the front row, and the basketball ended up in the hands of Suns owner Matt Ishbia.
What happened next is a series of events that, when seen through a cultural lens, was either perplexing or perfectly normal.
Jokic tried to grab the ball from what he thought was a courtside fan, hoping to inbound and restart the game quickly with a five-on-four advantage. But when Ishbia resisted Jokic and the ball popped away, Jokic’s forearm made contact with Ishbia, who fell back into his seat. Jokic was assessed a technical foul by the refs.
“Jokic came to get the ball, grabbed it away from the fan, then after that he deliberately gave him a shove and pushed him down, so he was issued an unsportsmanlike technical foul,” the game’s refereeing crew chief, Tony Brothers, said after the game.
Brothers justified the ruling and opted against ejection because he believed Jokic “didn’t just run over and hit a fan; there was some engagement, so I deemed the technical foul the appropriate penalty.”
Ironically, Jokic deemed the fan, who he realized later was the Suns owner, as someone he needed to be protected from.
“The fan put a hand on me first,” Jokic said during the post-game presser. “I thought the league was supposed to protect us. Maybe I’m wrong. He’s a fan — I know who he is, but he’s a fan isn’t he?” Jokic added, acknowledging he was aware he had tangled with Ishbia. “He cannot influence the game by holding the ball.”
Game play protections aside, Jokic was given kid gloves treatment by the league and even eventually by the Phoenix Suns owner, who lobbied on his behalf via Twitter.
“Suspending or fining anyone over last night’s incident would not be right,” Ishbia wrote on Twitter Monday morning. “I have a lot of respect for Jokic and don’t want to see anything like that.”
The words were crafted by an owner more concerned for his fans’ appreciation of Jokic’s competitiveness and the now-tied-up series than one with an ego and a score to settle with an opposing team.
The Denver Nuggets went even further.
“I think it’s crazy that Nikola got a technical foul in that situation,” coach Michael Malone said. “He’s going to get the ball, and some fan is holding on to the ball like he wants to be a part of the game. Just give the ball up, man.”
Even when Malone was told the fan was Suns owner Matt Ishbia, he responded, “I don’t give a sh-t.”
Although Ishbia hindered the game’s flow, his evident focus was checking on his player. Jokic running over to get the ball and pushing away a “fan” he felt was too close might have looked different from a different player. Is it star privilege? Is it a pass due to heightened emotions in the playoffs? Probably all of the above.
By late afternoon on Monday, Jokić was fined $25,000 for making improper contact with a spectator sitting courtside, as announced today by Joe Dumars, the NBA executive vice president, head of basketball operations.
However, in the NBA, which is constantly being scrutinized for increased sensitivity to negative fan interactions, Jokic being aggressive at that moment was over the line. Suppose that is done again by a player of lesser stature or another culture to an owner not of the culture. In that case the repercussions will be scrutinized in the court of public opinion.
The passing Nick Gilbert, the 26-year-old son of NBA owner Dan Gilbert, was announced on Sunday. Nick was known by many Cavaliers fans as their “good luck charm.”
“Nick was a light and inspiration to so many throughout his 26 years of life,” the Cavaliers said in a statement Sunday. “Whether taking on his signature role as the Cavs’ good luck charm during several NBA Draft Lotteries or using his voice to advocate in the fight against NF, Nick’s unrelenting spirit has been a driving force behind our organization.”
Dan has owned the Cavs since 2005. He is the founder and chairman of Rocket Companies, a fintech holding company that provides mortgage lending, title and settlement services, and other financial technology services in the U.S. and Canada.
Nick reportedly had a lifelong battle with neurofibromatosis or NF1. It causes non-cancerous tumors to grow on the brain, spinal cord and skin. He is survived by his father Dan and mother Jennifer and what are reported to be four siblings. There is no cure for NF1.
Despite owning the Cavs, Dan and his family lived in Michigan.
“Nick inspired people everywhere with his bravery and brought joy to everyone he met,” wrote Mike Duggan, the mayor of Detroit, on Twitter. “All of Detroit has the Gilbert family in our prayers today.
In 2017, the family launched a foundation that has funded more than $18 million in grant research toward finding a cure for Type 1 neurofibromatosis, a condition for which Nick underwent multiple surgeries. The Cavaliers teamed with the Gilberts’ foundation and the Children’s Tumor Foundation to start the Bow Tie campaign to raise awareness about neurofibromatosis.
The Cleveland Guardians, Browns, TNT’s “Inside The NBA,” and several other professional sports organizations took to Twitter to honor Nick.
Nick’s funeral reportedly will be held on Tuesday at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan.
The Cavaliers are the complete opposite of NBA franchises like the Lakers and Celtics that have been in the top tier of the league for generations. Since the lottery was implemented in 1985 NBA draft, Cleveland has picked in the lottery 24 times.
Since Dan Gilbert took over the team in 2005, they have selected in the lottery 10 times. Nick Gilbert was present at the 2011 and 2013 NBA draft lottery selections in which the Cavs secured the No. 1 overall pick both times.
The team took Kyrie Irving with their 2011 selection and Anthony Bennett with their 2013 selection.
Irving went on to become an All-Star and helped win the franchise’s only championship in 2016. Meanwhile, Bennett quickly flamed out of the NBA. He spent only one season with the team. He was on four different teams in his first four NBA seasons before being out the league in 2017.
Angel Reese is feeling herself these days. From the Tony Yayo “you can’t see me” hand shuffle energy she gave Caitlin Clark to her multiple media appearances since winning the NCAA women’s basketball championship, Reese’s profile has elevated beyond the hardwood. Now she fully is joining the trend of famous women to exposing their bodies in various ways, but some things placed on the internet might be better left for the personal files.
Recently, lingerie pictures of 21-year-old “Bayou Barbie” have surfaced from her newly minted modeling career post-championship. The images include Reese posing seductively with the sexy outfit she shared on her Instagram. They have since been deleted, but the internet never forgets.
On Reese’s 20th birthday last year, she also took some pics in designer underwear, poking her assets out and letting the world know she feels adorable while managing her immense success at a young age. However, with a national sports win comes the scrutiny that once escaped her regular business flow.
Reese is starting to feel another level of judgment in the post-Caitlin Clark disrespectful on-court moment. Now those who look at her as a role model for young women looking to succeed in sports or overall life are confused.
There have been opportunities like the new Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue featuring Reese, who joins popular LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne who also appears in the 2023 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. It looks like SI is doubling down on its LSU focus.
“I am unapologetically Angel, I am who I am,” Reese says in the SI Swimsuit behind the scene . I embrace my body and who I am…I’m 6’3, I work out a lot so I mean why not show it. I got a nice little body so, when I go to the beach or go to the pool and everybody’s looking its like, ‘damn, you’re sexy, girl.”
“This is what our kind of game day looks like!” SI Swimsuit wrote on Instagram. “LSU forward and NCAA women’s basketball champion @angelreese10 traded in her uniform for a swimsuit and will be featured in this year’s 2023 SI Swimsuit issue.”
Shot in Los Angeles and set to release May 18, Reese and Dunne are the first two college athletes ever to appear in the swimsuit issue.
“I had on thong bathing suits and I didn’t think I was going to be comfortable, but [everyone] made me feel really comfortable,” Reese said about the photo shoot. “I work out a lot. I embrace my body and who I am and every mark on my body. I probably feel the sexiest in a bathing suit.”
The Sports Illustrated announcement caps off an exciting 2023 for Reese, whose On3 NIL valuation is now $1.4 million, the top-ranked in women’s basketball. She is one of just 20 athletes to have a valuation in seven figures and just signed a new NIL deal with Mercedes-Benz of Baton Rouge.
“We’ve done so much within a year,” Reese told SI. “We weren’t even supposed to be in the Final Four. We had nine new players, and it was coach [Kim Mulkey] ‘s second year in the SEC, so we didn’t know what to expect. We just went out there and had fun all the time and put in a lot of work all season.”
The public that knows her only for basketball might not like every part of the Angel Reese brand that she is willing to show, but big media brands like SI are betting on Angel.
“Angel Reese is a phenomenal basketball player,” SI Swimsuit editor-in-chief MJ Day said. “She’s an All-American and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament. While we’re, of course, here to celebrate her incredible achievements and athleticism, it wouldn’t be an SI Swimsuit moment if we weren’t shining a light on Angel’s achievements off the court. Angel is combating the double standard in sports, especially for women.”
With newfound fans like Drake and Future sliding into her DMs and corporate brands lining up for her, Reese is going into a new battle, public opinion versus corporate winning.
By now you might have seen the video of Oakland Athletics’ broadcast announcer Glen Kuiper, saying the N-word on air while describing a trip to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. NBC Sports California announced that an investigation into the incident is underway and Kuiper will remain off the air until the review is completed. Was this the right punishment? Did people on social media take this too far?
In a pregame segment on NBC Sports California before the A’s played the Kansas City Royals on Friday night, Kuiper talked about a trip to the museum with colleague Dallas Braden and said the n-word instead of “negro.”
Kuiper issued and on-air apology later in the broadcast and another via a statement on Saturday.
“I could not be more sorry and horrified by what I said,” Kuiper said Saturday in a statement released by NBC Sports California. “I hope you will accept my sincerest apologies.”
Here’s the thing about the “n-word”: If it’s one you don’t use in your vocabulary it is unlikely you would stumble over the word negro and utter the slur.
In Kuiper’s case, this apparently isn’t the first time he’s made such an egregious mispronunciation of the Negro Leagues.
Mistake or not, we do know the word is disgusting, triggering, and has no place in a civilized society.
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum President Bob Kendrick posted a statement on Twitter about the incident.
“I’m aware of the unfortunate slur made by Glen Kuiper. I welcomed Glen to the NLBM yesterday and know he was genuinely excited to be here,” said Kendrick. “The word is painful and has no place in our society. And while I don’t pretend to know Glen’s heart I do know that my heart is one of forgiveness. I hope all of you will find it in yourselves to do the same!”
There were many on social media who called for his firing and there were bad faith extreme right-wing people who used it as an opportunity to sow more seeds of hate and discord.
In the grand scheme of the world and the problems of Black people, Kuiper’s use of a racial slur is not that important. Bad? Yes.
But what is ultimately accomplished by potentially firing him? What good will come of the situation for Black people?
Some type of penalty or punishment is necessary, along with a serious commitment on Kuiper’s part to evolve as a human being. And at the very least, start practicing the correct pronunciation of baseball’s hallowed league.
But in a country that was founded and built on slavery and spurred to its heights through the inextricable link of capitalism and racism, firing an idiot baseball announcer who may or may not be racist does nothing.
Kuiper is not the root cause of this insidious disease that cripples humanity. He’s one of the milder symptoms.
Again, something should be done and we should work towards Kuiper’s evolution. But the outrage just for outrage sake that ultimately does nothing is not helpful. In that situation nobody benefits.
Former NFL player Antwaan Randle El enjoyed a pretty good professional career after making the switch from quarterback at Indiana to a hybrid wide receiver of sorts. Known for his quickness and deceptive speed, Randle El was also used on reverses, halfback passes and he was one of the best punt returners during his career.
Randle El, a 2002 second-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers, enjoyed a nine-year career between Pittsburgh (five seasons) and Washington (four seasons, winning Super Bowl 40 as a key member of the Steelers. To this day he is still the only wide receiver to throw a touchdown in the league’s ultimate game.
Now the wide receivers coach of the rising Detroit Lions, Randle El and his family are dealing with the fate of his brother Marcus, who was sentenced last week to two consecutive life sentences after being found guilty in January of a 2020 double homicide in Janesville, Wisconsin.
Matthew Marczi of Steelers Depot described the crimes after the verdict came in:
“A jury found him guilty of the shooting death of two women that prosecutors argued were murdered because Randle El believed they were involved in informing on him to the police about his drug dealings. He was also found guilty of felony possession of a firearm and operating a vehicle without consent while in possession of a weapon.”
Per reports, Marcus believed that the two women, Brittany McAdory and Seairaha Winchester were working with police to set him up, so he killed both. He shot Winchester in the back of the head before running her over with a car. He then chased McAdory down before shooting her in the face.
Winchester’s mom spoke to the media following a tough day of emotions at the May 3 sentencing hearing.
“I will never forget how I had to tell her four girls that somebody killed their mom,” Justine Winchester said following the sentencing. “A mother should not have to view their daughter’s body and plan their funeral.”
Winchester also says she hopes there is a special place in hell for Randle El and for the first time in her life she actually hates someone.
In an effort to make sense of of a senseless act of violence that saw two women lose their lives, Antwaan spoke to the court last week about his brother and that fateful February 2020 day.
“Three years ago, made a terrible decision,” Antwaan said. “He made his decision, and it’s affected so many, but I don’t know where he went wrong. Something else had to be going on medically, mentally for him to make a decision that would change everything.”
Randle El says his brother even discussed maybe having CTE from his playing days at Wisconsin. Randle El’s mom Jaclyn and aunt are both of the belief that he didn’t commit these two heinous crimes. In fact his aunt told the court this.
“I know I my heart that Marcus didn’t commit those crimes.”
While both may believe that, the jury didn’t, so Marcus will now have plenty of time to ponder, as the former Wisconsin Badgers receiver won’t be eligible for parole for 60 years, which is 30 years on each count.
Kenny Smith is living his best life. The former basketball legend and “Inside The NBA” host was recently spotted at Miami Beach last Thursday. “The Jet” took some downtime from his NBA playoffs analyst duties and spent some of it in the company of Brazilian model Aline Bernardes.
The two were soaking up rays and listening to foreign music, with Smith making his best-seated dance moves in the background as his musical palette was extended. In what looked like pure bliss, Smith told the camera, “I don’t know the words but I like it; I like it.”
Bernades captioned one of her Instagram Stories “Teaching gringo friends to enjoy Péricles,” a clip that is since deleted. Péricles is a Brazilian recording artist.
Aline also met up with Smith’s “NBA on TNT” co-host Shaquille O’Neal later that evening at the famous Miami restaurant Prime 112, which she also included on her Instagram Stories. She captioned the post “with my BFF,” and many on social media assumed that Kenny Smith was also probably there.
With a significant social media follower base of over 200,000, Bernades is a popular Instagram model and singer. The 34-year-old also has a YouTube channel where her performances, behind-the-scene videos, and lifestyle content are hosted.
The potential new love interest for Smith comes when he’s in a perfect space professionally.
In October of last year, before the NBA season began, TNT officially announced it had signed all four “Inside the NBA” crew members to contract extensions. Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith, and Ernie Johnson are all committed to the network for the foreseeable future.
Smith’s deal is worth an estimated $10 million a year.
“Our partnership with the NBA is very important to us, and this long-term agreement with the Inside the NBA team is recognition of their significance to that relationship,” Chairman and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Luis Silberwasser said in a statement. “Inside the NBA epitomizes the creativity and innovative spirit we’ve established throughout our successful, long-standing legacy with the league.”
Smith joined the show in 1998, followed by Barkley two years later, with O’Neal being the last to join after he retired in 2011.
Neither Smith nor Bernardes has commented on their current relationship status, but they reportedly have children.
The 58-year-old Kenny has two children from his first marriage and two more with his last wife, Gwendolyn Osborne, an actress and former model on the television show “The Price Is Right.” They got married in 2006 and divorced in 2018.
Their separation was reportedly finalized in 2021, and since then Kenny Smith reportedly hasn’t been dating anyone.
Smith had a ten-year NBA career from 1987 to 1997, playing for the Sacramento Kings, Atlanta Hawks, Houston Rockets, Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, and Denver Nuggets. In Houston, he won back-to-back NBA championships in 1994 and 1995 during the Hakeem Olajuwon era.
Smith played college basketball with the North Carolina Tar Heels, earning consensus first-team All-America honors as a senior in 1987. Sacramento selected him in the first round of the 1987 NBA draft with the sixth overall pick.
Miami of Ohio women’s basketball coach DeUnna Hendrix resigned on April 26 after university officials became aware of intimate text messages between her and a player.
Over 180 text messages over an 11-day period between Hendrix and the player reportedly were discovered by the university athletic director David Sayler during an investigation. In them, Hendrix, 38, wrote “I love you” and “You’re my baby” and told the player: “I. Can’t. Wait. To. Squeeze. You.” In total, more than 30 of the messages were intimate in nature.
At the time of her resignation, reports show, Hendrix made it seem as though her resignation from the Oxford, Ohio-based Miami University was more procedural than as a result of her relationship with a player becoming news.
“It’s pretty matter of fact. Just looking at the state of the program, with some valuable pieces jumping in the portal and obviously, we’ve been building for four years. So going into a contract year, it was really important that all the pieces stay in place,” Hendrix told The Miami Student, the university’s student newspaper. “And so when it didn’t look that way, you know, I just felt like I needed to slide over and let somebody else take the reins.”
While Hendrix’s behavior was not a violation of Title IX or the University’s Sexual Misconduct protocol, there was violation of the university’s policy on staff members pursuing or engaging in a consensual amorous relationship with any Miami undergraduate students.
“I want to thank Miami University and its administration for allowing me to lead this program for the last four years,” Hendrix said in a statement. “I can’t express the amount of gratitude I have for this prestigious institution and its leadership. I also want to thank the Oxford community for the continual love and support. I look forward to the next phase of my career and continue rooting for the RedHawks.”
It goes without saying that coaches can’t have intimate relationships with their players — considering the power dynamics and team chemistry along with other matters that make the situation problematic.
These types of situations are not isolated.
Tyler Summitt, son of the late legendary women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt, resigned as the head coach of the Louisiana Tech women’s basketball team in 2016 after he had an affair with the team’s starting point guard.
It appears that Hendrix wanted the relationship with the player to become public. In one of the text exchanges with the player, Hendrix referenced a couple who had been married for many years and added: “Doing this with you openly would be more than ideal.” In a text dated April 9, Hendrix wrote “TODAY IS THE DAYYYYYY that my girl returns to me” and then notes that “the airport will be clear of Miami WBB employees.”
Hendrix led the RedHawks to a 12-19 overall and 7-11 Mid-American Conference record this past season. During her tenure, seven players earned All-MAC honors, and 15 student athletes were named to the Academic All-MAC squad. She finished with an overall record of 35-80 and 18 conference wins in four seasons.
As it always does, the Kentucky Derby brought out the who’s who in sports and entertainment. That’s the one and only weekend of the year the state of Kentucky — or should we say Churchill Downs — is the happening place in sports.
Each year newbies attend the sports spectacle, and this year was no different, as for the first time Buffalo Bills superstar quarterback Josh Allen was in attendance.
But that wasn’t why Allen was the topic of discussion. It was more about him being there without his longtime girlfriend, Brittany Williams, who also was there. It also didn’t help matters when Williams’ friend tweeted this caption …
That tweet seemed to confirm what many have thought for a while now, that Allen and Williams are a thing of the past.
In this era of social media, one way to determine if a couple is no longer together is by checking their Instagram, Twitter or Facebook. That’s exactly what happened in early April when Williams semmingly unfollowed the Bills franchise player on Instagram, immediately stirring the pot on their relationship.
What’s odd is just a few short months earlier following a tough playoff loss to the Bengals she penned this message to Allen via IG: “so proud of this man. You are the most amazing & selfless person I know. through all the highs this season and the many trials of adversity your team faced, you remained the same & never wavered. a true leader.”
Well, that was then and this is now, and it seems as if these two are no longer an item.
Allen could be seen enjoying himself all weekend, and while he didn’t address any breakup rumors, he did talk to reporters last month prior to the start of voluntary OTAs.
“I’m very excited and looking forward to getting here with the guys, building that team camaraderie, having guys over and just doing that piece of it,” Allen said. “Because I think that’s such a huge piece of it — when you’re able to trust your teammates inside and outside the facility. And again, we’re in Buffalo and there’s not a whole lot to do in terms of outside recreation and stuff like that, so having guys over to my spot, breaking bread together and having a good time and just getting to know each other on a deeper level pays dividends during the season.”
This a far different outlook from last offseason, when Williams even discussed marriage to her then longtime beau.
There is no doubt about how Tom Brady feels about himself and his past football career, because he will tell you. This weekend, during the Kentucky Derby programming, Brady was tasked with telling the story of racehorse Secretariat, the ninth winner of the Triple Crown, with the fastest time in all three races. However, the narrative took a weird turn into a full-on comparison of GOATs.
“I want to tell you a story about fate,” Brady started in the video. “It takes place in 1969. Two horse breeders have an agreement. They’ll flip a coin. The winner will get the first choice of two foals or baby horses. The loser will get their choice the next year.
“A woman named Penny, funny enough, is one of the owners. And she loses the coin toss. And a year later in 1970, only one foal was born. And that’s how she ends up with a young horse by the name of Secretariat.”
With this year marking the 50th anniversary of Secretariat’s legendary Kentucky Derby and his Triple Crown run, the Brady monologue was supposed to celebrate the horse’s legendary career. Instead, leading up to Sunday’s race, it evolved into Tom Brady delivering a comparative message that likened him to Secretariat. Whether NBC Sports decided to write the narrative or not, Brady delivered it to the dislike of many on social media.
“Now I want to tell you another story about fate,” Brady continued. “It takes place about 30 years later,” Brady said. “A kid you might recognize is sitting on the bench in New England, backing up one of the best quarterbacks in the league. But then that QB gets hurt, and the kid gets his shot to go in.
“Now maybe Secretariat would have become Secretariat even if he had a different owner, a different trainer, a different jockey. And maybe I would have found my way into a lineup even if my good buddy Drew Bledsoe didn’t get hurt that day on the field. But I do know the way it worked out for both of us felt a lot like fate.”
Fans took to Twitter to tell Brady how they felt about his comparison to Secretariat.
“This was supposed to be a tribute to/about Secretariat why ruin it with sticking Brady in it ???” Twitter user @cantankerousol1 posted.
“Shame on NBC for making this piece about Tom Brady in ANY WAY! If you’re going to salute a horse make your piece about THE HORSE!!!” Twitter user @AlienBujak posted.
A year after Brady was selected in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL draft, Patriots starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe was injured in the second game of the 2001 season, and Brady was chosen to fill the position. By the following season, he was a Super Bowl champion, winning Super Bowl XXXVI 20-17 over the then-St. Louis Rams.
Brady would go on to win six total championships for the Pats and one final one as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he retired after last season. Brady is the only quarterback to win a Super Bowl in three separate decades, and many believed he would return for another crack at a championship.
He famously unretired to come back for the 2022 season, to the detriment of his marriage to supermodel Gisele Bündchen.
If no one loves Kanye as much as Kanye loves Kanye, then Tom Brady has just entered the Kanye West school of verbal self-gratification most uncannily; through the lens of one of the world’s most famous racehorses.
While the Houston Astros were raising their second-ever World Series banner and second in the past six seasons at Minute Maid Park on MLB Opening Day 2023, some thieves took it upon themselves to break into star second baseman Jose Altuve’s home. There the culprits managed to take over $1 million in jewelry from Altuve’s Houston home.
Per reports, the thieves were able to get onto Altuve’s property, then they removed a plant on his porch, and entered through the window to take the valuable items. It was also reported that they got away with 13 pretty expensive timepieces, with names like Piguet, Rolex, Richard Mille and Patek Philippe, with one being valued at over $420,000.
While it took over a month, Houston authorities were able to bring suspects to justice this week, putting an end to the search.
According to Isabel Gonzalez of CBS Sports, the three men in the group are all over the age of 25 and will be charged accordingly.
“Patrick Maxey, Jordan Tarniella, and William Jones Jr. were charged with burglary of a habitation. All of them are at least 25 years old. A fourth suspect, 20-year-old Jasmyn Hall, was charged with hindering apprehension and evading arrest while she allegedly tried to help Jones flee from officers on April 13,” Gonzalez reported
Unfortunately, hearing this happen to Altuve isn’t all that surprising, as things of value have been taken from various athletes’ and entertainers’ homes. One would think when you have that type of money and status it’d be much harder for folks to get into your home and be able to take such things of value.
But if there is a bright side, it’s no one was injured and the four people who are alleged to have committed the crime have been apprehended by the police.
As for Altuve himself, he has yet to make a statement on the situation, instead opting to let the local authorities sort things out, which they seem to have done.
The Astros (17-15) haven’t had their superstar on the field yet this season, as he’s still recovering from a fractured thumb broken in the World Baseball Classic.
When Altuve will return is still an unknown, but he is mending.
He recently told Kristie Reiken of The Associated Press this about his return:
“I think right now it’s a hard sell. Anything is possible. I’m working really hard. I want to come back and help these guys to win, but we’ll see. I think the next two weeks are really important in my rehab.”
Altuve, an eight-time All Star and 2017 AL MVP, has never missed this much time in his career.
The way Tiger Woods ends relationships might be close to Machiavellian if you believe the way he allegedly canceled his last girlfriend. On Friday, the attorney for Erica Herman, the ex-girlfriend of Tiger Woods, filed a document in court that gave new details about how she claims Woods decided to break up with her in October.
She avers that Woods tricked her into being kicked out of his house, which she believes is relevant to her ongoing court dispute in Florida. Although there is a non-disclosure agreement that Woods and Herman signed in 2017, which has prompted him to steer the issue to private arbitration, Herman wants the court to deem the NDA invalid and, therefore, unenforceable.
She claims that in her former status as an employee for his Jupiter, Florida-based restaurant, The Woods Jupiter, she was subjected to sexual harassment by the famous golfer. Also, her filing claims Woods did not try to take their breakup to private arbitration as designated by the NDA when he gave her the walking papers out of his house in October. However, he allegedly had a more dramatic way of dealing with his problems, reminiscent of a popular cable television show about a Hollywood problem-fixer.
“Instead, he called a California attorney — who promotes himself as ‘Ray Donovan with a pen’ — to unceremoniously eject Ms. Herman from the house through trickery and break up with her for him,” the document filed Friday by Herman’s attorney Benjamin Hodas said.
“The scheme involved convincing Ms. Herman to pack for a weekend excursion to the Bahamas. She and Mr. Woods often traveled on short notice for quick getaways, and she was told this would be another such trip. So, she took a minimum of items, expecting to return home in a few days.”
Then the shenanigans got interesting as Woods alledgedly pulled off a finesse to eliminate Herman’s presence from his home.
Per Herman’s filing, Woods drove them to the airport, where a private plane awaited. However, instead of boarding the plane, she claims that Woods told her to talk to his lawyer and left.
Ouch.
“Then, Mr. Woods’s California lawyer, out of the blue, told her that she was not going anywhere, would never see Mr. Woods again, had been locked out of the house, and could not return,” the filing continued. “She would not even be able to see the children or her pets again. While still in the hangar, ‘Ray Donovan with a pen’ proceeded to insult Ms. Herman, [advised] her she had no legal rights, and [tried] to force her to agree to a [different] non-disclosure and arbitration agreement.”
Herman refused to sign per the filing, calling the action “brutish and high-pressure tactics.” Herman’s lawsuits are against Woods and a trust established for his Treasure Coast of Florida residence. She claims $30 million in damages after being ousted from the home in violation of an oral tenancy agreement. Woods’ attorney denied such an agreement exists, labeling Herman a “jilted” ex-girlfriend.
Key to the filing is that Herman believes if Woods wanted to abide by the original NDA she signed with Woods, then he would have invoked the private arbitration instead of creating a fake trip to lure her out of the house.
“Importantly, neither Mr. Woods, nor his lawyer, nor any of his other agents invoked some pre-existing arbitration agreement that day as they ejected Ms. Herman from the house and took away her personal property and pets,” the filing says.
Woods wanted to break up and possibly finesse his employee-turned-girlfriend out of his home. Now facts and fiction will collide as the courts determine if he acted outside the parameters of the law or if she is grasping at straws.
As Philadelphia 76ers and superstar center Joel Embiid are prepping for a huge Game 4 Sunday against the Boston Celtics, Embiid, the newly-cemented 2023 NBA MVP, is letting it be known that he isn’t a fan of the timing of the award ceremony. Prior to Friday’s Game 3 home loss to the Celtics, which gave Boston a 2-1 series lead, the big Cameroonian was awarded the award, the first of his career after finishing as the runner-up to Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic the past two seasons.
And while Embiid’s speech and on-court ceremony was touching, he doesn’t seem to be a fan of the timing of when the award is presented.
During his postgame presser, Embiid mentioned that he’d like to see the award given during the pap of the end of the regular season and the start of the playoffs. The former Kansas Jayhawks star says it’s a distraction, and any other time would be better in his opinion.
“I thought I got into the game and let the game come to me and not force anything, not play off my emotions, I thought I was fine the whole week. I don’t think it affected me, but all this attention I feel like it can be a distraction, and I just feel like this type of stuff can happen in another time. You got the whole week between the regular season and the playoffs, right before the playoffs, you can do something like that.
“But can’t take it for granted, wish we would’ve won tonight it would’ve made it even better. It’s hard for me to sit here and kind of think about winning that when you’re down 2-1 and we’re just trying to find ways you can help and win games.”
Just like with “NBA Opening Night” or “NFL Kickoff,” in most instances the defending champion doesn’t play as well because of all the festivities. That’s also been the case for this award, as the team of the winner usually doesn’t win or play as well, even if the individual does.
That was the case on Friday, as Embiid — still battling a sprained knee, that was supposed to keep him out at least four to six weeks — played 39 minutes, scoring 30 points, grabbing 13 rebounds, and getting four blocks that weren’t enough in the team’s 114-102 loss. But the Sixers have an even bigger problem heading into Game 4 that they must rectify if they’re to have any chance of extending this series beyond five games.
With Embiid giving that type of effort on basically one leg, he needs former league MVP James Harden to join the party. After scoring 45 points, including the game-winning three in Game 1 without Embiid, Harden has scored a grand total of 28 points on 5-for-28 shooting over the past two games.
There’s no way Philly can upset the Celtics unless both Embiid and Harden are playing well together, and thus far that hasn’t happened. All the Philly faithful can hope is that Sunday is the day it happens.
Oakland A’s broadcaster Glen Kuiper is now the definition of putting your foot in your mouth as he said a racial slur during Oakland’s Friday night game against the Kansas City Royals. During the pregame monologue, Kuiper described a trip to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri, with former professional baseball player turned television sports commentator Dallas Braden.
While describing his trip, Kuiper exchanged “Negro” with the N-word when referring to the Baseball Museum. Although he probably meant to pronounce the word “negro,” the slip now enters the realm of public scrutiny as either an authentic faux pas or Freudian slip, an unintentional error regarded as revealing subconscious feelings.
Kuiper remained in the booth but apologized later in the game.
“Welcome back to Kauffman Stadium. I just wanted to … a little bit earlier in the show, I said something, didn’t come out quite the way I wanted it to,” Kuiper said. “And I just wanted to apologize if it sounded different than I meant it to be said. And like I said, I just wanted to apologize for that.”
Kuiper is in his 20th season calling games for the A’s and has covered baseball in the Bay Area since 1992. The A’s issued a statement condemning Kuiper’s language.
“The language used by Glen Kuiper during today’s pregame broadcast is unacceptable,” the A’s posted to Twitter. “The Oakland Athletics do not condone such language. We are working to address the situation.”
Kuiper has been suspended and will be off the air until the incident is reviewed.
On Saturday, Negro Leagues Baseball Museum President Bob Kendrick made a statement on social media about the incident declaring his intention to find forgiveness for the Oakland A’s announcer. President of the NLBM since 2011, Kendrick wants others to try to forgive Kuiper too.
“I’m aware of the unfortunate slur made by Glen Kuiper. I welcomed Glen to the NLBM yesterday and know he was genuinely excited to be here,” Kendrick wrote on Twitter. “The word is painful and has no place in our society. And while I don’t pretend to know Glen’s heart I do know that my heart is one of forgiveness. I hope all of you will find it in yourselves to do the same!”
Baseball has historically been racially polarized as one of the oldest sports in American history. As the oldest of the four major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada, the sport traces its history back to the 19th century. It was in the 20th century that it became America’s national pastime. As it grew, it became big business, and Major League Baseball excluded some of the best athletes due to a color barrier.
By the 1940s, organized baseball had been racially segregated for many years. It wasn’t until Branch Rickey, GM of the Brooklyn Dodgers, and Jackie Robinson of the Negro leagues’ Kansas City Monarchs agreed to a contract to bring Robinson into MLB in 1947 that the barrier was breached. Many Negro leagues players like Satchel Paige, Roy Campanella, and Hank Aaron eventually made it to the majors, but the echoes of longstanding prejudice are still present in the game.
The 2023 NFL draft saw 272 players have their names called in what is a life-changing opportunity that most can only dream about. As those players are chosen and come to the podium to greet NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, they pose for pictures with the jersey of the franchise that just selected them.
Those jerseys are then put away for the players to take home as a sentimental gift to remember their special night. For something that routinely goes off without a blip, this year was a little different as over $1K in jerseys were stolen from some of the draft areas backstage, and the two alleged thiefs were caught on surveillance.
They happened to be two USC students, Jude Ocanas and Eric Lambkins who were covering the draft for journalism school. Ocanas and Lambkins were credentialed through Annenberg Media, a digital media outlet under Southern Cal’s journalism program.
According to surveillance, the duo could be seen entering a room designated, “talent waiting room,” with a bag and that looked “fuller” when they came out of that room. They allegedly packed up jerseys with the No. 1 on them from the Niners, Cowboys and Vikings.
“These jerseys are used to give to players selected in the first round of the NFL draft and have a very sentimental meaning,” Kansas City Missouri Police Detective Craig Leach described in the report.
According to reports, the two culprits have since posted bond, and have returned to campus. That has to be pretty embarrassing to have the distinct honor to cover such a big event, only to be accused of stealing and ending up in a Kansas City jail cell.
Embarrassment for the two ostensible kleptos, and for the school for sending them cross country only to have them make the news like this.
David Bell, the defense attorney who will represent Ocanas and Lambkins, believes the reputations of both will serve them well in the eyes of the court.
“Out of respect for our system of justice, we are not going to comment on the evidence outside of the courtroom.
“We are confident that the unique set of circumstances in this case, combined with the extraordinary reputations of Mr. Lambkins and Mr. Ocanas, will result in a fair and equitable resolution to all parties involved.”
Maybe the bigger surprise is neither was kicked out of school for their actions.
In the crime drama television series “The Wire,” super stickup artist Omar Little said a now iconic line, “You come at the King, you best not miss.” Boxing’s pound-for-pound king, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, wanted Gervonta “Tank” Davis to know that his win over former protegè “King” Ryan Garcia was not enough to make him the new face of boxing. That slot, Alvarez feels, still belongs to him.
“I’m not retired yet, my friend,” Alvarez said to reporters during a virtual interview session for his Cinco De Mayo return to Mexico fight against John Ryder on Saturday. “They can say whatever they want, but, you know, it’s not that easy. One fight don’t put you in that position. You need to do a lotta things.”
Davis crowned himself after putting down Ryan Garcia on April 22 at the T-Mobile Arena in his biggest pay-per-view fight yet. The fight sold a reported 1.2 million buys, solidifying Tank as a top draw. Davis also drew a live capacity crowd of 20,842.
Alvarez has sold out the same arena seven times prior.
“I’m definitely the face of boxing,” Davis said after the win in response to in-ring interviewer Jim Gray’s question after his seventh-round knockout of Ryan Garcia on April 22. “Abso-f****ng-lutely!”
However, the 32-year-old Alvarez still needs to believe the 28-year-old Davis is the face of the sport.
“There are a lotta good fighters coming up,” Alvarez continued. “One of them is Gervonta, for sure. But he need to do more things, not just in one fight. But I like Gervonta. I like Gervonta Davis a lot. You know, but he need to do more things to be the face of boxing, not just one fight. And one fight with Ryan Garcia – I respect Ryan Garcia. But what [does] he brings [to be] the face of boxing?”
His out-of-ring issues overshadow Davis’s stellar in-ring performances. On Friday, he avoided jail time in a criminal hit-and-run case in his native Baltimore. According to court records, Davis was sentenced to 90 days of house arrest at the home of his lifelong trainer, Calvin Ford. He was also given three years of probation and 200 hours of community service.
In November 2020, Davis reportedly left a club in Baltimore at 2 a.m., ran a red light, struck the passenger side of a 2004 Toyota Solara, and fled the scene. The prosecution said that Davis made eye contact with the injured pregnant woman but never came to her assistance. In February, Davis pleaded guilty to four counts from the hit-and-run crash.
Currently residing in Florida, Davis also has a domestic violence case in Broward County, where he is the defendant, per court records. Davis pleaded not guilty in the misdemeanor battery case, and his subsequent trial date is May 26.
Although Davis has amassed an impressive 29-0 record with 27 KOs, unlike Alvarez, who has managed to maintain a clean image and attract high-level corporate brands and more, Davis still has demons to conquer before fully embodying the weight of becoming the true face of boxing.
Greg Hardy has had an interesting journey as an athlete, and now he is experiencing the unconventional as he attempts to transition into a marketing entrepreneur. Hardy took to Instagram to show the world what he thought was an opportunity to learn the marketing business that devolved into being a greeter and sales associate at a local Walmart in Garland, Texas.
“Gotta keep it real with y’all. I don’t know how the f**k yall do this 9-to-5 sh*t, bro,” Hardy said on May 4 on his Instagram Live. “I thought like I had it hard being a celebrity and sh-t; this is not what’s up, boy. Heckle me because y’all job is hard. Every athlete, every basketball player, every football player, f**k them, go to a real job. That sh*t real.”
“So what happened was, I signed up at a marketing company because I’m trying to start a couple of companies of my own,” Hardy continued. “Homie called me into the office, thought I was in Wolf on Wall Street. Bro, turned out I’m wolf in the back alley. Tell me why they tell me on my first day you’re about to get big money, all you got to do is go sign some customers. I’m like, ‘Sign some customers? I thought we was marketing?’
“We’re doing signs,” he continued. “We’re doing market analysis using that graphic design degree I got. Lo and behold, these turned me into one of the Walmart Spectrum greeters. If you’re in Texas, if you’re in Garland, come see your boy; I’ll sell you some Spectrum, because I’m quitting today.”
Hardy, wearing a tie, hoodie, and eyeglasses, then shows his IG Live viewers his station in Walmart while talking to random customers and tapping in his friends to share his normalcy as an employee. It is a different look for a man once a Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys member who is now tricked into a retail gig while searching for real-world marketing experience.
The former Ole Miss defensive end was drafted in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL draft by the Carolina Panthers, who he played with until 2014. His final stint in the NFL was with the Dallas Cowboys in 2015, where he spent only one season. After domestic abuse allegations that left Hardy on the wrong side of public opinion, he went deeper down the rabbit hole, becoming one of the first NFL players to leap into combat sports.
Hardy debuted on a UFC-affiliated reality competition called Dana White’s Contender Series, where he won two fights consecutively by first-round knockout. He quickly got into the UFC, fighting ten times and amassing a record of 4-5-1. After three consecutive losses by knockout, Hardy began to box, going 2-0 before losing his bare-knuckle boxing debut at Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships KnuckleMania 3 by second-round knockout.
Now Hardy has popped up in Garland, Texas, at a Walmart, searching for a career change. The life of Greg Hardy is full of twists and turns, and his IG Live 9-to-5 revelatory experience is just another chapter.
The New Orleans Saints might have gotten the steal of the 2023 draft in former South Carolina State Gamecocks wide receiver Shaq Davis.
Davis had his coming-out party in college when he torched former Jackson State head coach Deion Sanders and the Tigers with five catches for 95 yards and three touchdowns in the Tigers’ 31-10 blowout win in the 2021 Celebration Bowl. That game put Davis on the map as a possible draft pick in the NFL.
While that dream didn’t come to fruition last week, as Davis wasn’t drafted, the 6-foot-5 pass catcher was immediately scooped up by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent. It’s a great move for a Saints team that signed free agent quarterback Derek Carr and boasts former No. 1 pick Jameis Winston as a very capable backup.
Even though Davis’ name wasn’t called over the three days in Kansas City, the rangy wideout still gets to realize his dream of playing pro football. And based on what the Saints did for him as far as compensation goes, Davis is someone they believe will be on their final 55-man roster come August.
With the health of former All-Pro wideout Michael Thomas still in question, the Saints adding Davis is a great move. Davis can provide some of the things that they’d lose if Thomas is in and out of the lineup, with his speed and catch radius.
That’s why him signing for $216,000 is no real shocker, because he’s a player of need for the new-look Saints offense with Carr at the helm.
Davis will join a receiver room with second-year pro Chris Olave, who showed out as a rookie last season with 72 catches for 1,042 yards and four touchdowns. Veterans Tre’Quan Smith and Brian Edwards, plus second-year player Rashid Shaheed, who was solid in his rookie year with 28 catches for 488 yards and two touchdowns, are also passing targets in New Orleans.
Davis can have an impact on this team, and the Saints brass know it.
A big play waiting to happen, Davis played three seasons for the SCSU Bulldogs, recording 128 receptions for 2,407 yards and 39 touchdowns
Davis became a household name when he torched Coach Prime’s guys in the 2021 Celebration Bowl. Now he’ll have his chance to make a name for himself on Sundays down on the Bayou.
