Month: March 2021

Javon McKinley’s pro day results

Will Javon McKinley hear his name called in the NFL draft?

Notre Dame wide receiver Javon McKinley participated in Wednesday’s pro day at the university and probably didn’t put up the numbers he was hoping for, especially in terms of speed and agility.

McKinley put up the following numbers on Wednesday:

Height: 6-1.6″
Weight: 215 pounds
Arm:  33″
Wingspan: 79″
Hand: 9 3/4″
225 lb. Bench Press: 20 reps
40-yard dash: 4.57 seconds
Vertical jump: 32 1/2″
Broad jump: Did not participate
20-yard shuttle: 4.36 seconds
3 cone drill: 6.80 seconds

McKinley recorded 42 receptions for 717 yards and three touchdowns for Notre Dame in 2020.  He tied for the team-lead in receptions while pulling in more receiving yards than any other team member.

Related:

Watch: Javon McKinley’s pro day press conference

Photos from Notre Dame’s pro day

Mike Tomlin compliments Notre Dame program at 2021 pro day

Lakers news: Andre Drummond (toe) leaves game vs. Bucks

The newest Laker’s first game in purple and gold was cut short by a lost toenail in the second half.

The very difficult season for the Los Angeles Lakers continues to provide obstacles. The latest just happened to take out their newest addition, Andre Drummond, who was thought to be a player who could bring new energy into the squad while Anthony Davis and LeBron James recover. But early in the second half of Drummond’s debut on Wednesday against the Milwaukee Bucks, the former Cavaliers and Pistons big man walked to the locker room with an apparent toe injury.

Cameras got a close-up of the kind of bandages Drummond had on his toes and footage from ESPN appeared to show Drummond describing that he had lost his toenail. The Lakers eventually announced that Drummond suffered a bruised toe and would miss the rest of the game. X-rays on Drummond’s toe were also negative, according to reports.

Drummond did play after initially not starting the second half but didn’t last very long before leaving the game. The Lakers could use him but they probably wouldn’t make much progress if he did play as the Bucks were blowing the Lakers out through three quarters, 89-75. The Lakers got off to a hot start in the first quarter but were unable to sustain their crisp offensive execution.

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New Cardinals S Shawn Williams follows WR A.J. Green again

Williams and Green were teammates in college and with the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Arizona Cardinals made the signing of safety Shawn Williams official on Wednesday and he was introduced to the media. The former Cincinnati Bengal is reunited with receiver A.J. Green, who spent a decade with the Bengals until signing with the Cardinals this month.

The funny thing is that this isn’t the first time Williams has followed Green onto a team.

It is actually the third time they will be teammates. The other two times were coincidental.

It started in college.

Both went to Georgia. Green was there from 2008-2010 before being selected fourth overall in the 2011 draft by the Bengals.

Williams was his teammate in 2009-2010.

Two years into Green’s career in Cinncinati, the Bengals drafted Williams in the third round in 2013.

They were teammates until both had their contracts expire this offseason.

Green signed a one-year deal with the Cardinals the first week of free agency. Williams followed him.

From Georgia to Ohio to Arizona, the two have crossed the country together.

Their first three seasons with the Bengals, they made the postseason. Can they do it again?

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Ian Book’s pro day results

What round will Ian Book get drafted in?

Notre Dame held their annual pro day on Wednesday and had 13 players from the 2020 team workout.

Quarterback Ian Book was among them as the quarterback who won more games as a starter than any other quarterback in Notre Dame history had the following results:

Height: 6-0
Weight: 211 pounds
Arm:  31 3/8″
Wingspan: 75 7/8″
Hand: 9 7/8″
225 lb. Bench Press:  Did not do
40-yard dash: 4.59 seconds
Vertical jump: 32 1/2″
Broad jump: 9’7″
20-yard shuttle: 4.13 seconds
3 cone drill: 6.70 seconds

Book’s athleticism that anyone who watched him play was aware of showed out well and his hands were perhaps slightly larger than imagined for the 6-0 quarterback.

Related:

Ian Book’s pro day press conference

Photos from Notre Dame’s pro day

Mike Tomlin compliments Notre Dame program at 2021 pro day

Packers WR Davante Adams surprises alma mater with new uniforms, cleats

The Packers WR surprised the high school football team in Palo Alto with new Jordan brand uniforms and shoes.

Green Bay Packers receiver Davante Adams gave back to the high school that helped launch his football career.

With help from Wisconsin-based sports apparel supplier Eastbay, Adams surprised the football team at his alma mater in Palo Alto, California with new Jordan brand uniforms, cleats and shoes.

Adams said sports help unite communities and give kids an “escape” and an “outlet,” providing the basis for him helping out his high school.

“Having Davante come back and give back is something they’re going to remember the rest of their lives,” Palo Alto coach Nelson Gifford said.

Adams won a state championship with Palo Alto High School before becoming an All-American at Fresno State and a second-round draft pick of the Packers.

Adams, a four-time Pro Bowler with the Packers, became a brand representative of Jordan in May of last year. He enjoyed the finest season of his NFL career in 2020, catching 115 passes for 1,374 yards and 18 touchdowns over 14 games.

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Tommy Tremble pro day results

How much did Tommy Tremble help his draft stock on Wednesday?

Tommy Tremble had a strong showing at Notre Dame’s 2021 pro day, specifically in the performance parts of the day, even if he didn’t measure out the way you look for a prototypical NFL tight end to do.

Tremble measured out and put up the following numbers on Wednesday:

Height: 6-3.3″
Weight: 241 pounds
Arm:  31 7/8″
Wingspan: 78 1/2″
Hand: 9 1/4″
225 lb. Bench Press:  20
40-yard dash: 4.59 seconds
Vertical jump: 36 1/2″
Broad jump: 10’2″
20-yard shuttle: did not participate
3 cone drill: did not participate

Tremble’s performances were great although he’s not the perfect size as discussed above.

All things considered though, it was a solid day for Tremble who performed about as well as he could hope for.

Related:

Photos from Notre Dame’s pro day

Mike Tomlin compliments Notre Dame program at 2021 pro day

Video: Demetrius Andrade says he’s opponent for Triple-G

Video: Demetrius Andrade believes he’s the right opponent for Gennadiy Golovkin.

Demetrius Andrade is still looking for that big middleweight fight.

And the 160-pound titleholder, scheduled to defend against Liam Williams on April 17, knows one compelling matchup that would make sense for both parties: Himself vs. Gennadiy Golovkin.

In this episode of Boxing with Chris Mannix, Andrade told the DAZN commentator that he believes Golovkin is fixated on a third fight with Canelo Alvarez when he can face him in a lucrative title-unification fight while he still has something left in the tank.

Here’s the interview.

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Video: Demetrius Andrade says he’s opponent for Triple-G

Video: Demetrius Andrade believes he’s the right opponent for Gennadiy Golovkin.

Demetrius Andrade is still looking for that big middleweight fight.

And the 160-pound titleholder, scheduled to defend against Liam Williams on April 17, knows one compelling matchup that would make sense for both parties: Himself vs. Gennadiy Golovkin.

In this episode of Boxing with Chris Mannix, Andrade told the DAZN commentator that he believes Golovkin is fixated on a third fight with Canelo Alvarez when he can face him in a lucrative title-unification fight while he still has something left in the tank.

Here’s the interview.

[jwplayer LrZW1OVt]

Top-2023 recruit calls Notre Dame ‘amazing program’

Is Notre Dame football elite? Not quite, but to a top-2023 recruit they are “amazing”.

Notre Dame fans who keep an extra-close eye on recruiting are familiar with Milton High School in Georgia as a 2022 recruiting class commitment, tight end Jack Nickel is a student there.

It’s a 2023 recruiting prospect from Milton that is in the news for Notre Dame however as top-ranked defensive end Lebbeus Overton recently had some very positive things to say about the Notre Dame football program.

Speaking to Mike Singer from BlueandGold.com (click for the full article, it’s worth your time), Overton offered the following:

“I’ve watched a lot of their games. I don’t know how to describe it; it’s just an amazing program. They have everything you need to be successful.”

Overton is rated as the nation’s top player according to the most recent 2023 individual rankings that were released by Rivals.  Overton also told Singer that Nickel is in his ear about attending Notre Dame:

“He’s been in my ear a lot,” Overton said. “That’s my guy; we’re close. I’m glad he’s at Notre Dame. It’s an amazing school, especially for tight ends. Ever since I got the offer, he’s been on me and trying to hype me up about it.”

It’s clearly a good sign for Notre Dame that the nation’s top-rated prospect has that to share, but it’s hardly a two-foot putt that Overton will eventually commit to the program.

It’s a good first step and positive news, but a lot of work remains for Notre Dame with the likes of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Ohio State, Oklahoma, and Texas A&M just a few of those in pursuit of Overton.

Related: Notre Dame’s 2022 recruiting commitments

Christian Wood blames himself as Rockets fade late at Nets

“If I want to be that franchise guy I know I can be, I have to be better in the fourth quarter,” Wood said. “This loss is on me.”

The Houston Rockets raced out to a 24-6 lead in Wednesday’s road game versus Brooklyn before eventually falling, 120-108 (recap). They led by six points with under eight minutes remaining before going more than four minutes without scoring, seemingly confounded by the switching defense utilized by head coach Steve Nash with the Nets.

Star center Christian Wood had 14 points and 8 rebounds for the Rockets, but he shot just 4-of-12 from the field (33.3%) and turned the ball over three times. In postgame comments, Wood took the blame for what went wrong, and he vowed to get better from the experience.

“The first three quarters, if you look, we played great,” Wood said postgame. “We moved the ball, we attacked switches, we get the post up on the switches. And then, in the fourth quarter we kind of get stagnant and if I want to be that franchise guy, that leader that I know I can be, I have to lead my team in the fourth quarter. I have to be better.”

“Whether it’s commanding the ball or being better on the defensive end, I feel like I played terrible in the fourth quarter,” Wood said. “I feel like this loss is on me. So, I take that one, and I’ll be better next game.”

Wood didn’t play in Houston’s previous two games, missing one with right ankle soreness and the most recent due to illness.

With Wednesday’s result, the Rockets fell to 13-34, while the Nets improved to 33-15. Brooklyn has won 19 of its last 22 games, overall.

“I felt like I only shot the ball three times, I should’ve commanded the ball down the stretch,” Wood said in his postgame interview. “Whether it was when I was setting screens and rolling, and getting Joe Harris or Kyrie [Irving] on me, or whatever that switched little guy was, and passing out of that post-up when they double-teamed, like I did in the first three quarters. I think I have to just do a better job of that.”

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxmfqJooyXE