Tag: 2019

Ed Orgeron dishes on his locker room comments after Alabama win in 2019

Ed Orgeron regrets the 2019 speech going viral.

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On Wednesday morning LSU head coach Ed Orgeron took part in the weekly coaches conference call with the rest of the SEC. One topic brought up this week was his post-game video from the 2019 game.

A video of the post-game locker room speech was leaked to social media, Orgeron didn’t regret that the speech took place. His regret was that it was made public.

“Well you know that was something that was made in the privacy of a locker room,” Orgeron said. “I wish it wouldn’t have gotten out. I meant no disrespect to anybody at Alabama so I just wish that wouldn’t have gotten out. That wasn’t supposed to get out and it wasn’t intended to.”

Inside a locker room, many things are said as a way to pump up the team, get them energized. It isn’t always something that needs to be made public domain. However, the video is out there, and given that this is the first trip to Tuscaloosa since that day, it could be viewed as bulletin board material.

Not that the Alabama Crimson Tide needs any more motivation than they already have, Nick Saban will have his guys ready to play when the game kicks off from Bryant Denny Stadium.

Let’s just hope that another Orgeron comment rings true. “We’re coming and we’re not backing down.”

The best highlights from Jack Coan’s time at Wisconsin

What is your favorite?

It’ll be a weird sight on Saturday morning when Jack Coan takes the field as a member of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and lines up against the Wisconsin Badger defense.

The date has been brewing for months, as Coan’s season-ending injury in 2020 pretty much ended his Wisconsin career. Then when he made the decision to transfer to Notre Dame, September 25’s contest between the two schools was immediately circled.

Related: Notre Dame will have a big problem when they face Wisconsin next weekend

I’ve always been a big fan of Coan and what he brought to the Wisconsin offense. Throughout the 2019 season, he was a steady force in front of all-time great running back Jonathan Taylor, made big throws to Quintez Cephus and others, did well protecting the football and even made some impressive plays with his legs.

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Badger fans have a good idea of what to expect on Saturday. But before we dive deep into the matchup between the two teams, here are some of Coan’s best highlights during his time as a Wisconsin Badger:

Let’s take a look at some photos from last year’s Florida at LSU game

Florida arrived in Baton Rouge with a 6-0 record but walked away with its first loss in 2019 to the hands of the eventual nat’l champions.

The Florida Gators came into 2019’s matchup with the LSU Tigers with a 6-0 record and ranked seventh in the nation, while their opponent — and eventual national champions — carried a 5-0 mark and a No. 5 ranking. Something had to give in this titanic matchup between two Southeastern Conference foes and in the end, the home team pulled out a statement win in Baton Rouge.

In just his fourth career collegiate start, Kyle Trask kept up with Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow through the first half, but the Tigers took the lead in the third and pulled away in the fourth while shutting down the Gators offense. The game felt much closer than the final score of 42-28, but in the end, the loss was still just as tough to stomach.

Texas football’s highest-graded returners on offense per PFF

According to PFF, these were the top five players on offense for Texas last season.

The once uncertain college football season is now rapidly approaching. Continue reading “Texas football’s highest-graded returners on offense per PFF”

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6

Free agent linebacker Mychal Kendricks medically cleared to play in 2020

Free agent and former Seattle Seahawks linebacker Mychal Kendricks has been medically cleared by Dr. Daniel Cooper to play for 2020.

 

Current free agent and former Seattle Seahawks linebacker Mychal Kendricks has been medically cleared by Dr. Daniel Cooper to play for the 2020 season, and therefore search for a new NFL team, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Kendricks tore his ACL against the San Francisco 49ers in 2019, ending his season last year. Prior to that injury, he recorded 71 tackles (47 solo), three sacks, four pass deflections, and an interception. Now that he can sign with a team again, a reunion with Seattle is possible, especially considering Kendricks’ sentencing for insider trading has been postponed indefinitely.

The chances of Kendricks signing with the Seahawks for 2020 are unlikely, given that the team drafted Jordyn Brooks, brought back Bruce Irvin and Benson Mayowa and has Bobby Wagner, KJ Wright, and Cody Barton at the linebacker position as well. However, anything is possible in the NFL.

Should Kendricks find a way to resolve his legal issues, he could possibly end back up in a Seattle uniform.

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LOOK: Texas players, staff receive Alamo Bowl rings

The 2019 Alamo Bowl rings have arrived.

When you defeat a highly-ranked team in the Alamo Bowl, you have to show off the ring.

That’s exactly what players and staff began to do on Wednesday via Twitter.

Bob Shipley, father of former wide receivers Jordan and Jaxon, has had a wide variety of job titles in regards to Texas football. Currently, he serves as a football analyst. In the past, he was the director of high school relations.

It’s clear that the entire Shipley family bleeds burnt orange, it’s no surprise that he’s one of the first to show off a proud accomplishment. As a staff member, he received a 2019 Alamo Bowl ring after Texas defeated No. 11 Utah 38-10 on Dec. 31.

Over the past two seasons, the Longhorns have dominated both Georgia and Utah in the Sugar Bowl and Alamo Bowl. Tom Herman is now the first Texas head coach to win his first three bowl game appearances.

It’s certainly not their primary goals of the Big 12 title, appearing in the college football playoff, or winning the National Championship. Even if you fall short of those goals, you at least hope to play in one of the New Year’s Six (NY6) bowls that are the top major NCAA Division I bowl games.

However, the dominating fashion in which they’ve handled well-respected opponents is worth showing off. The ring showcases the Longhorns logo in the middle of the bling, with the Texas tower and respective last name on the side.

2019 Florida Gators Football Profile Card: Lloyd Summerall III

This is a Player Profile Card for freshman linebacker Lloyd Summerall III of the Florida Gators football team.

Name: Lloyd Summerall III

Number: 99

Position: Linebacker

Class: Freshman

Height: 6’5″

Weight: 214 lbs

Hometown: Lakeland, Fla.

High School: Lakeland High School

Twitter: @HimsoHam

2019 statistics:

Tackles
Gm Solo Ast Tot Loss Sk
3 1 1 2 0.5 0

Overview:

Summerall III started his high school career at Auburndale High School but transferred to Lakeland High School for his senior year, leading it to a Class 7A state title.

He was a four star recruit in the 2019 recruiting class after finishing his high school career with 117 tackles and 14.5 sacks. He committed to coach Dan Mullen and the Gators over offers from Alabama, Florida State, Georgia, LSU and more.

Summerall III played in three games his first year on campus, blowouts against UT Martin and Vanderbilt, as well as the Orange Bowl victory over Virginia. He made just two tackles (one solo) and redshirted the season. He should see more action as an edge rusher his redshirt freshman season in 2020.

Video:

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Why Seahawks DK Metcalf will be a Pro Bowler his sophomore season

Former Seattle Seahawks quarterback Jake Heaps stated that wide receiver DK Metcalf will be a Pro Bowler in his second season as a pro.

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf had a sensational rookie year in 2019 and is gearing up for 2020 to take the next step in his NFL career. Former team quarterback Jake Heaps expressed his confidence that Metcalf would do just that.

“I think DK Metcalf is going to be a Pro Bowler in Year 2,” Heaps said on 710 ESPN Seattle on Friday. “I just think DK is ready to explode onto the scene yet again in a big way and show that DK Metcalf can be one of the elite receivers in this league.”

Metcalf recorded 58 receptions for 900 yards and seven touchdowns in 2019. He will have to work hard and further his chemistry with Russell Wilson to top that production in his sophomore season.

“I think DK has continued to work extremely hard on his craft, and I think that Russell and DK’s relationship has continued to grow and mature,” Heaps said.

Heaps stated that Metcalf now has expectations to improve and that he cannot get complacent because opposing defenses may adjust to him, but he has been extremely impressive.

“Gosh, I’ve just been so impressed with this guy. He’s been a pro’s pro since the beginning and that has not changed this offseason after a rookie year. You typically see some rookie sensations struggle in the second year or third year of their career because they get comfortable and DK is simply not one of those guys. I expect big things from DK Metcalf and fully believe he will be a Pro Bowler here in Year 2.”

Metcalf will be one of the key components of the Seahawks offense in 2020 . . . if there is even a season.

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Le’Veon Bell laughs at being ranked 10th-best running back by NFL personnel

Le’Veon Bell still believes he’s one of the best running backs in the league.

The moniker of “best running back in the NFL” changes every season because of age, production, team and a bevy of other reasons.

For a while, Le’Veon Bell earned that title with his dynamic playmaking ability and dual-threat scoring. But after skipping the entire 2018 season and a poor 2019 season with the Jets, Bell dropped in the minds of NFL personnel.

An ESPN poll of 50 league executives, scouts and players ranked Bell as the 10th-best running back in the league after having arguably the worst season of his career. Bell didn’t take too kindly to his rank, but simply responded on Twitter with a three-letter acronym.

From a purely statistical standpoint, Bell’s rank is high for a player who finished 24th in rushing yards and 46th in rushing yards per attempt in 2019. He combined for 1,250 total scrimmage yards and four touchdowns – some of the lowest marks of his career. Bell proved to be one of the least efficient rushers in 2019 as well, finishing 44th out of 45 qualified rushers in Football Outsiders’ Defense-adjusted Yards Above Replacement metric and 40th in Success Rate.

Some may attribute Bell’s poor stats to Adam Gase’s gameplan, which didn’t utilize the back’s ability as a pass-catcher enough, or the horrific offensive line which finished among the worst in multiple categories.

Another possibility could be Bell’s age and usage. Bell turned 27 before the 2019 season and is the oldest member of that top-10 list. He also touched the ball over 1,500 times during his five years in Pittsburgh before sitting out the 2018 season. That’s a lot of wear and tear for a running back.

Bell rejected that idea on Twitter, too, when someone told him he wasn’t the player he used to be.

Bell could rebound in 2020 with an upgraded offensive line, better skill position players on the outside, and another year with Gase and Sam Darnold. He certainly showed at times in 2019 to possess a lot of the skills he had earlier in his career. Either way, Bell will be fighting for his reputation – and possibly for his job – in a pivotal 2020 season.

2019 Florida Gators Football Profile Card: Luke Ancrum

This is a Player Profile Card for redshirt senior defensive lineman Luke Ancrum of the Florida Gators football team.

Name: Luke Ancrum

Number: 98

Position: Defensive Lineman

Class: Redshirt Senior

Height: 6’5″

Weight: 263 lbs

Hometown: Sebring, Fla.

High School: Sebring High School

2019 statistics:

Tackles Def Int
Gm Solo Ast Tot Loss Sk Int Yds Avg TD PD
12 11 11 22 4 1.5 0 0 0 0 1

Overview:

Ancrum was a defensive end coming out of Sebring High School, though he was not highly regarded. A three-star recruit, Ancrum’s only Power Five offers other than Florida were Pittsburgh and Wisconsin. He chose to sign with the Gators in former coach Jim McElwain’s first recruiting class in 2015. He sat out his first season with the team in 2015 and redshirted before moving to defensive tackle as a redshirt freshman.

In 2016, he played in seven games, though he was limited to just three tackles. In 2017, he played in all 11 games but again wasn’t particularly productive, totaling four tackles and a pass breakup.

As a redshirt junior in 2018, he saw action in 11 games as a reserve defensive lineman and special teams contributor, totaling eight tackles. He also made his first career interception against Tennessee.

During his final season in 2019, he played in 11 games, notching a career-high 22 tackles. He started three games and had 1.5 sacks.

Video:

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