Tag: horned frogs

Elite name alert: Chiefs to sign talented TE Geor’Quarius Spivey

According to a report, Kansas City #Chiefs signed tight end Geor’Quarius Spivey on Thursday.

According to a report from Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 in Houston, Texas the Kansas City Chiefs signed tight end Geor’Quarius Spivey on Thursday after he worked out with the team earlier in the offseason.

Spivey, a product of Mississippi State and TCU, will add to Kansas City’s depth behind Travis Kelce in a group of tight ends that already includes Noah Gray, Irv Smith Jr., and rookie Jared Wiley.

Though he had a productive career as a collegian, Spivey didn’t appear in any games for the Bulldogs last season after the NCAA denied him a transfer waiver following the Horned Frogs’ 2022 campaign.

It is unclear if Spivey will be able to push Gray, Smith, or Wiley for a second or third-string spot on Kansas City’s depth chart but, with some luck, the six-foot-five tight end could catch on with the Chiefs’ practice squad with an outstanding performance in the preseason.

Chargers’ Max Duggan heaps high praise on Derius Davis

Max Duggan had nothing but good things to say about Derius Davis.

The Chargers loved what they saw out of the TCU Horned Frogs offense last season, and drafted their quarterback Max Duggan and two of his receivers, Quentin Johnston and Derius Davis.

The team rose to prominence as a gritty Big 12 contender that made the College Football Playoff and national championship game in a Cinderella story that fans won’t forget any time soon.

For his part, Duggan seemed thrilled to reunite with his college teammates in Los Angeles during his comments to the media after practice at the Chargers’ rookie minicamp.

Though Johnston was a known commodity by many fans who follow the draft, his counterpart Davis flew under the radar a bit during the scouting process, but Duggan made it clear that he helped make the Horned Frogs’ offense click.

“D.D. was a huge threat for us [at TCU], whether it was in special teams, punt return, kick return,” Duggan explained. “Then, obviously, he was a big threat for us as a receiver, too. He can do a lot of things, obviously. His speed is what he’s known for, but he’s savvy. He knows how to run routes. He knows how to set people up with leverage. He’s a great worker and he’s going to be a good one.”

While he won’t be much of a contributor on offense early on, Davis is the favorite to be the return man, as he was arguably the best in college football in this department.

In his collegiate career, Davis returned five punts for a touchdown in just 44 attempts. He averaged 15.0 yards a return. Davis also has experience in kickoff returns, as he had one touchdown in that department and averaged 29.6 yards a return in 2021.

Chargers WR Quentin Johnston talks about getting acclimated to life in the NFL

Chargers WR Quentin Johnston talked about transitioning to the NFL and his conversations with the veteran receivers.

The Chargers held their rookie minicamp this past week at Hoag Performance Center in Costa Mesa, CA. The sessions had all of the team’s draft selections and undrafted rookies, headlined by first-round pick Quentin Johnston.

“Yeah, now it does,” Johnston said when asked if it ‘feels like’ he is in the NFL yet. “The meetings and stuff, I felt like I was still in that before the Draft stage, just getting ready for it, still anxious. As soon as I put my cleats on and got out on the field, it was a real moment.”

Johnston joins the pros with a rare combination of size and athleticism, which immediately popped on the practice field. Still, one of the things that he will have to fine-tune is his route running. Luckily, Johnston will be in a wide receiver room with plenty of knowledge in that department.

After his introductory press conference, Johnston said he stopped back at his hotel, and Keenan Allen, Mike Williams and Joshua Palmer went over to say hello and converse with him on the team and life in the NFL.

“Letting me know that we were all family,” Johnston said. “Letting me know what to expect. Kind of a crash course they gave me of what to expect, how stuff is run, a baseline so that I could get an understanding and feel for the football team, as much as I can at that point.”

After dominating at TCU, replicating that same success in this league might take time while he learns the finer details of the position. But Johnston knows that he is in good hands, and being mentored by a solid corps could go a long way to boosting his game.

“I feel like I came into a good situation, starting off initially under some guys that have been in the league and have been playing at a high level for a minute,” Johnston said. “So I feel like I can pick a lot of their game, apply it to mine, what’s needed in mine, and kind of expand from there.”

Johnston said Justin Herbert has not yet reached out to him. “He followed me on Instagram when I first got drafted,” Johnston said. “I ain’t really get a chance to talk to him yet. But hopefully soon.”

2023 NFL draft: TCU RB Kendre Miller drawing interest from Chargers

The Chargers have a running back on their radar ahead of the 2023 NFL draft.

The Chargers have a running back on their radar ahead of the 2023 NFL draft.

According to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, Los Angeles met with former TCU RB Kendre Miller this past Saturday.

In 2022, Miller rushed for 1,399 yards and 17 touchdowns on 224 carries and caught 16 passes for 116 yards.

Miller earned first-team All-Big 12 honors and was a Doak Walker Award semifinalist, which is the award that goes to the top running back in college football.

In his three-year career at TCU, Miller had 390 carries for 2,639 yards and 27 touchdowns.

With the uncertainty surrounding Austin Ekeler and his future with Los Angeles after he was granted permission to seek a trade due to contract extension complications, they could be in the market for another back.

Behind Ekeler on the depth chart are Joshua Kelley, Isaiah Spiller and Larry Rountree. Miller’s size, speed and explosiveness would be a welcomed addition to the positional room, should they go that direction.

Shaq was supposed to eat frog on ‘NBA on TNT’ after TCU lost to Georgia, but he hilariously ate chicken instead

Nah. Shaq can’t get away with this.

Nah, man. Shaq still owes us the visual of him actually eating frog. We absolutely have to have it.

The Inside the NBA host made his first public appearance on Tuesday since claiming he would eat a frog if TCU lost to Georgia in the College Football Playoff championship game.

Obviously, TCU lost pretty big. So everyone came into Tuesday expecting Shaq to have to eat frog, as promised, at some point. He even acknowledged the fact that he has to eat frog now.

We thought we finally got our moment. He brought a tray of something that appeared to at least be frog legs to the set. And, look — let’s be clear. Shaq said a frog — not frog legs. But fine. That’s at least part of a frog. We’ll take it.

But, as it turns out, he wasn’t even eating frog. Adam Lefkoe tried a piece of what Shaq brought to the table and it seems it was actually chicken.

House of Highlights posted the video evidence on YouTube. We’re going to need a do-over, Shaq.

“Adam Lefkoe: Shaq, that’s chicken.

Shaq: This is frog legs.

Lefkoe: Shaq, you need to stop lying. I’m not letting you get away with a bet with Ernie like that. This is chicken…America, this is chicken.”

Lefkoe sleuthed him out on this one. He also got Shaq to promise he’d honor his bet in the right way on Thursday when he’s with the OG Inside crew. “I’ll do it right on Thursday since you snitched me out,” he said.

Good on Lefkoe. Can’t wait to see this.

Saints announce practices to be temporarily held in TCU’s Fort Worth facilities

Saints announce practices to be temporarily held in TCU’s Fort Worth facilities

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It’s a good day to be a Horned Frog. On Wednesday, the New Orleans Saints announced their agreement with Texas Christian University (TCU) to temporarily hold practices as well as strength and conditioning sessions in Fort Worth while New Orleans continues to recover from the impact of Hurricane Ida, confirming multiple earlier reports from NBC Sports’ Charean Williams and ESPN’s Mike Triplett, among others.

Saints coach Sean Payton previously suggested TCU and nearby SMU as potential options, pointing to the ease of access to facilities for a college team compared to a rival NFL squad. This also means the Saints can remain in the Dallas-Fort Worth area after holding several practices at the Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium this week.

It also means that the Saints will be road warriors early this season. Their first regular season game has been moved from New Orleans to the Jacksonville Jaguars’ TIAA Bank Field, where they will kick off against the Green Bay Packers on Sept. 12. From there the Saints are scheduled to play road games in Weeks 2, 3, 5, and 7, with a Week 4 home game with the New York Giants and an early bye in Week 6. Hopefully they can return to New Orleans sooner rather than later.

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TCU quarterback Max Duggan could miss game against Texas

TCU opens its football season on Sept. 12 and could be without their starting QB, Max Duggan. Gary Patterson confirmed the rumors on Zoom.

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TCU opens its football season against SMU on Sept. 12 and could be without their starting quarterback Max Duggan. The sophomore out of Iowa started the final 10 games of the 2019 season for the Horned Frogs.

Head coach Gary Patterson was on a Zoom call with reporters, confirming the starting quarterback will miss some games this season. Patterson did not specify if it was due to COVID-19 reasons or not.

“Max has a condition that he’s had his whole life and we caught it,” Patterson said. Right now he’s in a good place and hopefully he’ll be getting back sometime during the season. Right now we’ll be going forward with the rest of the quarterbacks. It’s a thing he was born with and I’m just glad we found it; I can say that.”

Texas is scheduled to host TCU on Oct. 3, the week before the Red River Shootout against Oklahoma. Duggan had a career day against the Longhorns last season, going 19 of 27, 273 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception.

Redshirt sophomore Matthew Downing is now expected to take over, starting against the Mustangs to open the season. A transfer quarterback from Georgia, Downing has yet to take a snap for TCU. However, he did play in four games in Athens during the 2018 season.

“Downing has been the guy that’s taking all the one reps. He just keeps getting better and better,” [Patterson] said. “The biggest thing is he’s a competitor just like his brother that played here. He’s smart, understands the offense and he’s a competitor.”

The Longhorns will be looking to get revenge against the Horned Frogs after last season’s embarrassing loss in Fort Worth. Quarterback Sam Ehlinger played his worst game of the season, going 22 of 48 for 321 yards, two touchdowns, and four interceptions.

Garry Patterson has Texas’ number, going 6-3 against them in his career. The Longhorns have only beaten TCU twice since their introduction to the Big 12 in 2012.

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TCU LB Dylan Jordan says Coach Gary Patterson used ‘n-word’

TCU LB Dylan Jordan has made some serious allegations about Horned Frogs Coach Gary Patterson.

There is going to be an uproar over the allegations made Monday by TCU redshirt freshman linebacker Dylan Jordan.

Jordan, who played in two games in 2019 to preserve his redshirt, says Coach Gary Patterson was vulgar toward him during practice Sunday. Jordan says Patterson lit into him about posting a photo of his girlfriend on social media on National Girlfriend Day. “You’re a bleeping brat. I’ll send you back to pitt (Pittsburg, Kansas).”

Jordan also alleges Patterson used the “n-word” twice. The entire text can be ready below. It is NSFW.

This came after a former TCU football defensive back is alleging that a racial slur was used by Patterson in front of players. Former Horned Frogs defensive back Niko Small, in a tweet that surfaced late Monday morning, called for Patterson “to make a public apology and for what he has done and face consequences” while stating that “TCU needs a huge change.”

Austin Reaves apologizes, comments about celebration after game-winning shot against TCU

With Oklahoma’s post-season fate on the line, Austin Reaves took the ball from Jamal Bieniemy and waited to make his move.

With Oklahoma’s postseason fate on the line, Austin Reaves took the ball from Jamal Bieniemy and waited to make his move. Sizing up RJ Nembhard with six seconds left Reaves faked a drive to the lane off the right elbow, gathered, stepped back and released an 18-foot dagger into the hearts of the TCU faithful.

With half a second left on the game clock, Reaves capped off an 18-point halftime deficit, giving the Sooners their 19th win of the season, the most important of the season so far.

Immediately Reaves walked down court flexing to the cameras before telling the crowd both inside Schollmaier Arena and at home that “it’s over” while making a slashing motion at his throat.

Reaves took to Instagram Monday morning to express remorse for how his celebration could have been taken the wrong way.

“Hey everyone, had a little time to process our great team win last night,” Reaves wrote in a post on Instagram. “Just before the game was over I got caught up in the heat of the moment and took things too far in celebrating our team’s great comeback. Emotions were high as my teammates and I fought hard to beat a really good TCU team. I meant no disrespect by my actions or celebration but want to apologize for taking it too far. Excited to get back on the floor to prepare for the week ahead. AR”

He was asked about his apology after practice on Monday.

“I guess I took it a little bit overboard,” he said. “Just caught up in the emotions. It was a big win.”

Reaves went on to say that the apology was “pretty much all me” in terms of why he felt the need to apologize.

It was a big win. With a win, the Sooners would be a 3-seed in the Big 12 Tournament. With a loss, a 7-seed and a much tougher road in the Big 12 Tournament.

The win cemented Oklahoma as the 3-seed as they will face 6-seed West Virginia on Thursday night at 8 p.m. CT on either ESPN or ESPN2.

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Austin Reaves, Brady Manek named to All-Big 12 teams

Brady Manek earned All-Big 12 Third Team honors, and Austin Reaves was named to the Big 12 All-Newcomer team the league announced Sunday.

Brady Manek earned All-Big 12 Third Team honors, and Austin Reaves was named to the Big 12 All-Newcomer team as well as honorable mention honors, the league announced Sunday.

Manek averaged 14.4 ppg, 6.2 rpg, and 1.2 blocks per game while sinking 71 3-pointers for the Sooners. The Harrah, OK native shot 38% from beyond the arc this season and finished eighth in the conference in scoring.

After transferring from Wichita State and redshirting, Reaves averaged 14.7 ppg on the season, but saved his best for last, leading the Sooners over TCU on Saturday with a 41-point performance and a game-winner that would earn them the three-seed in the Big 12 Tournament. He finished the regular season ranked sixth in the Big 12 in scoring.

 Oklahoma finished 19-12 overall this season, and 9-9 in Big 12 play. Texas, Tech Tech and West Virginia all finished .500 in conference play.

Oklahoma will play in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship against West Virginia on Thursday at 8 p.m. CT. The game will be aired on either ESPN or ESPN2.