Tag: kc chiefs

Notre Dame football: who replaces Patterson at center?

Notre Dame received bad news on the injury front Monday as star center Jarrett Patterson is done for the year. So who will replace him?

Tough news for the Notre Dame football program came out early on Monday morning when news broke that standout center Jarrett Patterson was lost for the year after injuring his foot late in Saturday’s 45-31 win at Boston College.

Patterson’s play and importance can’t be understated as he started each of Notre Dame’s last 21 games dating back to the opener at Louisville in 2019.  Although individual stats aren’t simple to look at for offensive linemen like they are their defensive counterparts, Patterson been receiving praise from multiple outlets throughout the year.

So how does Notre Dame go about filling the hole left by Patterson’s injury?

Sophomore Zeke Correll (6-3, 295 lbs.) has been listed second at center on Notre Dame’s depth chart all season long but has played in just one game this season, the 52-0 win over South Florida, but did see action in four contests a year ago.

Correll was a four-star recruit in Notre Dame’s 2019 recruiting class out of Anderson High School in Cincinnati.

Another potential replacement could be senior Colin Grunhard (6-1, 290 lbs.) who has more game experience than Correll, as Grunhard has appeared in 11 games all-time at Notre Dame, including this season’s South Florida contest.

Grunhard is the son of former Notre Dame standout Tim who helped lead the Irish to the 1988 national championship before playing 11 seasons in the NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs.

It’s worth noting as well that senior Josh Lugg (6-7, 310 lbs.) took some reps at center back in spring of 2019 but it’d appear to be quite the upset to see take over the center position.

Notre Dame’s next three games come against North Carolina, Syracuse and Wake Forest, who rank nationally 59th, 70th and 94th respectively in terms of yards allowed per play.

Watch: Mecole Hardman and Tyreek Hill race

Watch as former UGA football WR Mecole Hardman races his Chiefs teammate Tyreek Hill race at Kansas City training camp.

We finally have video of former Georgia Bulldog Mecole Hardman racing his teammate and fellow wide receiver Tyreek Hill.

The football world has often wondered who would win a race between Tyreek and Mecole, who are considered two of the NFL’s fastest players, since Mecole entered the league.

While at Kansas City training camp on Saturday, they squared off in a 40-yard race.

There was some debate over who won the race, though.

Hardman said that Hill won, however, Hill made a tweet claiming that Hardman had won.

 

Based on this video posted to Hill’s Twitter page, it looks like he beat the former Georgia Bulldog in the race.

Hill also posted the video to Instagram, and Hardman responded by saying that he nearly pulled his hamstring trying to keep up.

If UGA was fielding a starting team based on current NFL players, here’s what it would look like

We assembled a starting lineup full of former Georgia football players who are currently on NFL rosters.

Georgia continues to be one of college football’s leading producers of NFL talent, with seven players being taken in the 2020 NFL Draft.

At almost every position does Georgia have an NFL star — linebacker and running back being the most notable.

From veteran passer Matthew Stafford to new Falcons back Todd Gurley, to rookie kicker Rodrigo Blankenship, former Georgia Bulldogs look to put up big numbers again in 2020.

We’ve gone through an exercise of picking the best at each position to field a starting team of former Georgia players, all from a current pool of those currently on NFL rosters. 

Remember, free agents did not make the team.

So, let’s get it started shall we?

Next … QB

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Chiefs WR Mecole Hardman has ‘no ceiling’ according to Tyreek Hill

KC Chiefs WR Tyreek Hill says ‘there is no ceiling’ for former Georgia football WR Mecole Hardman in his 2nd year in the NFL.

Former Georgia Bulldog wide receiver Mecole Hardman had a breakout rookie season in the NFL playing for the Kansas City Chiefs.

Hardman was drafted by the Chiefs in the 2nd round of the 2019 NFL Draft and did not disappoint.  He caught 26 balls in 2019 for an average of 20.7 yards per catch.  He also pulled in 6 touchdowns in the slot, one of three receivers to do so last season.

Hardman showed off his incredible speed to the entire league and helped the Chiefs win Super Bowl 54 in his rookie year.

 

Kansas City’s star wide-out Tyreek Hill spoke to the media on Friday about his teammate and his potential going into his second year.

“Well, I think Mecole is going to continue to be a heck of a player,” Hill said. “But it’s all about mindset. I feel like if he continues to do what he has been doing in the past and works his butt off, he’s going to be amazing.” Hill is one of the best receivers in the league and is most definitely the quickest.  He talked about how Mecole’s abilities go far beyond just his speed and route running.

“There is no ceiling for this kid.” said Hill. “I feel like he’s definitely a 1000-yard receiver every year, with the targets obviously. But he’s just got to continue to work. He’s got to be different, he’s got to find something to be different every year. It just can’t be speed, it can’t just be relying on route running. Sometimes there’s going to be a contested catch. Sometimes you’ve got to get off a jam [at the line of scrimmage]. You’ve got to work on those things. I feel like he is going to work on those things because he wants to be great and he wants to be a part of this offense. He likes the challenge, so he’s going to be great.”

Mecole made some incredible plays connecting with Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the 2019 season.

 

It will be exciting to watch Mecole in the coming years as he has already achieved what most football players strive for their entire careers in just his rookie season.

Every prime time NFL game featuring former Georgia football players

After the release of the 2020 NFL schedule, here’s a look at every prime-time game that former Georgia football players will appear in.

On Thursday, the NFL released its 2020 schedule, providing more optimism that a football season will take place come September.

With Georgia having added seven new players into the league via the NFL Draft, there’s going to be a number of UGA fans hoping for a chance to watch some former Dawgs play on prime-time television.

The Patriots, Cowboys, Chiefs, Packers, 49ers, Rams and Buccaneers will be featured most in prime time during the 2020 NFL season with five games apiece.

Georgia players on those teams:

Cowboys, Packers and Bucs do not have any Bulldogs.

Patriots: C David Andrews, RB Sony Michel, OL Isaiah Wynn

Chiefs: WR Mecole Hardman

49ers: TE Charlie Woerner

Rams: OLB Leonard Floyd, ILB Natrez Patrick, DB Tyrique McGhee.

Here is a list of every nationally televised NFL game featuring Georgia Bulldogs.

Some of these game are subject to a time change and some of the players signed as undrafted free agents. As of right now, these are the teams they are on.

For a full list of Georgia players and their NFL teams, click here.

Thursday Night Football:

  • Start time: 8:20 p.m. ET
  • TV channel: Fox, NFL Network
  • Live stream: Amazon Prime

Thursday Sept. 17: Browns at Bengals

Georgia players on Browns: RB Nick Chubb, RB Brian Herrien

Georgia players on Bengals: DT Geno Atkins, WR AJ Green, DT Tyler Clark, DB Shawn Williams

Thursday Sept. 24: Dolphins at Jaguars

Georgia players on Dolphins: OG Solomon Kindley

Georgia players on Jags: WR Chris Conley, WR Terry Godwin, DT Abry Jones, S J.R. Reed

Thursday Oct. 1: Broncos at Jets

Georgia players on Broncos: N/A

Georgia players on Jets: WR Lawrence Cager, OLB Jordan Jenkins

Thursday Oct. 8: Buccaneers at Bears

Georgia players on Bucs: N/A

Georgia players on Bears: WR Reggie Davis, DT John Jenkins, WR Riley Ridley, LB Roquan Smith, WR Javon Wims

Thursday Oct. 15: Chiefs at Bills

Georgia players on Chiefs: WR Mecole Hardman

Georgia players on Bills: QB Jake Fromm, WR Isaiah McKenzie

Thursday Oct. 22: Giants at Eagles

Georgia players on Giants: OT Andrew Thomas, LB Tae Crowder, OLB Lorenzo Carter

Georgia players on Eagles: RB Elijah Holyfield

Thursday Oct. 29: Falcons at Panthers

Georgia players on Falcons: RB Todd Gurley

Georgia players on Panthers: N/A

Thursday Nov. 5: Packers at 49ers

Georgia players on Packers: N/A

Georgia players on 49ers: TE Charlie Woerner

Thursday Nov. 12: Colts at Titans

Georgia players on Colts: K Rodrigo Blankenship, OLB Justin Houston

Georgia players on Titans: C Ben Jones, OT Isaiah Wilson, OLB D’Andre Walker

Thursday Nov. 19: Cardinals at Seahawks

Georgia players on Cardinals: OL Lamont Gaillard

Georgia players on Seahawks: DB Jayson Stanley

THANKSGIVING

Thursday Nov. 26: Texans at Lions (12:30 p.m. CBS)

Georgia players on Texans: OLB Davin Bellamy, WR Tyler Simmons

Georgia players on Lions: RB D’Andre Swift, QB Matt Stafford, DT John Atkins, TE Isaac Nauta

Thursday Nov. 26: Redskins at Cowboys (4:30 p.m. Fox)

Georgia players on Redskins: OLB Thomas Davis, S Maurice Smith

Georgia players on Cowboys: N/A

Thursday Nov. 26: Ravens at Steelers (8:20 p.m. NBC)

Georgia players on Ravens: LS Nick Moore, TE Eli Wolf

Georgia players on Steelers: N/A

Thursday Dec. 3: Cowboys at Ravens 

Georgia players on Cowboys: N/A

Georgia players on Ravens: LS Nick Moore, TE Eli Wolf

Thursday Dec. 10: Patriots at Rams

Georgia players on Patriots: C David Andrews, RB Sony Michel, OL Isaiah Wynn

Georgia players on Rams: OLB Leonard Floyd, ILB Natrez Patrick, DB Tyrique McGhee

Thursday Dec. 17: Chargers at Ravens 

Georgia players on Chargers: N/A

Georgia players on Ravens: LS Nick Moore, TE Eli Wolf

Friday Dec. 25: Vikings at Saints

No Georgia players in this game

Next: Sunday Night Football

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Best 2020 NFL games involving Georgia Bulldogs

Georgia Bulldogs fans should be excited for the 2020 NFL season with so many match-ups between UGA greats.

Today, the NFL released the 2020 regular season schedule. It’s quite exciting on paper, but fans should be cautious as the season could be delayed or even cancelled.

One league NFL and college football fans should keep an eye on is the German Bundesliga. Germany’s top flight soccer league will be back May 16th. If the league can succeed, then that will open opportunities for more and more sports leagues across the globe.

Back to football. Georgia Bulldogs fans should be excited for the 2020 NFL season as well. With so many Dawgs in the NFL, there’s good football to watch on Saturday and Sunday regardless of the NFL team you support.

Here are the best Georgia Bulldog related NFL games for this season:

New York Giants at Cincinnati Bengals

Nov 11, 2012;  Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Geno Atkins pursues the New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning. Credit: Frank Victores-USA TODAY Sports
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Expect a bigger role for Chiefs WR Mecole Hardman next season

The KC Chiefs are looking to expand the role of former Georgia football WR Mecole Hardman in the 2020 NFL season.

Justice Shelton-Mosely, an un-drafted rookie free agent receiver out of Vanderbilt, recently spoke to Vanderbilt Commodores senior editor Chad Bishop about what the Kansas City Chiefs said to him during the pre-draft interview process.

“They said they wanted to find someone to be in the return game and also someone that would be the guy to do the things (Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver) Mecole Hardman does.”

Former Georgia Bulldog Mecole Hardman had a huge rookie year for the Super Bowl champion Chiefs in 2019. He led all NFL players with 20.7 yards per reception (among players with at least 25 catches) and hauled in 26 catches for 538 yards and six touchdowns while adding 45 kick/punt returns for 871 yards and a touchdown.

It seems that the Chiefs have realized the threat Hardman can be on offense and are searching for someone to take some of his snaps on special teams to save his legs and allow him to focus more on the playbook.

In his final year at Georgia, Hardman was named to the 2018 ESPN.com All-America First Team (kick returner) and the 2018 AP & Coaches’ All-SEC 2nd Team. Maybe one of the fastest Bulldogs ever, Hardman running by defenders in Sanford Stadium was one of my favorite things to watch during his career in Athens.

Chiefs reveal why they passed on Georgia RB D’Andre Swift for Clyde Edwards-Helaire

The Kansas City Chiefs reveal why they passed on Georgia football RB D’Andre Swift for LSU’s Clyde Edwards-Helaire in the NFL Draft.

Swift slides…

Georgia had two players selected in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft on Thursday night, offensive tackles Andrew Thomas and Isaiah Wilson.

Georgia is happy to have two players go in the first round, but running back D’Andre Swift slipping into the second round was a move that shocked Bulldog fans and quite frankly most NFL fans as well.

The Philadelphia native was long considered the best ball carrier in the draft, and likely still is despite the Kansas City Chiefs selecting LSU’s Clyde Edwards-Helaire over him.

We kept waiting and waiting to hear Swift’s name called, but that did not happen on the first night. Most expected the Dolphins, Chiefs or Bucs to take Swift.

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Instead, Miami traded down from  No. 26 to No. 30 and took Auburn cornerback Noah Igbinoghene. But the real shocker came with the final pick of the first round when the Kansas City Chiefs took Edwards-Helaire, making him the only ball carrier taken in the first round.

Most football fans in general could not understand why the Chiefs went with Edwards-Helaire over Swift, who was the second highest player on Mel Kiper’s Big Board at the time of the selection.

But here’s why…

According to ChiefsWire, the reason has been revealed.

Apparently, Chiefs Super Bowl winning quarterback Patrick Mahomes made the decision.

From ChiefsWire:

The Chiefs called up Edwards-Helaire with Clark Hunt, Andy Reid, Brett Veach, Eric Bieniemy, and Deland McCullough to congratulate him on joining Kansas City. In the call, they let him, and the rest of Chiefs Kingdom in on a little piece of information. Both Reid and Veach revealed that Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes had hand-picked Edwards-Helaire as the player that he wanted for the Chiefs. And so, they made it happen.

Here’s a snippet from head coach Andy Reid’s phone call with Edwards-Helaire:

“Hey, listen we’re fired up for you, man,” Andy Reid began. “We asked Pat Mahomes, ‘Who do you want?’ And he picked you. How great is that?”

“I’m ready to work coach you know that,” Edwards-Helaire responded.

“… Coach and I were thinking your way,” Veach said. “Then when we texted Pat [Mahomes] and I said, ‘Give me a name and don’t think about it.’ And he said, ‘Clyde [Edwards-Helaire] and I said, ‘We’re good.’”

Edwards-Helaire is a great player, but he’s no Swift. Either way, Swift is going to make one team very happy when he hears his name called early on in the second round. He is the second-best available player on Mel Kiper’s Big Board.

Remember the last Georgia running back taken in the second round? He just finished second in the NFL in rushing yards last season. I’m talking about Nick Chubb, by the way, who was taken #35 overall by there Browns in the 2018 NFL Draft.

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Mecole Hardman and Georgia track star Matthew Boling jokingly agree to 100m race

Former Georgia football WR and current KC Chiefs speedster Mecole Hardman jokingly agreed to a 100m race with UGA track star Matthew Boling.

First, the Twitter battle:

If you’ve been active on Twitter the past two days, you may have scrolled across a debate taking place between some high-profile athletes.

What’s the debate topic, you ask?

Which state has better high school football players, Georgia or Texas? 

You can see a summary of the Twitter war here

This dispute began when Hardman, who attended Elbert County High School in Georgia, replied to Tampa Bay Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans’ (who is from Texas) tweet about Texas football being the best in the country.

From there, things got wild. Dez Bryant got in on it. As did Nick Chubb and Patrick Mahomes.

Eagles cornerback Darius Slay, Seahawks safety Quandre Diggs, Redskins’ Landon Collins and Georgia wide receiver Lawrence Cager all said their piece as well.

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Matthew Boling vs Mecole Hardman:

Regarding a Texas vs Georgia all-star team, Nick Chubb tweeted that he would “run through anybody from Texas.” (Maybe the most trash talking Chubb’s ever done)

Mecole’s response is as follows:

Mecole’s tweet caught the eye of current Georgia track star Matthew Boling, who ran a wind-aided 9.98 second time in the 100-meter dash – an all-time all-conditions record.

Boling may be a Georgia Bulldog, but he hails from Houston, Texas and had to get in on the battle.

Boling responded to Mecole’s tweet with a simple cap emoji. For those who are a little out of touch with the current slang, cap apparently means that someone is lying. So, in simpler terms, Boling said that Mecole was lying about being able to outrun anybody from Texas.

That’s when Mecole, referencing Boling’s 9.98 second time in the 100-meter dash, told Boling that his speed would not translate to the football field.

Boling heard Mecole’s rebuttal and requested a race in the 100 meter dash.

Mecole wasted no time, and within an hour the two had agreed to what would be an epic showdown.

Sadly, it’ll never happen. But how incredible would it be if the two Georgia Bulldogs actually did pull off this race? That would be a quarantine classic.

Better HS football: Georgia or Texas? Mecole Hardman, Nick Chubb debate with Patrick Mahomes, Dez Bryant

Mecole Hardman and Nick Chubb debated with Patrick Mahomes and Dez Bryant over which state has the best HS football, Georgia or Texas.

Former Georgia wide receiver Mecole Hardman got into it with his current teammate on the Kansas City Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes, as well as former NFL receiver Dez Bryant via Twitter on the topic of which state produces the best football players.

Now everyone has their bias, but history tells us the top high school football states are usually California, Georgia, Texas and Florida, in no specific order.  Some would throw Louisiana and Alabama in there as well.

This dispute began when Hardman, who attended Elbert County High School in Georgia, replied to Tampa Bay Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans’ (who is from Texas) tweet about Texas football being the best in the country.

After the rookie dropped this bomb, former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver, and Galveston, Texas native Dez Bryant had something to say.

Bryant had nothing but love for Mecole, but told him he was crazy to say Georgia high school football overlooks Texas.

Hardman then made claims that a Georgia high school all-star team would beat a Texas high school all-star team with ease.

When Seahawks safety, Texas native and former Longhorn Quandre Diggs posed the question as to who would tackle Earl Campbell (born and raised in Tyler, Texas) on this hypothetical Texas all-star high school team, Mecole had the perfect response.

I’ll take your Earl Campbell and I’ll raise you a Herschel Walker.

After Hardman’s confident attitude started gaining attention, his quarterback had to get in on the debate.

Chiefs’ QB Patrick Mahomes attended Texas Tech and was born and raised in Texas. He was not about to allow his rookie receiver to take shots at his beloved state that easily.

The Super Bowl and former league MVP had to get at least a couple of jabs in on the Georgia native.

But wait it did not end there.

Nick Chubb, from Cedartown, Georgia, got in the action.

This thing keeps getting better and better.

Florida actually has the most active NFL players at 180, with California in second with 175, Texas with 137 and Georgia at 97. That being said, Texas has nearly three times the population that Georgia does and California closer to four times Georgia.

Who would you take in this battle of the states?