Tag: ProHogs

Watch: Ex-Arkansas and current Niners LB Dre Greenlaw celebrates Super Bowl appearance

Former Hogs linebacker Dre Greenlaw and ex-Arkansas QB Brandon Allen are both headed to their second Super Bowls.

Former Arkansas football players Dre Greenlaw and Brandon Allen will play in Super Bowl LVIII after the San Francisco 49ers rallied to beat the Detroit Lions on Sunday night.

The 49ers overcame a 24-7 halftime deficit to win 34-31. The Niners will play the Kansas City Chiefs in a rematch of the Super Bowl from 2020.

For Allen, the appearance will be his second in the last three years. A third-string quarterback for San Francisco this year, Allen made the Super Bowl in 2022 when he was the back-up signal-caller for the Cincinnati Bengals.

Greenlaw is also playing in his second Super Bowl. He was on that San Francisco team that lost to the Chiefs in 2020, 31-20.

Allen did not see any game action this regular season. Greenlaw started 15 games and recorded 120 tackles. He has been a starter on the 49ers defense all five of his professional years, though he was limited to three games in 2021 because of a groin injury.

This year’s Super Bowl is Feb. 11 at 5:30 p.m. CT and will be played in Las Vegas.

Four former Hogs remain in NFL playoffs

Either Dre Greenlaw and Brandon Allen will make it or Frank Ragnow and Dan Skipper will. The former Arkansas football players will all play for a shot at the Super Bowl.

Either Frank Ragnow and Dan Skipper will get a shot or Dre Greenlaw and Brandon Allen will.

Those four former Arkansas football players all still remain in the NFL Playoffs, their teams set to play each other in the NFC Championship on January 28.

Ragnow and Skipper are offensive linemen for the Detroit Lions. The Lions made their first NFC Championship in franchise history when they beat Tampa Bay over the weekend.

Ragnow is considered one of the best, if not the best, center in the NFL. He’s been a starter for all six of his seasons with the Lions and been named to the Pro Bowl three times.

Skipper has been a back-up tackle for the Lions for most of the last six seasons. He played in all 16 games with five starts last year and played in 11 games with one start this year.

Greenlaw has been a linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers since 2019 and a starter every year. The 49ers have made the NFC title game four of the last five seasons, the same amount of time Greenlaw has been on the team.

Allen is a back-up quarterback for the Niners, as well. He did not see any time in the regular season and previously made his way to the Super Bowl with Cincinnati Bengals.

All four former Razorbacks played together in Fayetteville under coach Bret Bielema. Allen, the oldest, played from 2012-2015. Skipper joined in 2013 and played through 2016, while Ragnow and Greenlaw joined in 2015. Ragnow played two seasons before going pro whereas Greenlaw played four years at Arkansas.

Watch: Dre Greenlaw ejected for hitting Eagles head of security in the face

Greenlaw, a former Arkansas standout turned starting linebacker for San Francisco, threw the only punch in the scuffle.

San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw was ejected from Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles in the third quarter after hitting a member of the Eagles’ security staff in the face.

Greenlaw, who played at Arkansas from 2015-18, slammed down Eagles wide Devonta Smith on the Eagles’ sideline after Smith made a catch to put Philadelphia inside the 49ers’ 30. Greenlaw was flagged after the tackle and a scuffle ensued. Greenlaw appeared to be attempted feigning a punch toward the secruity member’s face, but actually connected.

The security guard was later identified as Eagles head of security Dom DiSandro.

Greenlaw immediately put his hands up and when officials intervened, he pointed to the security guard as if to suggest he was the aggressor. San Francisco linebacker Fred Warner walked Greenlaw away from the sideline back toward the 49ers’.

The 49ers entered the game leading the NFC West and the Eagles, at 10-1, led the NFC East with football’s best record.

Greenlaw entered the game second on the 49ers roster in tackles, behind Warner, this season. He’s been a starter for San Francisco all five years he has been in the league.

At Arkansas, Greenlaw, a Fayetteville High graduate, was an All-SEC linebacker who regististerd 320 tackles in his four seasons.

Titans wide receiver Treylon Burks carted off field in game vs Steelers

The Arkansas native and former Razorback was later seen leaving the locker room on his own.

Former Arkansas and current Tennessee Titans wide receiver Treylon Burks was carted off the field Thursday after suffering a hard fall to the ground against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Burks leaped to make a catch and when he came down, he landed on his left side, his head bouncing off the turf. When he his body stopped moving from the crash, Burks appeared to be unconscious. Medical staff attended, placing Burks in a neck brace and on a spinal board.

Later, Burks was seen walking out of the locker room under his own power.

The Arkansas native previously suffered a concussion in 2022, his rookie season with the Titans after being drafted in the first round coming out of Arkansas.

Burks, a graduate of Warren High School, is Arkansas’ fourth leading receiver in school history. He had eight catches for 120 yards in five games this season for the Titans.

76ers sign former Arkansas guard Ricky Council to two-way contract

Philadelphia had cut him just five days earlier, but the re-signing means Council could play with the Sixers quickly.

Ricky Council makes 11.

The Philadelphia 76ers signed former Arkansas guard Ricky Council to a two-way contract Wednesday just five days after cutting him. The two-way deals means that the Sixers can call up Council from G League affiliate Delaware in a pinch.

Council, known for his cutting ability, worked in the preseason in becoming a better shooter as the NBA’s quality of defense is higher than that he faced in college, meaning fewer highlight-reel dunks. Apparently the shooting improved enough that Philadelphia wants to keep him in its plans.

“I’m doing what they ask when we’re with the main team,” Council said earlier in the preseason. “If that’s just cheering on the bench, then that’s what we’ve got to do.”

Council averaged a team-high 16.1 points in 34 minutes a game last year as a junior at Arkansas. He entered the NBA Draft but was not selected before ultimately being picked up by Philadelphia.

Council’s inclusion on the Philadelphia roster means that now 11 former Razorbacks players made an NBA team to start the 2023-24 season.

Ten former Hogs on NBA rosters for opening night of 2023-24 season

There’s a strong Razorback presence in the NBA this year. Here’s a look at all ten Pro Hogs on rosters for opening night.

 Tuesday marks the official opening night of the 2023-2024 NBA season. There’s a lot to look forward to across the league, but this season, Razorback fans will have a much larger rooting interest than any previous year.

Ten former [autotag]Arkansas basketball[/autotag] players have made NBA rosters for this season – the most the program has ever had in the league at one time.

The Razorbacks are just one of ten schools with double-digit NBA players this season – joining Arizona, Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Texas, UCLA and Villanova. In fact, the Hogs are tied with Texas for the 7th most players in the league to start this year – trailing only Kentucky (26), Duke (24), UCLA (15), Kansas (12), Michigan and Gonzaga (11 each).

Out of those ten former Hogs in the NBA, six have played for current Razorback coach [autotag]Eric Musselman[/autotag]. That’s just the latest example of how incredible the recruiting has been since Musselman arrived in Fayetteville four years ago.

Let’s take a closer look at every former Razorback on an NBA roster for opening night.

Former Arkansas linebacker Bumper Pool cut by Panthers

Arkansas’ all-time leading tackler should find a home with another team soon enough.

Former Arkansas linebacker Bumper Pool was among the 11 players cut by the Carolina Panthers on Saturday.

Pool, Arkansas’ all-time leading tackler, signed with the Panthers in late April after not being selected in the NFL Draft.  He will have an opportunity during the rest of the preseason to join another team.

Pool had 441 tackles in his Arkansas career as practically a four-year starter. Known as a sideline-to-sideline linebacker more than a pass-rusher, Pool was known for his nose for the ball.

The other players cut by the Panthers were quarterback Jake Luton, running back Camerun Peoples, wide receivers Gary Jennings and CJ Saunders, tackle Larnel Coleman, defensive lineman Antwuan Jackson, safeties Collin Duncan and Josh Thomas, cornerback Rejzohn Wright and kicker Matthew Wright.

Pool logged six tackles for Carolina in the preseason.
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Former Hog Jared Wegner signs deal with Yankees

The Yankees hosed former Arkansas outfielder Jared Wegner and he, unfortunately, didn’t have much of a choice.

The thing about waiting until a senior year to enter the MLB Draft is that whatever team selects a player likely won’t offer him the value for where he’s selected.

With few other options, former Arkansas outfielder Jared Wegner found himself in such a position this week, as he inked a deal with the New York Yankees on Thursday.

Wegner, a ninth-round selection, signed for $72,000. The slot value for where he was chosen was $173,000. Still, Wegner is officially a professional outfielder.

He spent just one season at Arkansas after transferring from Creighton. He slashed .313/.457/.673 for the season in 42 games. Those numbers dropped during SEC play, of which he missed about half because of injury, to .245/.403/.491.

All three of Arkansas’ starting outfielders in 2023 were taken in the draft after centerfielder Tavian Josenberger went first and Jace Bohrofen followed.

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Caleb Cali officially not returning to Diamond Hogs, to sign with Mariners

Cali’s decision whether to return to Arkansas or not was one of the biggest questions of the Diamond Hogs’ offseason.

Arkansas baseball had two real questions heading into mid-July.

How many of their recruits in the Class of 2023 would sign? And would Caleb Cali sign?

The answer to the first question remains to be determined. The answer to the second came Friday as the Arkansas third baseman, a 16th-round draft pick by the Seattle Mariners, agreed to terms with the franchise.

As of 4 p.m. Friday, Cali had yet to sign, but after agreeing to terms, that part is formality.

Cali spent one season with the Diamond Hogs after transferring from the College of Central Florida. Arkansas was his fourth college after he began his career at Florida State, though Cali had one year of eligibility remaining had he elected.

With the Razorbacks, Cali hit .308 with a .412 on-base percentage and slugged .512 in 51 games. But he was the best hitter on the club in SEC play, slashing .370/.438/.596 with six doubles, six home runs and 25 RBI.

Kendall Diggs will likely see a lion’s share of the time at third in 2024.

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Jordan Walsh drops 25 for Celtics, looks like a future star

Walsh is scoring more than 18 points per game in the Summer League as he seeks to crack Boston’s rotation.

Jordan Walsh is going to be just fine in the NBA, it appears.

The former Arkansas wing has looked dynamite in the NBA Summer League with the Boston Celtics in July. His best came Wednesday night.

Walsh scored 25 points on 10 of 20 shooting in 31 minutes to lead the Celtics past the Lakers, 95-90. He added eight rebounds, three assists and a steal. In three games, Walsh is averaging 18.3 points and shooting 37% from 3-point range.

Walsh wasn’t initially expected to be in the Celtics rotation when the regular season starts, though he may be breaking into that. He may not get more than 10 to 15 minutes a night. The Celtics have Jaylen Brown as the starting two-guard, a position Walsh will almost certainly man in the pros.

But that’s good news, as it allows the 19-year-old to develop. He was taken with pick No. 38 in the NBA Draft earlier in the summer after he left Fayetteville after one season with the Razorbacks.