Tag: Sportscenter

On this day: Barry Sanders announced retirement 25 years ago

On this day: Barry Sanders announced his retirement 25 years ago

Yesterday marked 25 years after Barry Sanders announced his retirement from the NFL. It shocked the Detroit Lions fan base and certainly football fans everywhere as Sanders was only 31-years old when he retired. I still remember being 8-years old and crying about it as I read the front page of the sports section in the Detroit News that day.

At the time of his retirement, Sanders was one season removed from being the NFL’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) and had ran for over 2,000 yards. Additionally, he was ranked second all-time in career rushing yards with 15,269 rushing yards and was sixth all-time in career rushing touchdowns with 99 rushing touchdowns. During his career, he set the following NFL records:

  • Most seasons with 1,500 or more rushing yards with five seasons.
  • 14 consecutive games with 100 or more rushing yards
  • 14 games with 100 or more yards rushing in a season
  • 150+ yard rushing games with 25.
  • 46 games with 150+ scrimmage yards
  • First running back in history to have two 80+ yard rushing touchdowns in a game.

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When he announced his retirement, Sanders had this to say:

“My desire to exit the game is greater than my desire to remain in it. I have searched my hear through and through and feel comfortable with this decision. (I leave) on good terms with everyone in the organization. I am not involved in a salary dispute of any kind. If I had played this season, I would have earned a more than satisfactory salary.”

To this day, Sanders still remains in the top-3 of all-time for rushing yards, rushing touchdowns and rushing attempts. Regardless of where he ends up on the all-time rushing records, the fact remains that he was and is the greatest running back of all-time.

 

Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman, Riley Leonard appear on ‘SportsCenter’

The Irish get some promoting in with the Worldwide Leader in Sports.

With college football’s returning closer with each passing day, the hype machine has to be turned on right now. Case in point, Notre Dame has decided now is the time to make the rounds with ESPN. The Irish representatives have a full schedule packed:

Two moments from this unofficial marketing by the Irish were highlighted by the program’s social media account. Both of them took place during “SportsCenter”.

First, [autotag]Marcus Freeman[/autotag] went through the two-minute drill with Notre Dame alumnus [autotag]Hannah Storm[/autotag], the wife of [autotag]Dan Hicks[/autotag], who will return to call Irish games on NBC this season:

New Irish quarterback [autotag]Riley Leonard[/autotag] also was featured. Among other things, he was asked how he anticipates coming onto the field for the first time at Notre Dame Stadium:

Simply put, the Irish don’t plan to leave New York without making a major impact on the programs they will appear on. There are many ways to get fans excited, and this is among the most effective. We’ll see exactly how effective soon enough.

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Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Commanders WR Terry McLaurin on Jayden Daniels: ‘The kid loves ball’

Terry McLaurin praises Jayden Daniels’ work ethic and that players are already gravitating to him.

Has Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin finally found stability at quarterback?

McLaurin, entering his sixth NFL season, will have a sixth different opening-day quarterback come Week 1. He’s caught passes from even more quarterbacks. Yet, through it all, McLaurin has never complained, exemplified top-notch class and leadership at every turn, and always gave it his all on the practice field and during games.

McLaurin still thrived on the field despite the constant chaos at quarterback, going for over 1,000 yards each of the last four seasons.

As for the quarterback position, McLaurin said the right things, stating that he believed in his quarterback and would do everything he could to help him.

In rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, McLaurin may have finally found the quarterback he’s waited for since being drafted in 2019.

During Washington’s minicamp earlier this month, McLaurin praised Daniels on every level. In an appearance on ESPN’s Sportscenter with Scott Van Pelt, McLaurin continued to lavish praise on his young quarterback.

“You don’t have to tell what to do when it comes to practice,” McLaurin said. “He’s out there early; he’s getting warmed up. And if he doesn’t like a rep that went down in practice, he’s like, ‘Hey, Terry, come over here, let’s get this rep again.’ And I think that’s a testament to his work ethic and how he tries to prepare each and every day in practice. He treats every practice and every rep like it’s a game-rep situation.”

McLaurin praised Daniels for his knowledge of an offense he’s playing in for the first time. He noted how offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury already had several installs of the offense complete by the time the rookies arrived, and he tried to integrate them slowly. However, it looked like Daniels had already known the entire offense, saying he was calling the plays and huddles almost immediately upon arriving.

“He’s extremely confident,” McLaurin said. “It’s a testament to his preparation and the studying he did on his own, but also, I just think the kid loves ball, and he has a good feel for the game. I think he really came in with the right mindset and energy and guys are already gravitating to him.”

There are a lot of encouraging nuggets from this interview, particularly regarding how hard Daniels prepares. Not every rookie quarterback is ready for that type of commitment. Daniels has already been preparing like a pro long before his first NFL game.

McLaurin also said players are already gravitating toward Daniels. That’s a big deal for a rookie quarterback.

It’s early, but Jayden Daniels continues to win over everyone in Washington, particularly the ones who matter the most.

Watch: 2009 highlights of Notre Dame win over Michigan State

Remember this thriller?

Coming off a heartbreaking loss at Michigan the week before, Notre Dame tried to get back on track against Michigan State. It was 2009, which proved to be the final year of [autotag]Charlie Weis[/autotag]’ Irish tenure. As “SportsCenter” showed its viewers, anyone who didn’t tune in that day missed one heck of a thriller. The Irish surrendered the lead in the fourth quarter, got it back, then turned out the lights in a 33-30 victory:

As you can see from the graphic at the end, the victory came at the expense of an injury to [autotag]Michael Floyd[/autotag] that would knock him out until November. But there were plenty of folks who helped improve the Irish’s record to 2-1. [autotag]Jimmy Clausen[/autotag] outdueled Kirk Cousins, throwing for 300 yards and two touchdowns. One of them was to Floyd, and the other, which turned out to be the game-winning score, went to [autotag]Golden Tate[/autotag].

[autotag]Armando Allen[/autotag] showed his versatility in this game. Not only did he run for 115 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries, but he threw the lone touchdown pass of his career from 5 yards out to [autotag]Robby Parris[/autotag]. That’s a day to remember.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

ESPN draft expert thinks Riley Leonard could be 2025 early-round pick

Hope it works out for Leonard and the Irish.

When ESPN NFL draft expert Jordan Reid released his 2025 first-round mock draft, it listed Notre Dame cornerback [autotag]Benjamin Morrison[/autotag] at 13th. That’s not a surprise given the big plays Morrison is known for. Missing from that mock draft was new Irish quarterback [autotag]Riley Leonard[/autotag].

However, all may not be lost as far as Leonard being an early-round pick. In an appearance on “SportsCenter”, Reid indicated that Leonard will be someone to watch this year as far as increasing his draft stock to the point where he will become difficult for NFL teams to ignore:

This obviously would be a good thing for the Irish as it should indicate a successful season barring the complete collapse of another unit. All we know at this point is expectations are high with Leonard under center.

In a decade where the Irish have relied heavily on transfer quarterbacks like [autotag]Jack Coan[/autotag] and [autotag]Sam Hartman[/autotag], Leonard might have the most pressure. Here’s to seeing how he handles it.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

See Notre Dame Lacrosse’s Crazy Behind-the-Back Goal in NCAA Tournament

You’ve got to see this one!

The men’s lacrosse NCAA tournament is underway and just like during March Madness anything can happen.

No. 1 Notre Dame found themselves in an unexpected hole Sunday afternoon as the top-seeded Fighting Irish and runaway championship favorite trailed Albany at home at halftime.

The good news for Notre Dame is that the Fighting Irish came alive out of halftime.  They scored the first four goals of the second half and got things under control.

They were however looking to essentially put the game away in the fourth quarter.  Leading 11-7 with roughly 10 minutes to play, Jake Taylor put the game on ice with one of the wilder goals you’re going to see.

Check out the highlight below:

Time will tell if Taylor makes Sportscenter’s Top 10 but No. 1 Notre Dame is certainly moving on to the quarterfinals to take on No. 8 Georgetown.

Notre Dame alumnus Hannah Storm shares experience with breast cancer

Fortunately, she’s cancer-free now.

Hannah Storm is one of the most famous people in today’s sports media landscape to graduate from Notre Dame. For over 30 years, she has part of our sports TV viewing experience to some degree. But she recently had a scare nobody ever wants.

In an interview on ABC’s “Good Morning America”, Storm, currently a “SportsCenter” anchor on ESPN, said that she was diagnosed with breast cancer in January. The good news is they caught it early enough that she underwent a lumpectomy, and doctors now say she is cancer-free. Still, it made the scare no less frightening:

“I was shocked because, again, I had had mammograms every year. I have no risk factors. I have no breast cancer in my family. I did not have a lump. I did not have pain. I don’t have any genetic predisposition to breast cancer. And what I came to learn is the vast majority of women who are diagnosed with breast cancer don’t have risk factors, and so I’ve got to say I was shocked. I was scared.

Storm is the latest example of why mammograms are so important and why women should schedule them annually by the time they turn 40. Also, it likely isn’t lost on her that in January 2015, she was the one who had to break to “SportsCenter” viewers that her colleague Stuart Scott had died of cancer.
Don’t take life for granted, folks. We only get to go through it once as far as he know, so give yourself the opportunity to live it as long and as best as you can.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

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Flip’n Ridiculous: Rutgers football safety Flip Dixon makes a SportsCenter Top 10 interception

Rutgers football safety Flip Dixon makes a tremendous interception catch.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Flip Dixon has been nothing short of sensational for Rutgers football this season since joining out of the transfer portal. The latest evidence of this is an interception in the second quarter as Rutgers battled Virginia Tech.

The diving interception was tremendous body control to get the ball and stay in bounds. It is one of the top plays in college football in what has been a wild and exciting weekend.

Dixon, a transfer portal addition out of Minnesota, had four tackles to go along with his interception. He came into Week 3 with 14 total tackles (five solo) and two passes defended. Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano has praised Dixon for his impact in his first season with the Scarlet Knights.

He had 28 total tackles last year for Minnesota.

Rutgers made the SportsCenter Top 10 in Week 1 for Ian Strong’s acrobatic touchdown catch in the back of the end zone. Dixon is certainly a candidate to make the top 10 list again this week with this turnover:

 

For Dixon, it was his second-career interception.

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Rutgers went into halftime up 21-3 over Virginia Tech.

SportsCenter Top 10? Check out the best football play you will see this weekend

Check out this SportsCenter Top 10 worthy play from Chris McLaughlin of Harrison.

Turn off the television and go outside because the best play of the weekend already has happened. Unless, of course, it is to watch this tremendous highlight play on ESPN SportsCenter Top 10 later tonight.

In a game coming out of the Lower Hudson Valley (Section 1 A-League A to be exact), Harrison defensive back Chris McLaughlin provided a jaw-droppingly good play.

The 85-yard interception return for the touchdown saw McLaughlin break four tackles and weave his way through the Rye team. After finding little space while attempting a vertical run following his leaping interception, McLaughlin begins to break tackle after tackle before turning on the jets to run the final 67 yards untouched for the touchdown.

It was some impressive athleticism from McLaughlin, a class of 2024 player who lines up as a defensive back, wide receiver and running back for Harrison.

 

McLaughlin certainly has an impressive resume. Named all-state last year, he has twice been selected to both the all-league and all-section.

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He also runs a reported 4.49 time in the 40.

Watch: 1996 highlights of ugly Notre Dame win over Vanderbilt

Remember this game?

After Notre Dame’s 1995 season began with an unexpected loss to Northwestern, the program hoped to avoid a similar upset to begin 1996. That involved visiting a putrid Vanderbilt team that the Irish easily should have disposed of. However, the 14-7 win really had to be earned, and it involved some of the ugliest football in recent program history. Here are the “SportsCenter” highlights to provide a small taste of that ugliness:

The Irish lost four fumbles, and it took a 3-yard touchdown run by [autotag]Marc Edwards[/autotag] in the fourth quarter to put them up for good. Despite the victory, it was an embarrassing performance for a team just coming off an Orange Bowl appearance. Having been ranked sixth in the preseason, the Irish fell to ninth in the next poll.

This statement from the game story on the Notre Dame athletic website says it all:

“Leaving Vanderbilt Stadium, many Irish fans were shocked and dismayed. How did Notre Dame win despite losing four fumbles? Was this merely first-game jitters or a sign of things to come?”

In 1996, the final season with [autotag]Lou Holtz[/autotag] at the helm, the Irish finished 8-3 and never dropped from the rankings, ultimately finishing 19th. They declined a couple of bowl invitations because they didn’t like the quality of the opponents they would have played. Boy, how things have changed.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89