Latest news with #HeismanTrophy
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Caleb Williams Predicted to Shatter Bears Passing Record in 1st Year With Ben Johnson
Caleb Williams Predicted to Shatter Bears Passing Record in 1st Year With Ben Johnson originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Chicago Bears have an illustrious history stretching back more than a century, though it is devoid of even a single great quarterback during the Super Bowl era. Advertisement Jim McMahon is the only Bears signal-caller with a championship ring, though he won it with the overwhelming support of one of the best defenses in NFL history. In terms of career resumé, Jay Cutler is the most prolific thrower of the football ever to wear a Chicago uniform, and it's unclear how much he ever cared about the sport or being great at it while he was playing. The No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft was supposed to change all that. The Bears landed former Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams and got off to a 4-2 start. Then a 10-game losing streak struck, and Williams watched as his offensive coordinator and head coach get fired, though his view was often obscured by the turf stuck in his helmet following any number of the league-leading 68 sacks he endured. Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams. Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Chicago's front office called on former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson this offseason, luring him to the Windy City with the promise Williams' talent and $13 million annually over a five-year contract to save the purported savior of the Bears' cursed QB room. Advertisement Johnson subsequently added three new interior offensive linemen, all of whom appear likely to start. He then spent the team's first two draft picks on a stud tight end and a stud slot receiver to round out Williams' weapons alongside Nos. 1 and 2 wideouts DJ Moore and Rome Odunze. Now, it's time to put it all together during training camp. Jeffri Chadiha of expects Johnson, Williams and the rest of the Bears offense will do just that, predicting on Thursday, June 19, that the quarterback will break the all-time franchise record for passing yards in just his second season. "One thing that shouldn't be doubted is whether he'll become the first Chicago signal-caller to throw for 4,000 yards in a season. Williams won't just reach that barrier; he'll blow it away, especially when considering all the advantages he has working for him now," Chadiha wrote. "Williams threw for 3,541 yards and 20 touchdowns last season when he was running for his life and trying too hard to extend plays. Better coaching and an improved supporting cast will make life much easier for him, and the numbers will bear that out." Chadiha projected Williams to throw for 4,500 yards and 35 touchdowns in 2025. Related: NFL Reveals Bears' Key Dates for 2025 Training Camp This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 20, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
4 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
USC football countdown to kickoff continues—Andrew Vorhees in focus
The countdown to USC's 2025 football season is officially on! The Trojans kick off their new campaign 72 days from today. You need something to help you while away the days and hours in the spring and summer. This is one way to do so. In this new series, countdown to kickoff, we will be counting down the days by highlighting a notable Trojan who wore each number. Today, we take a look at former USC All-America offensive lineman Andrew Vorhees. Position: Offensive line Years played at USC: 2017-2022 Career highlights: It did not take long for Vorhees to earn a starting role at USC, emerging as the Trojans' right guard by the fifth game of his true freshman year in 2017. Outside of the 2019 season—in which he missed all but two games due to an ankle injury—he held down a starting role for the rest of his time on campus. Taking advantage of his extra COVID year of eligibility in 2022, Vorhees emerged as one of the top offensive linemen in the country. He was named a first-team All-American that season, and won the Morris Trophy as the top lineman in the Pac-12 Conference. Vorhees's blocking played an instrumental role in USC quarterback Caleb Williams winning the 2022 Heisman Trophy. After USC: At the 2023 NFL combine, Vorhees tore his ACL during the on-field drills portion of the event. Despite this, however, he still remarkably put up 38 reps on the bench press, drawing national acclaim for his perseverance. The Baltimore Ravens selected Vorhees in the 7th round of the 2023 NFL draft. After missing his entire rookie season due to the aforementioned ACL injury, he returned to the field in 2024 and saw significant playing time at offensive guard. Vorhees will look to play an even bigger role for the team in 2025.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
How Clemson football stacks up vs returning QBs from LaNorris Sellers to Garrett Nussmeier
CLEMSON — Clemson football isn't the only team returning an experienced quarterback with NFL draft aspirations. Most of the Tigers' 2025 opponents will have new starting quarterbacks like Syracuse, Boston College, North Carolina, Florida State and Louisville. All lost their 2024 starter because of the transfer portal or expiring eligibility. Advertisement Still, Clemson has four critical games against potential College Football Playoff teams that are returning their starting quarterbacks: LSU, Georgia Tech, SMU and South Carolina. These four games could make or break Clemson's season. While Cade Klubnik prepares for his final season with Clemson, let's look at how these four of quarterbacks stack up entering the 2025 season. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU eye statement win in season opener vs Clemson This game on Aug. 30 (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC) will be a rematch of the 2020 national championship game, which LSU won 42-25 behind quarterback Joe Burrow throwing for 463 yards for five touchdowns. Advertisement Garrett Nussmeier, who was fifth in passing yards (4,052) and tied for 10th in passing touchdowns (29) last season, opted to return for his senior year in hopes of taking a leap in his second full season as a starter like former LSU quarterbacks Burrow and Jayden Daniels did. Nussmeier is a true pocket passer who lacks mobility but possesses a powerful arm with a strong supporting cast around him. He has the second-best odds to win the Heisman Trophy, behind Texas' Arch Manning and just ahead of Klubnik, who is third, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. They could be first-round selections in the NFL draft next year. LSU has missed the CFP for five straight seasons, and it has not won a season-opening game since 2019. It eyes a win against Clemson at Memorial Stadium in one of the marquee games of Week 1 to set up its path back to the CFP. Haynes King, Georgia Tech hope to make tremendous leap in 2025 Like Klubnik, Haynes King enters his third full season as a starter for Georgia Tech. King threw 14 touchdowns last year, 13 less than 2023, but he cut his interceptions from a conference-leading 16 to two, and his sacks dwindled from 15 to six. Advertisement The dual-threat quarterback improved his competition percentage to 72.9% and led ACC quarterbacks in rushing touchdowns with 11 despite missing two games with a shoulder injury. The Yellow Jackets had a 7-4 record, losing three one-possession games, when King played and can build on that in coach Brent Key's third season. Georgia Tech begins the season away against Colorado, which loses Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders, then hosts Gardner-Webb, an FCS program. It can enter its first conference home game against Clemson on Sept. 13 (noon ET, ABC or ESPN) undefeated with King feeling confident, and Georgia Tech looking to send a message to the ACC. MORE: House settlement approves revenue sharing. Here's how Clemson will pay players Kevin Jennings, SMU looking for revenge in second season in ACC Kevin Jennings returns to SMU for his first full season as a starter hoping to build on his impactful 2024. He helped the Mustangs to an 11-3 record, which earned them their first ACC championship and CFP appearances. Advertisement Jennings replaced Preston Stone as the team's starter after SMU's Week 2 loss to BYU. He threw for 3,245 yards with 23 touchdowns and 11 interceptions and rushed for 354 yards and five touchdowns as a third-year player. The dual-threat quarterback faced Clemson last year in the ACC championship, throwing for 304 yards and scoring four touchdowns. He also battled Tigers new defensive coordinator Tom Allen's defense when he was with Penn State in the CFP, and the Nittany Lions shut down Jennings. He had his worst game of the season, throwing for 195 yards for one touchdown and three interceptions. Jennings will be without SMU's top running back, Brashard Smith, and its most productive pass catcher, Roderick Daniels Jr., as both players' eligibility expired. Offensive coordinator Casey Woods remained with SMU, so Jennings will have familiarity with the scheme but will have to get acclimated to new contributors before facing Clemson on Oct. 18 at Memorial Stadium. Can Clemson stop South Carolina's LaNorris Sellers? It didn't last season Clemson could not slow down LaNorris Sellers, who rushed for 166 yards for two touchdowns last year, including a go-ahead 20-yard score with 1:08 left. It sacked him three times, but he forced 18 missed tackles, the most Pro Football Focus has ever recorded for a quarterback since it started tracking college players in 2014. Advertisement Sellers, 6-foot-3 and 242 pounds, is an elusive player whose strong frame allows him to withstand potential tackles and turn them into game-breaking plays. In his first full season as a starter, he threw for 2,534 yards, 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions and rushed for 674 yards and seven touchdowns. Sellers helped South Carolina to a 9-4 record, its best finish under coach Shane Beamer and most wins since 2017. The dual-threat quarterback returns for his third season with the seventh-best odds to win the Heisman Trophy. If Sellers improves his passing, not only could he improve his NFL draft stock but he can help the Gamecocks beat Clemson on Nov. 29 (noon ET, ABC or ESPN) for the second straight time in the Palmetto Bowl for the first time since 2012 and 2013. Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@ and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00 This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson football schedule 2025: Tigers' outlook vs returning QBs
New York Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
From Broadway to Bowling Green, Eddie George finds his next stage
The whispers could be heard as he walked down the street to Urban Meyer's restaurant. When he stood on the sidewalk speaking to a small group of reporters, more passersby began noticing. 'That's Eddie George, a famous Ohio State player,' one woman told her kids. Some across the street tried to get a good angle to take a photo. Once he moved inside the restaurant, fans took pictures of George through the glass that led to a closed-door fundraiser event for his latest venture: coaching Bowling Green football. Advertisement Thirty years ago, George won the Heisman Trophy as a running back at Ohio State. Since then, he's starred in the NFL, started businesses and even dabbled in acting. Now he's wearing a brown suit with a Bowling Green pin on his lapel, bringing attention to an unexpected location. Unlike most Mid-American Conference football coaches, George is a celebrity everywhere he goes, no matter what color he wears. He can't help but attract attention. It was the case when he was in Nashville, where he played for the Titans and spent the past four years coaching Tennessee State in the second-highest level of college football, in the FCS. It's even truer in Ohio. On this day last month in Dublin, outside of Columbus, George talked to Bowling Green boosters and football alumni to get to know them and encourage donations to his new program. He talked about his vision for Bowling Green and what allowed him to go from zero coaching experience to the FCS playoffs in four years at Tennessee State. What made him the right person for the Tigers' rebuild is why Bowling Green bet on him: He has the name to attract attention and resources to a program in need of a jolt, but he doesn't go out of the way to draw attention to his fame, either. And that's what he's leaning into in his first FBS coaching job in the same state where his football hero status began. 'I've been a celebrity in this state for over 30 years. That's not going anywhere, but when it comes down to it, when I put that whistle around my neck, we are in the heat of battle, I'm training guys or pushing them beyond their comfort zone, that's a different animal,' George said. 'That? I'm back to my old playing days. That's the spirit and that's not to be played with.' When George retired from the NFL in 2005 after rushing for more than 10,000 yards, he wanted something different. Tired of the games, the practices and the late nights, he left the sport entirely. His pursuit of other interests led him to unexpected places. Even Broadway. During his playing time, George had become interested in acting, but he didn't start taking it seriously until after he retired. He hired an acting coach and earned roles in multiple plays, making it all the way to New York in 2016 with the long-running musical 'Chicago.' On top of acting, he earned his master's degree in business administration at Northwestern and started businesses in Nashville and Ohio, including a restaurant with multiple locations and the Edward George Wealth Management Group. He was inducted into the Nashville Entrepreneurs' Hall of Fame in 2023. Advertisement He had a good life with his wife, Tamara, and two sons, Eriq and Jaire. The only time he thought about coaching? When building dynasties in the 'NCAA Football' video game. That changed in April 2021 when Tennessee State let go of longtime coach Rod Reed and called George. Another HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities), Jackson State, had hired Deion Sanders the previous fall despite his lack of college coaching experience. Now Tennessee State needed some life breathed back into the program after finishing below .500 three years in a row and winning more than seven games just twice in 11 years. At first, George was hesitant to entertain interest because he didn't see himself as a coach and didn't want to be a prop to sell tickets. If he was going to take over the Tigers, he wanted it to be about the players. 'I wasn't going to do a reality show tied to it,' George said. 'It's not about the camera, my hits on Instagram, my content or any of that. There's a place for all that, but it was important, especially in the beginning, that it not be about me, it be about them.' The administration committed to George as the coach, not the celebrity, and he considered the job. He talked with his wife about it and thought more about what type of culture and philosophy he wanted to imprint on the team. Everyone knows George was a talented football player, but his journey beyond football was one worth telling and one he thought he could use to help athletes at Tennessee State. 'It meant sacrificing a lot of things I had been working on prior to that, acting and business,' George said. 'But the gratification that I got from helping young people and giving them guidance and seeing the light bulb go off — challenging them and developing them to become leaders is really God's work.' After 15 years away, George loved getting back in the locker room, putting a game plan together and pushing players beyond their limits. He loved returning to the grind of football. But being a first-year head coach with no experience as an assistant isn't easy. George took over a Tennessee State program with limited resources and got a reality check with all of the off-the-field responsibilities, especially at an FCS school with budget constraints. Advertisement Once he got his bearings, the program started trending in the right direction. Though Tennessee State lost three of its first four games under George, it went on a four-game winning streak after that and finished 5-6 in the fall of 2021. 'There were a lot of moving parts at TSU, from compliance to the players to equipment, making sure lines are on the field, the scheduling — all of it was overwhelming,' George said. 'I had to organize my thoughts, but once I got a rhythm of it and I realized where I needed to spend my time, it was, 'OK, the culture has to be felt from top to bottom, period. Excellence all the way through.'' George's words still come to Rodell Rahmaan's mind before each of his professional indoor football games with the Omaha Beef. No mas. The first time he heard those words in a football setting was days before Tennessee State traveled to Eastern Illinois for a midseason game. The Tigers had won two in a row when George walked into a team meeting and relayed the message of the week. 'He wanted us to dominate them, have them saying no more, like they're done,' Rahmaan said. Tennessee State embraced it and beat Eastern Illinois 28-0, the largest win in George's first season. With about four minutes left, Rahmaan heard a 'no mas' chant break among players. 'I could remember the looks on their faces with our whole team yelling,' Rahmaan said. 'Everybody rallied together.' A graduate of Beechcroft High, 20 minutes from Ohio State, Rahmaan was well aware of who George was when he graduated from Bowling Green in 2020 and transferred to Tennessee State to play for George with his final year of eligibility. 'To have a legend from your hometown college hold me in that high regard, I felt like I was in heaven getting a call from him,' Rahmaan said. Rahmaan spent one year with George, who displayed natural coaching instincts despite his inexperience. His playing experience gave him the ability to show players how to do things rather than just telling them. George kept everybody calm, even in high-intensity moments, and found ways to bring out confidence in his team. Still, it wasn't a straight line of success. The team ended his first season on a three-game losing streak and then backtracked to a 4-7 record in 2022. George saw discipline issues he had to address on his roster and coaching staff. His focus was getting his culture under control as he learned how to coach on the fly. Advertisement 'The first year was like, 'Do I like this? Do I love it? I don't know,'' George said. 'But seeing the small wins, I got addicted to it. All the years of preparation and the life after the game prepared me for this.' The Tigers started 6-2 in 2023 but ended on a three-game losing streak. So in the 2024 offseason, he implemented a new mindset called 'nine strong,' which became a phrase used around the facility. George focused on making sure all nine position groups were strong from top to bottom so that at the end of November they were playing their best football. Last fall, Tennessee State won seven of its final eight games before losing to Montana its first FCS playoff appearance in 11 years. Three months later, George was watching ESPN when news came across the bottom ticker that caught his eye. Bowling Green head coach Scot Loeffler had left to be the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterbacks coach, an early-spring move that put the Falcons in a precarious position long after the coaching carousel slowed. 'That's a bad situation to be in right now,' George remembered thinking to himself. 'I wonder what they're going to do.' 'Lo and behold, it's me,' he said recently. When athletic director Derek Van der Merwe began his search to replace Loeffler, he reached out to former coaches Meyer (2001-02) and Dave Clawson (2009-13). Both told him he had to find a coach who could embrace the community. Meyer gave Van der Merwe the 51-year-old George's name. 'I was a little bit skeptical about a Heisman trophy winner and the Titan,' Van der Merwe said. 'He said, 'No, do you know Eddie as a person?' I would say the first phone call I went in thinking how does an individual who has done what he's done translate into the leader of a college football team? Does he have that heart of service?' Advertisement It took one conversation to realize that George was different. 'You saw a humble spirit, one who understood the value of higher education,' he said. 'It was clearly evident to me that this was a man who spent his life learning, viewed the future and was committed to growth.' George, who also interviewed with the Chicago Bears last winter, worried because he wasn't actively trying to leave Tennessee State. There were challenges in the Tigers' athletic department with an expiring contract coming up for George, some bad financials and other things that George said he and the administration were working out, but he intended to stick it out. He didn't want word getting back to his team that he was interviewing at Bowling Green if he had no interest in leaving the program he just rebuilt. He got assurance that nothing would leak and began talking to Meyer, his wife, former Ohio State coach Jim Tressel and others. He started to believe it was right for him. 'We talked over the pros and cons and led to a decision that it was the best decision for me, not from a financial standpoint, but a support standpoint,' said George, who signed a five-year deal with a base salary of $600,000. 'We could really build this brand in a conference that is well established and going places.' Bowling Green made the hire official on March 9. 'Eddie talked about his journey and how hard work defined who he was, how he just kept working and was going to get better at everything whether as a player or on Broadway or as a head football coach,' Bowling Green president Rodney Rogers said. 'That is a great fit at schools like BG, because that is in essence who we are.' Before George found a house in Bowling Green, he moved into a Best Western, eating waffles for breakfast in the lobby and going to dinner at local restaurants. He had to put a program together while intertwining himself with the alumni base and a small, tight-nit community. 'I have a hard time envisioning Eddie in a Best Western,' Meyer said. 'But it's important he acclimates to that town.' Advertisement The town of Bowling Green has a population of just over 31,000 nestled amid northwestern Ohio farm land. The state university has an enrollment of under 20,000. It's the type of place where somebody of George's stature can't go into a restaurant or store without somebody stopping him. 'Bowling Green is big enough to be a Division I athletic program, but we're small enough where everybody kind of knows everybody and you can kind of do things and see the results of what you do,' Rogers said. Meyer, who went 17-6 with the Falcons before leading Utah to an unbeaten season and winning a total of three national championships at Florida and Ohio State, still raves about the Bowling Green community, which is why he hosted a fundraiser at his Columbus-area restaurant in May. Clawson, who recently retired as the head coach at Wake Forest, still visits Bowling Green and holds fond memories of the patience and support he received. After winning seven games to begin his career, he won two the next year and finished 5-7 in Year 3. 'Everybody had my back,' Clawson said. Two years later, he won the MAC title, beating Northern Illinois 47-27 in front of a sea of orange that made the trip to Detroit to see the program's first conference title since 1992. 'I still get goosebumps thinking about that game and how much orange was in the stands,' Clawson said. 'It felt like a big deal that we were in that game. The amount of students, the amount of community members, the amount of buses that came up, it was awesome.' The Falcons won another MAC title two years later under Dino Babers, who left for Syracuse. But the past decade has been a struggle to reach those heights. Bowling Green made a surprise move to replace Babers with Texas Tech running backs coach Mike Jinks, who went just 7-24 before being fired in his third season. In came Loeffler, whose slow build eventually led to a pair of 7-6 records in each of the past two years to end the program's streak of seven consecutive losing seasons, only for Loeffler to leave to become an NFL position coach. Advertisement 'People who embrace this campus and build this program with the community beside them have had success, because they view this exercise of success through building the community around the program,' Van der Merwe said. 'The community has helped the coaches solve programs. Then they move on and we celebrate that and we find the next person. Where we've made mistakes is when we fail to bring somebody in who embraces that.' The Falcons were just one win away from the MAC championship game last season, but a loss to Miami (OH) in the last week of the regular season cost them a trip to Detroit. Despite the program's struggles over the past decade, upward mobility in the conference is readily available. There are a lot of similarities between MAC schools, and 10 programs have won at least one conference title in the past 20 seasons. Roster turnover in the transfer portal age has now made the conference even more fluid. 'It's good to see teams clumping at the top, that's what you want to see. You hope that continues,' MAC commissioner John Steinbrecher said. 'We are an evolving enterprise. You used to be building a program for three or four or five-plus years, but now you're rebuilding a program year after year.' Though George didn't arrive until March — long after the first transfer portal window in December — he made a splash in the April portal window. Bowling Green's transfer class over the two windows is ranked No. 1 in the MAC by 247Sports, including an April commitment from ex-Notre Dame and Missouri quarterback Drew Pyne after George arrived. Bowling Green had an average announced attendance of 13,358 last year, seventh out of 12 MAC teams. According to a Bowling Green spokesman, season ticket sales have risen 40 percent from last season so far, while sales for single-game and group tickets have risen 2,000 percent since they opened on June 2. '(Tennessee State) is not an easy position, but he did a nice job there and I look forward to him continuing to build the BG program,' Steinbrecher said. 'I expect there will be a buzz around BG road games this year, not that there wasn't before, but this is another element that comes with it.' Advertisement George's celebrity isn't going anywhere, especially in Ohio, where he's a hero to people like Rahmaan and many of the BG players who grew up in the state. There's little doubt his name recognition has already worked in his favor when it comes to community support in Ohio and putting Bowling Green on the college football map nationally. But that's just one side of George. The side that fell in love with the grind of being a head coach and teaching is who Van der Merwe fell for. It's also the one George can't wait to show as the next stage of his unexpected new career begins. 'I lived the entertainment world,' George said, 'but this has to come from a real place.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jameis Winston Makes Personal Announcement Before Giants Season
Jameis Winston Makes Personal Announcement Before Giants Season originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Jameis Winston has long been recognized as one of the NFL's most charismatic personalities. Now 31, he's gearing up to begin his journey with a fourth NFL franchise, the New York Giants. Advertisement Winston's football path began at Florida State, where he led the Seminoles to a national title and won the Heisman Trophy. He was selected first overall in the 2015 NFL draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After five seasons in Tampa Bay, Winston spent time with the New Orleans Saints, then played last season with the Cleveland Browns. In 2025, he enters training camp competing for the starting quarterback job alongside veteran Russell Wilson, rookie Jaxson Dart and veteran Tommy DeVito. While Winston prepares for an intense position battle in New York, he continues to impact lives away from the gridiron. On Wednesday, he shared a personal announcement about a meaningful event: 'Dream Big and Lead with Passion! Excited to announce my Dream Forever Leadership Summit is back on Friday, July 18 at Hueytown High School!' The free event is open to teens ages 13 to 18 and will feature speakers, mentors, coaches and leaders focused on youth empowerment and leadership development. Advertisement 'We're gonna have incredible speakers, inspiring mentors, coaches and leaders all coming together to pour into YOU. AGES: 13–18. COST: FREE. REGISTRATION LINK IN BIO.' New York Giants quarterback Jameis Caruso/ / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Hueytown High School, located in Alabama, is Winston's alma mater. He starred there in both football and baseball and was once ranked as the nation's top dual-threat quarterback. Winston's 2024 campaign with the Browns was a mixed bag. He completed 61.1% of his passes for 13 touchdowns but also threw 12 interceptions. His struggles late in the season were particularly costly; he tossed nine interceptions over his final four starts. Advertisement His last appearance came on Dec. 15 in a 21-7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, where he threw three interceptions, was sacked five times and failed to record a touchdown pass. As Winston eyes a fresh start with the Giants, his efforts to lead and uplift young people show he's looking to make a lasting impact, both on and off the field. Related: Joe Burrow's Change in Physical Appearance Catches Attention Related: Jason Kelce's Wife Kylie Kelce Shares Unseen Footage Amid Personal Decision This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
