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Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dodgers return to 'unsettling' situation amid protests in LA
LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts addressed the unrest in Los Angeles with protests sparked by immigration raids carried out by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 'I know that when you're having to bring people in and, you know, deport people and just kind of all the unrest, it's certainly unsettling for everyone," Roberts said June 13 during his pregame press conference at Dodger Stadium. Roberts spoke before the Dodgers' first home game since the protests started June 6, facing the San Francisco Giants after a six-game road trip that began the same day the protests started. Roberts, who helped lead the Dodgers to World Series titles in 2020 and 2024, said he didn't know enough about the situation to "speak intelligently on it." "I don't know enough, to be quite honest with you," Roberts said, adding that he "hasn't done enough and can't speak intelligently on it." The Dodgers have deep ties to Los Angeles' Latino community. In 1981, Fernando Valenzuela, who grew up in Etchohuaquila, a small town in Mexico, could barely speak English as a 20-year-old rookie who won the Cy Young award. He also sparked "Fernandomania," a craze that swept across Southern California and helped the Dodgers build a loyal Mexican American fan base. Multiple Dodgers players declined to discuss the unrest in Los Angeles when asked by USA TODAY Sports before the game. Giants first baseman Dom Smith, a Los Angeles native, told the San Francisco Chronicle there had been raids in his girlfriend's neighborhood. 'My family is still down there, and it's very sad, what's going on, people being stripped away from their families,' Smith told the Chronicle. 'It's heartbreaking. Obviously there's a right way to do things, and if you can put yourself in their shoes and you see a mother or father ripped away from a child and you don't know where they're going or for how long and those questions aren't being answered, it's traumatizing.' Marco Weinman of Los Angeles attended his first Dodger Stadium Pride Night and found himself reflecting on two groups of people who have been targeted. The gay community, to which he belongs, and immigrants – particularly those being detained and deported in divisive ICE raids. 'I can absolutely identify," said Weinman, 55, an IT consultant. 'I mean, this country is a country of immigrants, right? I'm second-generation American. My grandparents immigrated here … from Eastern Europe. So we're all immigrants. LA is a city of immigrants." He said he planned to attend the "No Kings Day" protest in downtown LA on Saturday, June 14 'because I feel compelled. There's been a lot of injustice that's happened." Allyson Jackson, was at Dodger Stadium with friends for Pride Night, finds herself at the cross section of both communities. She said she's Mexican, Puerto Rican and Black. 'I have close friends and family who are undocumented and who are being affected by this," Jackson, 32, told USA TODAY Sports. 'And 1000% percent I feel empathy towards everyone and it hurts. It's very heartbreaking." She said she appreciates the Dodgers holding multiple heritage nights for different ethnic communities. That includes Mexican Heritage Night, Guatemalan Heritage Night and Salvadoran Heritage Night. Jazzmin Martinez of Whittier, California was wrangling her two young children at Dodger Stadium before the game when asked if being here was an escape from the recent unrest in L.A. 'No, not for me," Martinez, 34, told USA TODAY Sports. 'It almost kind of makes me feel, not ashamed, but I can't be having fun." Referring to ongoing immigration raids that have sparked protests, she said, "I'm here and that's happening. … You got to numb yourself a little bit because then you get stuck in sadness." Martinez and Diego Sauceda, who started dating in high school, said they're both first-generation Americans whose parents immigrated from Mexico. They bought tickets to the game before protests started and decided to bring their 5-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son. Sauceda said the car wash he frequents in Whittier 'got hit." 'They're super nice people," said Sauceda, 35. 'They're hardworking, … It just breaks my heart seeing everything going on." But as they settled into their pavilion seats in left field, his children were ready to dig into their popcorn and the sadness seemed to lift. 'We've been telling our kids about it for weeks now," he said. 'We just like, we're going to show up and let's see what goes on. So we're just here just to just enjoy ourselves with our kids." The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dodgers manager addresses 'unrest' in LA
USA Today
10 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
KPMG Women's PGA live updates: Leaderboard, scores from second round of LPGA major
KPMG Women's PGA live updates: Leaderboard, scores from second round of LPGA major The 2025 KPMG Women's PGA Championship started on Thursday at Fields Ranch East in Frisco, Texas, the home course of the PGA of America. Jeeno Thitikul rolled in nearly 200 feet in putts to take the 18-hole lead. The best players in the world are battling it out with a major title on the line, including world No. 1 and past champion Nelly Korda, who remains in search of her first victory this season. Here's a look at the second round of play from the KPMG Women's PGA: (If you missed out on our in-depth coverage from Day 1, click here.) KPMG Women's PGA leaderboard Keep up with the latest scores on our USA TODAY Sports leaderboard. How to watch KPMG Women's PGA Championship 2025 All times EDT Friday, June 20 Golf Channel: 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; 6 p.m.-8 p.m. Featured groups: 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday, June 21 Peacock: 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Featured groups: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. ( PGA Champs App) NBC: 1:30-6 p.m. Sunday, June 22 Peacock: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Featured groups: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. ( PGA Champs App) NBC: 3-6 p.m.
USA Today
12 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Travelers second round live updates: Leaderboard, highlights from TPC River Highlands
Travelers second round live updates: Leaderboard, highlights from TPC River Highlands It's time for Friday at the 2025 Travelers Championship. The final signature event of the 2025 PGA Tour season is underway at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut, where World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is the defending champion and in contention after the first round. Follow along below for live updates and highlights from Friday's second round at the Travelers: Travelers Championship 2025 live leaderboard Keep up with the latest scores on our USA TODAY Sports leaderboard. Travelers Championship 2025 Friday second round tee times 8:00 AM – Daniel Berger, Sam Stevens – Daniel Berger, Sam Stevens 8:10 AM – Jhonattan Vegas, Gary Woodland – Jhonattan Vegas, Gary Woodland 8:20 AM – Rickie Fowler, Michael Kim – Rickie Fowler, Michael Kim 8:30 AM – Maverick McNealy, Ryan Gerard – Maverick McNealy, Ryan Gerard 8:40 AM – Russell Henley, Nick Dunlap – Russell Henley, Nick Dunlap 8:50 AM – Patrick Cantlay, Sungjae Im – Patrick Cantlay, Sungjae Im 9:00 AM – Cam Davis, Alex Noren – Cam Davis, Alex Noren 9:10 AM – Taylor Pendrith, Eric Cole – Taylor Pendrith, Eric Cole 9:20 AM – Thomas Detry, Si Woo Kim – Thomas Detry, Si Woo Kim 9:35 AM – Brian Harman, Akshay Bhatia – Brian Harman, Akshay Bhatia 9:45 AM – Sepp Straka, Aaron Rai – Sepp Straka, Aaron Rai 9:55 AM – Shane Lowry, Denny McCarthy – Shane Lowry, Denny McCarthy 10:05 AM – J.T. Poston, Matt Fitzpatrick – J.T. Poston, Matt Fitzpatrick 10:15 AM – Justin Thomas, Hideki Matsuyama – Justin Thomas, Hideki Matsuyama 10:25 AM – Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa – Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa 10:35 AM – J.J. Spaun, Scottie Scheffler – J.J. Spaun, Scottie Scheffler 10:45 AM – Luke Clanton – Luke Clanton 10:55 AM – Andrew Novak, Jacob Bridgeman – Andrew Novak, Jacob Bridgeman 11:10 AM – Davis Riley, Bud Cauley – Davis Riley, Bud Cauley 11:20 AM – Nick Taylor, Kevin Yu – Nick Taylor, Kevin Yu 11:30 AM – Joe Highsmith, Tom Kim – Joe Highsmith, Tom Kim 11:40 AM – Min Woo Lee, Harry Hall – Min Woo Lee, Harry Hall 11:50 AM – Mackenzie Hughes, Matti Schmid – Mackenzie Hughes, Matti Schmid 12:00 PM – Tony Finau, Christiaan Bezuidenhout – Tony Finau, Christiaan Bezuidenhout 12:10 PM – Wyndham Clark, Matthieu Pavon – Wyndham Clark, Matthieu Pavon 12:20 PM – Jason Day, Max Homa – Jason Day, Max Homa 12:30 PM – Austin Eckroat, Byeong Hun An – Austin Eckroat, Byeong Hun An 12:45 PM – Davis Thompson, Stephan Jaeger – Davis Thompson, Stephan Jaeger 12:55 PM – Adam Hadwin, Max Greyserman – Adam Hadwin, Max Greyserman 1:05 PM – Tom Hoge, Tommy Fleetwood – Tom Hoge, Tommy Fleetwood 1:15 PM – Adam Scott, Cameron Young – Adam Scott, Cameron Young 1:25 PM – Viktor Hovland, Robert MacIntyre – Viktor Hovland, Robert MacIntyre 1:35 PM – Ludvig Åberg, Sam Burns – Ludvig Åberg, Sam Burns 1:45 PM – Rory McIlroy, Keegan Bradley – Rory McIlroy, Keegan Bradley 1:55 PM – Ryan Fox, Ben Griffin – Ryan Fox, Ben Griffin 2:05 PM – Harris English, Lucas Glover How to watch the 2025 Travelers Championship This is the TV channel, streaming and radio schedule, with Golf Channel, CBS, ESPN+, Paramount+ and PGA Tour Radio on SiriusXM all teaming up for the coverage. All times listed are ET. Second round, Friday, June 20 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m., PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ 12-6 p.m., SiriusXM PGA Tour radio 3-6 p.m., Golf Channel, NBC Sports app Third round, Saturday, June 21 8 a.m.-6:30 p.m., PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ 1-6:30 p.m., SiriusXM PGA Tour radio 1-3 p.m., Golf Channel, NBC Sports app 3-6:30 p.m., CBS, Paramount+ Final round, Sunday, June 22 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m., PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ 1-6 p.m., SiriusXM PGA Tour radio 1-3 p.m., Golf Channel, NBC Sports app 3-6 p.m., CBS, Paramount+ What is the purse, prize money at Travelers Championship? The Travelers purse is $20 million, with $3.6 million going to the winner in addition to 700 FedEx Cup Past Travelers Championship winners Scottie Scheffler (2024); Keegan Bradley (2023); Xander Schauffele (2022); Harris English (2021); Dustin Johnson (2020) Is there a cut at the 2025 Travelers Championship? No, there is not a cut at the Travelers Championship. All 72 players will play all four rounds.
USA Today
12 hours ago
- Business
- USA Today
Will Trump cuts to universities affect college sports? 'Touchy topic'
Will Trump cuts to universities affect college sports? 'Touchy topic' As universities face financial cuts from the Trump Administration, college sports tries to find a way to fund huge new expenses . Show Caption Hide Caption Livvy Dunne on NIL and how female athletes can benefit from it Meghan Hall chats with Livvy Dunne about the world of NIL and how she's setting a course for future college athletes to succeed like she did. Sports Seriously Hardly anybody in charge of major college athletics wants to talk about this publicly. It's the Trump effect. Will the Trump administration's plan to defund American universities trickle down to college sports in the form of funding cuts? USA TODAY Sports contacted more than 25 universities and college leadership organizations to ask them about concerns that athletics could be affected at least indirectly by this federal funding uncertainty. Almost all of them dodged the question by not responding at all, or by providing vague, undetailed answers, or by saying they didn't want to talk about it on the record. 'I'm not surprised that nobody wants to talk, particularly at red-state public universities,' said Robert Kelchen, a professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the University of Tennessee. 'It's such a touchy topic right now.' At the same time, many of the same colleges are bracing for another coming financial earthquake after a federal judge recently approved the House vs. NCAA legal settlement. This allowed colleges to start paying their athletes directly for the first time ever, creating a massive new cost of up to $20.5 million per school per year starting July 1, according to the NCAA. Trouble and tension in major college sports Add it all together and tensions have started simmering during a titanic moment in history for higher education and college sports. Expenses are going up in athletic departments while the other side of campus remains anxious about Trump cuts to higher education, such as grants for medical and scientific research. 'There's never been a time in college sports where so many issues have hit at once − both with the squeeze on institutional support and now this brand-new way of doing business in college sports,' said Amy Perko, CEO of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics. USA TODAY Sports examined how it might affect athletics, why it's a sensitive topic and what some schools are doing about it. How the federal uncertainty trickles down Trump's attempted funding cutbacks at American universities aren't directly related to college sports. They instead largely involve funding for research at these universities, including from the National Institutes of Health, which faces $18 billion in cuts under the Trump administration. But as part of their universities, most athletic departments depend on university financial support to pay the bills. And when universities face funding shortfalls, they have to make decisions about what to cut and where. That's where that institutional support for athletics could get squeezed. Out of 232 Division I public schools tracked by USA TODAY Sports in fiscal year 2023, only 12 athletic departments reported receiving no institutional support from their schools, including from student fees or university transfers. That includes big football schools such as Ohio State, Penn State, Texas and LSU. On the other end of the spectrum, 75 Division I public schools received at least $20 million in university support from their schools in fiscal year 2023, including from student fees. Sixteen received direct institutional support from their schools of more than $20 million, not counting student fees, led by Houston ($39.7 million), California ($36.7 million), Cincinnati ($35.5 million) and Connecticut ($30.2 million). 'As a matter of basic math, less money from any source will constrain any university's ability to make discretionary decisions about how to allocate their finite resources,' said Roger Pielke, emeritus professor at the University of Colorado. 'Something then has to give − either more revenues are needed or some activities must be cut back. If athletics demands more funding (such as for paying athletes) that compounds the issues.' A number of examples have emerged. At the University of Washington In March, the provost at the University of Washington sent out a message outlining the financial risks the university was facing, including state budget shortfalls and the 'unprecedented and rapid policy changes at the federal level.' The provost mentioned possible cutbacks including 'pausing non-essential staff hiring,' limiting faculty hiring and reducing food purchases and other discretionary spending. 'These measures apply to all units that report to the President and Provost, including Athletics,' university spokesman Victor Balta confirmed to USA TODAY Sports. How that applied to athletics isn't clear. The university didn't get into detail about that when asked about it. But the athletic department received $10 million direct institutional support in fiscal 2024. Now the House settlement is also pressuring the Huskies, too, just like all the other schools in major college sports. The Huskies are projecting a $19 million deficit in athletics for fiscal year 2026. Loans will help cover the gap, including $10 million from the Big Ten Conference in the form of a revenue-sharing advance and more from an 'internal loan of institutional funds,' Balta said. 'Rising expenses and back damages related to the House settlement are factors, as are expenses associated with transitioning to the Big Ten Conference,' Balta said. 'UW Athletics did execute required budget reductions and revenue enhancements in their approved FY26 operating budget – they were not held harmless in this exercise related to overall budget concerns.' At Michigan State This is happening to different degrees at other universities, too, each dealing with it in different ways. At Michigan State, for example, President Kevin Guskiewicz sent a message to faculty and staff fin May, noting financial challenges that included navigating 'federal policies and directives that undercut our ability to advance our land-grant mission and continue essential research projects that make life better.' A subsequent memo went to university leaders calling for a 9% base reduction in university-wide general funds over the next two years. Asked if that included MSU athletics, university spokeswoman Amber McCann replied, 'The reductions are to general funds across the university.' Additional details were not provided. MSU athletics received less than $650,000 in direct institutional support in fiscal 2024 and $3.6 million in indirect institutional support in the form of costs covered by the university but not charged to athletics. MSU athletics also reported an annual operating deficit of $16.7 million for fiscal 2024. But even at the small number of schools that provide little or no institutional support for athletics, disharmony can increase across campus if athletic departments are insulated from university budget cuts. Take Nebraska, for example. Is athletics 'sharing the pain?' The University of Nebraska Board of Regents on June 19 approved a 5% tuition increase amid financial challenges that included less state funding than they asked for and an estimated federal funding reduction of nearly $12 million. The new budget included $18 million in cuts and no funding for pay increases for university staff. But over in the athletic department, football coach Matt Rhule is set to get a $1 million pay increase this year, then another $1 million more in 2026, according to the terms of his contract. Athletic director Troy Dannen is set for a $100,000 annual raise. The athletic department didn't respond to an inquiry about it. 'There is a feeling that the athletic department should be sharing the pain,' said Jordan Gonzales, president of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Staff Senate. Nebraska is one of the relatively few schools in the nation that reported receiving no university support for athletics in fiscal 2023. Even so, any immunity from university austerity measures adds to the perception that athletic departments are becoming increasingly detached from their universities as they move to become more like professional sports. 'When the university asks its core academic support staff to tighten their belts and absorb budget cuts while the athletic department appears to operate under a separate set of financial rules, it fosters a sense of two separate universities − one that's facing austerity and another that is investing in and entering into multimillion deals and contracts,' Gonzales said. Why it's a sensitive subject As the Trump administration targets certain colleges such as Harvard for funding cuts, others are wary of becoming the next target. When resources shrink on campus, discord also intensifies about university priorities and who is or isn't taking on a fair share of the burden. Some colleges might not even want to talk about any cutbacks in sports because now is the time they want to appear flush with cash to pay athletes. Among those that didn't respond to inquiries about federal funding cuts affecting athletics were UCLA, Virginia, Stanford, Minnesota, Houston, Northwestern, Harvard and the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics. "I think people are laying low," said Ruth Johnston, vice president of consulting at the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO). "I think people are wanting to wait and see a little bit." In the meantime, the pressure mounts for Division I athletic departments to spend money on players, all the way up to the initial cap of $20.5 million. Not doing so would mean falling behind the competition. 'They need more money right now,' said James Nussbaum, a former Northwestern football player and in-house counsel at Indiana University now at the firm Church Church Hittle + Antrim. 'It's those schools in the middle that are going to be really interesting to watch as they try to figure out if they want to continue to fund athletics at the level they have been as it becomes more and more clear that they're not going to be able to compete with those top-tier schools, just from a resource standpoint.' Where will the money come from? Some athletic departments are getting students to help pay the bills. Some are getting more from their universities. Some might pursue other sources: ∎ The Board of Governors for the State University System of Florida on June 18 granted permission for state universities to give a $22.5 million annual lifeline to athletics through at least June 2028. ∎ At the University of Michigan, athletic director Warde Manuel sent a letter to supporters after the House settlement was approved, saying his department faced a projected deficit of $27 million for the 2025-26 academic year, including $20.5 million for paying players. The letter asked for support and mentioned a planned 10% reduction in staff, in addition to other cost-cutting moves. Spokesman Dave Ablauf said the university also has offered the department a loan of up to $15 million. ∎ Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry recently signed a bill to increase taxes on sports gambling, helping raise more than $20 million to be divided among 11 state universities for athletics, including LSU. Incidentally, LSU athletics is not subject to university cutbacks there because it is considered 'auxiliary' to the university, according to the Louisiana Illuminator in April. LSU didn't respond to a follow-up question about that from USA TODAY Sports. ∎ At the University of Colorado Boulder, the school approved an increase of the student athletic fee from $28.50 to $90 per semester, the first change to this fee since 1994. Funding from it was to support women's sports scholarships and non-revenue sports. ∎ At Virginia Tech, student athletic fees are set to go up by $295 annually, up to $732. ∎ At Wichita State, the university proposed a 3.5% tuition increase, citing the challenging financial landscape for higher education, as well as the House settlement. ∎ At the University of Kansas, Chancellor Douglas Girod told the Lawrence Journal-World that KU athletics possibly could pay the university a reduced tuition rate for its athletes. ∎ Private investment in athletics is on the way. Elevate, a sports strategy and marketing company, recently announced the launch of the Collegiate Investment Initiative to provide colleges with 'capital and strategic resources to develop revenue-generating projects.' What those schools must provide in return for that is not yet clear. Johnston of NACUBO said 'everything is going to be affected' by federal funding cuts at the top, in addition to the big new cost for athletic departments. New sources of funding are needed in the absence of cutbacks. 'It's not gonna go back to normal,' Johnston said. 'I think we' re in an inflection point.' Contributing: Steve Berkowitz Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@
USA Today
13 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
A rising star coach. Will the NFL let him shine?
A rising star coach. Will the NFL let him shine? Show Caption Hide Caption Greg Olsen talks Tight End University and what he's excited for in the 2025 NFL season Greg Olsen stops by to talk about another year of Tight End University and who he's excited to watch as the NFL season inches closer. Sports Seriously Editor's note: This story is a part of a series by USA TODAY Sports called Project: June. We will publish at least one NFL-themed story every day throughout the month because fans know the league truly never sleeps. ATLANTA — On paper, Jerrod Johnson certainly fits the profile of a coach that could be on the brink of getting the keys to drive an NFL offense. The young Houston Texans quarterbacks coach, with his fourth NFL team, has steadily built his resume. His fingerprints are all over the development of C.J. Stroud, one of the NFL's emerging stars. And shoot, after previously working on Kevin O'Connell's staff with the Minnesota Vikings, Johnson has two degrees of separation from Sean McVay. In a meeting room, Johnson's charismatic presence comes to life. That's not on paper. I saw it for myself this week at the latest iteration of the Quarterback Coaching Summit. Johnson, 36, demonstrated an impressive command of the room as he spoke for nearly an hour in a session titled "Coaching & Development of the Starting and Backup QB." The engaging delivery was only part of the pop. Johnson scored points as he broke down evaluation metrics, approaches for training the mind, feet and trigger, as he put it, and then some. A former quarterback, he even explained why it is critical to conduct one-on-one tutoring each Tuesday morning during the season with the practice squad quarterback. Maybe Johnson is indeed a rising star in the NFL coaching universe. Yet I wonder about his prospects as a Black man when transposed against the sorry trend over the past two hiring cycles for promoting Black candidates to offensive coordinator, the role that is the most prominent steppingstone to head coaching jobs. The past two cycles, NFL teams were 29-for-29 in hiring white men as offensive coordinators. For the second year in a row, the NFL won't have a single Black offensive coordinator in the league. Before this drought, you'd have to go back 30 years for that distinction. "It's very disheartening," retired NFL coach Jimmy Raye told USA TODAY Sports. "As you've witnessed since you've been here, there are guys with impressive knowledge, deserving of an opportunity." Raye, one of the organizers of the NFL-supported event that is hosted by the Black College Football Hall of Fame and held in conjunction with the Ozzie Newsome GM Forum, became the NFL's first Black offensive coordinator in 1983 with the Los Angeles Rams. He served in that capacity with several teams over 13 seasons. He hardly imagined when he broke a barrier in 1983 that the league would be back in this spot when considering Black OCs. "I would have thought it would be like the quarterback position, something that you don't even think about because it was something that was done," Raye said. "They don't talk about the Black quarterback anymore because half the league has Black quarterbacks. "I would think offensive coordinators would be the same, that it would have evolved the same way, with the technology, the ability to gain information, internships and the Bill Walsh Fellowships, all the things that have been put in place for diversity, but it just hasn't happened." Jerome Bettis is a Hall of Famer. His son is following in Papa Bus' footsteps Johnson, who interviewed for OC jobs with the Texans and the Las Vegas Raiders this year and in 2024 with the Philadelphia Eagles and Cleveland Browns, did not point to his race as an impediment in his career journey. And he is obviously just one example as part of a larger picture. Yet he acknowledges the pattern of recent hiring cycles for hiring minority candidates as coordinators. "I'm a man of faith," Johnson told USA TODAY Sports. "I think God has a plan. At some point, ideally, things will line up and I'll be in the right situation, and I'll get an opportunity. The past couple of years, it hasn't really been the fit for me. I think we've just got to keep plugging away, just being as good as we can in becoming better coaches, putting our best foot forward. At the end of the day, all we can control is getting better in our current situations and whatever happens, happens." For the coordinator jobs this year that Johnson interviewed for, the Raiders hired long-established Chip Kelly to join Pete Carroll's staff, while the Texans brought in Nick Caley, who spent the past three years on McVay's staff with the Los Angeles Rams, including last season as passing game coordinator, to run their offense. Yet other hires for coordinator jobs that Johnson wasn't in the mix for fueled questions. The Jacksonville Jaguars hired Grant Udinski to coordinate the offense under first-year coach Liam Coen. Udinski has never been a position coach in the NFL, having served as assistant quarterbacks coach and assistant coordinator on O'Connell's staff. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, meanwhile, replaced Coen with first-time coordinator Josh Grizzard, promoted after one year as passing game coordinator. Who gets such opportunities and at what stages of their careers is what raises suspicions, especially with some of the so-called "OG's," such as Doug Williams, another of the organizers of the events held this week, which included more than a dozen presentations by minority coaches and front office personnel. The pipeline, Williams stressed, is not the problem. "There's no doubt in my mind that you have people that can do the job – in personnel, as head coaches, offensive coordinators, quarterback coaches," Williams, a personnel executive with the Washington Commanders, told USA TODAY Sports. "It's about giving them the opportunity." Exclusive: Aaron Glenn followed legend's advice, is ready to be Jets coach One presentation that really moved me: Jackie Davidson's session on the ABC's of the NFL salary cap. Davidson, vice president of football research for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is a rising front office star who might be on the short list of candidates to become the first female GM in the NFL in decades. Williams agrees. "Jackie blew 'em away. That's what people don't know," said Williams, whose footprint on history was cast in 1988 when he became the first Black quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl. "When you sit there and hear her, it's like, 'Damn…give her an opportunity.' This is a perfect platform to realize that." Williams and James "Shack' Harris, former Grambling quarterbacks who founded the Black College Football Hall of Fame, have conducted the coaching/GM symposiums for eight years. The first one was a roundtable at Morehouse College attended by a handful of coaches. Maybe the next one will include an expanded list of attendees that goes beyond the few dozen coaches and front office types from the pro and college ranks that were on hand. "This is where the NFL owners should be," Williams said. The NFL paused its accelerator program this year, which brought together coaching and front office personnel to engage with team owners while participating in sessions designed to promote upward mobility. "They meet guys at the accelerator program and an hour later they don't remember who they met," Williams maintained. "They don't get to see people make presentations. Here, you can listen to a guy and say, 'You know what? That guy is really sharp.'" You'd get no argument from Johnson. After all, more exposure surely won't hurt someone positioned for career advancement. "That being said, I'm in a great situation in Houston," Johnson said. "I've learned so much from DeMeco (Ryans), and we have a great staff. At the end of the day, I have aspirations, but I've got to wake up every day and be the best quarterback coach I can be." Which just might open the door for more. Follow Jarrett Bell on social media: @JarrettBell
