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Sports
Bucs' McCoy Has Strong Game In His Fifth Pro Bowl
Malcolm Butler Returns To Super Bowl With New Role As No. 1 Cornerback
MALCOLM BUTLER
There has been an overflow- ing media contingent around the New England Patriots the past two days, and it’s no sur- prise which player has drawn arguably the most attention of
allC. ornerback Malcolm But- ler and Super Bowls are a compelling storyline.
“That’s one of the most un- believable stories and jour- neys of the last 30 years in pro football,” said Matthew Slater, the Patriots’ special teams captain now in his ninth season with the club. “To go from a guy who was a tryout guy, not even a free agent, to that same year one of the best players in Super Bowl history, I think the growth he’s shown over the last couple of seasons has been tremendous.”
Butler’s growth is going to generate even more attention in the days leading up to Super Bowl LI between the Patriots and Atlanta Falcons at Hous- ton’s NRG Stadium. Much has changed for him since he made a dramatic goal-line in- terception of Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson to save Super Bowl XLIX for the Patriots.
Butler is a clear-cut No. 1 corner now. Back then, he was No. 5 on the depth chart, com- ing off a divisional-round win over the Baltimore Ravens in which he didn’t play a single defensive snap and an AFC Championship Game in which he was on the field for just 15.
In the Super Bowl, he didn’t get the call until the second half. He played 18 overall snaps and saved his most im- portant for last.
On Thursday, I asked Bill Belichick what he saw that led to Butler's jump from No. 5 to No. 1 after his dramatic Super Bowl interception.
“Well, I mean, we put him on Antonio Brown in the opener in 2015,” he said. “Ob- viously, there has been growth over a period of time. I don’t think you go from one level of a player to another in a few practices or a game or a half or whatever. But we thought that he had showed enough going into the 2015 season that he would be our guy that we would match up against cer- tain receivers.”
After Travel Ban By Trump, NBA Wants To Know How It Affects Players From Muslim Country
Mike Evans wasn't as for- tunate in his Pro Bowl debut, but Bucs DT Gerald McCoy had a busy night Sunday, get- ting a sack among his four tackles, the most he has had in five career Pro Bowls. The AFC held on for a 20-13 vic- tory.
McCoy sacked Bengals QB Andy Dalton on the sec- ond play of the second half, this after tying for the NFC team lead with three tackles in the first half. McCoy was a starting defensive tackle for the NFC.
Evans, a Bucs receiver, didn't catch a pass. Three NFC
GERALD MCCOY
quarterbacks went 31-of-52 and had completions to 10 dif- ferent targets. Evans said he was "banged up" but loved his first Pro Bowl: "Hopefully I'm blessed enough to get back here."
The NBA is consulting the U.S. State Department for infor- mation on what to do for players who may be affected by Presi- dent Donald Trump’s execu- tive order banning immigration from seven predominantly Mus- lim countries—which is being enforced against those with green cards or with dual citizen- ship.
There are currently no NBA or D-League players from the six banned countries of Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria or Yemen. There are two players from what is now South Sudan, which won its independence in 2011 from Sudan, the seventh
country banned by the executive order: Thon Maker of the Bucks and Luol Deng of the Lakers, who has dual citizenship with Great Britain.
The league has released a statement saying that they are in the process of learning how they might be affected by the ban.
According to a Lakers spokesman, the team “has not heard of anything that may im- pact” Deng or any other mem- ber of the team at this time.
A Bucks strategy and opera- tions Alex Lasry made it a point to say that the rookie, Then Maker was able to travel.
Browns Achieve One Of Top Priorities, Keep LB Jamie Collins
Retired Buc Safety John Lynch Named 49ers GM
The Cleveland Browns have kept one of their own.
Linebacker Jamie Collins has agreed to a four-year con- tract extension, the team an- nounced Monday. A source told ESPN that the deal is worth $50 million, with $26.5 million guaranteed.
Of his guarantee, $26.4 million becomes fully guaran- teed three days after the up- coming Super Bowl. As of Feb. 8, his signing bonus, 2017 ros- ter bonus, 2017 salary and 2018 salary will be fully guar- anteed. He also will be paid a $100,000 workout bonus this season. There is no money
In a shocking development, the San Francisco 49ers hired nine-time Pro Bowl safety John Lynch to re-place re- cently fired Trent Baalke as the team’s general manager, ac- cording to multiple reports. Lynch retired as a player in 2008 after 11 seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, includ- ing the Super Bowl XXXVII campaign, four with Denver Broncos and one with the New England Patriots. Since his re- tirement, Lynch has watched a whole lot of football as a color analyst for Fox NFL broadcasts.
According to reports, Lynch’s hiring is sending shock waves around the league since he has no experience as an NFL executive, much less running football operations for
a franchise. Needless to say, he re- ceived a six- year deal.
The selec-
tion does come complete shock to Atlanta Falcons offen- sive coordinator Kyle Shana- han, who is expected to be named San Francisco’s head coach following the Super Bowl. Mike Shanahan, who is rumored to be a candidate for an advisory role in the 49ers’ organization, was a big fan of Lynch as a player and signed the three-time First Team All- Pro safety to the Broncos in 2004.
as a JOHN LYNCH
JAMIE COLLINS
guaranteed in 2019 or 2020. The $12.5 million average per year makes him fourth among NFL linebackers, be- hind Von Miller, Justin Houston and Clay
Matthews.
likely not
For Tom Brady, There's No Avoiding Donald Trump During Super Bowl Week
Falcons WR Julio Jones Says He's Not Focusing On Malcolm Butler
Whatever small chance Tom Brady had of avoiding getting asked about his friend- ship with Donald Trump went out the window this past weekend, as once again thou- sands flooded American streets to protest Trump’s actions. Trump is over- whelmingly the biggest story in the world.
That Brady will field at least one Trump question during Monday night’s na- tionally televised Super Bowl “Media Day” is one of the surest prop bets of the week – if anyone offers such a wager.
Also likely: The New Eng- land quarterback will say little to nothing in response.
This is not simply because Brady has tried to downplay his relationship with Trump in the past, but also because Brady says little to nothing about anything other than the need to work hard and play well if the Patriots hope to de- feat Atlanta in Sunday’s big game. He’s notoriously – and purposefully – dull on every- thing. It works. You can’t blame him for staying the course.
That said, for this occasion,
TOM BRADY
he might consider having something substantive planned, if only for the chance to put it past him. Walking in unprepared for something that is inevitable is the an- tithesis of Tom Brady. Media Day should be treated like a game, with Brady ready to say what he wants to say on the issue – whatever that may be – and then moving on by saying he already addressed it.
As the story goes, Brady and Trump became ac- quainted soon after Brady’s first Super Bowl victory. Trump invited him to be a guest judge at a beauty pag- eant. They began golfing to- gether. None of this is unusual for Trump, who spent decades courting celebrities and sports stars.
Atlanta Falcons wide re- ceiver Julio Jones down- played any sort of one-on-one Super Bowl matchup with New England Patriots left corner- back Malcolm Butler, who said in 2012 at West Alabama that he wanted to "check" Jones one day.
Butler, who was signed by the Patriots in 2014 as an un- drafted free agent, made a name for himself with a game- sealing interception of Seattle's Russell Wilson in the Patri- ots' 28-24 Super Bowl XLIX win.
"He's a great player," Jones said of Butler. "But at the end of the day, I've just got to focus on me, and getting me better, and just working with my team- mates."
In the Patriots locker room Thursday, Butler talked about the tweet he posted back in 2012, when he was an unknown at West Alabama.
"Dreams do come true," the Patriots corner said. "That's not any trash talk or being cocky or anything. I had a vision."
But he added, "Talking never
JULIO JONES AND MALCOLM BUTLER
won the game. You gotta be about that action."
The All-Pro Jones, a first- round pick of the Falcons in 2011, out of Alabama, often hears challenges from various cornerbacks around the league.
Washington's Josh Nor- man, who faced Jones twice a year while with Carolina, said "Julio completes me" in refer- ence to Jones being the ulti- mate challenge. Arizona's Patrick Peterson, who played at LSU, boasted about how he won his share of battles against Jones during their SEC days. Jones responded to Pe- terson's claim with 189 receiv- ing yards and a touchdown in a 29-18 Falcons win over the Car- dinals during the 2014 season.
PAGE 16 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2017