Page 26 - Florida Sentinel 5-26-17

Sports
O.J. Howard Signs Rookie Deal With Bucs
Nike Signs Giants' Odell Beckham Jr. To Richest NFL Shoe Deal
ODELL BECKHAM, JR.
After a competitive battle, Nike re-signed the most valu- able football player on its ros- ter in New York Giants star wide receiver Odell Beck- ham, Jr.
Terms were not disclosed, but sources with knowledge of the deal say it's a five-year deal worth in the neighbor- hood of $5 million a year -- the richest shoe deal for an NFL player and about two times more than any previous deal Nike had with a football player.
The deal will make Beck- ham a larger brand spokesman for Nike, includ- ing campaigns outside of foot- ball.
The deal got so big because Adidas wanted to take Beck- ham from Nike, sources said. Nike had the right to match the offer, which it did.
Ndamukong Suh 'Sick And Tired' Of Losing In Playoffs
NDAMUKONG SUH
In 2015, when Ndamukong Suh took a Brinks truck of cash to move to Miami and join the Dol- phins, the All-Pro defensive tackle cited owner Stephen Ross' presence, saying the team had "a great owner that wants to win, and knows the process of doing that."
Two years later, Suh is still searching for that win- ning touch. He's gotten no further than he did in all his years with the Detroit Lions.
Suh has one playoff ap- pearance in South Beach, this January's shellacking at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steel-
ers.Suh, two years into a six- year $114 million contract, is tired of not making it past the first round of the postseason.
Hall of Famer, Seahawks Great Cortez Kennedy Dead At 48
The football world has lost one of its greats.
Cortez Kennedy was found dead in Orlando, an Orlando Police Dept. spokes- woman confirmed to NFL.com on Tuesday. He was 48.
Drafted third-overall in the 1990 draft out of the Univer- sity of Miami, Kennedy was enshrined into the Pro Foot- ball Hall of Fame in 2012 after an 11-year career with the Seattle Seahawks in which the defensive tackle racked up 58 sacks, was named to the Pro Bowl eight times and earned five All-Pro selections.
Kennedy was one of the first 300-pound defenders who was as adept at getting to the quarterback as he was stopping the run, recording 14 sacks during the 1992 cam-
CORTEZ KENNEDY
paign. He opened the door for future bigger-bodied defend- ers to be utilized in a number of ways, showing he was nim- ble enough to keep up with shifty running backs while also being powerful, quick and durable, appearing in 167 of a possible 176 games. At one point in Kennedy's ca- reer, he played in 116 straight games and set a club record with 100 consecutive starts.
Colin Kaepernick Works Out For Seahawks
Colin Kaepernick finally got a chance to show he can and wants to play football.
Wednesday the Seattle Sea- hawks worked out reserve quarterbacks, and Kaeper- nick was among them, per sources informed of the situa- tion.
The workout was the first chance Kaepernick g0t this offseason to show that rumors that he lacks the desire to play were a fabrication. The 29- year-old quarterback would also get a chance to display he's back in shape after losing weight last offseason due to injury. Seattle is interested in bringing in a veteran backup behind Russell Wilson. Coach Pete Carroll said last week that Kaepernick and Robert Griffin, III were two quarterbacks the team was in contact with about a backup role.
COLIN KAEPERNICK
Seahawks defensive line- man Michael Bennett called Seattle the "perfect" fit for Kaepernick last week. Rapoport previously re- ported that Wilson would have no problem if Kaeper- nick joined his QB room.
While the tryout among other backup quarterback op- tions doesn't guarantee any- thing for Kaepernick, it's a start for the one-time Super Bowl quarterback on the road to earning a roster spot in 2017.
The 19th-overall pick O.J. Howard signed his deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Howard was a standout tight end at Alabama, but de- pending on his performance in the NFL, could go down as one of the more underutilized talents in recent college foot- ball history. The reason: Howard displays all of the skills to be a star in the pro- fessional game, despite only catching 45 passes for 595 yards and three touchdowns during his final season with the Crimson Tide. It's ex- pected that he'll have a larger
O. J. HOWARD
role and greater impact in Tampa Bay, where he should immediately contribute to a receiving corps that also in- cludes Mike Evans and re- cent addition DeSean Jackson.
NFL Relaxing Touchdown Celebration Rules For Players
The NFL is putting the fun back in football.
On Tuesday, the league announced it will relax rules on celebrations.
Bring on the fade-away jumpers, snow angels, and group dances.
In a letter to fans from Commissioner Roger Goodell, the NFL said it wants to allow players "more room to have fun after they make big plays."
Goodell spoke with more than 80 current and former NFL players about relaxing the rules on celebrations.
"We know that you love the spontaneous displays of emotion that come after a spectacular touchdown," the Commissioner said in the let- ter. "And players have told us they want more freedom to be able to express themselves and celebrate their athletic achievements."
Examples of celebra- tions to be allowed under the new guide- lines:
» Using the football as a
prop after a touchdown
» Celebrating on the
ground
» Group demonstrations The relaxed rules aren't a
free for all. Offensive demon- strations, celebrations that are prolonged and delay the game, and celebrations di- rected at an opponent, will still be penalized, the letter said, in order continue "sportsmanship, clean com- petition, and setting good ex- amples for young athletes."
In short, three-pump twerking is still a no-go.
"[Team owners] recognize that sportsmanship is an im- portant thing for [players] to demonstrate on the field in large part because of the peo- ple who are watching," Goodell said. "And also to keep high standards and that's something that is why we will want to continue to have their involvement."
The decision to let players celebrate more freely is a long-awaited relief for play- ers and fans alike. Com- mence the creativity.
FRIDAY, MAY 26, 2017 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 15-A