Page 31 - Florida Sentinel 5-10-19

Sports
Bucs' McCoy Responds To Those Calling Him Out
Dez Bryant Returns To Workouts After Torn Achilles
Deion Sanders Issues ‘Long Overdue’ Apology To Hometown Fort Myers
Deion Sanders received the key to the city in Fort Myers, Florida, on Saturday, and he used the moment to reconcile with his hometown.
The NFL Hall of Fame cor- nerback received the honor during a community forum Saturday night at Fort Myers High School. The event was at- tended by about 150 people, prompting Sanders to issue a heartfelt speech, per USA Today.
“This is long overdue. This is like a reconciliation for me. The reason it hurt so bad was because I don’t give a damn what they say about me in Dal- las, Atlanta, San Francisco, New York. I don’t care because it was my job. ... When you talk about me, some things I let slide, but you are all family. You only get one shot at calling the place home,” said Sanders.
David Dorsey of the Fort Myers News-Press noted the reasons for the rocky relation- ship between the two-time Super Bowl winner/World Se- ries player and the city of Fort Myers. Local police arrested the NFL icon twice—the first in 1988 while he was playing for
Florida State, and the second in 1996, per The Bleacher Re- port.
“Those incidents, among others, have soured Sanders on his hometown,” Dorsey wrote.
But the friction was curbed on Saturday.
“You are indeed a home- town hero,” Fort Myers Mayor Randy Henderson said to Sanders.
“Thank you from the bot- tom of my heart,” Sanders said. “God was saying reconcil- iation. This has been reconcili- ation and a spirit of peace since I got here.”
Tampa Bay Buccaneers star defensive tackle Gerald McCoy took to Instagram on Sunday to fire back at those questioning his commitment after he missed the first five weeks of the Bucs' offseason program.
"Cinco de Mayo. Every- body out, probably getting ready to go drink, probably drinking right now. Don't mat- ter. They want to question me? This is what I do on Cinco de Mayo. I work. I work," said McCoy, covered in sweat in- side a gymnasium.
McCoy then panned the camera to show his young twins playing basketball in the background.
"Oh, and I've got my kids with me. How many people doing that?" McCoy said. "All-Pro on and off the field. Wanna question me? The heck? Is he gonna be ready? Do he love football? What?!
Y'all crazy. Lost y'all mind. I work. Don't you ever question me!"
McCoy, who is typically a fixture at the Bucs' facility in the offseason, has not been in the building since head coach Bruce Arians was somewhat critical of him at the NFL own- ers meetings.
DEZ BRYANT
Dez Bryant’s road to re- covery has progressed to run- ning routes and catching passes.
Last November, Bryant signed a one-year deal with New Orleans Saints. Less than a week later, he tore his Achilles tendon during practice.
Nearly six months later, Bryant has returned to the practice field. On Monday, the three-time Pro Bowl wide re- ceiver shared two videos of him- self running for what he called the “first time in a long time.”
As we have seen in the past, Achilles injuries can have a dev- astating impact on an athlete’s explosiveness. While the recov- ery from a torn Achilles is gen- erally a long road, Bryant looks to be moving about as well as can be expected at this point in the process.
DEION SANDERS
GERALD MCCOY
Ezekiel Elliott Reportedly Offers To Pay For Funeral Of Slain Middle Schooler
EZEKIEL ELLIOTT
Ezekiel Elliott reached out to a grieving family with a kind gesture, according to a report.
Jaylon McKenzie, an 8th grader who was a top football prospect, was shot and killed while leaving a party after being struck by a stray bullet on Saturday night. The 14-year-old was fea- tured in Sports Illustrated last year and already had scholarship offers from Missouri and Illinois.
His family is going through a difficult grieving period, and El- liott reached out and offered to pay for the funeral costs, accord- ing to 105.3 FM’s Ben Rogers.
Elliott is from the St. Louis area, nearby the East St. Louis area McKenzie is from.
Nothing can replace the tragic loss of family member, but the offer to ease the financial burden helps.
Bucs Jason Pierre- Paul To Get Several
Opinions On Neck
Tampa Bay Buccaneers de- fensive end Jason Pierre- Paul will get a second opinion on the neck injury he sustained last week after being involved in a single-car accident, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero re- ports.
Pierre-Paul was treated and then released from a hos- pital following the incident Thursday morning in Broward County (South Florida). How- ever, the Buccaneers medical staff grew concerned when they received Pierre-Paul's medical scans and deemed the defensive lineman's injury something "more serious," specifically fractured vertabrae in his neck that could require surgery, Pelissero reported.
If it is determined that Pierre-Paul needs surgery, he would likely undergo a five- to-six-month recovery, which could knock him out for most of the 2019 season. Pelissero reported that there is hope, however, that JPP's injury does not require surgery and will heal on its own in time for Week 1. JPP is sending out scan results of his neck to "sev- eral other doctors" in the com- ing days for different
evaluations, Pelissero added. After it was reported that the defensive end would seek a second opinion, Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht issued the following statement: "As we stated last week fol- lowing the news of Jason's auto accident, our immediate concern was for both Jason and his passenger. While Jason was treated and re- leased in south Florida the same day of the accident, we wanted to ensure that our medical team had an opportu- nity to perform a thorough evaluation here in Tampa, and that process is currently ongo-
ing."
JASON PIERRE-PAUL
Report: Dak Prescott To Get $30 Million Per Year Or More From Cowboys
The Dal- las Cowboys are hoping to sign Dak Prescott to an extension before his current con- tract expires following the 2019 season,
and they are apparently willing to make him one of the five highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL in order to get a deal done.
Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that the Cowboys are planning to make Prescott the highest- paid player in franchise history, and they have made progress on a deal that would pay him $30 million or more per year. Cow- boys owner Jerry Jones said during an appearance on “The Rich Eisen Show” Monday that he is “confident” a deal will get done with Prescott.
DAK PRESCOTT
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