Page 25 - Florida Sentinel 6-18-21

Sports
Lavonte David
Le’Veon Bell Would Rather Retire Than Play For
Tom Brady Reveals
Taking Pride In
Andy Reid Again
How Long He Played
Devin White's
Through Knee Injury
Meteoric Rise
Tom Brady underwent knee surgery after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the Super Bowl four months ago, which came as a surprise since most people had no idea he had been playing through an injury. As it turns out, the problem that was ad- dressed is one that bothered him for the entire 2020 sea- son.
Brady told reporters on Wednesday that the issue he had with his knee had been bothering him since before training camp last year. He said he knew he would have to have it corrected eventu- ally and is looking forward to not having any limitations heading into this season.
Brady said last month that the knee injury was something that required weekly attention during the 2020 season. Keep in mind that he still managed to throw for 4,633 yards with 40
In Lavonte David, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have already had one of the NFL’s best off-ball linebackers for nearly a decade.
When they spent the No. 5 overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft on Devin White, they created the best tandem in the entire league at the position.
Both have elite athleti- cism, with tons of confidence and natural leadership ability. The combination of David’s experience and White’s insa- tiable drive to be the best from Day 1 has quickly made them a dominant force.
The longest-tenured player on a Bucs roster look- ing to repeat as Super Bowl champions in 2021, David takes pride in White’s rapid development from promising rookie into one of the most dynamic defenders in the en- tire NFL.
“That’s something that I always look forward to – just
LE’VEON BELL
DEVIN WHITE AND LAVONTE DAVID
the progress of young guys that come to me and ask ques- tions, just watch them build year-by-year,” David said Wednesday. “Devin, his rookie year he had some tough moments with injuries and not being able to play as much as he wanted to, and then last year he just took off. That was something that I was expecting. I told him that he’s got to keep up that stan- dard. Now he has to keep playing that same way, keep having that intensity – just be him out there on the field.”
Le’Veon Bell’s NFL ca- reer has been a mess since his departure from the Pittsburgh Steelers, and it seems he still thinks that has a lot to do with the coaches he’s had.
Bell took aim at Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid in a recent Instagram com- ment, saying he would “never play” for Reid again. Bell added that he’d “retire first” instead of working with Reid.
Bell seemingly alluded to Reid and former New York Jets coach Adam Gase in a tweet last month as well, com- plaining about a lack of oppor- tunity from “these offensive minded gurus.”
Robert Griffin, III Drawing Interest From At Least Two TV Networks
ROBERT GRIFFIN, III
Robert Griffin, III is still a free agent with minicamps having begun across the NFL, and he has not yet given any in- dication that he plans to retire. But if the veteran quarterback does not find a job with a team, he could have one waiting for him in a TV studio.
Griffin recently audi- tioned for positions with ESPN and FOX Sports. The former No. 2 overall pick impressed both networks. He is being considered for both college football and NFL roles.
Griffin worked as an ana- lyst on Bleacher Report’s draft coverage, so the groundwork has been laid for him to transi- tion to broadcasting. He has not, however, closed the door on continuing his playing ca- reer.
TOM BRADY
touchdowns and 12 intercep- tions. He also led the Bucs to a win in the Super Bowl. If that was Brady with a knee injury, the rest of the NFL should be frightened.
While the Bucs are being cautious with Brady, he looked pretty good throwing passes at practice on Tues- day. All signs point to him being 100 percent healthy in the very near future, if he isn’t already.
This Is Reportedly
Why Richard
Sherman Has Yet To
Sign With A Team
With NFL offseason pro- grams well underway, one no- table name remains on the free agent market: Richard Sherman.
While much was made about a return to the San Francisco 49ers or a possible reunion with the Seattle Sea- hawks, Sherman remains unsigned into mid-June with no resolution in sight. In an interview with Rikita Gupta of Bloomberg, Sherman said he was waiting for the right fit with a contender to sign on.
“Iwanttogettoateam that’s competing for a cham- pionship, so that’s what I’m focused on and waiting for a
RICHARD SHERMAN
right opportunity,” Sherman said. “When it comes, that’s where I’ll be.”
There certainly appears to be more to it than that. It is believed that Sherman’s original contractual demands turned off most teams, leav- ing him without a deal.
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