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SPORTS Thursday 19 July 2018
Star CB Darrelle Revis retiring after 11 NFL seasons

By BARRY WILNER (14th overall) by the Jets in enal," Ryan said about Re-
AP Pro Football Writer 2007 who made an instant vis. "Physical as hell, strong,
Revis Island is closed for impact as a coverage de- great recovery speed, and
business. mon. Usually charged with he would beat you up on
Darrelle Revis, a star cor- handling an opponent's the line of scrimmage."
nerback with the New York top receiver, Revis, now 33, He also would beat you at
Jets and a Super Bowl win- often forced offenses to the bargaining table. Revis
ner with their archrivals, the change their game plan to played his first six years with
New England Patriots, has avoid him. the Jets, the latter part of
retired. His skills even allowed Rex that stint filled with conten-
Revis announced Wednes- Ryan, a renowned defen- tious contract negotiations.
day on social media that sive coordinator before Revis was dealt to Tampa
he was ending an 11-sea- joining the Jets as head Bay in 2013 for a first-round
son career that included coach, to try new schemes and fourth-round draft
four All-Pro selections. that befuddled the opposi- pick. He was a Bucca-
"Today, I am closing a tion. neer for one season, then
chapter in my life that I "When I had him, obviously In this Aug. 11, 2015, file photo, New York Jets' Darrelle Revis headed to New England
speaks to the media after a Jets practice in Florham Park, N.J.
once dreamed of as a kid," Darrelle was in the prime of Revis, a star cornerback with the New York Jets and a Super as a free agent, winning
Revis wrote . "The game of his career, and there wasn't Bowl winner with their archrivals, the Patriots, has retired. the championship in his
football has opened doors anybody close to him," Associated Press lone year as a Patriot. He
for me I once thought were Ryan said Wednesday. returned to the Jets for two
nearly impossible to get "Maybe Deion (Sanders) in for Defensive Player of the best, taking the likes of Ter- seasons, with injuries slow-
through. My passion to play his prime, but that would Year honors. rell Owens and Steve Smith ing Revis in 2016. He made
the game at an elite level be the only guy. "That season, he was far out of the game with his it into five games for Kansas
brought fun and excite- "Darrelle could handle any- and away the most domi- coverage. After a par- City last season. "Darrelle is
ment to the term 'shutdown body. I don't care if it's Hall nant player in the NFL on ticularly lopsided first-half one of the best technicians
corner' which was nearly of Fame guys, he locked defense; that he never matchup with Smith, who to ever play the corner-
on the verge of extinction. them down and covered got (defensive) MVP that was with the Panthers, the back position," Jets coach
"Covering some of the them and it wasn't even year, people are crazy," receiver asked Ryan to "get Todd Bowles said. "As a de-
toughest assignments in close." said Ryan, now an analyst this guy off me.""That ain't fensive backs coach, you
league history was a chal- He had 29 career intercep- for ESPN. "The impact this going to happen," Ryan used his film as a teaching
lenge every Sunday, but tions, returning three for guy had, and on the best told Smith. tape for young players. I
also an honor ... touchdowns, including a defense in the league, I "His confidence and the spent two seasons with Dar-
"Long Live Revis Island." 100-yarder against Miami. thought he should have confidence he had in his relle and he stands out as
The proprietor of that place In 2009, Revis was beaten won that." own ability, and his prepa- one of the smartest players
was a first-round draft pick out by Charles Woodson Revis excelled against the ration, they were phenom- I have ever coached.q

Judge denies NFL's investigator request in concussion case

By CLAUDIA LAUER The league requested an for the most serious cases.
Associated Press investigator and cited in Attorneys for the league
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A its May argument an in- had cited practices such
federal judge denied a dependent study it said as doctors seeing players
request from the NFL on found more than 400 for evaluation not in clini-
Wednesday to appoint claims recommended for cal settings, but in hotel
a special investigator to denial based on evidence rooms, law offices or other
look into what the league of fraud by attorneys, doc- places. They also cited a
says is extensive fraudu- tors and former players at- doctor who said she spent
lent claims on the $1 billion tempting to cheat the pro- seven to 12 hours evalu-
concussion settlement. gram. The league has said ating each patient, but
Judge Anita Brody wrote in those attempts to scam approved sometimes as
her federal court ruling that the $1 billion settlement many as eight patients a
the league's attorneys had fund have slowed down day.
demonstrated that there the awarding of valid A lawyer for several plain-
is "sufficient evidence of claims. tiffs said Wednesday that This Aug. 9, 2014 file photo shows an NFL logo on a goal post
probable fraud to warrant The settlement, which took he and others represent- pad before a preseason NFL football game between the Detroit
serious concern." But Bro- effect January 2017, re- ing the players supported Lions and the Cleveland Browns at Ford Field in Detroit.
dy said a special master solved thousands of law- Brody's decision. Associated Press
and a claims administrator suits that accused the NFL "Since the NFL filed its
have effectively ferreted of hiding what it knew motion more than three an excuse by the NFL to fraudulent claims would
out those claims for now. about the risks of repeated months ago, the claims deny payment to legiti- be cut dramatically after
"The audit process is work- concussions. process has continued to mately injured former play- rules for claims went into
ing effectively," Brody It covers retired players accelerate and the cur- ers." effect in January 2017, in-
wrote in her deferral ruling, who develop Lou Gehrig's rent audit process is work- Seeger said as of July 16, cluding a list of approved
saying if the claims admin- disease, dementia or oth- ing effectively," said Chris 499 claims totaling more physicians to determine eli-
istrator or special master er neurological problems Seeger, co-lead counsel than $485 million had been gibility.
notify the court an investi- believed to be caused by for the retired players. "We approved. Brody warned in her ruling
gator is needed, "the Court concussions suffered dur- will not allow a small num- In their May arguments, that she expects the pro-
will rule on the motion at ing their pro careers, with ber of potentially fraudu- Seeger and other attorneys cess to ensure valid claims
that time." awards as high as $5 million lent claims to be used as noted that the instances of are promptly paid.q