Dev Shah's dream of returning to the Scripps National Spelling Bee ended in a soccer stadium, of all places.
On a cool, windy February day with occasional rain showers, Dev spent five miserable hours spelling outdoors at Exploria Stadium, the home of Major League Soccer's Orlando City club, ultimately finishing fourth in a regional bee that he was forced to compete in for the first time.
CLEVELAND (AP) — David Njoku committed to Cleveland, and the Browns followed suit.
Two years after asking to be traded, Njoku got the long-term commitment he wanted from the Browns, agreeing Friday to a four-year contract extension, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — A mother and sister known for baking decadent pastries. A restaurant worker buying his 3-year-old's birthday cake. A father and die-hard Buffalo Bills fan who worked as a school bus aide.
PITTSBURGH (AP) — It did not take Omar Khan long to figure out he wanted to be around football. Growing up in New Orleans as an ardent Saints fan in the 1980s and 90s, he knew right away his life's mission was to be involved in the NFL.
COSTA MESA, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Chargers concluded the first week of organized team activities with first-round pick Zion Johnson signing his rookie contract.
The Chargers announced the deal Firday with the guard getting a standard four-year deal with the team holding a fifth-year option.
METAIRIE, La. (AP) — The New Orleans Saints expect their offense to be more productive next season.
The optimism is largely based on the expectation that they will have quarterback Jameis Winston and former All-Pro wide receiver Michael Thomas back from serious injuries.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Las Vegas Raiders concluded organized team practices Thursday with all four quarterbacks on the roster participating but the buzz surrounding the franchise was about Colin Kaepernick, who has gotten a workout with the club.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — When Wink Martindale was hired as the defensive coordinator of the New York Giants, there was rampant speculation about his unit this season.
The analytics and Martindale's reputation for being aggressive fueled the feeling the Giants were about to go wild on defense.
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — Marcus Mariota is saying all the right things about mentoring Atlanta Falcons rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder.
Mariota would prefer to perform that mentoring role as the Falcons starter.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The NCAA stance against gambling on sports by its athletes and those who work in college athletics is summed up simply by the slogan on the posters the association provides to its member schools: "Don't Bet On It."
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The NFL said Wednesday it will appeal a ruling denying a request to move former Las Vegas Raiders coach Jon Gruden’s lawsuit against the league from a public courtroom into closed-door arbitration.
BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Deshaun Watson was impossible to miss in his orange jersey, pants and helmet — the one with “Watson” taped on the front just in case anyone wasn't sure.
As he showed off his right arm with tight spirals, engaged in friendly trash talk, smiled and laughed while interacting with new teammates, the Browns quarterback didn't look a bit distracted by the storm swirling around him.
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Practice this week for the Baltimore Ravens looked a bit like it did at the end of last season.
Several significant absences — including quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Wednesday was the first day reporters were invited to observe one of the Ravens' organized team activities.
Colin Kaepernick is getting his first chance to work out for an NFL team since last playing in the league in 2016 when he started kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial inequality.
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Jordan Love acknowledges having mixed emotions when he learned Aaron Rodgers had agreed to a contract extension keeping him with the Green Bay Packers.
Love appreciated the fact that Rodgers got rewarded for his accomplishments, but understood it likely meant at least another year of watching from the sideline.
BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Jadeveon Clowney didn't even want to visit the Browns as a free agent a few years ago. Now, he won't leave them.
Coming off one of his best seasons, Clowney re-signed Wednesday with Cleveland to once again chase quarterbacks alongside All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett.
For 15 years, Aaron Glenn was an outstanding NFL cornerback, a team leader, and a coach in the making.
Teammates, fans and coaches of the New York Jets, for whom he spent eight seasons as a shutdown defender, recognized it.
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers stayed in-house to find Kevin Colbert's replacement, promoting longtime executive Omar Khan to be the team's next general manager on Wednesday.
Khan signed a four-year deal to succeed Colbert, who is retiring at the end of the month following a hugely successful run that included two Super Bowl victories and an appearance in a third.
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — For someone who acknowledged being torn over leaving a Super Bowl champion and the bright lights of Los Angeles for Buffalo, Von Miller certainly looked at home wearing a Bills helmet in making his practice debut on Tuesday.
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — An enlarged spleen, a blood clot and a steady dose of blood thinners kept Vinny Curry off the football field last season.
The New York Jets defensive end was happy to be alive, but dearly missed the game he loves.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Trey Lance took the practice field this week for the San Francisco 49ers in a far different state than his rookie campaign.
The nagging finger injury that limited him all last season has healed, his knowledge of the offense has grown and he has emerged as a leader now that he is set to take over for Jimmy Garoppolo as starting quarterback in San Francisco.
In Dallas, Steve Kerr and Jason Kidd did not want to talk about basketball. LeBron James made no effort to hide his anger. Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics, a young father, called the news “devastating."
CLEVELAND (AP) — One of the women accusing Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson of sexual misconduct while she gave him a massage said she felt threatened by a comment he made following a therapy session.
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Change came to Chicago Bears in leadership when Matt Eberflus took over as coach.
Now players are dealing with this change personally by moving positions or even changing weight to fit plans for a new regime during organized team activities.
The NFL has expanded the Rooney Rule again, this time to include quarterbacks coaches in a further effort to diversify the coaching ranks.
The change was announced Tuesday at the owners meeting in Atlanta by Jonathan Beane, the NFL’s senior vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer.
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Zach Wilson is unquestionably the main focus this offseason for the new-look New York Jets.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Ryan Tannehill's favorite receiver since becoming the Tennessee Titans' starting quarterback now plays in Philadelphia.
Luckily, the Titans got Tannehill a lot of new teammates to work with, and he's busy working this offseason to create chemistry and timing with all the new wide receivers and tight ends.
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers was one of several notable veterans missing as the Green Bay Packers began voluntary organized team activities this week.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur confirmed Tuesday that Rodgers isn’t expected at all this week.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Travis Etienne had several regrets about having to sit out his rookie season. He longed for the camaraderie, the competition and the chance to play in the NFL, his main goal since he was a kid growing up in Jennings, Louisiana.
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Mike Tomlin isn't into drawing conclusions on anything in the middle of the spring. Not when the Pittsburgh Steelers coach is watching his players run around without a shoulder pad in sight, two months away from the grind of training camp and nearly two more before the gantlet that awaits in the fall.
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Terry McLaurin was a no-show for the Washington Commanders' first on-field workout of the offseason while negotiations on a contract extension are ongoing for the team's top receiver.
Students from four Historically Black College and University medical schools will be selected for clinical rotations with NFL team medical staffs this year.
The joint program with the NFL Physicians Society (NFLPS) and Professional Football Athletic Trainer Society (PFATS) aims to diversify the pipeline in sports medicine, including at NFL clubs.
RENTON, Wash. (AP) — For the past decade in Seattle, nearly every team drill and every team activity had No. 3 and No. 54 at the front of the line leading the way.
That hasn’t been the case this offseason and that point was emphasized yet again Monday when the Seahawks moved into the next phase of offseason workouts.
The Washington Commanders have procured land in Woodbridge, Virginia, for what could be a potential site of the NFL team’s next stadium, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Monday because the team had not announced the acquisition.
COSTA MESA, Calif (AP) — Justin Herbert sprinted out to the practice field Monday, energized and confident as the Los Angeles Chargers began organized team practices.
Coming off a Pro Bowl season and not having to learn a new offense can do that.
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) — Matthew Stafford had an offseason injection in his elbow to quell an unspecified minor injury that nagged him throughout the Los Angeles Rams' run to the Super Bowl.
He didn't throw serious passes during organized team activities Monday, and he might not do so again until training camp.