Georgia linebacker at Rose Bowl tells Mayfield to ‘humble yourself’
Georgia linebacker Bellamy tells Baker Mayfield to ‘humble yourself’
Moments after his team defeated Oklahoma in overtime, Georgia linebacker Davin Bellamy mingled with players on the Rose Bowl field and repeatedly yelled at Sooners quarterback Baker Mayfield: “Humble yourself.” Mayfield, the Heisman Trophy winner, never acknowledged Bellamy as he congratulated other Bulldogs on their victory. “They can say whatever they want,” Mayfield said, “because they won.”
Between the Lines: Mayfield has had a number of troubling incidents, including being arrested for drunk driving, fleeing and resisting arrest outside a bar in Arkansas in February. As one NFL scout put it: “This doesn’t seem to be a Johnny Football situation, but he needs to tone it down.”
Gannon says he would consider coaching on Gruden’s staff in Oakland
Rich Gannon, former Super Bowl QB of the Oakland Raiders, is among those Jon Gruden has contacted as possible assistants if he returns to the NFL as a head coach. The Oakland Raiders fired head coach Jack Del Rio with the intention of pursuing Gruden. “I’ve spoken with Jon in the past about eventually doing something with him,” Gannon said on NFL Monday QB. “If I was gonna do it, he’s the only coach I’d do it with. I really believe in him. . . . This guy’s got passion, he’s got energy for the vocation, and I really believe if he gets hired by the Oakland Raiders, he’s going to do an incredible job.”
Between the Lines: Steve Beuerlein, former Raiders QB, said Del Rio “miscalculated on Todd Downing. I think he believed he was ready to be offensive coordinator, which is why they let Bill Musgrave go, and that came back to haunt him.”
Chris Long gives up his entire salary for charity
Chris Long, defensive end of the Philadelphia Eagles, is playing for free. He gave up this season’s first six game checks to provide scholarships for students in Charlottesville, Va. He gave up the rest of his salary to promote equality of education. His generosity was acknowledged by former president Barack Obama.
Texans coach Bill O’Brien says he’s looking for ‘alignment’
Texans coach Bill O’Brien had a peculiar choice of wording for what he’s seeking with the team in light of a front-office shakeup. General manager Rick Smith announced he was taking a leave of absence to spend more time with his wife, who is being treated for breast cancer. With Smith leaving, owner Bob McNair hired a search team to replace him. Smith is expected to return to the Texans’ front office, but not as general manager and not as supervisor of O’Brien. “The big thing for me, and the big thing for the McNairs – and I don’t want to speak for them – but I would just say is alignment. Being aligned philosophically on what type of team we want.”
Between the Lines: O’Brien, who is negotiating a contract extension with the Texans, would like to have a new general manager who is “aligned” with him.