Football – Page 13 – North Platte Post Archive

Cowboys RB Murray Runs Off with Offensive Player

Posted on January 31, 2015

PHOENIX (AP) — DeMarco Murray has run off with The Associated Press NFL Offensive Player Of The Year award for the 2014 season.

The Dallas Cowboys running back led the league in rushing with 1,845 yards — nearly 500 more than any other player — and also topped the NFL with 2,261 yards from scrimmage. He scored 13 touchdowns in helping Dallas win the NFC East.

Those overwhelming performances earned him 26 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the NFL. Murray easily outdistanced Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (15 votes). Pittsburgh wide receiver Antonio Brown was next with five, followed by teammate RB Le’Veon Bell with two.

Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski and Dallas QB Tony Romo got one vote apiece.

Murray was presented the award at the “NFL Honors” show Saturday night.

Bowles Wins first AP Assistant Coach Award

Posted on January 31, 2015

PHOENIX (AP) — Todd Bowles has won the first Associated Press NFL Assistant Coach Of The Year award.

Bowles won it as defensive coordinator of the Arizona Cardinals. He since has become the head coach of the New York Jets.

The award, created for the 2014 season and presented during the “NFL Honors” show Saturday night, is open to all assistant coaches in the league. And the balloting was vigorous, with 11 coaches earning votes.

Bowles received 22 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the NFL. Two Dallas coordinators, Rod Marinelli (defense) and Scott Linehan (offense), were next: Marinelli with 12, Linehan with three.

Two others who received votes, Jim Schwartz and Vic Fangio, no longer hold the same jobs. Schwartz was released as defensive coordinator in Buffalo, while Fangio left San Francisco and is now with Chicago as defensive coordinator.

Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr. is Top Offensive Rookie

Posted on January 31, 2015

New York Giants Receiver Odell Beckham Jr. with a one-hand catch against the Dallas Cowboys on Nov. 23.

PHOENIX (AP) — New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., grabbed The Associated Press NFL Offensive Rookie Of The Year award for 2014.

Best known for the play of the year, his one-handed snag of a touchdown pass while falling backward against Dallas, the first-round pick (12th overall) from LSU easily won against a loaded rookie class. Beckham received 42 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league.

Dallas guard Zack Martin, selected to the Pro Bowl, got seven votes, and Tampa Bay WR Mike Evans earned one.

Beckham hardly was a one-trick pony. He tied Michael Irvin’s NFL mark with nine consecutive games of 90 yards receiving and finished with 91 receptions for 1,305 yards and 12 TDs.

He is the first Giants player to win the award, which was presented during the “NFL Honors” show Saturday night.

Peyton Manning Still Considering his Future with Broncos

Posted on January 30, 2015

PHOENIX (AP) — Peyton Manning is still mulling his future in the NFL.

At a breakfast Friday to receive the Bart Starr Award, the five-time MVP said he still hasn’t made a decision about whether he’ll return to the Denver Broncos next season.

After the season-ending 24-13 loss to Indianapolis in the divisional playoffs, Manning made no guarantees about coming back for another season — a change of heart from a month previous, when he said he had every intention of returning.

He played the end of this season with a leg injury that hampered his effectiveness.

Broncos executive vice president John Elway told Manning to take his time before deciding.

“I’d like to make a decision soon,” Manning said, but he did not indicate when that would be.

Spring Game Tickets on Sale Feb. 4

Posted on January 30, 2015

Nebraska fans will have their first opportunity to see Coach Mike Riley’s first Cornhusker football team at the Red-White Spring Game on Saturday, April 11. Fans will be able to secure their tickets for the game beginning on Wednesday, Feb. 4 at 8 a.m.

Nebraska fans may purchase tickets online at Huskers.com, by phone at 1-800-8-BIG-RED or in person at the Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office, located in the Stadium Drive Parking Garage (8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays). Beginning Monday, Feb. 9 through Monday, Aug. 3 the Ticket Office windows will be located at the Guest Relations desk inside West Stadium (8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. weekdays).

All tickets for the Red-White Spring Game are reserved and cost $10 each. All individuals must have a ticket for the game. Fans are encouraged to purchase their tickets early to ensure good seats as demand is expected to be high. Each of the past several years, more than 20,000 tickets were sold by the end of the first day of sales.

Nebraska has drawn more than 54,000 fans for every Red-White game over the past decade.

Nebraska will once again conduct the Drug Free Pledge at this year’s game. Youth (eighth grade or younger) are encouraged to take part in the Drug Free Pledge, and those who do will be admitted to the game for free.

New in 2015, fans will be able to secure their free youth tickets when buying adult tickets, with a limit of two complimentary youth tickets for each regular price ticket purchased. Any requests for more than two complimentary youth tickets per adult ticket would need to be made over the phone or in person at the Ticket Office prior to game day.

A limited number of $15 club seats will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. UNL faculty and staff will be able to purchase reserved tickets to the spring game for $5. Faculty and staff should purchase their tickets in person at the Ticket Office or over the phone in advance to receive their discount. Faculty and staff will also be asked to show their staff ID at the gate on game day.

UNL students will be admitted free to the game, but will need to have a ticket in hand for admittance. UNL students may also visit Huskers.com beginning Feb. 4 to secure their ticket.

2015 Red-White Spring Game
Date: Saturday, April 11 Kickoff: TBD
Tickets: $15 club seats (limited availability); $10 reserved tickets, UNL Faculty & Staff, $5; UNL Students, Free (must secure a ticket) all tickets on sale Wednesday, Feb. 4 at 8 a.m.
Drug Free Pledge: Youth 8th grade and younger are encouraged to take Drug Free Pledge (admitted for free, but must have a ticket, available on-line)
Radio/Internet: Husker Sports Network/Huskers.com

On Super Bowl Sunday, Veggies are Most Popular Food

Posted on January 30, 2015

CHICAGO (AP) — While the gladiators of the NFL are clashing in Phoenix at the Super Bowl, the titans of food will be fighting for supremacy at spreads across the country.

Many parties will have chicken wings and pizza. But NPD Group, an independent market research firm that tracks Americans’ eating habits, says vegetables top the list of most popular foods eaten on Super Bowl Sunday.

Harry Balzer, chief food industry analyst for NPD, says vegetables have been tops for 30 years.

While baby carrots and veggie trays lead the pack, retailers selling salty snacks, alcohol, wings and pizza also see a sharp spike in sales.

Nationally, Pizza Hut alone will have 60,000 drivers delivering 2 million pies. Spokesman Doug Terfehr says that just before kickoff, the chain expects 1,700 orders per minute.

AP Sources: Phillips will be Broncos Defensive Coordinator

Posted on January 28, 2015

Wade Phillips with the Houston Texans (Photo from ESPN.com)

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Two people with knowledge of the agreement say Wade Phillips is returning to Denver as Gary Kubiak’s defensive coordinator.

The two spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team didn’t immediately announce the hiring, which was first reported by KDCO-AM and FM Mile High Sports Radio in Denver.

Phillips, 67, interviewed for the position Tuesday.

He was Kubiak’s defensive coordinator in Houston from 2011-13 and replaced him as interim coach when Kubiak was fired by the Texans in December 2013.

Phillips has also coached the Saints, Cowboys, Bills and Broncos, where he went 16-16 from 1993-94.

He was out of football last season for the first time since 1975.

NFL Players Who Started Young Show More Thinking Problems

Posted on January 28, 2015

BOSTON (AP) — A study published in the journal Neurology says NFL veterans who started playing tackle football before the age of 12 are more likely to have cognitive difficulties after their careers.

The study published Wednesday says researchers tested 42 former players on their short-term memory, mental flexibility and problem solving. It found those who picked up the sport before they were 12 functioned about 20 percent worse. Robert Stern of the Boston University School of Medicine says both groups scored below average on many of the tests.

Stern says there is a known period of critical brain development that happens around puberty.

He says the research does not lead to any simple solutions.

The study only looked at former NFL players; the conclusions cannot be generalized to a broader population.

Arkansas AD Re-Elected as Playoff Selection Committee Chair

Posted on January 26, 2015

IRVING, Texas (AP) — Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long will serve another season as the chairman of the College Football Playoff selection committee.

Bill Hancock, executive director of the College Football Playoff, announced Long has been re-elected by his fellow committee members to lead the 13-person panel.

Long was responsible for leading the committee’s weekly meetings and being the public face and voice of the committee. He appeared on ESPN to explain the committee’s weekly rankings starting in late October, and held a teleconference with reporters to take questions about the group’s choices.

Hancock said Long conducted the meetings “skillfully.”

Hancock says Long also gave fans insight about committee decisions by answering questions.

Long says he appreciates the committee’s confidence.

Playoff Not Interested in Moving Semis off New Year’s Eve

Posted on January 26, 2015

The College Football Playoff says there is no interest in ESPN’s suggestion to move next season’s semifinals from New Year’s Eve to Saturday, Jan. 2.

The Sports Business Journal first reported high-ranking ESPN executives had talked to College Football Playoff officials about switching the dates for the 2016 semifinals.

College Football Playoff executive director Bill Hancock and ESPN acknowledged having discussions about a one-time schedule shift in separate statements to The Associated Press on Monday.

Next season’s semifinals are scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 31, at the Orange Bowl and Cotton Bowl. The following weekend is the last of the NFL regular season, when the league plays all its games on Sunday, leaving Saturday relatively free.

ESPN pays about $470 million a year over 12 years for TV rights to the playoff.