Myron Rolle leaving NFL behind for Med School
Bold
Myron Rolle’s story unusual is not just that he’s voluntarily stepping away from the NFL at the age of 26. Rolle is retiring from football so that he can go to medical school.
You may recall hearing about Rolle during his days at Florida State, where he starred as a safety for the Seminoles. Many thought Rolle would be selected in the first few rounds of the 2009 NFL draft. But Rolle was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship his senior season, and he decided to take a year off from football and study at Oxford.
He entered the 2010 NFL draft and was selected by the Tennessee Titans with the last pick of the sixth round. Rolle was released by the Tennessee Titans after the 2011 season, picked up by the Pittsburgh Steelers and then released after the 2012 preseason.
In a recent interview Rolle said he could have worked out for a new team, but his priorities now lie elsewhere.
“I still received interest from a few teams, and it didn’t have to be over,” Rolle said. “Then I said to myself, ‘I can knock my head against the wall for 8-9 years or move on to medicine.’ I was leaving the game with no concussions and dexterity in both my hands, where I could be a neurosurgeon one day.”
Even though he did not have a notable NFL career, Rolle became just the third man to receive a Rhodes Scholarship and play professional football. The previous two are Byron White, a former Supreme Court justice, and Pat Haden, currently the athletic director at USC. Not exactly bad company.
Now that he’s not focusing on the NFL, Rolle is waiting to hear back from medical schools. He is currently serving an administrative fellowship at AmeriHealth Caritas, a Philadelphia managed care organization.
“I left football with no concussions or hand injuries,” Rolle told CBSSports.com, “which is good for trying to be a doctor.”
Bud Adams Puts Everyone On Notice In Tennessee Titans Organization
Birds Out
The Chicago Bears met the NFL’s version of the Bad News Bears on Sunday at LP Field, and the result left Bud Adams anything but amused. The Titans owner said he’s upset with the direction of his team in the wake of its 51-20 loss to the Bears, and he made it clear no one’s job is safe if things don’t improve.
“In my 50 years of owning an NFL franchise, I am at a loss to recall a regular season home game that was such a disappointment for myself, and fans of the Titans,” Adams told The Tennessean. “We were grossly out-coached and outplayed from start to finish today.
“At this time, all aspects of the organization will be closely evaluated, including front office, coaches and players over the next seven games. If performance and competitiveness does not improve, I will look at all alternatives to get back to having the Titans become a playoff and championship football team.”
Five turnovers and uninspired play contributed to one of the most embarrassing losses in franchise history. When it was over, chants of “Let’s Go Bears!” were loud and clear throughout the stadium. Titans fans had long since crowded the exits.
The Titans (3-6) have allowed more than 30 points in seven games.
“If a team underperforms, I’m the first guy you should look at for that, not anybody else, not assistant coaches, it starts with me,” Munchak said. “If we don’t finish this season the way it should, then what needs to happen will happen. Sure it starts with me, I’m the head coach. …
“We’re getting ahead of ourselves here — we’ve got seven games to play, so we’ll worry about what it means when we see how we finish up. We didn’t coach well, we didn’t play well and obviously we got beat by a very good football team today.”
“This was worse. … This is the worst. It’s the most embarrassing game I’ve ever been a part of,” defensive tackle Sen’Derrick Marks said. “Everything was bad. They had more fans in the stadium — it sounded like we were playing an away game. There’s nothing good you can say about it. It’s the worst experience I’ve ever had.”
Harrison Smith Ejected For Shoving Ref
You're In Trouble
Minnesota Vikings rookie safety Harrison Smith should expect to hear from Roger Goodell’s office later this week.
The first-round pick from Notre Dame was ejected in the second quarter of Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans after shoving a referee following a skirmish with Titans receiver Nate Washington.
Following an Antoine Winfield interception, Smith and several Titans players kept jawing at each other as officials tried to break up the group. Restrained by one official, Smith attempted to push him to the side to get back towards the fray.
It won’t help Smith that Goodell was in the audience at the Metrodome. Smith already received a $21,000 fine for an illegal hit earlier in the preseason.
Old Navy Claims Houston Texans 1961 AFC Champs
What Are Interns For
No, the Houston Texans did not win the 1961 AFC Championship, but that’s what T-shirts produced by clothing chain Old Navy said. Hearing of their mistake the clothing company has started to quickly pull the shirts from their shelfs and website.
It was the Houston Oilers, not the Texans of course, that won the 1961 title and it was an AFL title. The AFC didn’t come into existence until the 1970 merger and several decades later the Oilers moved from Texas to Tennessee and became the Titans. The Texans were an expansion franchise that came into the league in 2002.
Pacman Jones Tells Rookies He Spent $1 Milli In One Weekend
Mamma Calls Him Pacman, I'm Call Him Pacman
Speaking at the recent NFL rookie symposium, Adam “Pacman” Jones talked about his wild days as a young player with the Tennessee Titans. Indianapolis Colts rookie tight end Coby Fleener, who attended the symposium, wrote a guest column on the event for SI.com.
According to Fleener, Jones told the rookies that he once spent $1 million in one weekend.
Even Terrell Owens was flabbergasted by that story, who according to Fleener’s SI.com column, looked at Jones afterward and said, “Man, you crazy.”
Jones, now with the Cincinnati Bengals, wanted to leave an impression at the symposium. He succeeded.
Former NFL Player Wade Davis Admits He’s Gay
New Light
Wade Davis, a cornerback who spent four preseasons with three NFL teams and also played in NFL Europe, said he didn’t tell his teammates he was gay because he feared the impact it would have in the locker room. The former NFLer wasn’t ready to come out during his career that ended in 2003.
The former Tennessee Titan, Washington Redskin and Seattle Seahawk came out publicly to Outsports.com this week. While his friends and family have known for years, he said he chose to speak out about his experience because of his position at the Hetrick-Martin Institute, which helps lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youths.
“Having the opportunity to work at the Hetrick-Martin Institute gives me the opportunity to talk about lives that I’m able to effect in a real way,” he told Outsports.com
“You just want to be one of the guys, and you don’t want to lose that sense of family,” Davis said in an interview with Outsports.com. “Your biggest fear is that you’ll lose that camaraderie and family.”
Wade played in college at Weber State and spent the 2000 and 2002 preseasons with the Titans. Jevon Kearse and Samari Rolle were among his closest friends in Tennessee, and he would later be invited to Rolle’s wedding.
Throughout his career, he struggled with the fact that he was a gay man in a profession where homosexuality was almost never discussed openly. Wade said he would wear his clothes extra large, use patterns of speech that, to him, sounded like he spoke like many of his peers. He said that he became the best actor in the world.
Davis football career ended in 2003, after he got hurt in training camp. He said still struggles with identity, both as a black man and as a gay man but has taken to help campaign for President Obama, hoping to help the movement.
While there has yet to be an openly gay player in any of the four major American professional leagues, several players have come out after retiring, including former NBA forward John Amaechi, NFL lineman Esera Tuaolo and major leaguer Billy Bean. Rick Welts, president and chief operating officer of the Golden State Warriors, is openly gay.
Davis’ football career ended in 2003, after he got hurt in training camp.
Calvin Johnson To Be On Cover Of Madden 13
Meet The Games Best Receiver
Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson will grace the cover of Electronic Arts Sports Madden NFL 13 video game. Johnson was revealed as the winner by ESPN’s “SportsNation” on Wednesday, beating out Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton.
Johnson received 52 percent of the 649,510 online votes cast to edge Newton. They emerged as the two finalists on April 18, the penultimate step in a process that began on March 21.
Johnson and Newton were in the initial field of 32 players in a bracket setup, with each NFL team having one representative. In the semifinal voting last week, Johnson “defeated” Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers by a wide margin, 67 percent to 33 percent. Newton had gotten to the final by beating out San Francisco 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis, 53 percent to 47 percent.
Johnson succeeds last year’s surprise winner for the Madden 12 cover, former Cleveland Browns running back Peyton Hillis. The man nicknamed Megatron will look to shake the megacurse tied to the EA Sports’ honor, one that continued with Hillis.
Hillis battled through an injury-riddled season in Cleveland and wasn’t re-signed as a free agent, landing with the Kansas City Chiefs. Since former Tennessee Titans running back Eddie George was the first NFL player to appear solo on the game cover (without now retired TV analyst John Madden) in the 2000 edition, many of the dozen previous “winners” have been plagued by injury or other disappointments on the field.
Johnson is the first wide receiver to earn the cover but fans will need to wait until the end of the preseason to get their hands on the game. Madden 13 is set to be released for Playstation 3 and XBOX 360 on Tuesday, Aug. 28.
Vince Young Says He Can Start In NFL & Want To For Houston Texans
Have You Seen This Man
Free-agent quarterback Vince Young, after one year with the Philadelphia Eagles, is still looking for work as a backup quarterback elsewhere. Young, however, told Houston radio station KILT he “definitely” still considers himself starter material.
“(I) always want to go in and compete for the starting job and the things that I put myself through to get better and better and to better myself as a quarterback. Just waiting on that opportunity to get the chance to do that,” Young said.
Part of the reason Young feels that way is the sentiment expressed by Eagles coach Andy Reid, who felt Young was better off pursuing his goal of being No. 1 instead of staying as the No. 2 behind Michael Vick in Philadelphia.
“One of the biggest things there was I asked Andy, ‘could I be part of the team again?’, Young said. “He was like ‘I would love for you to stay here, but you’re not a backup quarterback.’ So when I heard the big guy, big red, say that, it showed me more confidence and more respect that he had for me when he said he wanted to see me somewhere playing.”
Young once starred with the Tennessee Titans as the team’s third overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft after leading the University of Texas to a college national championship. As far as where he would like the opportunity to play next, Young would love a shot with his hometown NFL team the Houston Texans.
“I would love to play at home,” Young said. “That would be a dream come true, and anything I can do to help out with the team.”
Tennessee Titans Fans Create F*ck You Song For Peyton Manning
The fans of the Tennessee Titans didn’t take the news of Peyton Manning choosing to follow the footsteps of John Elway and leave the Indianapolis Colts for the Denver Broncos all that well.
In fact they created the news pissed them off so much they created this NSFW song to express their displeasure Manning didn’t come back home to play football in Tennessee.
Freddie Mitchell Facing Tax Fraud Charges
4th and 26
The story of former first round draft pick Freddie Mitchell really just gets more and more pathetic every time we hear about him. The latest news is that Mitchell is facing federal charges for allegedly recruiting professional athletes in a scheme to receive false tax returns, according to a report on FOX.com.
Mitchell will face charges down in Florida, along with Jamie Russ-Walls and Richard Walls, who allegedly claimed refunds ranging from $170,000 to $1.9 million. Mitchell’s role was to recruit professional athletes as customers. Their target was A.G, a pro athlete who paid a firm connected with Mitchell to do his taxes.The indictment claims that Mitchell set up a company called Chameleon Enterprises to do the scam.
He was cut by the Philadelphia Eagles before the 2005 minicamps and has failed to get signed after tryouts with the Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens, Toronto Argonauts and the Philadelphia Soul.
When Mitchell wasn’t taunting opposing fans at college football games, he worked as a substitute teacher in Indiana, where he lasted one week until he was fired for reportedly asking girls for their phone numbers.
He opened a BBQ restaurant in 2008, and was later questioned by police after a package containing seven pounds of marijuana was delivered to his store. A year later, the restaurant closed and Mitchell was named in a suit to for failure to make payments on the business.
Just three months later, he was pulled over for speeding in Philadelphia, where he was found to have an outstanding warrant for failure to pay child support, and was arrested on charges of being a fugitive from justice. He was released on $250,000 bail.
WTVT/Channel 13 Airs Live Nude Shot Of Tampa Bay Buccaneers Player
NSFW and I don’t know how long YouTube will keep the video up for, obviously.
In Tampa, WTVT/Channel 13 aired a brief live shot of a naked Tampa Bay Buccaneers player in the locker room. The player, seen full frontal in the background as teammate Donald Penn was being interviewed, wasn’t identified. The video was taken in the aftermath of Tampa Bay’s loss to Tennessee Titans.
Chris Johnson’s RUNDMCJ tribute song
RUNDMCJ, a musical group consisting of Vito Banga of Nappy Roots, Sabrina, Audio Stepchild and Tracy Tyler created this theme song for Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson. I just don’t think a 2.8 ypc deserves your own tribute song and fantasy owners across the nation more than likely agree.
Drew Rosenhaus Says Terrell Owens Is Ready To Play
Will The Phone Ring
Terrell Owens is ready to return to the NFL. The veteran wide receiver has been rehabilitating a left knee injury that required surgery. He is a free agent and agent Drew Rosenhaus says he will begin contacting teams immediately to let them know Owens is healthy.
Rosenhaus said Owens could play Sunday.
“We are open to any team at this point,” Rosenhaus said. “There have been several teams showing interest thus far, but I won’t identify them at this time.”
The 37-year-old Owens played 14 games for Cincinnati Bengals last year, making 72 receptions with nine touchdowns. He ranks third in career touchdown catches with 153 and second in yards receiving with 15,934. Among those teams short-handed at receiver are Tennessee Titans, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars.
Mike Munchak Open To Bringing In Terrell Owens To Tennessee Titans
Financial Woes Causing This?
Tennessee Titans coach Mike Munchak says he hasn’t ruled out the possibility of signing free agent wide receiver Terrell Owens this season, assuming he passes a physical.
“When (Owens’) health is better and he can pass a physical—people thought the midpoint of the season, maybe—he might be a guy that may be able to work out to prove where he’s at,” Munchak said on his radio show on Nashville’s 104.5 FM. “So of course us, or whoever else, is going to take a look, just like we have with other free agents, to see what kind of shape he’s in.
“A lot is going to depend for us on how we are producing at that position three weeks or two weeks from now, and how we’re doing overall. All those things will factor into it. … If he has a way of helping our team win, then for sure you’re going to take a look at him.’’
The Titans have been looking to upgrade at wide receiver since losing Kenny Britt for the season because of a knee injury.
NFL Teams Fined For Contact With Players During Lockout
Est. 1920
The NFL has fined three teams for having contact with players during the lockout, a time when players, executives and other team staff members were not allowed to do so. The three fines assessed were in the six-figure range.
The Tennessee Titans and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are two of the teams, the website reports. Each had been implicated of speaking with players in earlier reports. The third team was not identified in the report.
Titans wide receiver Kenny Britt spoke with receivers coach Dave Ragone and Buccaneers coach Raheem Morris called players.
Also according to a report by Yahoo! Sports up to eight players maybe suspended for their conduct in the lockout.
Cincinnati Bengals running back Cedric Benson, New England Patriots defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, Arizona Cardinals linebacker Clark Haggans, former Green Bay Packers cornerback Brandon Underwood, Packers defensive end Johnny Jolly, Buccaneers cornerback Aquib Talib, Titans wide reciever Britt and Adam “Pacman” Jones are the players named in the report.
The NFL and the NFL Players Association came to an agreement that the individuals could be suspended under the league’s personal conduct policy. Yahoo! Sports is reporting that at least four of those players were unaware the NFLPA agreed to the provision on their behalf.
NFL To Wear Reebok 9/11 Never Forget Gear
NICE
Chicago Bears linebacker Lance Briggs doesn’t care if the NFL fines him for his choice in gloves or cleats this weekend as he plans on wearing a special edition of Reebok’s 9-11 gloves and cleats against the Atlanta Falcons. Reebok advised Briggs he could be fined for wearing the gear that is intended to pay tribute to the 10-year anniversary of 9-11 but says he’s prepared to pay it.
Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles and Tennessee Titans quarterback Matt Hasselbeck also have plans on wearing the gear for their season openers on Sunday.
Kenny Britt & Aqib Talib To Meet With Roger Goodell
Your In Trouble
Tennessee Titans wide receiver Kenny Britt and Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Aqib Talib will meet Tuesday with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to discuss their arrests during the lockout and hoping they don’t face a ban or suspension.
“I guess they finally found me,” Britt said Monday with a laugh. “But yeah, I heard from coach Mike Munchak, and we’ll meet tomorrow and see what happens.”
The 2009 first-round draft pick Britt has had seven incidents with police since being drafted. He made lots of headlines during the NFL lockout with two arrests in New Jersey and surrendering himself on two arrest warrants in Tennessee for giving inaccurate information on driver’s license applications.
Britt was arrested April 12 in his hometown and charged with eluding an officer and hindering apprehension when police accused him of driving his Porsche 71 mph in a 50-mph zone before leaving the officer. Britt later was found walking on a side street away from his car. Charges were reduced to a misdemeanor and a fine.
A day later, two plainclothes officers at a Hoboken car wash smelled marijuana and accused Britt of holding a rolled cigar they thought was the source. Britt was wrestled to the floor and handcuffed, and police believed a man with Britt may have disposed of the cigar. Britt’s charges included resisting arrest.
Talib was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in Texas in March with his trial set for 2012. Talib fired shots at his sister’s boyfriend and hit him with the handgun, according to Garland police. He already was suspended one game to start the season last year after he punched a taxi cab driver in 2009.
Titans right guard Jake Scott and the players representative, said he anticipates a legal fight if Britt is suspended or fined for anything that happened during the lockout because players received letters confirming they were not part of the team.
Antwan Odom Shot In The Leg
Somebody Shot Me
Former Cincinnati Bengal and Tennessee Titans defensive lineman Antwan Odom was shot in the upper right thigh around 4:30 a.m. on Monday morning in Mobile, Alabama. Odom’s injury is non-life threatening and deputies in Mobile are in search of an alleged shooter.
Deputies believe the suspect entered the house through an unlocked door, entered the victim’s bedroom and fired two shots with a .410 shotgun. The first shot hit the wall and the second struck Odom. Deputies are looking for Tony Gildersleeve as a suspect in the shooting.
A second-round pick out of Alabama in 2004, Odom only played in 18 games in two seasons with Cincinnati and was released on July 29.
Seattle Seahawks Say Goodbye To Matt Hasselbeck & Family
Class Act
The Seattle Seahawks organization pulled a class act when it took out a full page ad in the local newspaper to say goodbye to once franchise quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and his family. Hasselbeck lead the Seawhawks to several playoff appearances and a Super Bowl in 2006. He signed a 2 year contract with the Tennessee Titans.
Kenny Britt Gets Lapdance From Britney Spears
hit me baby one more time
Tennessee Titans receiver Kenny Britt decided to attend last night’s Britney Spears concert in Nashville and was brought up on stage where Spears worked her magic. She put a pink boa on him, gave him a lap dance, and even handcuffed him.
Spears is on her Femme Fatale Tour and Britt is no stranger to the handcuff scene as he was arrested for leading police on a car chase and then was charged with resisting arrest a day after his careless driving plea.
Buffalo Bills Unveil New Uniforms
Good Look
The Buffalo Bills have a new look and the consensus is there’s a throwback feel to the new uniforms. The Bills wore similar uniforms in the ’60s and ’70s. It’s not the first time they’ve featured white helmets as in 1984, the team went with red helmets in order to help quarterback Joe Ferguson, who was colorblind. Because players are not allowed at team facilities due to the lockout, the Bills used members of the armed services and former Bills greats to model the new look.
Ever since the infamous Music City Miracle against the Tennessee Titans in the 2000 NFL Wild Card Playoffs, the Bills have failed to reach the playoffs, going a combined 70-106 with only one winning season, a 9-7 mark in 2004. So this may be just what the Bills need to add a few more wins to their regular season schedule.
Chad Pennington To Join FOX Broadcast Booth
Noodle Arm Pennigton
Miami Dolphins quarterback Chad Pennington announced that he is going to sit out the 2011 NFL season and join the FOX broadcast booth for games this season. Pennington, who will turn 35 later this month, has suffered a string of injuries late in his career. Last March, Pennington suffered an ACL injury and then suffered another shoulder injury after being named the Dolphins starting quarterback in week 10 against the Tennessee Titans.
Pennington’s best season came in 2002 with the New York Jets, throwing for 3,120 yards, 22 touchdowns and amassing a passer rating of 104.2
“I’ve played 11 years in the NFL. Despite my injuries it’s been a great ride and if it ends, it ends. I’m at the point of my life where I have to think of what’s best as a husband and as a father,” Pennington said.
Tennessee Titans Chris Johnson Is A Rapper
Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson is spending his off season exploring what every athlete seems wants to be these days and that a rapper. Johnson recently released his new single “Act on Deck“ which he probably should have just left that phone in the background off the hook. Thank goodness he can run a forty in 2.2 seconds.
Tennessee Titans Kenny Britt Arrested After Car Chase
He Likes To Go Fast
Tennessee Titans receiver Kenny Britt to the list of NFL players to get arrested since the lockout after a car chase in his hometown of Bayonne, N.J. Britt was reportedly charged with eluding an officer, lying to an officer hindering apprehension, and obstructing government function:
According to a police report, the incident occurred at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday when Britt was clocked driving his blue Porsche at 71 mph in a 50-mph zone. When an officer attempted to enter the roadway to stop the vehicle, the Porsche accelerated and began weaving in and out of highway traffic. The Porsche then exited the highway and was spotted on a local street with Britt and Lord walking away from the vehicle.
This isn’t the first time Britt has had a run-in with the law. Early in the 2010 season, Britt was involved in a bar fight in Nashville, Tenn. The 22-year-old was also arrested in January for three outstanding traffic warrants.
