The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has said that Sheldon Clarke former student of Munro College, deserves hearty congratulations and best wishes for his history making advance to the National Football League's International Player Pathway (NFL-IPP) Combine in the United Kingdom.

The NFL International Player Pathway programme offers the opportunity for athletes to bridge the gap between their current skills and the demands of professional American football.

The Combine is scheduled for October 10-12, 2024.

If successful at the Combine, Clarke who is 21, could earn a place in a training programme designed to prepare international athletes for the rigours of the NFL.

Minister Grange said, “This selection is not just a personal triumph for Sheldon, but an inspiration for every young athlete in Jamaica who aspires to play American football."

At the Combine, he will undergo rigorous physical tests, skill evaluations, and interviews with NFL personnel.

 

 

 

Rojé Stona, the standout discus thrower from Jamaica, has received an invitation to the Green Bay Packers' minicamp, showcasing his potential as a professional football player despite his background solely in track and field.

Stona's achievements in 2024 have been remarkable, including a silver medal in NCAA Indoor shot put, setting a University of Arkansas indoor shot put record with a throw of 20.48m and achieving a career-best discus throw of 69.05m that surpasses the Paris Olympics standard.

At 6’ 6” and 263 lbs and known for his NFL body type and impressive athletic traits, Stona is venturing into the world of professional football without prior competitive experience in the sport. His background in discus and shot put has endowed him with explosive hips, exceptional core strength, long arms, and large hands—attributes that make him a compelling prospect as a tight end.

Despite his lack of football background, Stona's athleticism has caught the attention of NFL scouts. He performed well in running and jumping during his recent pro day, showcasing his raw potential. However, transitioning into football will require Stona to learn essential skills such as blocking and refining his route running and catching abilities.

As he embarks on this new journey, Stona is committed to proving himself and becoming a successful NFL player. His determination and physical gifts make him a promising candidate for teams looking to invest in an undrafted free agent with significant upside.

Stona's invitation to the Green Bay Packers' minicamp marks an exciting chapter in his athletic career, and he is poised to make the most of this opportunity as he pursues his dream of playing professional football.

 

 

 

 

 

Wales boss Warren Gatland admits he has “no idea” if Louis Rees-Zammit will play rugby union again following his switch to American football.

While Wales prepare for a Guinness Six Nations opener against Scotland, Rees-Zammit will be concentrating on the NFL’s International Player Pathway in the hope of forging a gridiron career.

His move to the United States with immediate effect has left Wales and his club Gloucester without a box-office wing, whose try-scoring ability thrilled crowds on domestic, European and international stages.

Rees-Zammit’s rugby union career comes to a halt after winning 32 Wales caps and a World Cup campaign in France when he scored five tries.

Asked if the 22-year-old would come back to rugby one day, Gatland said: “No idea. There aren’t a lot of people who make it in the NFL who haven’t been brought up with the game and played it at a young age.

“There is probably not a lot of difference with rugby league players (trying to play union). Unless you have been brought up playing union, some are able to make it, but very few.

“So it is going to be a challenge for him, but good luck to him.

“We saw Christian Wade (ex-Wasps and England wing) do it, and if you look at rugby league, there was Jarryd Hayne from Australia who had a few games but wasn’t really able to crack it.

“Christian got quite close to doing it. He was a bit older, though. Louis sees it as an opportunity at his age, and if he doesn’t take that chance now it probably won’t come around again.

“We are disappointed to lose a talent like him, but we’ve just got to take that on the chin, move on and focus on the rest of the squad.

“The last thing I can do is dwell on losing him, because the focus has got to be on preparing the squad for the first game.”

Gatland believes that American football will see a player who is “a bit of a freak as an athlete” and someone who is still developing in the sporting arena.

“I thought he was outstanding in the World Cup,” Gatland added. “The pleasing thing for me was that he hardly missed a training session and he was playing well.

“He is probably a bit of a freak as an athlete. He is a freak physically and he gets a chance to challenge himself.

“He has obviously been a big fan (of the NFL) as a youngster and he has got a very high profile away from the game in terms of social media, so this probably helps him enhance that. I am not saying that is a negative at all.”

Another player who will not be part of Wales’ Six Nations squad is 21-year-old Exeter wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso.

Cardiff-born Feyi-Waboso qualifies for Wales and England, but he is believed to have been involved in a recent England alignment camp organised by head coach Steve Borthwick.

He could now be named in Borthwick’s Six Nations squad, which is announced on Wednesday.

Gatland said: “I didn’t personally speak to him. Mike Forshaw (Wales defence coach) had a conversation with him and he had expressed that he wanted to go down the English route, so good luck to him with that.

“He has definitely got some talent, there is no doubt about it. He is as green as anything.

“He has obviously had an approach from England, and he has decided to take that path.”

Former England winger Christian Wade announced his retirement from rugby union at the age of 27 on this day in 2018 as he looked to launch an American football career.

Wade, the fourth highest tryscorer in English club rugby on 82, was granted early release from his Wasps contract after nine years at the club to join NFL team the Buffalo Bills.

In doing so he halved his salary from the £250,000 a year he was earning in the Gallagher Premiership. The move never took off on the field either as he failed to make the Bills’ roster.

Slough-born Wade, who won his only England cap in 2013 against Argentina, described the decision to leave rugby as the hardest in his life.

He said: “After playing nine years of professional sport for Wasps, I’ve decided to leave for personal reasons.

“I would like to thank Wasps chairman Derek Richardson and Dai (Young, director of rugby) for their support, consideration and understanding in what is the most difficult decision of my life.

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“Rugby has privileged and honoured me with so many wonderful memories that will stay with me for the rest of my life.”

Wasps were third in the Gallagher Premiership and bottom of their Heineken Champions Cup group when Wade, who as well as winning one England cap also represented the 2013 British and Irish Lions on their tour of Australia, announced he was leaving.

“It’s very disappointing to lose a player of Wadey’s quality at this stage of the season,” Young said.

“The club held numerous discussions with him to try and convince him to keep pushing forward with Wasps but in the end it was clear this is the path he wished to go down. The club nevertheless wants to wish him all the best with his future career path.”

Using the NFL’s international player pathway program to facilitate the switch, Wade made waves by scoring a 65-yard touchdown as a running back in pre-season, but a regular season game eluded him.

The experiment lasted three years and in September 2022 he returned to rugby after agreeing a deal to join French side Racing 92.

Sheffield Wednesday’s miraculous comeback in the Sky Bet League One play-off semi-final against Peterborough, where they overturned a 4-0 first-leg deficit, was a reminder that anything can happen in sport.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at some of the best comebacks in sport.

Botham’s Ashes

England’s plight against Australia in the second Ashes Test in 1981 was so bad they had checked out of their hotel early ahead of an anticipated defeat. Enter Ian Botham. With his side 41 for four when following on, Botham played one of the great Test innings, smashing 149 to make Australia bat again and set an albeit modest target of 130. Enter Bob Willis. The fast bowler produced the spell of his lifetime, decimating the Australian batting order in taking eight wickets for 43 runs to seal a famous 18-run victory. Instead of being 2-0 down in the series, England went on to win 3-1.

Miracle of Medinah

It seemed impossible that the Ryder Cup would be returning home with Europe going into the final day of the bi-annual tournament in 2012. The United States had dominated the opening two days on their home soil of Medinah in Chicago, opening up a 10-4 lead in the race to 14.5 ahead of Sunday’s singles. But Spanish captain Jose Maria Olazabal channelled the spirit of his mentor Seve Ballesteros and Europe produced a sea of blue on the leaderboard, with Martin Kaymer sealing the most unlikely of victories when he rolled home a 10-foot putt to claim a 14.5-13.5 victory.

Fury’s unlikely resurrection

When Tyson Fury was on the end of a vicious left hook from Deontay Wilder in the 12th round of their WBC heavyweight clash in Las Vegas it looked like goodnight for the British fighter. Laying prone on the canvas he appeared out cold until midway through the referee’s count, when he came back to life, shot up and was somehow able to carry on. Fury thought he had earlier done enough to be awarded a points victory, but the judges controversially scored it a draw. However Fury dominated the two subsequent rematches and still retains the WBC belt.

Miracle of Instanbul

https://twitter.com/ChampionsLeague/status/113220969099215667
Liverpool’s first European Cup final in 21 years and first in the Champions League era looked like it was going to be a damp squib as AC Milan raced into a 3-0 half-time lead thanks to goals from Paolo Maldini and Hernan Crespo (2). But Steven Gerrard inspired the monumental second-half comeback, with Liverpool scoring three times in seven minutes as Vladimir Smicer and Xavi Alonso also bagged. Goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek was the hero in the penalty shoot-out, saving from Andrea Pirlo and Andrei Shevchenko to claim a miraculous victory for Rafael Benitez’s side.

Brady’s Brunch

Even Tom Brady must have questioned whether his New England Patriots side had any chance of winning the 2017 Superbowl when they trailed the Atlanta Falcons 28-3 in the third quarter. But the NFL great cemented his position as the best quarterback of all time by inspiring his side to a miraculous 34-28 victory in overtime. It was the first Supervowl to be decided in an additional period and was also the largest comeback in the showpiece match.

Brecel back from the brink

Luca Brecel beat Ronnie O’Sullivan in this year’s World Snooker Championship quarter-final but the Belgian’s run looked like coming to an end in the semis against Si Jiahui when the Chinese debutant powered into a 14-5 lead in the race to 17. What happened next was the greatest comeback in Crucible history as Brecel won 11 successive frames, eventually claiming a remarkable 17-15 victory. He ensured that his fortnight in Sheffield ended in glory, beating Mark Selby in the final to win a first world title.

Robbie Anderson’s time with the Arizona Cardinals turned out to be very unproductive and extremely short.

The Cardinals released the wide receiver on Wednesday after he appeared in just 10 games following his acquisition from the Carolina Panthers in October.

By cutting the seven-year pro, Arizona will save $12 million in salary cap space for 2023. Anderson was due $8.8 million in salary, $200,000 in workout bonuses and a roster bonus of $3 million.

The Cardinals traded a 2024 sixth-round draft pick and a 2025 seventh-round pick to Carolina in exchange for Anderson, who had been sent to the locker room mid-game by Panthers interim coach Steve Wilks in his final game with the team.

In need of a healthy receiver after an injury to Marquise Brown, the Cardinals took a chance on Anderson, but he was slow to pick up the offense and finished with just seven catches for 76 yards in 10 games.

Anderson, who recently changed his legal name to Chosen Robbie Anderson, spent his first four seasons with the New York Jets. He set career highs with 95 receptions for 1,096 yards in 2020 in his first season with the Panthers but dropped to 53 catches and 519 yards the following season.

The New York Giants have committed to Daniel Jones as their future at quarterback, signing him to a $160million extension while franchise tagging running back Saquon Barkley.

Negotiations between the Giants and Jones went right down to the wire as they looked to get a deal done before Tuesday's franchise tag deadline.

Jones and his representation had been said to be demanding as much as $45m a year following a 2022 season in which he helped the Giants reach the playoffs for the first time since the 2016 season.

New York's Wild Card round win over the Minnesota Vikings was the Giants' first in the postseason since they defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI at the end of the 2011 campaign.

Instead, Jones will receive an average of $40m over the course of a four-year deal, which contains $35m in incentives and will see him get $82m over the first two years.

Jones, a previously maligned sixth overall pick in 2019, enjoyed the best season of his career in 2022 under first-year head coach Brian Daboll, completing 67.2 per cent of his passes for 3,205 yards, 15 touchdowns and just five interceptions. He added 708 yards and seven touchdowns as a runner.

The Giants finished 9-7-1 in a turnaround few expected, but their decision to make Jones the seventh-highest-paid quarterback in the NFL by annual salary after one season of production that was still a long way from the league's elite will raise eyebrows.

Barkley will remain with the Giants at a much cheaper price, with the franchise tag set to pay him $10.1m for 2023.

The second overall pick in 2018, Barkley had seen his career hindered by injuries in recent years but bounced back last season to rack up 1,312 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns.

New York used the non-exclusive tag on Barkley, meaning teams can still negotiate with him.

The Giants would have the chance to match any deal he may make with a rival team, who would have to give two first-round picks to New York if they chose not to match.

The Baltimore Ravens have placed a franchise tag on Lamar Jackson, but there is no guarantee he will be their quarterback in 2023.

The Ravens gave Jackson the non-exclusive franchise tag on Tuesday, meaning he is free to negotiate with other teams.

If he signs an offer sheet with another NFL team, the Ravens have the option of matching it to keep Jackson or decline it and receive the other team's 2023 and 2024 first-round draft picks as compensation.

Had the Ravens placed the exclusive franchise tag on Jackson, he would have been locked up for the 2023 season by Baltimore and received a guaranteed salary of $45million.

The 26-year-old, who represents himself without an agent and just completed the final year of his rookie contract, also has the option of signing a one-year franchise tender to play for the Ravens in 2023 for a guaranteed salary of $32.4m.

The decision for the Ravens to place the non-exclusive franchise tag on Jackson and not work out a long-term deal differs greatly from what the team was indicating less than two months ago.

Just days after the Ravens' 2022 season ended with a 24-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in the Wild Card round, both general manager Eric DeCosta and coach John Harbaugh told reporters that they were determined to keep Jackson.

"Lamar Jackson is our quarterback," Harbaugh said on January 19. "He's been our quarterback. Everything we've done in terms of building our offense and our team, putting people around him, is based around this young man, his talent, his ability and his competitiveness.

"I'll have my fingers crossed and my toes crossed, I'll be saying prayers, I've every faith it's going to get done. Eric wants him here, I want him here, [owner] Steve [Bisciotti] wants him here and Lamar wants to be here. It's going to work out."

When asked if Jackson would be Baltimore's Week 1 starting QB next season, DeCosta added: "I don’t see any reason why he won't be."

Now that the Ravens have given him the opportunity to hit the open market, there is a distinct possibility he has played his final game for Baltimore.

The 32nd overall pick of the 2018 draft, Jackson ranks second in Ravens' franchise history in passing yards (12,209) and passing touchdowns (101) and was the league MVP in 2019.

His last two seasons, however, have been mired by injuries, as he missed five games in 2021 and the final five of 2022 due to a knee injury.

Sauce Gardner promised to "burn the cheesehead" in a cheeky sales pitch to Aaron Rodgers amid reports the veteran quarterback is in talks with the New York Jets.

Rodgers has not committed to the Green Bay Packers for the 2023 season and the Jets are said to have been given permission to speak to the four-time NFL MVP.

The Jets previously held discussions with free agent Derek Carr, but he elected to join the New Orleans Saints.

Should Rodgers join the Jets, he would likely link up with cornerback Gardner, who riled up the Packers following New York's 27-10 win in Green Bay in October.

Gardner was gifted a 'cheesehead' that has become synonymous with Green Bay fans, as a reference to the nickname given to them owing to Wisconsin's association with cheese production.

This was seen as a mockery of the Packers, and the hat was knocked off Gardner's head by Green Bay wide receiver Allen Lazard, who subsequently said he had no real issues with the celebration.

That moment went viral on social media, but Gardner vowed he would burn it in a tweet to Rodgers.

"Aye @AaronRodgers12 I promise if you become a Jet, I won't pick you off in practice and I’ll burn the cheesehead," Gardner posted.

Jets running back Breece Hall also tweeted in the wake of the reports, writing: "Don’t mind me…Just Manifesting @AaronRodgers12".

Whether their pitches work remains to be seen, though 39-year-old Rodgers leaving the Packers after 18 years would certainly provide a shake-up ahead of the new season.

Aaron Rodgers has been given permission to speak to the New York Jets about a possible trade.

The Green Bay Packers quarterback is yet to make an announcement on his future, with retirement rumoured since the end of the NFL season.

However, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Rodgers has received permission to speak with the Jets.

Rodgers is still under contract in Green Bay, which suggests the Packers are open to the idea of him moving on should he decide against retirement.

The 39-year-old threw 26 touchdowns for the Packers last season, with one rushing touchdown, while his 12 interceptions thrown was the most since he threw 13 in the 2008 season.

The Packers ended the season with a record of 8-9, finishing third in the NFC North, while the Jets finished bottom of the AFC East with a 7-10 record.

Two running backs coming off career seasons were designated as franchise players by their respective teams on Monday, as the Las Vegas Raiders applied the tag to Josh Jacobs and the Dallas Cowboys did the same with Tony Pollard.

The move enables both teams to negotiate with their respective players, both of whom would have been unrestricted free agents, towards long-term contracts up until July 15. Jacobs and Pollard would earn $10.1million in 2023 if a deal is not reached and they play under the tender offer.

Jacobs became the first Raider to lead the NFL in rushing yards since Hall of Famer Marcus Allen in 1985 when he compiled 1,653 this past season. The 25-year-old added 12 touchdowns and 400 receiving yards on 53 catches to earn first team All-Pro honours.

The four-year veteran has publicly stated his desire to re-sign with the Raiders, though he told The Athletic during the week of the Pro Bowl he has no interest in playing under the tag.

"Oooh, hero turned villain, man," he said when asked what his response would be to receiving the franchise tender.

"This is where I want to be. I feel like I've left my mark on this organisation. With the guys in the locker room – obviously, it's going to be shaken up next year – but I feel like this is home. For me, this is where I want to be, but I'm not going to discredit myself trying to be here, either. So, it's just got to make sense."

Pollard emerged as the Cowboys’ best running back and earned his first Pro Bowl nod with an outstanding 2022 campaign in which he rushed for 1,007 yards and scored 12 total touchdowns. His 5.22 yards per rush attempt ranked second in the NFL among players with at least 175 carries.

The 25-year-old is recovering from a broken left leg and high-ankle sprain he sustained in Dallas’ playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers in January, but is expected to be recovered in time for the start of next season.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told reporters at the recent scouting combine in Indianapolis that the team was planning on using the tag on Pollard in hopes of working out a multi-year agreement.

"I really don’t want to say it’s a done thing because as these things come and go, you don’t know where you are until the deadline comes and goes," Jones said Friday. "But right now, certainly Tony is a big part of our plans."

A long-term deal with Pollard could impact the future of Cowboys longtime running back Ezekiel Elliott, who is scheduled to count $16.72m against the salary cap this season. The three-time Pro Bowler could be asked to take a pay cut to remain with the team or may be a candidate to be released.

Jacobs and Pollard are two of four players who have received the franchise tag ahead of Tuesday's deadline, along with Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Engram and Washington Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne.

Reigning NFL Comeback Player of the Year Geno Smith has reportedly signed a three-year extension to remain the starting quarterback of the Seattle Seahawks.

According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport, Smith's new deal is worth $105million.

The 32-year-old took the starting role this season after Russell Wilson was traded to the Denver Broncos for a haul of draft picks.

It was meant to be a rebuilding season in Seattle, with the veteran acting as a bridge to their next franchise signal-caller, but eight years after his last season as a full-time starter Smith blew all expectations out of the water.

He led the Seahawks to a 6-3 start, finishing above .500 at 9-8, all while leading the NFL in completion percentage (69.8 per cent).

By all statistical indicators, Smith was a top-10 quarterback in the league this past season.

His 30 touchdown passes were the fourth-most, he finished eighth in passing yards (4,282), and his QBR of 60.8 had him tied for sixth. It was not all simple, short passes either, ranking ninth in yards per attempt (7.5).

After spending time with the New York Jets, New York Giants and Los Angeles Chargers, Smith has found a home in Seattle the past three years, and was one of 15 players to receive an MVP vote for the 2022 season.

Having made a grand total of $17.55m in his nine-year career, Smith is set to make up to $52m in the first calendar year of his new deal

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Calvin Ridley has been reinstated by the NFL after a year-long suspension.

The 28-year-old was handed an indefinite suspension in March 2022 for betting in games during the previous season, including his own team, while with the Atlanta Falcons.

Despite that suspension, the Falcons traded Ridley to the Jaguars in November 2022 for a conditional 2023 sixth-round and 2024 fourth-round picks in the NFL Draft.

Ridley applied for reinstatement last month, on the first day he was eligible to do so, and the league has now confirmed his return.

In a statement, the NFL said: "Calvin Ridley of the Jacksonville Jaguars has been fully reinstated... Ridley, who had been suspended indefinitely since March 2022 for violating the NFL's gambling policy, is eligible to participate in all team's activities, effective immediately."

In his four active seasons with the Falcons, Ridley amassed 3,342 receiving yards and 28 touchdowns.

Quarterback Derek Carr is signing for the New Orleans Saints after nine years with the Las Vegas Raiders.

The 31-year-old Carr was released by the Raiders on February 14 – just hours before a deadline that would have paid him $40.4million in guaranteed money – and had met with the Saints, New York Jets and Carolina Panthers as possible landing spots for 2023.

With the Saints, Carr will be reunited with coach Dennis Allen, who was Carr’s first NFL coach with the Raiders and was part of the evaluation process of him leading up to the 2014 draft.

The Raiders selected Carr in the second round of the draft and Allen choose to make him the starter immediately as a rookie.

Carr is the franchise's all-time leader in passing yards (35,222) and passing touchdowns (217) but left the team in rocky circumstances after a subpar 2022 season and was ultimately benched.

In 2022, he averaged 234.8 passing yards a game while his completion percentage (60.8) and QB rating (86.3) were both his lowest since his rookie year.

He made four Pro Bowls with the Raiders but one of his biggest areas of criticism is that he never led the team to a playoff win. He lost his lone postseason start and among quarterbacks in the Super Bowl era, he has the third-most starts for one team without a playoff victory.

The Saints went 7-10 last season and have missed the playoffs each of the last two years following the retirement of Drew Brees.

New Orleans was unsettled at quarterback after Jameis Winston and Andy Dalton played the position in 2022. The unproven Winston was injured in the first month of the season and the veteran Dalton performed well as his replacement but is now a free agent.

Minnesota Vikings linebacker Eric Kendricks has been released ahead of 2023 NFL free agency, the team announced on Monday.

A mainstay in the Vikings' defense for the past eight seasons, Kendricks is now free to sign with a new team before the start of the new league year on March 15.

In a statement, Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said: "As a Pro Bowler and team captain, a Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee and a leader of the Vikings social justice efforts, Eric leaves a powerful, permanent legacy within our organisation and the Minnesota community.

"While he is best known as a playmaker and respected linebacker across the league, Eric's contributions to the Vikings extend far beyond the field because of his selfless and unwavering commitment to improving societal issues.

"I have the utmost respect for Eric and wish him and Ally, along with their growing family, continued success in their next chapter."

Kendricks led Minnesota in tackles in seven of his eight seasons, with his total of 919 for the Vikings second among NFL players since 2015, behind only Bobby Wagner.

Highlights in 2022 included a goal-line recovery of a Josh Allen fumble for a touchdown against Buffalo Bills, helping the Vikings clinch the NFC North and finish the season 13-4, with his 137 total tackles ranking 14th in the NFL.

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