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• Eagles lock up wide receiver Smith through 2028

  The Philadelphia Eagles locked up wide receiver DeVonta Smith through the 2028 season on Monday.

  Philadelphia exercised its fifth-year option on Smith for the 2025 season and agreed to terms on a three-year contract extension that runs through 2028.

  Smith’s extension is reportedly worth $75million, including $51million in guaranteed money.

  Philadelphia selected Smith with the 10th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft after he won the Heisman Trophy with Alabama in 2020.

  Smith was the first wide receiver to win the Heisman since Desmond Howard in 1991 and first non-quarterback or running back to capture the honour since cornerback Charles Woodson in 1997.

  Smith has caught 240 passes for 3,178 yards and 19 touchdowns in 50 regular-season games while adding 27 receptions for 405 yards and a TD catch in five postseason contests.

• Jerone Ennis impresses in professional debut with first-round knockout

  Jamaican boxer Jerone "Beast" Ennis made a memorable transition from amateur standout to professional prospect with a commanding victory in his debut fight on Saturday night at the Pickering Casino Resort. Ennis, a two-time Caribbean Amateur Champion, showcased his skills and promise by knocking out his Argentinian opponent Marcelo Adrian Fernandez (4-3-1) at 1:51 into the first round of their scheduled four-round contest in the light-heavyweight division.

  Ennis wasted no time in displaying his pedigree, exhibiting poise, ring intelligence, and superior technique early in the fight. His chief-cornerman, Ryan "RG" Grant, commended Ennis's performance, stating, "He performed real well, he is a real promising talent coming out of Jamaica. I like that he's a thinker in there and he's got good eyes, looking and seeing his spots to land and to move on defense."

  The turning point came when Ennis unleashed a powerful overhand right that sent Fernandez crashing to the canvas, beating the referee's 10-count only to face a relentless barrage of punches from Ennis. The onslaught forced the referee to intervene, awarding Ennis a TKO victory at 1:51 of the first round.

  

  Ennis's victory was significant, as he became the first boxer to stop Marcelo Adrian Fernandez in the opening round of any fight. President of United Boxing Promotions, Tyler Buxton, expressed his satisfaction with Ennis's debut performance, highlighting the promising future ahead for the young Jamaican prospect.

  Fellow countryman and stablemate Kemahl "Hitman" Russell praised Ennis's debut, stating, "He did what he was expected to do, the formula worked - training in Jamaica and showing up and proving on the big stage. He has a bright future."

  Looking ahead, Ryan Grant emphasized the importance of keeping Ennis active in the ring without any setbacks, indicating high expectations for the rising star.

  Born on February 4, 2000, in Denham Town, Kingston, Jamaica, Jerone Ennis represented Jamaica at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, U.K., reaching the quarter-final stage before making his professional debut. Ennis joins an esteemed roster of Jamaican fighters under United Boxing Promotions, including heavyweight Ricardo "Big 12" Brown, middleweight Kemahl "The Hitman" Russell, super welterweight Joshua "HellRazor" Frazer, and super middleweight Shakeel "The Jamaican Juggernaut" Phinn.

  Jerone Ennis's successful professional debut marks the beginning of an exciting chapter in his boxing career, with aspirations of achieving further milestones and making a significant impact on the international stage.

• OJ Simpson: Cherished star whose fall from grace was seen live by millions on TV

  From cherished American superstar to villain whose murder trial captivated a global audience, OJ Simpson’s fall from grace was startling.

  Simpson, nicknamed ‘The Juice’, has died at the age of 76 after losing his battle with prostate cancer, leaving behind four children.

  Before the low-speed car chase by police and ‘Trial of the Century’ that began the unravelling of his reputation, Simpson was a darling of American sport who had also carved out a successful acting career.

  He was raised in a low income neighbourhood in San Francisco and joined a local gang but his athleticism offered a route out and he found his purpose in gridiron.

  A prolific running back, he starred for USC and in 1968 won the Heisman Trophy awarded to the outstanding player in college football. Inevitably, he was first overall draught pick the following year.

  Progress in his first couple of seasons at the Buffalo Bills was slow but his impact grew and he went on to become one of the most successful operators in his position, winning the NFL’s most valuable player in 1973 and being inducted into the hall of fame in 1985.

  He became the game’s highest paid player and lucrative commercial deals also followed as companies looked to leverage his charisma and popularity, while his acting career included parts in blockbusters ‘Towering Inferno’ and ‘The Naked Gun’.

  For all his film presence he was little known outside the United States but that changed for all the wrong reasons when he was arrested in 1994 for the murder of his former wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ronald Goldman.

  Brown and Goldman had been found stabbed to death in LA and once police had filed charges, Simpson refused to turn himself in and was pursued in an extraordinary car chase that was at low speed because he had a gun pointed to his head.

  The event was televised live to millions and projected his notoriety worldwide, with the broadcasting of his subsequent murder trial only intensifying interest in this fallen star.

  He was acquitted the following year but a civil lawsuit found him liable for the deaths, resulting in an order to pay £26.7million pounds to the victims of the families. Only a fraction of that amount was actually paid.

  Arrests followed for a variety of offences in the early 2000s and his lowest point eventually came in 2007 when he was charged with armed robbery and kidnapping.

  He served nine of a 33-year jail sentence and upon his release he continued to live in Las Vegas, looking increasingly frail when in public but active on social media. Simpson always maintained his innocence of the murders.