Sports

Miami Dolphins’ newcomers improvise workouts as coronavirus threat shuts training facilities: report

Get all the latest news on coronavirus and more delivered daily to your inbox. Sign up here.

Staying in shape during the offseason is a challenge that has grown increasingly more difficult for NFL players in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic as the league has ordered that all facilities be shut down, prompting some to improvise on their own.

Several players on the Miami Dolphins shared with the Miami Herald this week just how they’ve been keeping up with their workouts as COVID-19 has shut down not only the team’s training center but also local gyms.

SUPER BOWL MVP TERRELL DAVIS DONATES $400G WORTH OF PRODUCTS TO FEEDING AMERICA: ‘IT’S ABOUT LEADING BY EXAMPLE’

“My neighbor’s got a rack in his garage right across the street,” center Ted Karras said. “I’m just running up and down the street. I’m doing band workouts. I’m doing anything I can to get it done. It’s pretty crazy.”

Offensive Lineman Ereck Flowers, a Florida native, told the paper that he’s been building his garage into a personal gym with everything “except for squat racks” over the years.

Linebacker Kyle Van Noy, who’s still in Los Angeles, drives to a ranch 45 minutes away to train alone while Emmanuel Ogbah, a defensive end, is working out the old-fashioned way: push-ups and sit-ups at home.

As new members of the team, they’re all hoping to stay sharp going into camp if the facilities don’t open.

“It’s unfortunate, really,” Flowers told the Herald. “If it’s canceled you’re going into camp not really getting a chance to go over your playbook. Usually it’s a trial run before you go into the real deal.”

CLICK HERE TO GET MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell issued a memo earlier this week that all club facilities would be ordered to stay closed for at least two weeks.

“The challenges we face are not unique — many businesses and individuals throughout the country are experiencing and addressing similar issues,” Goodell wrote. “Please be assured that the NFL is well-positioned to meet these operational challenges as we prepare to offer our fans and the country an outstanding 2020 NFL season.”

Jordan Love: 5 things to know about the 2020 NFL Draft prospect

Jordan Love is a college quarterback for the Utah State Aggies who is looking to make the jump to the pros.

The NFL hopeful spent three years as a starter at Utah State where he went on to have a strong start as a redshirt sophomore before struggling in his final season, throwing 17 interceptions and having a completion percentage of just 62.0.

CLICK HERE TO GET MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Here are five other things to know about Love.

1) HOW DOES HE STACK UP?

At 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, Love wowed at the combine, recording 4.54 40-yard dash time with a 36-inch vertical jump and a 121-inch broad jump.

2) HIGH SCHOOL LEGEND

Love, 21, was born in Bakersfield, Calif., where he attended Liberty High School. Despite totaling 2,148 yards and 24 passing touchdowns, Utah State was the only FBS program to offer him a scholarship.

3) AGGIE MVP

Love’s best season was in 2018. He earned second-team All-Mountain West honors for the Aggies after totaling 3,567 yards and 32 touchdowns. He was also named MVP of the 2018 New Mexico Bowl.

4) SEASON STATS

Love totaled 3,402 yards for 20 touchdowns this past season. He threw a Football Bowl Subdivision high of 17 interceptions, more than his first two seasons with the Aggies combined.

5) WHERE DO THE EXPERTS BELIEVE HE’LL GO?

Love could end up being drafted by the New England Patriots as they look to groom a young QB who will fit within their limited cap space.

Jonathan Taylor: 5 things to know about the 2020 NFL Draft prospect

Jonathan Taylor is a running back who is looking to make the jump from college to the pros.

The NFL hopeful spent three years at Wisconsin and is regarded as one of the best running back prospects in the 2020 NFL Draft. Coming out of Salem High School in New Jersey, Taylor was a four-star recruit by Rivals.

Here are five other things to know about Taylor.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE NFL DRAFT COVERAGE

1) HOW DOES HE STACK UP?

Jefferson is listed at 5-foot-10, 226 pounds. At the NFL Combine, he had 31 1/8-inch arms and 9 1/2-inch hands. Jefferson ran a 4.39 40-yard dash and had a 36-inch vertical jump.

2) HIGH SCHOOL LEGEND

Taylor, who made the All-State first-team in New Jersey as a senior, finished with 4,642 rushing yards and 51 total touchdowns during his four years at Salem.

He set the state single-season record with 2,815 rushing yards as a senior, and he broke the South Jersey single-season record of 2,510 yards that was previously held by Corey Clement, who also played for Wisconsin. Taylor added 35 rushing touchdowns his senior year as well.

3) BADGER UP

Taylor became the seventh player in college football history to rush for 6,000 yards and he was the first to ever do so in just three seasons. He also finished No. 6 all-time among players in rushing (6,174 yards) and No. 2 all-time among Big Ten players.

4) UNANIMOUS SELECTION

A two-time Doak Walker Award winner in 2018 and 2019, Taylor was a two-time unanimous first-team All-American both seasons. Taylor is the first player in program history to finish in the top 10 of the Heisman Trophy voting three times.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

5) WHERE DO THE EXPERTS BELIEVE HE’LL GO?

Taylor is projected to be one of the first running backs taken off the board in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Early on, experts believe he will be taken early in the second round, and there are a lot of intriguing options. The Los Angeles Chargers make their first selection of the second round at No. 37 overall. With the departure of running back Melvin Gordon, also a Wisconsin alum, the only option that they have at the position is Austin Ekeler, and quite frankly, he isn’t an every-down running back.

Taylor would fit in nicely with the Chargers and their host of weapons.

Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell, Utah Jazz staff cleared of coronavirus

Get all the latest news on coronavirus and more delivered daily to your inbox. Sign up here.

Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell and center Rudy Gobert, both of whom previously tested positive for the coronavirus, have been cleared by the Utah Department of Health, the team said in a statement on Friday.

NFL, COLLEGE FOOTBALL SEASONS SHOULD BE POSTPONED AMID CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC, ANALYST SAYS

Both Mitchell and Gobert tested positive for the virus on March 11. After 14 days of Jazz players and staff fulfilling their periods of isolation and quarantine, they were cleared. However, they will continue to practice social distancing while limiting time outside of their homes to essential activities, in accordance with recommendations by the NBA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In a video posted by the NBA on March 15, Gobert said he was “feeling a little better every single day.” He also expressed regret in his social media post, saying at the time: “I have gone through so many emotions since learning of my diagnosis… mostly fear, anxiety, and embarrassment. The first and most important thing is I would like to publicly apologize to the people that I may have endangered. At the time, I had no idea I was even infected.”

NEW YORK GIANTS LINEBACKER’S REHAB TAKES DETOUR DUE TO CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

On the other hand, Mitchell was on “Good Morning America” on March 16 and said he was asymptomatic of coronavirus, showing no symptoms or signs of the virus. He had been in quarantine since the diagnosis.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

As of Friday, there are 10 known NBA players who have tested positive for the virus, which includes former NBA MVP Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart.

Steelers tight end Eric Ebron ‘quit on Colts’ in 2019, NFL insider says

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Eric Ebron may have played his way out of Indianapolis last season.

The Colts felt like Ebron didn’t give them his best efforts when things got tough for Indianapolis late in the year, according to one Colts insider.

ELI MANNING SHOCKED ABOUT TOM BRADY’S DEPARTURE FROM THE PATRIOTS

After starting the season with a 5-2 record, it looked as if the Colts weren’t missing quarterback Andrew Luck one bit. However, over their last nine games, Indianapolis only managed to win two, and the Colts finished the year with a 7-9 record, missing the playoffs.

“The reason the Colts let him go is because they felt he quit on them this season,” The Athletic’s Bob Kravitz told 93.7 The Fan on Tuesday. “He had, I think it was an ankle, that the team wasn’t even aware was an issue and then all of the sudden he said, ‘That’s it, I’m shutting it down.’ I remember asking Chris Ballard, the GM, ‘What are you going to do with Eric Ebron?’ and he looked me straight in the eye and said, ‘Yeah, we’re done with him. We’re moving on.’ So, if you get him in the right frame of mind, he’s a very productive guy. But he’s a little bit mercurial I guess is the word I would use.”

CAM NEWTON ON PANTHERS RELEASE: ‘THEY GAVE UP ON ME’

Ebron, the No. 10 overall pick by the Detroit Lions in the 2014 NFL Draft, finally put everything together in 2018 when he had a career-high 13 touchdown receptions. But without Luck under center, he failed to get in sync with backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett. He only had 31 receptions with three scores last season and was placed on season-ending injured reserve in November.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

He will have a clean slate in 2020 after he signed a two-year, $12 million deal with the Steelers after the start of the league’s new year began. If Ebron bounces back and gains chemistry with a healthy Ben Roethlisberger, he is certainly capable of producing to the same standards he set two years ago.

NFL, college football seasons should be postponed amid coronavirus pandemic, analyst says

Get all the latest news on coronavirus and more delivered daily to your inbox. Sign up here.

ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit said he’d be “shocked” if the 2020 NFL and college football seasons take place amid the coronavirus.

Herbstreit made an appearance on ESPN Radio on Thursday and talked about why he believes it is too dangerous for football to go forward with their seasons during the pandemic.

NEW YORK GIANTS LINEBACKER’S REHAB TAKES DETOUR DUE TO CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

“I’ll be shocked if we have NFL football this fall, if we have college football. I’ll be so surprised if that happens,” Herbstreit said. “Just because from what I understand, people that I listen to, you’re 12 to 18 months from a [coronavirus] vaccine. I don’t know how you let these guys go into locker rooms and let stadiums be filled up and how you can play ball. I just don’t know how you can do it with the optics of it.”

LEBRON JAMES ON NBA’S POSSIBLE RETURN AMID CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC: ‘CAN’T GO STRAIGHT TO PLAYOFFS’

Herbstreit said if he were the commissioner of the NFL, or in charge of college football, he would shut everything down as soon as possible because of the likelihood of having sick players infecting others in a locker room.

“As much as I hate to say it, I think we’re scratching the surface of where this thing’s gonna go,” he said.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

In regards to the NFL, Commissioner Roger Goodell announced that the league is moving forward with its draft in April as scheduled.

Jimmy Graham on joining the Bears after losing job with Packers: ‘It’s a lit fire’

Veteran tight end Jimmy Graham said Thursday he’s looking forward to playing for the Chicago Bears next season after having positive “conversations” with head coach Matt Nagy.

Graham signed a two-year contract with the Bears for $9 million guaranteed after he was released on March 12 by the Green Bay Packers.

SUPER BOWL MVP TERRELL DAVIS DONATES $400G WORTH OF PRODUCTS TO FEEDING AMERICA: ‘IT’S ABOUT LEADING BY EXAMPLE’

“Obviously, it was a tough pill to swallow,” Graham told reporters, according to ESPN. “It was the first time I lost my job. And I work extremely hard. I’ve sacrificed everything for this game. I’ve given it everything I have, and obviously to go through that, it was difficult.”

He continued: “Now I have the opportunity to win a bunch of games this year and I’m very grateful for that, and I’m obviously grateful for the opportunity and the friendships I did make just up north there. But for me, it’s lit a fire.”

Graham, 33, also told The Athletic on Thursday that signing with the Bears had to do with more than just the big payout.

CLICK HERE TO GET MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

He said that the “conversations that I had with coach and with (general manager) Ryan Pace and how they use their tight end … were just above and beyond.”

Graham added that the Bears’ offense was the closest thing to the New Orleans Saints he’s played with since leaving, calling it the “right system for myself.”

Eli Manning shocked about Tom Brady’s departure from the Patriots

Eli Manning said Thursday he was as shocked as everybody else when he learned of Tom Brady’s departure from the New England Patriots.

Manning offered his thoughts on Brady joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a Q&A with the New York Post,

BUCCANEERS COACH BRUCE ARIANS ON POSSIBLY SIGNING ANTONIO BROWN: ‘IT’S NOT GONNA HAPPEN’

“I was surprised, how it all worked out,” Manning told the newspaper. “I just did not imagine him leaving, them letting him go and him going somewhere else, just from my experience. But for him to have had all the success, do everything he’d done in New England and did it with one organization, I guess you just kind of wonder what was the reasoning?

“I don’t know if he felt unappreciated, or just wanted to try something different, but was surprised that this went down,” he said.

CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC COULD STUNT DANIEL JONES’ GROWTH WITH GIANTS, ELI MANNING SAYS

Manning, who retired after nearly two decades with the New York Giants, said he believes a big reason why Brady joined the Bucs is because of what they brought to the table at the wide receiver position. Mike Evans and Chris Godwin may arguably be the best duo in the entire NFL, and tight ends Cameron Brate and O.J. Howard will be viable options as well.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

However, Manning wouldn’t pencil them in as Super Bowl contenders right away.

“I never believed you can win the Super Bowl in March and April,” Manning said. “You kind of start the process. It’ll be interesting when teams’ll be able to get back together. They are missing the spring and missing time in practice and throwing together until a little bit later in the spring, that’s valuable time for a quarterback to kind of get on the same page and learn a new offense and figure that out.”

Belarusian soccer in a league of its own amid coronavirus pandemic

Get all the latest news on coronavirus and more delivered daily to your inbox. Sign up here.

As the rest of the sporting community comes to a complete standstill in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, one league refuses to press pause.

The Belarusian Premier League held its opening games last week, which saw eight matches packed throughout the weekend. Not a single game was delayed and the A.B.F.F., the governing body of the sport in Belarus, a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, has no intention of postponing or canceling the season, according to The New York Times.

REAL MADRID STAR LUKA JOVIC UNDER FIRE FOR BREAKING CORONAVIRUS QUARANTINE TO SEE GIRLFRIEND IN SERBIA

“There is no critical condition,” head of A.B.F.F. Vladimir Bazanov said of the situation in an interview with Belarusian media. “So they decided that we are starting the championship in a timely manner.”

In this photo taken on Thursday, March 19, 2020, football fans watch the Belarus Championship soccer match between Energetik-BGU and Bate in Minsk, Belarus. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

According to the Times, stadiums are taking some precautionary measures but there has been no limits on fan attendance or capacity. Outside a Dynamo Bret game on Friday, thermal-imaging cameras were put in place to stop anyone with a fever from entering.

The Ministry of Health has also ordered that stadiums be disinfected twice a day.

The country itself has yet to implement any restrictions on the people despite other European countries enforcing strict bans. German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced a ban on public gatherings of more than two people last week, a measure that also closed all non-essential businesses, the BBC reported.

The lack of seriousness in Belarus could trickle down from President Aleksandr Lukashenko who, despite telling people to practice social distancing, called the disease a “psychosis.”

“It is yet another psychosis, which will benefit some people and harm others,” he said last week, according to the Times. “I am absolutely convinced that panic can hurt us more than the virus itself. That’s what concerns me the most.”

CLICK HERE TO GET MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Belarus has 94 confirmed cases, according to the latest figures from the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.

Eight more soccer matches are set to take place this weekend beginning on Friday.

New York Giants linebacker’s rehab takes detour due to coronavirus pandemic

Get all the latest news on coronavirus and more delivered daily to your inbox. Sign up here.

New York Giants linebacker Ryan Connelly has had to take a detour during his road to recovery from an ACL injury since the coronavirus pandemic altered sports across the world.

BUCCANEERS COACH BRUCE ARIANS ON POSSIBLY SIGNING ANTONIO BROWN: ‘IT’S NOT GONNA HAPPEN’

The Giants’ offseason program was scheduled to begin on April 6, but it’s been postponed due to the virus. Connelly was rehabbing at the team’s facility in East Rutherford, N.J. before it closed. Now, he’s working out at the weight room in his apartment complex, and following instructions from his trainer.

“I’ll be ready to go for training camp,” Connelly told the New York Post. “I think I would’ve been able to do some limited participation in OTAs. I was excited to do individual periods and get reps, but who knows if I will get that chance given the scheduling changes due to the coronavirus.

“There are definitely bad days where my knee gets sore and doesn’t respond the way I want it to. But I’ve had shoulder surgeries in the past where you just sit there with no progress. With a knee injury, you are doing something new every week and consistently adding to your workload.”

CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC COULD STUNT DANIEL JONES’ GROWTH WITH GIANTS, ELI MANNING SAYS

Connelly, a fifth-round pick from Wisconsin, worked his way into a starter role in Week 2 of the NFL season. He piled up 20 tackles and came away with two interceptions and one sack in four games before suffering the season-ending injury.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

“There haven’t been any setbacks,” Connelly told the newspaper. “I’m starting to do some cutting and explosive running. We understand that I’ve had a lot of time, so we haven’t been pushing it or trying to rush through things. Lower body, starting from ground zero getting my strength and flexibility back, and making sure [the knee] can flex and extend fully.”

Sports

Footer

Public File Info