AP National Sports

By RONALD BLUM AP Sports Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Pelé was remembered for a life beyond the field, for transcending the sport of soccer and becoming perhaps the most well-known person on Earth. “Before Pelé, ’10′ was just a number,” current Brazil forward Neymar wrote following the soccer great’s death Thursday at the age

By BRETT MARTEL AP Sports Writer NEW ORLEANS (AP) — In an age of opt outs in college football, top NFL prospects for Alabama and Kansas State are opting in at the Sugar Bowl. Alabama quarterback Bryce Young and edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. headline those players who could have skipped Saturday’s game and the

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix is retiring as a Green Bay Packer after spending his first 4 1/2 seasons with that franchise. Green Bay general manager Brian Gutekunst announced Thursday that Clinton-Dix had informed the team of his decision to retire with the Packers. The Packers selected Clinton-Dix out of Alabama

By JEROME PUGMIRE AP Sports Writer PARIS (AP) — Marseille paid tribute to Brazilian soccer great Pelé before routing Toulouse 6-1 to rise to third place, while Lens failed to keep pace with league leader Paris Saint-Germain after drawing 0-0 at Nice. The draw left second-place Lens seven points behind PSG, which won on Wednesday

By LARRY FLEISHER Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Mohamed Ibrahim rushed for 71 yards on 16 carriers with a touchdown and became Minnesota’s all-time rushing leader in the Golden Gophers’ 28-20 win over Syracuse in the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium. Ibrahim broke the school record held by Darrell Thompson (1986-89) on a 10-yard

By TOM WITHERS AP Sports Writer BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Deshaun Watson is preaching patience. Four games into his tenure with Cleveland, Watson feels he’s improved each time out, but he’s still not where he wants to be. The Browns are 2-2 with Watson as their starter after he returned from an 11-game suspension suspension

FARMVILLE, Va. — Led by Isaiah Wilkins’ 25 points, the Longwood Lancers defeated the High Point Panthers 87-73 on Thursday. The Lancers are now 9-5 on the season, while the Panthers fell to 8-5.

By TALES AZZONI and MAURICIO SAVARESE Associated Press SAO PAULO (AP) — Pelé was simply “The King.” He embraced “the beautiful game” of soccer in his 1958 World Cup debut for Brazil and never really let go. He won a record three World Cups and was widely regarded as one of his sport’s greatest players.

By TALES AZZONI AP Sports Writer From spearheading the “beautiful game” to helping Brazil win three World Cup titles, Pelé embodied greatness in the land of his sport. The incarnation of the country’s style and elegance on the field, Pelé began enchanting Brazilian fans as a teenager. He helped the Selecao lift the World Cup

By DAVID BRANDT AP Sports Writer SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Quentin Johnston came to TCU because of its coaching stability. Now he’s playing in the biggest football game of his career because of a coaching change. Johnston embraced first-year coach Sonny Dykes and is one of many reasons the Horned Frogs have flourished this season

By TALES AZZONI AP Sports Writer Nobody disputes Pelé ’s greatness but the exact number of goals he scored in his career will forever remain a motive for debate. Pelé often said one of the reasons he should be considered the greatest player of all-time was because of his feat of scoring more than 1,000

By The Associated Press Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the surging Carolina Panthers in a matchup with NFC South championship implications. The first-place Bucs will repeat as division champs and go on to host a first-round playoff game with a victory Sunday. The Panthers can win their first NFC South crown since

By LARRY LAGE AP Sports Writer ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Mimi Bolden-Morris of Michigan is believed to be the first female graduate assistant football coach at a Power Five school since the late 1980s. Bolden-Morris will be on the sideline Saturday when the second-ranked Wolverines play No. 3 TCU at the Fiesta Bowl in

By JOHN MARSHALL AP Sports Writer SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Donovan Edwards is good and knows he’s good. The Michigan running back will tell you he’s good. It’s been hard to argue with his proclamations so far. Given a bigger role after Blake Corum’s injury, Edwards has thrived in the spotlight and will be a

By CHARLES ODUM AP Sports Writer ATLANTA (AP) — Only months after Georgia defensive linemen and Ohio State wide receivers combined to fill five first-round slots in the NFL draft, those positions again boast top talent for the teams preparing to meet in the College Football Playoff Peach Bowl semifinal. Despite important losses in this

NEW YORK — Led by Javier Esquerra Trelles’ 13 points, the Wagner Seahawks defeated the Long Island Sharks 69-61 on Thursday. The Seahawks are now 8-4 with the win and the Sharks dropped to 2-11.

Reactions poured in from around the world to the death of Brazilian soccer legend Pele. He died of cancer in Brazil at age 82. His grace, athleticism and mesmerizing moves transfixed players and fans. He orchestrated a fast, fluid style that revolutionized the sport — a samba-like flair that personified his country’s elegance on the

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Sports Writer MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa remained away from Miami Dolphins meetings on Thursday, yet another indicator that his latest concussion will keep him sidelined for this weekend’s trip to face the New England Patriots and possibly even longer. Nobody knows when he’ll be back. Not even

By The Associated Press The San Francisco 49ers visit the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. San Francisco is favored by 9 1/2 points. The 49ers defense is first in the NFL in three major categories. Las Vegas has made a quarterback change. The Raiders will start Jarrett Stidham in place of Derek Carr. Both teams

By The Associated Press The superlatives about Pelé over the years came from the likes of Nelson Mandela and Andy Warhol. The best descriptions came from his fellow soccer stars, including Franz Beckenbauer and Cristiano Ronaldo. They describe Pelé as the greatest and most complete player in the history of the sport. One of the