Sports

By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers head into 2023 with plenty of optimism following a strong finish to 2022. Pittsburgh won seven of its final nine games to end up at 9-8. Rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett showed flashes of being a star down the stretch, engineering a pair of

By RALPH D. RUSSO AP College Football Writer Reggie Bush, whose Heisman Trophy victory for Southern California in 2005 was vacated because of NCAA violations, was among 18 players in the latest College Football Hall of Fame class announced Monday. Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, who won the Heisman in 2007, was also elected to the

By JOHN WAWROW and CAROLYN THOMPSON Associated Press ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Bills safety Damar Hamlin said he returned to Buffalo on Monday “with a lot of love on my heart” to continue his recovery in a hospital there, a week after going into cardiac arrest and having to be resuscitated on the field

By STEVE REED AP Sports Writer CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — It’s decision time for Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper. Over the next few weeks, Tepper will have to choose whether to remove the interim tag from Steve Wilks and make him the full-time coach, or to hire someone from outside the organization. General manager Scott

By STEVE MEGARGEE AP Sports Writer GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Green Bay Packers linebacker Quay Walker apologized after the second ejection of his rookie season and said he has spoken directly to the Detroit Lions physician he shoved during the fourth quarter of Sunday night’s game. Walker issued an apology via Twitter and expressed

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) — Los Angeles Rams rookie safety Russ Yeast is headed home after staying overnight in Seattle with a pulmonary contusion. Rams coach Sean McVay said Monday that Yeast is doing fine and is feeling well enough to travel, calling it “a blessing.” The rookie was hurt during the Rams’ 19-16 overtime

By JOHN WAWOW and CAROLYN THOMPSON Associated Press ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Doctors who treated Damar Hamlin say the Bills safety is back in Buffalo in an uplifting sign of the remarkable progress he’s made a week after going into cardiac arrest and having to be resuscitated on the field during a game in

By ANDREW SELIGMAN AP Sports Writer LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — General manager Ryan Poles is now on the clock after the Chicago Bears wrapped up one of the worst seasons in franchise history. They set a franchise record for losses with 14 and extended one by dropping their 10th game in a row in

By DAVID BRANDT AP Sports Writer Seven of the 14 teams in this year’s playoffs didn’t make the field last season, giving the NFL’s upcoming wild-card weekend a mix of traditional powerhouses and underdogs. Tom Brady begins his quest for an unprecedented eighth Super Bowl title when his Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the Dallas Cowboys

PARIS (AP) — World Cup winner Hugo Lloris has retired from playing for France after a record 145 appearances. Lloris won the 2018 World Cup and was captain of the squad that lost to Argentina in the final in Qatar last month. The 36-year-old goalkeeper tells L’Equipe newspaper he will focus on his Tottenham club

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah quarterback Cameron Rising is returning after considering a jump to the NFL. The school announced Rising will be back as a sixth-year senior in 2023 after leading the Utes to consecutive Pac-12 titles. Rising was a semifinalist for the Davey O’Brien and Maxwell awards after throwing for 3,034 yards

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Former mixed martial arts fighter Phil Baroni has been arrested in Mexico for allegedly killing his girlfriend. The prosecutors’ office in the Pacific coast state of Nayarit said Wednesday that a woman was found dead on Jan. 1 in the beach town of San Francisco, just north of the resort of

By DANIELLA MATAR AP Sports Writer MILAN (AP) — Darko Lazović has scored twice to help Hellas Verona to a valuable 2-0 win over Cremonese in a Serie A relegation fight. Both goals came in the first half and saw the hosts move off the bottom of the table. Verona remained in the relegation zone

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Michigan All-America running back Blake Corum is staying in school for his senior season and putting his NFL dreams on hold. Corum announced his decision onsocial media hours before the national championship game, writing he had “unfinished business.” He had a season-ending left knee injury on Nov. 19 after running

By CHARLES ODUM AP Sports Writer ATLANTA (AP) — Second-year coach Arthur Smith believes this season’s 7-10 finish shows much more reason for hope than last year’s identical record. Three rookie playmakers on offense, quarterback Desmond Ridder, running back Tyler Allgeier and wide receiver Drake London, enjoyed strong finishes to the season and could be

ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Dean Pees has announced his retirement, one day after completing his second season with the team. The 73-year-old Pees is ending a 50-year career in football. He previously coached 16 years in the NFL, including a combined 12 seasons as the defensive coordinator at Tennessee, Baltimore and New

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The San Francisco Giants have agreed to terms on an $11.5 million, two-year contract with right-hander Luke Jackson. The 31-year-old Jackson missed the entire 2022 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery on April 13. Jackson had a strong season in 2021 when he helped Atlanta win the World Series. He went

By DOUG FEINBERG AP Basketball Writer No. 24 Illinois has earned its first ranking in 23 years coming inThe Associated Press Top 25 women’s basketball poll. The Illini are off to one of the best starts in school history and have had a remarkable turnaround after going 7-20 last season. South Carolina remained the No.

By RALPH D. RUSSO AP College Football Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — TCU’s unlikely run to the College Football Playoff championship came at a most fortuitous time for the Big 12. “If you think about where this conference was 18 months ago, and the uncertainty and the lack of stability and you fast forward to