Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward is the 2023 Walter Payton Man of the Year award winner. The award, which is considered to be the league’s highest honor, recognizes a player’s off-the-field community service. Each team nominated a player to represent the franchise for the award, and Heyward was Pittsburgh’s selection this season, which marks the sixth time in his …

Georgia football topped its own record spending for recruiting in the fiscal year 2023 NCAA financial report by nearly $758,000. Expenses for the period of July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023 totaled nearly $5.3 million, up from more than $4.5 million in the previous fiscal year. Only Texas A&M ($4.0 million) and Clemson ($3.5 million) have also reported more …

USATSI C.J. Stroud has been named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, the first Houston Texans player to win the award in franchise history. Stroud was responsible for leading the Texans to an 11-6 record and an AFC South division title in his rookie season. The team matched the number of victories it had in the three prior seasons combined …

Why Texans’ Schultz believes Warner is NFL’s best linebacker originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area Throughout the past few seasons, the 49ers have become known for their hard-nosed defense, particularly at the middle linebacker position. In speaking to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Laura Britt on Thursday at Super Bowl LVIII Radio Row in Las Vegas, Houston Texans tight end …

MISHAWAKA — His gait gave it away. For 21 years, anytime you saw head football coach Cory Yeoman in the Penn High School hallways, and you would see him everywhere, he was always on the move. Often moving faster than you. As the coach of a program known around the state for its sustained success, Yeoman always seemed long on …

Getty Images Will Anderson Jr. won the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award, the first Houston Texans player to win the award since 2009 and the third in franchise history. Anderson’s head coach, DeMeco Ryans, won the award for the Texans in 2006 and Brian Cushing captured the award in 2009. Anderson claimed the award Thursday at the 13th …

Getty Images Myles Garrett was named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first player in Cleveland Browns history to capture the award. A First Team All-Pro in 2023, Garrett finished with 14.0 sacks this season — the third consecutive season with 14+ sacks and the sixth consecutive season with 10+ sacks.  Garrett finished with 42 tackles, 30 quarterback …

Former Hendersonville football quarterback Robert Livingston will be the new defensive coordinator for Colorado and coach Deion Sanders, according to multiple reports. The 2004 Hendersonville graduate moves on to Boulder after spending the last nine seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals. Livingston will be tasked to turn around a Buffaloes defense that struggled during Sanders’ first season. His defense allowed 34.8 …

USATSI Kevin Stefanski has won the NFL Coach of the Year award for the second time, as the Cleveland Browns head coach became just the 12th to capture the honor multiple times. Stefanski, 41, is the second-youngest head coach to win the award twice (Don Shula was 37 when he won the award for the second time with the Baltimore Colts …

Why Kuechly believes Warner, Greenlaw are ‘perfect’ 49ers duo originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area Who better to praise your abilities as a linebacker duo than retired All-Pro Luke Kuechly? Speaking to Brad Graham of TheSFNiners at Super Bowl Radio Row in Las Vegas, the seven-time Pro Bowl linebacker had nothing but good things to say about the 49ers’ …

Brock Purdy is looking to cap off what has been a superb first full season under center for the San Francisco 49ers with a win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII — and he’s gained some prominent fans in the process. One of those fans is 13-time Pro Bowler Drew Brees. “The thing that I love about …

IRVING, Texas — Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel will be chairman of the College Football Playoff selection committee next season, the CFP announced Thursday. Manuel has served on the committee for the past two years, staying on throughout last season when Michigan was contending for a playoff spot while also being investigated by the NCAA. The Wolverines made the playoff …

Buckle up, Hall of Fame voters. Next year’s Hall of Fame induction class may be the most difficult to select given the immense level of worthy candidates who will be eligible for enshrinement.  Along with this year’s modern-era finalists who weren’t part of the 2024 induction class, there are a host of talented players who will be eligible for the …

USATSI Lamar Jackson used his MVP acceptance speech to discuss an old storyline that dominated the headlines for several years.  Now a two-time league MVP, Jackson thanked the Ravens for financially investing in him with a hefty new contract before the start of the 2023 season. The two had been locked in a tough negotiation prior to getting a deal …

National Signing Day was held on Wednesday for high school football seniors. Signing ceremonies were held across the country. Here are Tulare/Visalia football players who signed Wednesday or signed in December to play college football at a four-year program (if we missed someone, please contact sports reporter Vongni Yang at vyang2@gannett.com so that player can be added to this list). …