Doug Williams played in a time when the vast majority of quarterbacks were white. Photograph: Rick Stewart/Getty Images Two years ago, under a cloudless sky in north central Louisiana, Doug Williams and Michael Vick met on the football field at Grambling University’s Eddie G Robinson Memorial Stadium to reflect on the NFL trail they helped blaze. In 1988 Williams led …

BLOOMINGTON — Indiana football players had a muted reaction to jumping into the top 25 this week. The Hoosiers are happy with the 5-0 start — the program’s best start since 1967 — but as coach Curt Cignetti told reporters on Monday — “this is a team that’s a little bit on a mission.” That’s why players made a renewed …

The Falcons have used top-eight picks over four straight drafts on offensive skill-position players. They’ve yet to get a return on the investment. For the most recent player picked in the top eight — quarterback Michael Penix Jr. — the time hasn’t come for him to play. For the others, the clock keeps on ticking. Kyle Pitts, who was the …

Delaware cleared the bench in last week’s 49-0 rout of Sacred Heart. Four quarterbacks played, 12 Blue Hens caught passes, nine carried the football and 23 made tackles. Regulars may be needed a little longer Saturday in a 1 p.m. game at Monmouth, where Delaware must contend with the most explosive offense in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision. Delaware linebacker …

Browns defensive end Alex Wright announced on social media he is out for the year with a torn triceps. The Browns announced that Wright underwent surgery for the injury on Thursday in Dallas. Cowboys team physician, Dr. Dan Cooper, performed the surgery. “A full recovery is expected by the start of the 2025 season,” the Browns said in their statement. …

Alabama football’s next SEC assignment takes the Crimson Tide to Nashville, Tennessee. No. 2 Alabama will face Vanderbilt for the third time in 10 years at 3:15 p.m. Saturday in FirstBank Stadium on the SEC Network. The Crimson Tide has not played a road game against the Commodores since Sept. 23, 2017 when Alabama beat Vanderbilt 59-0. Here’s a look …

Commanders running back Brian Robinson did not practice for the second consecutive day, calling into question his availability for Sunday’s game against the Browns. Robinson is dealing with a knee injury. He rushed for 101 yards on 21 carries with a touchdown and caught three passes for 12 yards in the Week 4 win over Arizona. In four games this …

Florida football coach Billy Napier hasn’t wavered from the task at hand. Rumors about Napier’s future with the Florida Gators (2-2, 1-1 SEC) persist, even after an open week following a 45-28 win at Mississippi State. “Any time we spend on that would be a waste of time and a distraction.” Napier said. “We owe it to the players; I …

Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. said he was “very grateful” to be on the practice field with the Dolphins on Thursday because he remembers when he “couldn’t run, couldn’t work out” after having a procedure on his knee this offseason. That procedure led to Beckham being placed on the physically unable to perform list at the start of training camp …

Former Arizona State football associate head coach Antonio Pierce won’t be coaching in the college ranks anytime soon — at least, not without a caveat. Pierce, the current head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, was handed an eight-year show cause penalty by the NCAA’s Division I Committee on Infractions panel on Thursday for his role in impermissible recruiting activities …

After catching a pass during Sunday’s loss to the Broncos, Jets wide receiver Allen Lazard sat on the ground and made a finger gun celebration. For that, he got a 15-yard penalty. He also expects to get a fine. “It’s something very silly,” Lazard said, via the New York Post. “I expect the NFL to fine me just from the …

Jackson State football heads to the Alabama coast as the Tigers play their second SWAC game of the season in the Gulf Coast Challenge. Jackson State (3-2, SWAC 1-0) will be in Mobile as it faces Alabama A&M (2-2, 0-0) on Saturday (4 p.m. ESPN +) at neutral site Ladd-Peebles Stadium. The Tigers come off their first SWAC game of …

The Cowboys added five players to their practice report Thursday. All five practiced in some capacity. Running back Ezekiel Elliott (dehydration), wide receiver Ryan Flournoy (dehydration) and cornerback Trevon Diggs (ankle) were limited. Running back Rico Dowdle (wrist) and left tackle Tyler Guyton (shoulder) were full participants. None of the five appeared on Thursday’s report. Defensive end Micah Parsons (ankle) …

STILLWATER — The margin of error has been eliminated. If Oklahoma State wants to make a return trip to the Big 12 Championship Game, Saturday is must-win status. The Cowboys play host to West Virginia at 3 p.m. Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium, desperately needing to snap a two-game losing streak. West Virginia, meanwhile, had a rough non-conference stretch, but …

The Bucs elevated punter Trenton Gill and wide receiver Cody Thompson from the practice squad for Thursday Night Football. It marks the second elevation of the season for Gill and the first of the season for Thompson. Gill signed with the Bucs’ practice squad on Sept. 24. He played in Tampa Bay’s Week 4 win over the Eagles, punting four …