Sports category, Page 1356
Steelers complete draft with 7th-round choices QB Chris Oladokun and LB Mark Robinson
The Pittsburgh Steelers completed their 2022 draft by taking two players who competed for three different college programs each. Linebacker Mark Robinson and quarterback Chris Oladokun were selected at Nos. 225 and 241 overall during the seventh and final round Saturday. Robinson played in 2021 at Ole Miss and Oladokun...
Jesse Luketa goes to Cardinals in 7th round, the 8th Penn State player drafted
Jesse Luketa, who grew up in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, became the fifth Penn State player drafted Saturday — and the eighth in the past three days — when the Arizona Cardinals selected him in the seventh round (256th overall). Luketa was the last of the Nittany Lions drafted — seven...
Steelers NFL Draft bio on brief: Chris Oladokun
Chris Oladokun Seventh-round, No. 241 Quarterback, South Dakota State 6-1, 213 Stats: Completed 62.3% of his passes for 3,164 yards, 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions in his lone season at South Dakota State. He also had two rushing touchdowns. … At Samford in 2019, he completed 62.1% of his passes...
Packers draft Penn State left tackle Rasheed Walker in 7th round
Considering his size, strength, footspeed and experience in a Power 5 program, it was only a matter of time until Penn State offensive left tackle Rasheed Walker was drafted. Walker, 6-foot-6, 325 pounds, was finally chosen by the Green Bay Packers on Saturday in the seventh round (249th overall). At...
Steelers NFL Draft bio in brief: Ole Miss LB Mark Robinson
Mark Robinson Seventh-round pick, No. 225 overall Linebacker, Ole Miss 5-foot-11, 235 pounds Stats: Had 92 tackles during his only season at Ole Miss, including 79 over the final nine regular-season games. Added 8 ½ tackles for loss and three sacks. Hometown: Lessburg, Ga. Tidbits: Ranked 11th in the SEC...
Pirates GM on keeping SS Oneil Cruz in minors: ‘That’s the right spot for him right now’
Ben Cherington will be the first to sing the praises of Oneil Cruz and immense talent of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ top prospect, yet the last to apologize for prioritizing his development over his promotion. When the Pirates lost two shortstops this week — Kevin Newman to a longer-term left groin...
Penn State cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields goes to the 49ers in 6th round
When the San Francisco 49ers drafted former Penn State cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields with last pick (221st overall) in the sixth round, they added a defender with the requisite experience in big games against quality opponents. Castro-Fields (6-foo-1, 197 pounds) played at Penn State from 2017-21, appearing in 52 games with...
Penguins recall forward Drew O’Connor from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
The Penguins recalled rookie forward Drew O’Connor from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League (AHL) on Saturday. In 22 NHL games this season, O’Connor scored five points (two goals, three assists) while averaging 10:17 of ice time. He also played in 33 AHL games this season and scored 32 points...
Hamlin respects NASCAR punishment for crass anti-Asian memeVideo
DOVER, Del. — Denny Hamlin said someone sent him a crass anti-Asian meme that poked fun at Kyle Larson’s driving and out it went without a care — from his mobile phone to Twitter. “I thought it was hilarious,” Hamlin said. “Also, it’s insensitive. I understand.” He didn’t laugh long....
Pitt secures verbal commitment from high school quarterback Kenny Minchey
Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi likes to add a quarterback to his roster every year, and he received a verbal commitment for the class of 2023 on Saturday when Kenny Minchey announced his plans to enroll next year. CommittedColossians 3:23-24 pic.twitter.com/BRwg7FlfKm— Kenny Minchey (@kenny_minchey) April 30, 2022 Minchey (6-foot-3, 200 pounds)...
Steelers draft Cameron Heyward’s brother, Connor, a Michigan State tight end
Call the Pittsburgh Steelers the team of brotherly love. With their sixth-round pick, the Steelers made it four sets of brothers on their roster by taking Michigan State tight end Connor Heyward with the 208th overall pick. Heyward is the younger brother of Steelers All-Pro defensive lineman Cameron Heyward. At...
Steelers NFL Draft bio in brief: Connor Heyward
Connor Heyward Sixth-roundpick, No.208 overall Tight end/fullback, Michigan State 5-11, 233 Stats: Played in 49 games with the Spartans from 2017-21. He started 28 times, including 13 in 2021. His first 15 starts were at running back, the remaining ones at tight end following a position switch. … Finished career...
‘Everything stays the same’ for Penguins goaltender Casey DeSmith in playoffs
Casey DeSmith’s memories of his last playoff game are a bit fuzzy. Except for one detail. Danton Heinen scored on him. Twice. On April 30, 2017, DeSmith made 24 saves on 26 shots for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in a 2-1 home loss to the Providence Bruins in Game 5 of...
Steelers NFL Draft bio in brief: Calvin Austin III
Calvin Austin III Fourth-round pick, No. 138 overall Wide receiver, Memphis 5-foot-8, 170 pounds Stats: Aggregate 2020-21, Austin had 137 catches for 2,202 receiving yards and 19 receiving touchdowns in 23 games. Adding in a rushing touchdown and two more on punt returns, he had 22 touchdowns over his final...
Ravens choose Penn State punter Jordan Stout in 4th round
All-American Jordan Stout did it all at Penn State — punting, placement kicking and kickoffs. After making Stout the first punter drafted Saturday, (fourth round, 130th overall), the Baltimore Ravens will use him almost exclusively as a punter. Which makes sense with Justin Tucker, one of the best kickers in...
Steelers grab another WR, drafting Memphis’ Calvin Austin III in 4th round
The Pittsburgh Steelers showed they were serious about upgrading the wide receiver position in the NFL Draft, taking two pass catchers in a span of three picks. In the fourth round Saturday, the Steelers used the No. 138 overall selection to take speedy Memphis slot receiver Calvin Austin III. He...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: College athletes should do what’s best for themselves
Jordan Addison, the reigning Biletnikoff Award winner as college football’s top wide receiver in 2021, will likely transfer from Pitt to Southern Cal. Addison will be a junior. Pitt supporters are apoplectic, which is their preferred disposition. You’d think they’d be grateful for a chance to martyr themselves. Pitt coach...
Panthers choose Penn State linebacker Brandon Smith in 4th round
Brandon Smith, who was part of Penn State’s linebacker rotation for three seasons, was drafted in the fourth round Saturday (120th overall) by the Carolina Panthers. Smith (6-foot-3, 241 pounds) was one of 19 Penn State first-year freshmen to appear in a game in 2019, launching a career that included...
Damarri Mathis keeps up Pitt cornerback/safety tradition, goes to Broncos in 4th round
Until Pat Narduzzi started recruiting cornerbacks who could learn to cover wide receivers without safety help, the NFL largely ignored Pitt’s defensive backs. For eight consecutive drafts from 2010-17, no Pitt defensive back heard his name called. Then, the doors leading from Pitt’s workout facility sprung open and six defensive...
5 Mets pitchers combine to no-hit Phillies
NEW YORK — Tylor Megill and the New York Mets bullpen kept throwing and throwing, the crowd growing louder with every toss. A 159-pitch gem, it was. Megill and four relievers combined on the first no-hitter of the Major League Baseball season, teaming up to lead the Mets over the...
NHL playoff matchups determined after frantic final night
It took until the final game on the final night of the NHL regular season to set the matchups for the first round of the playoffs. Naturally, the battle for the Stanley Cup starts in less than 72 hours. Technically there’s still one more inconsequential, weather-postponed game to be played...
Playoff hockey ‘changes everything’ from NHL regular season
Jon Cooper doesn’t get much sleep from September through June, even less when the NHL playoffs begin. After coaching the Tampa Bay Lightning to the league’s best regular-season record in 2019, getting swept in the first round in stunning fashion and then winning the Stanley Cup back to back, he...
Hall of Fame coach, German Township native C. Vivian Stringer announces retirement
Hall of Fame coach C. Vivian Stringer announced her retirement Saturday after 50 years in college basketball. She finished with 1,055 wins — fourth all-time among Division I women’s basketball coach. Stringer also had four Final Four appearances and reached the NCAA Tournament 28 times while leading Cheney State, Iowa...
2022 Pittsburgh Marathon by the numbers
The 2022 Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon will be held Sunday morning in Downtown Pittsburgh. Here are some interesting facts and figures about the race: Fastest times Men’s full marathon record: John Kagwe, 2:10.24, 1995 Women’s full marathon record: Margaret Groos, 2:29.50, 1988 Men’s half-marathon: Leonard Korir, 1:01.53, 2019 Women’s...
Minor league report: Penguins lose third straight, Nailers drop Game 4 in overtimeVideo
Forward Radim Zohorna scored the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins’ only goal in a 4-1 road loss to the Syracuse Crunch at Upstate Medical University Arena in Syracuse, N.Y. on Friday. Goaltender Tommy Nappier made 33 saves on 36 shots for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (35-32-4-4), which has lost three consecutive games. Highlights: The Penguins will...
