Casey, former Ram and actor, dies at 78

Bernie Casey, a wide receiver for the Rams who turned poet, painter and actor known for parts in films such as “Revenge of the Nerds” and “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka,” has died. He was 78.

Casey died Tuesday in Los Angeles after a brief illness, his talent agent Erin Connor said.

Born in West Virginia in 1939 and raised in Columbus, Ohio, Casey excelled in track and field and football and attended Bowling Green State University on an athletic scholarship.

He played six seasons with the San Francisco 49ers and two with the Rams (1967-68) before retiring.

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has not been cleared for five-on-five drills and the team will take a cautious approach in his return from his injured left knee. Embiid’s career has been riddled with injuries dating to his college career at Kansas and all three seasons with the 76ers.

A defamation lawsuit filed by Penn State’s former president against former FBI director Louis Freeh was thrown out. Graham Spanier sued Freeh over a 2012 report he issued on Penn State’s handling of the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse scandal. Senior Judge Robert Eby said in his ruling lawyers for both sides agree Spanier’s March conviction on a child endangerment charge bars him from pursuing his civil claims.

Jake LaMotta, an iron-fisted battler who brawled his way to a middleweight title and was later memorialized by Robert De Niro in the film “Raging Bull,” died Tuesday in Miami from complications of pneumonia. He was 95.