Raiders’ pick Ruggs suffers leg injury in home accident
Las Vegas Raiders first-round pick Henry Ruggs III injured his thigh while moving items off a trailer, per multiple reports.
“The Raiders are aware of a report regarding an offfield injury to Henry Ruggs III,” the Raiders said in a statement. “Respecting Henry’s right to medical privacy, the team will not be commenting on the report.”
Ruggs’ father, Henry Ruggs Jr., confirmed the report to AL.com, saying his son is hobbling on crutches and hadn’t spoken to doctors yet about the minor injury.
“He was trying to move a trailer or something — move furniture or something — and the trailer just kind of pinned him against a car or a wall or something,” Henry Ruggs Jr. said. “He’s pretty much OK, I’m about to go out there and see him in a little bit. It was just like a little open wound on his leg, a little incision. Like something had stuck him right there on his thigh a little bit.”
Ruggs III, a wide receiver out of Alabama, caught 98 passes for 1,716 yards and 24 touchdowns in his career with the Crimson Tide.
College football
PAT DYE, AUBURN COACHING LEGEND, DIES >> Former Auburn coach Pat Dye, who took over a downtrodden football program in 1981 and turned it into a Southeastern Conference power, died Monday. He was 80.
Lee County Coroner Bill Harris said Dye died at a hospice care facility in Auburn from complications of kidney and liver failure. Harris said Dye tested positive for Covid 19 after being admitted to the hospital for renal problems, but was asymptomatic.
When Dye came to Auburn, he inherited a program that was deeply divided after only three winning seasons in the previous six years. In 12 years, he had a 99-39-4 record, Auburn won or shared four conference titles and the Tigers were ranked in The Associated Press’ Top 10 five times. Dye’s overall coaching record was 153-62-5 in 17 years at Auburn, Wyoming and East Carolina. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2005.
CLEMSON WR ROSS OUT FOR THE YEAR >> Clemson receiver Justyn Ross, considered a first-round NFL draft pick next spring, will miss the upcoming college season due to a spinal condition uncovered after he was hurt at practice in March. Tigers coach Dabo Swinney said Ross will have surgery Friday because of a congenital fusion of vertebrae he has had since birth. Ross also has a bulging disc.
Basketball
SHAW EXPECTS TO COACH G LEAGUE ELITE PRO TEAM >>
Former NBA player, coach and Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland graduate Brian Shaw, 54, has agreed to become head coach of the G League’s elite pro team, The Athletic reported. The new team is set to launch next season in Los Angeles. It is part of the NBA’s professional pathway program that will pay elite prospects and provide a one-year development program.
College baseball
FORMER FRESNO STATE BASEBALL COACH BOB BENNETT DIES
>> Bob Bennett, the winningest baseball coach in Fresno State history and a member of the College Baseball Hall of Fame, has died. He was 86. The Fresno Bee reported Bennett had been in the hospital since May 18 following a heart procedure.
Bennett won 1,302 games with 21 NCAA Tournament appearances, including two College World Series appearances, during a 34-year coaching career at Fresno State before retiring after the 2002 season.
College basketball
STANFORD ADDS GUARD TO MEN’S BASKETBALL PROGRAM >>
Stanford has announced the signing of Michael O’Connell, joining the men’s basketball program as the fifth prospect in the class of 2024. He joins the program from Blair Academy in New Jersey.
O’Connell averaged 18 points, five rebounds and five assists per game as a senior for Blair Academy, where he was a first team all-state and all-league selection and led the team to the 2019-20 MAPL Championship.
Stanford finished 20-12 overall in 2019-20.
Soccer
FORMER CAL PLAYER CHRIS ORTEGA DIES >> Chris Ortega, who played for the Cal men’s soccer program from 200911, died unexpectedly last Friday, Cal head coach Kevin Grimes said. The San Diego-area product was 29.
Ortega, from Chula Vista, logged 49 career games for the Bears, often playing in midfield and on the backline. He was a key contributor on Cal’s Pac-12 championship team in 2010 and started every game of the 2010 postseason as the Bears reached the NCAA quarterfinals.
PLAYERS SKIP TRAINING AFTER UNION IMPASSE WITH MLS >>
Players from several Major League Soccer teams skipped voluntary workouts after the league and the players’ association hit an impasse on an agreement that would clear the way for a tournament this summer in Florida.
A person with knowledge of the negotiations said the talks between the two sides were ongoing and a deadline has been pushed to Wednesday. The Major League Soccer Players Association had voted to approve economic concessions for this season, including across-the-board salary cuts. The proposal, made public by the union Sunday night, was sent back to the league for approval by team owners..
FIFA SIGNALS SUPPORT FOR FLOYD SOLIDARITY MESSAGES >>
FIFA urged soccer competition organizers to apply “common sense” and consider not sanctioning players for solidarity with George Floyd during matches.
Motorsports
GRAGSON WINS XFINITY RACE AT BRISTOL >> Noah Gragson squeezed past JR Motorsports teammate Justin Allgaier with four laps remaining, a move that caused Allgaier to crash, and Gragson held on at Bristol (Tennessee) Motor Speedway for his second win of the season.
Gregson’s victory Monday night was set up by a caution with 13 laps remaining that wiped away Allgaier’s lead. The Chevrolet teammates lined up side-by-side for the restart with seven laps remaining but Allgaier cleared him on the restart.