Parting ways
Arizona fired head coach Rich Rodriguez while quarterbacks Josh Rosen of UCLA and Sam Darnold of USC are leaving for the NFL draft.
A claim filed by the former assistant to fired Arizona football coach Rich Rodriguez says he walked around the office in his underwear, fondled himself in front of her and forced her to cover up an extramarital affair he had with another woman.
The claim seeking damages against Rodriguez was filed by an attorney for the former assistant and her husband and is a required precursor to a lawsuit against a government official. It was released Wednesday by the Arizona attorney general’s office.
Lawyer Augustine Jimenez III is seeking a $7.5 million settlement for his clients, saying in the claim that jurors who might consider a lawsuit against a coach who misused his power could award tens of millions of dollars “in this current climate where #MeToo is in the headlines.” Jimenez didn’t immediately return a call seeking comment Wednesday.
Arizona fired Rodriguez on Tuesday night. The university said it began an investigation in October after receiving a sexual harassment complaint against Rodriguez, but could not substantiate the woman’s claims because she declined to be interviewed by the school.
Rodriguez denied the former assistant’s allegations but acknowledged he had an affair.
Rosen, Darnold to enter NFL draft
UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen is skipping his senior season to enter the NFL draft, and USC quarterback Sam Darnold will skip his final two seasons of eligibility to enter the NFL draft.
Darnold made the expected announcement
in an Instagram video Wednesday.
About 25 minutes earlier, UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen announced on Twitter that he will enter the draft.
Darnold took over as the Trojans’ starting quarterback four games into last season as a redshirt freshman. He won the Rose Bowl in his first season with a record 453-yard, five-touchdown performance against Penn State, and he led the Trojans to their first Pac-12 championship since 2008 this season.
Darnold passed for 7,229 yards with 57 touchdown passes and 22 interceptions in 27 games behind center for the Trojans
Rosen has been the Bruins’ starting quarterback for the past three seasons, playing in 30 total games after missing half of his sophomore year with injuries. He passed for 9,301 yards with 59 touchdown passes and 26 interceptions.
Auburn players declare for draft
Auburn cornerback Carlton Davis and tailback Kamryn Pettway are skipping
their senior seasons to enter the NFL draft.
Both announced their decisions Wednesday on social media. Tailback Kerryon Johnson has also declared his plans to turn pro.
Davis is a second-team Associated Press All-American who started all three seasons at Auburn, including as a true freshman.
He is projected as an early round pick with some mock drafts having him go in the first round.
Washington State tackle entering draft
Washington State defensive tackle Hercules Mata’afa is skipping his senior year and will enter the NFL draft.
The Lahaina, Hawaii, native announced on Twitter that he will seek a pro job on the heels of a dominant junior season. He led the Pac-12 Conference in sacks at 10.5 and tackles for loss at 22.5.
Mata’afa, a dominant pass rusher, was an All-America selection for the first time this season.