Texans David Quessenberry wins PFWA’s Halas Award

HOUSTON » Houston Texans offensive lineman David Quessenberry has won the 2017 George Halas Award from the Professional Football Writers of America.

The Halas Award is given to a player, coach or staff member in the NFL who overcomes adversity to succeed. Quessenberry now 26, experienced a three-year battle with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosed in 2014 and returned to the field in 2017. Quessenberry was selected in the sixth round of the 2013 NFL draft out of San Jose State. He missed the 2013 season with a foot injury. In June 2014, fatigue and a persistent cough during workouts led to the diagnosis of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He spent the 2014, ‘15 and ‘16 seasons on the Texans’ non-football illness list while battling the disease. KNOXVILLE, TENN. » Defendants in the federal case against former executives at the truck stop chain owned by the family of Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam and Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam want more time to decide whether they want to strike plea agreements. The eight former Pilot Flying J employees in a Knoxville federal court filing on Monday asked to push back the deadline by a month to July 21, arguing the current schedule would only give them one week to decide about pleas after the cutoff date for prosecutors to provide documents they intend to introduce at trial. Pilot has paid a $92 million federal penalty and spent $85 million on a class-action settlement with 5,500 trucking companies in connection with a scheme to cheat customers out of promised discounts and rebates. TRENTON, N.J. » New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says that sports betting at Monmouth Park Racetrack would be “open inside a week” if the U.S. Supreme Court relaxes a ban.

The Republican governor suggested Monday that if the court rules this month, it would create the chance for gamblers to wager on the Super Bowl.

A 1992 federal law bans sports betting in every state except Delaware, Montana, Nevada and Oregon. New Jersey has asked the court to hear arguments in favor of legalizing sports betting. But the court in January decided it wanted to hear what the Trump administration wants to do. In May, the Trump administration’s acting solicitor general argued against New Jersey’s move to repeal its state sports betting laws.