Texans WR Fuller gets 6-game ban
Texans receiver Will Fuller announced on social media Monday that he was suspended six games for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs.
Fuller said that the suspension was from a medication he was prescribed that he believed to be permitted, but that was banned under the league’s policy.
“I want to sincerely apologize to the Texans organization and all of my fans for this mistake,” he wrote on Instagram. “I am looking forward to putting this all behind me and returning better than ever in 2021.”
The suspension is a big blow for a team on which he had become the No. 1 receiver in the wake of the offseason trade of DeAndre Hopkins to the Cardinals. Fuller ranks 10th in the NFL with 879 yards receiving and eight TDs this season, which are both career highs.
Fuller, a first-round pick in 2016, has had five 100-yard receiving games this season, capped by a season-high 171-yard, two-TD performance in the Texans’ win over the Lions on Thanksgiving.
■ The Giants expect QB Daniel Jones to miss some time after an MRI revealed he has a hamstring, according to reports. Coach Joe Judge said NFC East co-leaders were in a “wait-and-see mode” on the severity of the injury and a timeline for Jones’ return. Veteran Colt McCoy replaced Jones in Sunday’s win over the Bengals. ... Colts punter Rigoberto Sanchez announced that he will undergo surgery to remove a cancerous tumor before it spread. Sanchez and the team didn’t provide any more details or a timeline for his recovery and return.
College basketball: Courtney Ramey had the go-ahead driving score with 20 seconds left to help No. 17 Texas hold off Davidson 78-76 in Monday’s opening game of the relocated Maui Invitational in Asheville, N.C. Ramey’s score broke a 76-all tie, then the Longhorns (2-0) came up with a pair of stops on the final possession, when the Wildcats (1-1) had a chance to tie or win. Ramey scored 14 points to lead the Longhorns, who shot 48% and had six players in double figures. ... Gonzaga and Baylor remained Nos. 1-2 in the AP poll. The Zags received 57 of 63 first-place votes after impressive wins over Kansas and Auburn in Fort Myers, Florida.Villanova fell nine places to No. 12 after losing to Virginia Tech, which moved into the poll at No. 16. Virginia also took a big tumble after losing to San Francisco, dropping 11 spots to No. 15. The two losses allowed Iowa to move up two spots to No. 3, with Wisconsin and Illinois rounding out the top five. The Illini are in the top five for the first time since reaching No. 1 in 2004-05. Kansas dropped a spot to No. 7 after the loss to Gonzaga. The Jayhawks still managed to move atop the all-time consecutive polls list. Kansas was ranked for the 222nd week, breaking the record set by UCLA from 1966-80.
College football: Minnesota called off this weekend’s home game against Northwestern, the second straight cancellation for the Golden Gophers due to a spike in COVID-19 cases within the program. University officials made the decision in consultation with the Big Ten after seven additional positive cases were confirmed, bringing the program’s total to 47 since Nov. 19.