Football Archives - DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS

5 fantasy soccer flops and who could be trusted shifting ahead

Daily SF News — Tue, 14 Nov 2023 10:19:54 +0000

The Jaguars were awful on Sunday. They didn’t score a touchdown and their quarterback threw a couple of picks in San Francisco territory. Trevor Lawrence is not going to win you a Fantasy Championship this year (though Travis Etienne, who could easily been in this article, might), but he is fair solid lock to throw over 200 yards and at least 1 touchdown.

He is also a lock for 20 yards rushing (high of 59) and is probably due for a rushing touchdown. He has a fairly good schedule for the next few weeks (Carolina, Cincinnati, and Houston), then some tough matchups against Cleveland and Baltimore. This week was a Blip, but his QB ranking of 18 shows the middling performance you can expect.

How painful is it when your fantasy player’s team puts up 49 points and yet he doesn’t see the end zone once? Pollard started out the year looking like the running back the Cowboys wanted to replace Ezekiel Elliot (3 games in a row over 15 points). Since then, in the last six games, he has eclipsed 10 points only once.

Pollard needs to be involved in the receiving game in order to score points. This week, Pollard had 15 rushes for a dismal 55 yards and no receptions or targets when Prescott through for over 400 yards on 35 attempts. Rico Dowdle had almost as many rushing attempts as Pollard, which could be garbage time or a sign of where the Cowboys are headed. Bench Pollard.

Taysom Hill is technically the TE9 but we all know he just needs to be categorized as something. Hill started the year with tough sledding, not breaking 10 points until week 6. Since then, he has hit double digits four games in a row (two games over 20) until his clunker this week at 4.3 points. You could read into it that New Orleans figured out how to leverage Hill in conjunction with Derek Carr.

But with Carr out, Jameis Winston was slinging. It all just matters how many touchdowns Hill throws or runs or catches in a given game. Carr is supposed to back this week, but Taysom Hill is Untrustworthy.

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Find out how to watch tonight’s San Francisco 49ers vs. Minnesota Vikings sport on Monday Evening Soccer

Daily SF News — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 23:02:08 +0000

Quarterback Kirk Cousins #8 of the Minnesota Vikings warms up prior to an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on October 15, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois.

Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images

The San Francisco 49ers hit the road this week for a Monday Night Football matchup against Kirk Cousins and the Minnesota Vikings. Currently 5-1, the Niners are the team to beat this 2023 NFL season. The 2-4 Vikings have struggled all season, but the Niners are battered and banged up.

The Niners offense has taken some serious hits this season and superstar receiver Christian McCaffrey won’t play this Monday. San Francisco is tough, resilient and talented, but the team is also a little worse for wear. It’s a perfect time for the Vikings to pull out a miracle performance. An underdog at home, the Minnesota Vikings are primed to upset the Niners. It would be a miracle, but it’s possible.

When is the San Francisco 49ers vs. Minnesota Vikings game on

The Week 7 Monday Night Football matchup between the Niners and Vikings will be played on Oct. 23, 2023 at 8:15 p.m ET (4:15 p.m. PT). The game will air on ABC and ESPN.

How to watch the San Francisco 49ers vs. Minnesota Vikings game on Monday Night Football

While most cable packages include ABC and ESPN, it’s easy to watch the game if ESPN isn’t included in your cable subscription, or if you don’t have cable at all.

Stream the game on Sling TV for half price

ESPN is included in most cable TV packages. If you have don’t have cable TV that includes NBC, ABC, Fox or ESPN, one of the most cost-effective ways to stream live NFL football this year is through a subscription to Sling TV. The streamer offers access to the NFL Network, local NBC, FOX and ABC affiliates (where available) and ESPN with its Orange + Blue Tier plan. Also worth noting: Sling TV comes with 50 hours of cloud-based DVR recording space included, perfect for recording all the season’s top NFL matchups.

That plan normally costs $60 per month, but the streamer is currently offering a 50% off promotion for your first month, so you’ll pay just $30. You can learn more by tapping the button below.

Top features of Sling TV Orange + Blue tier:

There are 46 channels to watch in total, including local NBC, Fox and ABC affiliates (where available).
You get access to most local NFL games and nationally broadcast games at the lowest price.
All subscription tiers include 50 hours of cloud-based DVR storage.

Upgrade to Sling TV’s Sports Extra package

Sling TV has a new offering for the 2023 NFL Season called Sports Extra. This souped-up package is designed for NFL and college football super-fans, with access to NFL Redzone, ESPN, NFL, SEC, ACC, PAC 12, Big10 and Longhorn Networks.

There’s a great deal on Sling TV Sports Extra going on right now: You can get four months of Sling TV Orange + Blue + Sports Extra for $219. It’s the most cost-effective way to stream most NFL games this year.

You can learn more about Sling TV and Sports Extra by tapping the button below.

Watch the San Francisco 49ers vs. Minnesota Vikings game with FuboTV

You can also catch the game on FuboTV. FuboTV is a sports-centric streaming service that offers access to almost every NFL game of the season. Packages include CBS, Fox, NBC, ESPN, NFL Network, NFL RedZone and more, so you’ll be able to watch more than just today’s games.

To watch the NFL without cable, start a seven-day free trial of Fubo. You can begin watching immediately on your TV, phone, tablet or computer. Fox, so you know, offers Sunday NFC games via “NFL on Fox”; while ESPN is the home of “Monday Night Football.” ABC airs some “MNF” games, too.

In addition to NFL football, FuboTV offers MLB, NBA, NHL, MLS and international soccer games. FuboTV starts at $75 per month for the Pro tier (includes NFL Network); the $100 per month Ultimate tier includes NFL RedZone.

Top features of FuboTV:

The Pro tier includes 169 channels, including NFL Network; the Ultimate tier includes 289 channels, including NFL RedZone.
FuboTV includes all the channels you’ll need to watch live sports, including CBS (not available through Sling TV).
All tiers come with 1,000 hours of DVR recording.

Watch the San Francisco 49ers vs. Minnesota Vikings game on Hulu + Live TV

You can watch the NFL, including the NFL Network, with Hulu + Live TV. The bundle features access to 90 channels, including both Fox and FS1. Unlimited DVR storage is also included. Watch every game on every network with Hulu + Live TV, plus catch live NFL preseason games, exclusive live regular season games, popular studio shows (including NFL Total Access and the Emmy-nominated show Good Morning Football) and lots more.

Hulu + Live TV comes bundled with ESPN+ and Disney+ for $77 per month.

Watch the San Francisco 49ers vs. Minnesota Vikings game on your phone with NFL+

If you want to catch the game on your phone — and all the amazing football ahead this season — check out NFL+. The premium streaming service, starting at $40 per year (or $7 per month), offers access to NFL Network. And yes, that includes games being broadcast out-of-market. To boost your NFL experience even further, you can upgrade to NFL+ Premium with NFL RedZone and watch up to eight NFL games simultaneously. A seven-day, free trial is available.

Top features of NFL+:

You get access to all NFL preseason games, including those that are out of market.
NFL+ lets you watch stream local and primetime regular season games on your phone or tablet, but not your TV.
Includes the NFL Network (and NFL RedZone with NFL+ Premium), so it’s a good option for those who are looking to stream football on the go.

2023 NFL Season Week 7 Schedule

The 2023 NFL Season Week 7 schedule is below. All times listed ET. The game you see broadcast locally will depend on your geographical area. (*) Indicates broadcast is not available in all areas.

Thursday, Oct. 19

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. New Orleans Saints, 8:15 p.m. (Prime Video)

Sunday, Oct. 22

Detroit Lions vs. Baltimore Ravens, 1:00 p.m. (Fox)
Las Vegas Raiders vs. Chicago Bears, 1:00 p.m. (Fox)
Cleveland Browns vs. Indianapolis Colts, 1:00 p.m. (CBS)
Buffalo Bills vs. New England Patriots, 1:00 p.m. (CBS)
Washington Commanders vs. NY Giants, 1:00 p.m. (CBS)
Atlanta Falcons vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1:00 p.m. (Fox)
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Los Angeles Rams, 4:05 p.m. (Fox)
Arizona Cardinals vs. Seattle Seahawks, 4:05 p.m. (Fox)
Green Bay Packers vs. Denver Broncos, 4:25 p.m. (CBS)
LA Chargers vs. Kansas City Chiefs, 4:25 p.m. (CBS, ABC*)
Miami Dolphins vs. Philadelphia Eagles, 8:20 p.m. (NBC)

Monday, Oct. 23

San Francisco 49ers vs. Minnesota Vikings, 8:15 p.m. (ABC, ESPN)

Storylines we’re following in the 2023 NFL season

Important dates to remember:

The 2023 NFL regular season runs today through Jan. 7, 2024.
Playoffs are scheduled for January 13 through Jan. 28, 2004.
Super Bowl LVIII is scheduled for Feb. 11, 2024 in Las Vegas.

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell

Getty Images

Let’s talk about those Lions: The Detroit Lions come into Week 7 with a 5-1 record, putting them three games ahead of the Green Bay Packers for the top spot in the AFC North. The division dominated by Aaron Rodgers for so long now belongs to Jared Goff and the Lions. Fueled by Dan Campbell and a defense you’d hate to be on the other side of, the Lions rebuild is in full effect. Do the Lions have what it takes to go all the way to the Super Bowl? That remains to be seen, but we’re going to have fun watching them try.

Taylor Swift is the only thing bigger than the NFL: Taylor and Travis officially made it official this past weekend, hard launching their romance with surprise cameos on SNL and a public moment of PDA that sent Swifties and the Chiefs Kingdom swooning. As if fans weren’t already on the Chiefs bandwagon, Swift has made fans of entire universe of 12-year-old girls. If they weren’t already tuning in, they are now. With booming ratings, windbreaker sales galore and Taylor spotting at Arrowhead Stadium, Taylor Swift has proved that the only thing bigger than the NFL is her.

That 49ers defense is dangerous: Brock Purdy silenced naysayers last season when he took over after both QBs Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo suffered season-ending injuries. Coach Shanahan traded Lance and gave Purdy the starting job this season with little trepidation that the last pick of the 2022 NFL Draft had what it takes. Shanahan’s decision has paid off two weeks in, the team is undefeated and Purdy shows full command of the team. But the 49ers Nick Bosa-led defense is what could take this team to the Super Bowl. The Niners come into Week 7 with just loss. If this team can stay healthy, they have the makings of a Super Bowl contender and one of the most fun teams to watch this season.

Metropolis Faculty of San Francisco makes massive bounce in JC Athletic Bureau high 10 as soccer groups head into second week

Daily SF News — Thu, 07 Sep 2023 01:36:44 +0000

(Courtesy Mt. San Antonio College Athletics)

Previous Polls l JC Athletic Bureau Release (PDF)

SAN MATEO – With the top nine teams in the preseason state poll winning their opening games, there is little change in this week’s ratings for California Community College Football Coaches Association members, conducted by the JC Athletic Bureau. Reigning 3C2A state champion College of San Mateo continues to lead the rankings, ahead of 2022 runner-up Riverside City College.

Among the coaches, City College of San Francisco made the only significant move, jumping to No. 3 (from seventh) and taking four first place votes, after a statement 58-14 triumph at No. 25 preseason pick Santa Rosa JC. San Mateo held off host Sierra, 37-34, and grabbed the other six first place votes – giving Bay 6 team members all the top coaches association ballots. The California Community College Sports Information Association (CCCSIA), kept its top four teams the same but CCSF made a leap in that ranking as well, going from a tie for seventh into the No. 5 spot.

Moving up successfully to the National (state championship Division) from the American Division were now No. 14 Citrus (in the south), with a 34-28 triumph over College of the Canyons, and No. 23 Feather River (in the north), 32-13 over Chabot. Feather River has a state (and national) leading 22 game winning streak, ahead of Citrus (with 15), those skeins mostly stemming from American Division games. San Mateo leads the “National” with a 7-game streak.

Butte won the lone overtime opener, 23-20 over College of the Sequoias, and jumped two spots to No. 7 this week.

There could be more significant changes next week, with several top matchups this Saturday: San Mateo hosts No. 22 Sequoias. No. 6 Golden West visits Riverside. No. 4 Mt. San Antonio travels to No. 9 Ventura. No. 8 American River entertains No. 20 Laney. Co-No. 14 San Diego Mesa goes to No. 10 Cerritos.

TOP GAMES Sat., Sept. 9: #22 Sequoias at #1 San Mateo; #6 Golden West at #2 Riverside; Sacramento at #3 CCSF; #9 Ventura at #4 Mt. SAC; Diablo Valley at #7 Butte; #20 Laney at #8 American River; co#14 SD Mesa at #10 Cerritos; co#18 Sierra at #11 Fresno; Santa Rosa at #12 Modesto; co#18 Palomar at #13 El Camino; co#14 Citrus at Mt. San Jacinto; #17 East LA at #16 Hancock; #21 Long Beach at Bakersfield; #23 Feather River at Contra Costa; #24 Reedley at Chabot. AMERICAN DIV.: Foothill at Merced, Pasadena at West LA, LA Pierce at Chaffey, Redwoods at San Jose.

(Fred Baer, JC Athletic Bureau)

JCAB FOOTBALL POLL (Sep. 4)					CCCSIA FOOTBALL POLL (Sep. 4)
RK	School	Record	Pts	PR	RK	School	Record	Pts	PR
1.	College of San Mateo (6)	1-0	241	1	1.	College of San Mateo (7)	1-0	228	1
2.	Riverside	1-0	236	2	2.	Riverside City (1)	1-0	227	2
3.	City College of San Francisco (4)	1-0	229	7	3.	Mt. San Antonio	1-0	218	3
4.	Mt. San Antonio	1-0	216	3	4.	Fullerton	1-0	205	4
5.	Fullerton	1-0	201	4	5.	City College of San Francisco (1)	1-0	203	T-7
6.	Golden West	1-0	193	6	6.	Ventura	1-0	196	5
7.	Butte	1-0	174	9	7.	Golden West	1-0	187	6
8.	American River	1-0	173	5	8.	Butte	1-0	165	10
9.	Ventura	1-0	171	8	9.	American River	1-0	159	T-7
10.	Cerritos	1-0	157	11	10.	Modesto	1-0	151	T-11
11.	Fresno City	1-0	144	12	11.	Cerritos	1-0	147	T-11
12.	Modesto	1-0	141	13	12.	San Diego Mesa	1-0	133	14
13.	El Camino	1-0	130	16	13.	El Camino	1-0	125	T-15
14.	San Diego Mesa	1-0	106	T-17	14.	Fresno City	1-0	125	13
15.	Citrus	1-0	106	23	15.	Citrus	1-0	103	19
16.	Allan Hancock	1-0	102	T-17	16.	Feather River	1-0	81	T-20
17.	East Los Angeles	1-0	64	24	17.	Laney	0-1	78	9
18.	Sierra	0-1	58	14	18.	Sierra	0-1	76	T-15
19.	Palomar	1-0	58	RV	19.	Allan Hancock	1-0	74	22
20.	Laney	0-1	54	10	20.	Reedley	1-0	50	RV
21.	Long Beach	0-1	52	20	21.	East Los Angeles	1-0	48	RV
22.	Sequoias	0-1	45	21	22.	Palomar (1)	1-0	44	RV
23.	Feather River	1-0	38	22	23.	Canyons	0-1	43	17
24.	Reedley	1-0	31	RV	24.	Sequoias	0-1	37	T-20
25.	Canyons	0-1	25	15	25.	Diablo Valley	0-1	34	18
Others: Saddleback, 22; Diablo Valley, 15; Contra Costa, 14; Foothill, 12; Moorpark, 7; Mt. San Jacinton, 6; Sacramento City, 6;Pasadena City, 6; Santa Barbara City, 5; Grossmont, 4; Monterey Peninsula, 3; College of the Redwoods, 2; Chaffey, 2.					Others: Long Beach City, 32; Saddleback, 25; College of theDesert, 14; Moorpark, 11; Mt. San Jacinto, 11; Santa BarbaraCity, 6; Foothill, 5; L.A. Pierce, 4; Chaffey, 3; College of theRedwoods, 2.

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Proper sort out Colton McKivitz positive factors confidence after being given probability to begin for 49ers | Soccer

Daily SF News — Wed, 02 Aug 2023 01:39:39 +0000

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Colton McKivitz spent his first three seasons in the NFL bouncing back and forth between the practice squad and active roster for the San Francisco 49ers with limited opportunity to play.

Now McKivitz heads into Year 4 with a big role on one of the Super Bowl favorites as the starting right tackle, a big change for a player who had been fighting just to stay in the league.

“I could not be standing here,” McKivitz said Tuesday. “That’s just part of it. It’s taught me a lot about being a pro and learning from some of the vets. Just getting advice from some of those guys and teaching me the ways to be prepared for when I get my chance. Now’s the time. I’m taking full advantage of what they taught me.”

McKivitz joined the Niners as a fifth-round draft pick out of West Virginia in 2020 and started three games as a rookie. But he failed to make the team coming out of camp the following year, being relegated to the practice squad, where he spent most of that season before being named an emergency starter in a Week 18 game San Francisco needed to win to clinch a spot in the playoffs.

McKivitz spent most of last season as a backup again, with just one start before signing a two-year, $4.6 million contract in March that gave him some stability.

That was only fortified when San Francisco went through the offseason without drafting or signing a potential starter at the spot, showing belief that McKivitz could replace Mike McGlinchey.

“I’ve sweated a few drafts,” he said. “For them not to take anyone and to put that full confidence me as a starter is huge. The pressure’s not off because you’re now the starter. But it just gives that ability to work on the little things and not have that kind of little voice in the back that you may not be here tomorrow. But at the same time, you may lose your job. It builds confidence that the front office and those guys have confidence in me to be the starter. It’s my job not to lose it.”

McKivitz said getting cut before his second season was a bit of a shock but he responded well by working harder and leaning on veterans like All-Pro left Trent Williams to improve as a player.

“That was a wake-up,” offensive line coach Chris Foerster said. “If you talk to him about it, that would probably be his wake-up call in the NFL. Nobody claimed him and we brought him back on our practice squad. That was one of those things where he kind of thought: ‘Well, I was drafted. I’m going to be here. I’m going to get my opportunities.’ You come to realize that nothing’s guaranteed and so we brought him back in a practice squad role and he was a different guy from that moment on.”

This is the second straight season that the Niners have entrusted a starting spot on the offensive line to a relatively untested player.

Last year, the three interior starters came into the season with three career starts, with rookie Spencer Burford playing right guard, second-year player Aaron Banks stepping in at left guard and Jake Brendel getting the nod at center after starting only three games his first six seasons.

Now it’s McKivitz’s turn.

“He’s been through it all,” Williams said. “He’s been through it pretty much every situation you can go through, except for being a Day 1 starter. Now that’s his position. He’s earned it. We’re proud of him. He’s a phenomenal player. The confidence that he plays with, in my opinion, allows him to play at a high level.”

NOTES: The Niners signed DE Taco Charlton to a one-year deal and waived S Avery Young. Charlton was a first-round pick by Dallas in 2017 and has 11 1/2 sacks in 60 career games. … T Jaylon Moore left practice early with an apparent left knee injury. … Rookie K Jake Moody made a 60-yard FG to end practice. Moody was 5 for 6 overall, with his miss coming from 43 yards.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

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Geno Smith begins coaching camp because the QB in cost for Seahawks | Soccer

Daily SF News — Fri, 28 Jul 2023 01:03:58 +0000

RENTON, Wash. (AP) — At this time a year ago, every snap Geno Smith took, every pass he made during the Seattle Seahawks training camp was being charted and analyzed and compared.

He was under a microscope because of his past performance and in the midst of a quarterback competition.

To hear Smith talk now about what happened over the past year, not much has changed. Despite being the NFL’s comeback player of the year, helping lead his team to an unexpected playoff berth and gaining the financial payday he long hoped to earn, his mindset seems the same as it was last summer when he had a job to win.

“I mean, there are advantages. Having more reps, being able to rep more with the starters and with the guys,” Smith said on Thursday. “But mentality-wise, nothing changes. Nothing changes and things can change quickly in NFL so I’m not really worried about that type of stuff.”

What Smith is worried about is adjusting to a new center, getting a rookie No. 3 wide receiver up to speed and making sure there’s no backsliding from the level he performed at last season.

But the atmosphere around Seattle’s quarterback situation is massively different than a year ago when Smith was in an open competition with Drew Lock for the starting role. In the time since Smith won the starting job, he threw for a franchise-record 4,282 yards and 30 touchdowns in the regular season, helped Seattle win nine games and sneak into the postseason, was selected to his first Pro Bowl and rewrote the narrative about his career arc.

His reward came this offseason when he signed a three-year contract worth $75 million that provided the security and a pedestal that’s been absent for most of his career.

“There really is a quality coming back. His seriousness about taking advantage of all the steps along the way to get prepared and to be right,” Seattle coach Pete Carroll said. “He knows how he needs to connect with his teammates and players that he’s going to go to.”

Smith’s offseason included flying around the country to work out and throw with some of his pass catchers, including rookie first-round pick Jaxson Smith-Njigba.

It also included dropping a few pounds to hopefully be more nimble in the pocket and working with a new quarterbacks coach after Greg Olson joined the Seahawks.

“It’s one of the better stories I think in the NFL to see someone that gets a second opportunity and does something with it,” said Olson, who has been a QB coach or offensive coordinator with seven different franchises prior to Seattle. “There’s some guys get that second opportunity, but they kind of look like the same guy that they were. He’s a guy that looks like a totally different player.”

Smith rattled off a list of areas where he feels as if the Seahawks need to be better this season, including third downs and converting red zone opportunities into touchdowns. Seattle was 20th in third down conversions and 28th in red zone touchdown percentage last season.

Olson brought up another task for Smith: taking the system of offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and being able to make adjustments at the line of scrimmage.

“It’s the second year starting in Shane’s system and taking full control of what Shane is asking him to do at the line of scrimmage,” Olson said. “Not wasting plays is a big emphasis for him going into this year. If it’s a bad play that’s called let’s get us out of a bad play and get us into a good play.”

Smith said the way last season ended with Seattle losing five of its final eight games and then falling to San Francisco in the opening round of the playoffs lingered into the offseason as motivation. He will be leading an offense that seems to be filled with potential — a word he doesn’t like using.

“We’ve got to put the work in. We got a lot of great guys. We’ve got a lot of great players. But we have to prove it,” Smith said.

NOTES: Rookie CB Devon Witherspoon remained absent as he has yet to sign his rookie contract. … Seattle signed LB Ben Burr-Kirven, bringing back a popular defensive reserve and special teams standout who missed the past two seasons after a major knee injury.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL

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Eddie George’s prolific post-playing profession makes cease at Bears OTAs by means of range teaching fellowship | Soccer

Daily SF News — Sat, 27 May 2023 16:13:32 +0000

CHICAGO — Eddie George had no plans to coach football.

The long hours have put off the former Tennessee Titans All-Pro running back. He loved having time for his golf game. He built his wealth management business and acted in films, television and plays, including playing the role of Billy Flynn in Chicago on Broadway.

“I’m trying to win a HEGOT,” said George. “It’s Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony, but Heisman is front and center.”

The 1995 Heisman Trophy winner at Ohio State University laughed after speaking like a pro from his seat in a conference room at Halas Hall.

George was taking a breather during a hectic three-week stint with the Chicago Bears as part of the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship, a program designed to give minority coaches NFL-level experience. Randy Shannon, Florida State co-defensive coordinator and linebacker coach, former Miami head coach, is also present at the team activities organized by the Bears.

Nine days into his tenure, George was all over the Bears compound, not only attending football meetings and drills, but also consulting with support staff and even seeking the thoughts of Kevin Warren, the President and CEO of the Bears. George’s goal is to gather strategies from across the organization to bring back to Tennessee State, where he is entering his third year as head coach.

“Every day I try to find one thing, just one thing, to take home because it’s a lot,” George told the Tribune. “Three weeks isn’t enough time to really take it all in, so I’m trying to give myself the grace to say, ‘Okay, enjoy the experience and just try to learn something new every day and also be a resource for that to be youth.’ Men who are here and have questions.’ ”

When Bears running backs coach David Walker urged George to apply, noting that the Bears wanted to do something specifically for the head coaches, George didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to learn.

A little over two years ago, Tennessee State offered George a chance to become a head coach. In the NFL, George rushed for 10,441 yards for nine seasons, started 130 straight games and reached four Pro Bowls. But he had no coaching experience.

Intrigued by being the CEO of a football program, George wondered if he would regret turning down Tennessee State’s offer. He knew he would. And he believed in the experiences that brought him to this point. He was familiar with football from his playing career, leadership skills from fathering two sons, listening as an actor, and planning from his business ventures.

“So all of that prepared me for this moment,” he said.

George’s Tennessee State teams have won 9-13 in their first two seasons. His third season begins with a trip to Notre Dame, the first time the Irish have faced an HBCU team, and a game that reportedly comes with a $1 million payday for Tennessee State.

As George prepares for his third year, the OTAs provided a good time to join the Bears. The Tennessee State players will not be at the facility until the start of summer school and conditioning in early June. He still holds staff meetings between Bears training sessions and meetings at 1:30 p.m. each day.

George said he starts his day at 5:30 a.m. with a workout before meeting up with various people at Halas Hall. He attends special teams meetings because he believes in a great special teams game.

Of course, he’s drawn to the offensive encounters centered around the Bears’ running game, which he says set a franchise-record 3,014 rushing yards in 2022 under new offensive coordinator Luke Getsy. George takes note of what they teach, emphasize and name.

As George made the transition from actor-businessman to coach, his biggest learning curve was dealing with people – understanding who he wanted and didn’t want in his program, trying to get them involved, and articulating his vision properly, to inspire them.

Fellowship with the Bears gives him the opportunity to meet various leaders, including coach Matt Eberflus.

“Very cool and calm,” George said of Eberflus. “I love his approach. I love that he’s a no-nonsense guy. He knows what he wants. I’ve never heard him swear at anyone. He talks to you like a man. And his staff was great too.”

Eberflus said George consults with staff responsible for nutrition, strength and conditioning, and game management, among other things.

And George meets with Warren to discuss how he plans to build an organization that can sustain a championship culture over the long term. George is fascinated with how to get everything right in a program.

“How you pay attention to details because players can feel it and feel it,” George said. “If you cut corners on any aspect of this building, they will see that and cut corners. So I look at everything and I want to know everything, down to how they fold the towels and get your laundry back to you on time.

“All the things that you don’t necessarily think are important are really important. Everyone is watching. And how do you hold people accountable for that?”

The scholarship is named after former San Francisco 49ers coach Bill Walsh, who started an internship program for minority coaches at his training camp in 1987. The league eventually adopted the stipend for all teams. Mike Tomlin, Lovie Smith and Marvin Lewis are among the coaches who have survived.

The Bears have enrolled several former players in the program, including Nathan Vasher, Roosevelt Williams and Henry Burris. They will hire more coaches as part of the training camp program.

George and Shannon are particularly prominent additions to OTAs this year, and their presence also benefits the Bears.

“We definitely rely on these people because they have the information,” Eberflus said. “Really, our boys have received a lot of information from (George) and are constantly asking him questions. So it was pretty cool to have him with us.”

Eberflus let George speak in front of the players.

George spoke about the rare opportunities they have in the NFL and the things they can do to keep them going, including not getting too comfortable. He spoke about his four pillars: physical, mental, spiritual and social well-being. And he advised them to prepare for the post-football world, starting with the way they behave as players.

He began to understand the latter point in his final years as a gamer, when he founded a landscape architecture company before earning his MBA from Northwestern.

“Football isn’t the be-all and end-all. It’s a path to your goal,” said George. “You’re only here for a limited amount of time. It ends. You have more life behind you than in your football life.

“But the years you have as a footballer, especially in an organization like this, if you do well here – not just on the football field but in terms of character, integrity and who you are – can stick with you for a lifetime .” ”

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