Football

Amen Ogbongbemiga -- a superstar on Oklahoma State's football team -- says he tested positive for coronavirus ... this after he attended a protest in Tulsa, Okla.

The linebacker -- who was voted the Cowboys' defensive MVP in 2019 -- revealed the diagnosis Tuesday, shortly after several OSU players were tested this week.

Ogbongbemiga says he was careful while around others during the protest, claiming he was "well protective of myself" ... but he implored others to take precautions while out demonstrating in large groups.

"Please," the football player said, "if you are going to protest, take care of yourself and stay safe."

Ogbongbemiga will now have to quarantine in special on-campus housing at Oklahoma State -- according to reports -- and he'll be retested for the virus later this week.

Of course, Cowboys players are taking coronavirus tests in preparation for team workouts later this month ... as Big 12 officials are allowing teams to return starting June 15.

Two ex-Clemson players claimed a white assistant coach used the n-word during a 2017 Tigers practice ... and now, the guy has fessed up to using the racial slur -- and has issued an apology.

"Three years ago on the practice field, I made a grave mistake involving D.J. Greenlee," said Danny Pearman, a 55-year-old, white assistant head coach on Dabo Swinney's staff.

"I repeated a racial slur I overheard when trying to stop the word from being used on the practice field. What I overheard, I had no right to repeat."

Here's the backstory .. former Clemson player Kanyon Tuttle on Tuesday claimed Swinney "allowed a coach to call a player the N-word during practice with no repercussions."

Tuttle's allegations were somewhat backed by former Tigers tight end D.J. Greenlee, who explained the whole situation in an in-depth interview with The State.

Greenlee says he had missed a blocking assignment on a play ... and had a conversation with Pearman about it. Greenlee says when he broke it all down to his fellow teammate Milan Richard, he used the n-word himself.

“[Milan] was asking me what happened? ‘What’s coach getting on to you about?’” Greenlee said. “I was just like, ‘Man I got the [n-word] that came in my gap.’ I was talking to my teammate."

"That was all that was said. Then the next thing you know coach Pearman starts coming over there. He was repeating what I just said. He’s like, ‘[n-word] this, [n-word] that. The [n-word] wasn’t there.’”

Greenlee emphasized Pearman did NOT call him the n-word, but rather just repeated what he had said.

D.J. said he believes Swinney had a talk with the coach about the incident ... and he claims Pearman also later apologized for it.

For his part, Pearman added in his statement Tuesday, "I apologized to D.J. at the conclusion of practice, who then appropriately raised his concern to Coach Swinney."

"Coach and I met to discuss the incident, and he reiterated that my language was unacceptable. I later apologized again as well as expressed my sincere regret to our position group the following day."

Pearman continued, "I love the young men who choose to come to our university, and I would never do anything to intentionally hurt them. I sincerely apologize to D.J., his family, our team and our staff."

IT'S ALL OVER, BABY!!!

Rob Gronkowski's run as WWE's 24/7 champion came to a screeching halt on Monday -- when he was pinned by R-Truth while shooting a TikTok video.

Yep, that's a real sentence.

Gronk -- who won the belt at WrestleMania 36 back in April -- has since unretired from football and signed a contract with the Tampa bay Buccaneers. So, it seemed like it was only a matter of time before someone else took his WWE belt.

And, that time came on "Raw" ... while Gronk and his pal Goon began to shoot their TikTok, R-Truth was waiting in the yard while disguised as a gardener.

Suddenly, Goon unzipped his shirt -- revealing an official WWE referee uniform -- and R-Truth came firing in for a surprise pin.

1, 2, 3 -- it's over!!!

"You gotta be serious man," Goon said after he counted Gronk out ... "You got a new career starting! You're with the Bucs now!"

As for R-Truth ... this is the 36th time he's won the 24/7 belt!!!

Legendary college football coach Pat Dye -- who turned Auburn into a powerhouse in the 1980s -- has died, the school announced Monday. He was 80.

Dye was hospitalized with serious kidney-related issues last month. He also tested positive for the coronavirus, but was asymptomatic, his son told ESPN.

Dye died in hospice care in Auburn from complications of kidney and liver failure, according to reports.

"On behalf of our family, I want to thank all of the people from around the country who have offered their support and admiration for Dad these past several days," Pat Dye Jr. said in a statement.

"Dad would be honored and humbled to know about this overwhelming outreach. The world has lost a pretty good football coach and a great man. He was beloved, he touched so many lives and he will be missed by many, especially our family."

Dye won 99 games in 12 seasons with the Tigers ... and coached Bo Jackson during his 1985 Heisman campaign.

Dye -- who also served as Auburn's athletic director from 1981-91 -- was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2005 ... and is widely regarded as one of the best coaches in football history.

Baker Mayfield threw it all the way back to 2015 at a wedding last week... busting a move in a dance circle just like when he was a young QB hittin' the Whip at Oklahoma!!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... Baker attended his cousin's wedding in Simpsonville, S.C. on May 25 -- and he couldn't help but cut a rug when the spotlight was on the dance floor.

Check out video we obtained from the evening ... Mayfield KILLED it -- dancing along to YeahThatDJ's set at the lively function.

There was some gyrating, some fancy footwork and even a little floss. Good times!

If this all looks familiar ... it's 'cause it is -- remember, back in 2015, the nation was first enthralled by Mayfield's moves in a viral video of him in a Sooner dance circle.

L.A. Chargers LB Kyzir White is accused of driving like a maniac earlier this year ... and now, he's officially facing a charge of reckless driving over the incident, TMZ Sports has learned.

According to court docs, 24-year-old White was stopped in Orange County, Calif. back on March 14. Specific details of what went down during the stop are still unclear -- we're working on it.

But, in the docs, prosecutors claim White was going 100 MPH ... and also made an unsafe turning movement while on the road.

White was officially charged shortly after the incident with one misdemeanor count of reckless driving -- which carries a maximum of 90 days in jail and a fine if convicted.

Court records show White was also hit with speeding and "unsafe turn or lane change" infractions.

We've reached out to White's camp for comment ... but so far, no word back, yet.

White was a fourth-round pick by the Chargers in the 2018 NFL Draft ... and he's started 10 games for the team since.

Here's J.J. Watt explaining why he could never be a UFC fighter -- he's got delicate legs.

"You ever take a razor scooter to the ankle? That puts me out for 3 days! So, I'm not looking to take anybody's shin to my shin."

But, he's a huge UFC fan -- and sat ringside at the last Jon Jones fight in February -- which led to an interesting conversation.

More athletic brothers -- The Watts or the Joneses?!?

Think about it ...

J.J. Watt, T.J. Watt and Derek Watt -- 3 NFL players including 2 Pro Bowlers and one of the most dominant defensive players EVER!

Jon Jones, Chandler Jones, Arthur Jones -- 2 NFL players including a Super Bowl champ (Arthur), a possible future Hall of Famer (Chandler) and the G.O.A.T of MMA (Jon).

We asked J.J. for his take -- and got a pretty solid response.

"That's a great question," Watt said ... "I can tell you that I don't know if any of my brothers and I are taking a shin kick to the ribs."

"I don't know if we're volunteering for that anytime soon, so they can have that title if they want."

But, Watt explained why he's got a bond with the Jones family -- something that started at UFC 247.

"I sat with Chandler so we have a comradery a little bit between the families. To me, obviously being a part of one, it's such a cool thing when brothers get to share that experience -- us in the same league, Chandler and Jon in different leagues."

"It's a special thing."

Colin Kaepernick is offering to cover legal bills for the "freedom fighters" on the ground in Minnesota ... claiming he's already put together a team of "top" defense attorneys.

"In fighting for liberation there’s always retaliation," Kaepernick said Friday morning ... "We must protect our Freedom Fighters."

"We started a legal defense initiative to give legal representation to Freedom Fighters in Minneapolis paid for by [Know Your Rights Camp]."

Kaepernick has donated a ton of his own money to the org. over the years -- but says they're also accepting donations from outside supporters.

The Know Your Rights Camp expanded on the initiative ... saying they have already "identified and teamed up with top defense lawyers in the Minneapolis, Minnesota area to provide legal resources for those in need."

"When there is an injustice within our community, it is our legal right to address it, by any means necessary."

"If you, or a loved one is in need of legal assistance, or has been arrested while fighting injustice in the Minneapolis area, please complete the form below with as much detail as possible."

On Thursday, Kaepernick tweeted out his support for a revolution after the killing of George Floyd ... saying, "When civility leads to death, revolting is the only logical reaction."

He added,  "The cries for peace will rain down, and when they do, they will land on deaf ears, because your violence has brought this resistance."

"We have the right to fight back!"

So far, protestors have set fire to multiple buildings in Minnesota including a police precinct.

Joe Burrow -- the #1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft -- is speaking out about the civil unrest following the killing of George Floyd ... saying, "The black community needs our help."

The "our" is presumably white people -- considering Burrow is white -- but it's possible the 23-year-old is referring to EVERYONE outside of the black community.

Nonetheless, the Cincinnati Bengals QB expanded on his point.

"They have been unheard for far too long. Open your ears, listen, and speak. This isn’t politics. This is human rights."

Burrow has spoken out about racial issues in the past -- in 2019 he made some strong comments following controversial tweets from President Trump when POTUS told 4 U.S. Congresswomen to "go back" to their home countries.

"Why does racial inequality have to be political? It’s basic human decency," Burrow told Sports Illustrated at the time.

Other NFL players have spoken out about the current situation -- including Philadelphia Eagles QB Carson Wentz.

"Been thinking about the George Floyd situation and thinking of the words to say [and] coming up empty," Wentz said.

Melvin Gordon didn't hold back when he was asked about the possibility of playing in fan-less stadiums in 2020 ... saying it used to happen to him all the time in his Chargers career!!

"Bro, we didn't have fans anyway!" Gordon said with a laugh.

Of course, MG ain't really wrong ... Chargers games over the past few seasons became famous for being overrun by opponents' fan bases -- but hearing Gordon say it so bluntly was still SAVAGE!!

"We didn't have many Chargers fans, I'm going to be honest," Gordon explained in an interview this week with his former Wisconsin teammate, Marcus Cromartie. "We didn't have many Chargers fans at the game."

Don't worry, L.A. faithful ... Gordon still praised the few of you out there, saying, "Much loyalty, love, but we didn't have many!"

Gordon added, "I ain't really missing out on much!"

This isn't the first time the running back has taken a shot at the Chargers' lack of support at their own games ... remember, he was publicly pissed at his former squad for playing the Steelers' rally song during their own HOME game in 2019.

Gordon doesn't have to worry about any of that anymore if the COVID-19 pandemic subsides ... he's in Denver now -- where fans are notorious for being loud as hell at games.

Tyler Judson -- a Tulane Univ. football player -- was arrested Monday ... this after he was accused of punching a woman so hard in the face at a Louisiana Waffle House, she required a trip to the hospital.

The mother of the alleged victim told WWL-TV her daughter was at the popular restaurant in Zachary, LA in the early morning hours of Memorial Day ... when a fight with Judson broke out.

The mom claims her daughter didn't know Judson prior to the incident and didn't start it ... but says she was punched by the Green Wave safety anyway -- causing severe injuries.

The woman says her daughter suffered "multiple facial fractures" and will require surgery to fix the issues. She also says the 18-year-old's eyes were still swollen shut as of Wednesday.

Jail records show Judson was arrested and booked on a charge of felony second-degree battery Monday. Records also show he bonded out shortly after.

Tulane Univ. said in a statement to media outlets it's suspending Judson immediately, saying, "Tulane Athletics is aware of Tyler Judson’s arrest."

"He has been suspended indefinitely from the Tulane football program. Tulane Athletics will have no further comment at this time."

Judson -- a redshirt freshman -- appeared in four games for the Green Wave in 2019, logging three total tackles.

He came to Tulane as a fairly touted national recruit, reportedly picking the school over offers from Baylor, Ole Miss and others.

COVID-19 couldn't stop the KC Chiefs cheerleaders from putting out fire content ... with the team debuting its 2020 squad with some sexy quarantine choreography!!

The team revealed its newest roster on Wednesday ... and given the global pandemic, they had to find a unique way to announce the new additions.

AKA -- we get to see everyone dancing in random ass places!!

For example, Kaitlyn pulled off some moves from her garage, Mariah was shakin' it in an empty street, Stefanie practiced her distancing on an HS football field, and Allison twirled in what looks like an empty warehouse!!

NOTHING WILL STOP THESE DANCERS!!!

Some of the women even pulled out all the stops with shiny outfits.

Could this be the start of a lethal Redskins connection in 2020?!?

Here's video of Antonio Brown working on deep balls with Washington QB Dwayne Haskins ... and we gotta say, the two certainly have chemistry that could carry over to FedExField!!!

The free-agent receiver hooked up with the 'Skins quarterback Wednesday for a workout in Florida ... and the two got in some impressive throw-and-catch work.

Check out the clips Brown posted from the training sesh ... there were some 50-yard dimes that had people going crazy over the completions!!

Of course, there were other pros in attendance -- Geno Smith and Stefon Diggs (plus Chad Ochocinco!) namely -- so we're not too sure how much to read into this being an indicator of future NFL plans.

Then again, Brown has been working his ass off to get back into the league ever since the Patriots cut him last September ... and the Redskins could certainly use the help.

AB claims to have walked the straight and narrow since a myriad of legal issues cropped up over the last year ... issuing apologies to the NFL, his family and even local law enforcement.

The NFL, though, is still investigating all of the allegations against Brown ... and a lengthy suspension could be on the horizon.

But, after that, could D.C. be the receiver's landing spot???

J.J. Watt says he's not sure whether the 2020 NFL season will take place as originally planned -- but he's training his ass off anyway because it's better to "stay ready."

"I don't know what's going to happen," Watt tells TMZ Sports ... "I'm just like everybody else. We're all kind of just waiting and seeing."

"The uncertainty is the worst part of it all. We don't know what's going to happen. But, I'm training like it's gonna happen on time. And, I'm looking forward to playing -- fans, no fans -- whatever it is. I'm just looking forward to competing and just doing what we do."

The Houston Texans superstar -- who's also hosting "Ultimate Tag" on FOX -- believes the return of football is super important ... but not at the expense of American lives.

"We love the game. We love the competition ... as long as it's safe for everybody," Watt explained.

"You have to remember we have coaches who are older. We have people helping out on the sidelines and staff members. So, as long it's safe for everybody and as long as everybody is comfortable and confident, I'm all for it because I think it does help return some normalcy and it gives people something to be excited about, to cheer for again."

"And, we're looking forward to that opportunity if it's safe."

Watt says he's been staying in touch with his teammates via Zoom meetings -- but jokes about some players not wanting to show off their homes to the rest of the team!

"One guy just points his [camera] at his ceiling fan for 2 hours straight during the meeting! Give us a little something. I mean geez, what are you hiding!?"

Besides training, we also talked to Watt about "Ultimate Tag" -- airs Wednesday night on FOX -- and says the athletes he's got on the show are FREAKS!

In fact, Watt says he doesn't think half the players in the League could keep up with the crazy athletes on "Ultimate Tag" ... which sounds like a challenge to us!!!

As for the NFL stars who would do the best on the show???

Here's a shocker -- Watt loves Lamar Jackson and Tyreek Hill ... some of the most talented players EVER!

But seriously, JJ -- pull some strings and get 'em on the show!!!

This looks AWESOME!!

The Miami Dolphins have announced they're converting Hard Rock Stadium into a drive-in, outdoor theater ... so you can watch live events, movies, etc. from your CAR!!

And, the mock-up photos look pretty cool!

"[Hard Rock Stadium] will now feature both an open-air and drive-in theater that will showcase select Miami Dolphins matchups from the team’s 54-year history, classic motion picture films, host commencement ceremonies and other events," the team said in a statement.

"The family friendly experiences will provide a unique environment while staying in accordance with social distance policies."

The drive-in event space can hold up to 230 cars -- while the open-air theater "can host small groups for an intimate viewing experience on the complex’s south plaza."

Unclear when the drive-in theater is set to open -- but it seems like it's a priority, since it could be a long time until we get live fans back at NFL games.

Question is ... how much would you pay to drive-in to watch a football game or a movie?

Miami Dolphins owner Stephen M. Ross insists the 2020 NFL season will NOT be canceled due to COVID-19 ... saying the 2020 season will "definitely" happen.

I think there will definitely be a football season this year," the billionaire real estate mogul said Tuesday morning on CNBC's ''Squawk Box.''

"The real question is will there be fans in the stadium?"

"I think right now today we're planing on having fans in the stadium but I think the NFL is looking at, and is very flexible, so that we will be able to start on time and really bring that entertainment that's really so needed to all of us in this country."

"I think that's one thing that we miss is our sports. I don't think a lot of people realize it until they no longer have it. Certainly the NFL I think will be ready to go and I think we're all looking forward to. I know I am."

"We've got a lot of things down in Miami here and we're prepared either way and hopefully there'll be fans in the stadium."

It's the most definitive statement we've heard from an NFL owner about the 2020 season while the coronavirus pandemic rages on.

Of course, the league has been moving forward as if everything will run according to schedule ... the NFL Draft took place in April and free agency began on time.

As we previously reported, Joe Buck recently said multiple networks are kicking around innovative ideas to make NFL broadcasts fun and exciting without fans ... one of the ideas is artificial fan noise. So far, nothing is set in stone.