Football

Alvin Kamara just pled not guilty to two criminal charges stemming from his alleged role in the beatdown of a man outside of a Las Vegas nightclub last year.

The New Orleans Saints superstar appeared in a Vegas courtroom on Thursday morning with his attorneys to enter the plea.

He wore all black, and said very few words during the hearing.

A trial date for the 27-year-old was tentatively set for July 31 -- right around the time the Saints will kick off their 2023 training camp.

Kamara's co-defendants in the case -- which includes Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Chris Lammons -- also pled not guilty to the charges at the hearing.

Prosecutors have charged Kamara with one gross misdemeanor count of conspiracy to commit battery and one felony count of battery with substantial bodily harm after they say he attacked a man inside The Cromwell Hotel and Casino in February 2022.

According to a lawsuit filed by the alleged victim, Darnell Greene, the altercation happened after he and Kamara got into an argument over the use of an elevator outside of the hotel's popular Drai's Nightclub.

Video of the incident, obtained by TMZ Sports, appears to show Kamara throwing multiple blows at Greene ... while others kicked and punched the man as well.

Kamara was initially arrested over it all after the 2022 Pro Bowl game. He went on to play the entire 2022 season, starting 13 games and rushing for 897 yards.

Antonio Brown is officially walking away from football -- but only as a player -- because the newly retired NFL superstar just became part owner of a National Arena League team.

The former All-Pro receiver officially shut the door on his NFL career this week, according to ML Football ... and now, he's fully focused on his new role as part owner of the Albany Empire -- the same franchise his father, Eddie, played for back in the day.

TMZ Sports is told AB is 100% committed to his new position with the team ... and will be as hands-on as his schedule allows.

Eddie is also involved in his son's new journey ... and will serve as vice president of football operations.

Of course, AB grew up near the area during part of his childhood as his dad starred for the Albany Firebirds ... making the move a full-circle moment for him. The transaction came to be rather quickly ... as we're told after a few social media interactions and phone calls, it was a done deal.

AB was officially introduced at a press conference on Thursday ... and said he was "excited and grateful to be a part of the Albany Empire."

FYI -- the Empire are back-to-back champions in the NAL ... and AB said he's ready for a three-peat.

We're told AB has big plans for his role as part owner alongside Mike Kwarta ... and will help boost media coverage and promotion for the team.

AB finishes his NFL career -- which was marred by controversy on and off the field -- with more than 900 receptions and 12,000 receiving yards, 83 touchdowns and a Super Bowl ring.

Joe Montana's iconic jersey, worn during Super Bowl XXIII (and SB XIX), when the legendary quarterback engineered "The Drive," the most iconic drive in football history, sold for an astounding $1.212 million, smashing the previous record of $480K, which a fan paid for a Tom Brady jersey last year.

Goldin brokered the historic sale.

"It's only right that the two greatest quarterbacks of all-time are still trading off records, even in retirement," said Ken Goldin. "Montana was already in rarefied air with four championship rings and three Super Bowl MVPs -- [and] with the record-breaking sale of his Super Bowl XXIII jersey, Montana has surpassed Tom Brady on top of that mountain."

Montana -- who went undefeated in Super Bowls during his career (4-0) -- first sported the record-breaking jersey in Super Bowl XIX (1985) when the 49ers defeated the Dolphins, 38-16. Joe was named SB MVP.

The 4x Super Bowl champ -- regarded by many as the G.O.A.T. -- also wore the same jersey in Super Bowl XXIII (imagine that happening now) against the Cincinnati Bengals at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami on January 22, 1989.

The 49ers were trailing the Bengals 16-13 late in the fourth quarter when Montana cemented his legendary status by marching his team down the field 92 yards, scoring a touchdown with less than 3 minutes to go in the game.

The game-winning 92-yard drive is historic among sports fans -- as it propelled the Niners to a 20-16 victory over the Bengals. It was Montana's third Super Bowl championship.

XFL star A.J. McCarron says the NFL could "100 percent" adopt some of Dwayne Johnson's new league's rules ... as a way to make the National Football League more exciting!

Of course, The Rock's iteration of the XFL launched a couple of weeks back ... and the games featured some very interesting, new rules. For example, teams have the option to go for 3 after a touchdown. Also, instead of an onside kick, teams have the opportunity to attempt to convert a 4th and 15. Get the yards, and keep the ball.

Fans have enjoyed the new rules to such a degree, there's talk about the NFL implementing them. We asked the 3x National Champion and St. Louis BattleHawks QB if he believed it could actually happen.

"I do, 100%," A.J. told us.

"If you look at it, the NFL itself, a couple of years ago changed the extra point rule," McCarron said, explaining, "They moved the extra point back because the percentages were almost 100 percent on making extra points, and so they wanted to figure out ways to make the game more interesting."

The XFL's rules certainly make things interesting. During Week 1, McCarron's squad was trailing the San Antonio Brahmas 15-3 with under 2 minutes to go in the fourth quarter. But, thanks to the league's new rules, St. Louis was able to pull off the otherwise impossible upset.

After the dub, A.J., who has been a part of some huge football games throughout his career, was visibly emotional after the come-from-behind win. McCarron explained why he's still playing the game when he doesn't necessarily need to do it for the money.

As for the rules actually being instituted ... McCarron believes the NFL could start by replacing the onside kick with the long 4th down attempt, and he feels the transition would be seamless.

Willie McGinest is now facing serious time behind bars for his role in a December restaurant beatdown ... TMZ Sports has learned the ex-NFL star has just been charged with two felonies.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office filed the charges this week ... hitting the New England Patriots legend with one count of assault with a deadly weapon, and one count of assault by means of force likely to cause great bodily injury.

Each charge carries up to four years in prison.

McGinest's arraignment in the case has been set for April.

We broke the story, McGinest was initially arrested in the case back in late December ... after video showed him and several others beating the hell out of a man on Dec. 9 at Delilah in West Hollywood.

The footage appears to show McGinest socking the guy in the face ... before later picking up a bottle and smashing it into the man's head.

McGinest eventually apologized for his role in the brawl -- calling everything a "lapse in judgment and behavior."

"To my family, community, friends and youth I mentor," the 51-year-old said, "please know I feel horrible for my actions and take full responsibility."

"A lot of times people see someone in a wheelchair with a disability, they think they can't enjoy alcohol and other things, and I'm like that's totally not true, and I wanted to end that stigma."

That's 32-year-old former Rutgers football player Eric LeGrand, paralyzed during a college football game in 2010, turned motivational speaker/kick-ass businessman telling TMZ Sports why he decided to launch his very own Kentucky Bourbon, LeGrand Whiskey.

"I wanted to create a brand of something that represents me, which I feel like whiskey is the perfect thing that represents me," Eric said, adding ... "It takes patience, it is something that's tough, strong and something that you celebrate life to."

Celebrities have been slapping their names on alcohol for years, but that's not the case with Eric -- he was very involved in the process, all the way through.

LeGrand hooked up with business partner Brian Axelrod ("Brian worked very closely with Conor McGregor and his team on [Proper No. Twelve]"), found a distillery in Kentucky, and they made Bourbon!

"I'm thinking this is about to taste like rubbing alcohol, it's gonna be terrible. I took a sip and I'm like hold up, let me get a little bit more. I took another sample and I'm like whoa," Eric said, describing his first time tasting the product.

"I'm like, we got something special here. This is perfect."

And, if drinking good bourbon wasn't enough reason, Eric's also raising money for charity.

"We have a purpose behind this. We want to raise money for the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation to help us find a cure for paralysis. Every case that we sell, $5.20 will go back to the foundation, because 52 was my number."

Eric LeGrand Whiskey officially launched this week ... and to commemorate his latest endeavor, EL's celebrating at Batch Bin & Barrel in New Brunswick, NJ on Thursday -- just miles from where he played football!

Cheers, Eric! 🥃

Michael Irvin has scored yet another big W in his civil case with Marriott ... a second judge -- this time a federal one -- has ruled the hotel giant must turn over any video it has that shows the NFL legend with his misconduct accuser on one of its properties last month.

The ruling was just handed down on Wednesday afternoon ... marking the second time in two weeks that a court has ordered Marriott to turn over the footage.

Initially, on Feb. 16, a state judge made the ruling ... but Marriott argued it should be allowed to take its time in handing over the clips, essentially saying Irvin was being disingenuous about the need to rush things. The case was ultimately kicked over to federal court to mete out.

The judge there, though, backed the ruling ... saying Irvin had the right to obtain the video in an expeditious manner -- because of the reputational and economic damage he said he's suffering by not having it.

The judge did rule, however, that Marriott can protect the identity of Irvin's accuser, saying the company's concern for her privacy "is well founded."

Irvin's attorney, Levi McCathern, tells TMZ Sports he's happy with the new order ... saying, once again, he believes the videos will show Irvin did nothing wrong when he interacted with the female hotel worker on Feb. 5 in Arizona.

"Michael and I are pleased with the ruling, and we thank the Court for ruling so quickly and equitably," McCathern said. "We look forward to receiving the information that we believe will prove that Michael was engaged in no wrongdoing."

Taylor Lewan is clearing the air ... admitting he asked the Titans to drop off his football equipment/belongings at his home, telling everyone to "stop overreacting."

On Tuesday, the former star left tackle posted a photo of two trash bags (and a pair of shoulder pads) on his porch, along with the comment, "Shout out to the Titans dropping my stuff off today. They even let me keep the shoulder pads."

Most fans interpreted the message as sarcastic, assuming Lewan was shading his former team for just dropping his crap off outside.

But, Lewan -- who was recently cut by Tennessee -- says that's not the case ... he actually asked the team to drop everything off outside.

"Yeah it's in trash bags, who cares," Taylor said. "What does it need to be in a horse-drawn chariot, a gold chariot that they ride up in and say, 'Hey, thanks for the last nine years.'"

The 31-year-old spent nine seasons with the franchise ... but despite being cut, the 3x Pro Bowler says he has nothing but love for the org. and their relationship is fine.

"Let's stop overreacting."

Aaron Rodgers encountered plenty of issues while in isolation last week, but poopin' wasn't one of them ... the quarterback revealed Wednesday his dumps in the dark were "very, very smooth."

Apparently, that's not always the case on the four-night, no-light retreat ... because Aubrey Marcus said while with Rodgers on the latest episode of the "Aubrey Marcus Podcast," he struggled to know when it was time to finish wiping -- creating a pretty crappy situation.

But, when Rodgers opened up to Marcus about his own potty breaks -- he said he had no such problems.

"My dumps were super smooth," the quarterback said.

The Green Bay Packers star explained his diet -- which consisted mostly of giant salads -- created an ideal situation for being in a restroom without light.

"In my mind," he said, "they were all two-wipers. They were two-wipers and done."

He added, "There were multiple, though, that I didn't even think I needed a wipe."

As for Rodgers' real concerns on his trip -- his football future and potential retirement -- he said those topics required far more attention.

The 39-year-old said he spent a full day thinking about what life would be like if he retired. Then, he said, he spent the entire next day dreaming of how life would be if he continued playing.

He ultimately didn't come to a decision while away from human touch and light ... but he did say he now is going to feel way more at peace with whatever choice he ultimately makes.

Cops have just issued an arrest warrant for top NFL draft prospect Jalen Carter ... after they said he was racing a Univ. of Georgia football assistant moments before her fatal car crash in January.

The Athens-Clarke County Police Dept. said Wednesday morning an investigation into the Jan. 15 wreck -- the one that claimed the lives of UGA staffer Chandler LeCroy and Bulldogs football player Devin Willock -- revealed Carter and LeCroy had been driving recklessly "in an apparent attempt to outdistance each other."

They said the probe into the crash revealed Carter, driving a 2021 Jeep Trackhawk, and LeCroy, driving a 2021 Ford Expedition, "switched between lanes, drove in the center turn lane, drove in opposite lanes of travel, overtook other motorists, and drove at high rates of speed" at around 2:30 AM after leaving the downtown Athens area.

They added that LeCroy made it up to 104 MPH ... before she ultimately veered off the road and struck two power poles and trees -- killing her and Willock, while injuring the other two passengers in the vehicle.

Cops said they've now secured arrest warrants against Carter, a star defensive lineman for Georgia the past three years, for reckless driving and racing.

Police also said Tuesday that a toxicology report showed LeCroy's BAC was .197 at the time of the accident. They officially deemed alcohol impairment, racing, reckless driving, and speed as "significant contributing factors to the crash."

LeCroy was just 24 years old. Willock was just 20.

21-year-old Carter, meanwhile, is projected to be a top-five pick in next month's NFL draft -- with some insiders believing he could go No. 1 overall. He was slated to speak at the NFL's combine in Indianapolis later Tuesday. It's unclear if that will still happen.

Aaron Rodgers went from the darkness to some neon lights -- hitting up a trendy Colorado bar just days after emerging from his isolation retreat.

The Green Bay Packers quarterback bolted for the venue in Vail less than a week after spending a few days and nights in complete darkness in a room in Oregon. In video of the GB QB, obtained by TMZ Sports, you can see the time away from sunlight and human touch didn't do any harm.

Rodgers dressed well for the night out with a group of friends at Chasing Rabbits' The Rabbit Hole ... playing Skee-Ball, Pop-A-Shot and even Twister.

Witnesses tell us Rodgers arrived around 9 PM with roughly 15 people in his crew ... including some very beautiful women. They drank champagne throughout the evening -- and we're told Rodgers seemed to be carefree, sharing laughs with his pals.

Eventually, the NFL superstar and co. headed off to a private room for dinner.

UNLV defensive lineman Ryan Keeler had been dealing with nausea and had felt sick for at least seven days prior to his tragic death on Feb. 20 ... this according to a new police report, obtained by TMZ Sports.

In the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department documents, cops say that after Keeler was found dead in his bed, they interviewed a friend of the football player's who told them Keeler had been fighting an illness since at least Feb. 13.

Cops say the friend, though, had told them he had just seen Keeler at dinner on Feb. 19 ... and Keeler was "feeling a little better."

In the report, cops say a man with the title of "director sports medicine" told them Keeler had been prescribed medication on Feb. 17 ... and had just visited him on Feb. 19 as well.

It's not clear what the prescribed medication was -- the report was redacted.

The new documents also revealed that UNLV assistant coach Julio Garcia was the one who had initially discovered Keeler after doing a welfare check on the defensive end earlier in the day.

According to the report, Garcia had knocked on Keeler's door, and when he got no answer, he kicked the door down, found Ryan unconscious and noted the 20-year-old was "cold to the touch." He then called 911, the report states.

Police also noted in the documents Keeler was found deceased laying face-up in his bed. They said an empty prescription medication bottle was found at the scene.

Keeler had just joined the UNLV football team in 2022 -- after he transferred from Rutgers following his freshman season. In his lone year with the Rebels, he played in two games ... recording a sack and eight total tackles.

George Toma -- the NFL's longtime groundskeeper who goes by the nickname, "The Sodfather" -- is pissed off at the league over its terrible Super Bowl LVII field conditions ... saying he "can't take it anymore."

Toma, who spent 18 months preparing the rye grass that was used during the Chiefs vs. Eagles matchup on Feb. 12, unloaded in an interview with ESPN on Tuesday ... claiming the sod was overwatered four days before the big game at State Farm Stadium.

Of course, there were numerous instances of players slipping all over the field during SB LVII ... with many questioning how the league could mess up on its biggest stage. The NFL refuted any problems the day after the game, though ... saying the grass was tested and met the required standards.

Toma is pointing fingers right at the NFL's field director, Ed Mangan, for the grass being slick the day of the game ... claiming, "he waters the hell out of it and puts it right into the stadium and that's it. Never sees sunlight again. He can't do that."

But H20 apparently wasn't the only mess-up -- Toma also claims Mangan made the mistake of not sanding the field enough.

"He sanded it two weeks too late," Toma told the outlet. "He had only one sanding. He should have had two or three sandings, but he didn't do s***. And that was it."

"And not only that, he didn't take care of it. He wouldn't listen to anybody."

After 80 years in the biz, Toma announced his plans to retire prior to SB LVII ... citing headaches caused by the league's handling of field issues in the past as well.

"Me and the league are finished. They can't tell me what to do anymore. We're done."

Former NFL running back Zac Stacy took a new mug shot on Monday ... before he was officially put behind bars for six months for attacking his ex-girlfriend in 2021.

Stacy posed for the photo at the Orange County Jail in Florida after he was remanded into custody following a judge's ruling at a sentencing hearing on Monday.

In the new picture, obtained by TMZ Sports, Stacy, wearing a striped shirt with a black collar, looked stoic -- and perhaps even a bit emotional.

Stacy was ordered to serve the jail time -- as well as one year of probation -- after he cut deals with prosecutors earlier this month following allegations he was violent with Kristin Evans, the mother of his child, on multiple occasions in '21.

Despite the attacks, though, Evans said Tuesday in a social media post she had hoped Stacy would not serve any jail time.

"Please give me some grace in understanding that I’m not being easy on Zac," she said, "rather I am trying to protect our son from anymore trauma."

The Tennessee Titans appear to be giving Taylor Lewan the ex treatment after releasing him last week -- the 9-year vet says the team savagely dropped off his football equipment on his front porch.

Lewan posted a pic of the scene to Twitter on Monday ... showing 3 garbage bags on his doorstep.

"Shout out to the @Titans dropping my stuff off today. They even let me keep the shoulder pads," Lewan, who spent his entire NFL career with Tennessee, said in the tweet.

In the pic, you can see what appears to be an assortment of red and white cleats in a clear plastic bag ... and a pair of football pads as well.

The 31-year-old was selected by the Titans in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft ... but after Lewan failed a physical last week, the team decided to move on from the 3-time Pro Bowler.

Lewan was a force on the field ... but he tore his ACL in 2020 after playing in five games, and tore his ACL again this season in Week 2 against the Buffalo Bills.

Unclear if Lewan will retire following his release  ... but Taylor has been keeping the Internet buzzin' after pretending he was in a romantic relationship with Jeffree Star.

Star appeared on Taylor's podcast ... and revealed that the photos of him and his "mystery boo" was the NFL star tackle -- but the two said it was strictly business and nothing more.

Hold your tomatoes -- Tom Brady is NOT pursuing a full-blown second career in stand-up comedy, but the recently retired NFL superstar might still be making people chuckle at his expense in the future, TMZ Sports has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us ... recent reports of TB12 wanting to venture into the funny business are bogus. The 7-time Super Bowl champion is, however, in talks with Netflix to be the center of a roast special ... with a working title, "The Greatest Roast of All Time."

It's a bummer for anyone who wanted to see more of Brady dancing and singing like he did in his "Saturday Night Live" monologue in 2005 ... but for now, his focus is on being with his family before joining Fox Sports in 2024.

As Brady previously said, he will spend his year off "catching up on other parts of my life that need some time and energy" before honoring his 10-year, $375 million broadcasting deal.