Football

Former XFL player Darez Diggs -- the brother of NFL stars Stefon and Trevon Diggs -- helped orchestrate the brutal attack of a man in an elevator earlier this week ... new video, obtained by TMZ Sports, shows.

The incident happened on May 29 in an apartment building in downtown Los Angeles ... and in the footage, you can see the altercation starts in an elevator lobby.

The clip shows after one of the elevators stops ... a man gets out, exchanges words with Darez -- and then retreats back inside the lift quickly.

The man then can be seen frantically trying to close the elevator's doors ... but before they close, Darez -- who also goes by Mar'sean Diggs -- stops them with his hand.

Darez then gets into the elevator and trades more words with the man ... before two of Darez's apparent acquaintances run in with fists flying.

The footage shows the men pummel the guy to the ground, ripping off his jewelry in the process. At one point, you can see one of the men kicks the guy in the face -- before they drag him into the lobby.

The men all stand around talking further ... before they seem to rip another chain off the guy's neck.

Darez then seems to leave everyone in the lobby in a different elevator.

The LAPD tells TMZ Sports ... they were called to the scene, but the suspects had already fled when officers arrived.

Cops tell us a report for a robbery was taken -- saying the complainant told them three men had stolen an orange purse containing diamonds and other jewelry during the incident.

So far, no arrests have been made ... but police say an investigation remains ongoing.

Darez played college football at Morgan State before transferring to the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He went on to play safety for one season for the XFL's Los Angeles Wildcats in 2020. He now works in the fashion industry -- running his own lifestyle brand called Blue Boii.

Danny Masterson won't be like all the regular folk behind bars while he awaits sentencing ... we've learned he'll be in the same area where some high-profile inmates stayed in the past.

Law enforcement tells TMZ ... the "That '70s Show" actor is not in lockup with the general population at the L.A. County Men's Central Jail, as he waits to be sentenced for his rape conviction. Instead, we're told he's being kept in "administrative segregation" for his safety.

Our sources say he's in the same unit where some very famous inmates once stayed ... including Suge Knight and O.J. Simpson.

As we reported, DM was found guilty on two rape counts he was facing ... the jury was deadlocked on the third count. The verdict was reached this week in Los Angeles ... after his first trial ended in a mistrial.

There's no TV in his cell, but he'll have books from the jail's library, and will be allowed out of his cell for 2 hours each day, at which time he can go to the day room and have access to a phone and TV.

He'll get time for recreation 3 hours a week. He's able to shower every other day ... unless he's going to court, and then he can shower daily.

Manti Te'o is adamant his football career is over ... telling TMZ Sports his purpose in life is now to help other people -- not crack running backs on a gridiron anymore.

The former linebacker made the revelation to us out at LAX ... saying he's officially hung up his spikes at 32 years old.

"I'm playing a different game now," the Notre Dame legend said. "I'm trying to empower people. Trying to inspire people. That's the game that I'm playing now, and I'm trying to be the best at that."

Te'o -- a second-round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft -- last played in the league in the 2020 season ... when he suited up for the Chicago Bears.

He spent most of that year on the team's practice squad, though he did play in the team's postseason game against the Saints, logging six tackles.

Some believed he still had football left in his body -- if not for the NFL, perhaps for the XFL or the USFL -- but he said that's simply just not the case.

Instead, he told us he now wants to help people learn from the hard times he's endured, most notably his 2013 catfishing incident.

"If my life can be that for people -- to show people that, 'Hey, it may not be sunshine and roses all the time, but if you just keep your head down and keep working and believing in yourself and putting God first, everything will be all right.'"

Te'o -- who played eight seasons in the NFL -- also spoke briefly about his documentary, "Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn't Exist" ... and said he's glad people finally get to see and hear his story.

Kroy Biermann aced a good parenting test in the midst of his nasty divorce with Kim Zolciak ... and turns out he completed the course before she finished a similar one.

The former NFL star completed a mandatory course in Georgia -- "Parent Education For Separating/Divorcing Families" -- last month and he scored 99% on the quizzes and final exam.

Kroy filed a certificate of completion with the court, obtained by TMZ, and he got his work done before his estranged wife did.

As we reported ... Kim completed a seminar on "Navigating Family Change" on May 25 ... but Kroy's certificate shows he finished his online course May 17, a full week before Kim. BTW ... the course is mandatory for couples with kids seeking a divorce.

Remember, Kroy is asking for sole custody of the estranged couple's four kids ... Kim's asking for primary physical custody, so this is a full-on dogfight.

The course focuses on helping parents make divorce easier on children ... and it sounds like they need to apply the skills they learned.

The divorce has been exceedingly nasty ... with Kroy ripping Kim for what he says is a gambling addiction, while she claimed he's a pothead who needs to take a drug test.

The Denver Nuggets had a ton of horsepower rooting for them in the stands during Game 1 of the NBA Finals ... 'cause current and former Broncos like Peyton Manning, Russell Wilson and coach Sean Payton were present for the big win!!

The trio of NFL greats were in great spirits as the home team wrecked the Miami Heat 104-93 ... and they all had the best seats in Ball Arena.

Manning was smiling from ear to ear throughout the night ... even spending some time chopping it up with Shaquille O'Neal.

Wilson hit up the game with his stepson, Future Zahir ... and the youngster came dressed to support the hometown team, wearing a No. 27 Jamal Murray jersey.

Payton -- who joined the Broncos this offseason -- is clearly fitting in with his new home ... as the Super Bowl-winning coach appeared zoned in on all the action.

Not all the celebs stood by and watched, though ... 'cause comedian Ken Jeong hilariously bombed multiple half-court shots after watching Nuggets mascot "Rocky" nail a backward, over-the-head heave from the same spot.

"The Hangover" star was a good sport about it all ... and the raucous crowd got a kick out of his failures.

The shocking death of Ms Jacky Oh! is not only affecting "Wild 'N Out" fans, but it's also impacting NFL players like Odell Beckham and Keenan Allen ... who are mourning her passing.

As we reported, Ms Jacky Oh! (real name Jacklyn Smith) died on Wednesday in Miami, but the details surrounding her death are not yet clear. A since-deleted social media post claimed she was having "mommy makeover" surgery.

Beckham -- who recently signed with the Ravens -- paid tribute to the former "Wild 'N Out" star on his Instagram story by sharing her family's statement and a photo of her and her kids.

"Rest Easy Angel," OBJ wrote in the post on Thursday.

He also said on Twitter, "Don’t take this life for granted, we’re here for the blink of an eye. Y’all plz love on your loved ones while they’re still here."

OBJ knows Smith through Lauren Wood, mother of his 1-year-old son Zydn, who was a former "Wild 'N Out" star.

In fact, Smith and Wood recently took a girl's trip to Belize to celebrate Lauren's birthday.

"We are in Belize!!! It's my best friend's birthday -- Lauren," Smith said on a YouTube vlog while on vacay.

Smith also attended Beckham and Wood's baby shower.

"This hurts so bad," Wood said in an IG post on Friday. "When I lost you I also lost the version of me when we were together. Our banter. Our humor. Our dynamic. So unique to us."

"I can't imagine this life without you. It just got a lot more darker and lonelier. I'm having a really hard time saying goodbye and accepting this grave reality."

Wood added, "I look forward to the moment we get to experience each other again. You will forever be in my heart. Connect to my soul, sister."

Los Angeles Chargers receiver Keenan Allen was also heartbroken over her sudden death ...  revealing Smith is the reason he met his wife.

"Damn man! Truly an angel," Allen said on his IG.

"Jacky introduced me to the wife I have today. Praying for your babies and DC! It’s all perfect timing even though we don’t understand. God is in."

Smith is survived by her three children.

Kim Zolciak allegedly assaulted her estranged husband Kroy Biermann and the cops responded to their Georgia home ... but she wasn't arrested.

Two officers arrived at the couple's house in Atlanta on May 4 after receiving a call of a domestic dispute ... this according to the NY Post, citing a police document.

Kroy told police Kim punched him in the head during a heated argument over their assets, but had no visible injuries and refused medical treatment.

Per the police report ... Kroy decided not to press charges against "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" alum despite having a recording of their encounter.

But that's not all ... the report states Kroy locked Kim's pricey pocketbooks and jewelry into a safe, claiming it was all joint marital property. He said he planned to sell the items to offset losses incurred by Kim's gambling addiction, noting she had recently suffered a heavy loss.

On the other hand, Kim told cops she owned all the goods -- totaling $175,000 -- having acquired them before she tied the knot with the ex-NFL linebacker.

The officers checked out the contents of the safe and found some valuables -- such as Kim's passport in a Louis Vuitton case -- but no fancy purses.

After a major false start, Antonio Brown says he's for sure suiting up for his National Arena League team this month ... guaranteeing he will play for the Albany Empire on June 17.

The Super Bowl champion and new Empire owner confirmed the news in an interview with local Albany station WNYT on Thursday ... saying he will make his big debut at his team's home matchup against the Jacksonville Sharks.

Of course, AB initially said he was going to throw on a helmet and pads when the Empire hosted the Fayetteville Mustangs on May 27 ... but those plans fell through after he claimed his physical paperwork wasn't turned in to the league offices on time.

It was a huge disappointment for the larger-than-usual crowd in attendance ... as the team advertised the game as AB's first return to the field since his bizarre, shirtless exit from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in January 2022.

AB says the game will also be a celebration for Juneteenth ... and he's planning to make it a "party," including a proper halftime show.

He also acknowledged those who may doubt his words given how things played out last month ... but Brown says it's 100% happening this time around.

Tom Brady is NOT coming out of retirement to play quarterback for the team he'll soon own ... emphatically saying a return to the football field simply ain't happening, despite endless speculation.

In an interview with Sports Illustrated, the 46-year-old 7-time winning Super Bowl champ made it clear he's done for good ... and there will be no unretirement this time around.

"I'm certain I'm not playing again. I've tried to make that clear and I hate to continue to profess that 'because I've already told people that lots of times but I'm looking forward to my broadcasting job at FOX next year," Brady said.

Tom, who retired for the second time in February, continued ... "I'm looking forward to the opportunity ahead with the Raiders and we're in the process of that along with the other different things I'm a part of professionally and in my personal life."

Brady recently agreed to terms with Mark Davis and is in the process of becoming a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders.

During a conversation with Troy Aikman last week, the NFL legend told us he could envision a situation where Brady came down from the owner's suite, threw on pads, and played QB for the team.

The 3-time Super Bowl champ was far from alone in considering the possibility. Add to it, the NFL allows owners to play, provided 75% of the teams approve via a leaguewide vote. Getting the votes would presumably not be a problem ... as Brady is great for business.

But, it's all just talk ... 'cause Tom says it simply isn't going to happen. His days as a signal caller are over.

As for what he will do, Brady's plans center around his children.

"Just spending as much time with my kids as I can and seeing them grow up and support the different things that they have going on. That's a very important job. I take them all pretty seriously."

Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris is a real-life hero ... the L.A. assistant coach helped save a 3-year-old boy from drowning at a Las Vegas hotel pool over the weekend.

The terrifying incident happened at the Encore, when, according to a post on Morris' wife's social media page, a little boy was pulled from the water without a pulse by his father.

An on-duty lifeguard raced over to provide aid to the toddler ... and, thankfully, a quick-thinking Morris jumped in to help too by grabbing a nearby automatic external defibrillator (AED).

"I saw people calling 911 so my first question was, where is the AED?" Morris said to ESPN on Wednesday. "When I got back, we had a doctor on site that was able to start the compressions. I was able to hand the AED to him, get it open for him, put the pads on the child, and he ended up being OK."

Morris' wife said the kid was taken to a nearby hospital ... and, thankfully, discharged a day later.

Morris -- who joined Sean McVay's Rams staff in 2021 -- said training he received recently in the wake of the Damar Hamlin medical emergency helped him know what to do in the horrifying situation.

Rams COO Kevin Demoff added that he believed the training played a significant role in the heroic efforts as well.

Travis Kelce is one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history, but he could be looking to dominate an entirely different industry next ... 'cause the superstar Kansas City Chiefs tight end just signed with a big-time entertainment agency!!!

The 33-year-old Super Bowl champ recently inked a contract with Creative Artists Agency for all off-field representation, per THR ... paving the way for a career in Hollywood.

The move is a no-brainer -- Kelce hosted "Saturday Night Live" earlier this year ... and his performance was met with rave reviews. In fact, comedian Jeff Dye compared the athlete to one 'SNL' legend.

"He reminded me of Phil Hartman, that's how good I'd say he was," Dye told us back in March. "Not being sarcastic, it was very Phil Hartman-esque."

The 4-time first-team All-Pro is no stranger to being in front of the camera -- how could we forget his "Catching Kelce" dating show?!? -- but he previously told TMZ Sports he wasn't sure if he was cut out for an acting career.

Tom Brady could, indeed, both own a part of the Raiders AND quarterback the team this fall ... that is, if a large majority of the NFL's owners would allow it.

A spokesperson for The Shield tells TMZ Sports ... two NFL-wide votes would need to happen in order for Brady to be a part of the Las Vegas ownership group and be under center at the same time.

The first ... 3/4ths of the league would have to approve his acquisition of a piece of Mark Davis' franchise. The second ... 3/4ths of the league would then need to vote on whether or not he'd be allowed to play.

If both votes passed -- and it doesn't feel like there'd be much opposition to either -- Brady would then be free to help out in the Raiders' front office and on the field.

Of course, Brady has insisted over and over again since February that he is done playing ... but after it was revealed this month that Raiders starter Jimmy Garoppolo required surgery on his injured foot this offseason, rumors of a potential TB12 return have swirled again.

In fact, Hall of Famer Troy Aikman told us this week it wouldn't surprise him one bit to see Brady unretire for a second time.

"I wouldn't rule anything out," Aikman told us.

For now, only one vote is on the docket for NFL owners -- sometime in the near future they'll make a ruling on Brady's bid to own a piece of the Raiders.

After that, though -- another vote to see if he can strap on the helmet one more time???

Harry Kane is doubling down on his plans to switch from football to football -- the Tottenham star says he's still interested in becoming an NFL kicker after his soccer career is over ... saying he understands it'll be a ton of work, but he's down for the challenge.

The 29-year-old English striker reaffirmed his intentions during a sit-down with Michael Strahan on "Good Morning America" ... making it clear he's not joking about hopping over the pond to take a stab at American football.

"It's something I want to definitely explore," Kane said on Wednesday. "I know it will be a lot of hard work. I'm not expecting to just walk up and start kicking field goals."

"It will be a lot of practice, a lot of hard work," he continued. "But, yeah, it’s something I'd love to do. The NFL is something I've been following for about 10 years now, and I love it. So, yeah, I would love to give it a go."

Kane has previously talked about becoming an NFL kicker in years past ... but despite showing off what he can do with the pigskin, some critics like legendary leg Morten Andersen have scoffed at the idea.

Kane isn't the only soccer star to show interest in the NFL -- as we previously reported, USWNT hero Carli Lloyd floated the idea back in 2022 after spending time with her hometown Philadelphia Eagles.

Jay Cutler has gone from playing for the Bears ... to slaying them -- the ex-Chicago quarterback just revealed he shot and killed a wild one while out on a hunt in Montana.

The 40-year-old has been in Big Sky Country for the last few days enjoying the state's spring bear hunt ... and on Tuesday morning, he came away with a big trophy.

According to Outsider, Cutler shot a cinnamon black bear with a scoped bolt action rifle ... and it wasn't hard to see the former NFL star was thrilled with his catch.

Cutler posted a pic with the dead animal on his social media page ... writing, "MT bear hunt in the books" -- and saying he was off to go enjoy a beer now.

Cutler also had a memorable moment on the hunt over the weekend, he found a huge elk rack and skull that was nearly as big as him.

Cutler's become quite the outdoorsman in his retirement from football -- he posts about his hunts regularly. In fact, just last summer, he said he hunted down a deer that he had been stalking for some two years.

If Aaron Rodgers wants to trade footballs for fist pumps this summer, Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino is all for it -- telling TMZ Sports he absolutely wants to link up with the NFL star after the quarterback's "Jersey Shore" shoutout last week.

"I think it is a must," Mike said of a meetup with the new Jets signal-caller.

If you missed it, Rodgers revealed he has a big-time love for The Situation, Pauly D, Snooki and the rest of the JC cast last week ... when he explained to reporters after a workout that the show was one of his all-time favorites.

When Sorrentino got word of the high praise from Rodgers -- he said he and his 'Shore' mates went crazy over it.

"Everyone just had a big smile on their face," Mike said. "The group chat was lit."

Sorrentino told us he's a huge fan of Rodgers after watching him play on NFL Sundays over the years -- and now that he knows the feeling's mutual, he'd love to catch up in Jersey ASAP.

Two of Gisele Bündchen's exes walk onto a yacht ...

There's no joke here, but that's exactly what went down in Sardinia over the weekend ... with Tom Brady and Leonardo DiCaprio hanging out on a big boat together.

As we previously reported, the "Departed" actor has been yacht hopping for about a week following the Cannes Film Festival ... most recently ditching his shirt to hang with his guy friends out on the waters near the Italian island.

As it turns out, the NFL legend was also part of the fun at sea ... with TB12 and Leo appearing in a big group photo posted on Miami hospitality entrepreneur David Grutman's Instagram stories.

The occasion appeared to be a birthday bash for their friend, Bert Hedaya ... and judging by the picture, it didn't appear to be awkward at all for the two -- granted, they were about 25 feet away from each other.

Remember, Leo dated Gisele for more than 5 years in the early 2000s before she tied the knot with Brady ... a marriage that lasted over a decade before ending in divorce this past October.

TB12 and Leo are both seemingly keeping their options open for now ... and apparently, they're enjoying the hell outta their free time.

Grutman also posted a solo shot alongside Brady ... with the quarterback joking he was "ready for my hospitality internship."