Football

Being a little too rah-rah backfired immediately on a college football coach calling shots for the Army -- he got headbutted by one of his own players ... who still had their helmet on.

Indeed ... ouch. This went down Saturday when a sideline coach tried congratulating an offensive lineman during a timeout, after the Army Black Knights got on the board against the Cincinnati Bearcats. This is something players often do to each other -- the distinction being ... both parties are usually still wearing helmets.

Unfortunately, this coach and lineman seemed to forget that. Check it out ... coach comes up for some sorta embrace, but the OL must've thought he wanted to go noggin-to-noggin -- 'cause he went head-first into the guy's face, knocking him back and making him stumble.

The coach is visibly disoriented as he tries to regain his composure and others around him make sure he's okay. Frankly, he might have suffered a concussion -- it was a hard hit.

#59 definitely felt bad -- you can see he stuck around too to see if his coach was alright. It's unclear if he was treated for a head injury or not, or if he just shook it off. Either way, it's a very healthy reminder that football can be dangerous ... on and off the field, apparently.

Patrick Mahomes is SEVERELY underpaid despite signing a $500 million contract ... so says a Baltimore Ravens coach -- who claims the Chiefs star is actually worth over $1 BILLION!!!

Don "Wink" Martindale -- the Ravens' defensive coordinator -- told media members Friday if the Chiefs had paid Pat $1 bil he still wouldn't think that's enough for the star QB.

"I know he's got $450 million or whatever it is," Martindale said, "but they could have paid him a billion and I'd still think he's underpaid."

Martindale didn't appear to be just blowing smoke at his Monday night opponent either ... the 57-year-old veteran coach GUSHED over the K.C. player for several minutes.

Wink told reporters he's astounded by Mahomes' arm, legs -- and his ability to set up protections in the face of defenses' blitzes.

"It seems like anytime anybody pressures him," Wink said, "he always has them in the right protection and you're just running into a wall."

Clearly, the Chiefs feel the same way ... 'cause they gave him a 10-year, $503 MILLION contract back in July.

And, it seems K.C. brass has NO problems with that so far ... Patrick's got the Chiefs off to a 2-0 start and he's already thrown for 513 yards, 5 TDs and no interceptions.

Edgerrin James will be riding in STYLE to the Hall of Fame ... TMZ Sports has learned he's tricked out a classic car for the special occasion -- and it's DOOOOPPEEEE!!!

We're told shortly after Edge learned of his HOF selection this past February ... he handed off a 1975 Chevy Caprice to a body shop in Florida to get it Canton-themed.

And, while it ain't all the way done yet -- it's clear the ride's a BEAST!!

The owner of the body shop tells us damn-near everything on the car is new ... from the HOF wrap job to the 28-inch gold Dayton Wire Wheels.

We're also told the shop replaced the engine with an LS3 supercharged Corvette motor ... so the thing is pretty AND fast!!!

The shop's owner says James is already thrilled with the ride ... and is planning to take it to his induction ceremony -- which has been rescheduled to next August due to COVID.

From there, the shop's owner says James will have the rest of the inductees sign the car ... and then the former Indianapolis Colts great has plans to auction it off.

The Pac-12 is BACK!!!!

The last remaining Power 5 conference has reversed course and decided there WILL be football in 2020 ... with the Pac-12 voting to start the season in November.

But, that's not all -- basketball and other winter sports are back, too!!

As we previously reported, the Pac-12 unanimously voted back in August to wait until after the New Year to start the football season due to COVID-19 ... with hopes of completing a season in the Spring.

But, a lot has changed since then ... with the Big Ten electing to kick off its season in late October, leaving the Pac-12 as the only major conference with plans to sit out 2020.

The Pac-12's CEO Group held a meeting to re-evaluate the fall and winter sports seasons on Thursday ... and the decision has been made to play a 7-game football season starting Nov. 6 ... and basketball will return on Nov. 25.

"The health and safety of our student-athletes and all those connected to Pac-12 sports remains our guiding light and number one priority,” Pac-12 CEO Group Chair Michael Schill said Thursday.

"Our CEO Group has taken a measured and thoughtful approach to today’s decision, including extensive consultation with stakeholders on the evolving information and data related to health and safety."

Now, there have still been some hiccups with other conferences that have kicked off their seasons -- Notre Dame most recently had to postpone a game due to a COVID-19 outbreak on the team.

One bummer -- the conference says fans will NOT be allowed to attend games until 2021.

If you've got Darren Waller on your fantasy team, breathe easy ... the tight end tells TMZ Sports he's DEFINITELY playing Sunday -- even though he's popped up on Las Vegas' injury report.

According to the Raiders, Waller did NOT practice on either Wednesday or Thursday with a knee issue ... and it's got A LOT of people concerned.

After all, Waller was a BEAST this past Monday ... helping fantasy players win their games with his 12-catch, 105-yard, 1-TD performance against the Saints.

But, Darren told us this week there's no need to run out and get another TE to replace him ... 'cause he says despite the practice DNPs -- he'll be ready for the Patriots this weekend.

"Everything's fine," Waller said. "Everything's fine. I will be playing on Sunday."

PHEW!!!

By the way, Darren ain't just giving back to your fantasy team with his talents ... he's also hosting a fundraiser next week for a great cause.

Waller -- whose struggles with sobriety have been well-documented -- is gunning to raise money to help youth avoid battles with drug and alcohol addiction.

NFL superstar Dak Prescott says he can't wrap his head around the Breonna Taylor case ... calling it "simply unacceptable" for officers to not be charged following her death.

"Yeah, that's disgusting," the Dallas Cowboys QB told reporters Thursday. "I don't understand that one at all. There's a lot of things in this country that I don't understand that we're looking at right now."

Prescott emphasized how dire it is to keep up-to-date on issues and be prepared to vote -- and that means doing as much research as possible on candidates to make sure the right people take office to prevent incidents like this from happening again.

"That's one of the biggest things that I'd say we've taken a step as a team, is just trying to talk about that -- the importance to vote, the importance for our voices to be heard throughout our community and to be leaders there."

"But, that's simply unacceptable and I don't understand an officer not behind charged in that case.

The Taylor case was a topic discussed throughout the NFL on Thursday ... with other stars like Odell Beckham and Lamar Jackson expressing their concerns with the announcement.

"It’s crazy we never get justice for serious things on our side of the part," Jackson told reporters. "We’re in America where it should be freedom of speech ... the Land of the Free, but I don’t feel like its been that way for us Black people sometimes."

"It’s just getting tougher," OBJ told reporters. "It’s disheartening ... when you just want justice and it doesn’t seem like that’s going to happen."

It's official ... Robert Kraft is now off the hook in his sex spa case, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

Court records show prosecutors dismissed Kraft's 2 misdemeanor charges of soliciting a prostitute ... with officials saying Thursday they didn't have enough evidence to get a conviction.

"Although there was probable cause to make an arrest," state attorney David Aronberg wrote in court docs, "the evidence cannot prove all legally required elements of the crime alleged and is insufficient to support a criminal prosecution."

The news isn't exactly a surprise ... in fact, it was expected after Kraft's team of lawyers successfully argued video of the New England Patriots owner allegedly receiving sex acts inside the Orchids of Asia Day Spa should NOT be admitted in the case.

Judges in the Florida Fourth District Court of Appeal ruled cops screwed up in the way they went about recording inside the Jupiter, Fla. facility by failing to ensure privacy for people getting legitimate massages. So, the footage was not allowed in the case.

With the vid thrown out ... prosecutors clearly lacked a smoking gun -- and were essentially forced to move on.

State officials are expected to break down the decision at a press conference later Thursday.

The Jaguars' yearslong search for a franchise QB is finally over ... so says Jacksonville legend Jimmy Smith, who tells TMZ Sports he has no doubts Gardner Minshew is THAT DUDE!

"He's the bright spot of that team," Smith says. "He has proven that week in and week out."

Minshew has only started 14 games for the Jags since he was drafted in 2019 ... but Jimmy says he's already seen enough to declare the QB a Jaguars cornerstone.

Smith tells us he's actually been following Minshew since he was a high schooler (Jimmy's son's team played against Gardner's) ... and he's convinced the 24-year-old is the real deal.

"He's showing that," Smith said. "The first week, he went 19 of 20. And, you saw [last Sunday] he had three touchdowns. That's awesome."

Through two games so far this year ... Minshew has led the Jags to a 1-1 record and has thrown 6 TDs to just two interceptions to go along with 512 passing yards.

Minshew also has a 115.7 QB rating ... and Jimmy tells us it's all pointing toward Gardner being in place under center in Jacksonville for a long time.

A woman who refused to wear a mask at an 8th-grade football game refused to go quietly -- she fought off a cop, got tased and ultimately ... arrested.

The incident went down at a middle school in Logan, Ohio where fans in the stands, including one who was recording, were shocked as a police officer tried for minutes to arrest the anti-masker. You can hear the woman yelling, "This is bulls***" and "You're not arresting me for nothing. I ain't doing nothing wrong."

Check out the video ... when the woman -- who appeared to have a mask in her back pocket -- kept resisting, the cop tased her in the back ... and finally got handcuffs on her to haul her away.

Some of the other fans were pissed, and voiced their disapproval for the arrest "over not wearing a damn mask." The issue, legally speaking, is ... Ohio has a statewide mask mandate, and that's one of the rules that's allowed organized sports to resume there.

The school's athletic director told the Marietta Times the school hosted 300 fans for the game Wednesday and the only individuals having issues with compliance were the woman who got arrested and her mother.

Former NY Giants Pro Bowl kicker Aldrick Rosas was sentenced to 3 years of probation in his wild June hit-and-run case ... TMZ Sports has learned.

A court official tells us Rosas appeared before a judge Wednesday after cutting a deal with prosecutors ... in which he pleaded no contest to three charges, including misdemeanor reckless driving and misdemeanor hit-and-run.

In exchange, we're told Rosas received the probation and a 30-day suspended jail sentence.

We're also told Rosas was ordered to pay fines and fees ... and is now not allowed to drive with ANY measurable amount of alcohol in his system while he's on probation.

Rosas' attorney, Michael Thomas Erpino, tells us the 25-year-old football player is "thrilled" with the resolution ... and is now gunning to get back in the NFL.

As we previously reported ... Rosas was cut from the Giants in July -- just a few weeks after he was arrested on June 15.

Rosas was accused of driving at speeds of 100 MPH ... and then slamming his SUV into a pickup truck before fleeing the scene on foot.

Cops say when they eventually found Rosas for questioning about the incident ... his hands, legs and bare feet were covered in blood.

Rosas initially pled not guilty to his charges ... but his attorney told us Wednesday the kicker "definitely worked his ass off" to close out the case with prosecutors.

Kristin Cavallari says there was absolutely NO scandal involving Jay Cutler that led to their divorce ... with the reality TV star insisting the marriage point-blank "just didn't work out."

The celeb couple announced their split back in April ... and it came as a shock to most -- considering the duo seemed publicly happy.

But, in an interview with People this week, Cavallari insists everything fell apart because the two grew apart ... adding "there was no real drama."

"I met Jay when I was 23," Cavallari said. "I was a kid. I was a baby. And Jay and I had so much love for each other, we really, really did. It just didn't work out."

"And that's -- that's it. There was no real drama. There was no scandal. There was no nothing."

In fact, 33-year-old Cavallari says she and the former NFL quarterback are still on great terms ... talking "almost every day" and still working to co-parent their three kids.

"There was nothing that happened that was like, 'Oh my God!'" Cavallari said. "We just couldn't make it work. And we tried really, really hard for years and years. We really did."

Cavallari says she's now focused on being a mom and running her jewelry biz ... adding COVID quarantine has allowed her to focus on herself.

Powerful moment after the Cowboys-Falcons game Sunday ... Atlanta star Hayden Hurst sought out Dak Prescott to praise him for speaking about suicide prevention -- and the scene was all caught on video.

Hurst, despite losing to Prescott in heartbreaking fashion, sprinted toward the Dallas Cowboys QB after the game clock expired ... and grabbed him and gave him a big hug.

"Hey," Hurst told the Cowboys superstar. "I got a lot of respect for what you did. Came out and talked about it. Me and my mom have a foundation about suicide prevention, and I respect the hell out of you for talking about it man."

As we previously reported ... Dak opened up on his brother's suicide earlier this month in an emotional interview with Graham Bensinger -- and the QB didn't hold back on his feelings.

The 27-year-old said the death rocked his world ... and he added he now understands how important it is to open up about feeling vulnerable and mental health issues.

Hurst made it clear Sunday he appreciated all the awareness Dak brought to the cause ... because it's an issue the Falcons tight end has dealt with throughout his life.

Hayden's uncle and cousin both killed themselves ... and the former Univ of South Carolina star admitted earlier this year he cut his wrist in an apparent attempt to kill himself back in college.

That's why he says he felt it was important to find Dak after the game to applaud him for his comments.

"I'm sure Dak Prescott doesn't really know who I am," Hurst told ESPN this week. "But I know the courage that takes because a lot of people don't like talking about mental health. They're afraid to talk about it. They're embarrassed."

Hurst continued, "If guys like Dak Prescott can come out and talk about it, I think he's going to save a lot of lives. I think that's cool. I admire him. And I'll be a Dak Prescott fan forever. I think he's an awesome guy."

For Dak's part, he appreciated Hurst's words ... saying in the clip after the game, "We can collab one day."

Drew Brees, listen up ... Warren Moon's got advice for winning football games despite declining arm talent -- telling TMZ Sports it's simple ... JUST TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF!!

Moon -- who famously played QB in the NFL until he was 44 years old -- says he knows EXACTLY what Brees is going through these days ... telling us the lack of velocity on the Saints star's passes is now apparent.

But, Moon says he knows there's a way for Drew to still be successful at 41 years old despite the issue ... saying the New Orleans QB just has to be mindful of his body going forward.

"The big thing is fatigue," Moon said. "Especially as the season goes along, you're only going to get that much more tired and your legs are going to lose that much more strength."

"So, you really have to be on top of how many reps you have in practice, how you're maintaining your body throughout the week, making sure you're not over-practicing yourself."

Moon also says Brees needs to make sure he's getting plenty of sleep ... because the Hall of Famer tells us when you're playing QB into your 40s -- being fresh on game days makes all the difference.

"That's what's going to make or break whether you have a great game or not is if you're rest that day," Moon says.

Warren, though, believes Drew is good enough to figure it all out ... telling us, "I don't think he's done!"

Patriots star James White opened up Tuesday on his father's tragic death in an emotional post on social media ... remembering his father as a wonderful man on his son's birthday.

"Happy 1st birthday Xzavier!" the New England running back wrote. "I hope I can be as good of a father to you as my father was to my brother and I!"

White continued, "I still can’t quite process everything that’s going on right now but when I look at you, you give me life!"

As we previously reported ... White's father passed away in a car crash in Florida on Sunday -- one in which James' mom was seriously injured as well.

James was so devastated over the accident ... he didn't play in the Pats' game against the Seahawks on Sunday -- and it's still up in the air if he'll suit up for the team this weekend.

The news rocked the NFL world HARD ... everyone from Tom Brady to Russell Wilson to J.J. Watt expressed how heartbroken they were over the news.

And, on Tuesday, White admitted he's still struggling to cope with it all ... adding, "May you Rest In Peace Dad, we miss you much already."

James' father, Tyrone White, was a former Miami-Dade Police Department Captain. He was 59 years old.

Dallas Cowboys star Everson Griffen just EXPLODED on a reporter over criticism of his play ... telling the guy to straight-up "keep my name out your mouth."

"I been producing in the Nfl protecting the shield for 11 mother f**king years," Griffen said Tuesday. "So if you feel the need to pick on someone in f**king week 2. It’s not going to be me. I tell you that."

Griffen just inked a deal with the Cowboys last month ... and it was widely celebrated at the time -- as the guy is considered one of the top pass rushers in the league.

But, through two games so far, Griffen and the rest of the Cowboys' defense has been underwhelming -- allowing big play after big play to the Rams and Falcons.

When a reporter pointed that out and said point blank Griffen "hasn't been good for the Cowboys at all yet" ... Everson FUMED.

"Are you f**king joking me" the pass rusher asked ... before adding, "Let’s talk about playing well at the end of the year instead of week 2."

Griffen insists he felt way better during Dallas' second game of the season as opposed to the team's first ... and claims he'll be MUCH better toward the end of the year.

"I get it everyone has job to do," Everson said, "but in this unique year of football, it’s all about the TREND LINE. Especially this year."