NFL

Nick Saban is calling on Ray Rice to teach his Alabama players an important lesson ... saying he had the ex-NFL star give a speech to the Tide "about how to treat the opposite sex."

Rice has been preaching to players and schools all over the country since he was booted from the NFL after TMZ Sports posted video of him punching his then-fiance in the face in a hotel elevator in 2014.

Saban clearly thinks the former running back has a valuable message he can relay to his team ... 'cause the Bama head coach invited the 32-year-old out to practice this week.

"He’s going to be here as a Title IX speaker to the team [Thursday night], which I think is a good thing for our players," Saban said.

"He’s obviously going to talk about how to treat the opposite sex and having the proper respect for other people."

Saban added, "I think that’s important to relationships. It’s important as a person to be able to do those things in a very respectful manner."

Rice has made countless attempts to try to make up for his massive misstep 5 years ago ... even offering to help Browns running back Kareem Hunt after he was caught on camera kicking a woman last year.

Seems Rice is finding success on his redemption tour ... coaches continue to bring him on to speak ... and in his return to Baltimore last year, he was wildly cheered.

Ex-Patriots TE Jermaine Wiggins says it's PAINFULLY OBVIOUS Eric Reid's late hit on Ben Watson on Thursday was dirty as hell ... and warns Reid that payback's a bitch!

Reid blasted Watson in the head during the 1st quarter of the Carolina vs. New England preseason game on Thursday after Watson was already down by contact.

The hit came days after Watson had criticized Reid on Twitter for ripping the NFL's Players Coalition over the NFL's deal with Jay-Z ... and some people think Reid was gunning to hurt the guy.

After the game, Reid DENIED intentionally targeting Watson and claimed he didn't even know about Watson's tweets ... insisting the hit was the result of an overzealous play.

When we spoke with Wiggins -- who won a Super Bowl with New England in 2001 -- he told us the play was obviously dirty.

"There was definitely a little extra BBQ sauce on that rib that he was trying to go after!"

Wiggins says he can't be sure Reid was looking to hurt Watson, but tells us the defensive back is LUCKY the teams don't play during the regular season.

"Carolina, luckily for them they don't have New England on their schedule because there might be a little bit of payback coming his way."

Dallas Cowboys team captain Tyrone Crawford ain't apologizing for his role in a bar brawl last March ... telling reporters Thursday, "I handled the situation to the best of my abilities."

We broke the story, TC shoved, pushed and threw punches at bar security on March 15 in Panama City Beach, FL ... and in a video we obtained, you can see him straight-up mauling people.

In fact, we're told Crawford also got physical with AT LEAST two police officers as they tried to break up the scene.

But, Crawford -- who spoke with media for the first time since the incident after Cowboys practice Thursday -- didn't seem sorry for his actions, saying, "I did what I had to do as best I could."

According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Crawford allegedly got into the whole fracas to help his brother at the bar ... and he's hoping when he eventually tells his side of the story to NFL investigators, they'll understand.

"I am going to let God take it," Crawford said. "I can’t speak on it too much. I am going to let God take it and handle everything, however it works out, it works out. Hopefully, they see my side."

Crawford was hit with a misdemeanor charge of affrays for the altercation ... but he reached a deal with prosecutors last month to close out the criminal case ahead of training camp.

We're told in exchange for completing an anger management assessment and keeping his nose clean for the next six months ... he'll have the charge dropped.

Extremely emotional moment at Cowboys camp Thursday ... head coach Jason Garrett fought back tears during his meeting with the media after learning of his friend's son's death.

Luke Laufenberg -- the 21-year-old son of ex-Cowboys QB Babe Laufenberg -- was diagnosed with Leukemia back in 2017 ... and he died Thursday after a 2-year-long battle with the disease.

Garrett addressed reporters shortly after learning the news ... and the scene was tough to watch.

Garrett was extremely emotional in trying to describe Laufenberg's son, saying, "You guys have heard me talk about fight a lot. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a better example of that in my life."

"What he’s gone through over the last couple of years, the spirit that he had every day, to battle through it, to always be thoughtful about the people in his life, ‘How’s my mom doing? How’s my dad doing? How’s my brother doing?’ Amazing."

Garrett and Babe's playing careers never crossed paths ... Jason started his Cowboys QB career in 1993 -- 3 years after Babe finished his time in Dallas.

But, the two have obviously gotten close over the years ... Jason's been the head coach of the 'Boys since 2010, while Babe's done work as the team's radio analyst for years.

Garrett didn't field any other questions from reporters during his news conference Thursday ... finishing his time at the podium by praising Luke for his courageous battle.

"It’s such a tragedy. It’s so hard to understand. But, I know I will and everybody who ever knew him will be forever inspired by the life that he lived.”

Pro Bowl quarterback Jay Cutler faced off against his reality TV star/fashion designer wife, Kristin Cavallari, in an epic axe-throwing challenge ... and it went exactly how you'd think.

Yeah ... Kristin whooped dat ass.

The couple showed off the results of their contest at Class Axe Throwing in Nashville ... and while the dude who made $122 MILLION off his arm failed miserably, the girl who starred in a Gavin DeGraw music video hit the bulls-eye with ease.

The best part about it -- Cutler's DGAF attitude transitioning into his axe-throwing career, 'cause the guy shrugged it off and captioned his video with "Nailed it."

New England Patriots star Patrick Chung has been indicted for cocaine possession and now faces PRISON time if convicted.

It all stems back to an incident in New Hampshire on June 25 when cops say the 32-year-old was in possession of coke.

The case went to a grand jury which ultimately decided to charge Chung with a Class B felony which carries up to 7 years in prison if convicted, according to the Laconia Daily Sun.

Chung -- who's won 3 Super Bowl rings with the Patriots -- is scheduled to be arraigned next week.

Officials say Chung was not formally arrested and there is no mug shot.

Details surrounding the incident are sparse -- we're working on it.

Story developing ...

Jay-Z's ex-business-partner-turned-nemesis, Damon Dash, claims the mogul's new NFL partnership has exposed him as a backstabber who "ain't s**t!"

Dame fired that brutal shot while talking to Adam22 on the No Jumper podcast. Dash, who started Roc-A-Fella Records with Jay, was asked about Jermaine Dupri's claim Jay talked him out of making the very same deal with the NFL that Jay just made (which JD's walked back a bit).

Dash said matter of factly, "If you ask anyone in the industry, it's a common knowledge that Jay ain't s**t." He added, "He's about the bag. We all know that. He's self-preserving. Period."

Now, full context ... Dame's beef with Jay goes back to the fall of Roc-A-Fella records. He claims Jay left him out in the cold and caused the label's collapse. So, Dame taking the shot isn't all that surprising.

However, of all the criticism Jay-Z's taken since announcing he's partnering with the NFL -- while Colin Kaepernick's still frozen out of the league -- Dame's is the most scathing.

Is this cultural appropriation???

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers touched down in Winnipeg on Wednesday wearing traditional Canadian garb -- denim from head to toe -- and it was pretty amazing!!!

The 35-year-old paired his "Canadian Tuxedo" with a strong mustache Burt Reynolds would have been proud of ... all to get ready for a Thursday night pre-season game against the Oakland Raiders.

The Canadian tux is an outfit steeped in tradition ... everyone from Bing Crosby to Justin Timberlake and even Britney Spears have embraced the look at one point of their lives.

... and yeah, even Tupac sported the look back in the day.

Mario Woods would be "honored" to know his 2015 shooting death inspired Colin Kaepernick to begin his social justice campaign ... so says Mario's mom who's praising CK as a hero.

We spoke with Gwendolyn Woods who tells us she was "overwhelmed" when she read the PAPER Magazine article in which Colin says Mario's "execution" at the hands of San Francisco police officers essentially led to his kneeling protest during the National Anthem.

Woods tells TMZ Sports ... she believes Colin has been doing great work putting a spotlight on police violence and applauds him for "putting his money where his mouth is."

As we previously reported, Mario was shot 21 times by SFPD officers who were responding to reports of a stabbing in the area. Mario was holding a knife and cops claimed he was a threat so they opened fire. But, cell phone video NEVER showed Woods getting aggressive with police. Gwendolyn sued the City of SF and got a $400,000 settlement in 2018.

Now, with Colin mentioning Mario's name again -- his story is back in the headlines and Gwendolyn says she's extremely grateful to Kaepernick.

"He should know that he's impacted a family and a community that never had a platform, never had a voice," Woods says ... "I am very proud of him."

Gwendolyn says Mario was a huge 49ers fan -- so aside from the social justice work, she thinks Mario would have gotten a huge kick out of knowing the starting QB of his favorite team was inspired by him.

Lamar Odom has some hefty competition standing in his way from "Dancing With The Stars" greatness ... but there's one fellow world champ who specifically has him SHOOK.

The ex-NBA star is competing on the newest season of 'DWTS' with celebs like Hannah B. from the 'Bachelorette', Kel Mitchell and James Van Der Beek ... but revealed to Adam Glyn who he thinks is his biggest threat.

"I think it'll probably be Ray Lewis," Lamar says.

Odom has reason to fear Ray ... you've seen his trademark moves on the gridiron (and, we gotta say, for a 6'1", 240-pound Hall of Fame linebacker, he was nimble AS HELL).

On top of that, fellow NFL players have won in the past -- like Emmitt Smith, Hines Ward and Donald Driver.

Be afraid, NFL kickers ... Martin Gramatica says after USWNT star Carli Lloyd hit a 55-yarder at Eagles' practice Tuesday -- she can legitimately take someone's job and make a team's roster!!!

Oh, and the legendary kicker says he's willing to help her do it!!!

After Lloyd showed off her insane leg at Philly's workout this week ... we had to give Gramatica a call to get his thoughts on her giant boot -- and, no surprise, the guy was impressed.

In fact, 43-year-old Martin tells us, "If she put her mind to it and started training, I could see her going all the way."

Gramatica says he's seen Lloyd kick footballs before and was impressed with her ability back then ... but he had no idea she had a 55-yard range.

"55, that's impressive," Martin says ... "I think a lot of the NFL guys better be ready. Better watch their jobs. I know there's some openings, so be careful out there!"

Gramatica says he does see some flaws in her form that he's willing to help fix ... and he knows she'll have to adjust to learning how to kick with pads on.

But, Martin tells us if she truly devotes herself to the craft ... he could see her on a real NFL field someday.

Mario Williams -- the #1 overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft -- was arrested for trespassing Tuesday after an incident at a woman's home in Houston, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

The 34-year-old defensive end -- who hasn't played in the NFL since 2016 -- was allegedly inside of the home without permission.

Sources connected to the incident tell us Williams "broke into the home and began yelling at" the woman who lives there. We're told the woman was extremely emotional and screamed at him to get out.

Cops were called to the scene and Williams was arrested and taken to a nearby jail where he was booked for trespassing. Bond was set at $100, which Williams has already paid. He's now out of custody according to official records.

Court records show Williams is listed at 6'7", 290 lbs.

Records show Williams has been ordered to undergo a mental health or intellectual disability assessment. According to the KHOU.com, the woman has previously filed a restraining order against Mario.

Williams is due back in court August 27.

Williams was a beast in the NFL -- making the Pro Bowl in 4 different seasons, along with 3 All Pro Teams.

After being signed with the #1 pick -- over Reggie Bush -- he signed a 6-year, $54 million rookie contract. After that, he famously signed a massive $100 million contract in 2012 with the Buffalo Bills -- with $25 million guaranteed. He last played with the Miami Dolphins in 2016.

Jon Gruden ... clearly wasn't invited to any birthday parties as a kid -- because his rendition of "Happy Birthday" on "Hard Knocks" sounds like it's the FIRST time he's ever sang it.

Seriously ... it's terrible. Like worse than Hunter Renfrow bad.

The Oakland Raiders head coach was finishing off a team meeting when he instructed the players to serenade GM Mike Mayock.

What ensued was pure, hot garbage -- insanely terrible. Embarrassing, actually.

Of course, there was other important stuff that went down on HBO's "Hard Knocks" on Tuesday -- from Antonio Brown's frostbitten feet to his helmet drama ... to tight end Darren Waller's battle with substance abuse.

But, the worst part of the Raiders' camp ... Gruden singing.

Carli Lloyd stays winning on the soccer pitch AND the football field ... the USWNT star buried a 55-yard field goal at Eagles' practice -- and Philly's kicker himself was impressed!!!

Lloyd was at Eagles' practice Tuesday to cheer on her favorite football team (she's from New Jersey) and she decided to take a few kicks with Eagles stud kicker Jake Elliott after the workout.

Turns out, Carli's soccer skills translate to the gridiron ... 'cause she was nailing field goals all over the place -- including one from 55 yards out!!!

Oh, AND it was on a goalpost WAAAAYYYY smaller than regulation size!!!

"Unreal stuff!" Elliott said after the kicks ... "@CarliLloyd is very much #ForTheBrand."

Carli seemed to enjoy the day as well, writing of the practice, "Thank you to the @Eagles for having me out! Thanks to @JustinTuck @jake_elliott22 @MayorRandyBrown for the good time and tips!"

Breathe easy, Raiders fans ... Antonio Brown ain't getting the boot from Oakland -- Jon Gruden said the superstar practiced Tuesday with a certified helmet and is now "all in" with the team.

Of course, Raiders GM Mike Mayock was pissed at Brown over the weekend for not practicing while he fights the NFL over helmet issues ... and gave the WR a stern "all-in" or "all-out" ultimatum.

Clearly, AB is choosing the former ... 'cause Gruden said Brown put his problems with his helmet aside and fully practiced with the Raiders.

"He's all in, ready to go," Gruden said after the workout. "That's my understanding. Really happy to have him out here. He's a great player."

Gruden also said it appears Brown has put his frostbitten feet behind him ... saying he's under the impression AB is healthy and ready to go.

But, AB is still holding out hope he can switch back to his old helmet ... a source close to Brown confirmed with TMZ Sports on Monday that Brown has filed a new grievance with the league to try to get his old helmet cleared for at least the 2019 season.

Unclear when an independent arbitrator is set to hear Brown's case vs. the league, but NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported it's supposed to be "expedited."

Jimmy Garoppolo sucked on the field Monday night ... but Jerry Rice is giving the NFL star his unwavering support ... going to Twitter to defend the QB with a hilarious fail as bad as Jimmy's performance.

The 49ers signal-caller went 1 for 6 with 0 yards and an INT in his first game back since suffering a season-ending ACL injury in Week 3 last season ... resulting in an incredibly bad 0.0 QB rating.

But, don't freak out, fans ... the G.O.A.T. is here to make everything better!!!

"Relax everyone jimmy G . will be fine this year!!! Go miners" the G.O.A.T. tweeted.

Yes. Miners.

Hey, we all know Rice meant well after the team's $137 million man stunk it up, but the fumble on the vote of confidence is hilariously ironic.

As sure as Jimmy G will get to see another game, Rice got another shot at the tweet (which was deleted) ... and got it right the 2nd time around.