NFL

Quinton Aaron -- the man who played Michael Oher in "The Blind Side" -- is furious with those clamoring for Sandra Bullock to lose her Oscar over the new Oher drama ... telling TMZ Sports the actress has absolutely nothing to do with any of it.

The cry for Bullock to be stripped of the award gained steam on X on Tuesday ... with a bunch of users on the app saying following Oher's claims that Leigh Anne Tuohy lied to him and exploited him -- the woman who played her in "The Blind Side" should now face punishment.

As crazy as the opinion sounds -- the cries grew louder and louder throughout the day ... but Aaron told us he hopes all of that dies down quickly.

"To make a statement like that doesn't make any sense," Aaron said. "Sandra Bullock didn't have anything to do with the real story that we're reading as of right now."

Of course, Bullock earned the honor back in 2010 ... after she played the role of Aaron's fictitious mom in the 2009 hit flick. And, Aaron says she couldn't have been more deserving of the praise at the time.

"She gave a brilliant performance," Aaron said. "And that shouldn't be tarnished for something that had nothing to do with her."

Aaron also spoke with us about all of the new allegations surrounding the Tuohys ... and while he said he hasn't talked to them since the movie came out, he didn't get a vibe that anything nefarious was happening with regards to their relationship with Oher.

"I got a good sense from all of them," he said. "They were real cool to me."

As for where things stand now with the Tuohys and Oher ... it's all gotten super ugly, as the family has now accused the former football player of trying to shake them down for $15 million.

Aaron Rodgers is used to dropping jaws with his arm, but at a recent Jets team meeting, he was the one in awe -- absolutely awestruck over a wild magic trick that featured a real, live goldfish!

The guys over at "Hard Knocks" dropped the footage of the hocus pocus in a teaser for this week's episode of the hit show ... revealing Rodgers and his teammates were enthralled by some sleight of hand from famed mentalist Oz Pearlman.

In the clip, you can see Pearlman asking Rodgers to pick one of his favorite cards after going through a deck of 52 ... before he correctly guesses the quarterback had taken the three of diamonds.

But, the trick didn't stop there, because he then asks New York safeties coach Marquand Manuel what animal he had been thinking of earlier in the trick.

"A goldfish? Seriously?" Pearlman asks. "I got you. Look in your hands, Aaron."

Sure enough, Rodgers was then holding a goldfish in a clear case ... rather than the deck of cards he had believed he was fondling.

The trick baffled Rodgers -- as well as everyone else in the room, who all screamed out in shock.

The Tuohy family says before Michael Oher made "outlandish," "hurtful" and "absurd" claims about them in court on Monday ... he actually tried to shake them down for $15 MILLION.

Marty Singer -- the Tuohy family attorney -- said it all happened recently ... and, what's worse, he claimed this is not the first time Oher has done this.

Singer -- in a lengthy statement to TMZ Sports -- said Oher came to the Tuohys prior to filing his 14-page petition in Shelby County, Tenn. ... and threatened them, saying if they didn't pony up an eight-figure check, he'd "plant a negative story about them in the press."

Singer denied all of the allegations in Oher's court filing ... explaining that Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy absolutely did not trick the former NFL star into getting into a conservatorship when he was 18 years old as he had claimed.

The conservatorship "was established to assist with Mr. Oher’s needs, ranging from getting him health insurance and obtaining a driver’s license to helping with college admissions," Singer said. "Should Mr. Oher wish to terminate the conservatorship, either now or at anytime in the future, the Tuohys will never oppose it in any way."

As for Oher's claims that the Tuohys used the conservatorship to broker a movie deal with Fox behind Oher's back that netted them millions -- while leaving Oher with nothing -- Singer said that was BS as well.

"The notion that a couple worth hundreds of millions of dollars would connive to withhold a few thousand dollars in profit participation payments from anyone -- let alone from someone they loved as a son -- defies belief," Singer said.

Instead, the attorney claimed Tuesday the Tuohys had "received a small advance from the production company and a tiny percentage of net profits" from "The Blind Side" ... money Singer said the Tuohys have always either shared with Oher or have tried to share with the former Baltimore Ravens tackle.

"Over the years, the Tuohys have given Mr. Oher an equal cut of every penny received from 'The Blind Side,'" Singer said. "Even recently, when Mr. Oher started to threaten them about what he would do unless they paid him an eight-figure windfall, and, as part of that shakedown effort refused to cash the small profit checks from the Tuohys, they still deposited Mr. Oher’s equal share into a trust account they set up for his son."

Singer continued, "Unbeknownst to the public, Mr. Oher has actually attempted to run this play several times before – but it seems that numerous other lawyers stopped representing him once they saw the evidence and learned the truth. Sadly, Mr. Oher has finally found a willing enabler and filed this ludicrous lawsuit as a cynical attempt to drum up attention in the middle of his latest book tour."

Singer added the Tuohys are "heartbroken" over it all and they hope to reconcile with Oher soon ... though "they will not hesitate to defend their good names, stand up to this shakedown and defeat this offensive lawsuit."

The woman involved in the car crash that killed Alex Collins on Sunday night was "hysterical" after the wreck ... telling cops she did not realize the force of the collision had sent the former NFL star into her vehicle.

"I can't find him!" she can be heard saying in the 911 audio, obtained by TMZ Sports.

The call was placed just a few minutes after Collins' motorcycle had collided with the woman's SUV at around 10:20 PM in Lauderdale Lakes, Fla.

The woman told dispatch that Collins had "hit me from behind" ... though she was frantic -- because she had no idea where his body had gone after the crash had occurred.

"I'm trying to look to see where he is," she said.

Minutes later, bystanders can be heard in the background of the call telling her Collins was in her car -- screaming at her to open the vehicle's door ASAP.

As we reported, authorities eventually pronounced Collins dead at the scene. He was just 28 years old.

The NFL community mourned his passing on Monday ... with his former teammates Russell Wilson, Geno Smith and Robert Griffin III all honoring him with tribute posts on their social media pages.

Others around the league -- including Tyler Lockett, Jimmy Graham and Marlon Humphrey -- sent their condolences as well.

"Always quick to greet everyone with a smile, he was a genuinely kind person who carried a special joy and passion wherever he went," said Collins' former team, the Baltimore Ravens. "May Alex always be remembered for the light and love he brought to so many people in his life."

Images from the Alex Collins crash scene are horrifying ... showing the ex-NFL running back's motorcycle and the SUV that it ran into were completely mangled following the collision.

The former Baltimore Ravens star was killed in the accident on Sunday night ... after authorities say his 2004 Suzuki GSX-R600K bike collided with the side of a 2002 Chevrolet Suburban that had appeared to turn in front of him on a busy road in Lauderdale Lakes, Fla. at around 10:20 PM.

According to the Broward County Sheriff's Office, the wreck was so violent, Collins was thrown from his motorcycle ... and later pronounced dead on the scene.

Video shot just moments after the impact shows both vehicles were completely destroyed ... with Collins' bike left in pieces in the middle of the street.

Officials say the circumstances surrounding the crash are still under investigation ... though they added the driver of the SUV did remain on scene and was cooperative.

Collins was picked by the Seahawks in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft ... and went on to have a solid career for both Seattle and Baltimore. In his five seasons with the two teams, he piled up 1,997 rushing yards and 18 rushing TDs. He added 467 receiving yards on 59 catches as well.

After leaving the NFL following the 2021 season, Collins attempted to resurrect his football career in the USFL -- signing with the Memphis Showboats earlier this year.

He was just 28 years old.

Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann's marriage is one big rollercoaster ride -- we're told their ongoing money struggles are still taking a toll, making for some pretty bad days as they attempt to stay together.

Sources close to the couple tell TMZ ... Kim and Kroy's steep financial troubles -- which they still won't publicly address -- are putting a lot of pressure on them. We're told they'll be fine one day, and then at each other's throats the next.

Our sources also say there's an equal amount of blame being thrown around their household -- you'll recall, they allegedly owe $1M to the IRS, and they've been sued by companies like Target and BMW for being behind on payments.

We're told there's still a lot of finger-pointing going on, even though they withdrew the divorce.

As for their 4 kids, we're told they're seeing everything going down ... especially because a lot of their recent blowups have been happening inside their home.

However, our sources say Kim and Kroy do want their marriage to work, and they're trying their best to keep it alive amid their ongoing drama.

Alex Collins, a running back who played five seasons in the National Football League, is dead.

The Baltimore Ravens, one of Alex's former NFL teams, announced his death Monday ... it's unclear when he died, ditto for the cause of death.

Alex had his two best NFL seasons with the Ravens in 2017 and 2018, and the team is remembering him "for the light and love he brought to so many people in his life."

The Ravens say Alex was "quick to greet everyone with a smile, a genuinely kind person who carried a special joy and passion wherever he went."

The Seattle Seahawks, the team that selected Alex in the 2016 NFL Draft out of Arkansas, says the franchise is "absolutely heartbroken" by his death.

Alex had two stints with the Seahawks ... he played with Seattle as a rookie in 2016 and then returned to the club for the 2020 and 2021 NFL seasons.

Overall, Alex played in 50 NFL games ... racking up 1,997 rushing yards, 467 receiving yards and 19 total touchdowns.

Alex was out of pro football altogether in 2022 before signing this year with the Memphis Showboats of the United States Football League, ending the season on injured reserve.

He was 28.

Sean Tuohy is firing back at Michael Oher ... calling BS on all of the former NFL star's "insulting" allegations -- while insisting he and his family made little money off of the success of "The Blind Side."

The 63-year-old -- who was played by Tim McGraw in the 2009 hit movie -- said he was "devastated" to learn that Oher had accused him and his wife, Leigh Anne, of exploiting him for fame and money in a court filing in Tennessee on Monday morning.

Tuohy told the Daily Memphian he never tricked Oher into getting into a conservatorship ... and he certainly didn't make millions off of it either.

Instead, Tuohy said the whole ordeal went down because the NCAA told him if Oher wanted to attend Ole Miss -- he'd have to be considered part of the family due to Touhy's status as a "booster" at the school.

"I sat Michael down and told him, 'If you're planning to go to Ole Miss -- or even considering Ole Miss -- we think you have to be part of the family,'" Tuohy said. "'This would do that, legally.'"

He continued, "We contacted lawyers who had told us that we couldn't adopt over the age of 18; the only thing we could do was to have a conservatorship. We were so concerned it was on the up-and-up that we made sure the biological mother came to court."

Tuohy then said he'd "of course" end the conservatorship if that's what Oher wanted.

As for the allegations that Tuohy used the conservatorship to negotiate a big movie deal with Fox that netted massive profits for him and his family ... Tuohy said that just simply never happened.

"We didn’t make any money off the movie," Tuohy said. "Well, Michael Lewis ['The Blind Side' book author] gave us half of his share. Everybody in the family got an equal share, including Michael. It was about $14,000, each."

Tuohy says he was in no need of cash after he had sold his fast-food franchises for over $200 million.

"I will say it’s upsetting that people would think I would want to make money off any of my children," he said.

Tuohy also told the outlet his family and Oher had remained very close in the years after the release of "The Blind Side" ... though he began to notice a schism forming about a year and a half ago.

Ezekiel Elliott's got a new home and a new number ... the former Dallas Cowboys star said Monday he's signing with New England -- and he'll wear No. 15 when he gets there!!

Elliott announced the move on his X page just minutes ago ... writing, "One Five, all the way live ! @Patriots."

Adam Schefter reports Zeke's getting a 1-year deal with his new team that could be worth up to $6 million.

The tailback had been one of the best runners in the league after Dallas took him with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft -- leading the NFL in rushing yards twice and earning three Pro Bowl selections.

His production, though, waned over the past couple years ... and following Tony Pollard's emergence as a lead back in the 2022 season -- the Cowboys parted ways with Elliott this past offseason.

But the 28-year-old seems very open to the new start -- he even revealed Monday he's going back to the short hairdo he rocked during his rookie year in Dallas for the occasion.

Shocking allegations from Michael Oher ... the former offensive lineman says the family who took him in, helped him become an NFL star and was later portrayed in the hit movie "The Blind Side," lied to him, never adopted him and screwed him out of potentially millions of dollars.

The ex-Baltimore Ravens tackle spelled out the eyebrow-raising claims in a petition filed in Shelby County, Tenn. on Monday ... alleging Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy "exploited" him "for their own benefit" after realizing he was a "gullible young man" with athletic talent.

Oher says he initially got involved with the Tuohys during the summer following his junior year of high school ... after he claimed "a broken social system" in Tennessee left him homeless and in need of aid.

In the docs, Oher says the couple invited him to stay in their home often during that summer to help him out, and took him on shopping trips where they'd buy him clothes. Eventually, before his senior year started, he says they asked him to move in with them.

"The Tuohys did tell Michael they loved him and that they intended to legally adopt him," Oher said in the documents. "Michael believed them, was delighted to be part of a real and stable family, and trusted Mr. and Mrs. Tuohy completely."

A short time later, however, Oher says the Tuohys pulled one over on him.

In the docs, the former football player -- who's now 37 years old -- claims the Tuohys presented him with legal papers that he believed were needed to begin the process of the family adopting him. Instead, however, he says he just learned in February 2023 that they were actually a petition to appoint them as his conservators -- a filing that would allow the Tuohys to "have total control over Michael Oher's ability to negotiate for or enter any contract, despite the fact he was over 18 years of age and had no diagnosed physical or psychological disabilities."

Oher claims the conservatorship then allowed the Tuohys to negotiate a deal with Fox for "The Blind Side," the '09 flick based on Oher's life.

Oher says the Tuohys got themselves and their kids -- but not him -- "a contract price of $225,0000 plus 2.5% of all future 'defined net proceeds.'" The movie -- in which Sandra Bullock won an Oscar for her portrayal of Leigh Anne Tuohy -- ended up grossing over $300 million.

Oher claims as part of the deal with Fox, a contract giving away the rights to his story without any form of payment whatsoever, was signed. Oher says he "at no time ever willingly or knowingly signed this document and that nobody" ever made him aware of what the document actually entailed.

Oher is asking for a judge to end the conservatorship. He's also asking for damages ... as well as an accounting of the money the Touhys made through contracts negotiated on his behalf. It all appears to be potentially a precursor to a lawsuit.

Oher -- who's previously been critical of "The Blind Side" over the way he feels he was wrongly portrayed as dumb -- played in the NFL from 2009 to 2016 ... starting 110 games in his career.

Jalen Hurts continues to win on and off the field ... after leading his team to the Super Bowl and signing a contract extension worth $250+ million, the Eagles' superstar QB just inked a deal with Jordan Brand!

Jordan revealed the partnership on social media on Monday morning, writing ... "Before anyone ever had an opinion, @jalenhurts had a purpose. Welcome to the Family."

Jalen was rocking the Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 Low sneaker for the announcement ... the first of many shoes the Pro Bowler will surely spotlight over the years.

The 25-year-old now joins fellow QBs Dak Prescott and Bryce Young as the other signal callers repping the Jumpman logo ... while guys like Davante Adams, Deebo Samuel and Cam Jordan are also signed to the label.

Although the former Oklahoma star is newly signed to Jordan, the Eagles captain wore player-exclusive Jordans for all of last season, including during Philly's 2022 playoffs run.

Hurts put up career highs across the board last year, throwing for 3,701 yards and 22 touchdowns, while also rushing for 13 scores.

Jalen finished second in the 2022 Most Valuable Player award voting.

Patrick Mahomes and his wife, Brittany, went for a not-so-wild on a mechanical bull earlier this summer -- and based on the video we got of them on this thing ... you can tell the owners of the joint wanted to protect their QB.

The Chiefs star and his crew were at PBR Big Sky in Kansas City way back in early June -- for a charity event that a lot of celebs were involved in at the time -- and while hanging out ... it seems Pat and Brit got a little courage in them, wanting to mount the fake bull.

Check out these clips, obtained by TMZ, that shows the couple riding it together ... Brittany up front, and Patty in the back. As you can tell, it wasn't going too hard whatsoever -- these mechanical bulls can mess people up -- but that was far from the case here. Nice and easy!

Still, PM fell off first ... and it wasn't long after that Brittany went flying too. Again, it's pretty clear the operators of the bull weren't trying to bust them up ... they are KC royalty, after all.

At another point in the night ... Patrick got on there by himself, and there too he was smooth sailing. Probably a good call to go light on the big fella -- not only does he have pressure to win another Super Bowl (after snatching one last year) but he's gonna be the face of the franchise for years to come. No sense in causing a collar bone break in August. 😅

David Montgomery and his girlfriend's offseason move to Detroit didn't get off to an auspicious start ... TMZ Sports has learned one of the couple's dogs was involved in a bloody biting incident just days after the new Lions running back got settled into his new Michigan home.

According to police documents, officers were called out to Montgomery's new Grosse Pointe Shores residence on June 4 ... after his and his GF's pitbull mix, Lola, was accused of escaping the house and attacking a smaller dog on the sidewalk.

In police body cam footage from the scene ... Montgomery's girlfriend -- Tatum Causey -- can be heard explaining to officers that she was in the backyard when she realized her pooch had gotten out.

"I go inside, literally opened the door and I said, 'Anybody see Lola?'" she told an officer at the scene. "So, I'm looking in the backyard for her -- she normally stays right in the backyard -- but when I walk out, I see my brother carrying her."

The owners of the dog who claimed Lola bit their pup said in an incident report that during the attack, Lola grabbed their animal's leg and would not let go.

"I heard our dog's leg break," one of the complainants wrote in the documents.

The owners said they suffered bite wounds and lacerations of their own during the attack. They added that their pup was diagnosed by the vet with two leg fractures. They also claimed it required stitches.

Causey -- who has a child with Montgomery -- was charged with misdemeanor harboring a vicious dog over the incident ... though court records show she pleaded not guilty to the count at a hearing in late June. The records show she's due for another hearing on the matter in September.

As for Lola, Causey shared an emotional tribute post to the dog one month after the biting incident that seemed to indicate the animal had passed away.

"So many quiet days just filled with your unconditional love," she wrote on the IG post. "You are and always will be the best. My soul dog, I love you forever and ever my Lola Bear."

Damar Hamlin is back on the football field, in a playing capacity, for the first time since his life-threatening cardiac arrest incident earlier this year ... and he's looking like his old self.

The Bills safety hit the gridiron Saturday for Buffalo during a preseason game, in which he appeared for just a little bit of time ... a couple possessions, but in that time he was able to show off his talent and, more importantly, that he's ready for NFL-caliber play again.

From what we could see, there was no hesitancy in Damar's intensity -- and he certainly wasn't shying away from tackles ... something he's expected to do a lot of as a safety.

Like we said ... DH didn't play for long, but it was a huge milestone to see him back in uniform and in a real game, making his months-long comeback complete. Based on his performance this weekend, it's likely he'll be playing regularly this upcoming season.

As for the team itself, they knew how big of a moment this was ... and suggested as much with a clip they posted, showing Damar taking the field/being embraced by his teammates.

It's been a long road to recovery, but it's one Damar has taken in stride. With the help and encouragement of his loved ones, his teammates and, of course, medical professionals ... he's been slowly getting back into playing shape -- and finally got the all-clear, too.

Considering his heart had to be restarted after taking a hit in a game against Cincinnati -- it's kind of a miracle that he's here today, let alone playing the same game at the same level.

Busy 24 hours for Tom Brady -- the retired NFL superstar was swarmed by fans at a local pub while supporting his new English soccer team on Saturday ... but first, he took his daughter to a BLACKPINK concert in the States.

TB12 was among the Blinks for the K-pop group's sold-out show at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Friday ... with one fan snapping a shot of the seven-time Super Bowl champ soaking in the experience.

Brady admitted he was a bit out of his element at the show ... joking on X that the image was, "the most 'dad takes his daughter and her friends to a concert' picture ever taken 😂😂😂."

But before the quarterback could get "DDU-DU DDU-DU" out of his head, the guy was already hopping across the pond to catch Birmingham City's matchup against Leeds United ... and fans went bonkers when he showed up at a watering hole near St. Andrew's.

Brady's appearance at the pub was met with singing and cheering ... and it's clear he was loving every second of it.

TB12 got the VIP treatment at the match (as he should, he owns part of the organization) ... greeting kids on the field and enjoying the contest from a suite.

As we previously reported, Brady joined forces with the football club earlier this month ... becoming chairman of the advisory board.

Brady's presence might've brought the Blues some good luck ... 'cause Birmingham City ran away with the 1-0 win.

Former NFL star Fred Smoot was arrested in Virginia on Thursday, TMZ Sports has learned.

According to jail records, the ex-Washington Commanders cornerback was taken into custody at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center at 10:58 AM ... and as of Friday morning, he remained behind bars.

A spokesperson for Loudoun County Sheriff's Office tells us ... he was booked misdemeanor failure to comply with support obligation.

Further details surrounding the arrest were not made available.

Smoot -- a second-round pick in the 2001 NFL Draft -- is no stranger to trouble with the law ... he's been arrested multiple times over the years, including back in 2019 when he multiple cops put him in cuffs after he allegedly didn't appear in court over minor traffic violations.

Smoot was also famously involved in the 2005 Minnesota Vikings' "Love Boat" scandal ... where a bunch of players were accused of hiring prostitutes for a massive sex party on water. He later pled guilty to disorderly conduct and being a public nuisance on a watercraft stemming from the incident.