TMZ Sports - Page 50

Buffalo Bills rookie running back Devin Singletary says TWO legendary running backs have been giving him the secrets to success in the NFL ... and he's telling all to TMZ Sports.

After Devin balled out on Sunday -- 140 yards from scrimmage and a TD -- teammate Frank Gore brought over Adrian Peterson to give him some postgame love.

22-year-old Singletary -- a 3rd-round pick out of FAU -- says Peterson not only gave him career advice but offered to be a mentor. Devin tells us how the conversation went down, it's pretty cool.

In fact, we reached out to Peterson ... who told us he's made it his mission to help out young players to pass along the help he got when he first got to the league.

"I’m what [LaDainian Tomlinson] and Terrell Davis were to me," Peterson says, "The players I grew up watching and admiring."

But, the player who's clearly had the biggest impact on Singletary so far is his Bills teammate, Frank Gore ... who's taken the kid under his wing in a big way.

Singletary says Gore isn't only setting the BEST possible example when it comes to work ethic -- but has gone out of his way to help the rookie get better.

In other words, it ain't no Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers situation in Buffalo -- Gore is trying to set Devin up for longterm success.

Cam Newton's backup is showing love for the superstar QB after heading to injured reserve for the rest of the season ... with Kyle Allen praising Cam for being a great leader, despite his challenges.

The 30-year-old had been dealing with a nagging foot injury since the preseason ... and his 2019 campaign officially came to an end on Tuesday when the Panthers placed him on IR.

Allen -- who has done a solid job in 6 games without Newton -- showed major love for #1 following the news, saying "I watched this man do everything in his power to come back from his injury."

"I watched him lead and be a great teammate day in day out. Thank you for setting the example. We got you."

Newton clearly appreciated the statement and responded with a nice comment saying, "Here for you my killa!!"

Of course, there have been rumblings that Carolina could part ways ⁣with Cam after this season ... given he's due at least $18 million in 2020 if he's on the roster. If the Panthers cut Newton, they'd be able to free up a bunch of cap space.

Washington Nationals catcher Kurt Suzuki tells TMZ Sports he had a BLAST at the White House with President Trump ... even with that bizarre hug from POTUS!

You know the hug ... when Trump basically recreated that famous "Titanic" shot with the catcher while honoring the World Series champs earlier this week. Weird!

"We all had a good time," 36-year-old Suzuki said ... while revealing he had no idea Trump was going to hit him with the sneak embrace!

There was some controversy surrounding the trip -- a handful of Nationals players (including Sean Doolittle, Anthony Rendon, Joe Ross and Javy Guerra) refused to attend the White House ceremony as a way of protesting Trump.

And, since Suzuki rocked a red MAGA hat during the ceremony, we asked if there is now a divide among the players.

"I love all my teammates, brother," Suzuki told us ... noting that he had a great time with the teammates who joined him at 1600 Penn.

We asked Suzuki if he planned on wearing his MAGA again in the future and he told us, "I'll be wearing my Washington Nationals hat."

"It was more dancing and let's see how cool we can be, let's see how many friends we can be with the players ... MAN, F'*CK THAT!"

That's ex-Florida State star Travis Johnson -- a 1st-round pick in the '05 NFL Draft -- explaining why Willie Taggart DESERVED to be fired from FSU after only 21 games.

"I don't want you [to be] friends with my players! I don't wanna be friends with him. I'm supposed to uphold discipline. I'm supposed to uphold order!"

Yeah, 37-year-old Johnson -- who's still very involved and passionate about FSU football -- says he was excited FSU pulled the trigger on Taggart, but he didn't always want it to end this way.

"You know how hard it is for black coaches throughout college football and throughout the NFL, you want him to be successful," Travis said ... but after the way the Seminoles were losing games, Travis said, "I'm happy we got rid of him."

Now, Johnson says FSU has a chance to make a real splash on the college football scene by spending real money on a big-time coach ... and he likes Bob Stoops.

But, it's not just about bringing in the former Oklahoma head coach, Johnson says it's IMPERATIVE Bob brings in a staff of assistants that get the most out of the players.

Chargers owner Dean Spanos is LIVID over a report that says his team is exploring a full-time move to London ... telling media the article is "f**king bulls**t!"

"It's total f**king bulls**t, OK?" Spanos said Tuesday. "We're not going to London. We're not going anywhere. We're playing in Los Angeles. This is our home. This is where I'm planning to be for a long f**king time. Period."

The Athletic posted a story on Monday saying NFL sources told the outlet the league is considering the possibility of relocating the Chargers from L.A. to London full time.

But, Spanos called immediate BS on that in a no-cameras-allowed meeting with media Tuesday ... saying, "We plan to be in L.A. for a long f**king time. That was bulls**t, that story."

Of course, the Chargers famously moved from San Diego to L.A. back in 2017 ... but they haven't exactly been welcomed with a warm embrace by the city.

Their games are regularly packed with opposing fans ... and at one point earlier this season, Chargers players were mad at the way team officials handled playing an opponents' rallying song on the jumbotron mid-game.

Because of that ... The Athletic's report seemed to have some teeth -- but Spanos could not have shot it down harder in a heated rant.

In fact, the Chargers' Twitter account even backed its owner with a hilarious post ... throwing up the famous clip of Leonardo DiCaprio in "The Wolf Of Wall Street" telling his employees "I'm not f**kin' leaving!"

Michael Vick is still riding STRONG with Baker Mayfield -- telling TMZ Sports he believes the Browns QB can still turn things around ... IF HE THROWS TO ODELL!!

"Baker's my dude," Vick says ... "Just keep pluggin'. All the outside noise, you're gonna get that. You gotta be mentally tough at the quarterback position."

Of course, Mayfield's come under fire lately because ... to put it simply ... the Browns are back to being the Browns, with a lackluster 2-6 record.

And, Baker's been getting crushed in the media for his stat line -- 7 TDs and 12 INTs -- having only thrown to Odell during Red Zone opportunities 3 TIMES this year!

"At the end of the day, he gotta throw the ball to Odell Beckham," Vick says.

FYI, Beckham was so frustrated with the situation in CLE, he reportedly said after the Broncos game, "I can’t get the ball to save my life."

But, it's clear in our video, Vick isn't turning on the QB -- he still thinks Baker is the key to the future in Cleveland.

"He's got a long career ahead of him. Gotta start winning more than losing."

Colby Covington's support for President Trump has turned into an all-out bromance with POTUS' son ... 'cause Donald Trump Jr. says he considers the UFC star a good friend!!

Of course, the Trump family has been frequenting UFC events lately -- Trump Jr. and Eric were Covington's personal guests to his fight against Robbie Lawler in Aug. ... and they both attended UFC 244 last weekend with #45 himself.

As for Colby, he's been invited to 1600 Penn ... and even snapped a pic with Trump in the Oval Office.

So, when we saw DTJ out in NYC on Tuesday, we had to ask about the UFC megafight -- and if he'd ever consider walking a fighter out to the Octagon.

"I'd go out with Colby," Trump Jr. told us ... "He's become a good friend. There's a lot of great fighters out there but Colby's become a friend."

He might get his wish soon ... Colby is set to fight Kamaru Usman for the UFC welterweight championship at UFC 245 on Dec. 14 at the T-Mobile Arena in Vegas.

In fact, Colby put Don Jr.'s new book "Triggered" front and center at the official UFC 245 press conference last week to announce the fight. He also rocked his signature red MAGA hat.

Ex-New York Giants star Chris Canty ain't jumping off the Daniel Jones hype train just yet ... telling TMZ Sports he still thinks DJ's the future of the G-Men!!

"My man, Danny Dimes, is going to be all right!!" Canty says.

Daniel looked pretty whatever since his electric debut against the Buccaneers earlier this year ... and against the Cowboys on "Monday Night Football," his three turnovers cost his team a chance at a win.

But, when we got Canty out in NYC on Tuesday morning ... he told us he's still riding with the rookie QB, saying, "I think he's the next franchise quarterback for Big Blue."

Of course, there are a lot of people who are starting to doubt that ... Jones is just 1-5 since his 1st start in Tampa Bay -- and, overall, he's got 9 fumbles and 8 interceptions in just 7 starts.

Daniel himself has admitted he needs to play better ... saying after the Giants' 37-18 loss to the Cowboys, "Anytime you turn the ball over, it's costly to the team, so I gotta work on that."

NBA rising star John Collins has been suspended without pay for 25 games after the Hawks power forward tested positive for an illegal growth hormone ... the league announced Tuesday.

The 22-year-old stud violated the league's anti-drug policy after getting flagged for growth hormone-releasing peptide 2 ...  which increases food intake and appetite, according to studies.

Collins is the 3rd player this season to get popped for violating the league's anti-drug policy ... joining Brooklyn's Wilson Chandler and Phoenix Suns star DeAndre Ayton.

Collins addressed the test results in a statement to ESPN saying he plans to appeal the punishment.

"First I want to apologize to my teammates, the Hawks organization, our fans, partners and community as a whole for this situation."

"I understand the impact this matter has on what we are trying to achieve together this season, and I am incredibly frustrated and disappointed in myself for putting all us in this position."

"I have always been incredibly careful about what I put in my body, but I took a supplement, which unbeknownst to me, had been contaminated with an illegal component."

Collins -- the 19th overall pick in the 2017 draft out of Wake Forest -- has been averaging 17 points and 8 rebounds for ATL this season.

Dana White is a HUGE fan of boxing superstar Tyson Fury -- but tells TMZ Sports he thinks the Gypsy King would get "smashed" if he's serious about fighting in the UFC.

Fury has been very vocal lately about wanting to take a stab at MMA -- and says Conor McGregor has personally offered to train him up.

So, when we spoke with UFC honcho Dana White, we asked if there was a possibility the two could work out a deal to get Fury in the Octagon.

"Listen, anything's possible," White tells us ... "If Tyson Fury wants to fight in MMA, I've got a ton of guys that would love to fight him. I just don't know why."

White says Fury is an "incredible fighter" -- but he's one of the top heavyweight boxers in the world and should stick with that sport to make as much money as possible.

"Promoted the right way. [Fury] could be a part of 3 or 4 of the biggest fights in heavyweight [boxing] history. Why come over and get smashed when you could stay there?"

But, there is ONE boxing champ White says he'd love to see in the UFC -- Claressa Shields.

Shields is undefeated and has WRECKED every woman who has stepped in the ring with her. She recently told us she's begun MMA training and wants to take a fight in 2020.

"I understand Shields wanting to come over here," White said ... noting top female UFC fighter are making way more money than top female boxers.

"Yes, I'm definitely interested in that. If you look at [Shields], she's the best in boxing and I have the G.O.A.T. I have the greatest female fighter of all time right now in Amanda Nunes."

Claressa has said she'd LOVE a superfight with Nunes -- but needs time to work on her ground game first.

Jermaine Whitehead has now seen the error of his and has apologized for threatening to shoot and kill fans on social media.

Oh, and the apology comes 24 hours after he was cut by the Cleveland Browns.

In a statement that essentially reads "please, somebody hire me" -- the 26-year-old defensive back tries desperately to show remorse for the aggressive Twitter rant that got him suspended online and fired from his job.

"I would like to take this opportunity to apologize for my actions following our game with Denver," Whitehead said.

"That was totally out of character for me. I do not justify my actions, but was extremely frustrated with the way I had played and our team losing because of it. I was playing with a broken hand, but that is no excuse for my actions, and I am deeply regretful."

Remember, minutes after the Browns lost to the Denver Broncos ... Whitehead went on social media and began clapping back at his critics.

"Imma kill you bitch ... that's on blood," he told one guy.

"Don't get shot at lil bitch ... can you whoop my ass .. .f*ck football .. let me know when you need the address," he told another.

When one fan asked for Whitehead's address, the NFL player gave out the address to the Cleveland Browns facility in Ohio.

The Browns cut him first thing Monday morning and now Whitehead is trying to find a new job. Hence the apology ...

"I want to personally apologize to anyone who I offended, especially those who I was responsive to on Twitter. My choice of words did not reflect who I am, but only what I was feeling."

"Also, my sincerest apologies to my teammates, coaches, the Browns organization and most of all, the fans and kids that motivate me to even pursue this dream."

"Again I am deeply sorry for my unacceptable behavior, and I wish the Browns the best of luck in the future. I love you!"

Michael Bennett stood for the national anthem in his Dallas Cowboys debut Monday night ... this despite his long history of protesting during the pregame song.

Bennett -- a strong Colin Kaepernick supporter who hasn't stood for the anthem since 2016 -- was spotted on the Cowboys sideline next to teammates with a towel around his shoulders just before kickoff.

When he was with the Seahawks, the star pass rusher sat on the bench while the anthem played ... and during his time with the Patriots this year, he just stayed in the locker room.

But both Jerry Jones and Jason Garrett made it clear last week after trading for Bennett that he was given specific instructions to do "what all of our players do" ... and seems MB got the memo.

As for Bennett's thoughts on it all ... we're still waiting for comment -- he's dodged reporters since his trade to Dallas and declined to speak again after the Cowboys' win over the Giants.

Anthem drama aside, MB was a STUD in his first game with his new team ... he recorded two tackles and a sack and got constant pressure on NY QB Daniel Jones all night.

"I thought he was really impactful in there," Jones told reporters after the game ... "He really is a great addition for us. I don’t use that word much, but he's a great addition."

LSU star QB Joe Burrow says it's "pretty cool" President Trump is coming to his big rivalry game Saturday against Alabama ... no matter what political party you belong to.

FYI, Trump's team has reportedly notified the University of Alabama that he'll attend Saturday's game at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa ... the 3rd big sporting event he'll attend in just a few weeks.

The game is huge -- LSU is ranked #1 and Bama is ranked #2.

Remember, Trump was booed at the World Series in D.C. and got a mixed welcome at UFC 244 in NYC.

So, when 22-year-old Burrow was asked how he felt about the Trump situation, you can tell he's wording his answer very carefully.

"Regardless of your political views, it's pretty cool having the President at the game," Burrow said.

"Doesn't matter if you're a Democrat or a Republican, President at the game is pretty cool."

President Trump is a big football fan -- he was an owner in the USFL back in the day and famously made an effort to buy the Buffalo Bills. He's also friendly with powerful football people, from Robert Kraft to Mike Leach, Ben Roethlisberger and Herschel Walker.

One of the biggest stars in gaming is calling for the company behind "Fortnite" to reconsider its LIFETIME ban on FaZe Jarvis ... telling TMZ Sports it's just unfair.

As we previously reported, 17-year-old Jarvis -- one of the top players in the world -- admitted to using aimbots (illegal software) to cheat at the game.

Epic Games immediately issued a lifetime ban against Jarvis -- and told TMZ Sports they have a "no tolerance" policy when it comes to cheaters.

So, when we saw KSI leaving the Belasco Theater in L.A. on Monday night, we asked if he thought Jarvis was getting a raw deal.

"He shouldn't have cheated, but yeah it's pretty harsh," KSI said ... "Hopefully it's not a lifetime ban."

"I'd love to see him come back."

KSI isn't the only gamer who feels that way -- there's been a backlash over the punishment from people who think a 1-strike rule for aimbots is just too severe ... especially since Jarvis isn't even a legal adult yet.

As for Jarvis, he made a video fessing up to cheating -- and begged for Epic Games to reconsider ... but the gaming company isn't budging.

Brooke Burke has moved on to a new man a little over a year after filing for divorce from her husband, David Charvet -- and she's already introducing him to her reality TV pals.

The model and actress was recently spotted at the brand new Nobu Hotel Los Cabos, where she arrived with her new man, Scott Rigsby. They were joined by a couple "Dancing with the Stars" pros who were there with their significant others.

Julianne Hough came out with her ex-hockey player hubby, Brooks Laich -- and her bro, Derek Hough, was on hand with his own GF, Hayley Erbert. The group of six laid out in style at the Nobu Hotel Los Cabos and enjoyed the facility's many amenities ... and trust, there's a lot ... gym, restaurant and more.

Photogs captured the 'DWTS' crew hitting up the gym, lounging out under their own cabanas and enjoying poolside margaritas. They even got couples massages!

We're told at one point, the dancing team actually met up with some other celebs staying at the resort -- Erika Christensen, Dania Ramirez and Mario Lopez.

As for Rigsby, he's a partner of LA-based real estate development company Redcar LTD.

Here's a fun way to escape your 1-7 teammates ...

Julio Jones ditched the Falcons during his squad's bye this weekend ... flying all the way out to the Bahamas to bro down with Roddy White for the ex-ATL star's birthday -- and it looked awesome!!!

The party went down at SLS Baha Mar in Nassau ... with White throwing a cool little get-together at the resort's swanky pool for his 38th.

There was bottle service, signs that spelled out "Roddy" ... and plenty of R&R for Julio before he had to get back to an Atlanta team with no hopes of the playoffs this season.

It's pretty cool that the two NFL studs are still good friends ... Jones and Roddy played together from 2011 to 2015 -- but shared a bond much bigger than just football.

Roddy was instrumental in helping Julio during his first few years in the league ... while 30-year-old Julio was later there for White to help him after he tragically lost his brother in 2014.

"Every day, he called me and checked up on me," White said of Julio at the time to NFL.com. "Asked me how I was doing, came down for the funeral, showed up at the house. You know, that was really, really special to me. I needed him to get through that."