YOUR FRIENDS' ACTIVITY

    Doug Farrar

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    Doug Farrar is the editor of Shutdown Corner, Yahoo! Sports’ NFL blog.

    • Titus Young's May 10 mug shot. (AP)

      The saga of former Detroit Lions receiver Titus Young rolls unmerrily along. Young, who participated in several criminal acts over the last few days, is currently on medical hold at the Central Men’s Jail in Santa Ana, Calif., pleaded not guilty to a total of eight criminal charges at a video arraignment on Tuesday. On May 5, Young was arrested for a DUI, and was arrested again later that day for trying to steal his car from the impound lot. And on May 10, he was charged with burglary, assaulting a police officer, and resisting arrest after he tried to break into a San Clemente, Calif. home and fought with police during a chase.

      In addition, the Detroit Free Press reports, Young is being charged with two additional felonies for a May 4 incident in which he stole candy, bottled water, and cigars from a Chevron station in Orange County. Farrah Emami, a spokesperson for the Orange County prosecutor’s office, said that Young first stole the candy and water, then returned to pilfer the cigars. He was not arrested at the time, but was identified at the scene. Emani said that each entrance into the store carries its own charge because he entered a commercial property with the intent to steal.

      According to the Free Press, Young faces a possible sentence of 7 1/2 years in prison, or more, if he is convicted of all charges. He could still face additional counts of DUI and felony burglary for the May 5 incidents. Recently, his bail was reduced from $75,000 to $25,000, and according to USA Today, Young's family is considering whether to put up that money.

      Based on Young's recent past, he might be better off in jail -- it's perfectly clear at this point that he has no ability to take care of himself.

      Read More »from Titus Young pleads not guilty on eight counts, could face over seven years in prison
    • (AP)

      Former Detroit Lions receiver Titus Young had a questionable history even before he was drafted in 2011, but the recent behavior that caused Young to be arrested three times in less than a week has his family wondering just who Titus Young is anymore. Young was first arrested twice on May 5 -- first for a DUI, and second, for trying to steal his own car from the impound lot. Then, he was charged with burglary, assaulting a police officer, and resisting arrest last Friday after he tried to break into a San Clemente, Calif. home and fought with police during a chase.

      [Related: Titus Young pleads not guilty, could face over seven years in prison]

      On the same day Young was arrested for the third time, he had breakfast with his father, Richard, and Young's father says that there was no indication his son was about to continue his crime spree.

      “We were really talking, and so I was loving it,” Richard Young told Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press on Monday. “We get home, and he said, ‘Daddy, I left my phone in the car. Can I get my phone?’ ’Cause usually I give my wife the key to hold the key, ’cause he’s not supposed to be driving. And I gave him the key, he sat in the car for a minute, and he took off and we ain’t seen him since.”

      Richard Young told the Free Press that his son had recently sought psychiatric treatment in Texas and California, and that he was planning to enter a facility to deal with his problems. Now, he's in the medical ward of the Central Men’s Jail in Santa Ana, and Richard Young is left to wonder just who his son has become.

      “I hope they just forgive Titus because this ain’t none of Titus, it wasn’t none of his fault. I look at my son right now, I don’t see my son. That’s not my son. I know my son. Titus is not the boy I really raised, I’m saying the way he acts, the way he intermix[es] in society right now. He shut down, he look[s] through you, it’s like he’s depressed. He don’t like to watch TV, he don’t like to get involved with music that much. And these are the things that you’ve got to know what’s going on in the world. Cause we in the world, you’ve got to have a relationship with the world. You’ve got to deal with people. I don’t know, but we’ve been trying to get him help.”

      In truth, Young has had a complicated relationship with the world for a while.

      Read More »from Titus Young’s father says, ‘That’s not my son,’ says concussions could play a part in criminal behavior
    • Ron Jaworski offers Tim Tebow an Arena League opportunity

      Tim Tebow and Ron Jaworski at the 2008 Maxwell Awards. (Getty Images)

      While the hullabaloo surrounding Tim Tebow's continued football unemployment seems to far exceed his actual NFL prospects at this point (we pretty much stopped paying attention when the Omaha Beef became involved), there's now one possible opportunity for the former first-round pick of the Denver Broncos and recent New York Jets cast-off. Former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst Ron Jaworski, who does the "NFL Matchup" show with our good buddy Greg Cosell, also co-owns the Philadelphia Soul Arena League team. And Jaws has reached out to Tebow with an interesting offer: Come play for my team, get your mechanics in order, and see where you can go from there.

      "If Tim Tebow decides he wants to play in the Arena Football League, I'd love to have him on the Philadelphia Soul," Jaworski told Philly.com. "I haven't heard back from him and I'm not going to push it. If he decides he wants to play Arena Football, we'll make a spot for him."

      Most people in sub-leagues want Tebow for the name recognition alone, but Jaworski is far more serious about the football aspects of a Tebow signing, if such a thing could happen. Jaws and Soul head coach Clint Dolezel went to the trouble of sending Tebow a list of plays in which he could be featured. Most were red zone plays, and at this point in time, Dan Raudabaugh would be the team's starting quarterback.

      But Jaws, who has forgotten more about quarterback play than most of us will ever know, is serious about the faster-paced arena game working wonders with Tebow's iffy passing mechanics.

      Read More »from Ron Jaworski offers Tim Tebow an Arena League opportunity
    • Colin Kaepernick and Chris Ault in 2010. (USAT Sports Images)

      The Pistol formation -- that backfield concept which has the quarterback lined up about four yards behind center and the halfback another three yards behind him -- took the NFL by storm in 2012. Between Robert Griffin III, Russell Wilson, and Colin Kaepernick, more quarterbacks were running Pistol more effectively than ever before. That formation was invented by former Nevada head coach Chris Ault in 2005, and forwarded by Ault with Kaepernick as his quarterback from 2007 through 2010. In the NFL, we first saw the Pistol in 2008, when Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Chan Gailey reacted to the loss of his starting and backup quarterbacks (Damon Huard and Brodie Croyle, respectively) by inserting third-stringer Tyler Thigpen in the lineup and running Pistol to a high degree of effectiveness for a few weeks.

      It took the rest of the league a while to catch up, but a handful of teams finally did. And now, the man responsible for that concept is also in the NFL. Ault, who retired from his position at Nevada in December of last year, has agreed to become an offensive consultant with the Kansas City Chiefs. Bob LaMonte, Ault's agent, confirmed the news to Dan Hinxman of RGJ.com.

      “I’m excited to have an opportunity like this,” the 66-year-old Ault said on Monday. "It’s an opportunity to get a feel for the NFL. [Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has] hired an experienced staff. The timing is exciting. I’m going to learn an awful lot about the NFL.”

      When asked whether he would be making more than the estimated $500,000 per season he was making at Nevada after 28 years there, Ault laughed and said that it wasn't about the money.

      “I told Coach Reid, ‘Whatever I can do to help you win a Super Bowl, I’ll do it.’”

      The Ault hire is interesting on a number of levels.

      Read More »from Chiefs hire Pistol formation Godfather Chris Ault as offensive consultant
    • Tavon Austin is learning that there's more to this NFL life than he imagined. (Getty Images)

      The adjustment process when one moves from high-caliber college player to NFL prospect trying to fit in is generally a tough one. With a few notable exceptions, even the best collegiate players need a settling-in period, and that has as much to do with the off-field stuff as it does with what Mr. Hot Shot will bring to his NFL team on game day.

      Former West Virginia receiver Tavon Austin, perhaps the NCAA's most dynamic offensive player in 2012, is learning that the NFL brings a few interesting realities to light. Specifically, the fact that money brings problems in the form of people wanting money ... and we're not talking about agents and the IRS.

      “Everybody expects a lot of things from you as far as money." Austin recently told the Rams' official website. "Everybody wants to be around you. My phone doesn’t stop ringing now. It feels like they’re counting my bank account now. So that’s probably the hardest thing for me right now, just people.

      [Also: Former Lions receiver Titus Young arrested for third time in a week]

      “I’ve got a lot of cousins now. The whole [city of] Baltimore is my cousin now. We’re going to just try to keep focused and let my mother and all of them handle it.”

      Si.com's Peter King spent draft weekend in the Rams' war room, and he reported in his latest Monday Morning Quarterback that while Austin was admired for bypassing the temptations he encountered on the mean streets of Baltimore, there was some concern in NFL circles that Austin's past, in the form of "hangers-on," might follow him to the pros, and even increase their presence once the money started to roll in. That's not a knock on Austin, who is a great kid by all accounts -- it's a simple truth for young NFL players. Once the cash piles up, you're going to receive "heartfelt" communiqués from people you hardly know.

      Read More »from Rams WR Tavon Austin learns that everyone wants your money when you’re in the NFL
    • Andy Reid sells off Eagles gear for charity in enormous garage sale

      Andy Reid in 2012, modeling those 5XL sideline pants. (Getty Images)

      If Andy Reid ever goes back to the Philadelphia Eagles for any reason, he's going to have to buy his swag all over again. Reid, who coached the Eagles from 1999 through 2012 and now does the same for the Kansas City Chiefs, held a memorabilia sale at Harriton High School in Rosemont, Penn., on Sunday. The sale was to benefit the school's football team and also Laurel House, a local anti-domestic violence agency.

      "We've got anything that we wore or collected over the last 14 seasons of Eagles gear," Reid's wife Tammy told Angelo Cataldi of WIP-AM. "You know, jackets, shorts, pants, tops, sweatpants, my rain boots, my cowboy boots that have Eagles on 'em. Everything's autographed and ready to go.

      "I had to sell all the green and silver and black stuff, you know? You gotta, 'Out with the old, in with the new.' Now, I'm red and gold."

      Indeed. And in case you missed the sale and would like to know what was on the blocks, we have some interesting pics after the jump, courtesy of WIP Promotions Director Chris Johnson.

      Read More »from Andy Reid sells off Eagles gear for charity in enormous garage sale
    • Jack Butler at his 2012 Pro Football Hall of Fame induction. (Getty Images)

      If you've ever watched college football tape with an analytical eye, written a scouting report, opined on the future prospects of a collegiate star, or spent any time in the throes in the ever-burgeoning draft analysis industry, you owe Jack Butler a debt of thanks. The former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back and longtime BLESTO director died on Saturday after a lengthy battle with a staph infection.

      Butler was inducted into the Hall in the 2012 class, based on a career with the Steelers that lasted from 1951 through 1959. He intercepted 52 passes in his career, and returned them for 827 yards and four touchdowns. All these years later, Butler's career total still ranks 26th all time.

      But it's what Butler did after a severe leg injury ended his career that really made his name as an NFL all-timer. He was the formative person behind the establishment of BLESTO (Bears, Lions, Eagles, Steelers Talent Organization), which was the first collective scouting service in the NFL, in 1963. Over time, BLESTO expanded to include many more teams, and when the pooling of scouting reports became more commonplace and a scouting combine was established to further analyze college players, Butler ran that as well. From 1963 through 2007, when he retired, Butler was the only Pittsburgh representative besides Josephine Harding, his secretary of 32 years.

      Butler would oversee Pittsburgh's scouting, hire scouts, train them in his method, and send them out to do their jobs and develop their acumen in their own ways. He was a key figure behind the incredible series of drafts that started in head coach Chuck Noll's first season of 1969 (with the selection of small-school defensive tackle Joe Greene) and ended in 1974 with what most people consider to be the finest single-team selction process in NFL history -- four Hall-of-Famers (Lynn Swann, Jack Lambert, John Stallworth, and Mike Webster) in one draft.

      Read More »from Jack Butler, Hall of Fame defensive back and scouting pioneer, dies at 85
    • Titus Young's most recent mug shot. (Orange County Sheriff's Department)

      Former NFL receiver Titus Young has squandered his talent -- that much is for sure. And at this point, a future in the NFL is least of his worries.

      Young, who was released by the Detroit Lions in February after a number of on-field and off-field incidents, was arrested on Friday and charged with burglary, assaulting a police officer, and resisting arrest. This happened after Young was reportedly seen breaking into a San Clemente, Calif. home. When officers arrived Friday night, Lt. Joe Balicki of the Orange County Sheriff's Department told the Detroit News, Young fled on foot and fought with police after he was pursued for a short time. There were no injuries in the fracas. He is being held on $75,000 bail.

      [Also: Trends in early fantasy football mock drafts]

      "He actually tried to fight with them,” Balicki told the Detroit Free Press. “But there were more deputies than him so they were able to subdue him without — I guess there were some punches thrown, but they were able to get him into handcuffs without too much damage.”

      On Sunday, May 5, Young was arrested twice in a 15-hour span in Southern California:

      Read More »from Former Lions receiver Titus Young arrested for the third time in a week after break-in
    • Christine Michael is putting his past behind him. (AP)

      RENTON, Wash. -- If there was any question as to the Seattle Seahawks' status as one of the buzzier teams in the NFL these days, that question was answered when the team took the field at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center for the first day of rookie minicamp on Friday. Not only was there a larger group of local media in attendance (including most of the local television stations), but All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman cruised up on a Jet Ski, rolling up a few feet from the grounds on nearby Lake Washington.

      “Was that Sherm? Cool,” head coach Pete Carroll said after practice. “I was surprised there weren't more guys. You might not have noticed, but I think Russell [Wilson] was up in the hills over there, peeking over the top, wanting to see what was going on.”

      Richard Sherman eggs his new teammates on from Lake Washington. (AP)

      Well, maybe. That's expected interest for a team seen to be among the top few in the league according to most pre-season polls, but the players looking to make an impact in this three-day camp came with more questions than answers.

      Read More »from Seahawks turn rookie camp into island of misfit toys … and cornerbacks on Jet Skis
    • Alfred Morris came out of nowhere to become an NFL star. (Getty Images)

      With rookie minicamps starting for so many teams through this weekend, there will be hundreds of young men new to the NFL who are convinced that the league sold them short. And every season, a few rise up from the rabble to become the new "How did THAT guy last THAT long in the draft?" stories. Perhaps the most glaring example that the 2012 draft was not an exact science came from former Florida Atlantic running back Alfred Morris, selected in the sixth round by the Washington Redskins. Morris ran for 3,506 yards and 27 touchdowns in three seasons for the Owls, but the team went 1-11 in his last year there, and 1-11 in the Sun Belt doesn't get you a lot of looks at the next level.

      But Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan, who had a bit of success with another sixth-round running back in Terrell Davis, took a shot, and off Morris went. After decent preseason performances against Buffalo and Chicago, he ran for 107 yards against the Colts, which had Shanahan thinking he'd seen enough. He told Morris that he'd be the starting halfback the day before the season opener against the New Orleans Saints, and that proved to be a wise decision. Morris ended his rookie campaign with a franchise-record 1,613 rushing yards on 335 carries, including a 200-yard, three-touchdown performance in the regular-season finale against the Dallas Cowboys that clinched Washington's first NFC East title since 1999. Quarterback Robert Griffin III was the marquee rookie, but Morris gave just as much with far less fanfare.

      So, when I spoke with Morris during his recent media blitz for a DirectTV sponsorship, I asked him what he'd tell this year's class of rookies who believe that they've been undersold for whatever reason.

      Morris had to come in through the back door, but no more. (Getty Images)"Don't go in with a chip on your shoulder -- at least, I couldn't have done it that way," he said. "Don't go in looking to prove anything. You just be who you've been since Day 1, and you'll catch their eye. Hard work pays off. You stay focused, you stay positive, and don't get down just because things didn't go the way you expected them to go. It's gonna be a grind, and when you get that opportunity, you make the most of it."

      It was a gradual process for Morris -- he started the preseason in competition with the usual battery of running backs, and ended it as the de facto man in charge.

      "As things progressed, I became a better ballplayer," he remembered. "My coaches were staying on me -- teaching me instead of just yelling at me. 'This is how you do it better,' and I became better. So, stay focused, and the hard work will pay off. I can definitely attest to that, because I busted my butt, and I came from nowhere, but I got an opportunity, and I made the most of it."

      Like most rookies who prove their worth beyond their draft position, Morris was never told by anyone in the league why he had to wait so long. There were 11 backs taken before him in the 2012 draft, and none of those players -- including third overall pick Trent Richardson -- came close to his productivity. Morris had a few dings on his scouting reports that really didn't make sense in retrospect. Some said that he didn't have the burst to hit the edge with authority, when he did that quite a bit in the NFL. Others questioned his ability to run quickly through one-cut gaps, which he did about as well as any back who's ever played in Shanahan's well-established zone-blocking system. And, of course, there's always the default small-school question.

      Read More »from Alfred Morris tells this year’s class of unheralded rookies: Act like you’ve been there before

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