(LAS VEGAS) — The first round of the 2022 NFL draft kicks off in Las Vegas Thursday night, with Rounds 2-7 taking place on Friday and Saturday.
So what can fans expect from the league’s premier off-season event?
ABC News’ Kaylee Hartung spoke with NFL Commissioner Roger Goddell ahead of the draft, which begins at 8 p.m. ET:
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(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Wednesday’s sports events:
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
INTERLEAGUE
Oakland 1, San Francisco 0
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Chi White Sox 7, Kansas City 3
Tampa Bay 3, Seattle 2
NY Yankees 5, Baltimore 2
Minnesota 5, Detroit 0
Boston 7, Toronto 1
Houston 4, Texas 3
LA Angels 9, Cleveland 5
NATIONAL LEAGUE
St. Louis 10, NY Mets 5
Arizona 3, LA Dodgers 1
Milwaukee 3, Pittsburgh 1
Philadelphia 7, Colorado 3
San Diego 8, Cincinnati 5
Miami 2, Washington 1
Chi Cubs 6, Atlanta 3
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS
Milwaukee 116, Chicago 100
Golden State 102, Denver 98
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Winnipeg 4, Philadelphia 0
Montreal 4, NY Rangers 3
Chicago 4, Vegas 3 (SO)
Arizona 4, Dallas 3 (OT)
Los Angeles 5, Seattle 3
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(NEW YORK) — A college softball star from James Madison University has died at the age of 20, the university announced Tuesday. Her death marks the third of a female college athlete since March.
Lauren Bernett, a sophomore biology major from McDonald, Pennsylvania, was named the Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Week on Monday, just one day before her death was announced. Last year, she helped the school reach the Women’s College World Series.
Authorities said Wednesday they are classifying the death of Bernett as an “apparent suicide.”
In a statement, Rockingham County Sheriff Bryan Hutcheson said his department is still conducting its investigation and is awaiting a report from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of Virginia.
On March 2, Stanford University in Stanford, California, announced the death of 22-year-old Katie Meyer, the goalkeeper and captain of the women’s soccer team.
Her parents later shared that Meyer’s death was a suicide, telling NBC’s “Today” show they had “no red flags” about their daughter’s mental health. The Meyers acknowledged the pressure of college sports, however.
“There’s so much pressure I think on athletes, right, especially at that high level balancing academics and a high competitive environment,” Gina Meyer said on the program. “And there is anxiety and there is stress to be perfect, to be the best, to be number one.”
Earlier this month, Sarah Shulze, a cross-country athlete at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, died by suicide, according to a statement from her parents and sisters.
“Sarah took her own life. Balancing athletics, academics and the demands of every day life overwhelmed her in a single, desperate moment,” the family wrote on Shulze’s website. “Like you, we are shocked and grief stricken while holding on tightly to all that Sarah was.”
The family described Shulze as a “power for good in the world” who advocated for social causes and women’s rights and was a member of the Student Athlete Council at University of Wisconsin-Madison.
On college campuses in the United States, around 30% of women and 25% of men who are student-athletes report having anxiety, according to data shared by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).
Among athletes with known mental health conditions, only 10% seek care from a mental health professional, according to the ACSM.
The NCAA found that during the COVID-19 pandemic, student-athletes continued to experience “heightened” mental health concerns with students reporting stress due to academic concerns, lack of access to their sport, financial worries and COVID-19 health concerns.
Professional athletes like Michael Phelps, Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka have been public in recent years about the pressure, stress and burnout they’ve faced at the top of their sports, and those are struggles college athletes may feel too.
According to the ACSM, student-athletes face pressures from academics and competing, as well as other stressors like being away home home, traveling for games, feeling isolated from campus and other students due to their focus on sports and adapting to being in the public spotlight.
Cailin Bracken, a lacrosse player at Vanderbilt University, gained national attention this month after writing an essay urging coaches, schools, parents and fellow players to pay attention to the mental health of student-athletes.
“Playing a sport in college, honestly, feels like playing fruit ninja with a butter knife,” Bracken wrote in an essay titled, “A Letter to College Sports.” “There are watermelons and cantaloupes being flung at you from all different directions, while you’re trying to defend yourself using one of those flimsy cafeteria knives that can’t even seem to spread room-temperature butter.”
“And beyond the chaos and overwhelm of it all, you’ve got coaches and parents and trainers and professors who expect you to come away from the experience unscathed, fruit salad in hand,” she added.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741. You can reach Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860 (U.S.) or 877-330-6366 (Canada) and The Trevor Project at 866-488-7386.
Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Tuesday’s sports events:
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
INTERLEAGUE
San Francisco 8 Oakland 2
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Seattle 8, Tampa Bay 4
NY Yankees 12, Baltimore 8
Kansas City 6, Chi White Sox 0
Minnesota 5, Detroit 4
Toronto 6, Boston 5
Houston 5, Texas 1
LA Angels 4, Cleveland 1
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Atlanta 3, Chi Cubs 1
San Diego 9, Cincinnati 6
Milwaukee 12, Pittsburgh 8
Philadelphia 10, Colorado 3
Miami 5, Washington 2
NY Mets 3, St. Louis 0
Arizona 5, LA Dodgers 3
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS
Miami 97, Atlanta 94 (Miami wins 4-1)
Final Memphis 111, Minnesota 109 (Memphis leads 3-2)
Phoenix 112, New Orleans 97 (Phoenix leads 3-2)
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Tampa Bay 4, Columbus 1
Toronto 3, Detroit 0
NY Islanders 4, Washington 1
Edmonton 5, Pittsburgh 1
Boston 4, Florida 2
Final Carolina 4, NY Rangers 3
Ottawa 5, New Jersey 4 (OT)
Arizona 5, Minnesota 3
Calgary 5, Nashville 4 (OT)
Dallas 3, Vegas 2 (SO)
Colorado 5, St. Louis 3
Vancouver 5, Seattle 2
Anaheim 4, San Jose 2
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(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Monday’s sports events:
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Toronto 6, Boston 2
Texas 6, Houston 2
LA Angels 3, Cleveland 0
NATIONAL LEAGUE
San Francisco 4, Milwaukee 2
Philadelphia 8, Colorado 2
NY Mets 5, St. Louis 2
LA Dodgers 4, Arizona 0
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS
Boston 116, Brooklyn 112 (Boston wins 4-0)
Toronto 103, Philadelphia 88 (Philadelphia leads 3-2)
Dallas 102, Utah 77 (Dallas leads 3-2)
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Chicago 3, Philadelphia 1
Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
(MADISON, Wisc.) — A family and college community are mourning the loss of a 21-year-old track star at University of Wisconsin-Madison who died by suicide.
Sarah Shulze, a cross-country athlete, died on April 13, according to a statement from her parents and two sisters.
“Sarah took her own life. Balancing athletics, academics and the demands of every day life overwhelmed her in a single, desperate moment,” the family wrote on Shulze’s website. “Like you, we are shocked and grief stricken while holding on tightly to all that Sarah was.”
The family described Shulze as a “power for good in the world” who advocated for social causes and women’s rights and was a member of the Student Athlete Council at University of Wisconsin-Madison.
On Friday, the family announced the launch of a foundation in Shulze’s name to “continue to support the causes most important to our Sarah.”
The foundation, named the Sarah Shulze Foundation, will focus on women’s rights and student athletes and mental health, according to the family’s statement.
On college campuses in the United States, around 30% of women and 25% of men who are student-athletes report having anxiety, according to data shared by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).
Among athletes with known mental health conditions, only 10% seek care from a mental health professional, according to the ACSM.
The NCAA found that during the coronavirus pandemic, student-athletes’ mental health was even negatively affected, with students reporting stress due to academic concerns, lack of access to their sport, financial worries and COVID-19 health concerns.
Professional athletes like Michael Phelps, Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka have been public in recent years about the pressure, stress and burnout they’ve faced at the top of their sports, and those are struggles college athletes may feel too.
According to the ACSM, student-athletes face pressures from academics and competing, as well as other stressors like being away home home, traveling for games, feeling isolated from campus and other students due to their focus on sports and adapting to being in the public spotlight.
Following Shulze’s death, the University of Wisconsin-Madison issued a statement, describing the college community as “heartbroken.”
“Sarah was a beloved daughter, sister, granddaughter, friend, teammate and Badger student-athlete,” the school said. “We extend our deepest sympathies and sincere condolences to Sarah’s family, friends and Badger teammates during this extraordinarily difficult time.”
Earlier this month, Cailin Bracken, a lacrosse player at Vanderbilt University, gained national attention after writing an essay urging coaches, schools, parents and fellow players to pay attention to the mental health of student-athletes.
“Playing a sport in college, honestly, feels like playing fruit ninja with a butter knife,” Bracken wrote in an essay titled, “A Letter to College Sports.” “There are watermelons and cantaloupes being flung at you from all different directions, while you’re trying to defend yourself using one of those flimsy cafeteria knives that can’t even seem to spread room-temperature butter.”
“And beyond the chaos and overwhelm of it all, you’ve got coaches and parents and trainers and professors who expect you to come away from the experience unscathed, fruit salad in hand,” she added.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741. You can reach Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860 (U.S.) or 877-330-6366 (Canada) and The Trevor Project at 866-488-7386.
Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Sunday’s sports events:
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
INTERLEAGUE
Colorado 6, Detroit 2
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Tampa Bay 5, Boston 2
NY Yankees 10, Cleveland 2
Houston 8, Toronto 7
Minnesota 6, Chi White Sox 4
Oakland 2, Texas 0
LA Angels 7, Baltimore 6
Seattle 5, Kansas City 4
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Cincinnati 4, St. Louis 1
San Francisco 12, Washington 3
Miami 5, Atlanta 4
Pittsburgh 4, Chicago Cubs 3
NY Mets 6, Arizona 2
LA Dodgers 10, San Diego 2
Milwaukee 1, Philadelphia 0
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS
Milwaukee 119, Chicago 95 (Milwaukee leads 3-1)
Denver 126, Golden State 121 (Golden State leads 3-1)
Miami 110, Atlanta 86 (Miami leads 3-1)
New Orleans 118, Phoenix 103 (Series tied 2-2)
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Detroit 3, New Jersey 0
Carolina 5, NY Islanders 2
Columbus 5, Edmonton 2
Philadelphia 4, Pittsburgh 1
Winnipeg 4, Colorado 1
Tampa Bay 8, Florida 4
Final SO Toronto 4 Washington 3
Boston 5, Montreal 3
Minnesota 5, Nashville 4 (OT)
St. Louis 6, Anaheim 3
San Jose 5, Vegas 4 (SO)
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
Miami 2, Atlanta 1
New York 3, Orlando City 0
Los Angeles FC 2, Cincinnati 1
New York City FC 5, Toronto FC 4
Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
(NEW YORK) — Soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo and girlfriend Georgina Rodríguez are “grateful” for their newborn daughter.
After revealing the devastating loss of their newborn son on Monday, the couple took to Instagram to share a family photo and thank fans for the outpouring of love and support they’ve received in the past few days.
“Home sweet home. Gio and our baby girl are finally together with us,” the pair wrote in the caption, alongside the snap which shows them with Ronaldo’s three children from previous relationships and their two children together.
“We want to thank everyone for all the kind words and gestures,” the Manchester United forward, 37, and the model, 28, continued. “Your support is very important and we all felt the love and respect that you have for our family.”
The caption concluded, “Now it’s time to be grateful for the life that we’ve just welcomed into this world.”
When announcing the death of their “baby boy,” which they called “the greatest pain that any parent can feel,” Ronaldo and Rodríguez said that “only the birth of our baby girl gives us the strength to live this moment.”
The duo first announced they were expecting twins in an Instagram post from October 2021.
Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
(NEW YORK) — Penn State University rose to national prominence in large part because of football and one man: Joe Paterno.
Paterno was the head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions from 1966 to 2011. With 409 wins, Paterno stands as the most victorious coach in NCAA Division 1 Football history.
Yet the nearly 46,000 students who fill the campus of Penn State University today would see very little evidence of the legendary coach. There are no statues, no celebrations and, out of the hundreds of buildings on campus, Paterno’s name remains only on the library.
A decade ago, all signs of Paterno had been erased after former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky was charged with multiple child sex abuse allegations. A new ESPN E60 documentary The Paterno Legacy examines Paterno’s storied and sullied career.
“Some of those assaults allegedly occurred while Sandusky was a coach at Penn State, while others happened on the Penn State campus and elsewhere after Sandusky had retired from his coaching position,” said former Attorney General Linda Kelly.
On Nov. 5, 2011, after more than three years of investigation, Sandusky was charged with 52 counts of sexually molesting eight boys from 1994 to 2009. In 2012, he was convicted of the sexual abuse of 10 boys during that time and was sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison. He maintains his innocence.
Sandusky was an assistant on Paterno’s staff for 32 seasons, but had retired in 1999 to dedicate himself to a non-profit he’d founded to help at-risk children, The Second Mile. It was there where Sandusky had allegedly met his victims and, according to state prosecutors, Sandusky was enabled by some of the most powerful men at Penn State.
“Athletic Director Tim Curley and Vice President of Business and Finance Gary Schultz, their inaction likely allowed a child predator to continue to victimize children for many, many years,” said Kelly.
Curley and Schultz pleaded guilty to misdemeanor child endangerment in March 2017 in a plea deal that dropped three felony charges of child endangerment and conspiracy.
Former Penn State President Graham Spanier also was convicted of one misdemeanor charge of child endangerment the same year.
“It then became a university issue,” said Spanier. “And, of course, because Jerry Sandusky had been a coach and was allied in the public’s thinking with Penn State, then it became a Joe Paterno story.”
According to prosecutors, Paterno had been approached by a former graduate, assistant coach Mike McQueary, who told him about an incident that he had witnessed while inside the Penn State football facility in 2001. McQueary said when he went to the locker room after hours, he had heard what seemed like sexual sounds coming from the shower, and saw a young boy, naked, being sexually assaulted by Sandusky.
According to Jay Paterno, Joe Paterno’s son, McQueary had reported the incident to Joe Paterno.
“Whatever Mike told him, Joe then went to follow the university policy, follow state law and reported it up the chain, which is exactly what he’s supposed to do. And all that he’s allowed to do,” said Jay Paterno.
Prosecutors obtained an email exchange shortly after the shower incident was brought to Paterno’s attention. Spanier, Schultz and Curley discussed reporting the incident to the proper authorities, but ultimately decided not to report it at all.
Both Schultz and Curley have said they regret the decision to not report it at the time.
“Well, my biggest regret is that we didn’t turn it in for the department of welfare to investigate it. I think that’s what we should have done,” said Schultz.
At the time, Paterno was not accused of any wrongdoing, but he did become the focus of the public and the media. Many were angry with the head coach for not going to the police.
Paterno died at the age of 85 in 2012, the same year that the NCAA vacated all of Penn State’s wins from 1998 through 2011 as punishment for the program’s lack of action. Three years later, the NCAA agreed in a settlement to restore Paterno’s 111 wins between 1998 and 2011.
Former player Matt Millen played for Penn State and Sandusky. He said that learning about the incident felt “visceral” and he was deeply disappointed that Paterno didn’t use his considerable power to do more.
“This is more than a football legacy. This is about people,” said Millen. “And if we can’t protect our kids we, as a society, are pathetic.”
Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Thursday’s sports events:
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Detroit 3, NY. Yankees 0
Cleveland 6, Chi White Sox 3
Toronto 3, Boston 2
Minnesota 1, Kansas City 0
Oakland 6, Baltimore 4
Texas 8, Seattle 6
NATIONAL LEAGUE
NY. Mets 6, San Francisco 2
Arizona 4, Washington 3
Miami 5, St. Louis 0
Pittsburgh 4, Chi Cubs 3
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS
Memphis 104, Minnesota 95 (Memphis leads 2-1)
Dallas 126, Utah 118 (Dallas leads 2-1)
Golden State 118, Denver 113 (Golden State leads 3-0)
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Buffalo 5, New Jersey 2
Florida 5, Detroit 2
Carolina 4, Winnipeg 2
Pittsburgh 4, Boston 0
Philadelphia 6, Montreal 3
NY Rangers 6, NY Islanders 3
Minnesota 6, Vancouver 3
Tampa Bay 8, Toronto 1
Calgary 4, Dallas 2
Los Angeles 4, Chi 1
St. Louis 3 San Jose 1
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