Former NFL quarterback Jay Cutler pleaded guilty to a DUI charge but had three other charges, including for possession of a handgun while under the influence, dropped during a Tennessee court appearance Tuesday following his October 2024 arrest.
The 2008 Pro Bowl player was sentenced to four days in Williamson County jail, which he is set to start serving Sept. 29, according to WSMV-TV in Nashville. The Times has reached out to attorneys for Cutler and Tennessee’s 21st District but did not immediately receive responses.
As part of his plea deal, WSMV reported, Cutler agreed to forfeit his Glock pistol. In addition to the jail time, he will be on unsupervised probation for one year. He also had his Tennessee drivers license revoked and is required to pay a $350 fine and attend a DUI safety class.
Cutler was arrested Oct. 17 after Franklin Police Department officers responded to a minor collision in which it appeared that Cutler’s vehicle rear-ended another vehicle. According to the police, Cutler smelled of alcohol, had bloodshot eyes and slurred his words.
After he refused a field sobriety test, police said, Cutler was taken to a hospital and a blood sample was taken after a search warrant was obtained. Two firearms were found in his vehicle, according to the police, including a loaded pistol.
All four charges against Cutler — which also included failure to exercise due care and violating implied consent — were misdemeanors. He was released on a $5,000 bond.
Cutler was selected 11th overall by the Denver Broncos in the 2006 draft and became their starting quarterback late in the season. He was traded to the Chicago Bears before the 2009 season and led the team to the NFC championship game that year, in his only postseason appearance.
Cutler was cut by the Bears in March 2017 and played one more season with the Miami Dolphins before ending his career. He and reality TV star Kristen Cavallari were married from 2013-2022 and have three children together.
There was a large trash can obstructing the view of a Narbonne Gaucho sign on the gym wall, so King’leon Sheard simply picked up the container and moved it out of the way in an impressive display of strength like a WWE wrestler flicking away an annoying opponent.
At 6 feet 2 and 220 pounds, Sheard had two sacks in last year’s City Section Open Division championship football game against San Pedro. On Friday night, he had two sacks in Narbonne’s 42-6 loss to Los Osos. The fact he’s still walking around Narbonne’s campus in his senior year is a story itself.
After the program was placed on probation and banned from the playoffs for three years for rules violations, there was an exodus of players and coaches. This also happened after the 2019 season when Narbonne was punished for similar circumstances — an ineligible player.
“Now it’s been two rebuilds since I’ve been here,” he said, remembering a 2-9 season in 2022 when he arrived as a freshman.
Sheard is either a glutton for punishment or determined to prove his worth no matter how many times Narbonne has to start over.
“At the root of it, it’s not just about football,” the outside linebacker said. “I made a lot of connections here. I built a nice family here. At the end of the day, it was more about my story, not what everyone else was doing. I always knew I could prevail.”
Football is what Sheard wants to do in college if he gets a chance. Yet academics has been his focus, with a dream of becoming a lawyer.
“I want to go into law,” he said. “It’s always been one of those things I’ve been interested in since I can remember.”
Sheard clearly knows how to investigate facts and make a judgment call. That’s what he did in deciding to stay at Narbonne with four other holdovers.
“I kept my head down,” he said. “My parents stayed out of it. They knew if I stayed, I’d be able to make it. I started here and was going to finish here.”
Not that Sheard didn’t consider leaving. He said he discussed leaving with several coaches. Their big selling point was having a postseason. But Sherard is guaranteed more games this season without playoffs (10) than he had all last season (eight) because of a coaches’ boycott during league play.
“I will admit I had conversations with other coaches when I heard the news that our coaches wouldn’t be with us,” he said. said. “The main talking point was, ‘We have playoffs, we have playoffs.’ You lose one game in the playoffs, you’re out anyways. I was more concerned how as coaches would you be able to help me make it to the collegiate level. How would you be able to develop me as a player.”
Enter Narbonne’s new coach, Doug Bledsoe, who’s been head coach at North Hollywood, Dorsey, Pasadena and L.A. University. Sheard placed his trust in Bledsoe and his staff.
“I formed a good relationship with coach Bledsoe and the position coaches,” he said.
Said Bledsoe: “He’s got real tenacity to get to the quarterback and a quick first step.”
Bledsoe is using a 3-4 defensive front with Sheard scheduled to be his “mini-Lawrence Taylor,” the NFL Hall of Fame linebacker known for sacking quarterbacks.
There could be tough times for the Gauchos, a team with little varsity experience and some tough early-season games.
Since this is his second rebuild he’s experienced, Sheard was asked how is it supposed to go?
“It’s not up to me,” he said. “Most I can do as a player is keep my brothers close to me and tell them, ‘It will be fine. We can do this.’”
With a new coach and new principal, perhaps Narbonne can rebuild the right way — following City Section rules. Good behavior could lead to a reduction in sanctions.
Clearly, it’s a big change because at this time last season, the Gauchos had 27 transfers in the program. This season the number is zero.
Sheard is just glad he can play four Marine League games this season so he’ll have film to show college recruiters. Last year’s league games were forfeits because schools refused to play the Gauchos.
“I felt a little slighted,” he said. “Outside of everything happening, I didn’t care. It was still my season. It was my opportunity to get stuff on film. I feel it was taken away and I had no control. I kept working.”
When it comes to gaining maturity and learning hard lessons, Sheard and his small group of fellow seniors who stayed are in for a challenging season with no playoffs allowed.
It’s a reminder of the line, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.”
“Ten games are guaranteed,” he said. “Compared to last year, it’s a blessing.”
During an interview that will be aired on Thursday for “Friday Night Live” on The Times’ X account, Kennedy All-City quarterback Diego Montes was asked about players in the City Section being overlooked.
That produced a response, “Do not sleep on the City Section.”
“I can’t afford to play for a private school,” he said. “I don’t think where you play should matter that great. You’re telling me if I play for a private school, that makes me any better than I am now? No. There’s talent in the City Section.”
The complete interview can be seen at 5 p.m. Thursday via X at LATSondheimer.
Montes accounted for seven touchdowns (four running) in a 56-51 win over Eagle Rock last week.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email [email protected].
Sure, he has the NFL pedigree and the Heisman Trophy, and a staff of assistant coaches loaded with pro experience. But he’s the first-year coach at Santa Margarita Catholic High School, his alma mater, and stepping into an elite league of schools while studying not just game tape but reels of red tape.
“This is harder than I thought,” said Palmer, 45, sitting in his office above the practice field. “Year One is tough. The NFL is fast and responsive. Here, changing the playbook software takes an act of Congress. But I’m learning every day.”
Not that he’s complaining. He knew when he took the job eight months ago that his path would be littered with challenges and obstacles. Along with some satisfying successes.
The Heisman Trophy winner and former No. 1 overall pick has spent his adult life in that wafer-thin line at the top, the lofty latitude occupied by the best players in the game. Now, he’s getting back to basics.
“I enjoy seeing a kid make a mistake, then understand the why and fix it,” he said. “You don’t get that in the NFL. There, it’s just a job. Here, there’s joy in learning.”
The Eagles, ranked No. 7 in the Southland by The Times, open their season Friday against No. 6 Mission Viejo.
Said Palmer, engrossed in preparing the program for the last eight months: “It’s time.”
Santa Margarita coach Carson Palmer watches over practice on Wednesday.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
He will have his hands full in the Trinity League, easily among the most competitive leagues in the country and featuring football powerhouses such as Mater Dei and St. John Bosco.
Are those opposing coaches looking for their Carson Palmer pelt on the wall?
“It’s not about the coach,” Palmer said. “Programs where the coach is the focal point don’t work. It’s about the players 100% of the time. I can help them because I was taught by great minds, but I’m just passing it on.”
Santa Margarita has standouts in brothers Trent and Grant Mosely, both wideouts and Trent committed to play at USC. At quarterback is Trace Johnson, who played high school football in Florida before transferring to spend his senior season with Palmer. His father, Doug Johnson, is Santa Margarita’s quarterbacks coach and played the position in the NFL.
Cornerback Jayden Crowder is heading to California, safety Logan Hirou to UCLA. Dash Fifita, a first-team All-Trinity League linebacker last season and nephew of Santa Margarita’s defensive coordinator, is committed to Arizona, and fellow linebacker Leki Holani is going to Sacramento State.
Santa Margarita coach Carson Palmer instructs his players during practice.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
“I’ve heard high school coaches say the hardest part isn’t the kids or the parents, it’s the adults and their egos. That’s why I was intentional about picking guys who get along. No one’s doing this for the money.”
— Carson Palmer, on the choices he made for his assistant coaches
Palmer has several assistant coaches with NFL and/or major college football experience, among them running backs coach Mike Karney, a bruising fixture at fullback for the New Orleans Saints; receivers coach T.J. Houshmandzadeh, one of Palmer’s standout targets with the Cincinnati Bengals; offensive line coach Lenny Vandermade, among Palmer’s blockers at USC; defensive coordinator Steve Fifita, a standout at the University of Utah who later played in the NFL; and linebackers coach Rob Thomas, who was Pac-10 defensive player of the year as a UCLA linebacker and played eight NFL seasons with four teams.
“It’s been awesome,” Karney said. “Carson’s been running the program the way it should be run but putting his own twist on it, making it his own. From how we run practice to what we’re doing schematically, there’s a lot of carryover from the NFL.”
Palmer said it isn’t necessary to have a staff with so much playing experience, but it’s helpful.
“These guys know the importance of staff chemistry,” he said. “I’ve heard high school coaches say the hardest part isn’t the kids or the parents, it’s the adults and their egos. That’s why I was intentional about picking guys who get along. No one’s doing this for the money.”
Before accepting the job, Carson frequently consulted with Pete Carroll, his legendary coach at USC who is now leading the Las Vegas Raiders.
Carroll believes Palmer will be successful in this endeavor, but that it will take time.
Santa Margarita coach Carson Palmer instructs a player during practice.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
“He’s going to take his knocks, I’m sure,” Carroll said. “He’ll have first- and second-year issues like all the coaches do — just getting your act together and trying to figure yourself out.
“We went extensively into that when we got together — helping him understand some of the questions that will be raised: What am I standing for? How hard am I? How tough am I? How open am I? All of those kinds of things that come into coaching.
“He’s tough, he’s demanding, and he has high expectations for anybody that plays — just like he held himself to all those years. I think he’ll do a wonderful job. He has a great love for the school and the setting, and he was really excited about the opportunity to go back. He’ll put his best foot forward, but it’s a challenge now. He’s got good guys working with him, too, so that’ll all help out. He’s going to do just fine.”
Palmer said he frequently gets phone calls from Norm Chow, his offensive coordinator at USC, who delivers a simple and powerful message.
“He keeps calling me and saying, ‘Culture before Xs and O’s,’ then hanging up,” Palmer said. “That sticks with me. It doesn’t matter what you run. It’s, do they believe in it? Do they trust each other? Is there an environment for growth? We don’t haze. We respect each other.”
That meant showing some players the door.
“Some kids didn’t fit culturally with what I envisioned,” he said. “This is the Trinity League. It’s big-boy ball.”
Santa Margarita coach Carson Palmer speaks to his players during practice on Wednesday.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
And that also means coaching some sophisticated concepts, which he said his players are grasping to a surprising degree.
“I’m just giving them what I was given,” he said. “I use Bruce Arians’ short passing game, Norm Chow’s trick plays, the play-action stuff of [Steve] Sarkisian and [Lane] Kiffin.”
He borrowed, too, from Greg Knapp, the longtime NFL offensive coordinator who died in 2021 after a bicycle accident.
“Greg was a master installer,” said Palmer, who played for him in Oakland in 2012. “He’d give surprise quizzes in the meeting room to keep you awake. ‘What’s the capital of Nevada?’ I do that now. Meetings aren’t sit and stare. We’re on the move.”
How will that translate in terms of wins and losses? We’ll see. One of his old and beloved coaches is optimistic.
“The respect for him is automatic, right?” Chow said. “Just because of who he is. … When you’re coaching, you need to be able to run the room. With Carson, young people say, ‘OK, I’m going to listen.’”
Then, perhaps the highest praise.
“I’d absolutely want my kid to be coached by him,” Chow said. “Because of the human being that he is.”
A look at two of this week’s top high school football games:
FRIDAY
Mission Viejo vs. Santa Margarita at Trabuco Hills
Carson Palmer debuts as head coach for Santa Margarita, which has perhaps the toughest schedule in Southern California. It won’t be easy taking down quarterback Luke Fahey and the Diablos, but the return of Trent Mosley at receiver, the arrival of Trace Johnson at quarterback and a strong defensive line make this the most intriguing game of the night. The pick: Mission Viejo.
Eagle Rock at Granada Hills Kennedy
It’s two All-City quarterbacks going at it, with Liam Pasten vs. Diego Montes. Both teams are favored to win their respective leagues, so this is big for playoff seedings. The pick: Eagle Rock.
Matthew Stafford’s second day of practice lacked the anticipation and drama of the first.
But Tuesday’s performance was a milestone nonetheless for the star quarterback and a Rams team with designs on a Super Bowl title.
The biggest takeaway: Stafford’s injured back responded positively to Monday’s one-hour workout, enabling the 17th-year pro to play with even more confidence as the Rams prepare for their Sept. 7 opener against the Houston Texans.
“The reality is we’re trying to get our hands on this and get him to feel as good as possible,” coach Sean McVay said. “Backs can be a volatile thing. This is definitely positive progress. … It certainly is trending in a positive direction for us.”
Stafford, 37, had been sidelined since the start of training camp because of what McVay has described as an aggravated disc. McVay has said that Stafford received an epidural injection a few weeks ago, but on Tuesday he declined to specify if he had received another.
Stafford was not made available to reporters.
Rams players welcomed the return of a quarterback who ranks among the NFL’s otp 10 in several career passing categories.
“Any time that man walks into a huddle, he just brings presence,” veteran right tackle Rob Havenstein said Tuesday. “So it’s great to see him out there doing his thing.”
Stafford has plenty of experience. But “repetition is the mother of learning,” McVay said, so Stafford’s ability to read coverages, feel the pass rush and escape a collapsing pocket at full speed in practice helps him continue to develop.
“I don’t care whether you’re Matthew Stafford, whether you’re Steph Curry — whoever you are,” McVay said. “These guys get great at their sports by being able to play it.”
So McVay is eager for Stafford to take as many reps as possible before the opener.
“I’ll be just like, I think, a lot of fans and a lot of his teammates and coaches,” McVay said, “that you’re really hopeful that this is the direction … so we can build a good foundation and allow him to be the Matthew that we’re accustomed to seeing.”
Etc.
Left tackle Alaric Jackson, who is dealing with blood clot issues, continues to do individual work with trainers. “His focus and concentration is being ready to go for Week 1,” McVay said, “and that would be a great situation for us if that’s the case.” … Receiver Davante Adams had a veterans day off from practice.
Third in a series of stories profiling top high school football players by position. Today, Madden Williams, St. John Bosco receiver.
If blockers are a quarterback’s best friends, what are receivers?
“It’s our job to make the quarterback look good,” St. John Bosco’s Madden Williams said.
Few teams in Southern California start the 2025 season with a better collection of receivers than the Braves.
It begins with the 6-foot-2, 190-pound Williams, a Texas A&M commit who caught 13 touchdown passes as a junior. Then there’s Oklahoma commit Daniel Odom, San Jose State commit Carson Clark, super sophomores Darren Tubbs and Landon Perkins and two highly regarded freshmen.
“Not only is it our best group but deepest,” coach Jason Negro said.
In 2019, St. John Bosco had Logan Loya, Kris Hutson and Beaux Collins at the receiver positions. They ended up at UCLA, Washington State and Clemson, respectively.
Now sophomore quarterback Koa Malau’ulu will be the beneficiary of an electric receiver group that will force defenses to pick their poison. Double team one and you’ll get burned by another.
“Whomever they try to double, the others will go off,” Williams said.
As a freshman last season, Malau’ulu looked for Williams to deliver big plays. And that’s what he did, reinforcing the quarterback’s confidence in him.
“I would say what makes him great is that he has no weakness,” Malau’ulu said. “He’s a go-getter. Whenever we can go get extra work, he’s there. He’ll get any ball in his vicinity. He’s fast, strong and physical — everything you want in a receiver.”
Williams trusts his hands and uses fundamental techniques to make plays. His length gives him an advantage over smaller defenders. And once the ball is near him, his hands find a way to catch it like a magnet attracted to metal.
“Hands are the strongest pieces of my game,” he said. “You make sure you look the ball in. A lot of people are too worried what they’re going to do after a catch. One-hand catches are cool, but only do it when you have to do it.”
As for dealing with defensive backs who are aggressive and strong, Williams said, “The strategy is making sure you don’t let them touch you. That’s what we work, on releases and not let the defensive backs redirect. We know the route we’re running. We have to make sure they do not take us off the route we have. Sometimes they guess right, but most of the time I don’t think they can — at least against me.”
The individual duel between receiver and defensive back is like a football version of cat-and-mouse.
“It’s always you and the defensive back,” Williams said. “You’re on an island and it’s who’s better at the end of the day.”
Defensive coordinator Chris King has called Williams “unguardable.” Williams responded with seven catches for 252 yards and three touchdowns against Sierra Canyon last season.
“He’s got such great route running ability, knows leverage and understands coverages,” Negro said. “He’s super savvy and his football IQ is off the charts.”
Williams also played on the basketball team even though he was a reserve. He said the practices were helpful developing the skills needed for football.
In the end, Williams follows a motto that he hopes will carry him forward in sports and in life.
“What happens in the dark will always be brought to light,” he said. “I’m going to be grinding in the dark and when it’s time to shine in the light, I will play the best.”
Friday: Servite tight end Luke Sorensen.
Receivers to watch
Demare Dezeurn, Palisades, 5-11, 175, Jr. One of the fastest in California should dominate in City Section
Troy Foster, Huntington Beach, 6-2, 205, Sr.: Colorado State commit caught 15 touchdowns
Quentin Hale, L.A. Cathedral, 6-3, 175, Jr.: Caught 14 TDs as a sophomore
Chris Henry Jr., Mater Dei, 6-6, 200, Sr.: Ohio State commit is finally healthy and ready to put on show
Trent Mosley, Santa Margarita, 5-11, 170, Sr.: USC commit is big-play weapon and tough to stop
Daniel Odom, St. John Bosco, 6-3, 190, Sr.: Oklahoma commit has size to be a top player
Vance Spafford, Mission Viejo, 5-11, 175, Sr.: Miami commit has tremendous speed and great hands
Madden Williams, St. John Bosco, 6-2, 190, Sr.: Physicality, strength, instincts make him big-time target
Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, Mater Dei, 6-3, 180, Sr.: Ohio State commit delivers one big catch after another
Luc Weaver, Sherman Oaks Dame, 6-3, 195, Sr.: USC commit has improved speed, work ethic, aggressiveness
Try as one might to keep Nico Iamaleava under wraps, the media viewing sessions at UCLA’s football training camp shorter than the lifespan of a soap bubble, several trends have emerged.
The Tennessee transfer unquestionably has a strong arm. Every pass is thrown with purpose and usually on target.
The wiry 6-foot-6, 215-pound redshirt sophomore has a quick release. When he faced heavy pressure during the only team period open to reporters Saturday afternoon, Iamaleava smartly and swiftly completed a short pass when no better options were available.
The guy can improvise. Scanning the defense for a weakness, Iamaleava scurried up the middle for a touchdown, making the right decision on what appeared to be a run-pass option play.
All of this shows exactly why his arrival might have so drastically altered the team’s trajectory.
“He keeps living up to expectations every day,” wide receiver Mikey Matthews said. “He’s a really good leader, and he just pushes us every day as an offense.”
Coach DeShaun Foster said one of the things that has impressed him about his new quarterback is his determination to win, even during competitive periods involving one-on-one battles.
“You can kind of see his juice going,” Foster said, “and, you know, jawing a little bit with some of the guys on defense that he knows.”
If things had gone differently, Matthews might have teamed with Iamaleava at Tennessee. Unlike UCLA, which struggled to identify top high school talent under coach Chip Kelly, the Volunteers offered Matthews a scholarship out of Mission Viejo High. A tight connection between Iamaleava and Matthews had formed through seven-on-seven tournaments and high school games.
“We already had, like, built that connection just beforehand,” said Matthews, a transfer from California who posted career highs with 32 catches for 272 yards and one touchdown last season. “So when I knew he was coming here, it was just like a blessing, just happy to have him here and just knowing that he’s going to give me that rock whenever, and knowing that he’s going to throw that ball. So it was cool just to have him here.”
Matthews has an Xbox in his hotel room and a new roommate in defensive back Brett Barry — “That’s my dawg now,” Matthews said — to learn about. There are so many possibilities to keep the wide receiver busy late into the night.
His top priority is inactivity. All he wants to do when his final meeting of the day ends around 9:30 p.m. is see how quickly he can get into bed before waking up for the next meeting.
“Once I’m done with meetings,” Matthews said, “I’m brushing my teeth and going right to sleep. I’m tired.”
It would be easy for fatigue to set in as the Bruins approach the final week of training camp in Costa Mesa. A schedule rife with practices, meetings and recovery — not to mention bonding events such as a beach day and karaoke — has left players sinking deeply into their hotel beds.
But there’s an upside to so much football for players who embrace every X and O. Matthews said the wide receivers were staying after every practice to catch at least 100 passes from a ball-launching machine.
“We all love football,” Matthews said, “so it’s not like we’re complaining, and while we’re doing this, while we’re doing that, it’s everyone just locked in, heads down, and we’re all just grinding.”
As the Bruins approached the final week of training camp, Foster said he wanted to know who had fully grasped the nuances of the way the team wanted to run things.
“Who really knows the playbook in and out, you know?” Foster said. “Let’s get the coaches on the side and let’s start getting into more scrimmaging and stuff like that.”
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Linebacker Jalen Woods said a Saturday afternoon practice spanning nearly 2½ hours might have been the longest of camp, just part of Foster’s efforts to simulate a game-like environment with three weeks left before the season opener against Utah on Aug. 30 at the Rose Bowl.
“I feel like for us to be ready for a game,” Woods said, “like, we need these long practices.”
The bonding has also had its perks. Foster identified freshman defensive lineman Robert James III, who will be sidelined indefinitely by a lower-body injury, as the team’s best singer. Players have also performed other impromptu requests in an effort to bond.
“It’s beneficial that we do stuff like skits, and stuff like that, like doing funny stuff here and there to show everybody’s personality on the team,” Woods said. “Just a side that we don’t see, like on the football field. So, it’s basically like getting to know your teammates, and I feel like it’s going to pay dividends in the long run, trying to make a push for a championship.”
Etc.
Safety Key Lawrence suffered an apparent right leg injury early in the practice session and had to be helped off the field and into the trainers’ area. … Foster said offensive linemen Courtland Ford and Reuben Unije, who were limited in practices earlier in the week, were managing “a little bit of wear and tear.” Offensive lineman Yutaka Mahe, recovering from a lower-body injury, is on schedule to return soon, Foster said. … As of Friday, UCLA’s new practice fields on campus remained a big pile of dirt. Foster said the team had plenty of options, including Drake Stadium and the intramural fields, if the new practice fields were not completed by the time players returned to campus next weekend. … Wyatt Mosier, a redshirt sophomore linebacker, has been awarded Nick Pasquale’s No. 36 as a tribute to Mosier’s ability to embody the spirit of the late wide receiver. Foster said he wanted “somebody that was gonna come out here and leave everything on the field, and that’s the way that Wyatt practices.” … As a thank-you gesture from UCLA in response to recent wildfires, first responders can get $4.73 tickets for the season opener.
Doug Bledsoe has made the rounds as a high school football coach. He’s been head coach at North Hollywood, Dorsey, Pasadena and University. He says his latest coaching position will be his last until his 3-year-old grandson reaches high school.
It’s going to be his most challenging, trying to rebuild a Narbonne program that once again had an exodus of players and coaches after rule violations caused the City Section to impose a three-year playoff ban and make the program vacate its City title. This also happened in 2019 and the team dropped to 2-9 during a similar transition year in 2021.
Bledsoe insists, “The Narbonne Gauchos ain’t dead.”
He has four returning all-league players, including King’leon Sheard, a defensive end who had two sacks in last season’s City Section Open Division final won by the Gauchos. They chose to stay even though there will be no playoffs when the 10-game regular season ends.
“They love the school,” Bledsoe said. “We told them what we could do for them.”
There’s about 30 varsity players. Bledsoe is confident he and his staff can prepare his many new varsity players for the season ahead. Playing 10 games will be better than the eight games played last season when Marine League coaches boycotted playing the Gauchos, resulting in the loss of four games.
A new coach and a new principal give the Gauchos a chance to start over. The harsh penalty imposed also could be reduced with good behavior. One sign of the dramatic change in a year’s time is that the Gauchos had 27 transfers in the football program a year ago. There are currently none in the City Section transfer portal for this season.
The starting quarterback will be basketball point guard Quamare Meadows, who was the JV quarterback two seasons ago but didn’t play last season.
Narbonne opens on the road against Los Osos on Aug. 22. It will play its first league game in two seasons against runner-up San Pedro on Oct. 3.
Quarterbacks in the Marmonte League, beware. At Friday’s football media day, it was pointed out that Simi Valley’s Izak Simpson and St. Bonaventure’s Matthew Perez are preparing to make their senior years even more memorable in sacking quarterbacks.
Simpson comes in with 29 career sacks the last two seasons. Perez had 15 sacks as a sophomore and 10 as a junior. That’s a combined 54 sacks.
Simpson’s story is quite inspiring. As a freshman, he didn’t play football. He was playing JV basketball when football coach Jim Benkert, handling the scoreboard, noticed how big he was and asked why he wasn’t playing football. The rest is history.
Simpson has grown to 6 feet 3 and 260 pounds with a commitment to Sacramento State and a dream he never imagined — playing in the NFL.
“I didn’t know I could get to the level I’m at,” Simpson said. “I’m excited what the future can be.”
Said Benkert: “Oh my gosh, he’s unblockable. There’s no slowing him down. He practices full speed.”
Perez gets new coaching from former NFL defensive back Troy Hill at St. Bonaventure, and will be a key player for the Seraphs.
If you want a surprise favorite to win the league, try Oxnard Pacifica. Coach Mike Moon said he has the most depth in 13 seasons as head coach.
There’s lots of firepower with talented juniors Isaiah Phelps and Alijah Royster. And junior quarterback Taylor Lee provided a glimpse of his talent with a six-touchdown game against Camarillo when replacing the injured starting quarterback. A Newbury Park vs. Pacifica game on Sept. 5 should tell a lot.
Bishop Diego will have five players who are three-year starters. Oaks Christian won’t have top defensive players Davon Benjamin (cornerback) and Joseph Peko (tackle) until week three at the earliest because both are recovering from injuries.
Hill, who played at Oregon and with the Rams under Sean McVay, will try to use lessons learned to help the Seraphs. Much will depend on the play of sophomore quarterback Jaxson Carper.
Former St. Bonaventure coach Joe Goyeneche is now an assistant coach at Bishop Diego.
Simi Valley is opening its season next Friday at home against Spanish Springs from Sparks, Nev..
Oaks Christian running back Deshonne Redeaux changed his body by working three times a day in the weight room. There’s little doubt that the USC commit will have a huge season if he can stay healthy. In his final game of 2024 against Murrieta Valley, he rushed for 235 yards and five touchdowns.
“It was what a healthy Redeaux can do,” coach Charlie Collins said.
That’s the best way to describe identical twins Liam and Luke Meeker, football players at Mira Costa High.
Liam is the quarterback and Luke the receiver. They’ve been teaming up their whole life.
“Twin telepathy,” they joke.
Their father, George, who was a member of Edison’s surf team during his high school days, taught them to surf when they were 9. Luke claims to be the best, but it’s football where they are making their presence felt.
Both are 6 feet 2 and 200 pounds. Liam can throw and run. Luke can be physical and protective of his brother. They’re loyal and best friends.
“He’s a great quarterback,” Luke said.
“I know where he is on the field,” Liam said.
With Mira Costa returning eight starters on defense and key skill position players such as the Meekers and standout running back AJ McBean, the Mustangs have a chance to be competitive in a tough Bay League that also has Palos Verdes, Inglewood, Leuzinger, Culver City and Lawndale.
Coach Don Morrow, in his 33rd season, likes the togetherness of his players. There’s good leaders, like linebacker/long snapper Jackson Reach, who’s been a standout since his sophomore season.
On Wednesday afternoon, it was a pleasant 77 degrees, with drums, flutes and cymbals being heard around the Manhattan Beach campus as band members practiced. Cheerleaders also worked on their routines. Then football players took the field to continue preparation for an Aug. 29 opener against St. Francis.
Afterward, anyone could take a walk to the beach and surf. The Meekers have been spending summers in Australia, where their mother was born and raised on a farm. They’ve gotten stronger with all the chores they do each summer.
When it comes to surfing, they know the lingo and the fun.
Panorama High‘s flag football team won the Valley Mission League last season, and there’s even more excitement when the season begins this month because the passing duo of quarterback Yadhira Hermenegildo and receiver Livier Andrade returns.
Hermenegildo passed for 47 touchdowns as a sophomore. Andrade caught 25 touchdowns.
Panorama opens its season Aug. 20 at Bishop Alemany.
Defending City Section Open Division champion Banning remains the favorite, with San Pedro and Birmingham expected to provide strong competition.
New rules that allow defenses to be within one yard of the line of scrimmage at the snap instead of seven yards will test quarterbacks in early season games as they perhaps need to rely more on using their legs to create time to throw or make quick outlet passes.
Newbury Park will begin the football season without standout linebacker Balen Betancourt, who is recovering from off-season knee surgery, along with several receiver transfers who will be sitting out until Sept. 29.
The Panthers are expected to be much better after their fifth game but still have enough to get through an improved nonleague schedule with All-American quarterback Brady Smigiel leading the way. That was coach Joe Smigiel’s prediction during a Conjeo Coast League media gathering on Thursday.
“I felt like Cam Rising.” Brady Smigiel used to be the ball boy when Cam Rising was playing quarterback for Newbury Park and running around. https://t.co/dNPzph2D1z
Newbury Park’s new offensive coordinator is alumnus Cam Rising, the former Utah quarterback.
“He’s amazing,” Smigiel said. “He brings so much to the table.”
Interesting note: Smigiel and Betancourt have been playing together since fourth grade. Betancourt drives from Ventura. He played for Smigiel’s father, Joe, growing up.
Instead of creating a lemonade stand, Calabasas’ Hardy brothers could open up a sporting goods stand considering all the footballs around the house. Dezmyn Hardy is a 6-foot-5 senior receiver. Brother Dominik is a junior quarterback. And there’s their brothers ages 12 and 9. Dezmyn said he estimates at least 15 footballs are available to use.
The passing duo should be outstanding this season. Both have continued to grow and add weight. Dominik passed for 2,117 yards and 22 touchdowns last season, when Dezmyn had 53 catches and seven touchdowns.
Calabasas has the makings of a dynamic offensewith receiver Kingston Celifie and running back Kayne Miller, who rushed for more than 1,200 yards. Miller’s twin brothers are walk-ons at USC.
Malachi Johnson of Santa Barbara was the Conejo Coast lineman of the year last season.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
There’s lots to like about 6-foot-4, 270-pound senior offensive tackle Malachi Johnson, the reigning league lineman of the year from Santa Barbara. For one, he says he hasn’t allowed a sack in two years. He also wants to find a college program that’s about family more than business.
He has long blond hair that he began growing out in 2020 during the COVID era and hasn’t cut it since other than occasional small trims. He has excellent grades and could become a much-desired blocker if he starts well this season.
New Thousand Oaks coach Branden Anderson got to coach Smigiel last season. Now he gets to work with Thousand Oaks quarterback Jackson Taylor, a Boise State commit. He said he feels fortunate and both have similar qualities when it comes to being accurate with strong arms.
As for Taylor’s offseason, he said, “There’s a lot of stuff mechanically I wanted to clean up. Also pocket presence is a big thing for me.”
First-year Westlake coach Rick Clausen has been around some good head coaches during his playing and assistant coaching careers (Nick Saban, Jumbo Fisher, Bill Redell). He said he’ll take things he learned from everyone.
The Clausen family is known for working with quarterbacks since he and brothers Casey and Jimmy were quarterbacks.
He was asked who’s the quarterback coach this season: “As of right now, it’s me. When Jimmy shows up, I’ll pass the torch to him. When Casey shows up, I’ll pass the torch to him. It’s a committee.”
Westlake will have one of the most promising freshman quarterbacks in Ford Green, a 6-2, 195-pounder who was impressive in a spring appearance.
Rio Mesa is turning to 6-3 tight end Alec Fontyn to take over quarterback duties from the graduated J.J. Bittner, a four-year starter.
Fontyn, also an outfielder for the baseball team, played quarterback earlier in his career and has been a two-sport standout since freshman season.
“Everything is just more comfortable,” Bennett said Thursday after a full-pads practice at Loyola Marymount.
Bennett, 27, played in the 2023 preseason but was out during the regular season for what he later acknowledged as a mental health issue. He returned last season, played in the preseason and was the No. 3 quarterback behind Stafford and Garoppolo.
But the tentativeness of last season appears to be gone. He has connected for touchdowns and big gains with several receivers while avoiding poor decisions and turnovers.
“Confidence, and he’s enjoying it,” coach Sean McVay said when asked what he noticed as the biggest difference in Bennett. “When you watched him play at Georgia, and even some of the preseason games, when he gets into a rhythm and he’s smiling, all these great competitors, there’s an enjoyment for mastering their craft and enjoyment of just being totally immersed in the moment, and then enjoyment of your teammates’ success.”
Bennett credits quarterbacks coach Dave Ragone for his development in the Rams’ system.
“Every day, he’ll challenge me a little bit more,” Bennett said.
Stafford and Garoppolo also have helped with their example and advice, Bennett said.
The instruction and counsel, combined with the increased amount of reps, has translated to more confident play. And more Bennett-initiated communication with Ragone after each series.
“I know a little bit more of what’s going on,” Bennett said. “Whereas last year I was a lot more reactionary, this year I kind of know what I’m looking at, and what could have changed or might have happened if I’d done something different.
“I can have a lot more conversations instead of just listening.”
Bennett said he was “bummed” that Stafford has not been able to practice, but he has been excited and has tried to take advantage of the opportunity for more reps.
Bennett is on track to get plenty of work Tuesday during a joint practice with the Dallas Cowboys in Oxnard. He also is expected to start on Aug. 9 when the Rams play the Cowboys in a preseason game at SoFi Stadium.
“It’s been two or three [years] since I’ve gotten to practice meaningful snaps, so I’m really grateful for it,” Bennett said. “And I try to be confident and ready and present every single day.
“It will be exciting to play other people. I know some dudes on the Cowboys, so that will be fun. It’s always fun to play somebody in a different color jersey.”
Etc.
Starting safety Kam Curl (ankle) is week to week and cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr. (hamstring) will be out one to two weeks, McVay said. … Puka Nacua tipped a ball to himself in the end zone for a touchdown pass from Garoppolo. … Safety Kam Kinchens and cornerback Derion Kendrick intercepted passes by Garoppolo. … Owner Stan Kroenke attended practice. … Receiver Davante Adams was given a veteran rest day, McVay said. … The Rams are off Friday.
On the first official day for high school football practice in Southern California, few can say they were more excited than University High quarterback Jeremy Pacheco.
In the second quarter of the first game last season, he sustained a season-ending knee injury. After surgery in October, he went six weeks without walking and had to study from home taking online courses.
After months of rehabbing, he’s been cleared to play in his senior season.
“The energy getting back to play football is next-level,” he said Monday afternoon.
No one really knows how good he is, except for University coach Bryan Robinson, who believes he’s ready to show off a strong arm and strong leadership qualities.
On the first day of high school football practices, I did what anyone in Los Angeles does _ get in your car. Visited University and Eagle Rock. pic.twitter.com/Wr59w4uE27
At Eagle Rock, where coach Andy Moran began his 29th season of coaching, the optimism is valid, because Moran has a quarterback in Liam Pasten coming off a season in which he passed for 3,602 yards.
“It’s like Christmas,” Moran said before sending his players to the weight room. “Everyone is excited for that first day.”
Pasten has grown to 6 foot 1 but weighs a slim 145 pounds. Don’t worry about hits.
“I have a good understanding of having to take hits or avoid hits to protect myself,” Pasten said.
Eagle Rock All-City quarterback Liam Pasten is 6 foot 1 and 145 pounds.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
Pasten is also known for being one of the best high school barbers. He’s up to giving 40 to 50 haircuts a month.
As for what’s the most popular cuts, Pasten said, “Lower and mid tapers.”
He might have to offer his linemen free haircuts for no sacks as an incentive to protect him at all costs.
The first three days of practices for City Section teams are conditioning days. Then helmets and shoulder pads go on.
Southern Section teams with Week 0 games also began practices on Monday.
LAS VEGAS — While the rest of the college football world spent the summer whipped into a frenzy, swept up by the specter of revenue sharing or congressional intervention or one of the many other landscape-altering changes looming over the sport, Lincoln Riley was able to actually step away and take a breath.
In four years as USC’s coach, Riley hasn’t had many chances to really unplug. There was the sprint ahead of his first season, and the heavy portal push ahead of his second. The third came with a new conference, new defense, new expectations, new pressure.
The fourth, by comparison, is starting on a more relaxed note than Riley is used to. There were no phone calls taking up half a day of his family vacation. His fly fishing went mostly unbothered. He even golfed at Pebble Beach in May.
“I’d say I’m feeling as refreshed and recharged as I’ve been in a long time,” Riley said Thursday during Big Ten media days.
Never mind that the pressure for Riley to win at USC has perhaps never been so high, coming off a 7-6 campaign in which the Trojans needed a comeback bowl win to scrape past .500. The path to winning has arguably never been so uncertain, either, with the advent of revenue sharing completely upending how championship rosters are constructed.
In spite of that backdrop, this past summer still felt less daunting to Riley than the rest. He says he didn’t feel the offseason chaos that some of colleagues have described in the wake of the House settlement. Some of that added calm he credits to Chad Bowden, USC’s new general manager, and his handpicked front office, who have taken personnel matters largely off Riley’s plate. Immediately laying claim to the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class for 2026 hasn’t hurt in building that trust, either.
But it’s more than that, according to Riley.
“There are less big fixes going on right now, you know?” he said. “It’s like you’ve got the house built, and it’s kind of all about the finishes now. You’re not trying to put up a wall or anything like that.”
Whether USC is actually that close to being a finished product is up for debate. The Trojans’ win total has declined in each of Riley’s first three seasons, during which his record is worse than that of his predecessor, Clay Helton. Now the Trojans enter his fourth with a raw, unproven commodity at quarterback, a threadbare linebacker room, and an inexperienced offensive line that could already be down a projected starter.
There’s also the matter of their fourth-quarter issues last season, which saw the Trojans inexplicably cough up leads in five of their six losses.
But Riley looks at it differently.
“It’s the first time where we had an opportunity at the end of the game to win every single game that we played,” he said.
“The really good teams separate in a lot of their games, and they win the close games they end up in. That’s typically how it happens, and that’s what we’ve got to become. And so the way to do it, every part of your program has to be pretty strong.
“We’ve graduated from being way behind in this area, and being pretty decent in this area to, like, every right now is either good or pretty darn good. Now it’s just about taking those small steps in all those areas to, I guess, hypothetically push you over the hump.”
USC defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn walks on the sideline during a game against Nebraska at the Coliseum in November.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
The biggest leap in that regard could once again be on defense, where USC went from one of the worst units in the nation in 2023 (121st in scoring defense) to respectable (56th) under defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn.
That was no small feat, considering where they came from. And the Trojans have added considerable talent to its defense since. The front seven should benefit greatly from the return of linebacker Eric Gentry and defensive end Anthony Lucas from injury. And on the interior, USC brought in two massive transfers on the interior, as well as a five-star freshman.
“I think the depth, the talent level, and the size of the defensive line, I mean, there’s honestly really no comparison to this time 12 months ago,” Riley said.
But the Trojans’ path will inevitably, at some point, come down to their quarterback. Riley reiterated his confidence in Jayden Maiava as the Trojans’ starter, even as he once again heaped praise on five-star freshman Husan Longstreet.
Left tackle Elijah Paige said Thursday that he has seen a major change in Maiava since he entered the offseason as the presumptive starter.
“He’s taken a complete 180,” Paige said of USC’s quarterback. “[In the spring,] he commanded the offense, and that’s what this team needs.”
Of course, everyone is feeling optimistic this time of year, with more than a month still remaining before USC kicks off against Missouri State.
But Riley isn’t the only one who feels those finishing touches underway.
“We’ve gone and gotten some of the very best people in the business,” Riley said. “They’re not going to attach themselves to something where they don’t see the progress.
“And you do not get a recruiting class like this unless there’s a crazy amount of momentum within the program. Like, I don’t care what else you have. If you don’t have momentum, you do not get a class like we have.”
Luke Fahey looked right, then passed left. He looked left, then passed right. Defensive backs told to read a quarterback’s eyes might have trouble with Fahey, Mission Viejo High’s senior quarterback and Ohio State commit whose instincts, strong arm and decision-making are separating him from others in the class of 2026.
Then there’s something called character. For the last two years, he agreed to share playing time with Draiden Trudeau. Others might have bailed. Not Fahey.
“I feel God has a plan for everybody,” he said. “That was my journey. Of course, everyone wants to be a full-time starter, but that was a good thing for me. There was a lot of adversity during those two years. I learned so much from Drai, and he pushed me to be an even better quarterback and better leader.”
Anyone watching Fahey on Saturday at Edison’s Battle of the Beach seven-on-seven passing tournament were getting a glimpse of a 6-foot-1 quarterback in an obvious comfort zone calling his own plays and showing chemistry with a new group of receivers (returner Vance Spafford was missing because of illness). It’s no wonder that Ohio State and coach Ryan Day identified him as a recruiting priority.
“It was a big decision,” Fahey said. “For me, it was a no-brainer. It was a dream of mine to be at a place like that since I was a little kid. I told myself when I got the opportunity I’d take full advantage of it and maximize my opportunity. The coaches are amazing, the people there are even better. One thing that stood out they showed me a picture of their practice. I think 18 of 22 were in the NFL or got drafted. It speaks volumes to their program and my goal is to be a draft pick one day and make it to the NFL.”
Despite missing Spafford and star defensive back Jeron Jones, the Diablos went 7-0 and defeated Mission Hills in the final. The toughest game was a 26-25 win over Cathedral in the semifinals on a winning touchdown catch by Davonte Curtis. It’s been quite a summer for Mission Viejo, which also won its own passing tournament by beating Mater Dei in the final.
As the summer passing season nears conclusion and official football practice begins at the end of this month, Saturday’s Battle at the Beach is always a good opportunity to see teams and players making progress.
First-year Santa Margarita head coach Carson Palmer.
(Craig Weston)
Santa Margarita, under new coach Carson Palmer and new quarterback Trace Johnson, a transfer from Florida, will have lots of weapons this fall. The Eagles defeated Long Beach Millikan in the championship game of the Silver Division.
Brothers Trent and Grant Mosley will be key receivers for Santa Margarita.
(Craig Weston)
USC commit Trent Mosley, who didn’t play because of an injury, said of the new coaching staff, “It’s real good. I’m excited for the season.” His brother Grant, is an impressive sophomore receiver. The best opening game of the 11-man season will be Mission Viejo playing Santa Margarita on Aug. 22.
St. John Bosco junior safety Isala Wily-Ava is part of a secondary filled with talent.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
St. John Bosco clearly is one of most talented teams in regard to skill-position players, sending in wave after wave of top defensive backs and receivers. The Braves were young at those positions last season, so all it’s going to take is strong line play to combine with the skill-position talent to make another run at Trinity League rival Mater Dei. After going 4-0 in the morning session, the Braves lost to Mission Hills in the quarterfinals.
Dylan Brown (left) celebrates an interception with quarterback Koa Smith-Mayall of JSerra.
(Craig Weston)
JSerra, which lost starting quarterback Ryan Hopkins to Mater Dei, has a capable replacement in junior Koa Smith-Mayall, who missed all of last season recovering from a knee injury. He’s only 5 feet 10 but has a powerful arm and considers himself a dual threat quarterback.
“I guess everyone outside of JSerra thought we’d be in trouble, but I knew I’d be ready,” he said.
Cathedral made it to the semifinals behind quarterback Jaden Jefferson, who will be aided by an improved offensive line this fall.
One of the most impressive quarterbacks was Troy Huhn of Mission Hills, a Penn State commit who got his team in the final with a win over Corona del Mar, which was a surprise team behind quarterback Brady Annett and receiver Dorsett Stecker.
Finally, let’s not end the summer without knowing the answer to the question: Why did Fahey stay for four years at Mission Viejo?
“It speaks to what my dad and mom have preached to me since I was a little kid,” he said. “That you can’t up and leave. Loyalty is one of the biggest things in my family. I’m going to stay true to those who stay true to me.”
Says Mission Viejo coach Chad Johnson of Fahey’s fortitude: “Amazing.”
In other tournaments on Saturday, Tustin defeated Bishop Amat in the final of the Clash in the Canyons tournament in Azusa. Mira Costa won the Culver City tournament. San Juan Hills won the Ocean View tournament over Downey. Quarterback Timmy Herr didn’t throw an interception in two games and relied on receivers Luke Frith, Ryan Matheson and Dean Kolasinski.
Elijah Asante, the football coach at Hamilton High who’s never been shy about making predictions, wants it to be known that he believes freshman quarterback Thaddeus Breaux is a future first-round NFL draft pick.
He calls him “the Franchise,” and has plans to let him throw 50 passes a game.
Breaux, who is 6 feet 3 and 205 pounds, welcomes the challenge of living up to high expectations. Working out with the Yankees on their new grass field with lights earlier this week, Breaux stood out with his size. On Saturday, he’ll get to show off his arm in the Culver City passing tournament.
Last season, the Yankees went 2-9 in Asante’s first season after taking over just a few weeks before practice began. He’s ambitious, having tried to schedule Mater Dei this season but settling for a season opener against Gardena Serra on Aug. 28. Doubt him at your own peril because he twice had teams beat Mater Dei when he was head coach at Carson and helped quarterback James Boyd become City player of the year at L.A. Jordan.
The Yankees appear to have more depth and talent this season. Besides Breaux, Miles Manilay is a returning safety, Jacob Riley has shown promise as a receiver and Micah Butler is an imposing 6-3, 275-pound junior lineman.
Asante is bringing back his best one-liner, “We will shock the world.” The big question is what is Asante referring to.
Manilay, with a 4.38 grade-point average and a sister who attends Harvard, is one of the captains. He sees a much improved team but also isn’t about to let Asante off the hook.
“I don’t know what world he’s talking about,” he said when asked about “shocking the world.”
Quarterback Makena Cook, injured during the girls’ soccer season, should be ready to go this fall. Cook, whose ability to throw spirals with precision and length helped make her the No. 1 quarterback in the state, will need to adjust to a major rule change that allows defenses to start from just one yard away from the ball instead of seven yards.
That is expected to lead to fewer points scored, quarterbacks forced to release the ball quicker and fewer long passes. It also creates the opportunity for coaches to deploy more sophisticated defenses, such as deciding how many defenders to rush and mixing up their coverages.
Shielding the quarterback long enough to give them time to throw will be the big challenge. Blocking and screening is illegal, so teams need to figure out ways to disguise plays or trick defenses long enough to create opportunities for big plays.
There’s lots of discussions happening in the Sherman family. Kristen is head coach for Orange Lutheran’s flag football team. Her husband, Rod, is head coach for the Lancers’ 11-man team. Film night isn’t “Top Gun: Maverick.”
“In the Sherman house, we’ve been watching a lot of film for boys and girls,” Rod said.
There should be no problem creating interest in finding players. The City Section is up to 85 flag football teams and growing. Chaminade and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame are adding teams in the Southern Section, with Harvard-Westlake set for next year when it opens its new River Park athletic complex.
With the Chargers and Rams providing support and the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028 having a flag football competition, the sport is set for major growth.
Cook became one of the stars last season and still has two more years of eligibility, making her the early face of excellence at the quarterback position in Southern California.
Looks like we won’t have Aaron Rodgers to kick around much longer.
The four-time league MVP said Tuesday on “The Pat McAfee Show” that he’s “pretty sure” the upcoming NFL season — his first as quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers and 21st overall — will be his last.
And after that, Rodgers said, he won’t be seen or heard from ever again.
“When this is all done, it’s Keyser Söze. You won’t see me,” Rodgers said, referring to the elusive villain in “The Usual Suspects.” “I won’t be in the public. I don’t want to live a public life. … I’m not going to be in in the public eye. When this is done, I’m done, and you won’t see me. And I’m looking forward to that.”
It might seem a tad difficult to imagine Rodgers willingly disappearing from public consciousness for any significant period of time. In addition to being one of the all-time greats at quarterback, Rodgers has kept a pretty high profile in popular culture over the last two decades.
In recent years, Rodgers also has become known for his sometimes controversial opinions that he has been more than willing to share during his regular appearances on McAfee’s show and other platforms.
But, Rodgers insisted Tuesday, “I don’t want the attention,” although he acknowledged, “I know that’s a narrative out there.”
After 18 seasons with the Green Bay Packers and two with the New York Jets, Rodgers signed a one-year deal with the Steelers as a free agent this summer. At mini-camp this month, the Super Bowl XLV MVP told reporters that he had recently gotten married. He has not publicly revealed his wife’s name.
On Tuesday, Rodgers spoke for nearly four minutes about perceived invasions of his and his wife’s privacy. He accused paparazzi of “stalking” the two of them and asserted that unnamed media outlets had been either publishing sensitive information about the couple or just making things up about them.
“What happened to common decency about security and a personal life that we now have to dive into your details of where you live and what you’re doing and who you’re with and who your wife is and if you even have a wife,” Rodgers said. “Because my wife is a private person, doesn’t have social media, hasn’t been a public person, doesn’t want to be a public person. But now that somehow is a weird thing?”
He added: “My private life is my private life, and it’s going to stay that way. And I’m with somebody who wants to be private, and if and when she wants to be out, and there’s a picture, she’ll choose that. And she deserves the right to that.
“But the entitlement to information about my private life is so f— ridiculous and embarrassing. Like, hey, do what you got to do. But just try and leave me out of a conversation, Sports World, for a month. Try and just leave me out, my personal life, my professional life. Try not to talk about me. … Just see if you can do that.”
