Lady Raiders fall on the road to Columbia

Former Chicago Bears quarterback Bob Avellini, who helped lead the team to the 1977 NFL playoffs after a 14-year drought, died at age 70, the team announced. Avellini died Saturday, per the Bears. The team confirmed to the Chicago Tribune that the cause of death was cancer. Avellini shared the backfield and the 1975 draft class with Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton. The Bears selected Jackson State's Payton fourth overall while Maryland's Avellini was the 135th pick, coming in the sixth round. The starter in 1976 after four starts as a rookie, Avellini played with the Bears until he was released in the 1984 season. He threw for 7,111 yards, 33 touchdowns and 69 interceptions in 73 games as the team went 23-27 in his 50 starts. His best season was in 1977, when the Bears started 3-5 but earned a wild-card berth by winning their final six games. Avellini passed for career bests of 2,004 yards and 11 touchdowns that season as the Bears finished 9-5, tying Minnesota in the NFC Central. The Vikings won the division, while the Bears got the wild card and lost 37-7 to the Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs. "Bob was one-of-a-kind; a fierce and tough competitor," the Bears said in a statement. "He's perhaps best remembered for leading the Bears on an improbable run in 1977 to our first postseason appearance in 14 years. He will be missed." After his release from Chicago, where he disagreed with head coach Mike Ditka in the later stage of his career, he briefly was with the New York Jets and spent the 1986 preseason with the Dallas Cowboys before retiring. --Field Level Media

Former Rutgers center Cliff Omoruyi committed to play for Alabama, he announced Sunday on social media. He posted a commitment video to his Instagram account. Omoruyi selected the Crimson Tide over North Carolina, Kansas State and Georgetown. "I feel that this is the best situation to direct me to the NBA, which is my goal," he told CBS Sports. The 6-foot-11 center from Nigeria earned Big Ten All-Defensive Team selections in the past two seasons. He averaged 10.4 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.9 blocks in 32 games (all starts) in the 2023-24 season. Omoruyi contributed 10.3 points and 7.7 rebounds in 121 career games (104 starts) with the Scarlet Knights. --Field Level Media

J.J. Watt leaves door open (slightly) for potential return to Texans

J.J. Watt left the door open for a potential NFL comeback, although he admitted that the door is closing quickly. Watt, who announced his retirement after the 2022 season, said at his charity softball game on Saturday in Houston that he'd suit up for the Texans if he was truly needed. "I'm a very fortunate, lucky man, I have a beautiful wife, I have a beautiful son," Watt said. "I've had 12 great years in this league and I'm very thankful to have walked away healthy and playing great. "I told (former teammate and current Texans coach DeMeco Ryans) last year, I said, ‘Don't call unless you absolutely need it, but if you ever do call, I'll be there.' And he knows not to call unless he absolutely needs it. This is the last year I'll tell him that, because I'm not going to keep training the way I've been training, but he knows that if he ever truly does need it, I'll be there for him. I don't anticipate that happening -- they've got a very good group." Watt, 35, played for the Texans from 2011-20 before finishing his NFL career with the Arizona Cardinals (2021-22). Houston bolstered its pass-rushing group by signing Danielle Hunter and Denico Autry, who last season recorded 16.5 and 11.5 sacks, respectively. Watt is a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, five-time All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowl selection. He was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame All-2010s Team. Watt currently is an NFL analyst for CBS Sports. --Field Level Media

The Seattle Seahawks announced coming to terms with their first-round draft pick, defensive tackle Byron Murphy II, following his first minicamp practice Friday. "I feel like there's some things I need to work on, but I feel like I'm learning, still getting in the groove of things," Murphy said. "Growing up, Seattle has been my favorite team, so just to be a part of this team and this organization, it really means a lot. I'm going to give everything I've got each and every day, 110 percent." Seattle chose Murphy, a native of Texas, No. 16 overall with their first selection in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Seattle Times reported the contract as being a four-year, fully-guaranteed, $16.083 million deal with an $8.516 million signing bonus. Murphy, 21, was a second-team Associated Press All-American playing along the defensive front for the Texas Longhorns in 2023 after two years of mostly backup duty. He was tabbed the Big 12 Conference defensive lineman of the year after recording 8.5 tackles for loss, including five sacks, in helping Texas win the Big 12 and earn a College Football Playoff bid. --Field Level Media

The Kentucky Derby turns 150 years old this Saturday. America's longest continuously held sporting event has survived two world wars, the Great Depression and pandemics, including COVID-19 in 2020. That year it was run in virtual silence without the usual crowd of 150,000. The first Saturday in May is known for fast horses, stylishly dressed fans and mint juleps served in souvenir glasses. Among the changes this year is the value of the race, which has been boosted to $5 million, and the new $200 million paddock where the Derby horses will be saddled at Churchill Downs.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The lucky home run sausage safely returned to Minnesota with the Twins — and their winning streak.

LONDON (AP) — German tennis legend Boris Becker was discharged from bankruptcy court in London after a judge found Wednesday he had done “all that he reasonably could do” to repay creditors tens of millions of pounds.