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ESPN personality accused of rape to ‘step away’ after $50 million lawsuit

Shannon Sharpe has offered his last words on ESPN’s “First Take” for the foreseeable future in the wake of accusations and a $50 million lawsuit from a Nevada woman who alleges the former NFL player raped and threatened her in the course of a two-year relationship.

In a statement posted on X, Sharpe said he was “electing to step aside temporarily” from his duties at Walt Disney’s ESPN, where he is featured prominently on “First Take,” the hot-talk sports roundtable led by Stephen A. Smith.

He said he “plans to return to ESPN at the start of the NFL preseason.”

ESPN said in a statement Thursday that “This is a serious situation, and we agree with Shannon’s decision to step away.”

His absence is likely to give the network and is parent company the time required to determine whether Sharpe should continue on its talent roster.

“The relationship in question was 100% consensual,” Sharpe said in the statement, adding that “I will be devoting this time to my family, and responding and dealing with these false and disruptive allegations set against me.”

Sharpe typically appears on “First Take” on Mondays and Tuesdays, and also hosts a podcast called “Club Shay Shay.”

Recognized as one of the greatest NFL tight ends in history, Sharpe, who played predominantly with the Denver Broncos, gained traction as a sportscaster by holding forth with Skip Bayless on Fox Sports’ “Undisputed.”

He joined ESPN as a “First Take” contributor in 2023 and ESPN unveiled a new pact in 2024 under which Sharpe was to expand his presence on the popular program.

General

Alabama football continues ridiculous NFL Draft streak

Another year, another NFL Draft where an Alabama football player heard his name called in the first round.

Tyler Booker kept the Crimson Tide’s first-round streak alive Thursday in Green Bay, extending it to a record 17 years. The Dallas Cowboys selected the guard with the 12th overall pick in 2025.

No other program is close to Alabama’s 17 consecutive drafts with a first-round pick. The next closest is Ohio State with nine consecutive years.

The streak started in 2009 when the Cincinnati Bengals selected offensive lineman Andre Smith.

Booker spent three seasons with the Crimson Tide, first seeing game action as a freshman in 2022. Then he became a starter at guard in 2023 and that continued in 2024 when he became a team captain.

Booker also marks the first Alabama first-round pick for coach Kalen DeBoer; all of the previous years in the streak happened under Nick Saban. Booker played for both coaches during his time with the Cris

Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for Follow him on X and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.

General

Nick Saban on first-round NFL draft pick Tyler Booker: ‘This guy’s got it all’

Tyler Booker played for Nick Saban at Alabama for only two years, but their relationship goes back at least a decade.

Booker began attending Saban’s football camps in 2015, as noted during ABC’s NFL draft broadcast on Thursday. After the former Crimson Tide guard was selected No. 12 overall by the Dallas Cowboys, ABC showed a photo montage of Saban and Booker together through the years.

“It feels good to be bigger than him,” Saban quipped after a photo of the coach and an 11-year-old Booker popped up on the screen.

The 6-foot-5, 321-pound Booker is expected to be an immediate impact player in the NFL, and Saban lauded him for his leadership along with his ability as an offensive lineman.

“This guy is a fantastic young man,” Saban said. “I mean, smart, and you talk about a good leader. Very physical, very tough. Gets movement in the run, that’s why people like him so much. This guy’s got tremendous muscle mass, which I think is very important to be a power player in the NFL. … This guy’s got it all.”

Booker was the first Alabama player off the board on Thursday, with this year’s draft marking the 17th straight at least one representative of the Crimson Tide was selected in the first round.

General

Huntsville Council: Rezoning to block apartments won’t just protect wealthy neighborhoods

Map with the proposed zoning change from Residence 2A to Residence 2 in the city of Huntsville. The affected neighborhoods are in yellow.City of Huntsville

The Huntsville City Council voted Thursday to rezone parts of the city to keep apartments out of established neighborhoods.

The approval to rezone neighborhoods from Residence 2-A to Residence 2 came despite concerns by a couple of residents during a public hearing that the measure seemed to protect wealthier neighborhoods while the city needed more affordable workforce options.

“It would be a mistake, one that favors the privileged over the public,” Slaughter Road resident Levon Montgomery said. “You were saying this is protecting neighborhoods. I ask protecting them from what? From nurses, teachers and young families who need somewhere to live?”

But District 4 City Councilman Bill Kling and District 3 City Councilwoman Jennie Robinson said many of the neighborhoods being rezoned were not affluent neighborhoods, but aging neighborhoods where people with moderate incomes lived.

Robinson said many of the neighborhoods were home to nurses, teachers and young families. Kling said the rezoning had the support of several neighborhood associations and hoped other neighborhoods would be added to the list. Manager of Planning Services Thomas Nunez said 52 neighborhoods are being rezoned.

Mayor Tommy Battle said that all the neighborhoods involved were already platted only as single-family homes.

He cited a neighborhood where homes were demolished, and apartments were built in their place. Battle said the apartments were not in character of the neighborhood.

Nunez also said the zoning change would not keep developers from adding affordable housing options such as townhomes and duplexes. He also said other neighborhoods would be evaluated and could be rezoned later.

The previous zoning would have allowed for the development of multifamily units (apartments and build-to-rent products).

None of the neighborhoods involved contains undeveloped land in which apartments can be built, which was a concern of Planning Commission member Kyle Collins, who called the rezoning a good thing during a meeting in February.

Nunez said the city did not want to rezone “to strip somebody’s property rights.” He said during the February Planning Commission meeting the rezoning would protect the investment of current property owners.

The change does not include restrictions that are not already included in R2A.

City officials said the previous zoning designations were established decades ago. A comprehensive policy review by the city includes a policy to conduct zoning designation reviews every 10 years, ensuring that future development aligns with existing zoning standards.

For more information on the rezoning change, visit HuntsvilleAL.gov/r2rezoning.

See story: Is Huntsville about to ban apartments in your neighborhood? – al.com

General

Thursday Baseball Roundup: Reeltown sweeps past No. 2 G.W. Long

Sophomore Ja’markius Smith threw five no-hit innings and homered in Game 1 and Reeltown upset Class 2A No. 2 G.W. Long in the second round of the playoffs.

The Rebels (18-11) won the opener 2-0 behind Smith and swept G.W. with a 4-1 victory in Game 2.

Smith struck out eight and walked four in five shutout innings. Hutson Lewis pitched the final two innings to get the save. He allowed 3 hits and struck out 3.

Reeltown hit a pair of solo homers in the bottom of the third. Reed Wood’s shot made it 1-0. Smith’s homer bumped the lead to 2-0. Wood finished 2-for-3.

G.W. Long put runners on first and second in the top of the seventh but couldn’t score. G.W. Long’s Blayne Wood allowed five hits and two runs in six innings. He struck out 7 and walked 3.

In the nightcap, Reeltown scored single runs in the first and fifth inning and added two more in the top of the seventh. Hagan Lewis went 7 innings in Game 2, scattering 5 hits and allowing just the one run. He struck out 2 and walked 1.

Smith was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Slade Carleton drove in 2 runs. Eben Pritchett went 2-for-3 with an RBI for G.W. Long. Lawson German went the distance in taking the loss, allowing 7 hits and 4 runs. He struck out 6.

Reeltown will play Cottonwood or Ranburne in the quarterfinals.

CLASS 2A

Ariton 11-3, Tuscaloosa Academy 1-5

Russell Cole homered and Ellis Hamiter pitched a complete game as Tuscaloosa Academy forced Game 3 with a win in the nightcap.

The deciding game in the best-of-3 series is set for 4 p.m. Friday.

In the opener, the homestanding and third-ranked Purple Cats scored seven runs in the bottom of the first inning to take control. They finished with 8 hits.

Brodie Lowery was 2-for-2 with a pair of RBIs. Bryce Odom was 3-for-3 with 2 RBIs and 3 runs scored and Pierce Gill was 2-for-3 with an RBI and 2 runs scored.

Easton Kilpatrick was the winning pitcher, allowing just three hits in five innings. He struck out 5 and walked 2. TA starter Harwood Beeker took the loss, allowing 7 runs on 5 hits in just one inning.

Cody Faulkner homered for the Knights.

Tuscaloosa Academy turned the tables in the nightcap. Hamiter scattered 6 hits and allowed just 1 earned run. He struck out 3. Austin Evans gave up 5 runs on 9 hits in the loss.

Faulkner and Cole each had 2 hits for the Knights (14-19). Aven Cook and Conner Davidson had 2 hits each for two-time reigning state champ Ariton (25-10).

This post will be updated

General

Alabama OL Tyler Booker selected in first round of NFL Draft 2025

Alabama football’s strong lineage of high NFL offensive line draft picks continue on Day 1. Former Crimson Tide guard Tyler Booker was picked No. 12 overall in the first round by Dallas Cowboys.

Booker was in attendance for the draft in Green Bay, in anticipation of being selected early. He was projected as one of the top interior offensive linemen in the 2025 class.

The New Haven, Conn. native was a two-year starter for the Crimson Tide. He was a captain for UA this past season, and earned praise for his leadership in the locker room.

Booker’s teammates and coaches were especially complimentary of his leadership after the Tide’s win over Missouri.

“T-Book did a great job this week of being on guys,” Alabama safety Malachi Moore said after that victory. “Just really being that leader that we need on that side of the ball and as a team. T-Book is one of those guys we look to every week and every day to bring that energy. He does a great job of leading by example every day, also challenging the guys around him to step up. That’s what great leaders do: Make the guys around them better.”

The 6-foot-5, 325-pound Booker opted to forego his final year of eligibility and enter the draft. He earned second-team All-America honors, and was named first-team all-SEC by both the Associated Press and the league’s coaches.

Booker started every game in his final season at Alabama. He even played left tackle for one game, against South Florida, when Kadyn Proctor was down with an injury.

Booker was the first Alabama player to come off the board in the 2025 draft.

General

Road to the Pros: Inside Eugene Asante’s unconventional path to the NFL Draft

Eugene Asante’s football career has been anything but ordinary.

After starting his college football journey at North Carolina, he transferred to Auburn where he overcame plenty of adversity in his three seasons on the Plains. He eventually became one of the leaders on Auburn’s defense, starting at middle linebacker in 2023 and 2024.

In the latest edition of AL.com’s award-winning “Road to the Pros” video series, Asante talks in depth about early adversity in his college career, dealing with the death of his father while at Auburn, his Ghanaian heritage and what he brings to an NFL team.

“I’m a guy that’s gonna play with relentless effort,” Asante said. “I’m gonna play with passion and I want to try to pull those around me up to a standard of excellence in everything we do.”

Asante also talks about what brought him to Auburn, the adversity he and his teammates on the Plains endured and how two animated movies helped motivate him before running the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine.

Click the link above to watch the full video directed by AL.com’s Wesley Sinor.

Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @peter_rauterkus or email him at [email protected]m

General

Why Alabama QB Ty Simpson is at the NFL Draft

There are two Alabama football quarterbacks in Green Bay at the 2025 NFL Draft. One is Jalen Milroe, who is hoping to hear his name called Thursday night. The other is the leader to be the Crimson Tide’s starter in 2025.

That’s Ty Simpson, who is not a draft prospect this year but is in the green room nonetheless.

Why? Simpson is supporting former teammates and good friends of his. He’s good pals with guard Tyler Booker and linebacker Jihaad Campbell, both of whom are also in the green room in Green Bay hoping to be selected in the first round of the draft.

Simpson, Booker and Campbell began their time in Tuscaloosa the same year. All three were 2022 recruiting class classmates. According to the 247Sports Composite, Campbell was the No. 21 player in the recruiting class. Simpson was No. 26. Booker was No. 57.

Simpson posted a video to his Instagram story, showing off his view from the green room. Sitting nearby was Booker.

Simpson is the frontrunner to be Alabama’s starter at quarterback this season, replacing Milroe. Crimson Tide offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said “if we’re playing a football game tomorrow, Ty Simpson would start.”

Perhaps Simpson will be back in the green room at the NFL Draft a year from now, not as a friend supporting teammates but as a draft prospect.

Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for Follow him on X and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.

General

2025 NFL Draft first round: Live updates

The NFL’s 90th annual Selection Meeting, better known as the draft, will see the league’s 32 teams choose 257 players over the next three days in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

The first round kicks off at 7 p.m. CDT Thursday, second- and third-round picks will be made beginning at 6 p.m. Friday and the fourth through seventh rounds will be held starting at 11 a.m. Saturday. ABC, ESPN and NFL Network are televising the draft.

Before the inevitable trading of picks starts, the Baltimore Ravens and San Franscisco 49ers have the most selections in this year’s draft with 11 apiece, and the Minnesota Vikings have the fewest with four.

But not all draft picks are created equal. The Seattle Seahawks have five selections in the first two days of the draft, when 102 players will be chosen.

The Tennessee Titans hold the No. 1 pick. The Titans had a 3-14 record, tied for the league’s worst in the 2024 season with the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants. Tennessee had the weakest strength of schedule among the three teams in 2024 to win the No. 1 spot.

This year’s draft is the first since 1967 for which each team still held its original first-round pick when the league year started, and that’s still the case five weeks later.

The Titans’ selection will be followed by the 31 other picks in the first round on Thursday night. The order for the first round going into the draft:

1. Tennessee Titans
2. Cleveland Browns
3. New York Giants
4. New England Patriots
5. Jacksonville Jaguars
6. Las Vegas Raiders
7. New York Jets
8. Carolina Panthers
9. New Orleans Saints
10. Chicago Bears
11. San Francisco 49ers
12. Dallas Cowboys
13. Miami Dolphins
14. Indianapolis Colts
15. Atlanta Falcons
16. Arizona Cardinals
17. Cincinnati Bengals
18. Seattle Seahawks
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
20. Denver Broncos
21. Pittsburgh Steelers
22. Los Angeles Chargers
23. Green Bay Packers
24. Minnesota Vikings
25. Houston Texans
26. Los Angeles Chargers
27. Baltimore Ravens
28. Detroit Lions
29. Washington Commanders
30. Buffalo Bills
31. Kansas City Chiefs
32. Philadelphia Eagles

RELATED: AL.COM MOCK DRAFT

At least one player from Alabama has been chosen in the first round in each of the past 16 drafts, which is the longest streak for a college program in the event’s history. The streak should continue on Thursday night with guard Tyler Booker and linebacker Jihaad Campbell considered first-round candidates, and Jalen Milroe viewed as a wild card in the volatile quarterback market.

Other SEC players who are projected as first-round possibilities include Georgia pass-rushers Mykel Williams and Jalon Walker and safety Malaki Starks, Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston, LSU offensive tackle Will Campbell and tight end Mason Taylor, Missouri offensive tackle Armand Membou and wide receiver Luther Burden III, Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen, South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori, Tennessee pass-rusher James Pearce Jr., Texas offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr., cornerback Jahdae Barron and wide receiver Matthew Golden and Texas A&M defensive ends Shermar Stewart and Nic Scourton.

The most players chosen in the first round of the NFL Draft from one conference is 15, taken from the SEC in 2020.

Sixteen prospects are attending the draft on Thursday night, including Booker, Jihaad Campbell, Will Campbell, Golden, Milroe, Starks, Stewart and Williams.

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.

General

2025 NFL Draft: Grab the official New York Giants draft gear with free shipping

NFL Draft week is finally here, with the first-round set to kick off on Thursday night in Green Bay. The first three picks are intriguing, with the New York Giants slated to pick at No.3 overall. Many believe they could take a quarterback, but the idea of having either Travis Hunter or Abdul Carter could overtake that.

New Era released their 2025 Draft collection on Fanatics, with the Giants’ line available here. Here’s a look at some of the best Giants gear we found:

Giants fans can get free shipping on any of the items above with code “SHIP35″ at checkout.