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Lendeborg, Toney’s big nights lift UAB over Tulane in 81-69 victory

The UAB Blazers are now 2-1 in conference play and 9-7 overall after an 81-69 victory over the Tulane Green Wave led by an excellent performance from senior forward Yaxel Lendeborg.

Lendeborg ended the game with 25 points, 13 rebounds and an impressive eight assists which left him two short of what would’ve been UAB’s first triple-double since 2009. He also added two blocks and steals respectively on defense.

With a smile on his face, Lendeborg said “It hurts, you know, some of the guys on the bench were telling me about it with a few minutes to go an I had to make a decision between trying to get the win and trying to get those extra assists, so I had to go for the win.”

Despite a near-historic night for his best player, head coach Andy Kennedy says he expects more from him.

“I expect more. Isn’t it crazy? Isn’t it stupid of me?… I just want him to be more assertive. I feel like he gives into contact sometimes,” adding “it’s a lot of people in that lane there, especially against the zone (defense) but if you can get in there and play through it then you have an advantage at the basket.”

Complementing Lendeborg’s big night was guard Tony Toney, who finished with 15 points, all from a career-high five three-point makes and added four rebounds and two assists.

Three-point shooting has never been a strength for the 6-foot-2 senior, but to this point in the season, his three-point percentage has jumped ten percent from 28 percent to a 38 percent rate of makes.

“He works. Man, I’m proud. I just like to see guys in the gym and then be rewarded for that,” Kennedy said. “Toney works, that’s why he’s gotten better, that’s why he’s played more. He made a career-high five and all of them, I thought, were big. The timing of them was big. When AJ (Vasquez) is out there’s a void to fill as it relates to our perimeter shooting and I thought he filled that void.

Despite ending in a comfortable win for the Blazers, Tulane kept the game close for most of the night. The Green Wave’s Asher Woods and Kaleb Banks scored 16 points each, with Banks having a double-double of his own with 12 rebounds.

UAB continues to improve through this early stretch of conference play but will need to be at their best in the coming weeks as they make trips to Florida Atlantic, South Florida and rival Memphis, currently ranked 21st in the country.

The Blazers’ next game is at Florida Atlantic on Sunday at 4:00 and will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.

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Birmingham year-end crime crackdown: 66 accused felons arrested, 29 guns seized

The Birmingham Police Department’s end-of-the year crime suppression push led to the arrests of 66 people on felony charges and the seizure of 20 guns.

Operation Close Out, which has been an ongoing initiative in the city for at least 11 years, began Nov. 26 and ended Tuesday, Dec. 31.

Police officials on Tuesday announced the results of that operation, which consisted of roughly 50 officers working together– often in smaller teams – to saturate problem areas.

Those officers were additional resources who were not subject to answering 911 calls for service during their shift. They were strictly proactive.

For the first time, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office partnered with BPD for Operation Close Out.

Sgt. LaQuitta Wade said the police department deployed the Special Operations Bureau, formed by Interim Police Chief Michael Pickett, throughout the holiday period.

Birmingham police officials meet every day to look at crime and crime trends for the previous 24 hours, and Operation Close Out targeted those areas.

The 66 felony arrests included a total of 80 charges.

Additionally, officers made 21 misdemeanor arrests on a total of 235 charges.

Of the 29 guns seized, two were stolen and one was modified with a machine conversion device.

Officers collectively performed 149 business checks, field interviews and citizen contacts, Wade said.

They also made 167 traffic stops, issuing 94 citations, impounding 25 vehicles and recovering seven stolen vehicles.

The operation also yielded the seizure of illegal drugs, including cocaine, heroin, fentanyl and marijuana.

More than $1,000 cash was confiscated.

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Jimmy Carter fondly recalled childhood visits to Birmingham

Former President Jimmy Carter, who died Dec. 29 at 100, was born, raised and died in Georgia, but he had a special place in his heart for Alabama.

In a 2009 interview with The Birmingham News, Carter talked about his childhood visits to Birmingham, arriving by train.

Carter, born in 1924, came to Birmingham every summer for at least a week during the 1930s as a pre-teen, he said. On one of those trips, Carter remembered hearing and reading about Will Rogers dying in a plane crash.

‘’My parents would put us on the train, me and my sister, and put a tag on our neck, saying where we going and where we were from,’’ Carter said.

‘’I used to come to Birmingham when I was 10, 11, 12, 13,’’ Carter said. ‘’My father’s oldest sister lived there.’’

His father’s sister was married to Will Fleming, a publisher of Sunday School material for the Southern Baptist Convention.

‘’Before it was moved to Nashville, it was printed in Birmingham,’’ Carter said.

Fleming owned a home in the Hollywood section of Homewood, he recalled.

The Flemings would pick him up at the Birmingham Terminal when the train arrived.

He recalled he was on one of his trips to Birmingham on Aug. 15, 1935, when Will Rogers and aviator Wiley Post died in a plane crash in the Alaska Territory.

But those Depression-era train trips weren’t his last memories of Birmingham. He returned numerous times.

In 1993, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship held a major meeting at the BJCC in Birmingham. Carter, who had recently distanced himself from the Southern Baptist Convention and endorsed the CBF, was the keynote speaker.

Carter returned again for a New Baptist Covenant event he helped organize at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham in 2009.

In the fall of 2010, Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, cut the ribbon on a Habitat for Humanity home in Wylam, and put some sweat equity into a Habitat house in Fairfield, nailing the address number to the porch and putting on the front door knob.

Carter, dressed in blue jeans and a button-up blue shirt, used a power drill to place house numbers on a column in front of the two-story house on the tree-lined street. Homeowner Ted Harville worked alongside the Carters.

“It’s a nice house,” Carter said. “I told them if they move out, let me know, I might move in here.”

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15 Alabama moments that made headlines 50 years ago

The year 1975 was a big one for news and entertainment. Sure, we still used telephones attached to walls and looked up phone numbers in a giant book, but some groovy things happened, too. “Jaws” terrified movie audiences. “Wheel of Fortune” debuted. Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft. Space Mountain opened at Disney World.

Alabama had plenty of newsworthy stories, too. We listed a few of them below, focusing on the lighter side of things rather than crime or disaster.

How many do you remember?

Ralph “Shug” JordanAL.com File Photo

Shug Jordan retires after 25 years coaching the Auburn Tigers

After 25 years at Auburn University, legendary football coach Ralph “Shug” Jordan retired following the 1975 season. While Jordan was coach, the Auburn Tigers won the 1957 National Championship and appeared in the Orange Bowl and Sugar Bowl, according to the Encyclopedia of Alabama. Jordan was named National Coach of the Year in 1957. He was inducted into the first class of the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1969 and, in 1973, became “the first active coach in America to have a stadium named after him,” the EOA article said.

Filming 'Stay Hungry'

Filming the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie “Stay Hungry” in 1975 in downtown Birmingham.Birmingham News File Photo

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s ‘Stay Hungry’ is filmed in Birmingham

In June of 1975, Birmingham residents got an eyeful of bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger in his first major film role (he’d played small roles as Arnold Strong). “Stay Hungry” was filming in in the streets of downtown Birmingham for a release in 1976. The plot involves a young man (Jeff Bridges) buying a gym as part of a shady real-estate deal. He meets the receptionist (Sally Field) and a bodybuilder training to be Mr. Universe (Schwarzenegger) and shenanigans ensue. Schwarzenegger won a Golden Globe for Best Acting Debut.

Century Plaza

Sears at Century PlazaBirmingham News

Century Plaza mall opens in Birmingham

The opening of Century Plaza was a big event in August 1975. The enclosed mall opened on Crestwood Boulevard near Interstate 20 to great fanfare with more than 100 stores and four anchor stores: Loveman’s, Sears, Rich’s and JCPenney.

The mall was a popular shopping, dining and gathering place until the 2000s, when business declined. The mall closed in 2009 and was demolished in 2020. Read more here.

Von Braun Center

Opening ceremony for the Von Braun Center March 14, 1975. (File Photo | The Huntsville Times)The Huntsville TImes

Von Braun Center opens in Huntsville

On March 14, 1975, a ball was held for the opening of Huntsville’s first major events and entertainment venue, the Von Braun Civic Center (today it’s known as the Von Braun Center). Named for legendary rocket scientist Wernher Von Braun, the $15 million complex included an 8,000-seat arena, exhibit halls, a concert hall, a playhouse and facilities for meetings and exhibitions. It has been expanded numerous times since then.

Johnny Cash was the first artist to perform in the arena on March 24. The VBC is hosting numerous events in 2025 to commemorate the 50th anniversary.

Elvis in Huntsville

Elvis Presley performs in 1975 at the newly opened Von Braun Center in Huntsville, Ala.Huntsville Times File Photo

Elvis Presley performs at the newly opened Von Braun Center

Perhaps the biggest event to occur at the Von Braun Center was a concert series by Elvis Presley, who would return to play in Huntsville in 1976. From May 28-June 1, 1975, Elvis performed five sold-out shows in the newly opened arena. Tickets cost $10 each and the show closed with “Can’t Help Falling In Love,” according to Matt Wake on AL.com.

Bryant-Denny Stadium

At Bryant-Denny Stadium for the 2019 Alabama-LSU football game.Laura Chramer

University of Alabama football stadium is renamed ‘Bryant-Denny’

In 1929, the 12,000-seat Denny Stadium was built for the University of Alabama football team coached by Wallace Wade, according to the Encyclopedia of Alabama. It was named for former UA president George Denny. In 1975, the stadium was renamed Bryant-Denny Stadium in honor of Paul “Bear” Bryant, who was at the time the “winningest coach” in college football history. He retired in 1982 after 25 years with a record of 232-46-9.

In 2024, the stadium was renamed in honor of retired Coach Nick Saban. It is now Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Rockefeller visits Mobile

Then-Vice President Nelson Rockefeller visiting Mobile, Ala., in 1975. He’s talking with Lurleen Wallace.Mobile Press-Register File

Vice President Nelson Rockefeller visits Mobile

In August 1975, then-Vice President Nelson Rockefeller (under President Gerald Ford) visited Mobile for a meeting of lieutenant governors. Time magazine covered the event with an article that began with the line: “’This is not exactly Rockefeller country,’ Alabama Governor George Wallace wryly observed on the eve of the Vice President’s trip to the South.” Read the article here.

Sipsey Wilderness

Deer Skull Falls near Little Ugly Creek in the Sipsey Wilderness portion of Bankhead National Forest.Huntsville Times File Photo

The Sipsey Wilderness becomes Alabama’s first federal wilderness area

The Sipsey Wilderness, located in Lawrence and Winston counties inside the Bankhead Forest, was dedicated in May 1975 as Alabama’s first federally designated wilderness site. In fact, it was the first such area east of the Mississippi River, according to the 2006 book “Amazing Alabama: Waterfalls” by Priscilla Lister. The area was expanded in 1988 and now includes 24,922 acres, making it the largest in Alabama. It is known for its beautiful waterfalls.

Truman Capote

Truman CapoteBirmingham News File Photo

Truman Capote publishes story that some claim ended his career

A short story called “La Cote Basque 1965,” written by legendary author Truman Capote and published in Esquire magazine Nov. 1, 1975, isolated Capote from the New York society crowd and proved ruinous to his career. Capote was raised in Monroeville, Ala.

The spicy “fictional” story told the dirty little secrets of a circle of society matrons whose identities were so thinly disguised that they were easily recognizable to the public. Vanity Fair wrote in 2012: “‘La Côte Basque 1965,’” the first installment of Truman Capote’s planned roman à clef, Answered Prayers, dropped like a bomb on New York society…”

It was to be part of the book “Answered Prayers,” which Capote promised would be his masterpiece. The book was never completed.

Birmingham Vulcans

The Birmingham Vulcans in 1975.Birmingham News

Birmingham Vulcans professional football team is formed … and disbanded

The Birmingham Vulcans was a professional football team in the fledgling World Football League. The team was reformed and renamed from the 1974 WFL team, the Birmingham Americans, according to BhamWiki.com. The Vulcans played in the league’s second and last season.

The Vulcans had a record of 9-3 and was the No. 1 team in the league. Top players included running back Johnny Musso, who played for the University of Alabama, and defensive back Larry Willingham, who had played for Auburn and the St. Louis Cardinals. Both men were later inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.

Birmingham Athletics

The Birmingham Athletics in 1967.Birmingham News File Photo

The Birmingham A’s minor league baseball team disbands

Rickwood Field, the oldest baseball field in the nation, was once home to the minor league team the Birmingham Athletics (Birmingham A’s), according to BhamWiki.com. Named for its major league affiliates, the Kansas City Athletics, the team was founded in 1967 and disbanded in 1975. Players included Reggie Jackson and Rollie Fingers, who would go on to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Dean James Foy

James Foy, former Auburn University dean of studentsAuburn University Photographic Services

Auburn’s James Foy named national Dean of the Year

Dr. James Foy, longtime dean of students at Auburn University, received a top honor in 1975 when he was named Outstanding Student Personnel Administrator in the USA by the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (informally known as the “dean of the year” award. Foy, who died in 2010, was a beloved figure at Auburn who was instrumental in restarting the Iron Bowl after a long hiatus. The Iron Bowl trophy is named in his honor.

Louise Fletcher

Louise Fletcher as Nurse Ratched in “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest”. bn

Louise Fletcher wins Oscar for ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’

Birmingham-born actress Louise Fletcher had the role of a lifetime in the 1975 movie “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” Playing opposite the legendary Jack Nicholson, Fletcher was so good in her role as Nurse Ratched that she won the Oscar for Best Actress. The film follows a Korean War veteran and criminal who ends up in a mental institution with the tyrannical nurse. Fletcher went on to have a long acting career in TV and films. She died in 2022. Read more here.

Wild Adventure

“Wild Adventure,” a book by famed archer Howard HillDerrydale Press

Famed Alabama-born ‘Robin Hood’ archer Howard Hill dies

Howard Hill, the only archer in his time who could split an arrow with another arrow, was born in Wilsonville, Ala., in 1899. He would grow up to become so accurate with a bow and arrows that he earned the unofficial title “World’s Greatest Archer” and doubled for Errol Flynn in the 1938 film “The Adventures of Robin Hood.”

After graduating from Auburn in 1923, he set a record by winning 196 archery competitions in a row. He mastered dozens of mind-boggling tricks, such as shooting a plum or apple off someone’s head from a distance of 60 feet. Hill died Feb. 4, 1975.

Bass

Largemouth bass in Alabama lake.BN FTP

The largemouth bass is named the state fish

Alabama has a lot of state symbols – you can find a list here – and plenty of lakes so it shouldn’t be surprising that it has a state fish: The largemouth bass. Alabama lakes are known for bass fishing and big-money competitions are often held here. Alabama has a second state fish – the tarpon. The tarpon was designated as the official saltwater fish in 1955 so the largemouth bass is officially known as the state’s freshwater fish.

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Alabama girl feels the heat with first baking challenge on reality TV: ‘It’s a little burnt’

Alabama’s Ellvie Smith faced her first challenge on Monday’s episode of “Kids Baking Championship,” and found that cooking on reality TV was not an easy task.

Ellvie, 11, from Attalla, is one 12 young bakers chosen for Season 13 of the Food Network series. All of them are competing for a $25,000 prize, bragging rights and a feature in Food Network Magazine.

“I started making my own cakes since I was 6,” the girl said, introducing herself to the TV audience and judges Duff Goldman and Kardea Brown. “I’ve always preferred watching Food Network over cartoons. It just kind of escalated from there.”

On the hourlong program, the bakers were asked to create an animal-themed tart from scratch, adorning the treat with a texture reminiscent of the animal’s scales, feathers, fur or fins. In an twist, they were required to add an edible tail — and they had two-and-a-half hours to complete the entire dessert.

This season of “Kids Baking Championship” will focus on animal challenges, and Monday’s episode included guest appearances by a parrot named Chicken and a cockatoo named Teva. (All 10 episodes of Season 13 were filmed in advance.)

Alabama’s Ellvie Smith is one of 12 contestants on Season 13 of “Kids Baking Championship.” Smith, 11, is from Attalla in Etowah County.(Rob Pryce/Food Network)

Ellvie chose to make a mango tart with vanilla shortbread crust, inspired by a betta fish. (“My mom has one at her office, and his name’s Carl,” she said.) She decided on a coconut cookie for the tail, and used rice paper to create textured fins.

The kitchen was not kind to her during the challenge, however, or perhaps nerves got in her way. She’s clearly a talented baker — see the yummy cupcakes, cream puffs, muffins and other goodies showcased on her Facebook and Instagram pages — but she burned the crust and curd of her tart on the episode.

“Oh, my God. I can’t believe I did that,” Ellvie said. “I don’t know what to do. It’s not looking good.”

Although she didn’t have time to prepare a new crust, Ellvie managed to whip up another mango curd for the tart, and was pleased with the result. She seemed satisfied with the edible scales and fish tail, too.

“Thank goodness,” Ellvie said. “That second curd looks pretty amazing. I need to work on my decoration. I’m gonna use this really cool technique where you put rice paper and water with a little bit of dye that’ll give it, like, this really wavy texture.”

When it came time to face the judges, however, Goldman and Brown gave the tart an overall thumb’s down. The two were gentle but firm, pointing to where Ellvie went astray.

“I definitely see where you were going with this,” Goldman said. “(It’s) really watery, looks very fluid. I’m not sure if I want to eat it. Also, your crust looks a skosh dark … we’ll see how it tastes. … To be a tart, you really gotta have some filling. I wish I had a little more curd.”

“I definitely get the mango, but everything is very, very thin, almost like a thin pizza,” Brown said. “The crust, I think if it was a little thicker and (cooked for) a little less time, it would have been delicious. A little burnt. It’s a little burnt.”

“I think your cookie’s great,” Goldman said. But he agreed that the tart needed more filling and the crust was scorched.

Several other contestants struggled with their tarts, as well, but Ellvie was placed in the bottom two and eliminated from the series. She began to cry when her name was called, and received a hug from Brown.

“Ellvie, it’s OK,” Brown said. “This is just the beginning for you. You have so much to offer.”

“I’m sad to go home,” the girl said as she made her exit. “I made some good friends that really support me. … I’m gonna keep baking. I’m gonna be back on TV soon.”

Ellvie echoed those sentiments and thanked her supporters in a Tuesday video post on Instagram.

“Thank you for believing in me and supporting me and following me through my journey with Food Network,” she said. “Just all the encouraging words and kind words you say just make me feel really happy. Tom Brady says, ‘Life is not about how we succeed. It’s when you fail and the losses makes us who we are.’ … The competitor in me wishes I’d have stayed longer, but the experience has made me want to push myself and learn more and do more.

“I’m super grateful that I was able to step foot into that amazing kitchen with 11 other talented bakers. But when we weren’t baking, we were outside the studio, and I’m super excited to share all the fun things we did together, and it was the best time. I’m really excited to cheer them on,” Ellvie said.

“Scripture states that everything works out for your good, so I’m excited to see what God has planned for me in my future. One of my favorite chefs of Birmingham told me, ‘The things you do mean something to people,’ and I truly believe that. And this is not the end for me. This is just the beginning.”

Contestants remaining on Season 13 of “Kids Baking Championship” are:

  • Pierce Sario of Atlanta, Georgia
  • Brooklyn Barrett of Orlando, Florida
  • Micah Parsons of Stephenville, Texas
  • Ella Hayek of Ann Arbor, Michigan
  • Aria Karayil of Danville, California
  • Piper Lowe of Kansas City, Kansas
  • Carter Siporin of Perkasie, Pennsylvania
  • Carly Van Pelt of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
  • Jack Whalen of West Richland, Washington
  • Arielle Yang of Sandy, Utah
  • Noah Azeez of Toronto, Canada
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Troy’s Tayton Conerway honored by Sun Belt Conference

Troy’s Tayton Conerway is the Sun Belt Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week, it was announced Tuesday.

Conerway, a senior guard from Burleson, Texas, averaged 18.0 points, 5.5 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 3.5 steals in road victories last week at Appalachian State and Marshall. This season, he is second on the Troy team in scoring at 10.6 points per game, but leads in assists (4.3 per game) and steals (a Sun Belt best 2.9 per game).

Troy (10-4, 3-0 Sun Belt) hosts Texas State at 6 p.m. Thursday. The Trojans are tied atop the Sun Belt standings with South Alabama, which is 11-4, 3-0.

• On the women’s side, Troy’s Zay Dyer was also named Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week on Tuesdsay.

Dyer averaged 18 points, 16.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in wins last week over Coastal Carolina and Marshall. Against Coastal, she posted 25 points and 21 rebounds, the first Trojan women’s player in two years to hit the 20-20 mark in a game.

Troy (8-7, 2-1) hosts Appalachian State at 11 a.m. Thursday.

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3 dead after being struck by train in Mobile, police say

Three people are dead after being struck by a train Tuesday night, according to the Mobile Police Department.

A spokesperson for the department said that at about 11:40 p.m. officers responded to the area of Cherokee Street and Rickarby Street after receiving a call regarding two dead men.

Officers discovered two men dead near the railroad track after arriving. A third individual was subsequently found dead near an area of Emogene Street and Florida Street.

Investigators determined that three individuals were struck and killed by a train, according to the spokesperson.

The incident continues to be investigated by Mobile police.

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3 people suspected to have died of hypothermia in Jefferson County in 24 hours

The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office issued a public warning after three suspected hypothermia deaths.

Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Yates on Wednesday said the medical examiner’s office has begun investigations into the deaths, all of which happened over the past 24 hours.

Hypothermia is a condition where the body’s core temperature drops below 95°F (35°C). It occurs when the body loses heat faster than it can produce it, typically due to prolonged exposure to cold temperatures.

Yates said all of the victims are adults and were in settings that could lead to hypothermia. He said he did not want to release additional information since the cause of death has not yet been determined.

It will take six to eight weeks to complete the additional laboratory studies, he said.

A “significant” winter storm is increasingly likely for parts of Alabama starting late Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.

Forecasters issued winter storm watches for north and part of central Alabama that will go into effect at midnight on Friday.

The city of Birmingham and Jimmie Hale Mission, a local homeless shelter, has opened its nightly warming station Monday, Jan. 6 through Thursday, Jan. 9, from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m.

Pathways, located at 409 Richard Arrington, Jr. Blvd. Monday, Jan. 6 through Thursday, Jan. 9 from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m.

A free shuttle service will be available from 6 to 7 p.m. for those needing transportation to the warming stations. The pickup location will be at the main entrance of Linn Park at the intersection of Park Place and 20th Street North. Return transportation will be provided each morning.

Jimmie Hale Mission is also accepting donations of twin-sized washable blankets, fresh fruit, paper plates, napkins, plastic flatware, soft breakfast bars or snacks.

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Quarterback Mac Jones: ‘Eventually it’s going to even out and go my way’

Mac Jones played his first 42 and his most recent five NFL regular-season games as a starting quarterback. They’re two distinct episodes in his career.

The first 42 came after the New England Patriots chose the former Alabama All-American at No. 15 in the 2021 NFL Draft and chose to go with him as the starting QB instead of incumbent Cam Newton.

The past five came for Jacksonville, including a 26-23 overtime loss to the Indianapolis Colts in the Jaguars’ regular-season finale on Sunday, what Jones termed “a tough ending to a tough season.”

In between, the Patriots benched Jones for the final six games of the 2023 season and traded him in March to Jacksonville, where he became the backup for Trevor Lawrence.

Injuries to Lawrence allowed Jones to start seven games in the final season of his rookie contract. Unless the Jaguars sign Jones to a contract extension, he will become an unrestricted free agent on March 12.

“I love this game,” Jones said. “I put a lot of time into it, and so do the people around me. I know the coaches and players felt that this year. Whether I was starting or not, tried to be the first guy in and study and learn the offense and learn the people and all that. I love football, I know that, and eventually it’s going to even out and go my way. I’m looking forward to that.”

Lawrence was the No. 1 pick of Jones’ draft class.

“I learned a lot from Trevor this year,” Jones said. “He’s a great leader and person. For him to get injured was unfortunate. But I do feel like the guys on the team have a lot of respect for me, and, hopefully, I earned everyone’s respect. That’s all I care about – for them to say I was tough, and we were in every game. Wish it could have gone the other way sometimes, I do believe I put my best foot forward, and so did they.”

Lawrence will resume his spot as the Jacksonville’s starting quarterback next season on a five-year, $275 million contract. But Jones did not rule out returning to the Jaguars next season while speaking with reporters in the Jacksonville locker room on Monday.

“I think everything’s on the table,” Jones said. “I think that’s part of the evaluation. I want to put myself in the best position to be a great quarterback and help the team, whether that’s as a starter or not. So I learned a lot this year in being in that backup role, and I’ll continue to learn regardless of the role.”

Jones started a 12-7 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Nov. 1 and a 52-6 loss to the Detroit Lions on Nov. 17. Lawrence’s return to the lineup lasted less than one half, and Jones took the rest of the snaps for the Jacksonville offense after entering a 23-20 loss to the Houston Texans on Dec. 1.

Beginning with that game, Jones completed 134-of-202 passes for 1,395 yards with eight touchdowns and five interceptions and ran for 77 yards on 21 carries. Over the final six weeks of the regular season, Jones ranked eighth in the NFL in passing yards.

The Jaguars won two of Jones’ final five starts – both against the Tennessee Titans – to finish the season with a 4-13 record. The largest final margin in any of the games was seven points.

“I think I just want to evaluate the season,” Jones said on Monday, “and I feel like we had some good momentum on offense the last couple games, even though it went different ways, and a lot of one-score games, but we improved on third down, improved in short yardage, and just being in the games at the end of the year. So that was something that I was going to look back on and see what I can do better and study those one-score situations and see where that leads me.

“But at the end of the day, everything’s been done, and I just know that I can play in this league, and I’m looking forward to just learning how to get better.”

Jones’ return to regular playing time allowed him to become the seventh former Alabama player to surpass 10,000 NFL passing yards. He follows Ken Stabler, Joe Namath, Bart Starr, Richard Todd, Tua Tagovailoa and Jalen Hurts as Crimson Tide passers who have reached the NFL milestone.

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.

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The delicious Dove x Crumbl bath and body collection is finally here

The unlikely collaboration of Dove and Crumbl as finally arrived and includes an array of sweet bath and body products now available for purchase.

According to a recent news release, the Dove x Crumbl Collection, available exclusively at Walmart, delivers the fan-favorite flavors of Crumbl desserts, paired with the superior body care that Dove is known for that is meant to indulge one’s senses and skin.

The Dove x Crumbl product lineup includes a Body Wash, Body Scrub, Deodorant and Liquid Hand Wash, each available in three expertly crafted gourmand scents, and inspired by Crumbl classics:

  • Confetti Cake – with notes of a warm sugar cookie topped with pink buttercream frosting.
  • Lemon Glaze – with notes of a lemon sugar cookie topped with a sweet buttery glaze.
  • Strawberry Crumb Cake – with notes of a rich strawberry cookie topped with vanilla glaze & buttery crumbs.

With this new launch, Dove will change the color of its packaging for the first time ever with pink packaging across the entire collection – a nod to the signature Crumbl pink box.

RELATED: We found the best online deals Walmart is offering this week

“The excitement of unboxing a Crumbl dessert isn’t just about a sweet treat – it’s about taking a break from the everyday hustle and savoring something special,” Crumbl Co-founder Sawyer Hemsley said. “Because Dove shares our passion for delighting customers and helping them embrace life’s little indulgences, we knew they would be the perfect partner.”

Those interested in the Dove x Crumbl Collection can checkout all available products on Walmart’s website here.

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