Quarterback Jalen Milroe made his first appearance in a full Seattle Seahawks uniform on Saturday at the 31st annual NFLPA Rookie Premiere in Los Angeles.
The union’s annual orientation for the league’s “emerging stars” featured seminars on financial planning and brand building and connected the players with NFLPA business partners with the aim of helping them enhance their careers beyond the field.
Fanatics unveiled each rookie’s jersey, and among the highlights of the event yearly are the photoshoots in full uniform by Panini for football cards.
The Rookie Premiere is hosted by the NFL Players Association through its marketing and licensing arm NFL Players Inc.
Milroe was among the 42 players who will be rookies in the NFL’s 2025 season invited to this year’s event.
The Seahawks selected Milroe from Alabama in the third round on April 25.
Seattle chose Milroe after he completed 392-of-603 passes for 5,678 yards with 39 touchdowns and 17 interceptions and ran for 1,257 yards and 32 touchdowns on 329 carries in his two seasons as the Crimson Tide’s starting QB.
The Seahawks have two other quarterbacks. Sam Darnold and Drew Lock signed with Seattle as free agents this offseason after the Seahawks traded Geno Smith, their starter for the past three seasons, to the Las Vegas Raiders.
Darnold is slated to be the starter in 2025 after signing a three-year, $105.5 million contract.
The OTA portion of Seattle’s offseason program is scheduled to begin May 27. In Phase 3 of the offseason workouts, teams are allowed to hold 11-on-11 (but still no-contact) drills. The Seahawks’ mandatory minicamp is June 17-19. It’s the only portion of the offseason program that players are required to attend.
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.
Alabama’s Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q captured its record 13th first-place finish — and second in a row — in the shoulder competition at the Memphis in May 2025 World Championship Barbecue Contest, the Super Bowl of barbecue cookoffs.
The Memphis in May winners were announced Saturday night.
Also, the team from Big Bob Gibson finished second in the overall Grand Champion category, a title they have previously won five times.
Big Bob Gibson was also second in the Kingsford Tour of Champions, a people’s choice-type award voted on by festival attendees.
The competition team from the iconic barbecue restaurant that Alabama BBQ legend Bob Gibson started in Decatur in 1925 previously won the Grand Champion title at Memphis in May in 2000, 2003, 2011, 2014 and 2017.
The Big Bob Gibson team won first place in the shoulders category 12 previous times, including in 2024.
The competition team was led by pitmaster Chris Lilly, Gibson’s great-grandson-in-law, and Lilly’s two sons, Jacob and Andrew. They are the fourth and fifth generations of the Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q family.
The restaurant is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.
The Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, held at Liberty Park in the Bluff City, attracted about 120 competitive teams from around the United States and some foreign countries.
The game was tied 4-4 after the seventh inning, but Auburn scored three runs in the top of the eighth to pull away. Despite USF scoring another run in the bottom of the inning, it couldn’t complete the comeback.
AnnaLea Adams came up big again for the Tigers in Saturday’s win, driving in two runs during the eighth inning rally to help Auburn pull away. It comes after Adams drove in three runs and finished 3-for-4 at the plate in the win over Robert Morris earlier in the day.
Nelia Peralta tied Adams for the team lead in RBI, driving in two of her own on a sacrifice fly and an RBI single.
SJ Geurin added another win in the circle, allowing just one run in six innings and striking out six batters. She relieved Icess Tresvik, who started the game, but gave up four earned runs in two innings.
With the win, Auburn advances to play Florida State, and would need two wins over the Seminoles to win the region and advance to the super regional round.
Sunday’s matchup with FSU is scheduled to start at 11 a.m. If the Tigers win, the second game between the two teams is scheduled to start at 1:30 p.m.
The full 2025 Sun Belt Conference baseball tournament bracket was released late Saturday.
The tournament runs Tuesday through Sunday (May 20-25) at Riverwalk Stadium in Montgomery. The event features a single-elimination round for seeds 7-10 on Tuesday, with the double-elimination portion of the tournament set to begin Wednesday.
Troy is the No. 3 seed for this year’s tournament, finishing behind Coastal Carolina and Southern Miss in the regular-season standings. South Alabama failed to make the tournament for the second time in three years and just the third time ever, finishing 11th in the 14-team league.
Here’s the complete 2025 Sun Belt Conference baseball tournament schedule (all times Central):
Tuesday, May 20 (single-elimination)
Game 1: No. 7 Texas State vs. No. 10 Appalachian State, 3 p.m., ESPN+
Game 2: No. 8 Arkansas State vs. No. 9 Georgia Southern, 6:30 p.m., ESPN+
Wednesday, May 21 (begin double-elimination)
Game 3: No. 3 Troy vs. No. 6 Old Dominion, 9 a.m., ESPN+
Game 4: No. 2 Southern Miss vs. Winner Game 1, 12:30 p.m., ESPN+
Game 5: No. 1 Coastal Carolina vs. Winner Game 2, 4 p.m., ESPN+
Game 6: No. 4 Marshall vs. No. 5 Louisiana, 7:30 p.m., ESPN+
Thursday, May 22
Game 7: Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4, 9 a.m., ESPN+
Game 8: Loser Game 5 vs. Loser Game 6, 12:30 p.m., ESPN+
Game 9: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 4 p.m., ESPN+
Game 10: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 7:30 p.m., ESPN+
Friday, May 23
Game 11: Loser Game 9 vs. Winner Game 7, 3 p.m., ESPN+
Game 12: Loser Game 10 vs. Winner Game 8, 6:30 p.m., ESPN+
Saturday, May 24
Game 13: Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 11, 9 a.m., ESPN+
Game 14: Winner Game 10 vs. Winner Game 12, 12:30 p.m., ESPN+
Game 15 (if necessary): Winner Game 13 vs. Loser Game 13, 4 p.m., ESPN+
Game 16 (if necessary): Winner Game 14 vs. Loser Game 14, 7:30 p.m., ESPN+
DeWanna Bonner reached a WNBA milestone in her first game with the Indiana Fever on Saturday. By scoring seven points in Indiana’s season-opening contest, the former Auburn star moved into third place on the WNBA’s career scoring list.
Bonner also had three rebounds, two assists and two steals in the first game of her 16th WNBA season. But it was the two free throws that the 37-year-old guard-forward sank with 3:13 to play in the Fever’s 83-54 victory over the Chicago Sky that earned a standing ovation from the crowd of 17,274 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Bonner has 7,489 points in her WNBA career – one more than Tina Thompson scored from 1997 through 2013.
“I kind of got a little bit emotional, you know, to be at this moment in front of a sold-out crowd, in front of all this attention,” Bonner said, “and to have that moment is just pretty special to me because, I don’t want to say I deserve that, but I’m trying to be as humble as I can. But being around that long, I kind of feel like I deserved that moment, and for it to happen right then and there in this time period in my career, it was just – I don’t know. I’m just so grateful.”
The crowd and ABC, which televised the game nationally, weren’t there for Bonner’s impending milestone, though. They were produced by the attention drawn to the WNBA by Bonner’s new teammate, Caitlin Clark.
After winning the league’s Rookie of the Year Award last season, Clark started the 2025 campaign with a triple-double on Saturday – 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.
“DB is somebody that is just a Hall of Famer, like a legend,” Clark said of Bonner. “Not only a good basketball player, a great person, a great leader. The strongest voice in our locker room is hers. And it’s fun to have been around her now for about a month just to get to learn from her and soak it in. I’m really happy she got to do it at the free-throw line and all the fans could go crazy and cheer for her because she certainly deserved that moment, and it was really awesome to see and be a part of.”
During the game, Bonner also tied Thompson for eighth place on the WNBA’s list for career rebounds with 3,070. Tina Charles is the all-time rebounds leader with 4,014.
Ahead of Bonner on the all-time scoring list now are Diana Taurasi with 10,646 points and Charles with 7,696.
The Fever plays the Atlanta Dream at 6 p.m. CDT Tuesday in its next game.
A McDonald’s All-American at Fairfield High School, Bonner played at Auburn from the 2005-06 season through the 2008-09 campaign. She remains the Tigers’ career scoring leader and was the SEC Player of the Year as a senior.
Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.
Coach Rob Vaughn and his team earned the No. 9 seed and will face No. 16 seed Missouri at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday in the first game of the tournament.
The winner of that game will advance to play at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday against No. 8 seed Tennessee. The winner of that matchup will face No. 1 seed Texas at 3 p.m. Thursday.
The tournament’s new format is single elimination. All games will take place at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex.
Alabama finished the regular season 40-15 with a 16-14 conference record. The Crimson Tide ended the regular season losing the series to Florida 2-1.
The Crimson Tide is familiar with Missouri, having swept the Tigers in late April. If Alabama advances to face Tennessee, the Crimson Tide will look to avenge the 2-1 series loss from March.
Alabama fell in the first round of the SEC Tournament a season ago to South Carolina.
They did so by obtaining the No. 6 seed, clinching a first round bye, matching them up with the winner of Mississippi State and Texas A&M in the second round. That will be the last game of the day on Wednesday, with the time currently listed as TBD, but the game before is scheduled to start at 4:30 p.m.
Auburn won two out of three against Mississippi State when the two teams met at Plainsman Park in April, but the Tigers didn’t face Texas A&M during the regular season. If Auburn wins that game, it will face No. 3 seed LSU in the quarterfinals on Friday, a team Auburn swept during the regular season.
Auburn’s second round game will be televised on SEC Network and all of the tournament games will be played at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium.
The full 2025 SEC baseball tournament bracket was released late Saturday.
The tournament runs Tuesday through Sunday (May 20-25) at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium. This year’s tournament will feature a single-elimination format, with seeds 5-8 receiving a bye to the second round and seeds 1-4 receiving a double bye to the quarterfinals.
Alabama is the No. 9 seed and plays Missouri on Tuesday, while Auburn is the No. 6 seed and faces the Mississippi State-Texas A&M winner on Wednesday. Texas is the No. 1 seed for this year’s tournament and gets a bye all the way to Thursday.
Here’s the complete 2025 SEC baseball tournament schedule (all times Central):
Tuesday, May 20
Game 1: No. 9 Alabama vs. No. 16 Missouri, 9:30 a.m., SEC Network
Game 2: No. 12 Oklahoma vs. No. 13 Kentucky, approximately 1 p.m., SEC Network
Game 3: No. 10 Florida vs. No. 15 South Carolina, 4:30 p.m., SEC Network
Game 4: No. 11 Mississippi State vs. No. 14 Texas A&M, approximately 8 p.m., SEC Network
Wednesday, May 21
Game 5: No. 8 Tennessee vs. Winner Game 1, 9:30 a.m., SEC Network
Game 6: No. 5 Georgia vs. Winner Game 2, approximately 1 p.m., SEC Network
Game 7: No. 7 Ole Miss vs. Winner Game 3, 4:30 p.m., SEC Network
Game 8: No. 6 Auburn vs. Winner Game 4, approximately 8 p.m., SEC Network
Thursday, May 22 (quarterfinals)
Game 9: No. 1 Texas vs. Winner Game 5, 3 p.m., SEC Network
Game 10: No. 4 Vanderbilt vs. Winner Game 6, approximately 6:30 p.m., SEC Network
Friday, May 23 (quarterfinals)
Game 11: No. 2 Arkansas vs. Winner Game 7, 3 p.m., SEC Network
Game 12: No. 3 LSU vs. Winner Game 8, approximately 6:30 p.m., SEC Network
Saturday, May 24 (semifinals)
Game 13: Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10, noon, SEC Network
Game 14: Winner Game 11 vs. Winner Game 12, approximately 3:30 p.m., SEC Network
A report from the National Weather Service was issued on Saturday at 7:02 p.m. for strong thunderstorms until 7:45 p.m. for Butler, Crenshaw and Covington counties.
The storms are anticipated to bring penny-sized hail (0.75 inches) and wind gusts of up to 50 mph.
“At 7:01 p.m., Doppler radar tracked a strong thunderstorm over Georgiana, or 16 miles southwest of Greenville, moving southeast at 25 mph,” says the weather service. “Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible.”
Locations impacted by the alert include McKenzie, Dozier, Gantt, Georgiana, Heath and Brantley.
The weather service comments, “If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.”
Lightning on the horizon: Expert safety measures for thunderstorms
Lightning strikes the United States approximately 25 million times each year, with the bulk of these electrical discharges occurring during the summer months. Tragically, lightning claims the lives of about 20 individuals annually, as reported by the weather service. The risk of lightning-related incidents escalates as thunderstorms draw near, reaching its peak when the storm directly looms overhead. However, it gradually recedes as the tempest moves away.
To protect yourself during a thunderstorm, take these recommendations into consideration:
Lightning safety plan:
When venturing outdoors, it’s vital to establish a clear plan for seeking shelter in case of lightning.
Stay vigilant by monitoring the sky for ominous signs and listening for the telltale sound of thunder. If thunder is audible, it’s a clear indication of nearby lightning.
Seek a safe place to shelter, preferably indoors.
Indoors safety measures:
Once you’re indoors, avoid using corded phones, electrical devices, plumbing fixtures, and stay away from windows and doors.
Lightning can follow conductive pathways, and these precautions reduce the risk of electrical surges.
Wait for the all-clear:
After the last lightning strike or thunderclap, wait at least 30 minutes before resuming outdoor activities.
It’s important to remember that lightning can strike even when a storm seems to have passed, so exercise caution.
When indoor shelter isn’t available:
If you find yourself outdoors without access to indoor shelter during a thunderstorm, take these steps to maximize your safety:
Avoid open fields, hilltops, or ridge crests, which expose you to greater lightning risk.
Steer clear of tall, isolated trees and other prominent objects. In wooded areas, stay close to lower stands of trees.
If you’re in a group, ensure that individuals are spaced out to prevent lightning current from transferring between people.
Camping in an open setting during a thunderstorm is strongly discouraged. If no alternative exists, set up camp in a valley, ravine, or other low-lying areas. Remember that a tent offers no protection against lightning.
Do not approach water bodies, wet objects, or metal items. Although water and metal do not attract lightning, they conduct electricity effectively and can pose significant risks.
In summary, when facing the threat of lightning, preparedness and vigilance are your best allies. By following these guidelines, you can significantly reduce the likelihood of lightning-related incidents and prioritize your safety.
Navigating rainy roads: Safety tips for wet weather
Rain can turn roads into hazards. Stay informed and follow these tips from the weather service to ensure safety during heavy rainfall:
Beware of rapid water flow:
In heavy rain, refrain from parking or walking near culverts or drainage ditches, where swift-moving water can pose a grave danger.
Maintain safe driving distances:
Adhere to the two-second rule for maintaining a safe following distance behind the vehicle in front of you. In heavy rain, allow an additional two seconds of distance to compensate for reduced traction and braking effectiveness.
Reduce speed and drive cautiously:
On wet roads, reducing your speed is crucial. Ease off the gas pedal gradually and avoid abrupt braking to prevent skidding.
Choose your lane wisely:
Stay toward the middle lanes – water tends to pool in the outside lanes.
Prioritize visibility
Enhance your visibility in heavy rain by activating your headlights. Be particularly vigilant for vehicles in blind spots, as rain-smeared windows can obscure them.
Watch out for slippery roads:
Be extra careful during the first half hour after rain begins. Grime and oil on the road surface mix with water to make the road slippery.
Keep a safe distance from large vehicles:
Large trucks and buses can reduce your visibility with tire spray. Avoid tailgating and pass them swiftly and safely.
Mind your windshield wipers:
Overloaded wiper blades can hinder visibility. If rain severely limits your sight, pull over and wait for conditions to improve. Seek refuge at rest areas or protected spots.
If the roadside is your only option, pull off as far as possible, preferably past the end of a guard rail, and wait until the storm passes. Keep your headlights on and turn on emergency flashers to alert other drivers of your position.
In the face of heavy rain, these precautions can make a significant difference in ensuring your safety on the road. Remember to stay informed about weather conditions and heed guidance from local authorities for a secure journey.
Advance Local Weather Alerts is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to compile the latest data from the National Weather Service.
The National Weather Service issued a report at 6:37 p.m. on Saturday for strong thunderstorms until 7:15 p.m. for Coffee, Dale, Henry and Houston counties.
The storms are packing wind gusts of up to 40 mph and pea-sized hail (0.25 inches).
“At 6:36 p.m., Doppler radar tracked a strong thunderstorm over Newton, or near Ozark, moving east at 25 mph,” says the weather service. “Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is possible.”
Locations impacted by the alert include Daleville, Headland, Dothan, Enterprise, Fort Rucker, Ozark, Midland City, Kinsey, Level Plains, Cowarts, Newton, Webb, Pinckard, Clayhatchee, Grimes, Newville, Napier Field, Hunt Field, Waterford and Hooper Stage Field.
The weather service states, “If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm. Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe shelter inside a building or vehicle.”
When lightning looms: Expert safety tips for thunderstorms
Lightning strikes the United States approximately 25 million times each year, with the bulk of these electrical discharges occurring during the summer months. Tragically, lightning claims the lives of about 20 individuals annually, as reported by the weather service. The risk of lightning-related incidents escalates as thunderstorms draw near, reaching its peak when the storm directly looms overhead. However, it gradually recedes as the tempest moves away.
To ensure your safety during a thunderstorm, keep these recommendations in mind:
Lightning safety plan:
When venturing outdoors, it’s crucial to have a lightning safety plan in place.
Monitor the sky for threatening signs and listen for the sound of thunder. If thunder is audible, it’s an indication that lightning is nearby.
Seek a safe place to shelter, preferably indoors.
Indoors safety measures:
Once you’ve found shelter indoors, abstain from using corded phones, electrical appliances, or plumbing fixtures, and refrain from approaching windows and doors.
Lightning can follow conductive pathways, and these precautions reduce the risk of electrical surges.
Wait for the all-clear:
After the last lightning strike or thunderclap, wait at least 30 minutes before resuming outdoor activities.
It’s important to remember that lightning can strike even when a storm seems to have passed, so exercise caution.
When indoor shelter isn’t available:
If you find yourself outdoors without access to indoor shelter during a thunderstorm, take these steps to maximize your safety:
Avoid open fields, hilltops, or ridge crests, as they expose you to greater lightning risk.
Steer clear of tall, isolated trees and other prominent objects. In forested areas, stay close to lower stands of trees.
If you’re in a group, ensure that individuals are spaced out to prevent lightning current from transferring between people.
Camping in an open setting during a thunderstorm is strongly discouraged. If you have no alternative, set up camp in a valley, ravine, or other low-lying areas. It’s crucial to note that a tent provides no protection against lightning.
Do not approach water bodies, wet objects, or metal items. Although water and metal do not attract lightning, they conduct electricity effectively and can pose significant risks.
In summary, when facing the threat of lightning, vigilance and preparedness are your best allies. By following these guidelines, you can significantly reduce the chances of lightning-related accidents and prioritize your safety.
Driving through downpours: Safety guidelines for wet roads
When heavy rain sets in, the risk of flooding and hazardous driving conditions rises. Whether it’s prolonged rainfall or rapid runoff, being prepared is essential. Here are some valuable safety tips from the weather service to ensure you stay safe in heavy rain:
Beware of rapid water flow:
Avoid parking or walking in close proximity to culverts or drainage ditches, as the swiftly moving water during heavy rain can potentially carry you away.
Maintain safe driving distances:
Adhere to the two-second rule for maintaining a safe following distance behind the vehicle in front of you. In heavy rain, allow an additional two seconds of distance to compensate for reduced traction and braking effectiveness.
Reduce speed and drive cautiously:
If it is raining and the roads are wet, slow down. Take your foot off the accelerator and let your speed drop gradually. Never use the brakes suddenly because this may cause the car to skid.
Choose your lane wisely:
Stick to the middle lanes to minimize the risk of hydroplaning. Outer lanes are more prone to accumulating water.
Visibility matters:
Enhance your visibility in heavy rain by turning on your headlights. Watch out for vehicles in blind spots, as rain-smeared windows can obscure them.
Watch out for slippery roads:
The initial half-hour of rain is when roads are slickest due to a mixture of rain, grime, and oil. Exercise heightened caution during this period.
Keep a safe distance from large vehicles:
Don’t follow large trucks or buses too closely. The spray created by their large tires reduces your vision. Take care when passing them as well; if you must pass, do so quickly and safely.
Mind your windshield wipers:
Overloaded wiper blades can hinder visibility. If rain severely impairs your vision, pull over and wait for conditions to improve. Seek refuge at rest areas or sheltered spots.
When stopping by the roadside is your only option, position your vehicle as far off the road as possible, ideally beyond guardrails. Keep your headlights on and activate emergency flashers to alert other drivers of your position.
In the face of heavy rain, these precautions can make a significant difference in ensuring your safety on the road. Remember to stay informed about weather conditions and heed guidance from local authorities for a secure journey.
Advance Local Weather Alerts is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to compile the latest data from the National Weather Service.