Alabama News

Former Auburn defensive lineman Justin Rogers is joining the Seattle Seahawks just in time for training camp. The Seahawks will hold their first practice of training camp on Wednesday, and the NFL team announced Rogers’ signing on Monday.

Rogers signed with Seattle after a Monday workout for the team.

Rogers will be seeking to make the team as defensive-line depth. The Seahawks seem set on their defensive-line starters already with Byron Murphy II, former Alabama standout Jarran Reed and Leonard Williams.

Rogers had been a free agent since June 18, when the Dallas Cowboys waived him.

Rogers originally joined the Cowboys in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL Draft, but Dallas waived the defensive tackle when it reduced its preseason roster to the regular-season limit of 53 active players last year.

The Cincinnati Bengals signed Rogers for their practice squad, but he returned to the Cowboys when they signed him to their active roster on Dec. 19. Though eligible, Rogers did not play in the final three weeks of the season.

Rogers played one season at Auburn. He transferred to the Tigers after playing at Kentucky in the 2020 through 2022 seasons.

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.

A Dothan man has been charged in the neglect death of a 70-year-old man.

Police and fire medics were dispatched at noon Monday on a medical call at a home in the 700 block of Shirley Street.

When they arrived, they found James Edward Jackson dead inside.

Officer said the home was in disarray.

“It was clear, after an inspection of the victim, that he had not been properly cared for by his caretaker,” said Dothan Police Chief William E. Benny. “The victim had obvious signs of neglect, which prompted an investigation.”

Jackson’s caretaker, 59-year-old Willie Sam Wymes, gave inconsistent statements that were easily disproved, Benny said.

Wymes is charged with manslaughter in Jackson’s death.

“Individuals caring for elderly individuals have a responsibility to provide necessary food, shelter, and medical care when needed,” Benny said. “The inaction of Wymes in caring for Jackson made this charge appropriate.”

Wymes is being held in the Houston County Jail. The investigation is ongoing.

Irondale police officers did not use a knee to the back of the neck to subdue a 52-year-old man who died last year during an altercation with officers, city officials said Monday afternoon.

The city’s statement was in response to a press conference held earlier in the day during which family members of Phillip David Reed and their attorneys likened his in-custody death to that of George Floyd. They called for accountability, transparency and officer arrests.

“The City of Irondale and the Irondale Police Department do not agree with the characterization of events by Ms. Sandra Reeder regarding the death of Phillip Reeder,” the statement read.

“The force used against Mr. Reeder was only the force necessary and proportional to the need to prevent his running wildly back and forth on a busy road endangering himself and others,” according to the statement.

Reeder, a Shelby County husband, father, grandfather and business owner, died August 6, 2024.

The ordeal began when police received a 911 call about a man – later identified as Reeder – running in and out of traffic on an Irondale roadway,

Irondale police officers were dispatched at 5:10 a.m. that Tuesday on several 911 calls reporting the man’s behavior on Highway 78 near Old Leeds Road.

Officers at the time said they found Reeder who appeared to be under the influence of an unknown substance and/or behaving erratically.

Officers rendered first aid on the scene until paramedics arrived. Reeder was taken to St. Vincent’s East where he was pronounced dead at 6:34 a.m.

Reeder’s wife on Monday said she and other family members were allowed to watch police footage on Friday, 11 months after his death.

“After being Tased by the Irondale Police Department, subdued, handcuffed with his hands behind his back, face down, one officer’s knee is on Phillip’s neck for about three minutes while another police officer had one Phillip’s legs upwards,” Sandra Reeder said. “Phillip is heard clearly, not once, not twice but three times saying, ‘I can’t breathe.’”

Irondale city officials said in the statement that they facilitated the viewing of the body camera footage for Reeder’s family and chronicled the events of that morning.

It was 5:10 a.m. when Irondale 911 received several calls regarding a white male running in and out of traffic on Highway 78 near Old Leeds Road. Officers were dispatched to the area and found Reeder, who they said appeared to be under the influence and behaving erratically.

“Despite multiple commands to comply, Mr. Reeder continued running in the road and shouting,” the statement said. “As Mr. Reeder posed a danger to himself and others, a Taser was deployed to bring Mr. Reeder to the ground and assist officers with detaining Mr. Reeder.”

“Even after deployment of the Taser, Mr. Reeder continued to resist and would not follow commands of the officers,’’ according to the statement.

Once handcuffed, city officials said, Reeder continued to struggle and resist for almost two minutes.

“Officers did hold Mr. Reeder to the ground using their arms only,’’ according to the statement. “No knee was placed in the back of his neck and no excessive force was used.”

Reeder stopped resisting, city officials said, and the officers realized that he had stopped breathing. They immediately Turned him over, checked for a pulse and began CPR until the paramedics arrived.

According to the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office, Reeder died of hypertensive heart disease associated with cocaine and restraint during altercation. His death was ruled a homicide, which means he died at the hands of another.

The Jefferson County District Attorney reviewed Reeder’s death, prosecutors said Monday. The D.A.’s office did not find probable cause for criminal charges.

“ALEA conducted an independent investigation of the incident and found no wrongdoing by the Irondale police officers,” according to the statement. “The City of Irondale and the Irondale Police Department support our police officers and do not believe they did anything wrong as to Phillip Reeder.”

Philip Rivers’ most recent NFL game came on Jan. 9, 2021, as he threw for 309 yards and two touchdowns in the Indianapolis Colts’ 27-24 playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills.

A former Athens High School star and son of a prep coach, Rivers has spent the four seasons since as the football coach at St. Michael Catholic High School in Fairhope. But it wasn’t until Monday that Rivers announced his retirement from the NFL.

The Los Angeles Chargers released a video featuring Rivers as he talked about his football career and tried to keep a rein on his emotions.

Rivers signed a one-day contract to retire as a member of the Chargers. He spent 16 seasons with the franchise – 13 in San Diego and three in Los Angeles – before playing his final season with the Colts.

Rivers entered the NFL from North Carolina State as the fourth pick in the 2004 draft. The New York Giants chose Rivers. But because the first pick, Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning, refused to play for the Chargers, San Diego traded him to the Giants for Rivers.

After serving two seasons as the backup to Drew Brees, Rivers started the final 240 games of his career – 252 if the playoffs are included. He did not miss starting a game across 15 seasons.

“I think gratitude is the first thing that comes to mind,” Rivers said in his retirement video. “… There were so many highlights and fun Sundays – so many. But what I miss and what I’m most appreciative and thankful for are those relationships, the things that were behind the scenes.”

One of the former teammates mentioned by Rivers in the video was former Auburn offensive tackle Marcus McNeill, who was in the group that showed up at Rivers’ home with the one-day contract for him to sign.

“Having you retire a Charger, man, it means the world to us as an organization,” team owner John Spanos told Rivers. “And we’re just so grateful.”

When Rivers played his last game, he ranked fifth in NFL history with 63,440 passing yards, 421 touchdown passes and a 95.2 passing-efficiency rating.

Rivers received Pro Bowl recognition in 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2017 and 2018.

“It goes fast,” Rivers said.

Rivers will become eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame with the Class of 2026. The process to select the next set of inductees into the football shrine will begin later this year.

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.

A weekend shooting at an Opelika gas station left a man in critical condition and another in jail.

Opelika police and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office SWAT took 28-year-old Mykiel Sanchez Holmes into custody Monday afternoon. The arrest took place in the 1400 block of Crawford Road.

Holmes is charged with attempted murder. He remains held in the Lee County Jail.

The shooting happened at 6:20 p.m. Sunday at Grub Mart on Columbus Parkway in Opelika.

The 31-year-old victim was taken to Piedmont Columbus Regional Hospital in Columbus. He is in critical but stable condition.

Police said the investigation showed Holmes and the victim are acquaintances and had a previous altercation.

The investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with additional information is asked to call detectives at 334-705-5220 or the Secret Witness Hotline at 334-745-8665. Tips can be submitted through the Opelika Police Mobile App.

President Donald Trump has spent recent days leaning into cultural issues championed by his “Make America Great Again” base amid the ongoing Jeffrey Epstein saga, as he looks to reinforce his still-solid support among Republican voters.

Still, at the six-month mark of his second term and with several legislative achievements already behind him, Trump’s approval numbers with other voting blocs have been trending downward as Democratic lawmakers try to make political hay out of the latest scandal.

White House aides aimed to kick off the week, which is slated to end with Trump traveling to his golf courses in Scotland, by touting what they say is a raft of historically impactful and swift accomplishments.

Take this Sunday X post on the White House’s official account: “ATTENTION: TRUMP DIDN’T COME TO PLAY. All gas. No brakes. The winning will continue. The deportations will continue. The memes will continue. THE GOLDEN AGE WILL CONTINUE!”

The reference to a pedal-to-the-metal second term was notably reminiscent of the popular catchphrase of WWE superstar Jacob Fatu, whose rapid ascent in professional wrestling included a recent run as U.S. champion. For Trump, being viewed as the champion of all Americans has never been a high priority — in both his terms, he and his top lieutenants have not done much outreach, on policy or otherwise, to Democratic voters and lawmakers. He also ran three presidential campaigns based mostly on reaching 270 electoral votes and not on healing partisan divisions.

For instance, White House budget director Russ Vought last week told reporters the annual appropriations process should be “less bipartisan.”

“Who ran and won on an agenda of a bipartisan appropriations process? Literally no one. No Democrat, no Republican,” the Office of Management and Budget chief said.

Unsurprisingly, Vought’s remarks drew the ire of Democrats like Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, who called for the OMB director’s firing.

“Vought is trying to destroy our democracy and the Republicans seem to be going along,” the New York senator said Thursday.

Since taking shape after he entered the political fray in 2015, Trump’s base has never been in much of a mood to support compromising with Democrats or giving ground on hot-button cultural issues. Vought’s defiance on federal spending, the administration’s hard-line immigration policies and Trump’s near-daily opining on cultural matters has kept that base on his side.

That’s a big reason why talk of Trump losing his MAGA base over the Epstein scandal likely reflects wishful thinking or exaggeration by his detractors.

Eighty-nine percent of Republicans said they approved of the overall job Trump is doing as president, a July 16-18 CBS News/YouGov poll found. The survey was conducted after Attorney General Pamela Bondi announced that the administration would not, despite Trump’s 2024 campaign trail promises, release any documents related to Epstein, the deceased convicted sex offender. (Eleven percent of Republicans disapproved of Trump’s job performance.)

A slightly larger number of Republicans, 91%, told the CBS/YouGov pollsters that they approved of Trump’s mass deportation program of undocumented individuals, with just 9% disapproving.

A recent survey by AtlasIntel showed Republican respondents largely on Trump’s side on the Epstein matter, with about 66% saying the scandal would not factor too much into their vote in next year’s midterm elections. More Republicans also said Trump’s relationship with Epstein should not be investigated further (about 57%) than those who said it needed more scrutiny (29%).

What’s more, about 58% of Republicans said Trump had been either “fully” or “somewhat” transparent about his association with Epstein, while about 30% said he’d been either “not transparent at all” or “not very transparent.” (Large numbers of Democrats, according to both surveys, disapproved of Trump’s overall performance and his immigration policies.)

Trump’s strength with base voters illustrates why Vought was so defiant last week on federal appropriations and why the president in recent days has pushed cultural issues such as trying to get two professional sports teams, the Washington Commanders and the Cleveland Guardians, to change their names back to the Redskins and Indians respectively. The president also fired off a post Monday morning about crime rates in U.S. cities, which he and conservative media outlets pushed during the 2024 election.

‘Still with him’

In short, it’s still all about the base, which has never left Trump. But that does not mean the recent polling doesn’t hold some unnerving news for a president who’s said his legal gurus are exploring ways he could seek a third term.

Independent voters played a major role in pushing Trump to victory in seven battleground states in November. The CBS News/YouGov and AtlasIntel surveys showed some heartburn for Trump among independents over his job approval, policies and handling of the Epstein scandal.

Asked about the president’s overall job performance, 68% of independents said they disapproved, while 32% approved, according to the CBS News survey. More than half (59%) of independents disapproved of the deportation program, while 41% approved.

About the coming midterm elections, 50% of independents said the Epstein saga would be a “very important” factor with a further 9% saying it would be “important,” the AtlasIntel poll found. About 41% said it would not be important. And an eye-catching 83% of this key voting bloc told the AtlasIntel pollsters that Trump’s relationship with Epstein needed further investigation, while just about 8% said it has been “sufficiently” examined already.

Anthony Salvanto, the executive director of elections and surveys at CBS News, described Trump’s support among his Republican base this way on “Face the Nation” on Sunday: “Very, very strongly behind him and especially on this immigration issue — and especially on deportation.”

“What you see in this dynamic is increasingly a base that really likes what it sees and everybody else with growing doubts,” Salvanto said.

But former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, an Illinois Republican and noted Trump critic, predicted Monday that the backlash over the Epstein files would spread beyond conservative media personalities and social media influencers and would ultimately make the president “squirm.”

“If they do come out, they’ll likely reveal just how close Trump was to Epstein,” Kinzinger wrote on Substack of documents related to Epstein’s federal criminal case. “In a normal era, a scandal like this would drive a president to resign. Trump won’t. He’ll hide behind the office and pretend nothing happened. But the damage is done. The polls will get worse.”

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©2025 CQ-Roll Call, Inc., All Rights Reserved. Visit cqrollcall.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

This offseason for Auburn football recruiting has been a roller coaster ride to say the least.

Losing four blue-chip recruits in one summer saw Auburn’s class ranking plummet to as low as 89th in the country.

However, the Tigers responded by gaining five commitments in the month of July, putting its 2026 class ranking 65th.

“It does seem kind of strange that we’re some of the lowest range of numbers,” Auburn coach Hugh Freeze said. “We’re really, really low compared to some and I’m trying to figure that out.”

The Tigers added a major commitment from in-state four-star Jaquez Wilkes on Monday afternoon.

His decision alone brought Auburn’s ranking up ten spots in the 247sports composite list and he’s the Tigers first top-100 player in the class.

Since July 4th, Auburn gained commitments from three four-star recruits and two three-stars. Joining Wilkes, Auburn added linebacker Adam Balogoun-Ali and offensive tackle Wilson Zierer.

Sparking the Tigers hot streak was the commitment of three-star tight end Kentrell White. A day later, Auburn snagged the seventh-best long snapper in the country Travis Wakefield.

So, is that it for Auburn? Far from it.

August 1st is when recruits can begin officially receiving written NIL offers. For athletic director John Cohen, that will be a day where Auburn takes full advantage of to improve all the recruiting lows from this summer.

“We at Auburn are going to take that very seriously. But we’re still going to win recruiting battles. We’re going to do it the right way,” Cohen said. “I can’t speak for the rest of the recruiting world, but I can tell you this, Auburn is going to do it the right way.”

Coming off two top-10 recruiting classes, the 2026 cycle will add more young talent to the program building roster Freeze has developed during his tenure.

Landing a player like Wilkes who ranks as the No. 6 player in the state and No. 10 edge in the country, will help tremendously when recruiting more highly touted players to Plains this fall.

Jerry Humphrey III covers Auburn sports forAL.com. You can follow him on X at @Jerryhump3or email him at [email protected].

A brand new episode of the hit reality series The McBee Dynasty: Real American Cowboys premieres on Bravo Monday, July 21 at 9/8c.

Cord cutters looking to catch new episodes as they release can stream season two through Fubo or DirecTV—both of which offer free trials to new subscribers.

Bravo hits like The McBee Dynasty: Real American Cowboys are also available for streaming through Peacock. New episodes are available for streaming the day after they air on Bravo.

Previous episode recap

The overall theme of season two has been the family attempting to save their enterprise from potential financial ruin, and that theme continued in last week’s episode with Steven Jr., who took a stab at securing a lucrative business deal with Arthur Bryant’s Barbecue to supply meat. Though the prospective deal looked promising, it ultimately fell through when the meat delivery ended up running late.

Another major incident that occurred during last week’s episode revolved around Galyna, who ended up breaking into Steve Sr.’s house while he was vacationing in Mexico with Masha, Galyna’s former friend.

While there, Galyna wreaked havoc by damaging Steve Sr.’s property and hiding Galyna’s belongings around the house.

Later on during the episode, Galyna is confronted by Steve Sr., but decides to take her tormenting a step further by being cryptic and elusive.

What to expect from this week’s new episode

The situation between Steve Sr. and Galyna spills over into this week’s episode as Steve accuses Galyna of drinking while on the job. To combat this new situation, he plans a mediation with Masha in the hopes of ending their feud and getting business back on track.

How to watch The McBee Dynasty: Real American Cowboys season 2

Those interested in keeping up with what the McBee family is up to can stream season two even without access to traditional cable through Fubo and DirecTV—both of which offer free trials for new subscribers to enjoy before committing to a paid subscription.

Cord cutters willing to wait an extra day to catch new episodes can stream the show through Peacock, too.

What is Fubo?

Although primarily known as one of the most popular sports-focused streaming platforms, Fubo offers its subscribers much more than just sports related content. Fubo users can access over 100 live TV channels through its base package for just $84.99 a month following its free trial.

Some of the most popular channels available for streaming through Fubo include ESPN, ABC, CBS, NBC, TLC, MTV and more.

Subscribers can also enjoy a plethora of on-demand content in the form of hit TV shows and blockbuster movies and gain access to useful features such as the unlimited DVR feature.

What is DirecTV?

DirecTV is a top streaming service perfect for those looking to access a plethora of live TV channels and enjoy helpful features. The base package starts at just $86.99 a month after its 5-day free trial and includes popular TV channels such as HGTV, ESPN, Bravo, CMT, CNBC, BET, CNN and more.

DirecTV has also recently introduced a lineup of genre packs, which allows subscribers to choose their favorite viewing options based on what genre they watch the most. With genre packs, users can get the channels and content they want without filler channel overload. Packs start at just $34.99 a month.

Those interested in comparing all DirecTV’s channel packages and the new genre packs can check them out here.

What is Peacock?

Peacock is one of the most popular alternatives to traditional cable. Users can stream hit movies and TV shows or explore a plethora of Peacock Originals.

Peacock currently offers two plans to choose from including their premium plan for $7.99 a month ($79.99 annually) and their premium plus plan for $13.99 a month ($139.99 annually).

The premium plan is the most popular package offering subscribers access to live sporting events, new and hit TV shows and movies, Peacock Originals and more.

Peacock’s premium plus plan comes with everything included in the premium plan along with the ability to download and watch select titles offline and the chance to stream your local NBC channels live at any time. Also, with the premium plus plan users can stream content without ad interruptions.

Keonta Hill likes playing EA Sports College Football 26 more than the next sports fan.

In the game, he picked Vanderbilt for his Road to Glory team.

As a senior on Madison County’s football team, he hopes to put up some more video game numbers himself this season.

“I just want to go in and do whatever my team needs to win football games at the end of the day,” Hill said on Monday at Huntsville-area high school football media day.

Last season saw Hill run for 1,530 yards and 16 touchdowns on 210 carries as the Tigers’ lead back, claiming Huntsville Times All-Region honors.

While he was encouraged by his season last year, he looks to do more this year to help his team; the Tigers went 2-8 last season under Chris Hancock, who will enter his second season as the program’s head football coach.

“We won our spring football game. We started off on a high with everybody coming in, working and getting better,” Hill said. “We have more team chemistry, more than last year, so I think we’ll shock some people this year.”

Hancock, who served as defensive coordinator for six seasons at Huntsville before taking the Madison County job and also served as head coach at Columbia and Buckhorn, described the work that Hill has done as “exceptional.”

The coach added that he plans to play Hill at linebacker this season as well for the Tigers.

“Last year, he got a chance to really put it out there,” the coach said. “He’s been the guy who was the second guy going in after some of the backs they’ve had there in the past. Last year, he had a chance to shine. He had 1,600 yards and 16 touchdowns; he did a great job. He’ll tell you, he’s got a great offensive line, got a good quarterback coming back.

“A lot of success, all from him, to quarterback and so forth, and then our receivers. He’s going to play a little both ways.”

Along with Hill, Hancock took pride in his offensive line group, which returns plenty of experience. The veterans include Cole Mullins, who represented his team at media day on Monday alongside Hill.

“It starts with those guys up front,” Hancock said. “We’ve got a very seasoned bunch of guys coming back that are young, but they’re all going to come back. Four out of my five guys are going to be back next year.”

Hill, who said his high school career “went by fast” and is excited about his senior year, described Hancock as a “very efficient” head coach.

“We don’t stay in there for hours,” he said of workouts and team activities. We get in and get our work done; we get a lot of work done.”

Hancock said one of the keys to success during his second season is demonstrating a strong work ethic, with the standard and expectations already set high.

“As their coach, you want to be the example,” the coach said. “Having a great coaching staff surrounding us and surrounding those guys and holding them accountable, the expectations have been put out.”

Madison County will open the season at home against Boaz on Friday, Aug. 22.

“Both sides of the ball are seasoned,” Hancock said. “I’ve got a seasoned defensive line, an offensive line, and then, of course, our running backs. It’s going to be fun.

“I’m looking forward to seeing what they can do one game at a time.”