Associated Press
CHAPEL HILLó Two North Carolina football players are transferring, a third has been kicked off the team and a fourth says he no longer plans to play the sport.
Coach Butch Davis said Monday that defensive back Brendon Felder and linebacker Herman Davidson were transferring. Davis says Felder wants to play for a school closer to his Monroeville, Pa., home because his grandmother is sick. Felder redshirted as a freshman last year while Davidson played 13 games primarily as a backup.
Davis also said defensive lineman Jared McAdoo was dismissed for violating unspecified team rules. He played 12 games as a redshirt freshman.
Also, linebacker Shane Mularkey isnít playing anymore. He had season-ending shoulder surgery after playing in the Tar Heelsí first two games last year.
HICKORY ó Lenoir-Rhyne has named Mike Houston its football coach.
The school on Monday promoted him to succeed Fred Goldsmith, who announced his retirement last week after 45 seasons.
Houston has been the Bearsí defensive coordinator for the past four seasons.
NFL
NASHVILLE, Tenn. ó Kevin Mawae believes there will be football in 2011. He just doesn’t know when.
Speaking in front of nearly 100 Music City business and civic leaders Tuesday, the president of the decertified NFL Players Association and former Tennessee Titans center tried to stay optimistic when talking about the collective bargaining agreement.
“We sit here at a time of uncertainty and say, ëWhen will football be played?í î Mawae told members of the Exchange Club of Nashville. “My answer to you as fans is I don’t know. My hope to you as the players association president is that I believe that we will play in 2011 but under what system I do not know.î
GARDEN HILLS, Minn. ó The owners of the Minnesota Vikings said Tuesday the team’s future is in the suburbs, announcing a deal with Ramsey County to collaborate on a $1.1 billion retractable-roof football stadium about 10 miles north of their current home at the Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis.
CHAD & BULLS
DULUTH, Ga. ó Chad Ochocinco now is going to try bull riding.
The Cincinnati Bengals receiver who earlier this year had a tryout with Sporting Kansas City of Major League Soccer, has accepted a challenge from Professional Bull Riders chief operating officer Sean Gleason to ride a bull at the LucasOil Invitational this weekend in Duluth.
Ochocinco will earn $10,000 if he rides a bull. If he can stay aboard for the required eight seconds, the PBR will give Ochocinco a new Ford F-150, as well as allow him to rename the bull.
Gleason says Ochocinco is “a gifted athlete, but bull riding is a much different sport and climbing on the back of a bull in the chutes takes a little more than Twitter confidence, let alone calling for the gate (to open).”
NASCAR
NEWTON, Iowa ó Iowa Speedway officials have announced that Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski will run in the track’s NASCAR Nationwide series race on May 22.