D6 TUESDAY, AUGUST 6, 2019 LATIMES.COM/SPORTS
Nine-time Olympic gold med-
alist Carl Lewissaid female ath-
letes deserve fair and equal pay.
Lewis spoke at the Pan Ameri-
can Games in the Peruvian capital
of Lima. He said that he became an
athlete thanks to his mother, who
competed in the first Pan Am
Games in Buenos Aires in 1951.
“If I didn’t have a strong woman
in my life, I wouldn’t be sitting here
today,” he said at a news confer-
ence with Leroy Burrell, a former
world record-holder in the 100 me-
ters. “My mother was a pioneer.”
U.S. soccer players filed a law-
suit earlier this year that alleges
discrimination by the U.S. Soccer
Federation and are seeking pay eq-
uitable with that of the men’s na-
tional team.
“The reality is that there’s a lot
of prejudice, and a lot of prejudice
is fear,” he said. “We’re afraid to
give the same opportunity because
it gives us a leg up. The reality is
that it’s no different than another
athlete on another team. So, yes, I
support that.”
NFL
Browns coach
dismisses criticism
Cleveland Browns coach Fred-
die Kitchensdismissed criticism
by former offensive line coach Bob
Wylie. During a weekend radio in-
terview, Wylie said Kitchens re-
ceived too much credit for the
Browns’ second-half turnaround
last season. He also said defensive
coordinator Gregg Williamswas a
better candidate for the coaching
job than Kitchens. Kitchens said
he respects Wylie and could have
hired him but did not want to. He
said the players deserve all the
credit for the turnaround.
A person with direct knowledge
of the injury confirmed to the Asso-
ciated Press that Buffalo Bills of-
fensive tackle LaAdrian Waddle
tore his right quadriceps Sunday
and is expected to miss the season.
... Don Banks, a longtime NFL
writer who worked at Sports Illus-
trated for 16 years, died Sunday af-
ter covering the Pro Football Hall
of Fame inductions in Canton,
Ohio. He was 57. ... Former Miami
Dolphins defensive tackle
Kendrick Norton, who had his left
arm amputated following a car
crash a month ago, attended prac-
tice at training camp Monday. ...
The New York Jets acquired offen-
sive lineman Alex Lewisfrom the
Baltimore Ravens for a conditional
seventh-round pick in next year’s
NFL draft. The deal is pending a
physical. ... The Indianapolis Colts,
who may be without starting de-
fensive end Jabaal Sheardindefi-
nitely because of an injured knee,
claimed running back D’Onta
Foremanoff waivers.ETC.Arbitrator to decide
most of USC lawsuit
Most of the lawsuit filed last
month by a former member of the
USC football coaching staff against
the school and defensive coordina-
tor Clancy Pendergastwill be de-
cided by an arbitrator, according to
a recent filing in Los Angeles
County Superior Court.
Rick Courtright, who worked
as USC’s defensive quality control
assistant from 2016 to 2018, alleged
in the lawsuit that he was fired af-
ter reporting multiple rules viola-
tions to school officials.
Two weeks after filing the law-
suit, Courtright and USC agreed to
arbitrate four of his seven claims.
The claims headed to arbitration
— which will keep proceedings out
of public view — include allegations
of whistleblower retaliation and
unfair business practices.
— Nathan FennoA person familiar with the situ-
ation says Vince Carter is return-
ing to the Atlanta Hawks for his
record 22nd season in the NBA.
The person confirmed that the 42-
year-old Carter has agreed to
terms with the Hawks. ... The Mem-
phis Grizzlies have hired former
Notre Dame women’s associate
head coach Niele Ivey among the
new assistants on Taylor Jenkins’
staff. There are now nine women
assistants in the NBA.Randy Thompson, the baseball
coach at Mission Hills Bishop
Alemany since 2001, says the school
eliminated his position as assist-
ant principal in the face of lower
enrollment.
— Eric SondheimerThe International Boxing Fed-
eration ordered Sergiy Derevyan-
chenkoand Gennady Golovkin to
fight for the vacant middleweight
title, which was stripped from
Canelo Alvarezafter he failed to
reach a deal to face Derevyan-
chenko. ... Defenseman Kevin
Shattenkirksigned a one-year,
$1.75-million deal with the Tampa
Bay Lightning after being bought
out by the New York Rangers.THE DAY IN SPORTSLewis says athletes
deserve equal pay
staff and wire reports
Hunter Escorcia was playing
his first game at a new position. He
flipped to defense before his junior
year at the behest of Jav Guidry,
the Vista Murrieta High defensive
backs coach.
“He was telling me, I need to
come over to play DB because
we’re gonna need me this year. In
summer ball I transitioned,” Es-
corcia said of moving from wide re-
ceiver to safety. “It was a tough
transition, but by the time Game 1
came I was having a blast. I defi-
nitely didn’t regret it.”
He picked off two passes and
had five tackles in that 2018 season-
opening victory over Los Alamitos.
It should have been a celebratory
night, but Escorcia also suffered an
injury, tearing the labrum in his
right shoulder. He missed the next
three games, in which Vista Murri-
eta allowed a combined 78 points.
The Broncos allowed just 41 points
while winning their final six games
of the regular season with Escorcia
hovering over the top of the de-
fense as a free safety.
Escorcia finished the season
with 39 tackles and five intercep-
tions in eight games even though
he was playing with a shoulder
brace that restrained his move-
ments and admits he was careful
about hitting anyone with his in-
jured right shoulder.
He believes he’s primed for a big
senior season now that he’s heal-
thy and has a full year of experience
as a safety.
“I think my potential is very
high right now,” said the 6-foot-2,
175-pound safety, who also is a
track star for Vista Murrieta. “I’m a
natural football player, and I don’t
think you see my combination of
speed and length very often. As
well as learning the position better,
I feel like this offseason I got a lot
better in understanding the posi-
tion, so I’m hoping this year is go-
ing to be a movie.”
One part of the movie — the seg-
ment in which he earns a college
football scholarship — already has
been written. Escorcia committed
to Washington State over Utah,
San Diego State, Navy and others
late in June. He had fielded three
offers in the week before his com-
mitment and was likely to see more
headed his way, but Escorcia knew
he wanted to be a Cougar after tak-
ing an unofficial visit.
He had developed a strong rela-
tionship with his lead recruiter,
Matt Brock, and position coach,
Kendrick Shaver. Shaver’s calm
but demanding demeanor fit well
with what Escorcia loves about the
small-town atmosphere of Pull-
man, Wash.
“Pullman is a very special
place,” Escorcia said. “Not much
around it, which that’s what stood
out to me was the lack of distrac-
tions. I’m going to be able to go
there, focus on what I need to focus
on — focus on being the best I can
as a football player and focus on be-
ing the best I can as a student and
just setting up the rest of my life. I
think I will excel there.”
Washington State’s recent suc-
cess added to the attraction. The
Cougars have won at least eight
games four years in a row under
coach Mike Leach, including last
season’s top-10 finish and 11-2
record. Escorcia believes they’re
only going to get better and that he
can be part of that. He’s working to
make himself a more versatile de-
fender and expects to be used in a
variety of ways this season instead
of just playing over the top.
To set himself up to have the
most success, Escorcia’s focus has
been on educating himself about
Vista Murrieta’s defensive scheme.
He’s learned not only his responsi-
bility on each play but also what
the other defensive backs are sup-
posed to do and the assignments of
the linebackers in front of him.
That knowledge allows him to ex-
tend his defensive leverage.
A year after moving to a new po-
sition, Escorcia already is studying
like an NFL veteran, something he
only hopes to continue when he ar-
rives at Washington State.Escorcia is now in
a position to succeed
By Shotgun Spratling
HIGH SCHOOL RECRUITING
The invitation was unexpected
— and more than welcomed by
Rams defensive tackle Sebastian
Joseph-Day.
Rams defensive linemen Aaron
Donald and Michael Brockers al-
ready were on the guest list for Von
Miller’s third annual Pass Rush
Summit in June.
Donald, the two-time NFL de-
fensive player of the year, and
Brockers, a seven-year veteran, in-
vited younger Rams teammates to
join them for the hands-on seminar
in Las Vegas hosted by Miller, a sev-
en-time Pro Bowl selection and Su-
per Bowl most valuable player for
the Denver Broncos.
Joseph-Day could hardly be-
lieve his good fortune.
Joseph-Day, a sixth-round
draft pick from Rutgers in 2018, em-
braced the opportunity to learn
from many of the NFL’s most dy-
namic defensive players.
“There was so much informa-
tion,” Joseph-Day said. “New tech-
niques, from breaking down offen-
sive linemen. ... Telling the differ-
ence between run and pass, like
clues, and then keys that certain
guys use to give them hints.
“So I definitely took a lot of
those things to my game.” The
Rams’ decision not to re-sign
tackle Ndamukong Suh created an
opportunity for Joseph-Day and
rookie Greg Gaines, a fourth-
round draft pick from the Uni-
versity of Washington.
The 6-foot-4, 310-pound Joseph-
Day spent most of the first week oftraining camp lining up between
Donald and Brockers as the start-
ing nose tackle, putting him on
track to possibly start the Sept. 8
season opener at the Carolina Pan-
thers.
It’s quite a jump for a player who
was not active for any games in
2 018.
But Joseph-Day appears un-
fazed. He reported for offseason
workouts in top shape, emerged as
one of the team’s most improved
players and has impressed new de-
fensive line coach Eric Henderson
and defensive coordinator Wade
Phillips.
Joseph-Day was seeing oppor-
tunity and seizing it, Phillips said.
“He’s been really solid,” Phillips
said. “He’s very strong and a very
powerful guy. He’s got size, and he’s
working hard at it.”
Joseph-Day is not resting on his
first-week performance.
“I look at it as a day-by-day
thing,” he said. “Seize it that day.
That’s the approach I have. That’s
the approach I always have.”
Last week, Joseph-Day got
plenty of reps in joint practices
with the Chargers. This week, he
will gain more experience in work-
outs with the Oakland Raiders on
Wednesday and Thursday in Napa.
The Rams play the Raiders in a
preseason game Saturday, but it
remains to be seen which players
coach Sean McVay holds out. Es-
tablished starters will not play.
Along with Donald, Brockers,
Joseph-Day and Gaines, the Rams’
defensive line includes John
Franklin-Myers, Morgan Fox and
Tanzel Smart.
Franklin-Myers, a fourth-round
pick from Stephen F. Austin in 2018,
played in every game and had two
sacks last season. He also sacked
Tom Brady in the Rams’ 13-3 Super
Bowl loss to the New England Pa-
triots.Fox, a third-year pro, sat out
last season while recovering from
knee surgery. Smart, a sixth-round
pick from Tulane in 2017, played in
only two games last season after
starting four of the 11 games he
played in as a rookie. Smart per-
formed well against the Chargers
last week, McVay said.
“He’s stout,” McVay said.
“Tanzel’s a reliable player.”
The Rams’ defense once again
boasts star power with Donald,
cornerbacks Aqib Talib and Mar-
cus Peters, and the addition of line-
backer Clay Matthews and safety
Eric Weddle.
But the unheralded Joseph-
Day could be a key component as
the Rams aim to improve from 2018,
especially in rushing defense. The
Rams gave up 122.3 yards rushing
per game last season, which
ranked 23rd among 32 teams. Their
41 sacks ranked 15th, though Don-
ald’s 20^1 ⁄ 2 accounted for half.
Joseph-Day intends to put to
use what he learned at Miller’s
Pass Rush Summit, and he
thanked his veteran teammates for
their generosity toward younger
players.
“Shout-out to Brockers and
Aaron,” he said. “They brought us
along. They honestly didn’t really
have to do that, but it was awesome
that they did.”Etc.
The Rams were off Monday.
They will hold a walkthrough Tues-
day morning at their training facil-
ity at Cal Lutheran in Thousand
Oaks and then depart for Napa. ...
The Raiders’ roster includes three
players who played for the Rams
under McVay: safety Lamarcus
Joyner, defensive lineman Ethan
Westbrooks and tight end Derek
Carrier. Raiders offensive coordi-
nator Greg Olson was the Rams’
quarterbacks coach in 2017.SEBASTIAN JOSEPH-DAY, shown at a practice ahead of the Super Bowl, has been impressive
during Rams training camp. “He’s been really solid,” defensive coordinator Wade Phillips says.John BazemoreAssociated PressRams’ Joseph-Day aims
to tackle a starting job
By Gary KleinSecond-year player has
spent most of training
camp lining up between
Donald and Brockers.
plays every day. If he can play like
that the whole year, our defense is
going to be really good.”
Jones, a third-round selection
in 2018, steadily established himself
over the length of his first NFL sea-
son.
He started the Chargers’ two
playoff games and had his first solo
sack in the team’s 23-17 wild-card
victory at Baltimore.
Part of an interior group that,
among others, includes veterans
Brandon Mebane and Damion
Square and 2019 first-round pick
Jerry Tillery, Jones is someone the
Chargers are counting on to pro-
duce even more.
“I think one day, he has the po-
tential to be a Pro Bowl [selec-
tion],” Mebane said. “It has been
really good to see the progress that
he’s making from last year to this
year.”
Jones said the progression be-
gan in January, his increased role
in the playoffs providing confi-
dence plus the motivation to work
harder physically and increase his
film study.
He said he noticed that the
game had slowed down for him by
the time the postseason began.
Catching up to the speed of the
NFL allowed him to grow more
comfortable in his assignments.
“I was like, ‘OK, now I know I
can take that next step and be-
come that player they know I can
be,’ ” Jones said. “That was my goal
this offseason, to become the play-
er that they know I can be and I
know I can be.”
He approached becoming a bet-
ter football player by moving away
from football training.
Instead, Jones tried boxing and
swimming. He also rode a bike, his
6-foot-3, 300-pound frame not ex-
actly typical for that sport.
The impetus for the decisioncame from a team meeting during
which coach Anthony Lynn urged
his players to explore other work-
outs.
“He said, ‘If you have a bike, go
ride a bike,’ ” Jones recalled. “I
hadn’t ridden a bike since I was in
seventh or eighth grade, but I rode
a bike.”
He said boxing allowed him to
work on his endurance and hand
speed. He never had boxed before,
then spent six to eight weeks with
the sport starting in the late win-
ter.
“I have a whole new respect for
boxers because I went a round-
and-a-half to two rounds sparring
and I about died,” Jones said.
“They go 12 rounds. They make it
look easy.”
Just as dramatic was how he
tightened his eating habits.
Jones explained that he elimi-
nated beef and pork in favor of
chicken, turkey and fish. Thisweek, he even found himself extol-
ling the virtues of burgers made
from plants.
Working with a personal chef,
he introduced more vegetables
and usually had only fruit for
breakfast.
Jones opened training camp at
295 pounds and said he might be
closer to 290 now. When he joined
the Chargers out of North Carolina
State, he weighed 316. He was listed
at 309 last season.
“It’s a big difference,” Jones
said. “I feel great ... and it’s showing
up in my play. I’m really comfort-
able. I’ve learned the playbook,
and I know what my job is. ... I feel
like I’m coming on really well.”
He credited the presence of
learned teammates such as
Mebane and Square for accelerat-
ing his progress. Pretty much daily
during sessions with the media,
the younger Chargers reference
the help they’re receiving from the
older Chargers.
“When I come to practice, I
know I need to work just as hard or
harder than Brandon Mebane be-
cause he got to where he’s at be-
cause of his hard work,” Jones said.
“I want to be there.”
Based on what he has shown so
far in training camp, Jones appears
to be on his way.Etc.
The Chargers didn’t work on
the field Monday. They will return
to practice in Costa Mesa for
what’s scheduled to be a two-hour
session Tuesday. ... The Chargers’
top players aren’t expected to play
much, if at all, Thursday in the ex-
hibition opener at Arizona. Same
goes for Kyler Murray, the Cardi-
nals’ rookie quarterback and the
NFL’s No. 1 overall selection in
April. Coach Kliff Kingsbury has
suggested Murray could play as lit-
tle as one series.Big hopes for a smaller Jones
JUSTIN JONEShad a sack in
the Chargers’ wild-card win
over the Ravens in January.Robert GauthierLos Angeles Times[Chargers,from D1]