LATIMES.COM/SPORTS TUESDAY, AUGUST 27, 2019D3
A guy who doesn’t even
play for the Indianapolis
Colts anymore has a gener-
ous offer for angry fans who
apparently bought season
tickets only to watch An-
drew Luck play.
Long snapper Matt
Overton, who is going into
his third season with the
Jacksonville Jaguars after
playing five seasons with
the Colts, posted a tweet
Monday morning “to any
angry Colts season ticket
holders who are seeking a
refund.”
“I’d be more than happy
to buy your season tix off of
you & donate them to @Ril-
eyChildrens patients &
their families,” wrote Over-
ton, who referenced making
regular visits to the Riley
Hospital for Children in his
goodbye letter to Indianap-
olis in 2017.
The 2013 Pro Bowl selec-
tion has posted a series of
tweets in support of Luck
since the quarterback sur-
prisingly announced Sat-
urday his retirement from
the NFL.
Overton’s most recent
tweet came soon after Zak
Keefer of the Athletic re-
ported that fans were “call-
ing Colts HQ today, de-
manding refunds for their
season tickets.”
The Colts website lists
season-ticket prices ranging
from $448 to $2,648. And
based on the boos that
rained on Luck at Lucas Oil
Stadium on Saturday night,
there could be a lot of fans
looking to be repaid for
some very expensive tickets.
Surely, Overton can’t be
serious with his offer to buy
each and every one of them
out.
“I’m serious,” Overton
tweeted.
Your favorite
sports moment
What is your favorite
all-time L.A. sports mo-
ment? Email me to tell us
what and why and it could
appear in a future Morning
Briefing. And yes, if your
favorite moment is about
the Angels or Ducks or a
team just outside of L.A.,
we’ll count that too.
Today’s moment comes
from Jerry Chris of Mission
Viejo:
“When the 1984 Olympics
were held in Los Angeles, I
was a very fit [or so I
thought] 35-year-old. The
men’s bicycle road race took
place in my hometown of
Mission Viejo and it was
announced in advance that
the course would be pre-
pared the day before —
bales of hay on the downhill
turns, etc. This was my
chance to prove myself
Olympics worthy.
“After much training and
with a great bike, I com-
pleted ONE lap of the hilly
course in just over 50 min-
utes. Lying on my back, near
death at the finish line, I
could only dream I belonged
in the real race. The next
day, an American named
Alexi Grewal won the gold
medal by less than half a
wheel with most of Mission
Viejo screaming encourage-
ment — the first ever Ameri-
can to win the Olympic road
race. His time: An AVER-
AGE of 29 minutes over 12
laps. He averaged for 12 laps
about half what I did for
one. I learned a valuable
Olympic lesson and experi-
enced my greatest sports
moment in L.A.”
Rickrolled
You’d think Boston Red
Sox fans would have been a
little suspicious when they
heard the opening notes of
“Sweet Caroline” blasting
from the speakers at Petco
Park on Sunday afternoon.
Why would the San Di-
ego Padres staff play the
Neil Diamond classic that
inspires a mass sing-along
during every game at Fen-
way Park? And why would
they play it before the bot-
tom of the eighth inning, the
song’s traditional spot
during Red Sox home
games?
Even if they were a bit
skeptical of the hosts’ inten-
tions, those loyal Red Sox
fans just couldn’t help
themselves and started
singing along, with the giant
video screens in the park
showing them gleefully
belting out their team’s
theme song.
But just when they were
getting to the chorus —
when they typically get to
tell the world that they’re
feeling “SO GOOD! SO
GOOD! SO GOOD!” —
something else suddenly
appeared on the screens.
Rick Astley, singing his
1980s hit “Never Gonna Give
You Up.”
Yep. They got rickrolled,
which is a prank involving
the unexpected appearance
of the Astley song.
So any Dodgers fans in
San Diego for the series
against the Padres that
concludes Wednesday, let
this be a lesson to you. If
Randy Newman’s “I Love
L.A.” starts blasting
through the Petco Park
speakers, don’t get sucked
in. Or else you might find
yourselves rickrolled as well.
MORNING BRIEFING
Sounds like this former Colts player just snapped
ANDREW LUCK’S
retirement has some
Colts fans in an uproar.
Michael ConroyAssociated Press
By Chuck Schilken
and Houston Mitchell
The reunion began with a
connection, quarterback to
wide receiver, which is the
way it works in football.
On and off the field, ap-
parently.
Shortly after Dontrelle
Inman was granted his re-
lease by the New England
Patriots on Aug. 18, he heard
from Philip Rivers.
Four days later, Inman
was practicing with the
Chargers.
“Phil made it a lot easier
for me,” he said. “He called
me, texted me, like, ‘Come
on home now. You’ve been
gone for too long.’ It was
good to have that feeling of
being wanted.”
Inman spent parts of four
seasons with the Chargers
before being traded to Chi-
cago in October 2017. He re-
signed last week and is ex-
pected to be a part of the
wide receiver rotation. He
said he spoke to two other
teams, and it’s known that
he had a visit with and an of-
fer from the New York Jets.
But his relationship with
Rivers sealed matters.
In 41 games as a Charger,
he had 107 receptions for
1,463 yards and seven touch-
downs. “He knows he can de-
pend on me to make the
play,” Inman said of Rivers.
Inman said he also heard
from Rivers during the off-
season before he opted to
sign with the Patriots. In
New England, he was proj-
ected to be a possible re-
placement for Chris Hogan,
who moved on to Carolina.
But things weren’t work-
ing out with the Patriots and
Inman asked to be released.
Now 30 and entering his
sixth season, he explained
that it was time to seek an-
other opportunity.
“At 24 or 25, it’s easy,” In-
man said. “You grind it out.
You do whatever you got to
do. But when you become a
veteran, you have more op-
tions. It was a mutual deci-
sion, and it worked out.”
The Chargers like In-
man’s route running and his
understanding of the of-
fense. He was part of a simi-
lar system last year with In-
dianapolis. In nine games
with the Colts, he had 28
catches for 304 yards and
three touchdowns. He was
productive in two playoff
games, totaling eight recep-
tions for 108 yards and a
touchdown.
“I can come in and help
this team win, especially
since Tyrell [Williams] left”
via free agency, Inman said.
“It worked out well. I knew
this was a great opportunity.
This ended up being one of
those things where it felt like
family.”
No Luck for Colts
No opponent will be more
immediately affected by An-
drew Luck’s retirement
than the Chargers, who open
the season Sept. 8 against
Indianapolis in Carson.
Coach Anthony Lynn
said he learned of Luck’s de-
cision in the locker room
Saturday before the Char-
gers’ exhibition game
against Seattle.
“Andrew’s a franchise
quarterback,” he said.
“We’re going to miss him. I’ve
known of this young man
since he was in high school.
He’s a great person, comes
from a great family.
“It’s just a shame that in-
juries caught up with him
and he had to retire so soon.
I’m sure he’s doing what’s
best for himself and his fam-
ily, and I wish him all the
best.”
With Luck gone, the Colts
will turn to Jacoby Brissett,
who is entering his fourth
season and has 17 NFL
starts.
He started 15 games in
2017 when Luck was out be-
cause of a shoulder injury,
going 4-11. The previous year
he started twice for New
England in place of an in-
jured Tom Brady.
“It’s going to be a chal-
lenge,” Lynn said. “They’ve
got a lot of good things going
for them. ...
“That was one of the
hottest teams last year at
the end of the season. It was
more than just one man,
though. That’s a good foot-
ball team.”
Starters to sit
Most of the Chargers’
starters will not play Thurs-
day in the final exhibition at
San Francisco.
Lynn suggested some of
his younger offensive line-
men, such as Trent Scott
and Forrest Lamp, would
receive some snaps.
Rookie safety Nasir
Adderley, a second-round
selection, is expected to
make his first appearance
after missing most of train-
ing camp because of a ham-
string injury. Another draft
pick, Trey Pipkins, is ex-
pected to play as the Char-
gers try to accelerate his
progress. Pipkins, an offen-
sive tackle, was taken in the
third round out of Sioux
Falls.
“Trey’s getting better,”
Lynn said. “His technique,
his fundamentals. He’s com-
ing along just fine. But I
want to see him maybe get
an opportunity against
some starters in this league
and see how much he’s de-
veloped. He won’t get that
opportunity Thursday
night, but maybe down the
road.”
Etc.
Safety Roderic Teamer,
who is vying for one of the fi-
nal roster spots, missed Sat-
urday’s game because of a
sore hamstring. Lynn said
he is fine. ... Lynn on running
back Troymaine Pope:
“He’s making plays. He’s not
making mistakes, and he’s
showing special-teams val-
ue. Exactly what you want in
a young player.” ... The Char-
gers will practice again
Tuesday before departing
for the Bay Area on Wednes-
day.
CHARGERS REPORT
Rivers, Inman
connect again,
first over texts
By Jeff Miller
roster spots. Next Saturday,
when NFL franchises have
to trim their rosters to 53
and select 10 more for prac-
tice squads, any of the four
could make the club. Any of
the four could be released
too. “You build relationships
with a lot of these guys that
unfortunately won’t make
the team,” coach Sean Mc-
Vay said. “It’s never fun.”
Yet, it’s an inevitable part
of the preseason process.
Deayon knows the drill well.
The 5-foot-9, 159-pound
cornerback from Fontana
snagged a spot on the New
York Giants practice squad
after going undrafted out of
Boise State in 2016. He made
the team and played four
games each in 2017 and 2018,
but was waived last October.
This preseason, he’s vying
for one of Los Angeles’ last
cornerback spots, again fac-
ing unclear odds leading up
to cut day.
“You’re constantly learn-
ing so much,” he said. “Now,
it’s more, what can I work on
today? What can I do today?
Now, it’s more looking in-
ward.”
What Deayon’s career
has lacked in glamour it’s
made up for in longevity,
helping him grow the non-
profit lifestyle brand he and
his college teammates
started. The group is called
Goodeatz, a name derived
from football slang — ‘I’m
out here eating on the field,’
Deayon explained, “ ‘Yeah,
that’s a good eat.’ ” — that
carries out a meaningful
mission, organizing every-
thing from football camps to
lifestyle seminars for kids
from his community. “I al-
ways knew I wanted to do
something outside of foot-
ball that still incorporates a
team — that chemistry, that
bond, that grit — with other
people I know that are like-
minded,” he said.
Staying in the NFL would
help expand the brand. To
do so, he’s had to learn mul-
tiple secondary positions in
a new defense. Four years as
a pro have taught him to
adapt.
“Mentally, you can slow
things down,” Deayon said.
“You know what you can
control now, you know your
situation. You know the op-
tions. So you can mentally
navigate that when you get
older.”
Hodge, who appeared in
14 games and caught two
passes for the Rams last sea-
son, also has an interest out-
side of football. The athletic
6-foot-2, 205-pound wideout
is an aspiring model, a pas-
sion planted when his mom
would make him pose for
pictures as a kid.
“I always had a little per-
sonality in front of the cam-
era,” he said, flashing a mil-
lion-dollar smile above his
manicured beard.
His heart, however, still
belongs to football. His In-
stagram reads like a calen-
dar. Artsy images of him on
sandy beaches or dressed in
sleek blazers were replaced
by action shots on the grid-
iron once the preseason be-
gan.
“There’s no telling how
things are going to go,” said
Hodge, whose best chance
to make the roster might be
as a depth receiver filling a
special-teams role. “This
year, I’ve been more pre-
pared, knowing the play-
book, knowing more posi-
tions. Whenever time pre-
sents itself, I’ll be ready.”
Williams’ path to the
Rams has been more circu-
itous. As a sophomore walk-
on at Alabama Birmingham
in 2014, the cornerback com-
piled 23 tackles, six pass
breakups and an intercep-
tion. Then, the school folded
the football team.
“It was gone,” he said.
“And you didn’t know when
it was going to come back.”
Rather than take an offer
to start over somewhere
else, Williams decided to
wait to see if UAB’s program
would be saved. Instead, he
went two years without
playing a game, picking up a
string of oddball jobs, in-
cluding delivering flowers.
When UAB football was
finally revived in 2017, a moti-
vated and more mature
Williams flourished. He
started every game, led Con-
ference USA with five inter-
ceptions and was named a
first-team All-American by
Pro Football Focus. Still, he
went undrafted last year,
played three games with the
Baltimore Ravens, then was
waived and acquired by the
Rams in mid-October. Now,
he’s also in the thick of the
backup cornerback compe-
tition.
“My whole life has been
[as an] underdog,” Williams
said. “Barely making some-
thing, barely making it
somewhere, saying that you
can’t — that’s life to me. I’ve
never been the top dog.”
Greene is new to this
world. In his first NFL pre-
season, the rookie experi-
enced a homecoming of
sorts at the Coliseum on
Saturday. The Gardena na-
tive spent the first four years
of his collegiate career at
USC, originally as a quarter-
back before switching to re-
ceiver.
But when the former
three-star recruit never be-
came a starter with the Tro-
jans, he transferred as a
graduate student to Utah
State last season and made
44 catches for 689 yards and
six touchdowns. He went un-
drafted and was picked up
by the Rams only after an
impressive spring workout.
He’s hoping he won’t have to
leave Los Angeles again to
prolong his football career.
“Every undrafted guy will
tell you this: When you don’t
get that call after the draft,
for weeks you’re like, ‘Damn,
what’s next?’ ” he said.
“Then to get the call from my
hometown [team], that was
a blessing.”
Most players in his posi-
tion, though, are often
cursed by the cut list. Often,
treating practices like
prime-time games and ap-
proaching preseason con-
tests with the intensity of a
Super Bowl — to put film on
display for the NFL’s other 31
teams as well — isn’t enough.
The pressure of a roster bat-
tle will turn only a handful of
players into members of
NFL teams.
The biggest thing that
Greene, Hodge, Williams,
Deayon and the dozens of
other Rams players in dan-
ger of being cut have in com-
mon: learning to cope with
the uncertainty.
“Whether you’re Taylor
Rapp, the first guy drafted
[by the Rams in Round 2], or
me, the last guy brought in
off a tryout, we’re all here for
a reason,” Greene said.
“In a perfect world, they’ll
assign me to the 53. All I
know is, at the end of the day,
I can control what I put on
film. Make sure that, if they
do let me go, it’s a tough deci-
sion on them.”
RAMS’ KhaDAREL HODGE, a 6-foot-2, 205-pound aspiring model, could make
the final 53-man roster as a depth receiver filling a special-teams role.
Mark J. TerrillAssociated Press
Vying for a few spots
[Rams,from D1]
The fourth NFL pre-
season game is the last
chance for players to im-
press coaches and make a
roster or practice squad, or
at least put another per-
formance on their resume.
That will be the case for
Rams players Thursday
night against the Houston
Texans at NRG Stadium.
Two days later, the roster
will be cut from 90 players to
- NFL teams can then sign
as many as 10 players to their
practice squad.
Several Rams veterans
used the final preseason
game to make practice
squads as rookies.
In 2016, defensive lineman
Morgan Fox was an un-
drafted free agent from Col-
orado State-Pueblo. In the
final preseason game
against the Minnesota Vi-
kings, he played 50 snaps on
defense, and had two sacks
and two quarterback hits.
“It’s kind of that last day
to show what you’ve got and
what you learned, and kind
of build on all the bricks
you’ve laid during the pre-
season,” Fox said Monday.
“You get the most reps dur-
ing that game, so you really
get to kind of show out.” Fox
did not make the roster, but
he was eventually activated
from the practice squad and
played in four games. He
played in every game in 2017,
and then suffered a major
knee injury during offseason
workouts, sidelining him for
all of last season.
Now he is back and re-
garded as a valuable rota-
tional player.
In 2015, cornerback Troy
Hillwas trying to make the
Cincinnati Bengals as an un-
drafted free agent.
In the preseason finale
against the Indianapolis
Colts, he played 45 snaps on
defense and 13 on special
teams.
“For the most part, I was
in there the whole game,” he
said.
Hill made the practice
squad and was eventually
activated for a three-game
stint. After he was waived,
the New England Patriots
claimed him. But he was
quickly released and
claimed by the Rams. He has
been a valuable special-
teams player, backup and
spot starter since.
Hill said he would always
remember his final pre-
season game as a rookie.
“It all plays a part in what
they assess,” he said. “Every-
thing matters.”
Happy to sit out
Like nearly every Rams
starter, running back Todd
Gurleyhas been held out of
preseason games so that he
will be physically sound for
the Sept. 8 opener against
the Carolina Panthers.
Gurley also continues to
be given a lighter workload
during practices, and on
some days he is held out of
those as the Rams manage
the load on his left knee.
Do friends on other NFL
teams wish they did not have
to play in preseason games?
“Yeah, I call them all the
time and tell them I had an
off-day and they’re like,
‘Man, we just practiced for
three hours,’ ” Gurley said. “I
got a lot of friends that play
in the preseason, so I’ll check
up on them and see how
they’re doing, how their pre-
season goes.
“But yeah. They defi-
nitely wish they weren’t
playing, for sure.”
Etc.
Linebacker Troy Reeder
was fined $10,527 for an un-
sportsmanlike conduct pen-
alty in the preseason game
against the Dallas Cowboys.
Reeder was ejected from the
game after a hit on quarter-
back Cooper Rush. ... Defen-
sive lineman John Franklin-
Myers, who had been slowed
early in the preseason be-
cause of a foot injury, had a
sack in Saturday’s victory
over the Denver Broncos.
Coach Sean McVaysaid it
was Franklin-Myers’ best
performance of the pre-
season. “He was able to push
the pocket consistently,
played physical against the
run,” he said. McVay also
said that Fox had his best
preseason performance,
and defensive lineman
Tanzel Smartalso played
well.
RAMS REPORT
Finale a
bubble
burster,
or maker
By Gary Klein