Florida Sentinel Bulletin

BALTIMORE – Jacoby Jones of the Baltimore Ravens has tied an NFL record with a 108-yard kickoff return.

Jones’ return came in the third quarter of Baltimore’s game against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. He took the kick in the middle of the end zone, veered to his right around the 10-yard line, broke an arm tackle by Andre Holmes and outdistanced kicker Dan Bailey down the right sideline.

The return tied the mark set by Ellis Hobbs of New England against the New York Jets in 2007 and matched in 2011 by Randall Cobb of Green Bay against New Orleans. The Ravens’ record for a kickoff return was 103 yards by David Reed against Houston in 2010.

PITTSBURGH – A Pittsburgh Steelers rookie defensive lineman was arrested early Sunday on charges of leading police on a chase while driving drunk and crashing into parked cars, injuring a woman, authorities said.

Alameda Ta’amu, 22, of Kent, Wash., was driving a sport utility vehicle the wrong way on Pittsburgh’s South Side at about 2:30 a.m., police said. The 6-foot-3, 348-pound Ta’amu fled officers and crashed into four parked cars, injuring a woman, then tried to flee on foot before he was restrained by four officers and arrested, police said.

Charges against him include felony fleeing police, aggravated assault and aggravated assault by vehicle, as well as misdemeanor accident causing damage, resisting arrest, escape and DUI charges, along with summary counts, according to court records.

Although the Tampa Bay Buccaneers used their first pick in the draft on Boise State running back Doug Martin, they are saying LeGarrett Blount is not out of the picture.

On Sunday, the Bucs will be coming off a bye week to host the Kansas City Chiefs in a 1 p. m. contest at Raymond James Stadium. Buccaneer head coach, Greg Schiano, has announced that Blount has shown improvement during practice, and will be expected to get more carries Sunday.

So far, Blount has only 13 carries in 4 games. The Bucs ground game hasn’t been impressive this season with both Martin and Blount averaging less than 4 yards per carry. The Chiefs will enter the game with their own set of problems, the biggest coming at quarterback.

Last Sunday, starter Matt Cassel suffered a head injury, and fans at Arrowhead Stadium cheered as he lay motionless on the field. Backup, Brady Quinn, came in for Cassel and completed all three of his pass attempts for 32 yards.

The Buccaneer defense has held opposing running backs to 3.2 yards per carry in their 4 games so far, and that statistic will be challenged Sunday. The Chiefs are expected to feature powerful running back Jamaal Charles, who is coming off a 140 yards on 30 carry performance last week.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — It was tough for Kevin Faulk to leave football.

The team’s career leader in all-purpose yards made it official on Tuesday after two injury-plagued seasons. He formally announced his retirement after 13 memorable years in a ceremony at the team’s Hall of Fame attended by owner Robert Kraft, coach Bill Belichick and several teammates.

“I never thought I’d be saying I’m retiring from football,” Faulk said, “and I never thought I’d have three of these.” That’s when he took out the Super Bowl championship rings he won with the only team he played for since the Patriots drafted him in 1999 in the second round out of LSU.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. — General manager Phil Emery says the Chicago Bears have not discussed a contract extension with coach Lovie Smith.

Emery said Wednesday there are simply “not enough hours in a day” during the season and that he prefers to negotiate during the offseason. Smith’s contract doesn’t expire until after the 2013 season. The Bears are in a good spot heading into their off week with a 4-1 record and a share of the NFC North lead with Minnesota.

AUCKLAND, New Zealand — Usain Bolt will aim for a three-peat of Olympic sprint titles in the 100 and 200 meters at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, rather than trying out a new event.

After Bolt became the first man to successfully defend both sprint titles at the London Olympics, he was coy about his prospects of competing in Rio, and there was speculation he could switch to the long jump or 400 for a new challenge.

But during a promotional visit to New Zealand on Monday, the self-declared “living legend” said his plan for 2016 “is all about just going and defending my titles.

NEW YORK — The star of the Long Island University Brooklyn basketball team and three teammates arrested in a campus brawl had their suspensions lifted Monday and were instead put on school probation and will be suspended for two games each.

Julian Boyd, a forward who was named the Northeast Conference player of the year last year, and three other players, Jamal Olaswere, Troy Joseph and C.J. Garner, were suspended from school after the brawl last month.

The fight broke out during a welcome-back party for students at the Brooklyn campus. Initially, there was an altercation among members of the basketball and track teams. Then, a second fight broke out between basketball players and other students, including a DJ at the party. Police say the four players were arrested after five students filed complaints. Those students were not seriously injured.

LANDOVER, Md.  — Redskins coach Mike Shanahan says quarterback Robert Griffin, III got a “mild concussion” when he was hit in the helmet on a sack during Washington’s 24-17 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.

Griffin left Sunday’s game in the third quarter and did not return.

Team spokesman Tony Wyllie says Griffin was examined by an independent neurologist before being sent home from the team’s stadium and will be evaluated again Monday. Wyllie adds Griffin got a cut on his chin.

The Heisman Trophy winner and No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft was slammed into by Falcons linebacker Sean Weatherspoon’s side on a third-and-goal play with about six minutes left in the third quarter.

NASHVILLE, Tenn.— NFL quarterback Peyton Manning and his wife, Ashley, and former NBA player Penny Hardaway have agreed to join the group of minority owners for the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Mannings and Hardaway join a minority group that includes singer and actor Justin Timberlake and a couple Memphis businessmen.

Pera, owner of a California tech company, agreed to buy the Grizzlies from Michael Heisley in June for $350 million. The NBA is expected to approve the sale this month.

Timberlake was born in Memphis. Hardaway is a Memphis native who played collegiately at then-Memphis State. Ashley Manning once lived in Memphis and married Peyton there on St. Patrick’s Day in 2001. Peyton Manning played at the University of Tennessee across the state in Knoxville.