Briefs
NFL announces All-Decade Team
Von Miller, Tom Brady, J.J. Watt and Adrian Peterson are among eight unanimous selections to the 2010s NFL All-Decade Team announced Monday by the NFL and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Aaron Donald, Joe Thomas, Marshal Yanda and Justin Tucker also are on every ballot of the 48-member Hall of Fame selection committee. All but tackle Thomas and guard Yanda are active.
The 55-member team is comprised only of players who made an AP All-Pro team, a Pro Bowl or a Pro Football Writers of America all-conference squad from 2010-19. Four of the unanimous players – Brady, Miller, Yanda and Tucker – won Super Bowls during the decade.
Seattle has the most honorees with five: linebacker Bobby Wagner, safety Earl Thomas, cornerback Richard Sherman, running back Marshawn Lynch and coach Pete Carroll.
Brady is joined at quarterback by another NFL champion, Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers. Brady, of course, took three of his six Super Bowl victories during the decade with New England, going 141-42 overall, and recently left the Patriots as a free agent for Tampa Bay. Rodgers went 112-63-2 in the decade.
Peterson, the only non-quarterback to win MVP honors in the 10-season span, is accompanied by Lynch, Frank Gore and LeSean McCoy in the backfield. Darren Sproles is the flex player – and one of the punt returners.
Calvin Johnson, who becomes eligible for the Hall of Fame next year, is joined by Julio Jones, Larry Fitzgerald and Antonio Brown at wideout. The tight ends are Rob Gronkowski and Travis Kelce.
Along with Thomas, the tackles are Jason Peters, Joe Staley and Tyron Smith. Yanda’s fellow guards are Zack Martin, Logan Mankins and Jahri Evans. Alex Mack and Maurkice Pouncey are the centers.
Up front on defense with end Watt, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, and tackle Donald are ends Calais Campbell, Cam Jordan and Julius Peppers, and tackles Geno Atkins, Fletcher Cox and Ndamukong Suh.
Wagner’s and Miller’s mates at linebacker are recently retired Luke Kuechly, Khalil Mack, Chandler Jones and Patrick Willis.
The three cornerbacks are Sherman, Darrelle Revis and Patrick Peterson. Safeties are Earl Thomas, Eric Weddle and Eric Berry. Selected as defensive backs, in recognition of slot cornerbacks and other versatile players in the secondary, are Chris Harris Jr. and Tyrann Mathieu.
Tucker is joined by Stephen Gostkowski as placekickers. Shane Lechler and Johnny Hekker are the punters. Tyreek Hill and Sproles are the punt returners, while kickoff returners are Cordarrelle Patterson and Devin Hester.
Carroll and Bill Belichick are the coaches.
MLB great Al Kaline dies
Al Kaline, who spent his entire 22-season Hall of Fame career with the Detroit Tigers and was known affectionately as “Mr. Tiger,” has died. He was 85.
John Morad, a friend of Kaline’s, confirmed to The Associated Press that he died Monday at his home in Michigan. Morad, who spoke first to the Detroit Free Press, said he’d been in contact with Kaline’s son.
Kaline was the youngest player to win the American League batting title in 1955 at age 20 with a .340 batting average. The right fielder was a 15-time All-Star, won 10 Gold Gloves and was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1980 in his first year of eligibility.
The beloved No. 6 later sat behind a microphone as a Tigers broadcaster from 1976 to 2001 and was also a special assistant to the general manager.