Former Falcons WR Jared Bernhardt returns to lacrosse
Jared Bernhardt moved from lacrosse to football after a stellar collegiate career at Maryland and made it all the way to the NFL, but he's now back to his original path.
Bernhardt won the Tewaarton Award as the country's top lacrosse player while at Maryland and then transferred to Ferris State to play wide receiver. He signed with the Falcons in 2022 and appeared in two games before going on the reserve/retired list in 2023. He returned to spend some time in the CFL, but is now playing in the Premier Lacrosse League.
Bernhardt said he has no regrets about his circuitous route over the last few years.
'Some people may have all the speculation about leaving at the top of your game, but for me, I just feel that was the right move for me,' Bernhardt said, via Edward Lee of the Baltimore Sun. 'I wouldn't change it. As I said, a lot of great experiences, ups and downs and a lot of good people you meet along the way, and if I didn't do that, I wouldn't have had that stuff. So I'm fortunate enough to have been able to go through all of that.'
Bernhardt has scored one goal in two games with the Denver Outlaws since his return.

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USA Today
27 minutes ago
- USA Today
Bears All-Quarter Century Team: Safeties
Twenty-five years of Chicago Bears football are in the books since the turn of the century. Since the calendar turned over to 2000, the Bears have seen some success, but also plenty of woeful stretches. Early on, Chicago became a defensive force, claiming four division titles and reaching only their second Super Bowl in franchise history from 2000 to 2010. Since then, however, a 14-year playoff victory drought that is still ongoing and a one-sided fight with their rival Green Bay Packers have taken the spotlight. For all the ups and downs the Bears have seen, however, they had plenty of talent over the years across offense and defense. Multiple former Bears players are already in the Hall of Fame, while many more provided years of incredible play in the navy and orange. Here at Bears Wire, we're celebrating the best Bears players at each position over the last 25 years. Rounding out the defense are the safeties, which feature some big ballhawks and playmakers who made a lasting impact. Mike Brown No safety has embodied the Chicago Bears better this century than Mike Brown, who established himself as a leader on some of the league's best defenses in the 2000s. Brown, selected in the second round of the 2000 NFL draft, made an immediate impact as a starter his rookie season. In fact, he lost out on NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year to his fellow draft mate, Hall of Fame linebacker Brian Urlacher. Brown's best season came in his sophomore campaign, where he totaled a career-high five interceptions, including a league-high two pick sixes, a career-high 11 pass breakups, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery, and well as a career-high three sacks en route to a First-Team All-Pro bid. Brown had a nose for the football and always knew how to come away with a game-changing play to win it for his team. In his second season, Brown returned an interception for a touchdown in two consecutive overtime wins -- picking off a pass intended for San Francisco 49ers receiver Terell Owens in Week 7 and then intercepting Cleveland Browns quarterback Tim Couch in Week 8. Brown became the first player in NFL history to accomplish the feat, and he remains the only player to have back-to-back game-winning touchdown returns in overtime in league history. Brown had quite the impressive resume, including First-Team All Pro (2001), Second-Team All-Pro (2005), Pro Bowl honors (2005), PFWA's All-Rookie Team and 100 greatest Bears of All-Time (63rd). Brown played his first nine seasons with Chicago (2000-08) before a final season with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2009. Eddie Jackson While Mike Brown stands alone as the team's best safety this century, Eddie Jackson certainly embodied that dominant, playmaking mindset when he was selected in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL draft. Jackson had a breakout year in his second season, where he posted a career-high six interceptions (including two pick sixes), a career-high 15 pass breakups, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery (for a touchdown) and one sack en route to First-Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl nods. In his prime, Jackson was one of the league's most dominant safeties where he thrived taking the ball away. Jackson is tied with linebacker Lance Briggs for third in franchise history with six career defensive touchdowns, trailing only cornerback Charles Tillman (9) and safety Mike Brown (7). Unfortunately, after inking a well-deserved contact extension in 2019, Jackson's play declined as five of those defensive touchdowns happened in his first two seasons. While he experienced a resurgent year in 2022, a season-ending foot injury ended his season and his Bears career and he was released ahead of the 2024 season due to his large salary cap hit. While Jackson's stock fell in the 2017 draft, due to a knee injury, he started all 100 games he played in seven games with Chicago, where he totaled 459 tackles, including 14 tackles for loss, 15 interceptions, 44 pass breakups, 10 forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries and six defensive touchdowns. Mike Green Mike Brown and Eddie Jackson are the clear-cut top safeties so far this century for the Bears, so there was certainly a gap between them and our third safety, Mike Green. The former Mr. Irrelevant of the 2000 NFL draft, Green played his first six seasons with Chicago from 2000 to 2005. Green was part of a Bears draft class that included Hall of Fame linebacker Brian Urlacher and Brown, who both also made our All-Quarter Century team. Green started his career as a reserve and worked his way into a starting role with Chicago, where he eclipsed 100 total tackles in two seasons (2002, 2004) and proved to be a key contributor in the secondary. He finished his Bears career with 397 total tackles, 17 tackles for loss, six sacks, four interceptions, 25 pass breakups, seven forced fumbles and eight fumble recoveries. Green returned to a reserve role in 2005 and was eventually traded to the Seattle Seahawks in 2006, in exchange for a sixth-round pick. He spent two seasons with the Seahawks before wrapping his career with the Washington Redskins in 2008. Honorable mention: Adrian Amos Bears All-Quarter Century Team Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram


Forbes
35 minutes ago
- Forbes
A Home Ground For Washington Freedom Could Ignite Cricket In Maryland
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Washington Freedom are defending MLC champions (Photo Arjun Singh / Sportzpics for MLC) It's promising first steps, but Govil knows a permanent home ground is needed to unlock Freedom's potential. The unusual dimensions of an oval-shaped cricket ground, with a turf strip in the middle, makes it challenging for MLC franchises to find suitable infrastructure. Only Texas Super Kings have a permanent facility after repurposing a vacant baseball ground in Dallas, which has become the hub of American cricket and hosted most of the MLC games over the first two seasons. Kick-starting this ongoing tournament with a bang, the MLC was played in the west coast for the first time with San Francisco Unicorns playing its home games at the iconic Oakland Coliseum in what is currently a one-season arrangement. Plans to build a cricket stadium at George Mason University were scrapped, but Freedom's pursuit has continued with a site earmarked. Govil was tight-lipped on specific details, but there have been reports that Freedom are looking to develop in Frederick, about 45 miles north of Washington DC. Govil said he hoped government approvals would be sorted by August and that initial plans centered on a 10,000-seat multi-purpose stadium being built in time for the 2028 season. 'We really need a cricket stadium for the D.C. area, Virginia and Maryland,' Govil said. 'That's really going to grow the fan base, so they can watch us in person. There are a lot of other opportunities too.' A home ground could also lure international cricket with the U.S. men's and women's teams likely to host series ahead of the Los Angeles Olympics, cementing the country as a big ticket destination beyond traditional boundaries. 'The potential is huge. The east coast is ideally suited for the Indian market, so we want to host international cricket series,' Govil said. Along with Unicorns, Freedom are outliers without Indian Premier League investment ties but do have a partnership with Cricket New South Wales. Their international footprint has expanded after Govil secured a 50 per cent stake in Welsh Fire, a professional cricket team in the Hundred competition that has a $110 million valuation. 'Absolutely going to have a partnership (between Freedom and Fire),' Govil said. "We can offer players and coaches to be engaged in the U.S. and U.K. through the summer, essentially part of the same program as the synergies develop between the two." Glenn Maxwell is Freedom's captain (Photo by Arjun Singh/Sportzpics for MLC) As more cricket leagues emerge, while established ones like Australia's Big Bash League consider privatization, Govil looms as an intriguing figure in a traditionally staid sport undergoing rapid change and an influx of cash. He was born in Montreal before moving to India during his formative years with his parents, where he naturally developed a love for the country's favored sport. 'Growing up in India, the love of cricket was there, and even when I moved back to the U.S. I was constantly engaged in watching and playing cricket," he said. Govil's career took off when he moved to Washington D.C. and started Infinite Computer Solutions in 2001. It boasts an annual revenue of $2 billion with 20,000 employees globally while he also owns Zyter TruCare, a leading healthcare technology platform. 'Washington D.C. is obviously where I started my business. It's been a very good place for me and it's very multicultural,' Govil said. 'I couldn't have found a better way of giving something back to the community than the Washington Freedom.' Freedom - a 'unique name that everyone stands for', says Govil - are now entrenched in an underrated sports city marked by a passionate fanbase enduring plenty of heartbreak over the years by their seemingly cursed franchises. Just recently the Wizards, whose only NBA championship was as the Bullets in 1979, had the second worst record this season only to miss out on the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes and slide to No.6 in the upcoming draft. The Freedom's emergence might just change the city's sports luck. They have already brought home an elusive title having stormed to victory last season under legendary Australian Steve Smith. Those hard-bitten local sports fans needing a tonic might just want to jump on the Freedom bandwagon. Steve Smith captained Freedom to the title in 2024 (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images) ... More 'It's a very hungry sports market, with amazing fans who haven't had a lot of success," Govil said. 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Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Steelers Legend Makes Surprising Aaron Rodgers Prediction: ‘Real Ugly, Real Fast'
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