Latest news with #FrankClark
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Chiefs' Linebacker Labeled Most Promising Building Block in Kansas City
Chiefs' Linebacker Labeled Most Promising Building Block in Kansas City originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Kansas City Chiefs' pass rush fell to near the bottom of the league in 2021 and needed help. General manager Brett Veach selected Purdue linebacker George Karlaftis at No. 30 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft to help Chris Jones and Frank Clark. Advertisement Karlaftis played so well that he made Clark expendable. Now, three years into his pro career, Bleacher Report thinks Karlaftis is the Chiefs' most promising building block ahead of the 2025 season. "When the Kansas City Chiefs defense takes the field, three-time All-Pro Chris Jones garners most of the attention at the line of scrimmage," B/R wrote. "However, George Karlaftis has earned respect with 93 pressures and 24.5 sacks in three seasons. After a 10.5-sack campaign in 2023, Karlaftis saw a slight drop-off in sack total with eight in the previous year, but he maintained an active presence in the pass rush, logging a career-high 37 pressures. "Karlaftis isn't generating the same amount of buzz as fellow 2022 first-rounders Travon Walker and Aidan Hutchinson in terms of extension talks. That said, he's taken some attention away from Jones as an effective three-down defender who can get to the quarterback and stop runs behind the line of scrimmage." Advertisement Karlaftis has posted 115 total tackles with 68 solo and 24 for loss and added 56 QB hits. He's added 15 passes defended, 24.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble across 49 games with 44 starts. Related: 'Broken-Hearted' NFL Owner Clark Hunt Family Reveals Personal Loss in Texas Flood Disaster Related: Patrick Mahomes Shows Off Fourth of July Vacation 'Dad Bod' with Brittany In Photos Going Viral This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Seahawks DE Leonard Williams No. 99 on NFL Top 100 list
It is officially that time of year again! Each summer, the NFL unveils its Top 100 players list, highlighting the best of the best in the league from the previous season. Every team gets at least a handful of players, and the Seattle Seahawks are certainly no different. The list is revealed in segments, and in the first batch of players we see our first Seahawk: Defensive end Leonard Williams, coming in hot at No. 99 overall. This is Williams' third time appearing on the Top 100 list, having been previously ranked No. 84 in 2021 and No. 97 in 2022. Leonard "Big Cat" Williams was nothing short of a force of pure nature for the Seattle Seahawks in 2024. A game-changer in every sense of the word! In his first full season in the Pacific Northwest, Big cat started all 16 games he played and recorded 64 total tackles (16 of which were for a loss), defended three passes, snagged an interception for a 92-yard touchdown, and earned 11 sacks. Advertisement Williams' 11 sacks were 0.5 a sack a way from tying a career best, and were the most by any Seahawk defender since Frank Clark logged 13 during the 2018 campaign. If anything, No. 99 feels too low of a ranking for Seattle's No. 99, but his placement on the Top 100 list is more than warranted. It is great to see a Seahawk get some recognition, especially since players for this franchise are often overlooked by the media. This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Seahawks DE Leonard Williams is No. 99 on NFL Top 100 list
New York Times
27-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Nottingham Forest review of 2024-25: A remarkable season that could have been even better
Remarkable has been an overused word over the past 10 months in Nottingham. But it has simply been a remarkable campaign for Nottingham Forest, as they found themselves challenging for a top-five finish for much of it, after having their fortunes transformed by Nuno Espirito Santo. While Forest ultimately missed out on a place in the Champions League — instead qualifying for the Conference League for next season — their seventh-place finish still ranks as a significant achievement. Here is The Athletic's review of what has been an eventful, colourful and entirely memorable 2024-25 season. The best season Nottingham Forest have had in three decades — but one that ultimately might have been even better. The seventh-place finish was the highest Forest have achieved since Frank Clark was in charge, in 1994-95, when they finished third. It has been an incredible transformation after two years fighting relegation — Forest are back in Europe for the first time since that Clark era. But there was also a sense of disappointment that Forest did not hold on to their place in the top five and secure Champions League football, with a place in the qualifying round of the Conference League somehow feeling like an insufficient reward. Perhaps the toughest question here. The win at Anfield? The 1-0 home success over Manchester City? Either of the victories over Manchester United? There have been so many notable wins. But it was not just the performance in the 7-0 win over Brighton at the City Ground in February, but the context behind it that made it special. Forest had just been beaten 5-0 at Bournemouth. But they responded by ruthlessly taking apart a very strong Brighton side, with Chris Wood netting a hat-trick. The goal that defined everything that has been good about Forest this season: Callum Hudson-Odoi at Liverpool in September. Anthony Elanga led a quick break down the right side, before firing a cross-field ball into the feet of his fellow winger, who still had plenty to do. But Hudson-Odoi cut inside two defenders to get himself into a central position on the edge of the box, before curling a sublime, perfect finish beyond the reach of Alisson. It was a very good goal, but it meant just as much for its significance as it secured Forest's first win at Anfield since 1969. After securing their first win at the London Stadium, by beating West Ham 2-1 in the penultimate game, Forest's players paid a touching tribute to Taiwo Awoniyi. It was a crucial victory that meant Forest still had a chance of securing a top-five finish on the final day. But it meant more than that, in an emotional sense, as Morgan Gibbs-White and Hudson-Odoi held up a shirt featuring Awoniyi's name and number up in front of the away end. The striker was recovering from emergency abdominal surgery to repair an injury sustained when he clattered into the post against Leicester City. After being questioned about occasionally playing the handpan when players went for meetings in his office, Nuno made a promise to the gathered media at his final pre-match press conference of the season that he would one day play for them. When he returned half an hour later with the instrument and plonked himself down on a stool, nobody expected what followed. With almost mesmeric flicks of his hands, Nuno produced a gentle, lilting tune that made you feel like you were in a posh spa, waiting for a massage. Ryan Yates on Nuno playing his handpan: 'It's like you're walking into a five-star hotel. Yeah, he's a very special man. Very different to anything I've come across before, but more than anything he's obviously incredible at his job. To orchestrate Forest (getting) to their first European football in 30 years? It speaks for itself. It's incredible.' Elliot Anderson. To be perfectly clear, the fact that he has flourished at Forest is not a surprise at all. He was regarded as being one of the brightest prospects in the Newcastle ranks before moving to the City Ground in a deal effectively worth £15million last summer. What has been a surprise is the position he has flourished in. Advertisement Anderson was signed primarily to add to the options on the left side, within Nuno's favoured 4-2-3-1 formation. But he has finished the campaign having established himself as the most important and influential option in the centre of midfield. If he can maintain his performance levels next season, he will surely be on the England radar. As the celebrations began following the penalty shootout win over Ipswich in the FA Cup, Nuno caught up with defender Ola Aina, as everyone in red ran towards the centre circle. The Nigeria international laughingly told his manager that he was feeling fatigued. Nuno's response was simply to give his player a piggyback into the melee of celebrations. Nuno said: 'He said he was so tired, so I said, 'Jump on'.' Dango Ouattara at Bournemouth in January. A looping far post header, a crisp left-foot finish, and a simple close-range conversion after Matz Sels had made a save all helped the Burkina Faso international to a hat-trick. Ouattara is one of very few men who managed to make Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic look defensively fragile. Champions League football would have earned Nuno a 10/10 rating. The stuttering finale to an incredible campaign brings his mark down to a nine. But the Portuguese has still done a superb job. He is the third most successful manager of the last half-century, behind Brian Clough and Clark, with Steve Cooper just behind in fourth. Will Morgan Gibbs-White join Manchester City? Forest's most creative influence and regular captain is among City's list of summer targets. Forest say they are comfortably within PSR limits and do not need to sell to raise money. But the situation is more complex than that when the most dominant side of recent years comes calling. Advertisement Securing Champions League football might have strengthened Forest's arm. Playing in the Conference League may not have the same impact. And the lure of playing under Pep Guardiola, one of the best managers in the game, would be significant. The England international would leave a huge void were a deal to be agreed. I knew that Ibrahim Sangare would turn out to be a midfield powerhouse for Nottingham Forest…
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Chelsea secure top-five spot to end Nottingham Forest's Champions League dream
Before kick-off, a giant banner dangled from the upper tier of the Trent End. It was an oversized brown tourist sign. 'Destination: Europe,' it read. Below that, a flag of a camper van with Nottingham Forest scarves flickering out of the windows. For Forest, all roads from here lead to the Europa Conference League and not the Champions League, which Chelsea will play in next season after two years away. First, however, for Enzo Maresca and Chelsea, is a trip to Wroclaw, a final against Real Betis, in the competition Forest will grace for the first time next season. For Forest, it was impossible to avoid the sense of anticlimax, despite returning to Europe for the first time since reaching the quarter-finals of the Uefa Cup under Frank Clark in 1995-96. In the end, the biggest boost of the day probably arrived 15 minutes before kick-off, when Taiwo Awoniyi emerged from the tunnel. The striker, who required urgent abdominal surgery and was placed in an induced coma after colliding with a post here against Leicester, was given a hero's welcome after walking on to the pitch tapping his chest and applauding all four sides of this stadium. Advertisement Related: Manchester City and Newcastle qualify for Champions League amid Villa fury at refereeing controversy: Premier League final day – live reaction This was a game of few openings but when the ball landed at the feet of Levi Colwill, after Pedro Neto was played in on goal, the Chelsea defender made no mistake, side-footing in the only goal of the game to confirm Maresca's side will return to Uefa's elite competition. Colwill does not score many goals – this was just his second of the season, his other coming against his hometown club Southampton – but this strike was as valuable as they come. Marc Cucurella recycled Cole Palmer's cross, headed away by Murillo, and Neco Williams inadvertently nodded the ball into Neto's path. Neto could not direct his effort goalwards but Colwill was free at the back post to score from close range. A cussing Nuno Espírito Santo shook his head on the sidelines. Forest had two good chances, both falling to their leading scorer, Chris Wood. The first came a couple of minutes before the interval, Wood volleying over from the former Chelsea defender Ola Aina's cross. Robert Sanchez asked questions of his defence but Forest failed to quiz Chelsea any further, allowing the visitors to coast to victory. Forest tried to force the issue in eight minutes of added time, throwing numbers forward, Colwill making an unforced error. The hosts created an opening in the 94th minute when Matz Sels, from inside the Chelsea half, looked for Wood. The Forest striker cushioned the ball superbly on his thigh but, under pressure from Tosin Adarabioyo, he could not keep his shot down and spooned it over.
BBC News
22-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Whatever happens, past nine months 'will live long in the memory'
The fact that Nottingham Forest are even close to qualifying for the Champions League seems like some kind of wild gained promotion to the Premier League in 2022 - after a long, long absence - we have battled relegation for two seasons and, for many, a solid mid-table finish was really all we could hope we have been that close to qualifying for the Champions League for so long that it feels a) incredible that we're still here and b) incredible that we have not actually done it already. Having won the European Cup two years in succession with Brian Clough in 1979 and 1980, and returned to continental competition with Frank Clark 30 years ago, it would mean everything to once again welcome the likes of Bayern Munich and Barcelona to the City course, a lot has changed since those days, and for a club - hopefully - on the up, it is not make or break for us. The team has outperformed everyone's expectations and to make the top five - in the year that the Premier League gained five places in the Champions League - would be an amazing end to an amazing season. Regardless of what happens, the past nine months will live long in the football is already a given, having secured a place in the top seven, and competing with clubs bankrolled by petro-states and billionaires is the kind of underdog status that Forest really thrive upon. We are not dependent on Champions League football for our bank balance and renewing our passports is, in many ways, exciting enough. That said, we are not just in it for the the manager and the players, they have given everything this season and Sunday is a time to celebrate and know that the pressure really is on our opponents. If we stick to our gameplan and play as we have all season, then the fans are with them no matter more from Pat Riddell at The Famous Club, external
