Latest news with #McConkey
Otago Daily Times
08-07-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Reward rises for information on sea lions
Failure to find those responsible for the death of three sea lions in the Catlins has led to the more than doubling of a reward for information. The New Zealand Sea Lion Trust (NZSLT) is hoping a $12,000 reward will lead to someone providing information, which may result in a conviction. "Someone must know who is responsible," NZSLT co-chairman Shaun McConkey said. The trust initially offered a $5000 reward after a sea lion pup was found dead from shotgun wounds in the Catlins area, on September 22 last year. Two weeks later, Jade, the pup's mother, was also found shot dead. Since then, support from the Otago Peninsula Eco Restoration Alliance (Opera) and donations from community members has allowed NZSLT to increase the reward to $12,000. A necropsy also found a third sea lion may have been stabbed at Waipati Beach in November and left to die. The necropsy, conducted at Massey University, found the sea lion had fractures to her left humerus and ninth thoracic vertebra, and the cause of the injuries was "most consistent with a human-induced stabbing". Department of Conservation rangers were notified about the wounded sea lion on November 11, but her injuries were so severe that she had to be euthanised. Mr McConkey said the $12,000 reward now also applied to the death of the third, unnamed female sea lion. He said the trust was "deeply distressed" by the third human-induced death of a female sea lion in the Catlins in just a few months. "The death of any female sea lion is devastating for the recovery of this nationally endangered species, which only started breeding again on mainland New Zealand 30 years ago. "These three deaths have set the Catlins population back many years," Mr McConkey said. An Opera spokesperson said the "senseless", "tragic" and "abhorrent" killings of Jade and her pup were unacceptable and heartbreaking reminders that humans often posed the most dangerous threat to New Zealand's vulnerable and endangered wildlife. "This crime must not go without consequences." Mr McConkey said the statute of limitations on any prosecutions under the Wildlife Act was one year. "We're getting close to nine months now, so there's a potential that we might run out of time." Given the incidents all happened in the same area, he believed they might be connected. "Clearly there's the same intent there. "At the trust, we believe they've all been deliberate killings of sea lions and so I would expect the same sort of attitude and potentially the same person. "We believe that someone will know something. "Obviously the perpetrator knows. We're hoping that someone else might know as well and that's the intention of the reward — to try and encourage people to do the right thing and to come forward." Mr McConkey urged anyone with information to make contact. "Any information will be dealt with in the strictest confidence." Since the reward had been offered, there had been no more incidents of harm to sea lions in the area, he said. "If nothing else, we hope that the high levels of disgust shown by people in responses to our posts, and the fact that at least $2000 of that reward money has come from the public, has discouraged this behaviour. "We hope that this level of support for sea lions pushes the message home that this sort of behaviour isn't OK and that most people are not going to accept it. "Hopefully, those responsible are much more aware that someone in the community is watching now."
USA Today
05-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Former Georgia star WR Ladd McConkey ranked among NFL's best players
Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey burst onto the scene in his rookie 2024 season, earning the No. 100 spot on this year's 100-best NFL players list. A second-round pick out of the University of Georgia, McConkey immediately proved his worth, leading the team with 1,149 receiving yards. McConkey is a playmaker that excelled at being the primary option to Chargers star quarterback Justin Herbert. McConkey had broke Kennan Allen's rookie receptions record with 82 receptions of his own this past season. He also broke the NFL rookie playoff record for receiving yards with 197 in a loss against the Houston Texans. "I mean, he's going to be a future All-Pro." Said Chargers safety Derwin James. "I feel like he's one of the best receivers in this league for sure." The young Georgia product is poised for a fantastic NFL career and could easily climb higher on future rankings after his sophomore season in 2025. McConkey is the Chargers' No. 1 option in their passing attack and showcased the ability to generate separation and yards after the catch as a rookie. Follow UGAWire on Instagram or Threads for more Georgia football coverage!
USA Today
02-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Chargers describe Ladd McConkey's record-setting rookie season in 4 words
The Los Angeles Chargers hit on second-round 2024 NFL draft pick Ladd McConkey. As a rookie, McConkey broke all sorts of team records for Los Angeles. The former Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver became the Los Angeles Chargers' all-time leading rookie receiver in receptions and receiving yards. He finished the 2024 season with a team-best 82 receptions for 1,149 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. McConkey had the 10th-most receiving yards and 19th-most receptions of any NFL player. He helped Los Angeles go 11-6 McConkey's record setting season continued in the playoffs. Los Angeles fell to the Houston Texans in an ugly 32-12 loss, but McConkey set the NFL rookie receiving yardage record (for an individual playoff game) with 197 receiving yards, nine receptions, and one touchdown. "A damn good one," said the Chargers on social media when describing Ladd McConkey's rookie season. McConkey is already drawing recognition across the NFL. The league ranked him as the No. 100 best player in the NFL for his 2024 season. McConkey and the Chargers start training camp on July 17. McConkey should have an even better sophomore campaign in the NFL. The Chargers' regular season opener will be played in Brazil against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 5 at 8 p.m. ET.
USA Today
30-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Saints' Alontae Taylor has an unfortunate role in the NFL Top 100 Players list
'My favorite play that I made last year, we were playing the Saints' This is brutal. The always-divisive NFL Top 100 Players of 2025 list kicked off on Monday, and the controversial ranking -- voted on by the players themselves -- starts with the New Orleans Saints in a starring role. Unfortunately, they were on the wrong side of it. "My favorite play that I made last year, we were playing the Saints," began Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey, last season's 34th overall pick from the Georgia Bulldogs. Now he's the 100th-ranked player in the league, at least according to this year's list. It's a rough look for Alontae Taylor. He got up high and tried to fight with McConkey at the catch point, but he couldn't find the ball, and the receiver took off with Taylor falling to the turf. After Taylor got back to his feet, dusted himself off, and tried to chase him down, well. We'll let McConkey tell it. "I was in the slot, it was kind of like a little stop-and-go deal," McConkey continued. "But he was pressed, so, yeah, it kind of ended up turning into an inside fade from the slot. Justin (Herbert) gave me a chance. Kind of caught a little, like, back-shoulder type deal. Made a couple (tackles) miss and went and scored." Taylor ended up on the ground twice on this play, once at the catch and again after his leap in pursuit came up too short. They say you have to have a short memory to play cornerback in the NFL, and plays like this are proof of it. But it'll be hard to forget a low moment like this. And the Saints are putting a ton of pressure on Taylor's shoulders going into 2025. He's expected to play a starring role in Brandon Staley's defense, lining up out wide when they run from a base set while moving inside to the slot when they go to nickel or dime personnel. It's the same role that Jalen Ramsey thrived in before, but those are big shoes for Taylor to fill. Last year, Pro Football Focus charting found that Taylor allowed the most receiving yards among all the NFL's cornerbacks (998). He was tied for fourth-most a year before (836), his first full season as a starter. Now entering a contract year, Taylor, the former 49th overall draft pick, must step up and end up with more highlights of his own while being featured in fewer of his opponents' highlight reels.
USA Today
30-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Chargers WR Ladd McConkey ranked No. 100 on NFL Network's Top 100 Players of 2025
After a standout rookie season, wide receiver Ladd McConkey has been voted one of the best players in the NFL by his peers. McConkey came in at No. 100 on NFL Network's Top 100 Players of 2025. The former Georgia product came in with big expectations after he was taken with the No. 34 overall pick in last year's draft, and he managed to surpass them. In Year 1, McConkey finished with 82 catches, 1,149 receiving yards, and seven touchdowns. This doesn't even include his nine-catch, 197-yard performance in the wild-card game against the Texans. The Chargers lacked weapons, but McConkey stepped up as a reliable target for Justin Herbert. Heading into his sophomore campaign, the sky is the limit after the team added a few weapons in the offseason, which should take some of the attention away from McConkey.
