Former NFL tight end Kellen Winslow II was sentenced Wednesday to 14 years in prison for multiple rapes and other sexual offenses against five women in Southern California, including one who was homeless when he attacked her in 2018. The 37-year-old son of San Diego Chargers Hall of Fame receiver Kellen Winslow appeared via videoconference at the hearing in San Diego Superior Court in Vista, a city north of San Diego. San Diego County Superior Court Judge Blaine Bowman said Winslow could only be described in two words: “And that is a sexual predator.” The judge said Winslow preyed on women who were especially vulnerable, befriending a homeless woman, picking up a 54-year-old hitchhiker, and attacking a teen after she had passed out at a party. The 14-year-sentence was the maximum allowed under a plea deal. He was convicted of forcible rape, rape of an unconscious person, assault with intent to commit rape, indecent exposure, and lewd conduct in public. Once a first-round NFL draft pick for the Cleveland Browns, Winslow played also for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New England Patriots and the New York Jets. He earned more than $40 million over his 10 seasons. He was injured in a motorcycle accident and left the NFL in 2013. The father of two, whose wife filed for divorce after he was convicted, had faced up to 18 years in prison for all the charges. Both sides agreed to a reduced charge of sexual battery, which reduced the maximum sentence to 14 years. Winslow must also register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
Noland leaves Patriots to helm Dolphins PR
Patriots communications strategist Anne Noland is leaving the organization to become senior director of football communications for the Miami Dolphins. Noland will become the third woman in the NFL to head a team’s public relations department, joining Amy Palcic (Jacksonville Jaguars) and Emily Parker (Cincinnati Bengals). Noland, a 2015 graduate of the University of Georgia, joined New England’s PR team in April 2017 as a media relations coordinator. In Miami, she will reunite with coach Brian Flores, who was one of seven head coaches to speak at the fifth NFL Women’s Careers in Football Forum.
NICOLE YANG
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Colleges
Merrimack men fall in Northeast semis
Elijah Ford had 21 points and 13 rebounds as Wagner narrowly beat Merrimack, 64-59, to reach the Northeast Conference championship. Will Martinez had 14 points and eight rebounds for the top-seeded Seahawks (13-6, 13-5 NEC), which earned its sixth consecutive home victory in New York. Ziggy Reid had 16 points for the Warriors (9-9, 9-9). Devin Jensen added 16 points and eight rebounds. Jordan Minor had 11 points.
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Soccer
MLS expansion team acquires Berhalter, 19
Midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, the 19-year-old son of US national team coach Gregg Berhalter, was acquired by Major League Soccer’s new expansion team in Austin, Texas, on a loan from Columbus in exchange for $50,000 in general allocation money. Austin has the right to acquire Sebastian Berhalter, who played at the University of North Carolina and signed with Columbus as a homegrown player last year, on a permanent basis at the end of the season . . . Two days after former club president Josep Maria Bartomeu was arrested by Spanish police investigating possible irregularities during his administration, Barcelona eased some of the pressure on the club by rallying late to force extra time and defeat Sevilla, 3-2, to reach its ninth Copa del Rey final in 11 seasons.
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Miscellany
Medvedev, Zverev out in Rotterdam
Top-seeded Daniil Medvedev’s 12 aces weren’t enough as the Australian Open runner-up lost 7-6 (4), 6-4 to Dusan Lajovic in the first round of the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam. It wasn’t the day’s only upset in Rotterdam, with third-seeded Alexander Zverev also losing to Alexander Bublik 7-5, 6-3. Medvedev had 25 unforced errors against Lajovic’s 12, along with eight double-faults, and broke his racket in frustration. It was the first match for the third-ranked Russian since his straight-set loss to Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open final . . . Five-time Olympic swimming champion Katie Ledecky, working toward making a big splash at this summer’s delayed Tokyo Olympics, returned to national competition for the first time in a year, easily winning the 1,500-meter freestyle at the TYR Pro Swim Series meet in San Antonio, Texas. Ledecky led by a half-pool length for most of the 30-lap race before touching in at 15 minutes, 42.92 seconds. Ashley Twichell finished well back in second at 16:04.29.