Kansas City Chiefs star DeAndre Hopkins had an inspirational message for young fans who have followed his career since the very beginning.
Hopkins is getting ready to play in his first Super Bowl when the Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. The Chiefs acquired Hopkins in a trade with the Tennessee Titans before the deadline. He appeared in 10 games and had 41 catches for 437 yards and four touchdowns.
He wrote an empathetic post to those children who are struggling like he was.
"To all the kids out there living in small towns, in small houses, with single parents," he wrote on X. "To the kids who see violence, who see loss, who don’t get the resources they deserve, but who still have big dreams.
"Know that I was a kid in your exact shoes and this week I’m playing in the Super Bowl. Don’t give up, work hard, keep believing. Where you start doesn’t determine where you end up."
Hopkins emerged as one of the top receivers in the league in the prime of his career with the Texans. From 2017 through 2020, he was a Pro Bowler even. He played seven years with Houston, three with the Arizona Cardinals and a season and a half with the Titans.
The Chiefs added Hopkins as they dealt with a slew of injuries to the offense. He may not have been the Pro Bowl receiver, but he did enough to help the Chiefs to a 15-2 record in the regular season.
He will likely be called upon to make one or two big plays against the Eagles in Super Bowl LIX.
Secretary Kristi Noem said Monday the Department of Homeland Security has "no credible threats" on Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans.
Noem spoke at a press conference ahead of the Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles. While it's all about football in the "Big Easy" this week, discussions about safety for this massive event naturally came up following the New Year's Day terror attack on the city's historic Bourbon Street.
Terrorist Shamsud-Din Jabbar killed 14 civilians and injured 57 others after ramming his Ford F-150 truck through crowds celebrating on the famous street around 3 a.m. on Jan. 1. Jabbar was killed during a shootout with police.
The NFL held a public safety press conference on Monday in New Orleans where Noem spoke alongside Cathy L. Lanier, the league’s chief security officer, Eric DeLaune, Homeland Security Investigations special agent in charge, Col. Robert P. Hodges, Louisiana State Police superintendent, and Anne Kirkpatrick, New Orleans Police Department superintendent.
Noem discussed the reality of the danger around the world, but when it comes to events here in the United States, she was clear with how safe the Super Bowl would be.
"The world is a much more dangerous place, but here in the homeland, we are safe, and I will tell you that right now we have no specific credible threats to this event at the Super Bowl, which I think should give us all a sense of security, but also knowing we will adjust that as needed," she explained. "Today, there are no credible threats that we have that are on the radar for this event that is coming up on Sunday."
Noem also touched on safeguarding "our traditions," like the Super Bowl, when it comes to everyone doing their part to provide a safe environment for those traveling to the city for the big game.
"[It] exemplifies how we come together to safeguard our traditions," she said. "How we come together to make sure that the public is well-informed and gets the chance to celebrate something that’s very special to us, to our culture, to our people, to our families. But we also do it in a way that is reactive to the current environment we see in the world today."
New Orleans is expecting upwards of 125,000 visitors to converge on its city limits, beginning Wednesday, where parties, concerts and other events will be happening throughout the week leading up to the game.
"We’re going above and beyond what we’ve seen in the past when we’ve hosted previously," New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said during a news conference. "We know we’re safer than we’ve ever been before."
Safety will be at the forefront with state, federal and local law enforcement officers with boots on the ground during the Super Bowl, Lanier said, though details about protocol were left unsaid.
Agencies including the FBI and Secret Service will be around the stadium and downtown New Orleans, per DeLaune. That will include rooftop snipers, BearCat armored SWAT vehicles and more.
There will also be federal air marshals, who are armed, stationed around the city’s public transportation hubs scanning for suspicious people and activity, while also guarding against drones. There is a ban on drones around the Superdome and downtown New Orleans throughout the week and flight restrictions up to 18,000 feet, per the Federal Aviation Administration.
New Orleans has already begun starting to shut down, and limit traffic, on roads near the Superdome. DeLaune also mentioned the perimeter of the Superdome will have blast barriers, requiring trucks to go through giant X-ray machines typically seen at border crossings to ensure safety around the site of Super Bowl LIX.
From bomb-sniffing dogs, to improved security infrastructure, to more manpower and resources, all the stops are being pulled out to ensure the safety of every individual heading to New Orleans to experience the NFL’s final game of the 2024 season.
This security will carry over into New Orleans’ famous Mardi Gras season, which has already begun.
"New Orleans will be the safety place to be anywhere in the country," Phillip Constantin, adviser with U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, said.
The WWE on Monday touted historic numbers around the Royal Rumble, which saw Jey Uso and Charlotte Flair win the men’s and women’s marquee matches over the weekend.
The Royal Rumble took place at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, transforming the home of the Indianapolis Colts into a pro wrestling spectacle. The company announced it was the "most-successful and highest-grossing Royal Rumble" in its history.
WWE said the 2025 event drew the largest gate for any single-night event in the promotion’s history. Around 70,342 fans attended the event. The attendance figure sits only behind WrestleMania 40’s Night 1 and 2 attendance at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
The company added that viewership was up 14% in the U.S. from last year. Bayley and Cody Rhodes each won their Rumble matches and went to WrestleMania 40 to win their respective titles.
WWE said merchandise and sponsorship sales were also up.
Social media appeared to be interested in streamer IShowSpeed’s appearance in the men’s Rumble match. He took the place of Akira Tozawa who wasn’t able to compete in the match at the last second. IShowSpeed entered the ring and did a backflip to hype of the fans.
But the streamer’s time was short-lived. Bron Breakker bounced off the ropes at full speed and nearly broke IShowSpeed in half with a spear. WWE Chief Content Officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque applauded IShowSpeed for his willingness to take the spear.
The moment generated more than 300,000,000 views across social media platforms in less than 24 hours.
The Royal Rumble is the first premium live event on the road to WrestleMania 41. Uso and Flair are guaranteed world title matches. It’s up to them to pick who they will face.
The gambling ring being investigated for two NBA betting cases also was involved in unusual wagering on at least three men's college programs, sources told ESPN.
LeBron James said his and wife Savannah James' bond "can't be f--ked with" as the Lakers rocked the NBA world by trading for Mavericks star Luka Doncic just after midnight Sunday.
Super Bowl LIX will feature the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles with history on the line for the AFC champion as they look to win their third consecutive title.
NFL fans who will tune into the game on FOX and Tubi will be able to get in on the action as well with FOX Super 6 Super Bowl LIX. Competitors will have the opportunity to win $1 million.
All the football fan has to do is answer six Super Bowl LIX questions and enter for a shot at the $1 million prize and $100,000 in guaranteed cash prizes. The questions are based on team and player performances and the entrant will be able to compete with fellow fans on FOX Sports.
There have been several winners since the contest began in 2023. This season, across a multitude of sports, more than $335,000 in cash and prizes have been awarded.
One contestant, named Jack, was the only entrant with a perfect score. He even guessed Kyler Murray to have more passing yards than Baker Mayfield, Lamar Jackson and Jayden Daniels in Week 13.
"I honestly had no strategy," Jack told FOX Sports. "I made the picks in about 30 seconds!"
Super Bowl LIX will kick off at 6:30 p.m. ET on Sunday at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. The game will also be streamed for free on Tubi.
Auburn and Duke remain 1-2 atop The Associated Press Top 25 men's college basketball poll for the third straight week, while Maryland is back in the rankings for the first time in nearly two years.
