Rory McIlroy's Masters win on Sunday was years in the making, but one of the stories that made plenty of headlines during the major was him giving the silent treatment to his playing partner.
In less than two weeks, Abdul Carter will likely hear NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announce his name from the draft stage in Green Bay.
The former Penn State standout is projected to be selected in the top 5 of next Thursday's NFL Draft.
While quarterbacks have once again drawn the lion's share of the attention in the months and weeks leading up to the draft, Carter is considered one of the best prospects in this year's class.
During a recent interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio, Carter revealed which NFL player he's most fond of.
Carter initially gave a nod to fellow Penn State alum and pass rusher Micah Parsons.
"Obviously Micah Parsons," Carter responded when asked to compare his game to an NFL player. "Just going to Penn State, playing and wore No. 11. I've got a lot of similarities like him."
Carter then voluntarily mentioned Von Miller is the player he most admires.
"Also, my favorite player Von Miller, just the way he played, how he showed up in the biggest moments. He’s probably my favorite player," Carter told SiriusXM NFL Radio.
Miller spent the past few seasons with the Buffalo Bills, but he was released last month. Miller, an eight-time Pro Bowler, was released in a salary cap-saving move by the Bills. His 129 career sacks rank 16th on the NFL's all-time list.
The star pass rusher inked a six-year, $120 million deal during the 2022 offseason. But that season was cut short by an ACL injury. He sustained the season-ending injury Nov. 24, 2022.
Carter racked up 23 sacks during his three seasons with the Nittany Lions and received Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors after a strong 2024 campaign.
Carter battled through a shoulder injury during the College Football Playoff. It was also recently revealed he is dealing with a stress reaction in his foot. However, it remains unlikely Carter will need to undergo surgery to address the issue, ESPN reported.
"He asked me earlier today to help him with the gender reveal. I was confused, at first, but I think he wanted to share that moment with us, and I think it was pretty cool," Turner said after the game.
But Turner wasn't going to get this chance and make it easy on Harper.
"I messed with him a little bit in the dugout. I picked up the pink one, swung it around a little bit," Turner said. "He thought he was having a girl."
But Harper came to the plate with a blue bat.
"He was pretty happy."
"He was nice enough to ask me to do it, and I thought it was a nice moment for him and his family. Pretty cool, pretty special day," Turner added.
Turner and Harper had also been teammates in Washington, D.C. with the Nationals before Harper headed to Philly. Turner signed with the Nats on an 11-year, $300 million deal before the 2023 season after a brief stint with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Harper wound up striking out in the at-bat, and the Phillies went on to lose, 10-4, to the red-hot San Francisco Giants, so it wasn't all fun at Citizens Bank Park on Monday.
But, without a doubt, it was a day Harper won't forget any time soon.
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said he had to remind his disappointed players they had reached the Champions League semifinal after Tuesday's 3-1 loss to Borussia Dortmund.
The two were paired together again in a major, just like last year's U.S. Open, which DeChambeau snatched from McIlroy in the late holes. McIlroy even joked over the winter that he wanted to "get back" at DeChambeau for "what he did to me" at Pinehurst.
DeChambeau cracked, "To be fair, you kind of did it to yourself."
"That didn't have anything to do with Bryson," McIlroy's sports psychologist, Bob Rotella, told the BBC, via ESPN. "That was just the game plan all week, and we wanted to get lost in it. We didn't want to pay attention to what anyone else was scoring, or shooting, or swinging or how far they were hitting it. We just wanted Rory to play his game.
"The point is, if you believe you're going to win, just play your game and assume that if you do that anywhere near the way you're capable of, then you will end up No. 1."
Despite plenty of hiccups, it worked. McIlroy finally won his first Masters and completed the career grand slam on his 11th attempt.
DeChambeau said he enjoyed the excitement of the day but said his partner appeared zoned in.
"He was just like ‘eh.’ Just being focused, I guess. That’s not me, though," DeChambeau said.
McIlroy became the first player to win a Masters despite double-bogeying four times in the tournament. To combat that, he set a tournament record with 30 "3s" on the scorecard.
Search high and low, inside and out, and up and down and it will be difficult to come up with more of a credentialed insider about the Giants than Pat Shurmur.
"Stopping while driving," Watson responded. "My biggest thing is keep going, get to where I need to get. There are stores and a lot of temptations. That’s helped me immensely. Don’t go inside the gas station. Pay at the pump. Because, inside, it’s snacks and all types of things like that. Don’t pull over. If you’re on the highway, stay on the highway until you get where you’ve got to go."
Watson turned heads when he walked onto campus in Gainesville at 385 pounds in 2021. Four years later, he’s about 80 pounds heavier than the current heaviest player in the NFL, Baltimore Ravens lineman Daniel Faalele, who was listed at 380 pounds last season.
Weight loss has been something brought up with the Gators’ program, but Watson has continued to gain it since stepping foot on campus.
"It’s been like my same problem — not problem — but my same concern throughout college," he said. "I’m getting more in-depth, getting a better grasp of the things I need to do to be successful at the next level. It’s been interesting. I’ve learned a lot about myself in this process."
Watson said people in his life have taught him to treat his eating habits like "another addiction."
And he knows just how serious it can get.
"It’s not drugs, but it’s addicting, whether that’s gaming, drugs, alcohol. I think this is my vice. I’m just trying to get a hold of it. Just like drugs can kill you, this can do the same thing. I’m trying to change my life."
While Watson’s weight may be a cause of concern for NFL teams, the potential is certainly there for the Gators' defensive tackle who benched 225 pounds 36 times. It would’ve been the highest total of reps at the NFL Scouting Combine if Watson had been invited.
Instead, he showcased his power and other skills to NFL teams at Florida’s Pro Day, which included a 25-inch vertical leap and a 5.93-second 40-yard dash.
If he is drafted, Watson is expected to go in the later rounds in Green Bay.
