No dancing for Mountaineers

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez, like all football coaches, wants his players to show up on time, work hard and play their best.

Oh, and another thing: Don’t dance on TikTok.

“They’re going to be on it, so I’m not banning them from it,” he said Monday. “I’m just banning them from dancing on it. It’s like, look, we try to have a hard edge or whatever, and you’re in there in your tights dancing on TikTok ain’t quite the image of our program that I want.”

Making TikTok dance videos is a popular activity among high school- and college-age users of the social media platform. Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, Boise State star Ashton Jeanty and Nebraska’s Dylan Raiola are among college football players who have posted dance videos.

Rodriguez is beginning his second stint as Mountaineers coach. He said he has talked to his players about the tendency in society to emphasize the individual rather than the team and that banning TikTok dancing is something he can do to put the focus where he thinks it belongs.

“I’m allowed to do that. I can have rules,” he said. “Twenty years from now, if they want to be sitting in their pajamas in the basement eating Cheetos and watching TikTok or whatever the hell, they can go at it, smoking cannabis, whatever. Knock yourself out.”

As for now, he said: “I hope our focus can be on winning football games. How about let’s win the football game and not worry about winning the TikTok?”

Rams’ Nacua goes back to school

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Receiver Puka Nacua is giving the Los Angeles Rams’ No. 17 jersey to new teammate Davante Adams and switching to No. 12.

The Rams announced Nacua’s decision Tuesday to go back to the number he wore in high school and again in college at both Washington and BYU.

Nacua wore No. 17 for his first two seasons with the Rams, including his record-breaking rookie campaign. When Nacua joined the Rams in 2023, receiver Van Jefferson had the No. 12 jersey.

Now Nacua is going back to No. 12, which also was worn by some of his brothers at various points in their football careers.

He seems quite happy to make the change, calling the number “a piece of armor as well that’s representing my family that is always protecting me.”

Adams has worn No. 17 at all three of his previous NFL stops, including his eight prolific seasons with the Green Bay Packers. The six-time Pro Bowl selection and three-time All-Pro agreed to a two-year deal worth up to $46 million with the Rams last weekend.

Nacua has been one of the most productive receivers in NFL history for the first two years of a career, and he is expected to take another step forward with the imminent departure of longtime Rams star Cooper Kupp, who is expected to be traded or released this week.

Despite missing six games last season because of injury and rest, Nacua’s 184 receptions are the fourth most in league history over a player’s first two seasons, while his 2,476 yards rank seventh. Nacua has added 20 catches for 322 yards receiving in his three playoff games.