Columbiana HOF adds six

COLUMBIANA — The Columbiana Athletic Hall of Fame will be inducting its 29th class this year.

Inductees into the 2025 Hall of Fame class will be Stephanie Case Duda (athlete, class of 2009), Chris Esenwein (athlete, class of 1997), Mackie McGarry (athlete, class of 2007), Darek Stanfield (athlete, Class of 2001), Joe Winters (athlete, class of 2007) and Sean Zentner (meritorious service, class of 1983).

The induction dinner will be held at 6 p.m. Oct. 11 at Columbiana High School.

Reservations can be made now through Oct. 1 by contacting Bonnie Wilkinson at (330) 506-3588. Inductees will be introduced at halftime of the Columbiana-Wellsville football game on Oct. 10.

Louisville joining All-American Conference

LOUISVILLE — The All-American Conference announced Wednesday that Louisville has been as the league’s newest member.

The Leopards are scheduled begin competition in the conference across all sports except football in the fall of 2026.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Louisville to the AAC family,” said AAC commissioner James DeToro in a press release. “Their athletic tradition, community support, and competitive spirit spirit make them a perfect fit. We’re excited for the energy and excellence they’ll bring to the league.

Current AAC members include Austintown Fitch, Boardman, Canfield, Howland and Warren Harding.

Louisville has been an independent since 2018, when the Northeastern Buckeye Conference disbanded and formed the Eastern Buckeye Conference that didn’t include the Leopards.

Browns don’t know where Judkins stands

BEREA (AP) — Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski has to deal with uncertainty during training camp about a second-round draft pick for the second straight year because of an off-field incident.

Stefanski said the Browns were still gathering more information on Quinshon Judkins after the rookie running back was arrested on July 12 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on a charge of battery and domestic violence.

“These are things that we take very, very, very seriously. I know you guys will talk to (general manager) Andrew (Berry) tomorrow, but I don’t have much to add on that situation,” Stefanski said on Wednesday before the Browns held their first practice of camp. A Broward County judge found probable cause for the misdemeanor charge in a hearing on July 12. Judkins was released after he posted $2,500 bond. The judge ordered Judkins not to be in contact with the alleged victim and no access to firearms.

Judkins was the 36th overall pick in the April draft after rushing for 1,060 yards and 14 touchdowns at Ohio State last season.

Cleveland selected Judkins hoping he could become the team’s lead running back after Nick Chubb signed with the Houston Texans. The Browns also drafted Dylan Sampson in the fourth round and still have Jerome Ford on the roster after he rushed for 565 yards and averaged 5.4 yards per carry last season.

Judkins and Cincinnati defensive end Shemar Stewart (the 17th overall pick) are the NFL’s only unsigned draft picks.

Stefanski did say it was possible the Browns could add another running back depending on Judkins’ future status.

Steelers enter new territory

LATROBE, Pa. (AP) — Omar Khan grabbed both sides of the dais and paused. The Pittsburgh Steelers general manager, fresh off hailing the arrival of Aaron Rodgers, needed a minute.

“Let’s see, what else have we done?” Khan asked Wednesday as the team reported for training camp at Saint Vincent College fresh off perhaps the busiest offseason in its 90-plus-year history.

The man who promised to shake things up after another first-round playoff exit in January has spent the past six months proving they weren’t just empty words. And the team that arrived for its annual three-week stay at the small Catholic school in the western Pennsylvania hills looks far different than the one that was run over by Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry on that miserable night in Baltimore.

Out are quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. Temperamental wide receiver George Pickens, four-time 1,000-yard rusher Najee Harris, veteran defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi and — most stunningly of all — Pro Bowl safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, too. In are Rodgers, wide receiver DK Metcalf, cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith, among others, as the Steelers try to end an eight-year postseason victory drought. “We knew changes had to be made,” Khan said. “And here we are.”

Where that is — Khan, coach Mike Tomlin and everyone else hopes — is out of the purgatory of “frequently good but never great” that the Steelers have been stuck in for nearly a decade. “Our goal is to win the Super Bowl, so we’re building this team to win the Super Bowl this year,” Khan said.

Dolphins offensive lineman airlifted

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Bayron Matos suffered an undisclosed injury at the end of Wednesday’s practice and was flown to a hospital on a helicopter.

The injury happened in the final minutes of Day 1 of the Dolphins’ training camp. Matos, a second-year offensive tackle, was airlifted in stable condition, the team said.

The Dolphins did not release information on the injury.

“It’s a really heartbreaking part of the game,” said Dolphins offensive lineman Austin Jackson. “Very tough.”

Matos, born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, went undrafted in 2024 but signed with the Dolphins as a free agent through the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program — an initiative that gives athletes from countries outside the U.S. a chance to play in the NFL.

He spent time on Miami’s practice squad over the past year before signing a reserve/future contract in January. He has not played in an NFL game.

A two-sport athlete in basketball and baseball in his youth, Matos, 24, only started playing football in 2022. He walked on to the South Florida football team in 2022 with no prior experience.