— Antonio Callaway didn’t take long to run into trouble with the Browns.
The fourth-round draft pick and wide receiver from Florida
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driving with a suspended license.
According to a report by police in Strongsville, Ohio, Callaway was pulled over in his car after he failed to yield to on oncoming traffic. Police found a
“small amount” of marijuana and cited Callaway, who was stopped on a day off for
Cleveland’s players at training camp.
To make matters worse, Callaway didn’t inform the Browns of his legal matter.
“I am surprised at this,” coach Hue Jackson said following Tuesday’s practice. “He has been great. We have had no slipups, no issues. This is a young
player, who obviously made a bad decision or bad choice. I have to find out.
Believe me, when we find out more of the facts, I will tell you straight out,
exactly what it is when I know.”
The Browns selected Callaway in this year’s draft despite his checkered past. He was suspended last season for involvement in a credit card fraud case, and he
provided a diluted urine sample at the NFL combine in February.
That offense caused teams to stay away from him, not the Browns.
In April, general manager John Dorsey said the team had “done extensive background” checks on Callaway. At the time, Dorsey
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him out of trouble.
“I’m still confident in that,” Jackson said. “I think what John said is absolutely right and I support him 100 percent. We’ve been fortunate over the
last couple of years where we haven’t had things crop up.
“I truly believe in our process and how we go about it and how we talk about things. So, again, this is something I’m glad is happening now so we can deal
with it and move forward. I think our locker room understands how we handle
business. This young man will definitely understand how we handle business,
too.”
Jackson said he wants to learn more about Callaway’s situation before commenting on whether the team will discipline the 21-year-old. Jackson said he
has spoken to Callaway “quite a bit” about his behavior.
“This is surprising to me,” he said. “He is a young guy. Here is something that had happened and we have to deal with it. To understand it first, before I
talk about consequences or anything, is important.”
Callaway was already in Stage 1 of the league’s abuse program because of his diluted sample. He could be subject to a fine because of this infraction.
NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said, “The matter will be reviewed under the NFL-NFLPA substances of abuse policy.”
Callaway’s off the field problems at Florida were extensive.
In 2017, he was cited for marijuana possession as a passenger in a car driven by a known felon. Callaway pleaded no contest to possession of drug
paraphernalia and was fined.
A year earlier, he was accused of sexual assault, prompting the university to suspend him while the incident was investigated. Callaway eventually was found
not responsible during a student code of conduct hearing, but he acknowledged
under oath he was high on marijuana at the time of the alleged assault.
Callaway’s driving infraction came hours before the Browns traded disappointing wide receiver Corey Coleman to Buffalo. That move caused the team
to elevate Callaway, who has had an impressive training camp, into the starting
lineup before Thursday’s exhibition opener at the New York Giants.
The Browns released a statement saying they were aware of Callaway’s citation and “are in the process of gathering more information and will comment further
at the appropriate time.”
And while they’re dealing with Callaway
Womens Aaron Rodgers Jersey , the Browns are still waiting for former All-Pro Josh Gordon, who is away from the team to deal with health issues.
Gordon has been suspended multiple times by the NFL for violations of the
league’s substance abuse policy.
Jackson said he still doesn’t know when Gordon will return.
“Josh is still doing what he needs to do,” Jackson said. “And again, he will be back at some point in time.”
Because of Gordon’s situation and the lack of experienced receiving depth, the Browns have also considered signing free agent receiver Dez Bryant, the
former Pro Bowler released earlier this year by Dallas.
Length and athleticism make the Milwaukee Bucks a dangerous team with the ball.
When they defend the way they did on Friday night against the Boston Celtics, they’re nearly unstoppable.
Khris Middleton scored 23 points, Giannis Antetokounmpo added 19 and the Bucks used a dominating first half to overwhelm the Celtics 116-92, narrowing
their deficit in the first-round playoff series to 2-1.
Eric Bledsoe and Jabari Parker each added 17 for the energized Bucks, who held the Celtics without a field goal for nearly an 11-minute stretch of the
first half.
Milwaukee found its defense after a disheartening 14-point loss in Game 2, getting contributions from up and down the roster.
”We realized how important this game was … Everybody that played came in ready to go,” Antetokounmpo said.
Backup center Thon Maker scored 14 points and had five of the Bucks’ 12 blocks. Pesky guard Matthew Dellavedova, a veteran of a championship run with
the Cleveland Cavaliers, helped hold young Celtics point guard Terry Rozier to
nine points on 2-of-7 shooting.
The Bucks were the aggressors all night long.
”The activity, if you take the stat sheet out of it, the activity and the energy that we brought … as you go through the game
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Al Horford scored 16 for the Celtics, who fell behind by 23 at halftime and got no closer than 76-62 with 3:06 left in the third quarter on Jayson Tatum’s
3-pointer.
The game was so well in hand that the Bucks closed out the victory with Antetokounmpo on the bench for much of the fourth quarter with five fouls.
Middleton had eight points in the fourth.
Game 4 is Sunday in Milwaukee. The Celtics will need to get off to a much better start if they want to avoid going home with a 2-2 series tie.
”We got into a hole. This is new for our group,” Horford said. ”They had it going … and we really didn’t have an answer for them tonight.”
Milwaukee hustled for loose balls and stayed active around the paint, using its length to get deflections and disrupt Boston in the lane.
The 7-foot-1 Maker, in particular, provided a huge boost to help Milwaukee counter what had been a decisive edge off the bench for the Celtics. Maker got
extended minutes only because starting center John Henson missed the game with a
sore back.
Nearly everything else went Milwaukee’s way, too.
Parker, who voiced displeasure this week after playing just 24 minutes over the first two games, was 7 of 12 from the field and played 30 minutes. Bledsoe,
outplayed by Rozier in the first two games, shot 8 of 13.
”Obviously, it was all in the first half,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said about his team’s downfall. ”They were in such a rhythm offensively.”
TIP-INS
Celtics: Rozier had five turnovers, but four came in a first quarter in which the Celtics fell behind 27-12. He had nine assists … Boston held a 45-37 edge in
rebounding
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game.
Bucks: Malcolm Brogdon replaced Tony Snell at guard alongside Bledsoe. Brogdon, who missed two months late in the season with a quad injury, scored
five points but helped limit the Celtics’ backcourt of Rozier and Jaylen Brown
(11 points). … Middleton added eight rebounds and seven assists.
MAKER’S MARK
Maker made his teammates proud, especially after having a conversation with Antetokounmpo a couple weeks ago.
”I told him we had to bring killer mentality back,” Antetokounmpo said. ”He was hungry.”
Maker was 3 of 4 from the 3-point line. He also played with passion, getting in opponents’ faces at times.
”We can’t get too sped up or get slowed down,” Maker said. ”We’ve just got to find our rhythm and play with pace.”
ON POINT
Colorful comments made by Rozier and Bledsoe earlier in the series fueled speculation that there might be a budding feud between the point guards.
Bledsoe outplayed his counterpart on Friday night.
”There’s nothing about me and Bledsoe. There’s nothing that he did differently today,” Rozier said. ”They punched us in the mouth early. We’ve got
to do a better job of responding on Sunday, and we will.”
HE SAID IT
”For me, it’s about seeing the offense, finding my spots to be aggressive … just playing in rhythm.” – Middleton after he shot 10 of 17 from the field.
UP NEXT
Game 4 is Sunday afternoon at the Bradley Center.
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