NFL

Leland Melvin greets school children at the California Science Center in Los Angeles in 2012. (Damian Dovarganes/AP)

Leland Melvin's Journey From The NFL To NASA

After spending his days at training camp with the Dallas Cowboys, Leland Melvin would study math for material science and electrochemistry.

Only A Game

14:41Aug 30, 2019

Bills kicker Stephen Hauschka's football career began at Middlebury College in Vermont. (Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)

From Middlebury College To The NFL: Kicker Stephen Hauschka's Odd Journey

Div. III Middlebury College in Vermont is far from a football powerhouse. But that's where NFL veteran Stephen Hauschka's career began.

Only A Game

12:46Aug 23, 2019

John Urschel with his new book "Mind And Matter." (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

MIT's John Urschel On The NFL, Concussions And Settlers Of Catan

John Urschel left the NFL in 2017 to focus on his doctorate in mathematics at MIT.

Only A Game

12:30May 17, 2019

Robert Kraft has owned the New England Patriots since 1994. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Given: A Fan's Crisis Of Conscience

Earlier this week, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft pleaded not guilty to two misdemeanor counts of soliciting prostitution. Karen Given says the incident has at least some Patriots fans...

Only A Game

02:34Mar 1, 2019

The NFL Reporter Who Decided To Play Semi-Pro Football

In order to be better prepared for her job as an NFL reporter, Tori Petry joined a women's semi-pro football team.

Only A Game

08:23Feb 15, 2019

"That money comes in and goes right out for doctor bills, for co-pays, for medicines," Hall of Famer Elvin Bethea (65) says. (William Straeter/AP)

'We're Forgotten': Pre-’93 NFL Retirees Push For Pension Equality

NFL players who retired before 1993 are not eligible for a range of benefits available to players who retired after 1993 — and their pensions are about a third the...

Only A Game

14:36Jan 11, 2019

Earl Thomas is expected to miss several months with a fractured tibia. (Norm Hall/Getty Images)

3 Stories: Earl Thomas Injury, Eric Reid, Christiano Ronaldo

Independent investigative journalist Jessica Luther and SB Nation's Tyler Tynes join Howard Bryant.

Only A Game

08:01Oct 5, 2018

Linebacker Milt McColl of the San Francisco 49ers looks on during the game against the New Orleans Saints at Candlestick Park on September 21, 1986. (George Rose/Getty Images)

Before The NFL Had Dr. Duvernay-Tardif, There Was Dr. Milt McColl

Chiefs offensive lineman Laurent Duvernay-Tardif recently earned his M.D. from McGill University. But Duvernay-Tardif isn't the first NFL player to juggle pro football and medical school.

Only A Game

08:20Sep 7, 2018

Jalen Ramsey is a third-year cornerback for the Jacksonville Jaguars. (Glanzman/Getty Images)

3 Stories: NFL Preseason, Helmet Rule Change, Jalen Ramsey

Nora Princiotti of the Boston Globe and Charlotte Wilder of Sports Illustrated join Don Van Natta Jr.

Only A Game

09:17Aug 31, 2018

Ryan Leaf travels the country to help people struggling with substance abuse and mental health issues. (Courtesy of Transcend Recovery Community)

Ryan Leaf On Drug Addiction, Recovery And Service To Others

Ryan Leaf was the second overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft. But soon after his early retirement, he started abusing painkillers.

Only A Game

10:28Apr 27, 2018

"Hate the Pats, if hate you must, but kindly leave me out," Bill Littlefield writes. (David J. Phillip/AP)

Bill Littlefield's Message To NFL Fans: Hate The Pats, But Leave Me Out

As the Patriots prepare for another trip to the Super Bowl, football fans who live outside New England are preparing to root against them ... again. Bill Littlefield addresses the...

Only A Game

Jan 24, 2018

Gene Mingo (center), pictured here in 1962 on the Denver Broncos, quit football just over a week after he started playing as a kid. But he found his way back to the sport, which would end up changing his life in ways he couldn't predict. (Courtesy Denver Broncos)

Gene Mingo: A Hall Of Fame Life

Gene Mingo's story is worth telling for reasons that go way beyond whether he should be in the Hall of Fame.

Only A Game

30:48Jan 19, 2018

There were no ropes between the Colts and the people of Baltimore, sports writer Ron Borges says. Here the Colts are pictured with head coach Weeb Ewbank in 1958. (AP)

Baltimore And The Colts — A Bond 'You're Never Gonna See Again,' Upton Bell Says

While the Colts were still in Baltimore in the 1960s and beyond, they were part of the fabric of the community. They worked at liquor stores and steel plants, drank...

Only A Game

06:56Jan 5, 2018

"I kinda had my guard up a little bit. I had this idea that nobody was going to be able to pick on me or haze me or take advantage of me," Jordan Gross recalls. (Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)

The Cappuccino Machine That May Have Cost The Panthers Super Bowl XXXVIII

In 2003, as a rookie offensive lineman for the Carolina Panthers, Jordan Gross was asked to buy a cappuccino machine. Jordan refused. Drama ensued. 13 years later, Bill Littlefield tells...

Only A Game

08:38Dec 29, 2017

Sammy Baugh became one of the first great quarterbacks. But he wanted to be remembered for something else. (AP)

Searching For Slingin' Sammy Baugh

The story of a fake cowboy who became a real cowboy — and revolutionized football along the way.

Only A Game

09:13Dec 15, 2017

Former Los Angeles Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully announced he will "never watch another NFL game." (Harry How/Getty Images)

Littlefield: Dear Mr. Scully, Listen To The NFL Player Protests

This week, longtime Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully announced he would never watch another NFL game because of player protests. Bill Littlefield has also pledged to stop watching pro football, but...

Only A Game

Nov 9, 2017

Fog at the recent Patriots-Falcons game ushered in Halloween season. (Billie Weiss/Getty Images)

Fog Ushers In A Haunting Halloween Season

The highly anticipated rematch of Super Bowl LI turned into a fog bowl. It's far from the first strange event to interrupt a game.

Only A Game

Oct 25, 2017

Elephants are a signature image throughout Batch's body of work. (Matt Nemeth for WESA)

Former Pittsburgh Steelers RB Baron Batch On Art And His Arresting Officer

Former Steelers running back Baron Batch's NFL career only lasted a couple of seasons. It was what happened after leaving the game that brought him notoriety.

Only A Game

07:26Oct 20, 2017

"I think people, when they wear his jersey in public, they're aligning themselves with him and his politics." (Pat Dugan)

Mission Improbable: Surviving A Bills Game ... In A Kaepernick Jersey

For the first week of this NFL season, Sports Illustrated gave writer Tim Rohan an unusal assignment. He was to attend a game -- wearing a Colin Kaepernick jersey. His...

Only A Game

09:15Sep 22, 2017

The Battle of Hue lasted for weeks and changed Americans' perception of the Vietnam War. (AP)

How An NFL Lineman Changed The Course Of The Battle Of Hue

Ernie Cheatham is the highest ranking military officer to have played in the NFL. Only A Game's Martin Kessler has this story about Cheatham's role in the 1968 Battle of...

Only A Game

11:33Sep 15, 2017

All Things Considered

Leland Melvin's Journey From The NFL To NASA

From Middlebury College To The NFL: Kicker Stephen Hauschka's Odd Journey

MIT's John Urschel On The NFL, Concussions And Settlers Of Catan

Given: A Fan's Crisis Of Conscience

The NFL Reporter Who Decided To Play Semi-Pro Football

'We're Forgotten': Pre-’93 NFL Retirees Push For Pension Equality

3 Stories: Earl Thomas Injury, Eric Reid, Christiano Ronaldo

Before The NFL Had Dr. Duvernay-Tardif, There Was Dr. Milt McColl

3 Stories: NFL Preseason, Helmet Rule Change, Jalen Ramsey

Ryan Leaf On Drug Addiction, Recovery And Service To Others

Bill Littlefield's Message To NFL Fans: Hate The Pats, But Leave Me Out

Gene Mingo: A Hall Of Fame Life

Baltimore And The Colts — A Bond 'You're Never Gonna See Again,' Upton Bell Says

The Cappuccino Machine That May Have Cost The Panthers Super Bowl XXXVIII

Searching For Slingin' Sammy Baugh

Littlefield: Dear Mr. Scully, Listen To The NFL Player Protests

Fog Ushers In A Haunting Halloween Season

Former Pittsburgh Steelers RB Baron Batch On Art And His Arresting Officer

Mission Improbable: Surviving A Bills Game ... In A Kaepernick Jersey

How An NFL Lineman Changed The Course Of The Battle Of Hue