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imakemywings · 7 years ago

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Leo Vargas/The Vatican belongs to @darkestages

WWI canonverse; absolutely no historical accuracy here, just angst

15. Trembling hands

“General Bonnefoy!”

“Have someone do a recount of our machine guns, I want to know if the Germans charge today exactly what our defenses are,” France was saying to the sergeant. “And I want watch rotating more often.”

“General Bonnefoy!” He continued to ignore the soldier jogging alongside him, trying to keep up with his long-legged strides as he marched through the trench with the sergeant hurrying along on his other side.

“Pass this memo to the English, and send General Kirkland to me when you can.”

“General Bonnefoy!” When the buzzing fly was still not deterred, Francis jerked to a halt and snapped his gaze over—whatever news this man had to deliver needed to be of prime importance.

“Yes, private?”

“Father Sforza sent me,” he said, saluting. “An envoy from the Vatican has arrived, sir.” There was a burst of gunfire from somewhere down the line, and shouting from along the Entente side.

“What?” Oh, this was the absolutely last thing he needed: Leo forcing his hand into Francis’ business when he was doing his best not to be steamrollered by the war machine pounding at him from three sides. “Fuck everything,” he muttered, flexing one hand and curling it into a fist. “Go, then, private, I will deal with the priests.” His gaze fixed on the sergeant again. “And I want a report about the food stores and usage by tomorrow morning.” He dismissed them both and sought out the dugout that was the only office they had out here on the front.

“Your Eminences,” he began loudly as soon as he had ducked his head under the first beam, “your presence is generous, but civilians are not—” He stopped when his eyes had adjusted to the gloom and he could see that not only was Leo meddling, he had come himself to do it. “Leo.” The sight of his heavenly crown of white hair was so deeply incongruous with the scene around him that Francis struggled to make sense of it for a moment. “What are you doing here.”

“To provide spiritual comfort,” he said.

“Are you going to visit the Germans too?” His tone was less vitriolic than the words; Francis barely had the energy to keep breathing anymore, let alone be angry.

“The Germans aren’t Catholic.”

“Isn’t it principle? Taking sides?” Francis rubbed at a smear of mud on his face, and succeeded only in spreading it across his cheek. He knew there was nothing he could do to fix his appearance now, but he persisted in small, futile efforts, trying to straighten himself up as he stood there.

“I’m not taking sides,” he said. “I would—I will—do the same for the Italians.”

Perhaps France wasn’t as immune to anger as he had thought—his face twisted into a brief, vicious snarl at the mention of them, and their backstabbing choices in allies. But it passed like a bird’s shadow on the ground and he was calm again.

“Go home, Leo,” he said dismissively, and turned on his heel to go. “I think they may be—” Before he was even able to finish, there was a thunderous crash that jolted the very earth, and he grabbed onto the doorframe, eyes widening. “Fuck.”

He popped out of the dugout and hailed a passing major to demand the situation. It was as he dreaded with the heavy, oily resignation that characterized most of his feelings anymore—the Alliance meant to take their trench today. Of all days—!

The next man he seized was a lieutenant. “You,” he said, as the aged priest accompanying Leo ducked out of the dugout, followed by the Vatican himself. The lieutenant fumbled for some sort of appropriate greeting for the both, but Francis grabbed his shoulder to regain his attention. “Take them out of here,” he said. “Now. Do what you have to.” His fingers dug into the young man’s shoulder. “Make sure they are safe.”

“Francis,” Leo called as Francis turned to leave, to attempt to salvage some part of the day’s situation. Once, he would never have dreamed of ignoring a call from this man, would have come slavishly at any utterance of his name. But now he kept going as if he had heard nothing at all.

“Go home, Leo,” he shouted back after a few more steps, not turning. The less consideration he gave the man, the more he felt Leo would be inclined to listen and go—neither of them cared for being ignored, but whereas Francis tended to press the issue and force the attention, Leo was like to get offended and take off, which was the best Francis could ask for right now.

As he made a round of the area, the warfare was rapidly ramping up. He met up with England where their forces merged.

“I hear you’ve got guests.” Arthur began in a confrontational tone, as usual, with little to no lead-in. “What’s your old chum the Vatican doing in a war zone?”

“Don’t ask me, I don’t know,” he said, frowning with a tight jaw. “I’m sending him out though.”

“Good, we don’t need civilians in the way.”

“Don’t make it sound like this isn’t a personal complaint,” Francis warned him, waving a finger in his direction.

“It’s both,” Arthur replied. “Deal with it.”

“I am, so it’s none of your concern,” Francis replied. “Is your end secure?”

“As much as it can be. Yours?”

“Working on it.” They both nodded curtly and separated. Francis was shocked at what a well-oiled team their little alliance had become—as it turned out, when they were not actively trying to gut each other with whatever tools—daggers, spoons, fingernails—happened to be immediately at hand—they actually worked quite well together. Part of that, he imagined, was a result of all their fighting—they knew each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and thought processes very intimately. Not that that meant they trusted each other worth a damn, but for now they had a common enemy.

The light shelling suggested to the Entente that this particular stretch was low on ammunition—which meant the charge could happen at any moment. In the meantime, what did happen is that a shell struck right at the edge of the French trench, and a bit of shrapnel took Lieutenant Martin in the chest as he was trying to explain their evacuation plan to Leo and Father Sforza. Both men stared at the extinguished life before them, brains slow to comprehend the sudden, violent death that had just taken place inches from their own vulnerable organs. Another shell made the ground quake, and Leo looked to the smoky field, wondering where Francis had vanished to.

The Germans did charge, and the French and English emerged to meet them. For a time, France thought they might manage a victory after all. As they pressed to the center of the field, the opposing line loosed another shell, in what was an oddly clumsy move for the Germans, and struck the French trench almost dead-on, not far from their local “headquarters”. A rookie mistake? A misfire? Whichever—whatever—Francis’ gaze was so fixated on the smoking ruin that he nearly took a bayonet to the gut before trying to force his scrambled senses to operate again. His body, he thought, did a remarkable job trying to kill him with disorientation.

They did not win, and they were forced to retreat and abandon the trench, and Francis had no idea where Leo was, and he was telling God that if he put one more test of character on him, Francis was going to supernova and destroy everything around him in the magnitude of his self-destruction.

So when they were regrouping at the trench they moved forward from two weeks ago, and he caught sight of his towering quarry, he felt some sense that Leo’s safety was owed him, at least for today. Nevertheless, his knees went weak and his head spun (which may equally be the many injuries he was currently sustaining), and he grabbed onto the dirt wall for support. Catching his equilibrium once more, he felt no guilt about thrusting aside everyone in his way to get to His Holiness the Vatican City, and seizing the front of his robes.

“Are you trying to get me killed?” he demanded hoarsely. “Are you secretly in league with Veneziano, and you want me to go crazy before the end of this war?”

Leo didn’t respond, and Francis’ first unobservant assumption is that he did not want to dignify Francis’ wild, emotionally-fueled accusations with a response, but when he lifted his gaze, and looks closer, he thought that Leo was shaken in a way he had not anticipated. It occurred to him that what had become the everyday for him—the shelling, the noise, the screams, the gas, the mud and muck and disease of this wretched war—may be new for Leo. This war is unlike anything they had seen before, after all.

He let go of Leo’s clothes and marched off to find his old dugout from before, fingers merely brushing Leo’s arm to tell him to follow. In the questionable privacy of his cramped quarters—if it could be referred to as such—Francis flung his arms around Leo and nearly crushed him with the force of his embrace. His breathing was heavier than normal, and he said nothing.

“What happened to lieutenant…whoever I assigned to getting you out of this place?” he demanded when he pulled back, ready to have the man dragged off to Calais and keelhauled.

“Killed,” Leo reported. “Before the charge.”

“Hell,” Francis muttered, dragging a hand down his face. No sooner had he put one fire out than two more sprang up, and he felt like Hercules and the Hydra, slowly surrounding himself with more and more enemies and obstacles. Maybe if Heracles had been stupider and not a demigod.

“Francis, I am not in need of you to hold my hand and rescue me,” Leo informed him. “I came here knowing where I was going.”

“No one can know this war if they haven’t seen it,” Francis said sharply, pointing a finger. “No one. Not the newspapers back home, or the politicians in our polished capitols, or the untouched workers back home who think they know who the real enemy is. You may have known some things, but already you know this war is different than what you imagined.”

“Nevertheless. I may not have your armies, but I am not a child, or a damsel you can save,” he said. Francis pursed his lips, and nibbled the lower one, and paced around the tiny space.

“Leo,” he said, looking up at those limpid eyes. “I need you to go.” He turned away and began to empty and re-load his officer’s pistol. “You don’t understand. I simply cannot bear it. Every minute of every hour of every day in here I am desperately trying to hold myself together like a crumbling cake and I cannot bear your presence here.” Before Leo had the chance to exhale the offended breath he had taken, Francis continued. His hands trembled as he popped one bullet after another back into its proper chamber, but although there was a strained, hoarse note to his voice, it remained steady. “If I have to see you suffocated on mustard gas, or impaled with shrapnel, or hear you lose your feet to trench foot, it will just be the end for me, Leo.” He turned to look at Leo with pleading eyes in his dirty face. “Please.” He dropped the pistol and crossed to Leo, dropping to his knees in front of him and taking his hands. “Please go home,” he begged in a whisper, clutching Leo’s hands in his own. “Go back to Rome and give me at least the peace of mind to know you are safe. If I can have nothing else, let me have that. Please, Leo.” He bowed his head over Leo’s hands, pressing his lips to reverently to Leo’s knuckles. “I could not bear to see you hurt by this place.”

The silence in the dugout stretched on, and on, and on. The men on the front spoke often of their mamas and their sweethearts and their kid brothers back home—all the people who were safe from the chaos they were submerged in day after day. It was an escape as much as anything—mothers they never wrote, sweethearts who’d left them weeks ago in reality, kid brothers who played at war until they were old enough to sign up themselves. Francis had no such escape, but he could try to beg it off Leo, gain some tiny, fractional peace of mind in the hellscape that was consuming whatever was left of him, swallowing him whole, with a kind fear he hadn’t felt since the revolution.

“If this is all you ask…” Leo’s stiff tone might have stemmed as much from how Francis’ emotional displays baffled him as much as any annoyance at the Frenchman’s inability to divorce his personal feelings from his job as a Nation (thereby allowing Leo to do his).

“It is,” Francis interjected at once, raising those big, bloodshot eyes up to Leo’s face. “It’s all I ask of you, Leo. Be safe. It is the simplest thing I ever asked of you.” Leo let out a quiet breath and tugged his hands free of Francis’ grasp.

“Then I will go,” he said. He knew then Francis had not lied, because there was nothing triumphant in his reaction: he doubled forward, almost falling onto his hands, head bowed, with a shuddering gasp that made Leo worry for a moment that the Germans had attacked again and hit something of importance. Then he dragged himself to his feet, as if pushing the very Earth up above him, and picked his pistol up from where he’d left it.

“God go with you,” he said, his voice as distant as any passing parishioner and priest. “Write me when you reach Rome, if you like.”

“I will most likely be busy,” Leo said. But he might write anyway. Francis nodded. There was another pause, and then: “Will you take confession before I leave?” Francis hesitated a long moment, his thumb brushing rhythmically over the handle of his gun.

“Yes.”

***

When the war was done, Leo went to Paris, to make the same offer to the peace-making Nations. Hovering around the edges until the negotiating and signing was all done—the Vatican was no longer welcome in politics, and no king would make himself subservient to the Church anymore. Like a starved wolf, Leo stalked around the perimeter, knowing where his prey lay, and knowing he would be chased off with torches and pitchforks should he attempt to venture in to seize it. His self-control was far better than any hungry beasts, though, and he kept his distance and did his job, and in the late hours of a midweek in November, he had a moment alone with Francis.

They said nothing, and so Leo had the time to study his old neighbor, and see the lines of his face—he had not eaten regularly in too long. The bruises under his eyes—Leo knew the signs of Francis’ sleeplessness, and knew he had not even the fumes of old energy to function on left. The bandages around his head, his hand, and the rest hidden under his clothes—France would take decades to recover from this war. And in his eyes, an age that Leo had never seen before. It was perhaps the first time he looked at Francis and saw a creature nearly two thousand years old, who had a heart too soft for his existence, and who had seen ten times more than he had ever wanted. It was not, though, the first time Leo thought God might have been kinder to let Francis die a long time ago.

Slowly, like a wilting flower, Francis’ stiff, aching form drooped until his head rested on Leo’s shoulder, and they went on sitting in silence.

“Do you want to go to bed?” Leo asked at last.

“…yes, thank you.” After a pause, Francis answered quietly, in a childish sort of voice that sought someone to direct him to things he needed to do.

Leo accompanied Francis up to his room, and watched him stare blankly at the bed, flexing his hands, until Leo prompted him: “Francis, your shoes.”

“Ah.” It took him too long to get them off, and then, the pieces of his uniform followed, until it was just the blood red pants and the shirts he wore under the fine coat, both newly issued since the armistice—it wouldn’t do to have France appear at the peace treaty signing in a uniform as war-tattered as the one that was actually his. As he slowly dropped the pieces onto the floor, he looked up. “Stay, please,” he said.

The hour was late; no one was about paying attention to them. They were all huddled in their rooms, smoking and drinking and fucking away the pain of the last four years, and if Leo shut the door too hard on his way out, he might shatter his china doll. So he took his shoes off and ordered Francis to bed as he dressed down. But he curled up on his side and watched Leo with half-lidded eyes, so that it almost drove him to the bathroom, even though he was hardly stripping to anything indecent. Francis’ willingness to invade his moments of privacy continually vexed him, but in this case, he suspected it had more to do with reassuring himself that Leo was not going to sneak out the door when his eyes were closed—or perhaps he was seeing something else entirely: the starburst of gunfire against the backs of his eyelids, or the roar of canon in his ears, or any of the other things that Leo suspected haunted his quiet moments.

He turned out the lights on his way to the bed, and pulled the curtains shut tight. The bed dipped and creaked softly as he joined Francis, who was far too tense to allow for any sleeping. Leo inched closer to his shadowy form, and pressed lightly against the curve of his back, draping an arm over him. Francis shivered, trying to relax, and Leo moved a bit closer, and found one of Francis’ hands in the dark. It was trembling, and when Leo’s touch did not immediately calm it, he realized there were dark parts of his treasure’s mind that perhaps even he did not know.

#darkestages #aph vatican #aph vatican city #rocky writes #hws france #i suppose i'll let you read what you will into their relationship

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cover32-yahoopartner-blog · 7 years ago

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This Week in NFL History: June 18 through June 24

Relive and recapture iconic moments. Recall an anniversary of an event that forever changed the landscape of the NFL. It’s all here in This Week in NFL History. This Week in NFL History will look back at some of the most memorable events that have occurred during this week historically in professional football.

AROUND COVER32

Around the NFL: Patriots’ QB, Jimmy Garoppolo, reportedly dealing with a leg injury

What’s Trending: Why Tom Brady should be considered the Michael Jordan of the NFL

NFL Rankings: The top 10 QB to WR connections heading into the 2017 season

2017 NFL Odds: Who is the favorite to be named the NFL’s MVP in 2017

2017 Season: Taking a look at 5 QB’s who are on the hot seat in 2017

This Week in NFL History

June 18

1958-Defensive end Bruce Smith (Virginia Tech: 1981-84, selected first overall by Buffalo Bills in 1985 NFL Draft; Bills: 1985-99, Redskins: 2000-03) born in Norfolk, Virginia

Career Stats: 1,224 combined tackles (1,075 solo), 200 sacks, two interceptions, two passes defended, 43 forced fumbles, 15 fumbles recovered, one defensive touchdown. Smith is the NFL’s all-time leader in career sacks. He was an 11-time Pro Bowl selection (1987-90, 1992-98), a nine-time First-team All-Pro (1987, 1988, 1990, 1992-97), and a two-time Second-team All-Pro (1989, 1998). Smith was the 1990 and 1996 NFL Defensive Player of the Yearn and a member of the NFL 1980s and 1990s All-Decade Teams. He helped the Bills reach four consecutive Super Bowls (XXV, XXVI, XXVII, XXVIII). Smith was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009, his first year of eligibility.

1975-Center Jeffrey (Jeff) Saturday (North Carolina: 1994-97, signed with Baltimore Ravens as undrafted free agent in 1998; Colts: 1999-2011, Packers: 2012) born in Atlanta, Georgia

Career Stats: Saturday started 202 of his 211 career NFL games. He was a six-time Pro Bowl selection (2005-07, 2009, 2010, 2012), a two-time First-team All-Pro (2005, 2007), and a Second-team All-Pro in 2006. Saturday played in two Super Bowls with Colts: winning Super Bowl XLI against the Chicago Bears and losing Super Bowl XLIV to the New Orleans Saints. He is currently an analyst with ESPN.

1980-Tight end Antonio Gates (Kent State: 2001-02, signed with San Diego Chargers as undrafted free agent in 2003; Chargers: 2003-present) born in Detroit, Michigan

Career Stats: 897 receptions for 11,192 yards and 111 touchdowns. Gates is an eight-time Pro Bowler (2004-11), a three-time First-team All-Pro (2004-06), and a two-time Second-team All-Pro (2009, 2010). He is the Chargers’ all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns. Gates was the ninth player in NFL history (and second tight end) to record 100 career receiving touchdowns and was named to the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team.

1989-Cornerback Christopher (Chris) Harris Jr. (Kansas: 2007-10, signed with Denver Broncos as undrafted free agent in 2011; Broncos: 2011-present) born in Bixby, Oklahoma

Career Stats: 382 combined tackles (331 solo), 3.5 sacks, 14 interceptions, 66 passes defended, four forced fumbles, four fumbles recovered, three defensive touchdowns. Harris was a First-team All-Pro in 2016 and a two-time Second-team All-Pro (2014, 2015). He has been named to three Pro Bowls (2014-16). The Broncos have played in two Super Bowls during Harris’ tenure with the team: a loss in Super Bowl XLVII (that Harris didn’t play in because of injury) and a win in Super Bowl 50.

1994-Wide receiver Amari Cooper (Alabama: 2012-14, selected fourth overall by Oakland Raiders in 2015 NFL Draft; Raiders: 2015-present) born in Miami, Florida

Career Stats: 155 receptions for 2,223 yards and 11 touchdowns. Cooper was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2015 and 2016.

June 19

1924-Offensive/defensive tackle Leo Nomellini (Minnesota: 1947-49, selected 11th overall by San Francisco 49ers in 1950 NFL Draft; 49ers: 1950-63) born in Lucca, Tuscany, Italy (d. 2000)

Career Highlights: Nomellini was the 49ers’ first draft selection. He was a 10-time Pro Bowl selection (1950-53, 1956-61), a nine-time All-Pro (1951-54, 1957, 1959-62) and was named to the NFL 1950s All-Decade Team and the NFL 50th Anniversary All-Time Team. Nomellini was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1977.

1942-Tight end Willie Frazier (Arkansas-Pine Bluff: 1960-63, signed with Houston Oilers as undrafted free agent in 1964; Oilers: 1964-65, Chargers: 1966-70, Oilers: 1971, Chiefs: 1971-72, Oilers: 1975) born in El Dorado, Arkansas (d. 2013)

Career Stats: 209 receptions for 3,088 yards and 36 touchdowns. Frazier was a three-time AFL All-Star (1965, 1967, and 1969) and a First-team AFL All-Pro in 1965. He was one of the 4,000 plaintiffs in the concussion lawsuit against the NFL. The lawsuit was tentatively settled for $765 million a week before Frazier’s 2013 death at age 71.

1943–Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers were allowed to merge because of a shortage of players due to service in World War II. The merged team, known officially as Phil-Pitt Combine and called the “Steagles” by fans, divided home games between Philadelphia’s Shibe Park and Pittsburgh’s Forbes Field. The combined team went 5-4-1 and dissolved at the conclusion of the 1943 season.

1976-Offensive tackle Ephraim Salaam (San Diego State: 1994-97, selected 199th overall by Atlanta Falcons in 1998 NFL Draft; Falcons: 1998-2001, Broncos: 2002-03, Jaguars: 2004-05, Texans: 2006-08, Lions: 2009, Texans: 2009-10) born in Chicago, Illinois

Career Stats: Salaam started 129 of his 163 career NFL games. He was on the Falcons team that reached Super Bowl XXXIII.

1976-Cornerback Patrick Surtain (Southern Mississippi: 1994-97, selected 44th overall by Miami Dolphins in 1998 NFL Draft; Dolphins: 1998-2004, Chiefs: 2005-2008) born in New Orleans, Louisiana

Career Stats: 533 combined tackles (422 solo), 7.5 sacks, 37 interceptions, 79 passes defended, eight forced fumbles, eight fumbles recovered, two defensive touchdowns. Surtain was a three-time Pro Bowl selection (2002-04) and a two-time All-Pro (2002, 2003).

1979-Cornerback Quentin Jammer (Texas: 1997-2001, selected fifth overall by San Diego Chargers in 2002 NFL Draft; Chargers: 2002-12, Broncos: 2013) born in Angleton, Texas

Career Stats: 733 combined tackles (630 solo), 21 interceptions, 141 passes defended, seven forced fumbles, 10 fumbles recovered, two defensive touchdowns. Jammer’s final NFL game was the Broncos’ Super Bowl XLVIII loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

June 20

1935-Quarterback Leonard (Len) Dawson (Purdue: 1954-56, selected fifth overall by Pittsburgh Steelers in 1957 NFL Draft; Steelers: 1957-59, Browns: 1960-61, AFL Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs (1962-75) born in Alliance, Ohio

Career Stats: 2,136 completions in 3,741 attempts for 28,711 yards, 239 touchdowns and 183 interceptions. QB Rating: 82.6, Record as Starter: Regular season: 94-57-8 (Texans/Chiefs: 93-56-8, Steelers: 0-1, Browns: 1-0), Postseason: 5-3, Chiefs. Dawson was the 1962 AFL Most Valuable Player, a six-time AFL All-Star (1962, 1964, 1966-69), a Pro Bowl selection in 1970, a two-time First-team AFL All-Pro (1962, 1966), and a two-time Second-team AFL All-Pro (1964, 1968). He led the AFL in passing touchdowns four times (1962, 1963, 1966, 1967). Dawson led the Texans/Chiefs to three AFL Championships (1962, 1966, 1969) and a victory in Super Bowl IV, where was named the game’s MVP. Dawson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987.

1983-Running back/return specialist Darren Sproles (Kansas State: 2001-04, selected 130th overall by San Diego Chargers in 2005 NFL Draft; Chargers: 2005-10, Saints: 2011-13, Eagles: 2014-present) born in Waterloo, Iowa

Career Stats: 671 carries for 3,305 yards and 22 touchdowns; 525 receptions for 4,583 yards and 30 touchdowns; 289 punt returns for 2,782 yards and seven touchdowns, 331 kick returns for 8,350 yards and two touchdowns. Sproles had an NFL record 2,696 all-purpose yards in the 2011 season. He has been named to three Pro Bowls (2014-16) and is a two-time First-team All-Pro (2014, 2015).

1989-Quarterback/wide receiver Terrelle Pryor Sr. (Ohio State: 2008-10, selected by Oakland Raiders in the third round of 2011 Supplemental Draft; Raiders: 2011-13, Browns: 2015-16, Redskins: 2017-present) born in Jeanette, Pennsylvania

Career Stats: 175 completions in 311 attempts for 1,994 yards, nine touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. QB rating: 69.3, Record as starter: 3-7; 102 carries for 647 yards and four touchdowns, 79 receptions for 1,071 yards and four touchdowns.

1994–Hall of Fame running back O.J. Simpson arraigned on murder charges in the deaths of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and Ronald Goldman

June 21

1930-Offensive tackle Michael (Mike) McCormack (Kansas: 1948-50, selected 34th overall by New York Yanks in 1951 NFL Draft; NFL New York Yanks: 1951, NFL Dallas Texans: 1952, Browns: 1954-62) born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2013)

Career Highlights: McCormack was a six-time Pro Bowl selection (1951, 1956, 1957, 1960-62), won two NFL Championships in 1954 and 1955, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1984. He entered the coaching ranks at the conclusion of his playing career including head coaching stops with the Philadelphia Eagles (1973-75), Baltimore Colts (1980-81) and Seattle Seahawks (1982). Career Record: 29-51-1 (Eagles: 16-25-1, Colts: 9-23, Seahawks: 4-3). McCormack was also president and general manager of the expansion Carolina Panthers (1993-97).

1986–Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 overall draft pick Bo Jackson signed with Major League Baseball’s Kansas City Royals. Jackson was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but refused to play for them because he was told a visit to their team facilities was NCAA-approved when it actually wasn’t, causing Jackson to miss the remainder of Auburn’s baseball season. The Buccaneers forfeited Jackson’s draft rights before the 1987 NFL Draft. Jackson was selected in the seventh round (183rd overall) by the Oakland Raiders.

June 22

1960-Tight end John Tice (Maryland: 1979-82, selected 65th overall by New Orleans Saints in 1983 NFL Draft; Saints: 1983-92) born in Bayshore, New York

Career Stats: 158 receptions for 1,603 yards and 15 touchdowns. Tice is the younger brother of former NFL tight end and former Minnesota Vikings head coach John Tice.

1971-Quarterback Kurtis (Kurt) Warner (Northern Iowa: 1989-92, signed with Green Bay Packers as undrafted free agent in 1994; Arena Football League Iowa Barnstormers: 1995-97, NFL Europe Amsterdam Admirals: 1998, Rams: 1998-2003, Giants: 2004, Cardinals: 2005-09) born in Burlington, Iowa

Career Stats: 2,666 completions in 4,070 attempts for 32,344 yards, 208 touchdowns, and 128 interceptions. QB Rating: 93.7, Record as Starter: 67-49 regular season (Rams: 35-15, Giants: 5-4, Cardinals: 27-30), 9-4 postseason (Rams: 5-2, Cardinals: 4-2). Warner is regarded as one of the greatest undrafted free agents in NFL history. He was a two-time NFL Most Valuable Player (1999, 2001), a four-time Pro Bowl selection (1999-2001, 2008), and a two-time First-team All-Pro (1999, 2001). Warner was the quarterback of the Greatest Show on Turf, leading in the NFL in passing touchdowns in 1999 (41) and 2001 (36). He played in two Super Bowls with Rams: winning Super Bowl XXXIV against the Tennessee Titans and losing Super Bowl XXXVI to the New England Patriots. Warner experienced a career renaissance with the Cardinals, leading them to an appearance in Super Bowl XLIII, the franchise’s only Super Bowl appearance. Warner will be a 2017 inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He is also an analyst for the NFL Network and for Westwood One’s presentation of Monday Night Football.

1978-Cornerback Roland (Champ) Bailey (Georgia: 1996-98, selected seventh overall by Washington Redskins in 1999 NFL Draft; Redskins: 1999-2003, Broncos: 2004-13) born in Fort Campbell, Kentucky

Career Stats: 908 combined tackles (812 solo), three sacks, 52 interceptions, 174 passes defended, seven forced fumbles, six fumbles recovered, four defensive touchdowns. Bailey is a 12-time Pro Bowl selection (2000-07, 2009-12), a six-time First-team All-Pro (2003-07, 2010), and a two-time Second-team All-Pro (2000, 2012). He led the NFL in interceptions in 2006 (10) and was named to the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team. Bailey’s 12 Pro Bowls are the most in NFL history for a cornerback. His final NFL game was the Broncos’ 43-8 loss in Super Bowl XLVIII.

June 23

1925-Owner Arthur (Art) Modell (Browns: 1961-95, Ravens: 1996-2004) born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 2012)

Career Highlights: Modell purchased the Browns for $4 million in 1961. Unlike the Browns’ previous ownership, Modell took an active role in the day-to-day operations of the team. In a controversial move, he fired legendary coach and team namesake Paul Brown in 1963. The following season, the Browns won the NFL Championship. It would be the Browns’ last league title, although the Browns did play in seven NFL/AFC Championship Games in the 30 years after the ’64 title. In another controversial move, Modell moved his team to Baltimore for the 1996 season. This was especially problematic because Modell had publicly criticized the Colts’ 1983 move from Baltimore to Indianapolis and testified in favor of the NFL when the league tried to stop Raiders owner Al Davis from moving his team from Oakland to Los Angeles. After a settlement, Modell agreed to leave the Browns’ name, colors, and history in Cleveland and team became the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens won Super Bowl XXXV under Modell. He sold the team to Steve Biscotti in 2003.

1976-Wide receiver Brandon Stokley (Louisiana-Lafayette: 1994-97, selected 105th overall by Baltimore Ravens in 1999 NFL Draft; Ravens: 1999-2002, Colts: 2003-06, Broncos: 2007-09, Seahawks: 2010, Giants: 2011, Broncos: 2012, Ravens: 2013) born in Blacksburg, Virginia

Career Stats: 397 receptions for 5,339 yards and 39 touchdowns. Stokley played on two Super Bowl champion teams: Super Bowl XXXV with the Ravens and Super Bowl XLI with the Colts.

1977-Center Shaun O’Hara (Rutgers: 1996-99, signed with Cleveland Browns as undrafted free agent in 2000; Browns: 2000-03, Giants: 2004-10) born in Chicago, Illinois

Career Stats: O’Hara started 135 of his 151 career NFL games. He was a three-time Pro Bowl selection (2008-10), a Second-team All-Pro in 2008. O’Hara won Super Bowl XLII with Giants.

1979-Running back LaDainian (L.T.) Tomlinson (TCU: 1997-2000, selected fifth overall by San Diego Chargers in 2001 NFL Draft; Chargers: 2001-09, Jets: 2010-11) born in Rosebud, Texas

Career Stats: 3,174 carries for 13,684 yards and 145 touchdowns, 624 receptions for 4,772 yards and 17 touchdowns. Tomlinson was the 2006 NFL Most Valuable Player. He was a five-time Pro Bowl selection (2002, 2004-07), a three-time First-team All-Pro (2004, 2006, 2007), and a three-time Second-team All-Pro. He led the NFL in rushing yards in 2006 (1,815) and 2007 (1,474) and led in the NFL in rushing touchdowns in 2004 (17), 2006 (28), and 2007 (15). Tomlinson was selected to the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team and will be a 2017 inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

June 24

1922–American Professional Football Association (APFA) changed its name into the National Football League (NFL). The Chicago Staleys also changed their name to the Chicago Bears.

1977-Defensive end MeShaunda (Shaun) Ellis (Tennessee: 1996-99, selected 12th overall by New York Jets in 2000 NFL Draft; Jets: 2000-10, Patriots: 2011) born in Anderson, South Carolina

Career Stats: 566 combined tackles (388 solo), 73.5 sacks, one interceptions, 14 passes defended, 13 forced fumbles, five fumbles recovered, one defensive touchdown. Ellis was a two-time Pro Bowl selection (2003, 2009). His final NFL game was a Patriots loss in Super Bowl XLVI.

1977-Cornerback Antoine Winfield (Ohio State: 1995-98, selected 23rd overall by Buffalo Bills in 1999 NFL Draft; Bills: 1999-2003, Vikings: 2004-12, Seahawks: 2013) born in Akron, Ohio

Career Stats: 1,057 combined tackles (901 solo), 7.5 sacks, 27 interceptions, 103 passes defended, 14 forced fumbles, 11 fumbles recovered, four defensive touchdowns. Winfield was a three-time Pro Bowl selection (2008-10) and a Second-team All-Pro in 2008.

1987-Linebacker Frederick (Lamarr) Houston (Texas: 2006-09, selected 44th overall by Oakland Raiders in 2010 NFL Draft; Raiders: 2010-13, Bears: 2014-present) born in San Francisco, California

Career Stats: 284 total tackles (217 solo), 25.5 sacks, one interception, six passes defended, four forced fumbles, eight fumbles recovered.

Curtis Rawls is a Managing Editor for cover32 and covers the NFL and New York Giants, like and follow on Facebook and Twitter. Curtis can be followed on Twitter @CuRawls203.

The post This Week in NFL History: June 18 through June 24 appeared first on Cover32.

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