Truth & Rumors > NFL

09:06 AM ET 05.18 | Brandon Carr's football career almost ended after one workout. Explaining his biggest inspiration to VYPE DFW, Carr told the story of the day one of his buddies got a home personal trainer in his garage. A basketball player, Carr got involved in football because he wanted to be like his older brother. He even started by playing quarterback like his brother. "I was the smallest kid, goggles, wore glasses, scrawny, but I liked competition," Carr said in the video. In Carr's sophomore year at Carman-Ainsworth High School in Flint, Michigan everything change. "My second year, we finally get this trainer," Carr said. "The first day: culture shock. We got after it. I'm like, 'Oh my God. I don't really know if I want to do this anymore.' The last drill we did, we were in the back room alternating between pushups, situps. We did about 300. I'm 15 years old. I'm scrawny, trying to hang. So that night I go home in my mind, 'I'm not going back. I'm done. I can't do this training.' I'm having nightmares. I'm getting up every 10 minutes thinking I'm still in that room, tossing and turning.'" The next day came and Carr's friends called him for the second day of training. He didn't pick up. So they showed up to his door. "I'm on the toilet," Carr said. "They show up. My mom, 'Brandon, such and such is here, Will is here.' No. They did not come to my house?" Eventually they convinced Carr to come back for the second day. It was then that Carr said his entire attitude changed when he was forced to go back for that second day. "This guy had me thinking I was a small guy, but he gave me that mindset like you can make it to next level," Carr said. "You can make it to college. You can make it to the NFL. ... He put that dog in me."

Dallas Morning News

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07:47 AM ET 05.18 | The goal for the Giants for the upcoming season was to re-fortify a sagging defense while also getting younger and more athletic. Renewed interest in former star defensive back Charles Woodson won't make the Giants younger but certainly would add to their experience and pedigree. The Giants showed some initial interest in the 36-year old Woodson after the Packers released him in mid-February and, according to ESPN, are again showing some interest. An ESPN report stated that Carl Poston, Woodson's agent, sent the following update: "The Giants have just put their toe in the water again for Charles Woodson." Woodson hasn't attracted much interest since hitting the open market. The 49ers, Panthers and Raiders sniffed around and this week he visited with the Broncos but left Denver without a contract. Woodson admitted earlier this month that teams view him as "ancient."

New York Post

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03:32 PM ET 05.17 | After inking a one-year with the Oakland Raiders earlier this week, wide receiver and kick returner Josh Cribbs spoke with the Oakland media about the recovery process after undergoing surgery to fix a torn meniscus in his left knee after the 2012 season. In particular, Cribbs addressed comments made by New York Jets general manager John Idzik, where Idzik said Cribbs's knee "isn't quite there yet" after working out the former member of the Cleveland Browns. Cribbs, after stating that he'll be ready for football by the time the regular season rolls around in September, said this about Idzik's comments: "I don't know why the Jets GM would come out and say that other than use it as a negotiation tactic. It was well perceived and I think, as a whole, everyone kind of understood what was going on about that."

Raiders.com

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03:16 PM ET 05.17 | Quarterback Peyton Manning signed a new contract with the Denver Broncos that includes an insurance clause which gives the organization financial relief if the 37-year-old is sidelined with a major injury, according to a report from ProFootballTalk on Friday. The clause, according to the report, would provide the Broncos with reimbursement and salary cap breathing room if Manning is unable to play. He is set to make $20 million in both 2013 and 2014, but the latter year's salary can be wiped off Denver's books should Manning re-injure the same area of his neck that has undergone multiple surgeries over the past few years. However, this would not cover them if Manning were to suffer any other serious injury.

ProFootballTalk

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03:00 PM ET 05.17 | TBS, at Turner's joint TBS/TNT/TruTV upfront on Thursday, announced a reality series, tentatively titled Cheeseheads. It appears to be a chronicling of the lives of Packer fans, but also just an attempted look at how people live in a certain part of the country. It could be entertaining and enlightening, or it could be Jersey Shore, Wisconsin-style. TBS described the premise behind the show in a press release: "Green Bay, Wis., is home to the World Famous Green Bay Packers and their fans: The Cheeseheads. These citizens don't just bleed green and gold; they eat victory for breakfast. For them, being a Cheesehead is more than just being a fan. It's a way of life. This show will take viewers into the hilarious subculture through the eyes of a group of proud Wisconsinites as they navigate life in the only way they know how - loud, proud and with lots of beer. For these folks, there is no off-season."

Green Bay Press-Gazette

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