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Jerry Jeudy is among the latest in a long line of elite wide receivers to come out of Alabama, as he and teammate Henry Ruggs III were each drafted in the first round a year ago. This year, Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle figure to join them in the NFL, as the Tide have become a pipeline for top receivers coming into the NFL.

Jeudy had a solid if unspectacular first season in the NFL, catching 56 passes for 856 yards and three touchdowns, partially due to a lack of a full season of health from Drew Lock, as four players started at quarterback for the Broncos this season. Still, Jeudy looks inward when asked about his rookie season, pointing out his own mistakes that kept him from having the breakout year he hoped to in his first year in the NFL.

We got a chance to talk with Jeudy over Zoom on behalf of Old Spice on Thursday to get his thoughts on his rookie year, that incredible Alabama receiver room, his one bit of advice for Mike Evans against the Chiefs secondary, and a pressing question he has for Ruggs.

To start, I just want to get your thoughts on your rookie season, how you thought it went and the experience of your first year in the NFL?

I feel like I had an average season, but I feel like I could’ve had a better season if I hadn’t had all them drops. Basically, I’m feeling like without the drops I had a pretty decent season. So, yeah.

I was going to ask what the area you were looking to improve on the most this offseason. Is that it just making sure you’re bringing everything in.

Oh yeah. Yeah, just making sure I catch everything. Make sure I catch contested ones, the easy ones. All of ’em.

You played with Henry Ruggs and DeVonta Smith at Alabama. What was the competition level like in that Alabama wide receiver room internally and how did you guys push each other?

Oh yeah we most definitely competed, but I think that’s what made us so tight, made us such a great receiving corps just by the way we compete, the way we went out there in practice each and every day. Just that standard we had for ourselves and I felt that was what made us so dynamic.

What is some advice you’d give DeVonta about being a professional as he gets ready to come into the NFL himself and make that step to the next level?

The biggest thing I’d tell him is, really just knowing how to manage your time. Coming into the NFL, you got a lot of free time on your hands and it could be a lot of distractions. So you just want to know what your main priorities and just knowing how to set a schedule and everything else you got. At the end of the day, football is football. You’ve been playin this your whole life, just keep doin what you’re doin.

I talked with Quinnen Williams earlier this year about the Alabama football fraternity, what does that give you as a player having guys you can call and resources whenever you might have a question?

It’s always great to have resources. It’s great to have people to call on to give you information about this or that. So just having all them and all the resources is great.

You played the Chiefs twice this year and know what their defense likes to do. Let’s say Mike Evans called you up to get some thoughts on their secondary, what’s the scouting report you’d give him?

I’d talk to Mike Evans like [puts hand up to his ear like a phone], ‘Aye, Mike, go deep first play. Run a go route.’ That’s it.

That’s it.

That’s it. Go ball. Go deep.

What is your pick for the Super Bowl?

I got the Chiefs. I got the Chiefs winning.

What do have going on with Old Spice this week on TikTok and how can fans get involved with that?

Yeah just check out my TikTok, JerryJeudy, I got Old Spice #ThisorThatSBLV Challenge and you’ll see it.

I’m talking with Henry Ruggs later, what should I ask him?

You should ask him how do you let Jerry Jeudy beat you by five yards in the 100 when you run a 4.24.

[laughs] I will be sure to ask him that, Jerry.

[laughs] Bet.

Donald Trump has resigned from the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) after the union threatened to expel the former-president for his role in inciting the attack on the Capitol building on January 6.

“I write to you today regarding the so-called Disciplinary Committee hearing aimed at revoking my union membership,” Trump wrote in an extremely salty letter, adding, “Who cares!” He misses tweeting so much (it’s not the same coming from others). Sad!

Trump boasted of his work in “movies such as Home Alone 2, Zoolander, and Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps; and television shows including The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Saturday Night Live, and of course, one of the most successful shows in television history, The Apprentice.” (No love for The Little Rascals?) He also took credit for creating “thousands of jobs at networks such as MSDNC and Fake News CNN,” which “brings me to your blatant attempt at free media attention to distract from your dismal record as a union… Your organization has done little for its members, and nothing for me – besides collecting dues and promoting dangerous un-American policies and ideas – as evident by your massive unemployment rates and lawsuits from celebrated actors.”

Trump ended his letter with a real “you can’t fire me, I quit” move: “I no longer wish to be associated with your union… You have done nothing for me.”

Responding to Mr. Trump’s resignation, SAG-AFTRA offered a simple two-word statement jointly attributed to Ms. Carteris and David White, the union’s national executive director on Thursday afternoon: “Thank you.”

SAG-AFTRA is made up over 160,000 performers and journalists “across 25 locals in the United States who work in film and digital motion pictures, television programs, commercials, video games, corporate/educational and non-broadcast productions, new media, television and radio news outlets, as well as major label recording artists,” according to the union. If you were hoping for a new Apprentice video game, sorry!

(Via the NY Times)

Pandemics are temporary; Wu-Tang is forever. Unfortunately, while that motto is becoming more and more well known here in the US, it’s a different story abroad, where apparel saluting the crew caused a minor political incident in China — the nation that influenced much of the Clan’s aesthetic and sound. Chinese officials took issue with a T-shirt bearing a “bat symbol” that any fan could tell is Wu-Tang Clan’s “W” logo, according to the Associated Press.

The group’s logo, which normally features the name superimposed through the stylized “W” shape, was altered on the T-shirts to read “Wuhan” instead. According to the report, the shirts were made in China but ordered last summer by someone at the Canadian Embassy in Beijing. Locals interpreted the “W” as a racist dig against the city where the first outbreak of COVID-19 was reported, believing that the shape behind the city’s name was a bat — referring, of course, to the misconception that the novel version of the coronavirus mutated after a person cooked and ate an infected bat.

According to AP, Chinese officials weren’t convinced that the shirt wasn’t intended as a slight. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said, “The wrongdoing of the Canadian staff concerned has already caused an egregious impact and triggered strong resentment and discontent among the ordinary Chinese people. The Canadian side should take the matter seriously and give a clear explanation to the Chinese side as soon as possible.” Apparently, Mr. Wang has never heard of a pun.

Meanwhile, the Canadian embassy said that the employee who ordered the shirt did so on their own initiative for members of a team “working on repatriation of Canadians from Wuhan in early 2020.” By the way, just in case there’s any doubt about whether or not the symbol in question was meant to represent a bat or a W, here it is below, courtesy of New York Times Hong Kong reporter Austin Ramzy.

As usual, that other old aphorism holds true: “Wu-Tang Clan ain’t nothin’ to f*ck with.”

HER is just days away from taking the stage to perform a rendition of “America The Beautiful” at the Super Bowl LV. But before she helps kick off the big game, the singer has offered fans the groovy track “Fight For You.”

The single was penned for the upcoming film Judas And The Black Messiah, which stars LaKeith Stanfield as an FBI informant infiltrating the Black Panther Party. HER’s song reflects some themes from the film as she sings of the importance of obtaining freedom for her people over a shuffling beat.

Speaking about the song in an interview with ABC News 7, HER said:

“The song was so fun to make, especially making something from that time the late ’60s, early ’70s is one of my favorite eras of music. You know the connection to what was happening then, what’s happening now, and what’s still happening unfortunately…and being from the Bay Area, I think these are all such cool things that show me I’m doing exactly what I’m supposed to be doing. The fact that I’m now nominated for a Golden Globe, it’s incredible you know. I never would have imagined making something like this. I’m just happy to be a part of it.”

Listen to HER’s “Fight For You” above.

Judas And The Black Messiah is streaming on HBO Max starting 2/12.

Lil Yachty is spinning a lot of plates lately, seemingly dead-set on making the music-to-movies transition accomplished by so many of his contemporaries. He’s already developing a television show partly based on his life for HBO Max, and now he’s also reportedly working on a movie with toy company Mattel based on its popular — and vicious — party card game Uno, according to Variety. Yachty is a noted nostalgia aficionado, so as strange as the concept may seem, it sort of makes sense for the Atlanta native.

The film, which is billed as an “action heist comedy” doesn’t have a cast as yet, but Variety notes Yachty is short-listed for a leading role. He made his lead actor debut in 2019 in the MTV sequel to How High, and since then, his acting chops are sure to have grown. Quality Control Music heads Kevin “Coach K” Lee and Pierre “P” Thomas are also listed as producers alongside Yachty, who expressed his anticipation for the film in a statement.

“I’m so excited to be part of this film with Mattel,” he said. “I played Uno as a kid and still do today, so to spin that into a movie based on the Atlanta hip-hop scene I came out of is really special. It hits close to home for me.”

Marina made a vibrant return to music in 2020 with the compelling track “Man’s World,” pointing to a new era of music from the beloved pop singer. While Marina has yet to release the single’s follow-up, she has instead shared a few alternate renditions of the track. She previously debuted a stripped-down version of “Man’s World,” as well as a remix of the song by Muna. Now, Mariana is serving up another “Man’s World” remix, this time by Empress Of and Pabllo Vittar.

Marina tapped songwriter/producer Empress Of to rework her single’s instrumentals. The remix turns the track’s energy up a few notches by throwing in a thumping beat. Empress Of also called upon award-winning Brazilian drag queen Pabllo Vittar for the vocals, mixing their voice with layers of lush synths.

At the time of its release, Marina explained her inspiration behind the single:

“I wrote it last summer in August. I’d already decided I was gonna write this new record alone, and the process felt like a reaction to what I had previously released, which is often the case. Each record I do is sort of like the opposite of the previous one. At the time I was mostly inspired by the shifts that are happening for people who are discriminated against. The original idea for the song was to write a snapshot of how women and LGBTQ+ individuals have been subjugated and discriminated against throughout history going back to the Salem witch trials, where any person who was deemed abnormal or slightly alternative was singled out. Those kinds of patterns are still present in society. That’s something inspiring to me and worth writing about.”

Shortly after the single’s original release, Marina revealed in a Bose Studio Visit that her next album is nearly complete. “It’s a very slow process for me,” she explained. “The last record, it was more about finding solace in nature, and this record almost more is like a backdrop to what’s going on. We are in the time where there’s so much anxiety about how the planet is suffering. So, it doesn’t feature in a kind of rosy way as it has done in previous records.”

Listen to “Man’s World (Remix) featuring Empress Of and Pabblo Vittar above.

Marina is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Ahead of a vote by the House of Representatives to strip Marjorie Taylor Greene of her committee assignments, the freshman congresswoman seemingly denounced her prior belief in completely nutso QAnon conspiracy theories, which have plagued her short time in office. The move to strip her assignments came after Greene met with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who decided to take no action against Greene for recently unearthed disturbing things she previously did and said like harassing Parkland school shooting survivor David Hogg, supporting calls for the execution of Nancy Pelosi, writing that the California wildfires are caused by Jewish-owned space lasers, and accusing Hillary Clinton (and other Democrats) of being part of a satanic cabal that mutilates and eats babies.

McCarthy said Greene’s conspiracy theories have no place in the Republican Party, but they were made before she was a member of Congress, and she promises not to do it again. Greene leaned into the argument that those beliefs were in the past while speaking on the House floor on Thursday. She said she “stumbled across” QAnon back in 2017, and she now realizes she was wrong to engage with its conspiracy theories on social media. Via CNN:

“The problem with that is though is I was allowed to believe things that weren’t true, and I would ask questions about them and talk about them, and that is absolutely what I regret,” she said.

Greene also said that she believes “9/11 absolutely happened” and “school shootings are absolutely real and every child that is lost, those families mourn it.”

While Greene attempted to paint her beliefs as “words of the past,” her arguments didn’t hold up to scrutiny as the journalists who first reported on her concerning social media activity noted significant holes in Greene’s mea culpa. Greene attempted to blame the media frenzy on her simply Liking or commenting on Facebook posts, which is not the case. Greene posted videos of herself calling for Pelosi to be executed.

Greene also said that she never mentioned QAnon while running for Congress, which was also not true. She praised the conspiratorial cult as “patriotic” during a local TV interview in July.

(Via CNN)

The Cleveland Browns snapped an 18-year playoff drought this season, advancing to the Divisional Round with a win over the rival Pittsburgh Steelers before losing to the eventual AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs. It was the most successful Browns season since they returned to Cleveland in 1999, thanks in large part to the young core of talent they’ve built on both sides of the ball.

Their two former top-overall picks, Myles Garrett and Baker Mayfield, led the way, helped by other high draft picks like Denzel Ward and Nick Chubb, the latter of whom came in with Mayfield in the 2018 Draft and has been a beacon of hope from the beginning for the Browns, rushing for 3,557 yards in his three seasons in Cleveland and emerging as one of the league’s best backs. This year, he topped 1,000 yards for the second straight season and had 12 touchdowns despite missing six games with a knee injury.

On Thursday, Uproxx Sports got the chance to talk with Chubb on behalf of Sleep Number about this Browns season, what he saw as the biggest change in Cleveland in 2020, the development of Mayfield, his own growth as a player on and off the field, the Chiefs defense, and more.

I just want to start by saying I’m a Browns fan so thank you for the most enjoyable season of watching Browns football of my lifetime.

[laughs] Yeah, man.

What has been the difference this year and what did you feel about how things went and what seemed to be a bit of a change in how this team approached games and was able to finish games?

It was overall a big difference from my previous years here. It was a culture change, a mindset change, an attitude change. All those things play a role into us coming out and winning 11 games in a regular season. And I think the biggest thing was just the team all buying in, listening to coach Stefanski. He preached about working, working every day, working hard every day to get to where we want to be, and all the guys bought in. All the veterans, rookies, we’re all on the same page. We want to win. Tired of losing and those days are over with. And I think that’s the biggest thing that kind of shifted us into where we are now.

You came in with Baker and you’ve seen his progression as as a pro. What did you see as the biggest thing this year for him in terms of both him being a leader and what he’s doing on the field?

I came in with him, so I saw him grow in every way, and the biggest thing that he’s doing now that is decision making and maybe confidence. I mean, he can make any throw on the field, just a matter of should he or should he not, you know, and I think he finally, coach Stefanski stayed on him about just making the right decision, making the right choice, and he’s doing that. He’s got his confidence back, which I don’t think really ever left because confidence … I mean, Baker, that’s this guy he is. He’s very confident himself and that’s how he plays, that’s how he brings intensity for us and for everyone around a team. I think the biggest thing was him making the right decisions as a quarterback.

Yeah. And then for you, what have you felt has been your biggest point of growth in your professional career from being a rookie to now as one of the best backs in the league?

I mean, for me personally, I don’t know it’s just, it’s just maturing some. Seeing things fully, understanding football. You know, you’re not really asked to do that much stuff in high school and college, but I feel I really understand football now. I understand what my linemen are trying to do, how they’re trying to block, different blocks. What my fullback is trying to do, what what the run is designed to look like. I think a full understanding about that has really helped me see the field, and seeing what hole I’m supposed to hit and try to get into.

This will be this will be your first season with the Browns where you’re not going to have a coaching change this offseason. What are you looking forward to about that since you know the system, you know what coach Stefanski and this staff wants you to do, and what do you think that’s going to allow you guys to do in terms of taking another step next year?

Yeah, this is the first year going into a season with the same head coach since I’ve been here. It’s something that I think for us, I mean, we can just really dive into the playbook. Really learn everything there is to know. Learn the playbook inside and out. Build the chemistry, throwing the ball, you know, Baker to all of us skill guys, and just really you know use that to our advantage. Really take another step forward and, you know, kind of distance ourselves from everyone around us.

What was the learning experience of this playoff run? You beat a Steelers team that’s kind of been a roadblock forever for this franchise, and then you go face this Chiefs team who is that at the top of the game right now. What are the things that you learn personally and you think the team can learn from that experience going forward?

Yeah, I mean, they always say every game is important no matter who you’re playing but playoffs is 10 times more important than a regular game. I mean, it’s win or go home and you only have one shot. It’s not like basketball, baseball, where you have a series. You have one game go out there and play and you got to make it happen. You got to make the play. That’s the biggest thing. You got that one shot, you got to take full advantage of it. And there’s no re-dos.

One thing when I talk to young guys is they say when you come into the pros you really learn the importance of taking care of your body with the things off the field, whether that’s rest and recovery or nutrition. What are the things you’ve learned about that in your pro career and how do you try to make sure that your body is always taken care of for when you get to gameday?

Yeah, that’s one of the biggest differences too, I’m not a little kid anymore. I can’t run off, eat McDonald’s and candy and things like that. And so for me, I really had to get my diet right, take care of my body, but I mean, everybody has their own thing. You know people like cold tubs. People like Normatechs, like massages, but I mean, for the most part, I like to sleep a lot. I mean, I get great night’s sleep, great eight hours of sleep in my Sleep Number bed. It tells me exactly how I slept that night what I should probably do better and things like that. So I think sleep has optimized my recovery. I deal with injuries as we all do in the NFL, so a great night’s sleep in my bed gets me up feeling great the next day. It gives me a boost of energy for the next day, boost my performance overall. So I think a great night’s sleep, you can’t beat that. It’s better than anything they tell you. So yeah, that’s pretty much what I’m doing throughout the whole season, get a great night’s sleep.

If somebody like Leonard Fournette were to call you this week and ask, since you’ve played this Chief defense recently, what would be your advice you’d give him about going up against this team and the scouting report you would give him about what he’s going to see from the Chiefs defense?

Yeah, I would tell him the Chiefs defense are a bunch of fast guys. They play hard and fast, but I mean, you get that ball you got it run it. You gotta, whatever hole you see just hit it full speed. You’ll be able to break a couple arm tackles, and, yeah, just hit it full speed. Don’t hesitate, don’t look around and just get the ball, get downhill and break tackles.

Finally, what what are you looking for next season to see in your personal growth and then also the the growth of the Browns as a team?

For me, honestly, I’m just trying to learn the game even more, to be able to be on the field more and do everything they asked me to do — running, catching, all those things. Work on my game overall. And as a team, just keep getting better. Last year wasn’t enough. Let’s go. Let’s go even further. So that all starts in practice to go out every day compete hard in practice, practice hard, work hard, and let’s get this thing rolling again.

One of the greatest parenting milestones is the day you get to explain to your children the basics of sex. Sometimes that day arrives because a kid bluntly asks how babies are made, sometimes parents bring it up so their kids to hear it from them before they hear it from other people, and sometimes it’s a result of an unexpected encounter (like a kid walking in on their parents doing the deed).

However you arrive at it, that initial conversation is always interesting. No matter how prepared you think you are, some awkward hilarity is inevitable as you navigate those new waters. Sex is pretty simple on the one hand, but quite complicated on the other, and figuring what details to share at what stage is a tricky balancing act.

Some kids are open and curious and ask a million questions. Some kids are quiet and reserved and process it all in their own sweet time. But the first reaction of most pre-pubescent kids when they first hear about the mechanics of sex, even if you introduce it in a sex-positive way, is something along the lines of “What?? Are you serious? EW.” And when they connect the dots that their parents had sex in order for them to be alive, the reaction gets even funnier.

A thread on Twitter illustrates how true this is as parents share their children’s reactions to hearing about the birds and the bees.

Clearly, Megan has three kids. Logic.

Some kids let questions slip out before thinking about whether they really want to know the answer. Once you know it, you can’t unknow it. Sorry, kiddo.

Parents have to be prepared for awkward questions, but sometimes you really can’t predict what a kid might want to know. Kids aren’t exactly known for having boundaries, and that’s doubly true for a topic that’s totally new for them.

Most of us don’t like to imagine our parents having sex, so this is one area where kids who are adopted have somewhat of an advantage (until they learn that procreation isn’t the only reason people have sex).

It’s not just the questions, but the declarations that come along with kids learning about sex that can take parents by surprise.

It’s always entertaining to see a kid’s understanding move from innocence to reality.

And even more entertaining when you realize that you were the one who inadvertently introduced your kid to a sexual concept you may not have been prepared to discuss.

And then there are the unintentional misunderstandings that occur when kids don’t get quite enough information.

Perhaps the funniest part about talking about sex with kids is how actually kind of weird the physical act really is when you think about it. Of course it seems absurd to children who haven’t sexually developed yet.

In fact, some kids find it so weird, they literally don’t believe it.

Like, what the heck with this design? And they don’t even know at this point about the nitty-gritty details that you only really know once you’ve done it.

As funny as these stories are, the fact that parents are having open and honest conversations with their kids about sex is seriously awesome. Some people do their kids a disservice by being too creeped out to talk about it, or maybe worrying they’ll give too much info, so they don’t talk about it.

Whatever your moral perspectives on the topic, sex is part of life. It’s basic health and biology. It’s a human reality that everyone learns about one way or another, and it’s generally better for kids to learn about sex from their parents than from their peers, who might give wrong information. Starting early by answering kids’ questions matter-of-factly, giving age-appropriate details (which admittedly can be hard to discern), and bringing up the topic occasionally if your kids don’t can help kids ease into a healthy understanding of sex.

While the basic mechanics conversation is indeed a parenting milestone, the best parent-child conversations about sex are ongoing and ever-expanding. Making consent and boundaries part of the conversation is vital as well. Some uncomfortable moments may be inevitable, but keep the line of communication wide open will go a long way toward helping kids prepare for what’s to come.

Watch the faces Drakeo The Ruler makes as he rips through a spirited performance of his November single “Fights Don’t Matter” for UPROXX Sessions. That’s where all the action is. While his physical performance is played-down and relaxed, his face does all the work, with his elastic expressions bringing the clever, off-kilter lyrics to life.

“Fights Don’t Matter” was, of course, the first single Drakeo dropped upon being released from Men’s Central Jail in Los Angeles after two long years on a trumped-up murder charge. Despite being acquitted in 2019, then-Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey baffingly resubmitted charges of criminal conspiracy.

However, once George Gascón was voted into office on Election Day 2020, the DA extended a deal to Drakeo and his lawyers to give him time served and an early release. Since then, Drakeo has been on a tear, releasing his first post-prison project We Know The Truth and following up with a string of propulsive, charismatic singles — including “Too Icey,” which he released earlier this week.

Watch Drakeo The Ruler’s UPROXX Sessions performance of “Fights Don’t Matter” above.

UPROXX Sessions is Uproxx’s performance show featuring the hottest up-and-coming acts you should keep an eye on. Featuring creative direction from LA promotion collective, Ham On Everything, and taking place on our “bathroom” set designed and painted by Julian Gross, UPROXX Sessions is a showcase of some of our favorite performers, who just might soon be yours, too.