Off-Topic » the National Junior College Athletic Association is retiring

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Jabrill Peppers pressed a phone against his right cheek, head bowed, and swayed from side to side.He picked his head up when he heard unexpected news.Wow. Hey, he said, tilting his head back with a huge smile upon finding out he was a Heisman Trophy finalist. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!The do-it-all, three-way dynamo had quite a year for No. 6 Michigan, and the team says he played 15 positions across offense, defense and special teams.But the nations most versatile star wasnt necessarily projected to be among the final five players up for the Heisman.I was in shock when I got that call, Peppers told The Associated Press. Im still in shock. Its surreal. When youre a child, you set goals and you work hard for things like this.The East Orange, New Jersey, native had to work harder than most. He was 7 when his father, Terry Peppers, went to jail and was 14 when his older brother and role model, Don Curtis, was shot and killed.Ivory Bryant , his mother, made sure sports ranked second behind school.His mother will join him at the Heisman Trophy ceremony on Saturday night in New York. He wasnt planning on inviting his father.With my dad, our relationship is still growing, Peppers said. Hes trying to get back on his feet.Peppers is a star who contributed this season in three facets of the game . In the rare moments he wasnt on the field, he was standing near coach Jim Harbaugh on the sideline, ready to roll when his name was called.Peppers won the Hornung Award as the nations most versatile college football player. On defense, the 6-foot-1, 205-pounder usually lined up as a linebacker after spending most of the previous two years as a defensive back.Michigans Charles Woodson is the only player to win the Heisman while primarily playing defense -- though, like Peppers, Woodson also played on offense and special teams.Its rare that defensive players are even among the Heisman finalists. Since 1986, the list includes just Oklahoma linebacker Brian Bosworth, Washington defensive lineman Steve Emtman, Miami Hurricanes defensive tackle Warren Sapp, Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, LSU defensive back Tyrann Mathieu and Notre Dame linebacker Manti Teo.It means a lot to be a part of that group, Peppers said. I didnt finish the season as well as I thought and hoped I would, and there were a lot of guys that could have been finalists ahead of me.Many expect Peppers to skip his senior season to enter the NFL draft, though hes declined to talk about it because he doesnt want to distract from Michigans preparation for the Orange Bowl against No. 10 Florida State on Dec. 30.We have one more game to play and thats where my focus is, he said. I absolutely want to end the season on a good note and get the sour taste out of my mouth.The Wolverines closed the regular season with two losses in three games, including a stinging setback as a third-ranked team to second-ranked Ohio State, 30-27 in two overtimes. The Buckeyes beat their rival in part because they didnt let Peppers make any game-breaking plays on offense or special teams.Peppers did have seven tackles and intercepted a pass, but he had just four yards rushing on four carries. On special teams, he returned one kickoff for 44 yards and a punt for 5 yards.Harbaugh, though, wouldnt trade him for any player in college football.Hes an amazing player that does everything that anybody asks, any of the coaches or teammates ask him to do, Harbaugh said. Whether its play safety or corner or nickel or linebacker or quarterback or slot receiver or running back, punt returner, kick returner, he does it all and without hesitation, without flinching. He does it to the best of his God-given ability every time.---HEISMAN-DEFINING MOMENT: Like Woodson, Peppers returned a punt for a touchdown into the south end zone in Michigan Stadium for his signature play of the season. Peppers showed his speed, strength and agility on the 54-yard score in the fourth quarter that helped the Wolverines pull away to beat Colorado 45-28.BEST GAME: Peppers scored on a punt return, had a season-long, 55-yard kickoff, a 17-yard run and nine tackles, including a sack, against the Buffaloes, who are No. 11 going into the postseason.WORST GAME: In a loss 14-13 loss at Iowa, the Wolverines needed a spark and their best all-around player couldnt provide it. Peppers was held to 11 yards rushing on four carries, returned a kickoff just 16 yards, a punt 19 yards and made five tackles.PRO PROSPECTS: Unless he makes a stunning return to college, Peppers is projected to be among the top picks in the draft. He fits the profile of what NFL teams are looking for, a player they can line up against a slot receiver or send on a blitz. Peppers will also be viewed as an asset in the kicking game.---More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25---AP Sports Writer Tim Reynolds in Hollywood, Florida contributed.---Follow Larry Lage on Twitter at www.twitter.com/larrylage Fake Jerseys China . Wilson hit Schenn from behind during Tuesday nights game in Philadelphia, earning a five-minute major for charging and a game misconduct. He has a phone hearing with the department of player safety, which limits any potential suspension to five or fewer games. Fake Jerseys For Sale . Defenceman Yannick Weber scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period and the Canucks breathed a sigh of relief with a 2-1 win on Saturday night. https://www.fakejerseysfromchina.com/ . Having already announced that the race will start May 9 with three stages in Northern Ireland and Ireland and finish in Trieste on June 1, the rest of the route was unveiled Monday. Fake Jerseys . The Oilers come in having lost five in a row (0-4-1) and 16 of their last 20 games, dropping a 2-1 decision to the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday. Cheap Jerseys . -- Charline Labonte couldnt have asked for a better homecoming. COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- The executive director of the National Junior College Athletic Association is retiring next summer after a 28-year career with the organization.Mary Ellen Leicht has been the NJCAAs chief executive since 2009, and was instrumental in developing the associations current structure for 28 sports.The announcement was made Wednesday by NJCAA President Bryce Roderick.Among her accomplishments as executive director are securing long-term contracts for the NJCAAs Division I mens basketball championship in Hutchinson, Kansas, and the Division I Basebaall World Series in Grand Junction, Colorado.ddddddddddddBoth included multimillion facility improvements. She started out in 1989 as an eligibility administrator.Leicht also oversaw the launch of NJCAA TV, which will cover 22 national championships in the next year.In 2009, Leicht became the first female chief executive of any national college athletic association, according to NACDA, the national association for college athletic directors. ' ' '