"E:60": Simeon Rice, Tierra Rogers, Kelly Pavlik And Tyreke Evans

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Features on the Oct. 14 (7pm ET) edition of ESPN’s sports newsmagazine series E:60:

Simeon Rice One of the most feared pass rushers ever to play, if Simeon Rice were active in the NFL today he would have more career sacks than any player in the league. Two years after a shoulder injury ended his season, Rice and his doctors say he’s healthy and ready to play, but he can’t generate interest anywhere in the league. Why? Rice, who played for four teams (Cardinals, Buccaneers, Broncos and Colts) during his 12 years in the NFL, says it’s because he is often outspoken and has angered too many coaches, including Tampa Bay’s John Gruden and Philadelphia’s Andy Reid. Critics say Rice is not in the NFL because he was injured, is too old at 34 and his style of play isn’t as effective in the NFL anymore. Rice sounds off about his struggle to return to the NFL in a revealing interview with E:60 correspondent Jeremy Schaap.

Tierra Rogers 17-year-old Tierra Rogers is one of the nation’s top high school basketball recruits. A 5’11” senior guard, she won her third consecutive state title with Sacred Heart Cathedral in San Francisco last season. But unlike most Division I prospects, the most defining moment of her basketball career isn’t a championship-winning shot or a season high-scoring performance. It was when her father — an anti-violence activist — was shot to death outside the gymnasium she plays in during halftime of one of her games. Rogers’ story made national headlines. Nine months later, the motive behind her father’s murder remains a mystery and the police investigation continues. In her first national television interview, Rogers spoke to E:60 correspondent Lisa Salters about honoring her father’s memory and her struggles to continue playing basketball.

Kelly Pavlik Kelly Pavlik is a fighter and a hometown hero. In many ways, the middleweight boxing champion is much like the legendary movie character Rocky Balboa. Born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio, Pavlik represents hope for his beleaguered city. At one time, Youngstown was a bastion of middle class success. The steel mills that once served as the nerve center of a booming economy now sit shuttered and still, a reminder of what used to be. E:60 profiles this homegrown champion — the story of a young boy who found his true passion in the sweet science of pugilism. Pavlik trains in the same gym and with the same trainer he has used since he was nine years old. It is a story about a gifted fighter who boxes much like his beloved hometown — workmanlike, with a steely resolve and a powerful one-two punch. E:60 correspondent Jeremy Schaap tells the narrative of Kelly Pavlik — from his start at the young age of 9, to his frustrations in the fight game that almost led him to quit the sport, through his victory over Jermain Taylor to claim the middleweight crown. The piece includes interviews with his longtime trainer, Jack Loew; his father, Mike; boxing historian Bert Sugar; and another Youngstown boxing legend, Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini.

Tyreke Evans In April, the Memphis Tigers came very close to their first national title, losing to Kansas in overtime. In June, they lost their three best players to the NBA. So why are Memphis fans brimming with optimism as the season approaches? The answer is Tyreke Evans, a shooting guard from Chester, Pa. The 19-year-old Evans is widely regarded as the top freshman in the nation and a likely lottery pick if he chooses to enter the NBA Draft after the season. While Evans represents a new beginning for the University of Memphis basketball program, Memphis represents the end of a long journey for Evans — a journey that passed through numerous landmines and had three unexpected guides, his older brothers. E:60 cameras first joined Evans’ journey in March and was with the then high-school star in April when he announced that he would attend Memphis, and later when he arrived on campus during the summer. The Evans brothers (Doc, Reggie and Pooh) gave E:60’s Rachel Nichols an all-access pass into their lives as a family and a glimpse of Tyreke’s journey from the tough streets of Chester to Memphis.

Other elements on E:60 include “Jock Chef” Bobby McCray of the New Orleans Saints cooking up jambalaya with his mother, and the “Bunny Pride” of Fisher, Ill.

About Ryan Berenz 2166 Articles
Member of the Television Critics Association. Charter member of the Ancient and Mystic Society of No Homers. Squire of the Ancient & Benevolent Order of the Lynx, Lodge 49, Long Beach, Calif. Costco Wholesale Gold Star Member since 2011.