PANTHERS-HOUSTON
Carolina Panthers CB Chris Houston retires from football
SPARTANBURG, S.C. (AP) — The Carolina Panthers have announced backup cornerback Chris Houston has decided to retire from the NFL after seven seasons.
Houston signed this offseason as a free agent and was competing for a backup position after sitting out all of 2014.
Houston started 91 games during his career with the Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons.
CLEMSON-WATSON
Clemson QB Watson will wear brace on repaired knee
CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson will play this season with a brace on his surgically repaired left knee.
Watson is the Atlantic Coast Conference preseason player of the year. He tore his ACL last November, had surgery the next month and has been recuperating since. He is full-go for the Tigers summer workouts and expected to be ready for the season.
Watson passed for 1,466 yards and 14 touchdowns last season as a freshman. He missed five games with injuries to his hand and knee.
Watson played with a brace on the knee last November in a 35-17 victory over rival South Carolina.
Coach Dabo Swinney said Watson would wear the brace in games this season. After that, it would be Watson’s choice to keep it on or not.
COLUMBIA FIREFLIES
Columbia minor league baseball team to be named Fireflies
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Columbia’s new Class A minor league baseball team will be the Fireflies.
Team officials announced the new name on Tuesday. Hardball Capital CEO Jason Freier said the inspiration for the nickname came from the fireflies that light up in synchronization for several weeks at nearby Congaree National Park.
The South Atlantic League team was formerly the Savannah Sand Gnats before it relocated to Columbia. ‘
Mayor Steve Benjamin said the team’s $37 million ballpark is on budget and on schedule to host its first game on April 16, 2016.
The Columbia franchise joins current South Carolina minor league teams located in Charleston, Greenville and Myrtle Beach.
NC STATE BEGINS
NC State begins preseason camp with eye on contending in ACC
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Don’t call North Carolina State a dark horse ACC contender around Mike Rose.
The defensive end says he objects to that term because it “kind of sounds like, ‘We’d be surprised if (the Wolfpack) won some games.'”
He and his N.C. State teammates took the first steps toward establishing themselves as legitimate contenders Tuesday when the Wolfpack held their first practice of preseason camp.
N.C. State returns 14 starters — including eight on defense — from a team that won four of its last five games, routed rival North Carolina on its home field and beat Central Florida in the Bitcoin Bowl.
Third-year coach Dave Doeren says he senses confidence from those returning players and “you see them coaching other players, you see them feeding off each other.”
WAKE FOREST-SUSPENSIONS
Wake suspends 2 football players, adds Wisconsin transfer
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — Wake Forest has suspended two football players from the team and added a graduate transfer.
Coach Dave Clawson on Tuesday said defensive back Thomas Brown will be suspended for one game and offensive lineman Ryan Anderson will miss five games. Both players violated undisclosed team rules, and Clawson says both players will practice during their suspensions.
Later in the day, the Demon Deacons announced the addition of defensive back Deven Gaulden, a graduate transfer from Wisconsin who can play immediately. Gaulden started five of the Badgers’ 14 games last season.
Brown played in all 12 games last season with one start. He will miss the Sept. 3 opener against Elon. Anderson redshirted as a freshman last year and won’t play until the Boston College game Oct. 10.
