GUILFORD - New seasons bring new faces. Those new faces could determine the success or failures of teams.
For the Guilford football team, it was a mix of new and old which made a difference in its season opener against Amity.
Behind 86 yards and a touchdown on the ground by junior Shane Connelly, 123 yards and a touchdown in the air by sophomore quarterback Ryan Lynch and a tough as nails defense, Guilford topped Amity 21-7 in a Southern Connecticut Conference contest at Kavanaugh Field at Guilford High Thursday evening.
"We practiced, we knew what they were going to do," Connelly said. "We knew their concepts, and what they were planning to do on us. I think we handled it perfectly."
For Amity, it was the story of missed opportunities as the Spartans could not capitalize until Colt Snowden connecting with Tyler McDaniel on a 10-yard touchdown with 4 minutes, 40 seconds remaining in the game to cut the deficit to 14 points.

#shane

ANN ARBOR — There has been talk that the strength of Michigan's defense will be its line, but the truth may be a bit deeper on the field as the Wolverines' secondary, particularly the corners, has the benefit of a group of experienced, talented players.
Cornerbacks coach Jernaro Gilford believes Michigan has four corners who could prove impactful this fall in Jyaire Hill and Zeke Berry, both starters last year for the Wolverines; veteran transfer Smith Snowden, a starter at Utah; and sophomore Shamari Earls, a four-star recruit who played in six games last season.
"I'm very self-confident, so I feel like all my groups can be a leader of the defense, whether we're young, old, whatever the case may be," Gilford told reporters this week. "I'm very confident in what I bring to the table. I'm very confident in (defensive coordinator) Jay Hill because he is a DB. I'm very confident in what he brings to the table and what he's taught me under his tutelage for the last three years, so there's never been a down moment for me in my group.
"I always feel like we can be one of the top groups, but with these guys, 100% the expectation is to be one of the top groups in the country. That's our expectation."
This is the time of year, the days before the start of the season, when coaches and players throw out lofty expectations. Gilford and his group certainly have a legitimate shot at living up to them. There's versatility in the secondary and Jay Hill and Gilford have shown a willingness to be creative in how they use the players.

#hill #wolverines

A keen rugby player and strongman described by his mother as a "gentle giant" had a prescription for anti-psychotic medication withdrawn weeks before his death, an inquest heard.
James Snowden, who had struggled with suicidal feelings since childhood, was 21 when his body was found at his family home in Altrincham in December 2024.
Manchester South Coroner's Court heard after numerous attempts to take his own life he had been prescribed sulpiride in 2021 - which his mother said had helped him "pursue a full life".
When James died he was under the care of the Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, which will give evidence throughout the week and has been approached for comment.
However, the court heard that on 26 November 2024, James had attended an appointment to plan for the gradual withdrawal of the drug.

#mother #snowden

Ann Arbor — Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham and defensive coordinator Jay Hill have said the defensive line is the strength of the defense heading into this season, but they have also suggested the depth in the secondary is nothing to sleep on.
Returning starters Zeke Berry and Jyaire Hill appear to be set at the corners, while two-time captain Rod Moore, who said he's fully healthy after dealing with multiple knee surgeries since April 2024, and UAB/Memphis transfer Chris Bracy are the safeties. Michigan still has plenty of time left in preseason camp to make determinations at all positions, but the staff is feeling fairly confident about the versatility of the secondary.
"This is the only school I've ever been at where I really believe we could have three great nickels, and I can put different guys in there based on mismatch," Hill told reporters recently. "So Smith Snowden, Zeke Berry, Sug (Hill) … I've never had three interchangeable guys that are so different at that position. It's a fun luxury to have, and I'm kind of excited to see how I come up with how we do it."
There is a versatility required to play nickel requires, and Hill is relishing the options at his disposal as he **** embles his defensive chess board.
"You got to be able to cover man to man," Hill said. "You got to be able to tackle. You got to be very intelligent because we use those guys in a lot of disguises. We use them to blitz. We use them in zone coverages. We use them in man coverages. So those guys really are a real premier spot in this defense, and they got to be pretty adaptable to what we're doing with them."

#defense

One of the most important tenets of building out a roster is to know the store you're shopping at. NFL clubs need to nail their draft picks, guess right on scheme fits in big-money free agency and trade the right amount of capital when swinging deals. One of the unsung parts of talent acquisition though is knowing which aisles to walk down when looking for those red dot specials.
Most folks wouldn't consider the Las Vegas Raiders a factory for talent. Grabbing cast offs from there is often a fruitless exercise, and that can be viewed with the recen release of DE Charles Snowden, who was suspended for thiree games to start the season before training camp began. The team has since released him. But the Raiders do have one area of their team worth paying attention to; the tight end position. On Thursday, the Dallas Cowboys grabbed a former member of that group to augment their own summer trials, claiming Zack Kuntz off of waivers.
Now make no mistake, Kuntz is an extreme long shot to latch on with Dallas. But the circumstances of moving Princeton Fant to IR after he tore his ACL, opened up a spot at the back end of the positional depth chart while the team works in Oxnard, CA.
And if a team is going to claim a released tight end, getting one from a team that employs one of the best TEs in football in Brock Bowers, plus former second-round pick Michael Mayer.
Kuntz isn't that, but replacing TE4 or TE5 on the depth chart with a player from a club that has a pretty good track record of picking the position makes a ton of sense.

#kuntz #released

Early days of the Dallas Cowboys' training camp have been a learning experience for this defensive group as it goes up against Javonte Williams and a high-powered offense every day. In a recent interview, Williams discussed how quickly the offense found its footing in camp, praising the unit's execution and communication so far. Williams also took time to praise new defensive coordinator Christian Parker, pointing to the changes he's already seen in the Cowboys' defense and how much Parker has grown since their time together in Denver. He believes the defense will be better under Parker this season. For Dallas' sake, he needs to be right.
One free-agent defensive addition won't be around to help anymore after the Cowboys waived/injured defensive end Charles Snowden on Sunday. Snowden was signed to provide depth off the edge, but he was also facing a three-game suspension to start the season. In a corresponding move, Dallas signed guard/tackle Sebastian Gutierrez to fill the open roster spot. Gutierrez faces an uphill battle to make the team, but the Cowboys are allowing him to compete for a spot.
Here's a look at the latest news and notes.
Javonte Williams: Cowboys offense has 'hit the ground running' early in training camp :: DallasCowboys.com (Link)
Transactions: Guard signed; Snowden waived/injured :: DallasCowboys.com (Link)

#parker #signed

Dallas Cowboys COO Stephen Jones says player acquisition is a 365-day-a-year job, and as training camp rolls on, there have been a few moves made.
Charles Snowden was signed this offseason as a depth piece for Christian Parker but was suspended for the first three games of the year, thanks to a DUI arrest from 2024.
So that wasn't exactly a great way to start things with your new team.
A semi-starter with the Las Vegas Raiders, Snowden managed to start nine games last season and was looked at as a possible rotational piece for Parker.
But as we know, the NFL moves quickly, and the Cowboys have released Snowden to make way for new offensive lineman Sebastian Gutierrez.

#cowboys #year #games #start

The Dallas Cowboys were willing to take a chance on edge rusher Charles Snowden — they just weren't willing to wait for him to heal up as they try to improve the NFL's worst defense from 1 season ago.
"The Cowboys have signed OL Sebastian Gutierrez and waived OLB Charles Snowden," The Athletic's Jon Machota wrote on his official X account on Sunday.
Snowden signed a 1-year, $1.075 million contract with the Cowboys on June 18 and was suspended almost 1 month later. Snowden was waived with an injury designation as he was dealing with a groin issue.
"Cowboys DE Charles Snowden has been suspended for the first three games of the season, per today's wire," ESPN's Adam Schefter wrote on his official X account on July 14. "Snowden, per the NFL, 'is eligible to participate in all preseason activities, including games; his suspension will take effect as of the roster reduction to 53 players."
He was arrested for a DUI in Las Vegas in December 2024 and pleaded no contest in January 2026.

#snowden #wrote #official

The Dallas Cowboys pass rush depth took a hit ahead of the season.
Cowboys outside linebacker Charles Snowden has been suspended by the NFL for the first three games of the 2026 regular season, according to the league wire.
According to reports from NFL Media, Snowden's suspension is part of a violation of the league's personal conduct policy stemming from a DUI in 2024.
The league released the following on Snowden's suspension:
"Dallas' Charles Snowden, DE, Virginia, has been suspended by the Commissioner for the first three games of the 2026 season. He is eligible to participate in all preseason activities, including games; his suspension will take effect as of the roster reduction to 53 players."

Dallas Cowboys defensive end Charles Snowden has been suspended by the NFL for the first three games of the season following his plea deal to settle a DUI charge.
The league announced Snowden’s suspension on Tuesday.
Snowden was arrested on a misdemeanor DUI charge in 2024 while he was a member of the Las Vegas Raiders. Police in Las Vegas say they found Snowden “passed out” behind the wheel of his Jeep Cherokee as it was running and that he “had almost rolled off a four-foot retaining wall.”
Per police, results of two blood tests returned BACs of .18 and .19, more than twice the legal limit of .08. Snowden initially pleaded not guilty but reached a deal with prosecutors in January by entering a no-contest plea, per KLAS.
Per the plea deal, Snowden was required to pay a $1,000 fine and attend coroner's and DUI classes, and his charge was conditionally reduced to reckless driving pending the completion of his side of the deal.

The Dallas Cowboys are just two weeks away from the start of training camp in Oxnard, California, and the team’s revamped defense has already taken a blow.
On Tuesday evening, it was announced that one of the team’s newest additions, defensive end Charles Snowden, has been suspended for the first three games of the 2026-27 NFL season.
Despite his suspension, Snowden, who was suspended under the personal conduct policy because of a DUI, will be able to participate in training camp and the preseason.
“Dallas’ Charles Snowden, DE, Virginia, has been suspended by the Commissioner for the first three games of the 2026 season,” a statement from the NFL read. “He is eligible to participate in all preseason activities, including games; his suspension will take effect as of the roster reduction to 53 players.”
Snowden signed with the Cowboys on June 18.

The 2026 Cowboys defense will take the field with a heavily-overhauled roster of players and an all-new coaching staff, running a brand-new scheme with nearly 50% new personnel in an attempt at a massive turnaround from a dismal 2025 campaign.
Tuesday they learned they'll also be doing it short-handed at a key position to start the season.
Defensive end Charles Snowden, who is listed as an outside linebacker in the Cowboys' new 3-4 alignment, has been suspended by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy. Snowden, who was signed by Dallas in June after two years with the Raiders and one prior to that with the Bears, will be required to miss the Cowboys' first three games of the regular season.
Per a statement from the league, Snowden "is eligible to participate in all preseason activities, including games; his suspension will take effect as of the roster reduction to 53 players."
The punishment stems from an incident that occurred over a year and a half ago.