NEW YORK (AP) — Bernie Williams was under center, similar to the old days at Yankee Stadium. Only this time he found himself at Lincoln Center alongside conductor Gustavo Dudamel and made his debut with the New York Philharmonic.

After spending 16 years making a reputation for himself wandering the grass once trampled by Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle, Williams emerged on the stage made famous by Leonard Bernstein and where guitar great Andrés Segovia once played.

Williams performed “Moving Forward,” a jazz-infused song he composed in 2009 and newly arranged by Jeff Tyzik, as a part of the orchestra’s spring gala Wednesday night at David Geffen Hall, a public shout-out to the former All-American outfielder’s second profession. Star as a classical guitarist.

The day before the performance, he recalled attending the Manhattan School of Music from 2012 to 2016 to learn a brand new occupation and acquire a bachelor’s degree.

“A lot of these people were circling around me and I had to realize that I had to work as hard as I ever had at anything, including being a Major League Baseball player,” he said. “I had to put in a lot of work and nothing I had done before could help me here. I really had to reinvent myself. Learning all the things I learned as a professional baseball player, some of them really helped me deal with pressure, put in the work and be relentless.”

Dudamel, who will grow to be music director in 2026-2027, gave Williams an enthusiastic introduction that was repeatedly interrupted by applause as he talked about Williams’ past during the event to lift money for music education.

“Bernie grew up in Puerto Rico and I think maybe he had other opportunities outside of music,” Dudamel said.

Dressed in a dark suit and tie and patent leather loafers, Williams played his 4 1/2-minute composition with the support of the Philharmonic, joined by student musicians.

Williams, now 55, signed with the Yankees in 1985 on his seventeenth birthday, reached the major leagues six years later and have become a four-time World Series champion, a five-time All-Star and the AL batting champion in 1998. He achieved .297 with 287 homers, 1,257 RBI and 147 stolen bases for the Yankees from 1991-2006.

He began playing guitar at age 6 or 7 in Puerto Rico, learning from his mother’s friends and listening to his dad, Bernabé, play guitar. Bernie took his guitar with him to the field and played in the club lounge to MTV music chosen by teammate Derek Jeter.

“When you’re on tour, you spend a certain amount of time in your room,” Williams said. “A lot of people play video games, a lot of people just watch TV. So I liked to divide my time between watching TV, ordering room service and playing the guitar.”

He played in the paint shop under the right-field bleachers at old Yankee Stadium, where Ron Guidry left a drum kit that Paul O’Neill took over. Williams brought an amp they usually played after batting practice and through rain delays.

Particular excitement accompanied the 1998 game against Minnesota, when Bruce Springsteen walked into the clubhouse, talked to several Yankees players and signed Williams’ guitar, writing: “To Bernie, if you ever get tired of baseball…” joined the “Glory Days” game at the Joe Torre Foundation Safe at Home Gala in 2007.

In 2003, Williams released his first recording, “The Journey Within”. His second album, Moving Forward, earned a 2009 Latin Grammy nomination for best instrumental album, and he’s considering releasing a 3rd, which he hopes will feature more adventurous playing and writing.

“Anyone can enjoy a good piece of music, and some of that music has the ability to touch people in a way that nothing else can,” Williams said. “I think understanding the emotions that come with being a musician has taken me on a great journey and it’s just been an amazing process, unlike what I was doing in sports. It’s great to have the opportunity to do both in one life.”

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His mother insisted that he go to varsity. Williams earned his degree in 2016 after a four-year bachelor’s degree program. He studied guitar with Christopher Rosenberg, harmony, composition and improvisation with Garry Dial, and writing with John Pagano. Williams currently serves on the school’s board of trustees.

Before this week’s performance, Williams spent April 9-13 acting at the Café Carlyle, the famous Upper East Side nightclub where Bobby Short entertained New York high society from 1968 to 2004.

“Everyone is so close, you can hear a pin drop and everyone is very attentive,” he said. “It’s a unique experience, at least for me. I was used to playing in front of 50,000 people and everyone was screaming at the top of their lungs. So it’s, yeah, quite a contrast.”

Philharmonic CEO Gary Ginstling said after Wednesday morning rehearsal that 30 of the orchestra’s musicians lined as much as receive autographed footballs, hats and T-shirts from Williams as he posed for photos. Cellist Patrick Jee practiced wearing a Yankees jersey already signed by Torre and Jeter.

“I’ve never seen everyone be so passionate about any of our artists,” Ginstling said.

Former NFL quarterback Reggie Bush won the Heisman Trophy while attending the University of Southern California in 2005. He gave up the honor in 2010 after NCAA officials discovered he had accepted improper advantages. After years of fighting to regain the trophy, the NCAA restored the honor on April 24.

Heisman Fund announced that he reinstated Bush due to changes in college athletics which have occurred over the past few years.

“I have always acted honestly and in accordance with the rules and regulations set forth by the NCAA,” Bush said. “The allegations against me were baseless and unsubstantiated, and I am grateful that the truth has finally prevailed.”

The fund said it might get the trophy back and USC would receive a duplicate of the Heisman Trophy, awarded to school football’s most eminent player. The replica shall be placed alongside seven other Heisman trophies won by the famed school. Starting in December, Bush shall be invited back to all future Heisman ceremonies.

“We are thrilled to welcome Reggie Bush back to the Heisman family in recognition of his achievements at the collegiate level,” Michael Comerford, president of the Heisman Trust, said in a written statement. “We have considered the tremendous changes in college athletics over the last few years, deciding that now is the right time to bring back the Reggie Trophy. We are very happy to welcome him back.”

The Heisman Trust said the NCAA’s latest rules allowing athletes to receive compensation for his or her name, image and likeness modified that call due to the NIL contracts now offered to students.

“Recognizing that compensating student-athletes is accepted practice and appears prone to remain so, these fundamental changes in college athletics have led the Trust to come to a decision that now could be the appropriate time to return the trophy to Bush, who was undoubtedly the 2005 college football player of the 12 months “

reported that Bush was given his Heisman Trophy at the conclusion of the April 24 summit meeting outside Jacksonville, Florida.

This week, Coco Gauff dominated the Mutua Madrid Open and advanced to the third round, beating Dutch Arantxa Rus 6-0 in each sets, the first “double bagel” of her profession to date. After becoming the youngest person since Serena Williams in 1999 to win a Grand Slam title at the US Open, Gauff was not only hailed as tennis’ next big phenom, but additionally captured the attention and hearts of social media users and celebrities around the world . However, as she recently said Time magazine.she’s just getting began.

“I always knew I wanted to try to win a lot of Grand Slams,” said Gauff, who was honored by Time100 magazine as one of its 2024 Players of the Year. “Sometimes after winning, people lose motivation. It wasn’t a personal challenge for me.”

Following her historic victory, Gauff received praise and congratulations from the likes of Snoop Dogg, Magic Johnson, Spike Lee and Michelle Obama, who invited the 2023 Grand Slam champion to their home and reminded her that “When the demands of fame overwhelm you, it’s OK to say no.

Even though Gauff is only 20 years old, she’s no stranger to setting boundaries to guard her mental health. At the 2020 US Open, the budding tennis star lost in the first round after which lost in the second round of the French Open a few weeks later.

“I tried to live up to other people’s expectations. It kind of crossed my mind,” Gauff said, explaining how that mindset influenced her throughout 2022 as she reached her first major championship final. “It was like life or death. It was hard to breathe… I lost that match before I even stepped on the court.

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Throughout her life, Gauff overcame adversity each on and off the field. From skipping the crawling and walking stage at nine months old to beating Venus Williams at just 15, Gauff’s mindset has helped her meet the growing expectations of her profession.

“I tied my identity too much to tennis,” she told Time, reflecting on how her on-court losses were affecting her mental health. “It’s a lot easier to play for yourself than for other people. I spotted which you could’t please everyone.”

Now Gauff’s success takes her to the Paris Olympics, where she’s going to compete for the United States. Giving him “goosebumps (at the thought of) representing (his) country,” he admits that, like Serena Williams, he “wants to win gold so bad.” However, the tennis star is giving himself grace as he climbs the tennis rankings.

“If I could win every game, I would,” she said. “But I can’t. People don’t go to work and have a good day day-after-day. We just have to present one another grace.”

Building a repute each on and off the pitch, Gauff has landed quite a few brand deals, recognition and articles in publications resembling Vogue. Aside from her fame, the Grand Slam champion is just like every other young adult today: she enjoys time together with her boyfriend, watches TikToks and anime, and speaks out on sociopolitical issues.

“The best thing about Coco Gauff is just her ability to lead a life on and off the court,” she said in the film when asked to explain herself. “On the court he is quite energetic and intense, and off the court he is not mellow but giggly. I feel like I actually have two different personalities. I definitely appear to be I rarely smile when I’m on the court, but off the court it’s the exact opposite.”

She added: “I do tennis, but that’s not who I am. … I would like my legacy to be defined as someone who was obviously a great tennis player, but also someone who put just as much effort and work (into what he does off the court).”