Before they became husband and wife, parents and two-time Super Bowl champions, Bryan Cook and Jayla Thornton-Cook were student-athletes who spent their freshman yr at Howard University. In a recent interview with People MagazineJayla, who played on the HBCU women’s basketball team, recalls becoming friends with Bryan during summer classes.

“It’s funny – back then we argued every day. We were best friends, but we argued constantly. I thought, ‘This man always has something to say, whether it’s a witty comment or a joke,'” she said, explaining how they often bonded over food in the campus dining hall and at Chipotle. “That’s the best way for student-athletes to bond — eating together in the cafeteria.”

While the two became close, their athletic journeys separated them when Jayla moved to Syracuse to play basketball while Bryan continued his football profession at Howard. Four years later, Bryan transferred to the University of Cincinnati to join the football team and started training in Virginia. At the same time, Jayla returned to Washington to reap the benefits of her sixth yr of eligibility by playing for George Washington University after graduating from Syracuse. Finally being close to one another again, the two took the opportunity to rekindle their relationship.

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“As we grew older, I realized what I was really looking for in a partner. When I started feeling feelings for Bryan, it was funny to me. I thought, “Oh, it’s Bryan. How funny is that? But it all made sense as my feelings deepened,” she added. “But when we matured, everything changed. A big part of it was watching each other grow. We were both focused on our individual goals and it was inspiring to watch him chase his dreams while I worked to achieve mine.”

The duo has supported one another over the years. While Bryan was entering his rookie yr with the Kansas City Chiefs, Jayla was playing basketball and earning her degree at George Washington University. Although she watched his games from her dorm during her senior yr in the program, she remembers missing classes and practices to watch Bryan win his first Super Bowl.

“Watching him reach his highest level has been incredibly rewarding for me, especially since he’s not just my partner; he was always my best friend,” she said, recalling the “joy on his face” when the Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles.

“I try to be there for him mentally and emotionally, which has been key, especially understanding the physical demands of the NFL,” she added. “The biggest challenge I remember from his rookie yr was coping with the emotional, mental and spiritual points of adjusting so quickly. It’s your dream, but when it happens so quickly, nobody gives you a playbook on how to take care of it, especially in the NFL.

Today, Jayla and Bryan are married and have a daughter, Jaycee, whom they welcomed in August. Whether it’s home or away games, Jayla continues to support her husband throughout the football season, explaining that she wants to see him “accomplish everything he has set out for himself” in and outdoors of football.

While balancing life with a newborn and a rigorous soccer schedule has proven to be a necessity, the family’s mantra is “grace,” which Jayla says has helped them each navigate these changes.

“It has been a difficult but rewarding journey, and focusing on grace has made a significant difference for us,” she said. “It’s definitely a new chapter for us, but my main goal is to see us start to come to grips with it and be able to appreciate where we are in life.”

In May, NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan (owner of 23XI Racing) warned NASCAR that the way in which they were running the corporate was unfair to automotive owners and that “the sport would die” unless it modified its business practices and had a “good partnership.” ” Jordan has now filed an antitrust lawsuit with one other automotive owner, Front Row Motorsports, against NASCAR and CEO Jim France, stating that he used anti-competitive practices to stop fair competition in the game.

According to the lawsuit claims that NASCAR and France operate without transparency and in a way that doesn’t profit team owners, drivers, sponsors, partners and fans.

“Together, we brought this antitrust case so that racing can thrive and become a more competitive and fair sport in a way that benefits teams, drivers, sponsors and, most importantly, fans,” 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports said in an announcement in a joint report.

Jordan’s team was founded and joined NASCAR in 2020 with race driver Denny Hamlin and Jordan’s business partner, Curtis Polk. Bob Jenkins is the owner of Front Row Motorsports and has been involved in the game since 2005. Jenkins said he has been within the industry for 20 years and has yet to show a profit.

“We need a more competitive and fair system where teams, drivers and sponsors can be rewarded for our collective investments by building long-term enterprise value, just like any other successful professional sports league,” he said.

The lawsuit mentions that of the 19 team owners who were originally awarded charters in 2016, only eight of them remain in the game.

According to , a recent change in revenue sharing and recent charter rules placed NASCAR on a path that does not make profits for automotive owners. Media reported that the league was negotiating with 36 team owners to renew the charter system introduced in 2016. All teams are guaranteed a spot in each Cup Series race. The owners want the present charter agreement to be everlasting, because the contract expires at the tip of the 2024 season on November 10.

Former NBA player Dwight Howard’s interest in purchasing a stake in the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream has became a nightmare. A businessman was found guilty of defrauding an NBA star in a deal gone bad.

According to the Associated Press jury returned conviction against Calvin Darden Jr. released on October 4 after Howard admitted at a trial in New York that he gave Darden $7 million considering it was an investment in a WNBA team.

Darden could face 11 to 14 years in prison when sentenced next 12 months.

The prosecutor said the fraudster spent most of the $7 million, no less than $6.1 million received from the previous Los Angeles Lakers player. He bought two cars for $500,000; spent $110,000 on a piano; placed $765,000 as a down payment on a $3.7 million home; and purchased $90,000 value of luxury watches while spending one other $500,000 to upgrade his home. He also purchased a whole bunch of 1000’s of dollars value of art.

Prosecutors plan to seize all of Darden’s assets, including the home where he lives in Atlanta, in addition to the above-mentioned items.

The alleged investment offered by Darden got here as Dream’s then-owner, former Republican U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler of Atlanta, was selling the team. In 2021, the team was sold to a three-person investor group that included former player Renee Montgomery.

Darden has been convicted before after one other scheme he was involved in got him into trouble. Prosecutors revealed that Darden worked with a sports agent to defraud former NBA forward Chandler. Darden managed to influence Chandler to send $1 million. The ruse involved using the cash to assist develop current NBA player James Wiseman.

Howard realized his dream of owning knowledgeable basketball team when it was reported earlier this 12 months that Howard had announced that he had develop into part owner of the Taiwan Basketball League, in addition to one of its teams.