Sports
As a son and brother, Penn State's Adisa Isaac 'juggled a lot' — now comes the NFL
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — When Adisa Isaac was in third grade, he asked a lot of questions, as third graders do.
There was one that needed thoughtful explanation: “Why are my brothers and my sister different?”
His mother, Lisa Wiltshire-Isaac, expected this day would come. Of her four children, Adisa was the only one who spoke. She sat him down.
His oldest brother, Kyle Wiltshire, she told him, was born with his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck. Being deprived of oxygen during his birth resulted in autism, intellectual delay, developmental disability and cerebral palsy.
Y’ashua Isaac, Adisa’s next brother in line, didn’t hit some of the developmental markers as a toddler. Doctors told Lisa he had an intellectual disability and developmental delay.
There had been a similar story with Adisa’s younger sister, Tadj Isaac, his mother told him. Tadj, too, was diagnosed with intellectual disability and developmental delay.
So it was an understandable question young Adisa asked.
But there is another one, maybe a better one, in the process of being answered this spring as he prepares to be chosen in the early rounds of the NFL Draft.
Why was Adisa Isaac born into this family?
At the age of 3, Adisa could write his name and knew his mother’s phone number. When he was 8, he began learning the rules of the road, how to make the car go left or right, which pedal accelerates and which stops. Lisa was often alone with the children, whose fathers were not involved in their lives. Her mother thought it was a good idea for Adisa to know how to drive, just in case.
The way Lisa saw it, taking care of Kyle, Y’ashua and Tadj was her responsibility, not Adisa’s. But he watched what she did and how she did it. When her burden was too heavy, he helped, making sure his siblings were showering properly or brushing their teeth thoroughly, helping them get dressed, tying shoes, getting meals prepared or cleaning up in the bathroom — whatever was necessary.
When his friends were gaming, Adisa might have been taking his siblings to the park, watching movies with them or helping with their Play-Doh creations. Lisa says she couldn’t imagine what she would have done without him.
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Lisa spent her childhood in Curepe, Trinidad and Tobago, where she never heard about the NFL. She immigrated to New York with her mother and sister when she was 11. Now she’s a special ed teacher working at PS 138 in Brooklyn with students from kindergarten through second grade. She does at home what she does at work.
“I do,” she says with a Trini accent, “what I was put here to do.”
How she manages, especially since Adisa went to Penn State, is a mystery.
“She does a million things in the dark that are kind of unexplainable that just make her who she is,” Adisa says.
“You can be in a full-on conversation with her, and somehow she knows what all three of her (developmentally disabled) children need without even looking,” says Kyle Allen, Adisa’s football coach his first three years at Canarsie High School.
Adisa’s strength, he will tell you, is from her.
For most of his childhood, the family lived in Brownsville, Brooklyn, where trouble could be found at every bus stop or convenience store parking lot. Sometimes, like a pulling guard, it seemed to come from nowhere with fury. But Adisa always managed to get around it.
Allen says he never saw Adisa cut classes, hang with the wrong people or get into fights. Lisa focused on his grades, so schoolwork eventually became a priority alongside family and sports.
When Adisa was a sophomore in high school, he came down with the flu. His mother instructed him to stay in bed and drink fluids, then phoned to see how he was doing only to hear voices in the background.
Lisa: “Where are you?”
Adisa: “In school.”
Lisa: “What are you doing in school?”
Adisa: “We have a basketball game today, and I can’t let my guys down.”
“He just always puts others before himself,” Lisa says.
The first time Adisa stepped on a football field as a high school freshman, he found a place he was meant to be. “I was in love,” he says.
The game loved him back. After initially considering Adisa as a wide receiver, Allen became awed by the way he fired out of his stance, so he made him a pass rusher. Allen also recognized remarkable football character.
“As I started coaching him, I realized he was a little different from the other kids,” Allen says. “His maturity level was different. His focus was different. His coachability was different.”
Adisa was a captain at Canarsie for three seasons and team MVP for two. As a senior, he had 25 sacks and was rated the No. 1 recruit in New York by 247 Sports, ESPN and Rivals.
He chose Penn State over Alabama, Michigan, Miami and other schools because he was impressed with how coaches treated his family. And a school within driving distance was a priority because Kyle feels uncomfortable on airplanes.
Adisa Isaac (right) with brothers Kyle (top) and Y’ashua (left) and sister Tadj (bottom). (Courtesy of Lisa Wiltshire-Isaac)
Kyle, 33, is often cautious, serious, and to himself. Adisa quells his anxiety. Kyle sulks. Adisa makes a funny face. Kyle cracks up, transformed with a halogen smile. And then he wants his brother’s attention.
Tadj, 19, wants his affection. She’s possessive of Adisa. If somebody she doesn’t know shakes his hand, she might grab Adisa and try to pull him away. After one game last season, he was signing autographs in a group of people when a highly excited Tadj seemingly came out of nowhere, charged him and nearly tackled him with a hug — and then, a wet kiss on the cheek.
“She is just a really loving girl,” he says.
With Y’ashua, Adisa is more likely to be in pursuit. Y’ashua has a mind of his own and likes to stretch his boundaries, especially if he sees an opportunity to flirt. “He’s the cool guy,” says Adisa, who, at 22, is one year younger than his younger brother, with whom he shared a bedroom growing up.
At each of Adisa’s games, his siblings wore jerseys, T-shirts or sweaters with his name and his No. 20 on the back. And of the hundred-and-something-thousand fans around them in Beaver Stadium, none were more exuberant and joyous than the three sitting in the front row behind the Nittany Lions’ bench.
Adisa found them in pregame warmups. Often, when he came to the sideline after a defensive series, he let them know he saw them. They pointed. He did a little dance. They went wild.
“They scream, make noises and gestures,” he says. “It makes me feel good to acknowledge them and then go play my heart out.”
They had little to be excited about in 2021, however. That summer, Adisa was doing lateral drills when his ankle gave out. Adisa required surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles tendon and missed the season. It was a challenging time in his life, but few could tell.
“He was just like, ‘Well, it happened for a reason and I’m going to get over it,’” Penn State defensive line coach Deion Barnes said. “Things really don’t faze him that much. I don’t think I have ever seen him down.”
It took time for Adisa to come back completely, but by the 2023 season, he was ready to elevate to a new level. He led the Nittany Lions with 7 1/2 sacks and 16 tackles for a loss. He was voted first-team All-Big Ten. Sports Information Solutions named him first-team All-American.
Teammates voted him a captain last season. He acted as a go-between when coaches and players weren’t connecting. To one teammate, Adisa stressed the importance of staying with proper technique even though that player was having success doing things his own way. When another player was frustrated by a slump, Adisa spoke with him every day to try to keep him engaged and optimistic.
He also spent about 20 hours a week interning at State High School, earning $10 an hour working with kids with disabilities.
Adisa often worked one-on-one with students. One boy, Sahd, struggled with anxiety. Adisa, with the voice of an overnight jazz deejay, taught him how to walk in the hallway with his head up, how to be assertive about what he wanted and how to interpret what was happening around him.
“He ended up growing and learning and having a more joyous personality that he didn’t show to begin with,” Adisa says.
Adisa sometimes worked a sleep shift, staying the night to teach students how to be self-sufficient and prepare for independence.
Barnes says Adisa still put in extra football training while working for the high school. “It was like the internship didn’t even exist in my eyes,” Barnes says.
“I got a little tired at times, but being able to help them grow was big for me,” Adisa says. “I feel like I’ve juggled a lot, much more than that. So it came easy to me.”
At 6-foot-4, Adisa stands more than a head taller than his siblings. His mom can’t explain his height. Or his heart.
“Sometimes he wonders why I’m staring at him because he has me in such awe,” Lisa says. “He’s such a beautiful person.”
Adisa has learned the value of selflessness and how a positive attitude can impact those around him. He figured out why accountability matters and developed patience. All of this is reflected in the football player he has become. He is like no other prospect.
“You would want a thousand Adisas,” Barnes says.
His most outstanding trait may be his ability to bend. A protractor would say he sometimes rushes the passer at a 160-degree angle. Barnes says he turns the corner with the flexibility of Chandler Jones, who had 112 career sacks for the Patriots, Cardinals and Raiders.
“When I watched him in drills at his pro day, he got so low I thought he was going to fall down, but he keeps his feet,” says a veteran NFL talent evaluator.
His pliability isn’t confined to football. “He’s very adaptable,” Lisa says. “He will see a situation and adapt to it, fit in as needed, try to give a solution.”
Isaac with his mother, Lisa Wiltshire-Isaac. (Courtesy of Wiltshire-Isaac)
He wants to keep helping people with disabilities. Potential charity initiatives swirl in his mind. He graduated last December with a major in rehab and human services and thinks about devoting his post-football life to children with disabilities, potentially counseling or teaching.
After Adisa worked out for NFL scouts at Penn State’s pro day, he, Allen, and Allen’s two sons sat outside the Penn State Berkey Creamery eating ice cream. Allen asked him if he realized he would soon be rich.
Adisa said yes. His family now lives in a rough area in East Flatbush. His goal is to provide a better home for them, and he wants them near him.
“I feel like God knew what he was doing putting me in this situation,” Adisa says. “It’s clear cut that I’m here for a reason.”
(Illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; photo: Todd Rosenberg / Associated Press)
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The wait is officially over. The FIFA World Cup has arrived.
For the first time ever, three nations—the United States, Mexico, and Canada are co-hosting the tournament. It is also the largest FIFA World Cup in history, expanding to a 48-team field. Squads from around the world have arrived in North America with one ultimate goal: capturing the iconic World Cup trophy.
Here’s the latest look at some of the most notable news surrounding the World Cup.
June 12:
Official Injury Update On Neymar
Brazilian star Neymar Jr. will officially miss Brazil’s opening match against Morocco on Saturday. Neymar was named to Brazil’s 2026 FIFA World Cup squad despite a calf injury, and now won’t be available early on. Manager Carlo Ancelotti said that “Neymar is working very hard to recover as quickly as possible.
“The expectation is that he will recover and rejoin the group next week.”
Google Doodle Has World Cup Fever
In case fans didn’t already have World Cup fever, they can open their web browser.
Google is officially ready for USA’s opener against Paraguay, as the home page features a custom, USA-themed Google Doodle.
The Doodle features red text with a blue outline, as well as a soccer ball along with an interchanging USA crest replacing the “O’s” in Google.
James Cordon Stretches With Christian Pulisic
James Corden joined Christian Pulisic and the United States men’s national team for a training session ahead of their World Cup opener against Paraguay.
After meeting with head coach Mauricio Pochettino and going through a film session with the players, Corden and Co. hit the pitch for practice, where he helped serve as a water boy.
Corden tried to help Pulisic stretch out his legs after practice before he was stopped by a member of the coaching staff. As Corden walked off, Pulisic sprayed him with a water bottle.
DR Congo Arrives to the World Cup in Style
The DR Congo men’s national team isn’t set to play until Wednesday, June 17, against Portugal in Group K, but they’ve already made a statement upon arrival in Houston, Texas.
The squad arrived in style, stepping off the plane in striking black, jaguar-inspired outfits that quickly turned heads. The bold look fits their nickname, Les Léopards, and sets the tone for their World Cup presence before they even face Portugal.
DR Congo may be heavy underdogs, but they’re already winning where it counts off the pitch, taking the fashion battle before kickoff.
Canada’s Jesse Marsch Takes Dig At USA
The Canadian men’s national team is set to face Bosnia and Herzegovina on Friday afternoon. Ahead of the match, head coach Jesse Marsch took a subtle jab at the United States men’s national team during his remarks on Thursday.
“In the U.S., we had to beg players to sing the national anthem,” Marsch said.
The United States conducted a months-long search for a new head coach in 2023, with Marsch emerging as the frontrunner and making it clear he wanted the job. Instead, they chose to rehire Gregg Berhalter, a decision that may have left Marsch with some lingering resentment.
Marsch’s subtle jab could take on added stakes if the United States and Canada meet during the FIFA World Cup. The two nations could potentially face off as early as the Round of 32 or the Round of 16.
June 11:
The pressure of competing in the 2026 FIFA World Cup is high, but that hasn’t stopped players from enjoying some downtime with their teammates. Norway star Erling Haaland was spotted at the Stanley Cup Final between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Carolina Hurricanes.
Haaland appeared to be enjoying himself as the Hurricanes secured a Game 5 victory, taking a 3-2 series lead over the Golden Knights. The Manchester City striker drew plenty of attention from fans in attendance as he took in the action from the stands.
The Norway star was seen celebrating in the stands before turning his attention back to international duty, with Norway set to face Iraq in Group 1 play on Tuesday, June 16.
Australia Coach Popovic Signs Extension
Australia coach Tony Popovic has signed a contract extension through early 2027 on the eve of his team’s World Cup opening match against Turkey on Saturday.
Football Australia said Friday that the 52-year-old Popovic’s deal now extends through the Asian Cup, which will take place in January and early February in Saudi Arabia.
The former Australia international was hired in September 2024 and led the Socceroos to qualification for the 48-team tournament.
“I’m proud to lead my country into a World Cup, but most importantly, I want to ensure that our team is fully prepared and focused on our group matches against Turkey, the United States, and Paraguay,” he said of Australia’s opponents in Group D.
Canada Captain Sidelined For Opening Match
Canada’s captain and star defender Alphonso Davies will miss Canada’s World Cup opener against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Davies’ status has been questionable due to an ACL tear and other injuries during the club season, which limited Davies to appearing in two of Canada’s last 21 games.
Davies is one of the co-host’s more valuable players in terms of talent and experience, including 58 appearances in nine years with the national team. However, Davies’ injury does not rule him out of the entire tournament. His injury update and restraint from the opening match serves as a caution to heal his injury as the group stage unfolds.
After playing for the Vancouver Whitecaps in the MLS, Davies transferred to Bayern Munich, where he’s played since 2019. Canada is set to play Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 12, followed by Qatar on June 18 and Switzerland on June 24.
Captain Wataru Endo Withdraws From World Cup
Just ahead of Japan’s opening match against the Netherlands on June 14, captain and midfielder Wataru Endo has withdrawn his name from Japan’s World Cup squad and paired it with his national team retirement, per his statement on X. Endo has been dealing with an ongoing ankle/foot injury since February.
Endo has played for the Japan national team for over a decade, where he made 73 appearances and scored four goals. As a veteran anchor in the midfield, Endo has also served as Japan’s captain since their previous World Cup in 2022, where they reached the Round of 16.
As for Endo’s professional career, he first played for Shanon Bellmare from 2010-15, followed by the Urawa Red Diamonds from 2016-19, VfB Stuttgart from 2019-23 and has played for Liverpool FC since 2023. With Liverpool, Endo played a prominent role in the team’s Carabao Cup victory in 2024.
With Endo out, Japan has officially called Borussia Mönchengladbach midfielder Shuto Machino to join the 26-man roster. Machino is entering his second World Cup and his fifth year with the Japan national team.
Marco Senesi Called Up To 26-Man Roster
Following the injury of defender Leonardo Balerdi, Argentina has officially called up defender Marcos Senesi to the 26-man roster. Argentina is set to open their World Cup campaign on June 16 against Algeria.
Senesi has been training prior in case of a last-minute call-up, and was named to the roster after Balerdi’s muscle injury was ruled out. Senesi has played professionally since 2016, playing for clubs like San Lorenzo, Feyenoord, AFC Bournemouth and is currently with Tottenham Hotspur.
Joining Senesi in the back are defenders Lisandro Martínez, Nicolás Otamendi and Cristian Romero.
In what’s likely to be Lionel Messi’s last World Cup, Argentina will look to repeat their historic 2022 World Cup win this tournament.
Tyler Adams, USA Celebrate Shocking Knicks’ W
Tyler Adams, United States’ midfielder, is a fan of the National Basketball Association’s New York Knicks. The Knicks are in the NBA Finals, on the eve of the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, so members of the United States’ squad gathered together to watch what turned out to be the largest NBA Finals comeback in history, with the Knicks coming out on top.
When New York won, the room erupted, with Adams especially going wild. And we know this because the reaction was caught on camera in the moment.
That couch is destroyed, but at least no one watching the game ended up as damaged as it did after Adams went climbing and kicking all over it! If the United States ends up having a major comeback or win in the World Cup, maybe keep the players away from any obstacles like that, though. Just to be safe.
Morocco Loses 2 Players To Injury Before World Cup
Morocco replaced two injured players in its World Cup squad ahead of an opening game against Brazil, including star winger Abde Ezzalzouli.
FIFA confirmed late Wednesday that former Barcelona player Ezzalzouli and Marseille defender Nayef Aguerd were withdrawn from the Morocco squad for the tournament.
Ezzalzouli helped Real Betis qualify for next season’s Champions League and was a potential breakout star at the World Cup. Aguerd was a cornerstone of Morocco’s historic semifinals team at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
They were replaced by Amine Sbai of French club Angers and Marwane Saadane, who plays in Saudi Arabia for Al Fateh.
Morocco opens against Brazil on Saturday at MetLife Stadium near New York, then plays Scotland on June 19 near Boston and finishes Group C against Haiti on June 24 in Atlanta.
Ezzalzouli injured his right knee in a warmup game against Norway last weekend, though initial tests suggested he could be retained in coach Mohamed Ouahbi’s squad to play in the knockout rounds.
Surprise World Cup Comeback For Austrian Midfielder
The last time Dejan Ljubicic played for Austria was nearly three years ago. Now a teammate’s injury has given him a surprise comeback at the World Cup.
Austria coach Ralf Rangnick called up Ljubicic late Wednesday to replace key midfielder Christoph Baumgartner, who injured his right thigh while warming up for a pre-World Cup friendly against Tunisia last week and needed surgery.
Ljubicic is set to join Austria at the team camp in Santa Barbara on Thursday, ahead of the team’s first game on Tuesday against Jordan. Austria also plays Argentina and Algeria in Group J.
He’s more of a defensive midfield option than Baumgartner, who scored 17 goals in all competitions for Leipzig in Germany last season and has remained in camp to support the team.
Ljubicic also plays in Germany on the Schalke team which secured promotion from the second division last month.
Ljubicic has nine games for Austria but none at a major tournament. His last appearance was in a friendly against Moldova in September 2023, and he wasn’t in the squad for any World Cup qualifiers.
CHICAGO — Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani was out of the lineup Friday against the White Sox after exiting the game before with discomfort in the back of his left knee.
Manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani had imaging done on the knee and showed “the normal wear and tear.”
“He feels fine-ish,” said Roberts, who hopes Ohtani will be back in the lineup this weekend. Ohtani remains in line to make his next pitching start on Wednesday against the Tampa Bay Rays at Dodger Stadium.
Especially at this point in the season, the Dodgers have incentive to play it safe with Ohtani’s recovery. Pushing him to return early and exacerbating the injury would be a larger blow to a team seeking its third straight World Series championship.
With Ohtani out, left fielder Alex Call was in the leadoff spot, and Santiago Espinal served as the designated hitter.
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With the largest World Cup field in the history of the tournament, 32 of the 48 teams will be fighting for a spot in the knockout stage.
66.6% of nations will advance out of the group stage this summer, which is a massive upgrade from 50% in past World Cups. Because of this, sportsbooks have adjusted with less favorable odds.
Prior to the start of the tournament, Spain, Argentina, Brazil, England, and Germany entered with the strongest odds to advance from the group stage, supported by recent major-tournament success and talent-rich rosters.
All five nations are heavily favored at -10000 to advance to the knockout round.
The Spaniards are the defending European Champions while the Argentinians are looking to win back-to-back titles. Germany has not made it out of the group stage in the last two World Cups, but has always been a perennial contender— having won four titles in its history. And then of course there’s Brazil, which has more titles than any country with five.
Now, after the conclusion of the first day of the World Cup, Mexico has joined the group at the top. El Tri has surged to -10000 to advance to the knockout stage after initially being just -1400. Mexico’s huge leap up the oddsboard is a direct result of its dominating 2-0 win over South Africa.
With that in mind, let’s dive into the odds for each team to advance to the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup as of June 12.
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Odds to Advance to Knockout Stage
Spain: -10000 (bet $10 to win $10.10 total)
Argentina: -10000 (bet $10 to win $10.10 total)
Brazil: -10000 (bet $10 to win $10.10 total)
England: -10000 (bet $10 to win $10.10 total)
Mexico: -10000 (bet $10 to win $10.10 total)
Germany: -10000 (bet $10 to win $10.10 total)
Portugal: -5000 (bet $10 to win $10.20 total)
France: -5000 (bet $10 to win $10.20 total)
Belgium:-3500 (bet $10 to win $10.29 total)
South Korea: -2500 (bet $10 to win $10.40 total)
Switzerland: -1800 (bet $10 to win $10.56 total)
Netherlands: -1400 (bet $10 to win $10.71 total)
Morocco: -1000 (bet $10 to win $11 total)
Colombia: -1000 (bet $10 to win $11 total)
Uruguay: -1000 (bet $10 to win $11 total)
Canada: -1000 (bet $10 to win $11 total)
Ecuador: -900 (bet $10 to win $11.11 total)
Norway: -900 (bet $10 to win $11.11 total)
United States: -750 (bet $10 to win $11.33 total)
The U.S. men’s national team is currently -750 to advance from Group D (Photo by Omar Vega/USSF/Getty Images).
Croatia: -500 (bet $10 to win $12 total)
Austria: -500 (bet $10 to win $12 total)
Türkiye: -500 (bet $10 to win $12 total)
Ivory Coast: -500 (bet $10 to win $12 total)
Japan: -500 (bet $10 to win $12 total)
Egypt: -340 (bet $10 to win $12.94 total)
Algeria: -310 (bet $10 to win $13.23 total)
Scotland: -310 (bet $10 to win $13.23 total)
Senegal: -230 (bet $10 to win $14.35 total)
Sweden: -230 (bet $10 to win $1435 total)
Bosnia and Herzegovina: -220 (bet $10 to win $14.55 total)
Paraguay: -205 (bet $10 to win $14.88 total)
Iran: -200 (bet $10 to win $15 total)
Czechia: -165 (bet $10 to win $16.06 total)
Ghana: -140 (bet $10 to win $17.14 total)
Australia: -110 (bet $10 to win $19.09 total)
DR Congo: +100 (bet $10 to win $20 total)
Raúl Jiménez helped propel Mexico to a 2-0 win over South Africa in the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup (Photo by Yair Gonzalez/Jam Media/Getty Images).
Saudi Arabia: +105 (bet $10 to win $20.50 total)
Tunisia: +140 (bet $10 to win $24 total)
New Zealand: +150 (bet $10 to win $25 total)
Uzbekistan: +180 (bet $10 to win $28 total)
Cape Verde: +200 (bet $10 to win $30 total)
Panama: +200 (bet $10 to win $30 total)
Qatar: +275 (bet $10 to win $37.50 total)
South Africa: +320 (bet $10 to win $42 total)
Jordan +350 (bet $10 to win $45 total)
Iraq: +450 (bet $10 to win $55 total)
Haiti: +800 (bet $10 to win $90 total)
Curaçao: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
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