Sometimes, even a wrong number can make the right connection.

That was the case for Lauren Stevens, whose newly assigned work phone came with an unexpected problem: it kept receiving calls and texts for someone named “Verndawg.” At first, the messages were confusing. Over time, they became life-changing, for both Stevens and the man behind the nickname, renowned San Francisco photographer Wernher Krutein.

Shortly after getting the phone, Stevens began receiving repeated messages clearly meant for someone else. Curious, she and a group of friends did some online sleuthing to track down the intended recipient.

It didn’t take long.

“One of my friends texted me and said, ‘This guy, Wernher Krutein, he’s iconic,’” Stevens said.

Krutein, 72, has spent more than six decades traveling the world with a camera, documenting everything from people and architecture to insects and everyday objects. While his work spans continents, some of his most famous photographs were taken closer to home in San Francisco.

One image immediately stood out to Stevens: Krutein’s striking photograph from the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, showing a car dangling from the collapsed Bay Bridge.

“I grew up seeing that photo in textbooks and documentaries,” she said. “And this was the photo.”

A longtime film photography enthusiast herself, Stevens found Krutein’s old website, Photovault.com, an archive of nearly half a million images, and decided to email him. What began as a practical exchange about forwarding messages soon became something deeper.

“You could tell he didn’t really care about the messages,” Stevens said. “What mattered to him was that someone cared about his work.”

Emails turned into phone calls, then in-person visits to Krutein’s home in Sonoma County. As their friendship grew, Stevens began to understand the challenges the celebrated photographer was quietly facing.

Starting his website in the late 1990s, Krutein was once ahead of the technological curve, but in an increasingly digital world, he found himself struggling financially.

“I’ve been barely making a living for years,” Krutein said. “I’ve pared down everything. I don’t even have heat in the house.”

He told Stevens his savings could last anywhere from six months to two years. After that, he wasn’t sure what would happen.

Wanting to help, Stevens launched a GoFundMe campaign to assist with Krutein’s living expenses. It has since raised more than $15,000. But financial relief was only part of her goal.

Krutein was deeply worried about the future of his archive, his life’s work, and, as he describes it, his purpose.

“I love connecting with everything I photograph,” he said. “Bugs, cars, people, furniture, all of it fascinates me.”

Using her understanding of social media, Stevens created TikTok and Instagram accounts called @Verndawgtales, documenting their friendship and sharing Krutein’s photographs and stories. Thousands of followers now track their journey as Stevens works to preserve Krutein’s legacy and bring renewed attention to his work.

“The world needs to see his work,” Stevens said. “It is crazy, diabolically amazing, and I feel so lucky to be the vessel to share his story.”

For Krutein, the impact has gone beyond recognition or financial support.

“She’s brought me out of the darkness,” he said. “That’s a gift beyond words.”

FOXBOROUGH — The Denver Summit began their inaugural season at a sprint, leaving Boston Legacy FC a few steps behind. On Sunday, Boston caught up. 

Aïssata Traoré scored just before the start of second-half stoppage time and Bianca St-Georges scored four minutes into it, providing the Legacy their first victory in their inaugural season, 3-2, over Denver in front of an announced 12,524 fans at Gillette Stadium.

The Summit took an early lead before Nichelle Prince tied the game at one just before halftime. Natasha Flint stole the lead back for Denver in the 77th minute, but Traoré — who came on as a substitute in the 71st — found the equalizer in the final minute of regulation and St-Georges scored the winner. 

Announced as the NWSL’s 15th club in 2023, the Legacy had a runway nearly two years longer than the Summit, who were officially announced as the 16th in January 2025 and kicked off this year.

The two expansion teams entered Sunday in vastly different positions. The Summit (1-3-3, 6 points) were 12th, four spots ahead of Boston (1-5-1, 4 points) at the bottom of the table. 

Both teams made headlines with their home openers. The Legacy’s inaugural game on March 14 drew 30,207 fans to Gillette Stadium, a record for an inaugural home NWSL match until Denver more than doubled that number with 63,004 at Empower Field at Mile High two weeks later.

The Legacy were coming off their most promising performance yet, a 2-2 draw with North Carolina on Wednesday in which they scored two first-half goals before letting their lead slip late. 

Boston controlled the pace Saturday for much of the first half, recording five shots on goal to Denver’s one, and were inches away from three early goals — one shot rang off the post, one off the crossbar, and one was blocked by a defender on the goal line. 

Despite Boston’s offensive pressure, Denver struck first in the 18th minute. Yazmeen Ryan took on St-Georges one-on-one just outside the 18-yard box and ripped a shot on net. Legacy goalkeeper Casey Murphy got her fingertips on the ball, but punched it just inside the post as the Summit took a 1-0 lead. 

Prince evened the score just before halftime, heading home a bouncing ball off of Alba Caño’s corner kick in the 44th minute. The goal was Prince’s first with the Legacy, though she assisted on both of Boston’s tallies on Wednesday — the first player in NWSL history to record two assists in the first 15 minutes of a match. 

Denver’s second-half chances were few and far between, but Flint capitalized on a rare opportunity inside the box to beat Murphy and take a 2-1 lead in the 77th minute.

Traoré’s second goal of the season tied the game at 2. The Malian forward collected a pass in the box and fired a volley around Denver’s Eva Gaetino in the final minute of regulation.

LAWRENCE — Emmanuel Henderson Jr. went into the 2026 NFL Draft in April thinking that third day, when the fourth-through-seventh rounds played out, would be when he’d be taken.

Henderson, a wide receiver in college for Kansas football this past season, wasn’t sure which team would pick him. He’d talked with the Seattle Seahawks organization during the pre-draft process sure, but there was nothing guaranteed. Overall, he was just ready for his first professional opportunity.

Seattle, though, did end up being the team that drafted him in the sixth round. That the Seahawks are coming off of a Super Bowl title certainly stands out to him, as does the fact he’ll be able to reunite with some former teammates from Alabama — where he was, prior to transferring to KU for the 2025 season. And he’s both happy to have ended up in Seattle, and eager to show what he’d told NFL teams about his ability during the pre-draft process.

WATCH | Emmanuel Henderson Jr.’s NFL draft day phone call with Seattle

“You could see from my film, I can take the top off any defense you put me against,” Henderson said recently. “Not only that, that I’m a receiver that loves to play special teams. So, that’s one of the great abilities I got to showcase, too.”

Henderson became an All-Big 12 Conference first team honoree as a returner this past season, in addition to making the third team as a wide receiver. He added an honorable mention recognition for offensive newcomer of the year. He came to Kansas because it gave him a chance to showcase his talents, because there was playing time up for grabs, and he took advantage of his opportunity.

Henderson, who highlighted his kickoff return for a touchdown against West Virginia as one fond memory, sees his special teams experience as something that can give him an advantage as he tries to make Seattle’s roster. That he’s played at different spots there, he feels, makes him a more versatile athlete. As the offseason unfolds, he just wants to show his new coaches his personality as he puts in more work, and develop chemistry with his new teammates.

KU coach Lance Leipold shared a post on social media following Henderson’s selection by Seattle, expressing his support. Henderson’s also heard from so many friends and family members in the days since. Now, it’s just about making sure that versatility translates to the next level.

“I’m looking forward to just moving around, inside, outside receiver, even part of the backfield if I get the chance to,” Henderson said. “But anywhere they’ll put me I’d love to go.”

Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He was the 2022 National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.