As the Ohio River reached near-record-setting flood levels recently, a recurrent rumor surfaced about the alleged danger of bull sharks in its waters. The theory? That bull sharks swim up the Mississippi River from the Gulf of Mexico and occasionally troll the waters.

If the idea of sharks in the river fuels your “Jaws”-inspired fear, you can exhale now.

“The likelihood of encountering a bull shark in the Ohio River, particularly in Kentucky, is zero,” Chris Plante, animal care director at the Newport Aquarium, said in a statement to The Enquirer.

That makes sense considering exactly how far a shark would have to swim to make its way into Kentucky. The Ohio River connects with the Mississippi River about 350-driving-miles south west in Cairo, Illinois – and the river twists and winds its way there through dams built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Calling bull on bull shark lore

When the Ohio River finally meets with the Mississippi, it’s then still about 1,000 miles from the Gulf of Mexico.

In fact, there have only been two semi-confirmed reports of a bull shark making its way into the Midwest on its own.

The first alleges that a fisherman caught a bull shark in Alton, Illinois in 1937. But a reporter at the The Telegraph in Alton debunked that theory by spilling some family lore in 2021. He wrote that, according to family legend, the notorious prankster who said he caught the shark actually bought it at a St. Louis fish market.

In 1995, a bull shark was allegedly caught in a grate south of Festus, Missouri. It’s a bit more difficult to track down where that claim originated from.

What about bull shark pets?

Now, aside from swimming up the river, is it possible people release sharks into the Ohio River?

That sounds strange but strange things happen.

In Michigan, for instance, where pet alligators are legal unless municipalities create their own restrictions, escaped alligators are found in rivers, yards, and even a hotel room just last month, the Detroit Free Press reported.

In Ohio, permits are required for alligator ownership and two were spotted in a river back in 2023. An Ohio Division of Wildlife officer killed one of them, The Columbus Dispatch reported.

According to the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife, there aren’t any regulations against bull shark ownership in Kentucky and the species isn’t federally protected.

But considering that bull shark pups can be around 3 feet long and adults top out around 13 feet, it seems unlikely the average person could have a bull shark in captivity for long and much less so transport a live one to the Ohio River for dumping.

Have you ever seen a shark in the Ohio River? Can you prove it? Send an email to Northern Kentucky Reporter Jolene Almendarez with more information. She can be reached at jolenea@gannett.com.

When former Kansas State quarterback Will Howard transferred to Ohio State, the goal was to compete for a title.

They did exactly that. And nearly three months later, Howard is still enjoying the success stemming from the Buckeyes’ dominant postseason run after entering NFL Draft conversations.

Howard says the title aspirations started the moment he touched down in Colombus, OH, with coach Ryan Day.

“When coach (Ryan) Day came and met with me, he said, ‘I believe that you can be the guy that can lead us to the national title,’” Howard said on Gruden’s QB Class Monday. “And I said, ‘I’m not gonna let you down.’ I love being the underdog, and when people don’t expect me to go out and do things, I do it. I think that’s the story of me being in the Draft this year. I wouldn’t rather be in any other place that I’m at.”

Howard threw for 1,150 yards, eight touchdowns, and two interceptions last postseason, earning the National Championship Offensive MVP after a 231-yard passing performance.

Howard’s championship run elevated him from a second thought to a potential third or fourth-round selection, with teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints as possible suitors to add depth.

KANSAS STATE LANDS BIG TIME SCORER IN TRANSFER PORTAL

The Kansas State Wildcats are reeling after losing sharpshooter Brendan Hausen to the transfer portal.

But don’t worry, Wildcats fans, help is on the way. Former Monmouth star Abdi Bashir Jr. announced his commitment to Kansas State Monday, giving Kansas State the guard support they need.

This came just days after Bashir announced his departure from the Hawks.

Bashir ranked right outside the top 15 in scoring across the country last season, averaging 20.1 points. The Wildcats need offensive help after losing three of its top four scorers from last year.

Jayden Armant is a graduate of the Howard University School of Communications and a contributor to Kansas State Wildcats on SI. He can be reached at jaydenshome14@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @jaydenarmant.

The Steelers’ quarterback search will include getting an up-close look at Kyle McCord ahead of the 2025 NFL draft.

McCord, who started at Ohio State in 2023 and at Syracuse in 2024, will go to Pittsburgh next week, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.

At the moment, the Steelers’ only quarterbacks are Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson, and Pittsburgh obviously needs more than that. Plan A is signing Aaron Rodgers, but that wouldn’t preclude them from also drafting a quarterback. If they pick one in the first round it could be Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, who is visiting the Steelers today.

McCord could be an intriguing choice later in the draft. He led the Buckeyes to an 11-0 start in 2023, but after a loss to Michigan led to calls to replace him, he transferred down to Syracuse. Despite playing with much less talent around him in 2024, McCord had a strong season for Syracuse, throwing for 4,779 yards with 34 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, and went 10-3 as a starter. He’s not an elite NFL prospect, but he could be an interesting developmental choice for the Steelers, perhaps learning from Rodgers as a rookie.