DALLAS — Craig Watkins, who was district attorney for Dallas County from 2007 to 2015, died on Monday, his colleagues confirmed. He was 56.
Watkins was the first elected Black district attorney in Texas.
“I am saddened to learn of the passing of my former colleague Craig Watkins. Craig was bright and ambitious and for his life to end so prematurely is a tragedy, however, he leaves behind a powerful legacy,” Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot wrote in a statement.
According to his biography, Watkins graduated from Prairie View A&M University in 1990 with a degree in political science. He received his Juris Doctor from Texas Wesleyan University School of Law in 1994.
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“He made history as the first elected African American district attorney for Texas. His fierce focus on the prosecution of child abuse cases and his creation of the first Conviction Integrity Unit in the nation are testaments to his vision and ability to effect change,” Creuzot wrote.
Watkins worked in the Dallas city attorney office and the Dallas County Public Defender’s office before going into private practice. He ran for district attorney in 2002 but lost. In 2006, he won.
Watkins’ office said he had a 99.4% conviction rate.
“Craig was perfectly human, and those who knew him are better for it,” Creuzot wrote. “I am proud to have known him, to have worked with him, and to have been elected to the same office he held. He will be missed.”
Dallas Cowboys rookie Marist Liufau has been turning heads since arriving in Frisco for the team’s first rookie minicamp.
Liufau, who was a third-round pick out of Notre Dame, has been earning the respect of Cowboys veteran linebackers and the coaching staff. There is a belief that Liufau could make an immediate impact in Big D. .
And, if his family ties are any. indication, Cowboys fans could be in for a huge treat.
Marist Liufau tabbed ‘draft-day steal’ following praise from Mike Zimmer
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Liufau is cousins with Los Angeles Rams star wide receiver Puka Nucua, who earned a Pro Bowl nod during his rookie campaign.
Nacua also set the NFL rookie single-season records for receptions and receiving yards with 105 and 1,648, respectively. His record-setting performances carried over to the postseason when he broke the rookie record for most receiving yards in a playoff game with 181 yards and a touchdown.
Oct 8, 2023; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (17) celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the first half against the Philadelphia Eagles at SoFi Stadium. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
“It’s one of the highest bars you could probably set as a rookie, so thanks to Puka for that,” Liufau said, via the Dallas Morning News. “That’s definitely a high bar that Puka has set.”
Cowboys fans can only hope for a fraction of the success to continue running in the family. .
Liufau has additional ties to a former NFL linebacker.
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He attended Punahou High School in Honolulu, the same high school as fellow Notre Dame star Manti Te’o. The school also produced late Cowboys lineman and three-time Super Bowl champion Mark Tuinei.
Liufau has Te’o to rely on as he makes the jump from college to the pros.
“He’s been a huge mentor for me,” Liufau said. “His thing is this, ‘Let me know if you need anything bro.’”
The Cowboys will report to Oxnard, California, for training camp on July 24. We will have to see how the linebacker competition turns out.
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Liafau joins Kendricks, Clark, and DeMarvion Overshown in a linebacking corps that looks drastically different than what we saw last year, and that could be a good thing.
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SEATTLE, WASHINGTON — FC Dallas experienced a narrow 3-2 defeat against the Seattle Sounders FC, despite Petar Musa’s impressive fourth goal in the last two matches, which was assisted by Patrickson Delgado. With this goal, Musa has taken the lead in scoring for FC Dallas, now with nine goals to his name.
In the 66th minute, Patrickson Delgado netted FC Dallas’ first goal of the night.
Following the match, FC Dallas’ interim head coach, Peter Luccin, addressed the team, expressing his disappointment with the outcome. Luccin emphasized the team’s need to be more strategic and careful with ball possession, urging them to maintain their proactive play throughout the entire game, rather than resorting to defensive tactics. Despite the loss, he highlighted many positive aspects of their performance and emphasized the importance of analyzing the game over the next two days.
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Looking ahead, FC Dallas is gearing up to host FC Cincinnati on Video Game Night presented by Coca-Cola at Toyota Stadium on Saturday, June 29 at 7:30 PM CT.
The Seattle Sounders start what could prove to be a pivotal three-game home stand tonight against FC Dallas. All three of the matches are very winnable, against teams currently outside of playoff position.
If the Sounders can collect all nine points, they’ll likely find themselves back in contention for a top 4 playoff position. If they drop points, however, they could very well struggle just to get into the playoffs.
Dallas comes into this match playing as well as they have all year, which is an admittedly low bar. Since Nico Estévez was fired as head coach following a draw with Minnesota United, Dallas have won consecutive games for the first time since May of last year.
The main caveat to those results were that they were both at home. Dallas has yet to win a road game this year, where they are a league-worst 0-6-3.
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FC Dallas last won a road game against the Sounders on May 25, 2011. That’s a span of 20 matches across all competitions. That includes seven playoff games and a U.S. Open Cup match.
Peter Musa snapped a five-game goal-less drought by scoring a hat trick in his last game. He has eight goals so far this year.
Absences: Injury, international duty and suspension
Seattle
QUESTIONABLE: Pedro de la Vega (hamstring)
OUT: Jonathan Bell (International duty); Alex Roldan (concussion protocol)
FC Dallas
OUT: Geovane Jesus (knee); Paxton Pomykal (knee); Alan Velasco (knee)
Sounders: DLWDW (2-1-2) FC Dallas: WWDLL (2-2-1)
Kit matchup
Officials
REF: Malik Badawi; AR1: Micheal Barwegen; AR2: Eduardo Jeff; 4TH: Elton Garcia; VAR: Jose Carlos Rivero; AVAR: Peter Balciunasee.
How to Watch
Match date/kickoff time: Saturday, 7:39 PM PT
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Venue: Lumen Field, Seattle
Global Streaming English: MLS Season Pass (Mark Rogondino, Heath Pearce)
Global Streaming Spanish: MLS Season Pass (Alejandro Luna, Diego Arrioja)
Local Radio: 93.3 KJR-FM/950 KJR-AM Seattle, iHeartMedia (Danny Jackson & Steve Zakuani)
Local Spanish Radio: El Rey 1360 AM (Rodriguez, Maqueda, Tapia)
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Is this game available to stream for free? No
Will Sounders radio be available as an alternate feed? Yes
Lineups
Highlights will be posted as the match progresses.
This is Seattle Sounders vs. FC Dallas; watch with us
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