Sports
Chargers draft pick Joe Alt following in his father's NFL footsteps
They were both first-round picks, this father and son, but the boy now will forever hold an advantage over the old man.
Joe Alt was taken fifth overall by the Chargers on Thursday, four decades after John went 21st overall to the Kansas City Chiefs.
“We’re a little competitive in our family,” John said, smiling. “So that will be one of the ‘gotchas,’ I’m sure.”
The Chargers introduced their latest first-rounder Friday afternoon at their training facility in Costa Mesa, Joe Alt explaining that he felt gratitude and “straight excitement” for the opportunity before him.
Listed by the NFL at 6-foot-9, 321 pounds, he’s expected to add a significant presence for the Chargers at right tackle on offense.
The addition of Alt marked another step in coach Jim Harbaugh’s expressed desire to transform the Chargers into a more powerful, line-of-scrimmage force.
Alt, 21, sounded ready for the assignment when he was asked what he liked best about playing offensive line.
“Being able to hit someone every single play,” he answered. “You don’t have a play off. You’re going to be throwing your head in there whether it’s a pass or a run.”
As a Charger, Alt said he would wear No. 76, the same number he had at Notre Dame and the one his father wore for 13 years as an offensive tackle for the Chiefs beginning in 1984.
Chargers draft pick Joe Alt arrives to be introduced at a news conference in Costa Mesa on Friday.
(Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press)
John Alt, listed at 6-8, 298 pounds, was a two-time Pro Bowl player who started 149 NFL games after coming out of the University of Iowa.
Both Alts reached the pros in part because of the athleticism they possessed inside their large frames.
Explaining that he “might have been a little better athlete,” John said he ran a 4.96-second 40-yard dash in the pre-draft process compared to 5.05 for his son. He also said his vertical jump was eight inches superior.
“We’ve been competing a little bit,” John said, smiling again. “You know how is it. You remember things the way you want them sometimes.”
Alt was in the second grade when his father began coaching him, a tutelage that continued through Alt’s time at Totino-Grace High School, near Minneapolis.
Knowing his son had a similar body type, John said he always figured Alt was destined to play offensive line. But for much of the time he was growing up, Alt was a quarterback before moving to tight end for his junior year of high school.
Chargers draft pick Joe Alt, left, poses with his parents, Carolyn, center, and John during a news conference in Costa Mesa on Friday.
(Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press)
“I just wanted to give him a chance to play some other positions and learn the game,” John said. “I think that’s a great experience for anybody.”
Said Alt of his dad: “He was there. He allowed me to really learn what football was and [gain] an appreciation for the game and what it did for me and my family.”
All along, the two worked on offensive line-type drills, John emphasizing footwork and agility, particularly after Alt experienced a five-inch growth spurt, reaching 6-7 midway through high school.
John said he realized that if his son could maintain his coordination “through that period of growth, he’d come out the other end with what he wanted.”
Still, Alt was not highly recruited, with Iowa and Minnesota being the only Big Ten schools to pursue him. But the idea of reaching the NFL remained a constant driving influence, Alt explained.
“Football’s all I can remember growing up,” he said. “Walking into the basement, my dad’s jersey was hung up at the bottom of the steps. It was a dream for me for my entire life.”
Alt’s brother, Mark, is a professional hockey player and spent a brief time with the Kings in 2020-21. Alt said he gave up hockey in the second grade because “I got a little heavy for it.”
Now, he finds himself as a weighty addition in the rebuilding of the Chargers, a team Harbaugh and his assistants have touted as an ideal destination for offensive linemen.
“Being wanted is one of the best feelings in the world,” Alt said. “Being [at] a position that the coaches and people feel matters just makes you want to do it that much more and do it for them because they care so much about it.”
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — A smile kept creeping onto Lando Norris’s face throughout post-race media sessions.
His maiden Formula One victory has been a long-time coming. He’s come close a couple of times, only to be foiled by small errors, like in Qatar 2023, and things out of his control, like the rain and strategy calls from Sochi 2021. He joined the F1 grid in 2019 with McLaren as a 19-year-old, and now in his sixth season and heading into the Miami Grand Prix weekend, the Briton had secured one pole position, stood on the podium 15 times, and driven over 6,000 laps.
As each driver stopped in the media pen for interviews, nearly every one touched on the same point: It’s about time.
Fernando Alonso predicted this would be “the first of many wins” for Lando Norris. (Kym Illman/Getty Images)
“Well done to Lando,” Fernando Alonso said. “First win after so many podiums. I’m really happy for him. Hopefully he (remembers) this day — the first of many wins.” The Aston Martin driver wasn’t the only one who indicated that this wouldn’t be the final victory for the 24-year-old. Max Verstappen said, “I’m very happy for Lando. It’s been a long time coming. And it’s not going to be his last. He deserves it today.”
The victory came at a crucial moment in the sport. Over the last 28 grands prix, Red Bull has topped all but two races, Singapore 2023 and Australia 2024, both won by Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz. Verstappen has gone largely unchallenged, building a fairly decent lead race after race. But in Miami this weekend, McLaren took advantage of the chance it got to beat Red Bull in a straight fight. As Norris pulled ahead from Verstappen after the safety cars, it became a matter of fresh tires and clean air beating a wickedly fast car.
“I’m very happy for Lando. It’s been a long time coming. And it’s not going to be his last. He deserves it today,” Max Verstappen (left) said of Lando Norris (right). (Giorgio Viera / AFP)
“He’s deserving of a race victory probably many, many years ago,” Mercedes’ George Russell said. “And I think for all the drivers in Formula One in this era of dominance from one team and one driver, it’s always great to see somebody get that chance to score a victory.”
Norris started last year’s Miami GP 16th and finished P17 for a struggling McLaren, which turned its season around in the second half of 2023. Now, it has its first win in three years. Oscar Piastri said he was “very happy for (Norris) and for the whole team, and I think we deserve it. Our trajectory in the last 12 months has been towards this moment.”
Lewis Hamilton reminisced about his first F1 victory, which also was with McLaren, back in 2007. The team still has “a big part of my heart,” he said, and was happy to see them win again. The Woking-based crew’s last F1 victory was with Daniel Ricciardo at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix.
Before doing post-race interviews, it’s traditional for drivers to chat with their team briefly, crew members patting them on the helmet or back. Norris, though, launched himself over the barrier in joy, McLaren crew members equally as happy to embrace their new race winner. The emotion was overflowing.
A memory that will last a lifetime! 🧡#MiamiGP 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/N1t0dc7orD
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) May 5, 2024
“I’m just really happy for Lando. As much as we all want to beat each other and to come out on top, it’s always emotional to see so many emotions in one of your competitors,” Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc said. “We have all grown up together. I remember looking at Lando when he was in KF3, and we all had this same dream of being a Formula One driver someday.”
Norris is no a stranger to hate, memes and nicknames like “Lando No Wins” popping up on social media as people discuss his record. But the Briton says the words from those closest to him hold more meaning, and thanked his competitors for their praise and support. In parc ferme and the media pen, different drivers embraced Norris, congratulating him on this moment he’ll likely remember forever.
“As much as when you put the helmet on, you hate them, and you want to beat them, and you don’t care who’s who, I’ve always had respect for the people I’ve raced against. So when anyone comes up [to me], especially people who have achieved a lot, because it always means a little bit more,” Norris said. “So when Lewis, Fernando, Max, Charles, Carlos, whenever they come up to you or people have good words for you, I appreciate those things a lot. Because from these people, it means something. Maybe from others, it doesn’t.
“From these people, they’re the people who know what it takes to achieve these types of things for the work, the time, the effort that goes into doing something like this.”
(Lead photo of Lando Norris and George Russell: Giorgio Viera / AFP)
Deion Sanders and the rest of the Colorado Buffaloes were in the midst of a social media scrap last week as the head coach faced criticism for handling his roster overhaul.
Sanders wrote on X about the critics and the hate people get and clapped back at a fan who told him to tell his son, Shedeur, to stop acting like he’s the “coldest out here” amid a 4-8 season. Sanders said that Shedeur will be a top-five draft and wondered where the fan’s son was going.
Apr 27, 2024; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders during a spring game event at Folsom Field. (Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)
Coach Prime then explained away his remarks.
“I gotta do better on that and not ride with it, but I was bored,” he said on “Thee Pregame Show.” “I was bored, and I didn’t say nothing hurtful. I don’t attack people.”
Sanders also weighed into the waters as Austin Peay defensive back Jaheim Ward got into a spat with Colorado’s Kaleb Mathis. One X user then posted Ward’s stats with the Governors and added, “Man go take a seat.” It sparked a remark from the head coach: “Lawd Jesus.”
Apr 27, 2024; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders talks to quarterback Ryan Staub (16) during a spring game event at Folsom Field. (Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)
COLORADO’S SHEDEUR SANDERS SAYS HE DOESN’T ‘EVEN REMEMBER’ FORMER TEAMMATE WHO CRITICIZED DEION SANDERS
USA Today noted that Sanders explained that remark as well.
“I try my best to refrain, but like when you posted like stats, I said, `Lawd Jesus,’ like dang, he really went at him, like he really shot him,” Sanders said on the podcast. “That’s really what I meant, and I think that was taken wrong. I think that was taken sideways or something else.”
Quarterback Shedeur Sanders #2 of the Colorado Buffaloes watches from the sidelines during the second half of the NCAAF game against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Mountain America Stadium on October 07, 2023 in Tempe, Arizona. The Buffaloes defeated the Sun Devils 27-24. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
The war of words definitely didn’t shine the program in the most positive of lights.
It may have also hurt Shedeur Sanders’ draft odds — at least for the time being.
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HIGH SCHOOL BOYS VOLLEYBALL
Updated Playoff Brackets
CITY SECTION
Monday’s Results
Division I
Semifinals
Venice d. Van Nuys, 25-19, 25-19, 25-17
Birmingham d. Marquez, 25-23, 25-16, 19-25, 25-19
Division II
Quarterfinals
Grant d. Reseda, 25-17, 25-16, 25-13
#5 Sylmar at #4 Rancho Dominguez
Fremont d. Verdugo Hills, 25-18, 25-17, 25-27, 25-19
VAAS d. Wilmington Banning, 25-21, 22-25, 25-27, 25-18, 15-13
Division III
Quarterfinals
LA Jordan d. Vaughn, 25-14, 25-18, 16-25, 25-18
LA Hamilton d. Canoga Park, 18-25, 25-19, 25-14, 25-17
Math & Science d. Central City Value, 25-17, 25-22, 22-25, 25-22
Mendez d. LACES, 25-23, 25-23, 25-22
Tuesday’s Schedule
(All matches at 7 p.m. unless noted)
Open Division
Semifinals
#5 Palisades at #1 Chatsworth
#3 El Camino Real at #2 Eagle Rock
Division IV
Semifinals
#16 Foshay at #4 SOCES
#2 Larchmont Charter at #11 Annenberg, 6 p.m.
Division V
Semifinals
#5 Sotomayor at #1 Magnolia Science Academy
#3 Middle College at #2 Triumph Charter
SOUTHERN SECTION
Monday’s Results
Division 7
Semifinals
Avalon d. Downey Calvary Chapel, 3-0
Friday’s Schedule
Finals
Division 6
Samueli Academy at Riverside Poly, 6 p.m.
Saturday’s Schedule
Finals
At Cerritos College
Division 1
Loyola vs. Mira Costa, 6:30 p.m.
Division 2
Redondo Union vs. Santa Margarita, 3 p.m.
Division 3
San Clemente vs. St. Margaret’s, 12:30 p.m.
Division 5
Sage Hill vs. San Marino, 10 a.m.
At College of the Canyons
Division 4
West Ranch vs. Valencia, 6 p.m.
At Ontario Christian
Division 7
Ontario Christian vs. Avalon, 6 p.m.
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