Former Alabama All-American Jonah Williams is on his way back for the Arizona Cardinals. But another Alabama alumnus is out with the New York Jets.

The Jets released safety Jaylen Key from their practice squad on Wednesday, the same day that Williams returned to practice for the Cardinals.

Williams sustained a knee injury in Arizona’s season-opening 34-28 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 8. He’s missed seven games on injured reserve.

With Williams’ return to practice, the Cardinals have 21 days to restore him to their 53-man active roster or leave him on injured reserve for the remainder of the season. Arizona already has switched Williams’ designation to “injured reserve/designated for return.”

New York released Key for the third time this season. After playing four seasons for UAB and one for Alabama, Key joined the Jets as the final pick in the NFL Draft on April 27, earning the Mr. Irrelevant title for 2024.

New York waived Key when it reduced its preseason roster to the regular-season limit on Aug. 27. But the Jets brought him back for their practice squad as soon as he cleared waivers.

New York released Key from its practice squad on Sept. 25, then signed him again on Oct. 9.

Five other players from Alabama high schools and colleges were on the NFL’s transactions report for Wednesday:

· Defensive tackle Shakel Brown (Troy) signed with the Miami Dolphins’ practice squad. Brown spent last season on injured reserve with the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted rookie. This season, Brown spent the offseason, training camp and preseason with San Francisco and was with the 49ers’ practice squad for a week before being released.

· Detroit Lions defensive tackle Brodric Martin (Northridge, North Alabama) returned to practice. A 2023 third-round draft pick, Martin has spent the season on injured reserve because of a preseason knee injury.

· Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Michael Pierce (Daphne, Samford) went on injured reserve. Pierce sustained a calf injury in Sunday’s 29-24 loss to the Cleveland Browns. On Wednesday, Ravens coach John Harbaugh said he did not think the injury would be season-ending. But by rule, Pierce will have to miss at least the next four games.

· Jacksonville Jaguars running back Keilan Robinson (Alabama) returned to practice. A 2024 fifth-round draft pick from Texas, Robinson has spent the season on injured reserve after sustaining a toe injury at training camp. Robinson ran for 254 yards and two touchdowns on 39 carries for the Crimson Tide in 2019 before transferring to the Longhorns.

· Outside linebacker Jamie Sheriff (South Alabama) was released from the Seattle Seahawks’ practice squad. The Mississippi Beerman’s Cinderella story as an undrafted rookie this season has included going to the Carolina Panthers as a waiver claim after being cut by the Seahawks at the end of the preseason. After playing in the Panthers’ season-opener, Sheriff was waived, and he returned to Seattle as a practice-squad member. He played in the Seahawks’ Week 6 game as a practice-squad elevation.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.

There hasn’t been very much to get excited about when it comes to the college football season for the Arizona Wildcats in 2024.

All of the magic from last season’s team looks to have disappeared. After winning their first two games of the year, they have lost five out of their next six contests. Currently riding a four-game losing streak, just reaching bowl eligibility this season will be a challenge.

With four games remaining in the regular season, there isn’t much time left to turn things around. If they are going to end the campaign on a high note, you can expect wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan to be in a starring role.

The junior from Waimanalo, Hawaii has been one of the most productive pass catchers in the nation this season. He has recorded 57 receptions for 982 yards and five scores, placing ninth and third in catches and yardage to this point.

While he has collegiate eligibility remaining beyond the 2024 campaign, the NFL is calling. It would not surprise anyone if he declared for the 2025 NFL draft and began his professional career next year.

Some draft analysts believe that he could be a top 10 pick whenever he declares given his incredible skill set. Measuring in at 6’5” and 212 pounds, he has the build of someone who can dominate and be a No. 1 receiver at the next level.

McMillan would be a massive upgrade for several franchises in the NFL. But, in the opinion of Matt Miller of ESPN, the best professional fit for the Wildcats star is the Dallas Cowboys.

“Dallas is in desperate need of more options in the passing game, and McMillan’s ability to win jump balls with his great length would work beautifully alongside CeeDee Lamb. McMillan’s 6-foot-5, 212-pound frame makes him dynamic on 50-50 balls in both the red zone and the open field, and he has shown enough speed after the catch to be productive on screens and short routes where he has room to run post-catch. The Cowboys must expand their passing game, and McMillan’s size and big-play production would prevent defenses from overfocusing on Lamb,” the ESPN draft analyst wrote.

Finding a consistent threat opposite CeeDee Lamb in the passing game has been a challenge for the Cowboys. It has essentially been a one-man show for the second-highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL through the air.

The former Oklahoma product has had no issues producing despite being the main focus of every defensive coordinator’s game plan. But, it would take some pressure off bringing in a player of McMillan’s caliber.

Those two, along with Jalen Tolbert, would give Dallas a formidable trio to rely on at the position. Lamb has been targeted nearly twice as much this season as Tolbert, which speaks volumes to how much this passing offense needs a boost like the one the Arizona standout can provide.

ARIZONA — The remains of a John Doe who was found back in 2009 near the Arizona-Nevada border close to the Hoover Dam have been identified.

The body belonged to William Herman Hietamaki, who was born on April 4, 1950. According to authorities he was from Trout Creek, Michigan.

Back on Nov. 11, 2009, as construction workers were pouring cement on a Highway 93 widening project near the Hoover Dam, one of them found what appeared to be a bone, according to the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO).

The workers searched the surrounding area, locating more bones and realized the bones were human remains.

Construction workers and authorities did another search of the area and found more bones along with “a sun-bleached pair of blue jeans, a damaged white towel, a sun-bleached red T-shirt, a black athletic shoe and a green sleeping bag.”

Days later an additional search resulted in finding more of the remains. All evidence was turned over to the Mohave County Medical Examiner’s Office. Detectives spent years on the case and tried to generate leads to no avail.

How were remains found near Hoover Dam identified?

On Feb. 2, 2022, an MCSO detective took a bone sample from the victim supplied by the medical examiner. The sample was submitted for examination to the Arizona Department of Public Safety lab requesting a DNA profile so it could be entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), a national DNA database maintained by the FBI.

A sample was also sent to the University of North Texas (UNT), where an extracted DNA sample was taken and stored away. All efforts to identify the remains were unsuccessful.

In April 2024, investigators who were a part of Special Investigations Unit (SIU) of the sheriff’s office were alerted by Othram Inc., a genetics lab in Texas, that there was funding to cover Forensic Genetic Genealogy (FGG) for this case. The sample from UNT was sent to the Othram lab and a DNA profile was made and placed into a genealogy database for investigation to have a genetic genealogist look it over.

In October 2024, SIU investigators finally learned Hietamaki’s identity and spoke with relatives who said he traveled throughout the Southwest and was known to hitchhike.

Hietamaki, who went by his middle name, Herman, was last seen by his family when he went to visit his sister in New Mexico in 1995. Public records show he lived in Las Vegas for a short time. Hietamaki had a history of epileptic seizures, according to MCSO.

The medical examiner couldn’t determine the cause of death because his remains were badly decomposed but estimated he died somewhere in 2006-08.