Elijah Alexander dies at age 39

Elijah Alexander, a former NFL and Kansas State linebacker, died two days ago in the Dallas Medical City Hospital. Alexander passed away at the age of 39 after fighting for five-years with cancer. In 2005, Elijah Alexander was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, which is cancer of the bone marrow, and founded the Tackle Myeloma Foundation in 2006. Alexander had ended his career with the Oakland Raiders four years prior to his diagnosis.

The Big 12 and its 12 Hall of Famer candidates

College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Indiana

A total of 77 players and seven coaches have been nominated for their spot in the Football Hall of Fame this year. Eleven players and one coach from the Big 12 Conference have been chosen. If you would like a peak at the complete list of candidates, just click here. The induction ceremony is May 27 in NYC and will be covered by ESPNEWS.

Iowa State Cyclones update

Spring practice for the Iowa State Cyclones begins today, but Head Coach Rhoads has already decided what he spring depth chart will look like. With only five starters returning this season, Paul Rhoads has an idea of what he'll need to do to continue the Cyclones' success on the field. With such a young defense, Rhoads is excited for the chance to mold out the perfect team and integrate Palomar Community College transfer Anthony Young into the mix. Luckily, the Cyclones offensive team is a powerhouse returning duo of ready to make the most of the senior year with the team.

Missouri Tigers NFL prospect

Danario Alexander, a wide receiver for the Mizzou Tigers, is on the hot-list as an NFL prospect. Alexander slid easily into former Tiger Jeremy Maclin’s spot after he was drafted in the first round pick. Danario Alexander has actually proved to be a step ahead of Maclin’s, ranking first in the NCAA for receiving yards and second in receptions last season. Danario Alexander finished last season with bang, and there is no surprise why he is being watched closely by recruiters across the board.

Robert Griffin is ready to roll

Baylor has kicked off their spring practices, and Robert Griffin is finally playing right alongside his teammates. Griffin had been away for six months due to a torn ACL, but didn’t look weakened one bit. Griffin was still going full-speed with the rest of the Baylor football players, even with the huge brace on his right knee. Griffin is well aware that it will be some time before he is able to go full force for Baylor on the field, but is ready to do whatever it takes to get him there. Griffin has been waiting and watching long enough, and is ready to play. Let’s hope he gets out there soon, because Baylor needs him!

McCoy may have moved on, but the Sooners are far from done

Gerald McCoy, the recent defensive tackle at Oklahoma, has decided to participate in the 2010 NFL combine. This may leaving Oklahoma a year early, but hugely raises his status in the NFL. The Oklahoma Sooners will greatly miss him though, since McCoy was a great player on the field and a great person off of it. McCoy's former teammates hope to continue strong into the next season, with the inspiration of his skill and passion for the game of football. Jamarkus McFarland is one player who had been deeply influenced by McCoy and is ready to fill his quite over-sized shoes on the field.

We'll have to wait and see if McFarland has what it takes to keep the legacy going!

Colorado Buffaloes earn their spot

Every season for the Colorado Buffaloes, Head Coach Dan Hawkins starts the team fresh. He doesn't simply give players from previous seasons automatic starts, but makes them prove themselves year after year. You would think that this would be a huge incentive for the individual players and, more importantly the team as a whole to improve. Well last year, Hawkins' career was on the line after the Buffaloes went 3-9 overall in the 2008-09 Colorado Buffaloes season. Dan Hawkins has returned this season just as enthused and is ready to crack down, but is sticking to his "no returning starters" policy. In theory, this is a great incentive for players to step up to the plate even if they may have been lagging in earlier years. Let's just hope the Buffaloes can withstand the stampede this season.

Mike Leach hearing on Friday

Mike Leach, former Texas Tech head coach, is ordered to return to Lubbock on Friday for a hearing handling his lawsuit against the university. Mike Leach currently lives in Florida with his family, and has declined to comment about the case this past Monday.

Mike Leach was originally fired this past December on allegations for mistreating a player who had suffered a concussion. The Texas Tech football player, Adam James, is also the son of ESPN analyst and former NFL player Craig James. Adam James claimed he was forced to stand for hours confined to a dark place during practice. Twice.

Leach denies these allegations and expects he was fired due to the fact he was supposed to receive a $800,000 bonus the next day December 31. Leach is suing Texas for breaching their contract and slander.

1st Recruit for Kansas

Darrian Miller is the first player to commit to the Kansas Jayhawks for the 2011 recruiting season. Miller is a running back from Blue Springs, Missouri, where he ran for 2,798 yards and scored 37 touchdowns last season. This 5'10 and 185 lbs standout player also had considered Iowa, Wisconsin, Kansas State and Minnesota before choosing to play with Kansas. As Missouri's Gatorade Player of the Year last season, the Kansas Jayhawks are excited for Darrian Miller to join their team.

Texas Starting Early

The Texas Longhorns kicked off their spring practices last week, getting a head start on the rest of their fellow Big 12 competition. The Texas Longhorns receivers will need to step it up to prove themselves this spring, if they expect to see play time in the coming season. With All-American Jordan Shipley gone, UT has numerous receivers fighting for their sport on the starting roster. If any expect to show the coaches they have what it takes, spring practice is their chance. So far, James Kirkendoll has been the stand out reciever, but we'll have to wait and see what the coaches think.

Junior Days

When it comes to finding new recruits, college football coaches like to jump on the bandwagon early. Getting to those diamonds in the rough early can make or break a team in one quick swoop. The junior days are heavily attended by numerous Big 12 bosses looking for that special bunch to jack up their chances at the victory in future seasons.

The Texas Longhorns recruiters are known for their commitment to finding the best of the best, and have already had 17 verbal commitments from high school juniors for 2011. Texas rivals, Oklahoma and Oklahoma state, also have had five verbals for the 2011 season with Nebraska at four.