0xbt

Anthony Walker plays in the NFL. He spent the last month in
the NBA.

The Indianapolis Colts linebacker started his offseason by spending four
weeks as an intern with the Miami
Heat Giovani
Bernard Jersey , getting a crash course on how the basketball team from
his hometown handles things from a business operations standpoint. The Heat
exposed Walker to plenty, including how game nights work and the execution of
off-site events.

”For me, it’s about trying to get the other side of sports,” Walker said .
”Football’s going to end for me at some point. I want to be able to use the
networks I have now to help me in the future for when I do need to find
something else to do with my life. And you never know when that’s going to
come.”

The internship ended Friday. Walker is planning to be back in Indianapolis,
ready to resume full-time football life in a few days.

He hopes football doesn’t end anytime soon. Walker just completed his rookie
season with the Colts, appearing in 10 games – two starts – and making 22
tackles.

But Walker, 22, is also thinking about his future. That’s why he asked Heat
assistant coach Chris Quinn for a favor.

Quinn was briefly an assistant coach at Northwestern, where Walker – who
studied business management with a focus on sports, as well as marketing –
played his college football. Quinn knew of Walker’s reputation from their
simultaneous time with the
Wildcats Jake
Fisher Jersey , and didn’t hesitate when asked to help broker something
for him to do with the Heat.

”I knew he was a high-quality kid,” Quinn said. ”Anyone in his position, a
current NFL player, to reach out and request an opportunity, that means he’s
very driven and about the right kind of stuff. So I had no problem trying to
help him in any way I could.”

Quinn passed Walker’s name up the Heat chain, and the internship deal was
struck. Walker knows the experience will help him in his next career, but also
sees ways it will make him better as a player.

”You see all the aspects of the game and all the outside stuff that we don’t
get to see as athletes,” Walker said. ”We think we do our job and everything
else just falls in place. But there’s a lot that goes into those other jobs,
marketing, the equipment
guys Tyler
Kroft Jersey , all that stuff. You can’t take any of that for
granted.”

In the end, both Walker and the Heat considered his time there a success.

”He did a really good job,” Quinn said. ”He took everything really seriously,
which is awesome.”

Free agent cornerback Vontae Davis has met with the San
Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders about upgrading their secondaries.

A person familiar with Davis’ plans says he met with the Raiders on Wednesday
after meeting with 49ers the previous day. The person spoke on condition of
anonymity because the meetings were not made public. Davis has also reportedly
met with Cleveland and Buffalo

Davis is a two-time Pro Bowler who is on the open market after being released
by Indianapolis last November. Because he was cut, Davis can sign with a team
immediately instead of waiting for the start of the new league year next
month.

Article continues below ...

Davis lost his starting job midway through last season and then did not
travel with the team for a game in Houston for ”non-injury” reasons. Davis was
then cut a few days later.

Davis said before the release that he had been hampered all season by a torn
groin suffered in the third preseason game but the Colts said they were unaware
of lingering problems from the injury.

Opposing quarterbacks had a 79.5 passer rating when targeting Davis in
2015-16, according to SportRadar. But he struggled last season, allowing a 105.7
rating.

Davis spent his first three seasons with Miami after being a first-round pick
in 2009. He was traded to the Colts before the 2012 season and was voted to the
Pro Bowl in 2014 and `15.

Davis has 22 career interceptions with 97 passes defensed and two sacks.

The Raiders and 49ers are both in need of upgrades at cornerback. San
Francisco could lose starter Dontae Johnson in free agency next month after
having traded Rashard Robinson during the season. The only cornerbacks under
contract who played more than a handful of snaps last season are 2017
third-round pick Ahkello Witherspoon and slot cornerback K’Waun Williams.

Oakland released starter David Amerson earlier this month and could also cut
starter Sean Smith in order to create more salary cap room. Slot cornerback TJ
Carrie is eligible to be a free agent, leaving last year’s first-round pick
Gareon Conley as the only projected starter currently under contract. C0nley
played just two games as a rookie because of injuries.

—