Cougars in the pros: Sorensen and Williams headed to conference championships

Two former BYU football players are going to the NFL Conference championships, while another two got eliminated in the divisional round. Follow along with “Cougars in the pros” during the remainder of the postseason to see if a BYU alumnus will hoist the Lombardi trophy.

Football

Kansas City Chiefs’ safety Daniel Sorensen went up against Cleveland Browns’ linebacker Sione Takitaki in the AFC divisional round.

Sorensen, also known as Dirty Dan, prevented a touchdown from the Browns by forcing a fumble at the goal line. The Chiefs went on to win 22-17. Sorensen finished with six total tackles, four solo tackles and a quarterback hit. Takitaki had a total of 5 tackles with three solo tackles in the game.

Sorensen was named one of the defensive captains for the Cheifs in the playoffs and will be heading to the AFC Conference Championship against the Buffalo Bills on Jan. 24.

The head coach of the Chiefs, Andy Reid, is also a BYU alumnus and made headlines when he decided to throw the ball on a crucial 4th down late in the game against the Browns instead of running or trying to catch the other team offside.

“I went to BYU. Every down is a throwing down,” Reid said when asked about his risky play call.

Saints quarterback Taysom Hill did not play and was listed as “inactive” because of a knee injury for the NFC Divisional game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Saints lost 30-20, ending Hill’s season.

Green Bay Packers running back Jamaal Williams had 12 carries for 65 yards in a win against Los Angeles Rams. They will be facing the Buccaneers in the NFC Championship.

Former BYU defensive lineman Corbin Kaufusi signed with the San Francisco 49ers this week on a reserve/future contract. He previously played with the New Orleans Saints and New York Jets in training camps and on practice squads.

Zach Wilson is listed as number two on Pro Football Focus’s Top 100 Big Board ahead of the 2021 NFL Draft and the latest PFF mock draft has Wilson going second overall to the New York Jets.

Basketball

Elijah Bryant had two strong performances this week in the EuroLeague for Maccabi Tel Aviv. On Jan. 12 against Olympios, Bryant had 15 points, six rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block. Tel Aviv lost 89-87 in overtime.

On Jan. 14, against Baskonia, Bryant again scored in the double digits. He totaled 14 points, four assists, two rebounds and a steal.

Jimmer Fredette of the Shanghai Sharks had a big week in China, scoring 35 points for the fourth time in the season. The Sharks defeated the Xingjiang Flying Tigers and Fredette totaled 35 points, seven rebounds, five assists and four steals.