Over The Limit
Outside the Lines (Sunday, 9 a.m. ET, ESPN)

When prized recruit Seantrel Henderson signed with the University of Miami after originally committing to USC, it was a big addition for the Hurricanes, but a real setback for Steven Wesley.  Wesley was entering his senior year at Miami, and his scholarship was taken away just weeks before the start of training camp to make room for the school’s newest recruit.  Wesley is a victim of over-signing, a practice in which schools sign more players than they have room for, anticipating that some may not qualify academically, or that the incoming players may replace returning ones who aren’t as good.  Sunday on Outside the Lines, Steve Delsohn talks to some of the victims of oversigning in college football.  

 
 

A Coach’s Story
Outside the Lines (Sunday, 9 a.m., ESPN)
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Belmont University’s women’s soccer players knew very little about their coach until she shared something with them last month. Lisa Howe told her players she was a lesbian, in a committed relationship, and that her partner was pregnant. When the team returned to the Nashville campus of the small Christian school after Thanksgiving break, they learned Howe was no longer their coach. School officials first announced that Howe had “resigned” and then said that her departure was a “mutual decision,” but never said why Howe was no longer employed. Outside the Lines’ T.J. Quinn interviews Howe, players on the team, and a representative from Belmont University.

 
 

Second Chances
Sunday NFL Countdown, (Sunday, 11 a.m., ESPN)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Philadelphia Eagles took a risk when they signed Michael Vick in August 2009, just three weeks after his release from a federal penitentiary.  Head Coach Andy Reid saw in Vick a young man who had made foolish choices and was searching for a second chance, both in the NFL and in his personal life.  Under the care and coaching of Coach Reid, the dramatic revitalization of Michael Vick is taking place.  Chris Berman sits down with Reid and Vick to discuss Reid’s belief in personal redemption and the special relationship it has created between the two.    

 
 
When Madness Took Over
ESPN The Magazine’s “New Year, New Rules”  

Writer Molly Knight, in conjunction with Outside The Lines, tells the story of off-road racer Brett Sloppy losing control of his truck and tumbling off the desert course in the California 200 last August, killing eight people. The SoCal off-road community demanded answers. What they found was the sport they loved was dangerously incapable of protecting its own spectators. What good are rules when you have no power to enforce them?

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

OTL: Concussion Confidential: The Poll that Gets Inside the Helmet
ESPN The Magazine companion piece

In conjunction with Outside the Lines’ series on concussions, ESPN The Magazine polled high school athletes (300), parents (100), coaches (100) and trainers (100) in 23 states to get an inside look of how concussions are truly viewed.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

T.O. and Josiah Viera
The Sporting Life with Jeremy Schaap (Friday, 10 p.m., ESPN Radio)

Bengals wide receiver Terrell Owens, known for his flashy touchdown celebrations and controversial persona, revealed a different side to ESPN reporter Jeremy Schaap, when he discussed his relationship with six-year-old  Josiah Viera, who suffers from a genetic disease Progeria, meaning ”prematurely old.”  Josiah was recently featured on E:60, and since watching the feature, T.O. has sent Josiah game items and honored him by writing his name on his cleats.

Owens: “He is so small in stature, in size. If you watch TV, you can see such greatness and such a big heart that comes through such a small frame. I think that is what really pops out at you as you’re watching the story as it unfolds. This guy is so small but has such a big heart. His spirit is so big, it’s bigger than the TV screen.”
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Victor Rabanales: Champion Lost
ESPN Deportes SportsCenter (Sunday, 11 p.m.)
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Blinded by fame and easy spending, former Batamweight champion Victor Rabanales lost it all. Now he finds himself trying to survive on the streets of Mexico City by tending tables and parking cars at friends’ restaurants and food stands. As his 48th birthday approaches, ESPN Deportes met up with the Rabanales who candidly spoke of how his glory days were eclipsed by his battle with alcoholism, and shared his hopes of helping the younger generation by sharing his story and life experiences.

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