AP Sports SummaryBrief at 4:21 p.m. EST

Aaron Judge is AP male athlete of year after setting HR mark

NEW YORK (AP) — New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge has been voted The Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year. He hit 62 home runs to break an American League record that lasted six decades. The outfielder edged Los Angeles Angels pitching and hitting star Shohei Ohtani in balloting. Ohtani won the award last year. Judge joins an esteemed list that includes Muhammad Ali, Wayne Gretzky and Michael Jordan. Among the former Yankees to win was Roger Maris, who set the previous AL mark of 61 homers in 1961.

As ‘The King,’ Pelé enchanted fans and dazzled opponents

SAO PAULO (AP) — Pelé won a record three World Cups and was widely regarded as one of his sport’s greatest players. He was among the most recognizable figures in the world at the time of his death on Thursday. Pelé was among the game’s most prolific scorers and spent nearly two decades enchanting fans and dazzling opponents. His grace, athleticism and moves were mesmerizing. He orchestrated a fast, fluid style of play that revolutionized soccer. He carried Brazil to soccer’s heights and became a global ambassador for his sport. His journey began on the streets of Sao Paulo state, where he would kick a sock stuffed with newspapers or rags.

Pelé invigorated US soccer, paved way for ’94 World Cup, MLS

NEW YORK (AP) — Clive Toye started his pursuit of Pelé with a trip to Jamaica and a cold call in 1971. Pelé signed with the New York Cosmos four years later. It put U.S. soccer on a path to hosting the World Cup in 1994 and launching Major League Soccer two years later. The Cosmos averaged 3,578 fans in 1974. Pelé joined in June 1975 and that season’s average nearly tripled to 10,450. Pelé was 34 when he joined the Cosmos and scored 37 goals in 64 matches. He agreed to countless interviews and promotional appearances as part of a mission to make soccer mainstream.

Loyal to Santos, Pelé toured and scored in Europe

MADRID (AP) — Arguments over who was the greatest player in the history of men’s soccer can often see cheap hits aimed at Pelé. The claim is that he wasn’t tested on the European stage against some of the best clubs in the world unlike other top players. But Pelé did get to face some of the finest European opposition despite playing most of his career at Brazilian club Santos. Santos globe-trotted in the 1950s, 60s and 70s to showcase its biggest star and Pelé got to measure up against teams like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Roma and Benfica. Pelé also won three World Cups against European opposition.

Tua Tagovailoa officially out with concussion at New England

Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has officially been ruled out for Sunday’s game at New England after suffering a concussion last week against Green Bay. Miami coach Mike McDaniel said Friday that Tagovailoa is still in the NFL’s concussion protocol and is day to day as he focuses on his health. Veteran quarterback Teddy Bridgewater will lead Miami in Sunday’s critical division matchup, which will be a factor in whether the Dolphins clinch their first postseason berth since 2016. The Dolphins can clinch the playoffs with a win and a New York Jets loss to Seattle, or a tie combined with a Jets loss and Pittsburgh Steelers loss or tie.

Brazil mourns Pelé, who made every part of the country proud

Bocaina de Minas, BRAZIL (AP) — With Pelé’s death, Brazilians have lost a piece of their hearts. Down a dirt road in the mountains of Minas Gerais, Pelé’s home state, Jorge Tavares received the news of the soccer star’s death from a 4 a.m. newscast. As a boy, Tavares and his cousins listened to Pelé’s World Cup games on the radio. His dazzling performance inspired them to play a game they had never seen, first using a ball made of socks and string. “We feel this a lot. He leaves a legacy, a person of color who was crowned king of soccer, and he also brought a lot of peace outside Brazil,” Tavares, a 67-year-old school-van driver, said in an interview at the barbed-wire fence outside his home. “He represented Brazil to everyone abroad.”

TCU brings ‘fight for credibility’ to CFP against Michigan

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — No. 2 Michigan and No. 3 TCU meet for the first time Saturday at the Fiesta Bowl. It is a matchup of one of college football’s bluest blue bloods and the most unlikely team ever to reach the College Football Playoff. The Horned Frogs became just the second team to reach the final four after starting the season unranked. The first was Michigan last year.  Michigan is the winningest program in college football history. TCU played in three conferences over 16 years before landing in the Big 12 11 years ago. It was picked to finish seventh in the league this year.

The CFP semifinalists and the NIL collectives that back them

It has been 18 months since the NCAA lifted a ban on name, image and likeness compensation for college athletes. Since then, donor-funded, third-party groups that operate outside an athletic department have become all the rage. They are called collectives and most Power Five schools have at least one. A look at the four teams competing in the College Football Playoff and the collectives that support them tell a tale of uncertainty and entrepreneurship amid a lack of uniform regulations.

Enmanuel, college player with 1 arm, becomes an inspiration

Hansel Enmanuel became an internet sensation with videos showing the one-armed basketball star dunking with ease in high school. It helped him earn a spot on the Northwestern State team. Basketball wasn’t always this effortless for Enmanuel. Just months after the accident where he lost his left arm inches below the shoulder at age 6, he started the sport. He struggled and fell a lot because he lacked balance. Years later, he’s settling into his first year of college and has endorsement deals with adidas and Gatorade.

Maryland holds off No. 25 NC State in Duke’s Mayo Bowl

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Taulia Tagovailoa threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Octavian Smith, Chad Ryland kicked three field goals and Maryland outlasted No. 25 North Carolina State 16-12 to win the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. Tagovailoa finished 19 of 37 for 221 yards with two interceptions. Roman Hemby ran for 65 yards rushing on 24 carries for Maryland. The Terrapins won their second straight bowl game. Jakorian Bennett was named the game’s Most Valuable Player. Ben Finley completed 22 of 48 passes for 269 yards with two interceptions and couldn’t find the end zone. Maryland finished 8-5. So did N.C. State.