Atlanta Falcons rookie strong safety Keanu Neal told ESPN he had a $24,309 fine for an illegal hit cut in half after going through the NFLs appeals process. Tavon Wilson Jersey .Neal received the fine after the league initially determined he hit defenseless Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jordan Matthews?in Week 10. Neal was not flagged, but the Eagles publicly complained about the play.Neals hearing was Nov. 29 with former NFL wide receiver James Thrash -- formerly of the Eagles.My agent was telling me yesterday, and basically its like $12,000-something now, Neal said of the reduced fine. Thats really helpful. Thats a good feeling, because it sucks getting fined like that. But to get some back is always a good thing.In that Week 10 contest, Matthews was the target on a third-and-12 crossing route with 10:56 remaining in the game. As the ball arrived, so did Neal, who delivered a punishing hit. After the game, which the Eagles won 24-15, Matthews made it clear he was not happy with the non-call.I definitely think it was a penalty, Matthews said. My helmet was bent. I had to get a new face mask. I had to change out my face mask and my visor. I dont know what they saw, but at the end of the day, we got the win. So I will take a bloody lip if we get a win.Neals plea to Thrash was a simple one.That it was a close game and I wasnt attempting to hit him in the helmet, Neal said. I was just playing ball. I was just trying to make the play. I was leading with my shoulder and everything. Thats really all I said. [Thrash] was pretty chill about it.Neal, the first-round draft pick from Florida, has delivered a number of crushing hits already this season, including one against Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald, for?which he was flagged for a defenseless hit. The league appears to have viewed it as a clean hit, however, as Neal was not fined.Falcons coach Dan Quinn has spoken to Neal about lowering the strike zone but said he is not concerned that the rookie is a dirty player.Hes a factor in terms of the way that he hits, but he does so not with the intent of using his head, Quinn said. Were trying to shoulder tackle, but doing it the very hardest way possible to know that when you come inside, hes going to hit you. And were going to hit you in the right spot. But its going to be physical. Kasey Redfern Jersey . Reassurance came from Paul Tesori, his caddie and close friend whose newborn son is in intensive care in a Florida hospital. "Paul sent me a text this morning, just told me he loved me and wanted to go out and fight as hard as I would any other day," Simpson said Sunday after doing just that. Darius Slay Jr Jersey .H. -- Matt Kenseth made it 2 for 2 in the Chase, holding off teammate Kyle Busch to win Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. http://www.cheaplionsjerseyselite.com/?tag=cheap-d-j-hayden-jersey . After slipping from the summit during the week, the Gunners overcame struggling Crystal Palace 2-0 on Sunday thanks to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlains second-half brace. AUSTIN, Texas -- Across the East Texas triangle that connects Austin, College Station and Houston, most everybody is happy with their favorite teams college football coach after the first weekend of the season.Tom Herman has Houston Cougars fans thinking College Football Playoff.Charlie Strong gave Texas Longhorns supporters not just a signature victory against No. 10 Notre Dame -- his words -- but an offense and a quarterback that finally look as if they can compete in the Big 12.Sure, maybe Texas A&M followers left Kyle Field a little frustrated that the Aggies blew a fourth-quarter lead, but a win against a ranked team in overtime is no reason to raise the heat on coach Kevin Sumlins seat.Such is college football in the Lone Star State this year: an almost weekly referendum on the coaches at Texas and Texas A&M, while the sports current boy genius roams the sideline for a non-Power Five school that has a chance to become the story of the season. Two coaches facing pivotal seasons and their possible replacement within reasonable driving distance.For now, things are looking up for Strong. A year after getting humiliated 38-3 at South Bend, Indiana, by the Fighting Irish, the Longhorns beat No. 10 Notre Dame 50-47 in double overtime on Sunday night.Our fans really needed that, said Strong, who got a hug from Gov. Greg Abbott as he left the field and a Charlie! Charlie! chant from a smattering of students who hung around just to see the coach run through the tunnel.Weve been down for so long and people have been talking about us. It was a night for us to make it right. At least for one game, for one game.Strongs standing with fans wasnt great after two seasons, an 11-14 record and an offense that seemed to be trying to reinvent itself weekly. A third straight losing season would probably mean the end of the Strong era in Austin.To fix the offense, Strong hired former Baylor assistant Sterlin Gilbert to install the Bears spread offense. And he handed the keys to freshman Shane Buechele. The 18-year-old passed for 280 yards and a couple of touchdowns against Notre Dame. He throws a beautiful deep ball, and Texas has receivers who can run them down and backs to take advantage of the room that the stretched out field provides.The Longhorns beat Oklahoma last season, but that turned out to be only a temporary respite. Texas would later be shut out by Iowa State on the way to 5-7.Everybody knows this years different, said senior quarterback Tyrone Swoopes, who scored three touchdowns, includding the winner, in his new role as short-yardage quarterback. Autographed Lions Jerseys. We just got a lot of senior leadership. Weve got a lot of young guys, but they play a lot bigger than they are.Strong needs the kids to come through. A small step forward might not be enough for him if Herman is pushing the Cougars toward a playoff berth with an American Athletic Conference team.In 15 games at Houston, Herman, a former grad assistant for Mack Brown at Texas, has become one of the rock stars of college coaching. Hes media savvy and media friendly -- a quarterback whisperer with a diamond grill . He has Urban Meyers blue print, Rich Rodriguezs offense and Vince Vaughns coolness.What I have noticed about him is hes got an incredible ability to relate to 18-22 young men and push them harder than I think theyve ever been pushed before and at the same time, give them a lot of love, Houston athletic director Hunter Yurachek.Houston raised Hermans salary to $3 million after last season when he turned down overtures from South Carolina, and Herman gets $5 million if he helps get Houston into a Power Five conference. But Yurachek knows the next suitors to come calling for Herman could have a lot more to sell than South Carolina did.Theres just certain jobs that are premiere jobs in our industry, Yurachek said Sunday, a day after No. 15 Houston beat No. 3 Oklahoma 33-23. I would not fault Tom for taking a look at those jobs.Is Texas A&M one of those jobs? Maybe. Maybe not. But many Aggies certainly believe it to be, which is why Sumlins 37-16 overall record and 17-16 mark in the Southeastern Conference in five seasons arent enough to appease the base.Just like Strong, Sumlins work will be judged against Hermans this season. And if it doesnt stack up, the Aggies might want to trade in their former rising star from Houston for the latest model.A bidding war between Texas and Texas A&M for Herman would bring the dysfunctional rivalry between the schools to new heights.But for now, Herman seems more likely to be the next LSU coach than the next Texas or Texas A&M boss. Or why not just stay at Houston if it lands in the Big 12?These things change quickly. Strong knows he is not in the clear.No, because Ive still got a few more to go, so I dont have any relief, Strong said with a laugh. No, I dont think you get any relief, no.---Follow Ralph D. Russo at www.Twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys ' ' '