Newsmakers

Signed Paralyzed defensive tackle Eric LeGrand was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. LeGrand broke two vertebrae and suffered a serious spinal cord injury on Oct. 16, 2010, during a kickoff return against Army. His coach at Rutgers then, Greg Schiano, now is coach of the Bucs. “It’s something I always dreamed about, go to the NFL and retire and become a sportscaster,” LeGrand said. LeGrand became an inspiration to teammates at Rutgers, eventually being able to stand upright with the help of a metal frame.

Offered A person with knowledge of the search says Stanford athletic director Bob Bowlsby has been offered the Big 12 commissioner job to replace the ousted Dan Beebe.

Hired North Carolina hired former Tar Heels guard and NBA veteran Hubert Davis as an assistant men’s basketball coach. Davis was a first-round draft pick in 1992 and played 12 years in the NBA. He spent the past seven years as a college basketball analyst on ESPN.

• The Montreal Canadiens hired Marc Bergevin as general manager to replace the fired Pierre Gauthier. The Montreal native served as assistant GM for the Chicago Blackhawks last season.

Skipped Scotland’s Paul Lawrie is skipping the U.S. Open, citing his poor performances in the major championship. The 1999 British Open champion, ranked 43rd in the world, automatically qualified for the June event at the Olympic Club in San Francisco.

Denied The NCAA turned down Notre Dame 6-foot-8 star Tim Abromaitis’ request for a sixth year of eligibility. Abromaitis was lost for the season Nov. 25 when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during practice.

Sentenced A man was sentenced to 21 years to life in a Nevada prison for the slaying of 1996 Olympic bronze medal-winning boxer Rhoshii Wells in a Las Vegas apartment courtyard. A Las Vegas judge sentenced Roger Randolph, 29, for murder with a deadly weapon. Wells was 31 when he was shot in August 2008 while walking with his 4-year-old son.