THE PLAINS, Ohio —

Before Joe Burrow was an NFL star, he was a small-town kid growing up in southeastern Ohio.

Those who have coached him along the way say Burrow has not forgotten where he came from.

Sam Smathers coached Burrow as a youth. Smathers assisted author Scott Burson in writing "From Bulldog to Bengal: The Joe Burrow Story Through the Eyes of His Hometown."

Ahead of its release, Smathers walked WLWT through the making of a champion.

"We're just, we're very proud, very proud of him. He's just Joe," Smathers said.

Plains, Ohio is where it all started for Burrow.

Smathers has video footage from when Burrow was a quarterback in third grade. With no one open downfield, he decided to run the ball.

Videos from sixth grade show Burrow executing more plays.

"They bring back all the memories. All the memories come back," Smathers said as he watched a highlight reel. "I've watched him grow up, and I've watched damn near every game he's ever played.

Fast forward to high school, Burrow became more competitive.

"He was very competitive in practice and the game, but he wasn't a rah-rah guy," Smathers said.

Burrow led by example.

"Everybody can see that. He's a silent leader," Smathers said.

Burrow led Athens High School to the playoffs and the state championship his senior year.

"That whole group of kids that came through there was just a talented group. You get that every so often, a good group of kids coming through, and Joe was part of that," Smathers said.

Burrow also excelled in basketball. Academics came easy to him. Teachers described him as shy and likeable. Students voted him most likely to become famous in addition to most athletic.

Smathers gives a lot of credit to Burrow's parents, Jim and Robin Burrow.

"They're just that type of people. Down to earth, well-grounded, and that's where Joey gets it," Smathers said. "He hasn't forgotten. He knows where he's from. He's proud of where he's from. I know he is," Smathers said.

That was evident throughout college at Louisiana State University and during his Heisman trophy moment, where he highlighted the issue of food insecurity in Athens County.

"People here understand that he's fed a lot of people, and they're very grateful for what he's done here," Smathers said.

And what he continues to do as a Cincinnati Bengal.

"When we win it, we're gonna win it, and it'll be our way, and way we're going to do it," Smathers said.

Smathers said he helped write the book with blessings from Burrow and his parents.

It's set to be released in the spring.

More information can be found, here.

HOUSTON —

A Texas high school baseball coach being chased down and assaulted by four middle school students was caught on cellphone video earlier this week.

The attack, which took place at Langham Creek High School, near Houston, stemmed from the teacher reprimanding four teenagers from nearby Aragon Middle School for riding their dirt bikes on school property.

Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District officials said the attackers have been taken into custody and will be disciplined according to the code of conduct.

Watch the video above for more on this story.

FAIRFIELD, Ohio —

One of the faces suiting up for the Cincinnati Bengals on Super Bowl is a Greater Cincinnati product.

Jackson Carman is serving as proof to future Fairfield football players that hopes of playing in the NFL really can come true.

"It's surreal to sit in your living room or wherever you're at and just to watch a kid you got to work with and coach and be so close with on that stage, on that field, in that environment," said Fairfield High School head football coach Jason Krause.

Krause started coaching Carman when he was in the seventh grade.

The two have formed an unbreakable bond.

"Couple weeks ago, Monday after one of the games he came over to the house and we grilled out. Had a great time just got to spend a little time decompressing from football," Krause said.

Krause now coachES Carman in life and is helping him get ready for the biggest game of his career.

"He was like, 'Coach, you have no idea how crazy this is right now.' And I don't. There's no way I could put myself in his shoes. I said, 'Enjoy this experience. You got into this game as a little kid because you loved it,'" Krause said.

Krause is proud of all Carman has accomplished, including some key moments to help clinch the AFC Championship.

"To see him have a couple of big blocks on big plays, just to hear his name, hear Tony Romo mention Jackson Carman," he said.

The rookie has the full backing of his community.

A group of cafeteria workers proudly wear Carman's jersey on Fridays.

They're part of the Fairfield faithful who are supporting one of their own.

"He's got a chance to go play in the Super Bowl. It's just awesome to have a kid that you worked with like that. To see all that hard work pay off and in our profession that's the ultimate," Krause said.

LAS VEGAS, Nev. — (KTNV) Former Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach John Gruden filed a lawsuit against the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell, claiming there was a "malicious" and "orchestrated campaign" against him.

Gruden resigned in October amid controversy sparked by emails containing derogatory comments.

In a complaint filed in court, attorneys representing Gruden claim Goodell and the league "sought to destroy" his "career and reputation."

They also say Gruden was subject to a "Soviet-style character assassination."

News first broke in October of a 2011 email that shows Gruden using racially insensitive remarks against NFL Players Association Executive Director DeMaurice Smith.

Other emails reportedly show Gruden using derogatory and homophobic names for Goodell and players who protested during the playing of the national anthem.

Gruden was is in the fourth year of a 10-year, $100 million contract he signed with the Raiders in 2018.

Gruden is seeking "the recovery of money in excess of $15,000.00."

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that a spokesperson for the NFL called the allegations in the lawsuit "meritless," and vowed to "vigorously defend against these claims.”

This story was originally reported on KTNV.com.

LEBANON, Ohio —

The trial continued Tuesday for a former youth sports coach on trial for sex crimes involving children.

Eric Schmidt is charged with one count of rape, two counts of gross sexual imposition and two counts of public indecency.

Tuesday's testimony centered around text messages one of the accusers sent to friends the night she claims she was molested.

That accuser is 19 years old, but she was 12 in 2015 — the year prosecutors say crimes against her were committed.

The teenager said she was friends with Schmidt's daughter and was at their house for a sleepover in April 2015.

During her testimony, she read text messages she sent to friends that night from Schmidt's home in Mason.

"I said, 'I really don't understand why you find that funny. No, seriously, it's a remarried man trying to rape a freaking 12-year-old kid," the accuser said.

She said Schmidt exposed himself and touched her inappropriately in the theatre room of the house after his daughter fell asleep.

Assistant prosecutor Travis Vieux asked her, "Did the defendant touch your hand?"

"Yes," she said.

Vieux asked, "Did he touch your arm?"

"Yes," she said.

Vieux asked, "Did he rub up your arm?"

"Yes," she said.

Vieux asked, "Did he touch your shoulder?"

"Yes," she said.

Vieux asked, "Did he touch your breast?"

"Yes," she said.

While prosecutors are trying to use the accuser's texts as proof that Schmidt is guilty of gross sexual imposition and public indecency, defense attorneys tried using the messages to their advantage.

During cross-examination, defense attorney Bill Gallagher asked, "Eric is trying to touch you?"

"Yes," she said.

Gallagher asked, "You don't yell, right?"

"No," she said.

Gallagher asked, "You said you just sort of froze?"

"Yes," she said."

Gallagher questioned how could she be frozen at the same time she carried on text message conversations with multiple friends.

"Does it shock you at all, in all of your text messaging in here, there's not a single spelling mistake, but you're stressed out and trying to figure out what to do?" Gallagher said.

"It's called autocorrect," the accuser said.

Mason Detective Jeff Wyss also took the stand Tuesday. He said he began to investigate the 2015 allegations, but the case was closed when the accuser's family decided not to pursue charges.

That case was reopened in 2019 after a second accuser, also 12 at the time, made allegations against Schmidt.

He's been charged with rape in that case.

Prosecutors said that accuser was sexually assaulted at a party for football families in the Kings and Mason area.

Schmidt had coached youth football, baseball and softball.

That girl is 14 years old now and is expected to testify Wednesday.

Before calling her to the stand, prosecutors called a relative of Schmidt's to testify about what she said she witnessed in January 2015 when she was temporarily staying with the family.

She was 19 years old at the time.

She said she was alone with Schmidt watching Vampire Diaries when he suggested they watch the show downstairs.

She said they relocated to the theater room and continued watching Netflix.

Vieux asked her to describe what Schmidt did that she thought to be sexually inappropriate.

"When we were watching Netflix, after some time, the notice on the Netflix screen says 'Do you wish to continue? Click yes or no.' That had popped up. I looked to my right to see if the remote was near me to click yes. It wasn't there. I had turned to my left and Mr. Schmidt was sitting there with his genitals out," the relative said.

Schmidt has not been charged with any crime in connection to that incident.

Schmidt maintains his innocence. Gallagher previously said Schmidt passed a polygraph test.

The Detroit Lions will play Tampa Bay without interim coach Darrell Bevell, making him the NFL’s first head coach to miss a game because of COVID-19 protocols.

Detroit’s coaching staff will also be without defensive coordinator Cory Undlin, defensive line coach Bo Davis, defensive backs coach Steve Gregory, and linebackers coach Ty McKenzie in Week 16.

Wide receivers coach Robert Prince will be the team’s third head coach this season on Saturday at Ford Field against the Buccaneers.

Bevell was 1-2 after Matt Patricia was fired last month. Quarterbacks coach Sean Ryan will call plays in place of Bevell, who also serves as the team’s offensive coordinator, against the Bucs. Evan Rothstein, who helps the team with research and analysis, will lead the defensive staff.

Bevell said Wednesday he had not tested positive for COVID-19, but he was one of the coaches affected by contact tracing. The Lions closed their training facility on Tuesday because one player and one coach tested positive for the coronavirus, and resumed on-field preparations on Wednesday to face Tampa Bay.

Mike Krzyzewski will make a final run at a national championship with Duke.

The Hall of Famer and winningest coach in the history of Division I men's basketball announced Wednesday that next season will be his last with the Blue Devils program he has built into one of college basketball's bluebloods. The school also named former Duke player and associate head coach Jon Scheyer as Krzyzewski's successor for the 2022-23 season.

"My family and I view today as a celebration," Krzyzewski said in a statement released Wednesday evening.

Stadium first reported news of the 74-year-old Krzyzewski's final season with Duke, which he has led to five national championships, most recently in 2015. He has 1,170 career wins going back to his time at Army, with 1,097 wins coming during 41 years with the Blue Devils and their frantic fans who have made playing at famously hostile Cameron Indoor Stadium so difficult.

Now Krzyzewski will have make a final lap — "The Last Ride," as the program billed it in a social-media post — around the Atlantic Coast Conference and the sport where he has piled up an incredible run of success before handing off to Scheyer, currently 33.

"He is clearly ready for this opportunity and has shown it repeatedly throughout his playing career and as a coach on our staff the past eight seasons," Krzyzewski said. "Jon is a rising star in our profession and Duke basketball could not be in better hands in the future."

The school has scheduled a news conference for Krzyzewski on Thursday at Cameron, followed by one Friday for Scheyer.

Krzyzewski has led the Blue Devils to 12 Final Four appearances and a record 15 ACC Tournament championships, while his teams have spent a record 126 weeks ranked at No. 1 in the AP men's college basketball poll.

Hired at Duke in March 1980, "Coach K" won national championships in 1991, 1992, 2001, 2010 and 2015. He broke Army mentor Bob Knight's career victory record in November 2011.

Krzyzewski has tailored his approach to adapt with the times and his personnel. He won that 2010 title with a senior-laden roster, then claimed the 2015 one after pivoting to more "one-and-done" talent that headed to the NBA after a lone college season.

His image became synonymous both with the elite private university in Durham, North Carolina, and the sport as a whole. And along the way, he took over the U.S. men’s national team — with NBA All-Star rosters featuring names such as the late Kobe Bryant and LeBron James — and led it to Olympic gold in Beijing in 2008, London in 2012 and Rio de Janiero in 2016.

"What he means to the countless players he has coached, both collegiately and professionally, is simply immeasurable," ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said in a statement.

Duke missed the NCAA Tournament this past season for the first time since 1995, but the Blue Devils welcome one of the nation's top recruiting classes for the coming season.

Scheyer played for Krzyzewski from 2006-10, with his last season resulting in his mentor's fourth NCAA title. Scheyer joined the Duke staff for the 2013-14 season and rose to his current role following the 2017-18 season.

Scheyer served as interim coach last year for Duke when Krzyzewski was sidelined for a January win against Boston College due to COVID-19 protocols. Scheyer has never been a college head coach.

"Duke University has been a central part of my life for more than a decade, and I could not ask for a better place to continue my career," Scheyer said in a statement. "This is absolutely humbling. ... (Krzyzewski) has set a standard that every coach at every level should strive to achieve."

The news comes almost two months to the day that another Hall of Famer in the state — North Carolina's Roy Williams — announced his retirement after 33 seasons as a head coach with Kansas and the rival Tar Heels. UNC also turned to a former player on the bench, elevating Hubert Davis to take over in his first time as a major college head coach.