Alvin Kamara is an extremely talented person, as anyone who watched the running back play his rookie season in 2017, winning the league’s Offensive Rookie of the Year Award after a record breaking performance for the New Orleans Saints. But during this year’s ESPY Awards, Kamara unveiled another talent, taking to the stage during a commercial break at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, singing and dancing to “Boo’d Up” by Ella Mai, to the delight of the star studded crowd in attendance. Kamara was nominated for an ESPY, featured among those up for the Best Breakthrough Athlete of the Year, but the honor went instead to Utah Jazz rookie Donovan Mitchell. The No. 67 overall draft pick from Tennessee, used scarcely during his college career, immediately made a name for himself in the NFL, racing around would be tacklers, making plays in open space, as a rusher, as a receiver, and all around play maker for a Saints team that needed a shot in the arm after three straight sub .500 seasons. Thanks in large part to his play, the Saints emerged as NFC South champions. He broke several NFL records in his initial professional outing, becoming the first rookie since Gale Sayers in 1965 to score five receiving touchdowns, five rushing touchdowns, and a kickoff return score, was one half of the first running back duo to ever amass more than 1,500 yards each. He led all rookies with 81 receptions, the third most by a rookie running back in NFL history, paced all rookies with 14 total touchdowns, ranked second among all players with 1,554 scrimmage yards, and was ranked first in the NFL with 6.1 yards per carry. He owns the Saints record with a 106 yard kickoff return touchdown. Now, after the National Football League suspended starter Mark Ingram the first month of the regular season, Kamara will get an opportunity to make an even greater contribution as the team begins their quest to defend their NFC South championship. The second year player says he and his teammates can handle the job. “From the beginning, I’ve said [that I’ll do] whatever I have to do,” Kamara said this offseason. “I trust Sean and I trust our coaches, so, however it unfolds, we’ll just handle it like that.” Though the team signed veterans Shane Vereen and Terrance West this offseason, Kamara says the Saints don’t need to bring anyone else in. “From top to bottom, we have a good group,” he said. “Everybody has a next [man] up mentality, so that’s what we’re looking for. Everybody feels like they got to play, so that’s the message and that’s the feeling we have in our room. Everybody is going to play.”<doc-sep>CLEVELAND, Ohio -- If you didn't catch the ESPY Awards on TV Wednesday night, you missed host Danica Patrick insult Cleveland and LeBron James winning an award. I'd call that a win. Patrick was the first woman ever to host ESPN's annual sports awards. Her opening monologue, however, fell flat right from the start. "For the last 25 years, the ESPYs has been about celebrating the magic of sports," she told the star-studded audience at the outset. "No matter what else is going on in the world, sports has always had the power to inspire and give hope unless those people are from Cleveland." Cut to Baker Mayfield in the crowd. The Browns quarterback was not amused. Neither were folks on Twitter. Danica Patrick tried to joke about Cleveland, but like she’s done many times during her racing career, she crashed and burned! — DAN6EROUS!! #BLESS’M (@Krazy_Dawg99) July 19, 2018 Cleveland’s won a lot more in the last year — and decade for that matter — than Danica has. — Ben Axelrod (@BenAxelrod) July 19, 2018 Danica Patrick making fun of Cleveland sports is hilarious. Lest we forget she started 252 NASCAR races and won exactly NONE! — Bret Korcykoski (@raksales) July 19, 2018 Later, Patrick moved on to James' signing as a free agent with the Los Angeles Lakers. "LeBron is the newest Los Angeles transplant. Los Angeles transplant is also what he googles when he needs new hair." After some moaning in the audience, Patrick shot back with, "When LeBron hosted, he made fun of me too. I'd say we're even. J.R. Smith would say we're up by one." OK, we'll admit, that was kind of funny. After a few more comedy bits, the awards were handed out in perfunctory fashion. Mayfield won for Best College Athlete and James won again for Best NBA Player. The only parts worth remembering: the recognition of the three coaches who died in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting with the Best Coach Award. There was also powerful tribute to the more than 140 survivors of sexual abuse by former Team USA gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar, who joined hands after accepting the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage. "To all the survivors out there, don't let anyone rewrite your story. Your truth does matter. You matter. And you are not alone," gymnast Aly Raisman told the audience. Here's a look at all the winners of the 26th ESPY Awards. Best Breakthrough Athlete: Donovan Mitchell, Utah Jazz Best College Athlete: Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma Best Female Athlete: Chloe Kim, Team USA snowboarder Best Male Athlete: Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals Best Team: Houston Astros Best Game: U.S. women's national hockey team vs. Canada in gold medal game of the 2018 Olympics Best Championship Performance: Nick Foles, Philadelphia Eagles Best Olympic Moment: Shaun White's gold medal-winning final run Best Play: Notre Dame basketball player Arike Ogunbowale's game-winning shot at the buzzer in the women's national championship game Best Record-Breaking Performance: Roger Federer Best International Men's Soccer Player: Cristiano Ronaldo Best International Women's Soccer Player: Sam Kerr Best NFL Player: Tom Brady, New England Patriots Best MLB player: Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Best NHL Player: Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals Best Race Car Driver: Martin Truex Jr. Best NBA Player: LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers Best WNBA Player: Maya Moore, Minnesota Lynx Best Fighter: Terence Crawford Best Male Golfer: Jordan Spieth Best Female Golfer: Sung-Hyun Park Best Male Olympian: Shaun White, snowboarder Best Female Olympian: Chloe Kim, snowboarder Best Male Tennis Player: Roger Federer Best Female Tennis Player: Sloane Stephens Best Male Action Sports Athlete: David Wise, freestyle skier Best Female Action Sports Athlete: Chloe Kim, snowboarder Best Jockey: Jose Ortiz Best Male Athlete with a Disability: Mike Schultz Best Female Athlete with a Disability: Brenna Huckaby Best Bowler: Rhino Page Best MLS Player: Nemanja Nikolic, Chicago Fire Best NWSL Player: Megan Rapinoe, Seattle Reign FC Capital One Cup: Stanford Cardinal sports Jimmy V Award for Perseverance: Jim Kelly, former Buffalo Bills quarterback and cancer survivor<doc-sep>
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Baker Mayfield's night at the ESPYs began with a Cleveland joke that he didn't seem to find funny, but he's hoping to end those jokes once and for all. Mayfield, the NFL's No. 1 overall pick, won the ESPY for Best College Athlete, beating out a field that in included Villanova basketball player Jalen Brunson, Stanford swimmer Katie Ledecky and South Carolina basketball player A'ja Wilson. He added the ESPY to an trophy case that includes the Heisman and an All-America award in 2017. ESPY host Danica Patrick began her opening monologue with -- surprise, surprise -- a Cleveland joke. "For the last 25 years, the ESPYs have been about celebrating the magic of sports,'' Patrick said. "No matter what else is going on in the world, sports have always had the power to inspire and give hope. Unless those people are from Cleveland.'' The camera cut away to Mayfield, who didn't crack a smile and had a dour look on his face as his fiancee, Emily Wilkinson, smiled at him sympathetically. But the night got better for Mayfield, who won the award for best college athlete and then expressed gratitude to his family for helping him realize his dream of playing for Oklahoma. "What an honor,'' Mayfield said. "Feels like the past few months have been about three years ever since I played in that Rose Bowl game." He then thanked his family and Wilkinson, and asked for a round of applause for them. "Without you guys, I wouldn't have chased my dreams at Oklahoma,'' he said. "I grew up an Oklahoma fan in Austin, Texas, right next to Nick Foles, and I dreamed of playing at Oklahoma, I really did and going there and coach (Bob) Stoops and coach (Lincoln) Riley, everybody that helped me out there, you made a dream come true.'' He went on to thank his teammates and remind everyone that he learned from his college antics. "All of my teammates, I had so much fun,'' he said. "All of those guys, it would be too many to thank. You guys helped me fight through the ups and downs. The one thing I will say, (I made) a lot of mistakes through college but a lot of moments that I learned from and I'm proud of that. "So to all the kids out there, if you have dreams, go chase it. No excuse is worth it to quit on your dreams. Go make it happen and just enjoy it.'' Mayfield, who's working out with teammates such as Tyrod Taylor and Jarvis Landry this week at USC, will be back in Cleveland next week for the start of training camp on Thursday.