BUTLER TWP — The Butler High School boys basketball program will honor 1,000-point scorer Bobby Swartwout prior to Thursday's varsity game against Perry Academy in the high school gym.

Swartwout, a 2011 graduate now playing baseball at West Virginia Wesleyan, scored his 1,000th point with Butler during the playoffs last season. The Golden Tornado did not play a home game after he reached that milestone.

CHICAGO — The attorney for Sam Hurd said his client had never sold drugs to other NFL players, hoping to put any rumors to rest as the wide receiver without a team prepares to fight federal drug charges that could put him in jail for 40 years.Less than an hour after Hurd was cut by the Chicago Bears, defense attorney Brett Greenfield told reporters that his client planned to fight the charges.League spokesman Brian McCarthy said the NFL was closely monitoring the situation. Asked about a report that authorities have a list of NFL players with ties to the drug case, McCarthy said: “We are not aware of such a list.”

NEW YORK — The NFL denied James Harrison's appeal of a one-game suspension for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Cleveland quarterback Colt McCoy, and the Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker will sit out Monday night's game against San Francisco.The ruling was made by NFL-NFLPA on-field appeals officer Ted Cottrell.Harrison was suspended Tuesday because of the hit to McCoy during the Steelers' win over the Browns on Dec. 8. McCoy suffered a concussion.The NFL cited Harrison's history of flagrant hits — this was his fifth on a quarterback — in making him the first player suspended under stricter guidelines for player safety that were invoked midway through last season.

STANFORD, Calif. — Chris Owusu's college football career is likely over. Whether he ever plays football again is still to be determined.Stanford coach David Shaw said the senior wide receiver will “probably not” play in the Fiesta Bowl for the fourth-ranked Cardinal against No. 3 Oklahoma State on Jan. 2, adding, “it's not going to happen, it's not going to happen.”Owusu sustained at least three concussions in a 13-month span and absorbed several other blows from defenders this year.

NEWARK, N.J. — Saying it felt right to be wearing a Devils jersey again, a humble Scott Niedermayer saw his No. 27 jersey retired by the New Jersey franchise that he helped win three of his four Stanley Cups.The swift-skating Niedermayer is only the third Devil to have his jersey retired by the franchise, joining fellow defensemen Scott Stevens (No. 4) and Ken Daneyko (No. 3).