NFL

NEW ORLEANS — Aldon Smith was among several players preparing for the Super Bowl who doesn’t see anything wrong with their kids playing football.

Responding to President Obama’s comments questioning the safety of the game, the 49ers’ All-Pro linebacker and a few teammates said they’d allow their sons to follow them into the sport.

“It’s not like we signed up and thought we were going to play tennis,” Smith said Monday. “It’s a physical game. Everybody plays hard. And guys get hit sometimes. That’s what we all know coming into the game. We all signed up for it.

“We came out to play football.”

MOBILE, Ala. — Florida State’s EJ Manuel passed for a touchdown and rushed for another on the South’s first two drives in a 21-16 victory over the North in the Senior Bowl on Saturday.

Manuel and running backs Stepfan Taylor and Mike James combined to put the game for senior NFL prospects away on the South’s final drive. Stanford’s Taylor carried five times for 32 yards and caught a 6-yard pass from Manuel.

For five years, Bear River High School freshman Bridger Beus has competed in the National Football League’s Punt, Pass and Kick competition.

Last Saturday, he lived out his dream in Atlanta as one-of-four finalists competing for the national title.

NEW YORK — From nearly unstoppable to nearly invisible.

Tim Tebow was two wins from the Super Bowl a year ago. Now, he’s pretty much a player without a team — likely to be released by the New York Jets after one frustrating season and his hometown team in Jacksonville already pulling in the welcome mat.

Even Tebow doesn’t how this will unfold. A backup role on another NFL team? A position change? The Canadian Football League?

SAN DIEGO — Mike McCoy is the new head coach of the San Diego Chargers.

The team has scheduled a 3 p.m. MST news conference Tuesday to introduce McCoy, who had been the offensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos.

WASHINGTON -- The Hogettes will oink no more.

The group of male fans who have cheered on the Washington Redskins for three decades while wearing dresses, floppy hats and pig snouts announced Friday that the group is retiring.

Two down, five to go.

Doug Marrone became the second coach scooped up by an NFL team Monday, hired by the Buffalo Bills. The move leaves five teams still searching for replacements for coaches who were fired a week ago — the day after the regular season ended.