JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Sports in 2023 marked a year of highs, lows and head-scratchers both locally and nationally.
Here are 10 of the most-read stories in 2023 on News4JAX.com in chronological order.
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Damar Hamlin’s scary collapse
The Buffalo Bills defensive back collapsed on the field after a tackle in a Monday night game against the Bengals on Jan. 2. Hamlin’s heart stopped from the collision. He was administered CPR on the field as players looked on in disbelief of what they were witnessing. The game was called off. Hamlin was on a ventilator for four days and released from the hospital on Jan. 9. Hamlin returned to the field for an Aug. 12 preseason game and made three tackles. He played in his first regular season game back on Oct. 1. Hamlin has recorded two tackles this year.
Jaguars cap worst-to-first turnaround
From the No. 1 pick in the draft to the No. 1 spot in the AFC South, the Jaguars rallied to beat the rival Titans 20-16 on Jan. 7 in the regular season finale to win the division. Jacksonville was just 2-6 at the midway point before ripping off a blistering second half of the season. That stretch included an unreal win in OT against the Cowboys and a rally at the finish to stun the Ravens. Jacksonville finished 9-8 in Doug Pederson’s first season, a year after it was 3-14. The Jaguars became just the fifth team since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970 to go from worst in the league to division winner in a season. The team’s rallying cry, “It was always the Jags,” becomes the catchphrase across Jacksonville.
Bulldogs go back to back
Pierce County High School graduate Stetson Bennett and the Georgia Bulldogs crushed TCU 65-7 to win their second straight college football national championship. It was the most lopsided beating since the inception of the BCS in 1998.
Jaguars win playoff game in epic fashion
The Jaguars went into a 27-0 deficit in the first half before mounting the third-largest comeback in playoff history to stun the Chargers 31-30 on Jan. 14 at then-TIAA Bank Field. Trevor Lawrence threw four interceptions in the first half before bouncing back with four touchdowns and a two-point conversion leap to set up Riley Patterson’s 36-yard field goal as time expired. Lawrence celebrated by taking a number of teammates to Waffle House in Jacksonville Beach, a trip that went viral.
Jaden Rashada asks for release from Gators football team
Gators quarterback signee Jaden Rashada requested a release from his national letter of intent after a $13 million name, imagine and likeness deal fell through. In the wild, wild West of college football, even that news managed to turn the sports world on its ear. Rashada, who had flipped to Florida from Miami and was expected to be the guy for Billy Napier, wound up signing with Arizona State.
Jaguars fall to Chiefs in AFC divisional playoffs
The storybook season that included an AFC South title and a classic playoff win ended with a 27-20 loss to the Chiefs. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes played through an ankle sprain to lead Kansas City to the win, which was sealed with two takeaways over the final six minutes. Jacksonville won 10 games. The Chiefs go on to beat the Eagles to win the Super Bowl.
Tom Brady retires ... for good
Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady calls it a career after his third season with the Buccaneers. Brady, 45, briefly retired last February only to change his mind and return for a 23rd season. “Thank you guys for allowing me to live my absolute dream,” he said. “I wouldn’t change a thing. I love you all.”
Record NFL draft for local players
Eight area players who graduated from schools in the News4JAX coverage region were selected in the NFL draft, including Baker County High School graduate Cooper Hodges by the Jaguars. In 1987, 2002, 2010 and ‘18, the area had six players with local ties selected. And in 2017, seven players from area high schools were taken. This year eclipsed that by one.
Ex-mayor tips hand about Jaguars stadium
Two-term Jacksonville mayor Lenny Curry let it slip during a May 10 radio interview on 1010XL that a new Jaguars stadium would likely displace the team for up to two years while renovations took place. That ignited not only conversations locally but restarted the national debate about Jacksonville and the support here.
PGA Tour, LIV Golf join forces
After nasty back and forth and legal battles, the PGA Tour and the Saudi-backed LIV Golf league announce that they will combine and end the court fights. It was a move that blindsided golfers and continues to be a polarizing topic.
Jaguars Stadium of the Future revealed
Jacksonville’s long rumored stadium is unveiled during a June 7 online presentation. Conversation about stadium updates began in 2016 and finally had renderings — and a jaw-dropping price tag — for fans to look at. The team did not release price estimates, but according to city documents from May 11 and 24, the team projected the cost of a renovated stadium between $1.2 and $1.4 billion. A new sports district development would cost between $550 and $668 million, placing the combined cost between $1.75 and $2.068 billion. The cost for a brand-new stadium, according to the city documents, would be $1.9 to $2.1 billion.
Miller Electric Center opens
While the ribbon-cutting ceremony took place eight days earlier, it wasn’t until July 26 that fans got a chance to see the Jaguars practice for the first time at the brand new, $120 million facility. The training facility took about 18 months to complete. It is a 125,000-square-foot, two-story facility equipped with locker rooms, training and medical facilities, office space and a draft room. It also features two full-size grass practice fields and one indoor field, along with shaded public viewing stands, concession areas and a team store.
Jacksonville Sharks win NAL title, then leave league
The Sharks overcame a 17-point deficit and roared back to beat the Carolina Cobras 54-45 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena to win their third National Arena League title. It is the third NAL crown for Jacksonville and first since 2019. Ten days later, the Sharks announce that they were leaving the league and joining the 16-team Indoor Football League.
Florida State snubbed from College Football Playoff
Never before had an unbeaten Power 5 conference champion been excluded from the College Football Playoff — until this year. Florida State went 13-0 and won the ACC. But when selection Sunday came, the Seminoles were bypassed by one-loss Alabama and one-loss Texas. The outrage has been fierce, including state politicians demanding answers and the Florida attorney general demanding answers for the playoff committee. The Seminoles’ consolation prize is a 12-1 Georgia in the Orange Bowl.
Florida State sues ACC
The Florida State board of directors sued the Atlantic Coast Conference for its exorbitant fees to leave the league. Florida State put the price tag to leave the ACC in the $500 million range. The Seminoles had been discussing the possibility of leaving the ACC throughout the year as the school said it has fallen behind other colleges in different conferences.