As the final hours ticked down before Christmas Eve and the first night of Hanukkah, Jacksonville shopping centers buzzed with last-minute holiday activity. News4JAX caught up with shoppers as they rushed to complete their lists—and found a festive surprise along the way.

Brian Allen is returning to the sidelines of a Columbia High School football program he knows well.

The Los Angeles Rams are used to making the NFL’s boldest moves and getting the big-name players they want.

Deebo Samuel turned a short catch into an electric 57-yard touchdown, Talanoa Hufanga returned an interception for a score and the San Francisco 49ers beat the Los Angeles Rams 24-9.

The Los Angeles Rams’ honeymoon from their Super Bowl championship didn’t even last until the first Sunday of the next regular season.

Let the dealing begin — if mostly unofficial.

Sean McVay was the youngest head coach in modern NFL history, and now he is the youngest coach to win the Super Bowl.

No team in the NFL is built like the Los Angeles Rams because nobody else would dare.

Brandon Powell returned a punt 61 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter to lift Los Angeles with Matthew Stafford mired in a slump.

Andrew Whitworth reaches a remarkable milestone in his career and his life when the Los Angeles Rams visit the Arizona Cardinals on Monday night.

The Los Angeles Rams snapped their three-game losing streak with a 37-7 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

One Columbia alum leaves and another one fills the void.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Rams announced they will hold their team meetings from home Wednesday after an unidentified player tested positive for coronavirus Tuesday night. Washington also placed injured defensive lineman Matt Ioannidis on the list after announcing a positive test. The Raiders put Ferrell and Joyner on the list Tuesday, joining linebacker Cory Littleton, who tested positive last week, and right tackle Trent Brown, who tested positive last month. Los Angeles center Brian Allen was the first NFL player to confirm he had tested positive for coronavirus back in April. A person with direct knowledge of the situation said the player who tested positive did not travel with Washington for its game at Detroit last weekend.

The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___The Los Angeles Rams will hold their team meetings from home Wednesday after an unidentified player tested positive for coronavirus Tuesday night. Los Angeles center Brian Allen was the first NFL player to confirm he had tested positive for coronavirus back in April. The list is used for players who either test positive for the coronavirus or have had close contact with someone who tested positive. ___Bill Haas has tested positive for the coronavirus and has withdrawn from the RSM Classic this week at Sea Island. ___An unidentified New York Giants player has tested positive for the coronavirus, prompting the team to work remotely Tuesday.

(AP Photo/John Froschauer)Denver Broncos running back Phillip Lindsay has cleared concussion protocol and will play against the Los Angeles Chargers. Bears: WR Ted Ginn Jr., DB Duke Shelley, RB Artavis Pierce, OL Cody Whitehair, WR Riley Ridley, LB Trevis Gipson. Seahawks: RB Chris Carson, RB Carlos Hyde, DE Benson Mayowa, CB Ugo Amadi, SS Jamal Adams, CB Shaquill Griffin. ___LOS ANGELES RAMS AT MIAMIRams: RB Raymond Calais, OL Brian Allen, WR Trishton Jackson, TE Brycen Hopkins, DL A’Shawn Robinson. Dolphins: RB/WR Lynn Bowden Jr., RB Salvon Ahmed, FB Chandler Cox, CB Jamal Perry, RB Jordan Howard, DE Jason Strowbridge.

Jeudy is active for the Bucs game as Denver quarterback Jeff Driskel makes his first start while Drew Lock recovers from a shoulder injury. Cardinals: QB Brett Hundley, WR Christian Kirk, RB Eno Benjamin, OL Mason Cole, OL Josh Miles, DL Leki Fotu. ___CHICAGO AT ATLANTABears: CB Duke Shelley, OG Arlington Hambright, NT Daniel McCullers, WR RIley Ridley, OLB Trevis GipsonFalcons: WR Julio Jones, CB A.J. Browns: WR Donovan Peoples-Jones, CB Greedy Williams, LB Jacob Phillips, Olivier Vernon, Evan Brown and WR Rashard Higgins. Brown, CB Chris Jackson OLB Derick Roberson, C Aaron Brewer, TE Geoff Swaim, DT Matt DickersonVikings: WR Tajaé Sharpe, WR K.J.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Brian Allen is stepping away from his head football coaching position at Columbia this season due to concerns about the coronavirus and the possibility of bringing it home to his family. The Columbia High School coach said on Tuesday night that he was taking a step back in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and will not serve as the teams head coach. He is the areas first head coach to voluntarily step aside this season due to coronavirus concerns. Allen hopes to return to the head coaching position in spring if conditions are conducive to that. Allen has been a stabilizing presence at his alma mater, coaching future NFL players like Laremy Tunsil and Trey Marshall.

Since then, school districts have been tailoring starts to what works best for them. Duval County opted to allow its teams to play football games the week after, Sept. 11, to better allow for more practice time. All joking aside, we have a date to practice, we have a date to play and they said that we can play. Allen said thats the path he preferred and he was grateful that the school district heard his concerns. Im glad that my school district agreed with it and was on board with that, the recommendation of the SMAC.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. School districts in Florida were given the green light to start sports practices on schedule in the fall, despite words of warning from doctors. Until these numbers come down, Im not gonna feel comfortable, said Columbia High School football coach Brian Allen. The Florida High School Athletic Association voted last night during a five-hour emergency board meeting that fall sports can begin practicing as scheduled, even as coronavirus cases spike in Florida. Some coaches are worried about an outbreak snd they say this isnt an even playing field. Schools in hot zones, like Jacksonville, Tampa and Miami, are at a disadvantage over rural campuses.

On Monday, the FHSAA decided to give school districts the option to begin practicing July 27. That goes against the recommendation of the states own 10-member Sports Medicine Advisory Committee, which wants to push back sports that it considers higher risk. This comes as other states like California, Georgia and Texas, hotbeds for high school football, made major changes to their seasons. Texas announced on Tuesday that it was postponing the start dates of its largest classifications mainly its major metro area schools by a month. Lets have school start and two or three weeks after, we will reevaluate.According to the Florida medical committee, it recommended the state would need to show a 28-day decrease in COVID-19 cases before games could be held.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. High school athletics across the area remain in much different places in their return to sports during a global pandemic. The official start date for high school sports practice in Florida remains July 27, although that seems to be an extreme best case scenario as districts around the area are in much different places of what they feel comfortable doing. She said that Duval is in a holding pattern at this point as the county awaits word from the Florida High School Athletic Association on the start date for fall sports. The FHSAA Fall Sports Task Force has held three meetings in the past month and suggested to explore the idea of moving the start date back to no earlier than Aug. 10. We were told were doing a good job, following CDC guidelines, following protocol, said First Coast High School football coach and athletic director Marty Lee.

Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott has tested positive for the coronavirus, according to his agent. Rocky Arceneaux told the NFL Network on Monday that Elliott was feeling OK and recovering. Arceneaux did not immediately return messages seeking comment, but a person with direct knowledge of the diagnosis told The Associated Press that Elliott had the positive test about a week ago and could be described as symptomatic. Los Angeles Rams center Brian Allen was the first to publicly acknowledge a positive test, on April 15. The 24-year-old Elliott has led the NFL in rushing twice in his first four seasons.

Brian Allen played at Columbia High School and went on to star in college at Florida State and later played in the NFL. While times and distractions have given fans more choices now than ever before, there's still nothing like playing or coaching Friday night under the lights in Lake City. For one of the most passionate fanbases in the state, they still come out to support the Tigers.