Packers Hall of Fame defensive end Willie Davis dies

Willie Davis, a Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive lineman who helped the Green Bay Packers win each of the first two Super Bowls, has died. He was 85.

Davis died in a Santa Monica, Calif., hospital. His wife, Carol, said her husband had been hospitalized for about a month with kidney failure and passed away peacefully.

"The Green Bay Packers family was saddened today to learn about the passing of Willie Davis," said Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy. "One of the great defensive players of his era, Willie was a significant contributor to the Packers' five NFL championship teams during the 1960s.

A 15th-round draft pick from Grambling, Davis began his career by playing both offense and defense for the Browns in 1958 and '59 before being traded to the Packers.

college football

Commissioners: Open schools first

The commissioners of the nation's major college football conferences held a 30-minute conference call with Vice President Mike Pence and stressed that sports cannot return from the shutdown until campuses have reopened.

The White House has said it is important to reopen the U.S. economy, though the details on how will be complicated.

The college football season is scheduled to begin Labor Day weekend but many questions remain to be answered.

"[We] made the point we were concerned and wanted to get back to having kids attending college and opening up our colleges and universities," Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby said. "That until that happened we weren't going to be having any sports."

baseball

Manfred wants MLB to be ready to go

"I think it's incumbent upon us to turn over every stone to try to play the game in 2020 if there's any way we can in the environment," the commissioner said.

Among the plans baseball is investigating is basing all 30 teams in the Phoenix area and using the 10 spring training ballparks there, the Diamondbacks' Chase Field and possibly college facilities.

"We have tried to be cautious about trying to go too soon, based on what the public health situation is," Manfred said. "For people to be out there saying we're not going to have any sports in 2020, I think that's going the other way. I think we all need, no matter what your predilection is, to wait for the situation to unfold more, give us more information and then make realistic decisions about what's possible."

• Former Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Damaso Garcia, a two-time All-Star in the mid-1980s, died Wednesday in his native Dominican Republic. He was 63.

around the horn

College basketball: Kentucky sophomore forward EJ Montgomery and Washington freshman forward Jaden McDaniels will enter the NBA draft.