Patriots linebacker Junior Seau retires again

Junior Seau is retiring again and looking ahead to more time on his surfboard.

The 12-time Pro Bowl linebacker, who came out of retirement to rejoin the New England Patriots in their sixth game this season, said in remarks taped for broadcast Wednesday night on Showtime that he’s ending his career.

Seau played eight games for the Patriots this season, all as a backup, finishing with last Sunday’s 33-14 playoff loss to Baltimore in which he made a season-high five tackles.

“That’s going to be my last game,” he said during the interview taped Wednesday.

That was more definitive than comments earlier in the interview when he said, “I’m going to go surf. . . . Whatever happens, I can say, honestly say, that that probably was my last game.”

Seau, an All-American at USC, first left football briefly in August 2006 after 13 seasons with the San Diego Chargers and three with the Miami Dolphins.

He signed with the Patriots four days later and started 14 of the 27 games he played for them over two seasons. He retired after the 2007 season, then came out of retirement for the last four games in 2008 before retiring after that season.

Seau, who turns 41 on Tuesday, played seven regular-season games this season and made 15 tackles.

Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson was selected as the NFL offensive player of the year by the Associated Press. Johnson rushed for 2,006 yards, setting an NFL record for the most yards from scrimmage (2,509).

Former Cleveland Browns coach Romeo Crennel has agreed to become defensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs.

New York Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer has turned down the Buffalo Bills’ request to interview him for their vacant head-coaching job, ESPN.com reported.

Washington Redskins offensive line coach Joe Bugel retired after more than three decades in the NFL. Bugel, 69, was a head coach with the Arizona Cardinals and Oakland Raiders.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Houston’s QB won’t enter draft

Houston quarterback Case Keenum has decided to play for the Cougars his senior year, skipping the NFL draft.

Keenum is one of two players in major-college history to throw for more than 5,000 yards in each of two seasons. He threw 44 touchdown passes last season and ranked sixth in the nation in passing efficiency.

All-American linebacker Greg Jones will return to Michigan State for his senior season.

ETC.

UCLA’s Morgan tears quadriceps

UCLA center J’mison Morgan suffered a torn quadriceps in his right leg in practice Tuesday and will be sidelined from two to three weeks, the school announced.

The sophomore is averaging 2.0 points and 1.2 rebounds this season.

-- Chris Foster General Motors says an agreement with Tiger Woods that allowed the fallen golf star to have free access to its vehicles is over. Woods’ endorsement contract with GM’s Buick brand ended in 2008, but an arrangement remained in place that allowed him to keep several GM loaner vehicles. A spokesman says the arrangement ended on Dec. 31.

Doctors in Salt Lake City say American snowboarder Kevin Pearce is making encouraging strides in his recovery after suffering a severe brain injury last month.

Dr. Elaine Skalabrin said in a statement that Pearce is “actively participating in his therapies” and making daily progress.

Edmonton Oilers goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin will have surgery for a herniated disk in his back and is expected to be out 12 weeks.

New York Mets center fielder Carlos Beltran had surgery on his troublesome right knee and will miss the start of the season.