COLLEGE FOOTBALL

LEINART FIRES HIS AGENT Southern California quarterback Matt Leinart fired his agent, Leigh Steinberg, less than three weeks before the NFL draft, where he is expected to be among the top three choices.

Steinberg, who has represented some of the top quarterbacks during the last 25 years, said yesterday he did not know the reason for the decision.

Leinart, however, is also represented by Creative Artists Agency. Last week the agency hired Tom Condon, who represents such quarterbacks as Peyton and Eli Manning, Drew Brees, and Alex Smith, the no. 1 pick last year by San Francisco. Condon previously worked for International Management Group.

FOOTBALL

GIANTS’ FEAGLES TO RETURN FOR 19TH SEASON New York Giants punter Jeff Feagles will return for a 19th season in 2006.

Feagles, 40, had considered retiring after the 2005 season. He decided recently to return to the team after reaching an agreement under which he will be able to see his wife and four children in Arizona during the season, the team said.

Feagles holds the NFL record for career punts and set the league mark for consecutive games played last season when he played his 283rd, breaking the record set by Minnesota’s Jim Marshall in the 1960s and ’70s.

JETS SIGN OFFENSIVE LINEMAN TREY TEAGUE The New York Jets signed offensive lineman Trey Teague yesterday, picking up a possible replacement at center for Kevin Mawae.

Teague, a seventh-round draft pick by Denver in 1998, spent the last four seasons with Buffalo and started every game with the Bills. He’s played most of his career at tackle, but saw time at center last season.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

JERRY WEST’S SON SIGNS AT FATHER’S ALMA MATER Jonnie West has signed a national letter-of-intent to play at West Virginia, the school his father Jerry led to a national title game 46 years ago.

“As we like in all our players, Jonnie can really shoot the ball and has exceptional talent,” coach John Beilein said yesterday. “Jonnie is young in age and is still developing physically.”

The 6-foot-3 West averaged 18.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 2.5 steals per game at Lausanne Collegiate School in Memphis, Tenn.

REDICK WINS SULLIVAN AWARD FOR NATION’S TOP AMATEUR ATHLETE

Duke star J.J. Redick won the Sullivan Award yesterday night, becoming the first men’s basketball player since Bill Walton in 1973 to be honored as the nation’s top amateur athlete.

Redick beat out Texas quarterback Vince Young, who led the Longhorns to a national title with a win in the Rose Bowl over Southern California and its two Sullivan Award finalists – Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush.

The Duke senior also took the 2005 Sullivan Award over two-time AP women’s basketball player of the year Seimone Augustus of LSU, Florida hurdler Kerron Clement, two-time Olympic gold medalist in taekwondo Steven Lopez, Olympic diving champion Laura Wilkinson, 2005 World Cup champion skier Bode Miller, and gymnast Chellsie Memmel, the 2005 world gymnastics champion.

BASEBALL

RED SOX SIGN CRISP TO $15.5 MILLION, THREE-YEAR EXTENSION Coco Crisp agreed yesterday to a $15.5 million, three-year contract extension with the Boston Red Sox.

Crisp, on the disabled list with a broken finger, already was signed for this year at $2.75 million. The extension contains a $1 million signing bonus and salaries of $3.5 million in 2007, $4.75 million in 2008 and $5.75 million in 2009. The deal contains an $8 million team option for 2010 with a $500,000 buyout and contains salary escalator provisions.

GRIFFEY LEAVES GAME WITH STIFFNESS IN KNEE Cincinnati center fielder Ken Griffey Jr. left Wednesday’s game against the Chicago Cubs in the fourth inning because of stiffness in the back of his right knee. Griffey said the injury isn’t serious, but he doesn’t know if he will be able to play Thursday in the series finale at Wrigley Field. – Associated Press