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UNLV defensive lineman Ryan Keeler had been dealing with nausea and had felt sick for at least seven days prior to his tragic death on Feb. 20 ... this according to a new police report, obtained by TMZ Sports.

In the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department documents, cops say that after Keeler was found dead in his bed, they interviewed a friend of the football player's who told them Keeler had been fighting an illness since at least Feb. 13.

Cops say the friend, though, had told them he had just seen Keeler at dinner on Feb. 19 ... and Keeler was "feeling a little better."

In the report, cops say a man with the title of "director sports medicine" told them Keeler had been prescribed medication on Feb. 17 ... and had just visited him on Feb. 19 as well.

It's not clear what the prescribed medication was -- the report was redacted.

The new documents also revealed that UNLV assistant coach Julio Garcia was the one who had initially discovered Keeler after doing a welfare check on the defensive end earlier in the day.

According to the report, Garcia had knocked on Keeler's door, and when he got no answer, he kicked the door down, found Ryan unconscious and noted the 20-year-old was "cold to the touch." He then called 911, the report states.

Police also noted in the documents Keeler was found deceased laying face-up in his bed. They said an empty prescription medication bottle was found at the scene.

Keeler had just joined the UNLV football team in 2022 -- after he transferred from Rutgers following his freshman season. In his lone year with the Rebels, he played in two games ... recording a sack and eight total tackles.

A young Virginia Cavaliers fan made an amazing gesture for D'Sean Perry's family ... by gifting them a game-worn glove he received from the late football player.

D'Sean's dad, Sean, shared the keepsake from 13-year-old Cole Pratt on Twitter ... which features the glove, a touching, hand-written letter and pictures of his interaction with their son.

In the note, Cole explains he attended the UVA vs. Georgia Tech game ... and D'Sean waved him over to give him his gloves.

"That made me feel really special," Cole said in the letter. "He was so nice to me. These gloves were the best birthday present that I could have ever asked for."

"So I wanted to give you one of his gloves. I really want you to have it. I have his other one so we can remember him forever."

Perry was one of three Virginia football players who were shot and killed in a terrifying incident back in November ... a tragedy that shook the entire sports world.

As we previously reported, Perry, Devin Chandler, and Lavel Davis Jr. were posthumously awarded degrees in December.

Former Univ. of Georgia stars Knowshown Moreno and Tavarres King are firing back at PETA ... telling TMZ Sports the animal rights org. should kick rocks for demanding their live bulldog mascot be removed from its role.

PETA initially took aim at the school after the National Championship Game earlier this year -- requesting the university retire Uga for good ... calling the dog's position as team mascot cruel to the animal.

But, when we talked with Moreno and King about the situation earlier this month, they both said Uga is living better than some students do!

"I feel like those pets live the best lives!" said Moreno, who played at UGA from 2006 to 2008. "Uga live the life!"

"I don't think folks know how good of a life Uga lives," added King, a receiver for the Bulldogs from 2008 to 2012. "Uga lives a good one."

FYI -- Georgia has used a live mascot since the 1950s ... starting with Uga I. The current mascot is Uga X.

Both Moreno and King said they've personally seen the dogs be treated like royalty, telling us the pups get fed regularly -- and even have first-class seats on team planes.

King also said the mascot's dog house has air conditioning!

Jim Harbaugh is already a beloved figure in Michigan ... but the Wolverines' head football coach just earned even more respect in the community after assisting a police officer with clearing the road during Wednesday's ice storm in Ann Arbor.

Harbaugh played good samaritan when he encountered a member of Ann Arbor's police force who was having difficulty moving a large tree that'd fallen in the middle of the road due to the inclement weather. Coach decided to lend the officer a helping hand.

The PD said while their officer was surprised to see it was the head coach/ex-NFL QB and coach who was helping, the officer gave Jim a pair of work gloves and the two of them got to work together!

Ann Arbor police tweeted about the incident Thursday, saying it took Harbaugh and Ofc. Cooper about ten minutes to clear the tree from the roadway, allowing traffic to finally pass through.

"We thank Coach Harbaugh for being a valued member of the Ann Arbor community and helping out Ofc Cooper," the department said.

The police department also shared the officer's body-worn camera footage where you hear Harbaugh introduce himself to the officer after they finished clearing the tree ... and the cop says, "you're a good man."

"Hey, feel free to spread the word on that," Harbaugh joked.

Alabama Crimson Tide star, Brandon Miller had a career night on Wednesday ... dropping 41 points and scoring the game-winning overtime basket against South Carolina -- just one day after cops said he was connected to a murder case involving his now ex-teammate Darius Miles.

Miller's clearance to play in the SEC matchup was met with a ton of backlash ... with many questioning the decision to allow him on the court after police claimed he brought Miles his gun on Jan. 15, which was ultimately used to kill 23-year-old Jamea Harris.

Fans in attendance expressed their feelings loud and clear throughout the game ... chanting "lock him up," and "guilty" towards Miller.

Bama Athletics defended the decision to let him participate prior to the game ... saying, "Based on all the information we have received, Brandon Miller is not considered a suspect in this case, only a cooperative witness."

As for Miller's side of things, his attorney claimed in a statement he "never touched the gun, was not involved in its exchange to Mr. Davis in any way, and never knew that illegal activity involving the gun would occur."

Miller was not charged with a crime, but Miles and his friend, 20-year-old Michael Davis -- the one actually accused of pulling the trigger -- are both facing capital murder charges.

Bama, thanks to Miller's scoring, won the game 78-76.

Univ. of Georgia linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson, who won back-to-back national titles with the program, was arrested and booked on multiple charges Wednesday.

According to Athens-Clarke County booking records, Dumas-Johnson was taken into police custody Thursday night on charges of reckless driving and racing on highways/streets.

The alleged race happened on January 10, when a UGA police officer said he witnessed "two newer model Dodge Charges" next to each other at a red light. When the light turned green, the cars "spun their tires and began racing" at a "high rate of speed." The cop said he turned on his lights and gunned it to 75 MPH, but his car was just too slow. The police officer lost both cars.

However, the police investigated and eventually got a judge to sign off on a warrant for Dumas-Johnson's arrest on February 21.

Police say they attempted to reach Dumas-Johnson by phone, but were unsuccessful. They left him a voicemail informing Jamon there was a warrant for his arrest and directed him to turn himself into the county jail.

Jamon, listed at 6'1", 250 lbs., was booked at 6:34 PM on Thursday and released less than an hour later by UGA Police.

Univ. of Alabama star forward Brandon Miller is expected to play on Wednesday night ... one day after cops testified he was the one who brought the gun that was used in the killing of a woman in Tuscaloosa last month.

The school's athletic director, Greg Byrne, said in a podcast just hours before the Tide were set to tip off against the Univ. of South Carolina that Miller did make the trip with the team to Columbia, S.C. and is scheduled to play in the game.

The contest is slated to begin at 8 PM CT.

Of course, the impending move comes as a surprise to many ... as on Tuesday, police said Miller had a connection to the murder case involving his ex-teammate, Darius Miles.

Cops alleged in testimony that Miles had contacted Miller on Jan. 15 about bringing him Miles' gun, which he'd left in Miller's car earlier in the night. Police said Miller eventually arrived on the scene with it -- and the firearm was ultimately used in the killing of 23-year-old Jamea Harris.

Miles' friend, 20-year-old Michael Davis, is the one actually accused of pulling the trigger.

Following the new police testimony, Alabama head coach Nate Oats said Miller was not facing any punishment from him or the school. Oats told reporters, "Brandon hasn't been in any type of trouble nor is he in any type of trouble in this case. Wrong spot at the wrong time."

Miller's attorney, in a lengthy statement released Wednesday afternoon, said Miles' gun was in Miller's car when Miller went to pick up the former Tide basketball player ... but Miller insists he "never touched the gun, was not involved in its exchange to Mr. Davis in any way, and never knew that illegal activity involving the gun would occur."

The attorney added, "Brandon does not own a firearm and has never even handled a firearm. Moreover, he had no knowledge of any intent to use any weapon."

Miller has not been charged with any crimes. He is fully cooperating with authorities in the case, his attorney said.

Miles and Davis, meanwhile, are both facing capital murder charges.

LSU star wide receiver Malik Nabers -- who caught 72 passes in 14 games for the Tigers last season -- has been arrested in Louisiana, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

According to authorities, the 19-year-old was taken into custody by the New Orleans Police Dept. on Monday ... and booked on a misdemeanor charge of illegal carrying of a weapon.

Police records show he was released on Tuesday.

NOLA.com reports Nabers was initially stopped by police on Bourbon Street after they said they saw an "L-shaped object" in the football player's pocket.

A spokesperson for LSU told ESPN the school is still receiving information on the case ... but Tigers head coach Brian Kelly is aware of the arrest.

Nabers -- a four-star recruit out of high school -- played as a true freshman in 2021 ... but broke out in his sophomore season this past year, logging 1,017 receiving yards and three touchdowns.

New Mexico State football head coach Jerry Kill made good on a promise to his players Sunday -- getting a tattoo after they helped him win a bowl game ... and it's MASSIVE.

Coach Kill made the agreement with his squad back in December ... telling his team if it defeated Bowling Green in the Quick Lane Bowl in Detroit, MI, he would get the ink on his arm.

And, after his players got the 24-19 dub -- he kept his word ... hitting a tattoo shop in Las Cruces, N.M. this weekend.

Kill and NMSU showed off the artwork in a series of photos on their social media pages, and you can see the piece is huge -- featuring two intersecting pistols, the year of the bowl victory (2022) and the words "Bowl Champs."

"It's honoring a group of young men that did some things that probably nobody, including their head coach, didn't know if they could do it," Kill told KTSM after getting the tat.

"It is a good way to honor them and a good way to remember them. Believe me, I would not have made the bet if I didn't think it was special."

The ink was the first Kill's ever gotten.

Jason Derulo sees big things happening for women's pro volleyball after the star musician launched a brand new volleyball franchise in Nebraska ... and the org will be part of a league founded by Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow!

Derulo joined Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs nightly on FS1) ... where the "Trumpets" singer broke the news, announcing his new team will play in the Pro Volleyball Federation -- a league founded in part by the star QB.

"I'm excited because volleyball is on a crazy trajectory."

The league, PVF, will launch in February 2024, and they plan to play across the country in some of the biggest arenas.

FYI, volleyball's huge in the Cornhusker state. In fact, since 2013, the University of Nebraska's squad has led the nation in attendance, even setting a record last year when nearly 16K fans packed their arena to watch a match.

That's to say, Derulo, who has 57 million followers on TikTok, wholeheartedly believes the sport is on the come up in a big way.

"It's on the way up and to be a small part in what these ladies created is pretty incredible to me. I think it's gonna change sports forever."

And, unlike in a sport such as basketball, where the men's game is more popular, women run volleyball.

"Women's volleyball is actually leading. It's not the guys this time that are leading. I'd like for real pro volleyball to be the platform that just changes women's sports forever."

FYI, Jason also teamed up with his business partner, Danny White, who is from Omaha.

"The trajectory just seems so bright," 33-year-old Derulo said, adding ... "It's just been growing year after year after year and if it continues on this path, especially with this platform, I think it can absolutely be the next big thing."

Jason says he also wants to be the owner of the team with the "happiest players in the world," saying "I wanna make sure everybody is living their dream."

Like him or don't, it's undeniable that Jake Paul can strike ... but if the Problem Child truly wants to brush up on his wrestling skills and take an MMA fight, there's a U.S. wrestling legend who tells us he's happy to train the 27-year-old star -- Bo Nickal!

Nickal is a 3x NCAA Division I wrestling champion (184 lbs. x 2, 197 lbs.) who earned a UFC contract on Dana White's Contender Series last year. On Wednesday, TMZ Sports was talking to the 27-year-old, who just signed a deal with Jake's media company, Betr (more on that soon), when we asked if he planned to train with JP.

"Oh yeah. 100 percent. I'm super excited to train with [Jake]. Not only to be able to help him out a little bit on the MMA grappling side, but also just to learn from him," Bo said, adding, "He's got a ton of experience boxing and it'd be awesome just to be able to get together and work together."

Of course, Paul, 6-0 as a boxer, recently signed a deal with PFL ... and called out Nate Diaz. Jake, a solid wrestler in high school, proposed a two-fight deal with the MMA star from Stockton ... one MMA fight and one boxing match.

As for the partnership with Paul's Betr, Bo says he and Jake have a few things up their sleeves ... including a 'UFC Embedded'-style show that'll follow Nickal as he prepares for his first proper UFC fight.

Speaking of, Bo, 3-0 in MMA, just learned when he'll be making his first non-Contender Series appearance ... and it's on a big card, UFC 285, headlined by Jon Jones vs. Ciryl Gane. Jones hasn't been in the Octagon since beating Dominick Reyes in February 2020, over three years ago.

Nickal will face MMA veteran, Jamie Pickett at middleweight (185 lbs.) in the first fight on the main card.

Bo has visions of winning a UFC title, but isn't looking past his first fight ... a scrap he intends to end with a knockout or submission, and early on in the fight.

"I think first and foremost, I plan on just focusing on one fight at a time. Taking care of business this next fight, putting on a spectacular performance. I'd like to get a first-round finish. I'm expecting to finish this guy, regardless."

"Getting a finish in my UFC debut is really most prominently on my mind."

To say Bo's pumped about the Pickett fight may be an understatement ... he's ready to go!

It's not every day you see a cheerleader ejected from a basketball game ... but, here we are!

Just that happened to a cheerleader from Mississippi Valley State University who, for some reason, decided it was a good idea to walk on the court and confront an Alabama A&M player during Saturday's conference game.

During the second half, played at the Harrison HPER Complex ... the cheerleader was doing a front hurdler jump when Bama guard/forward Dailin Smith, who was inbounding the ball, appeared to accidentally hit her leg.

She wasn't pleased.

The next time down the court, and when play stopped, the cheerleader walked right up to Smith to confront him. On. The. Court.

When she got to Dailin, she actually appeared to give him a little shove ... and you can hear someone yell for security on the live broadcast.

The MVSU broadcasters were baffled by the events, as they attempted to figure out what was happening as security and police approached the cheerleader.

"They're gonna put one of the cheerleaders out of the game," the broadcaster said. "It's getting real heated here."

The woman was eventually escorted out of the arena.

Former Ohio State Buckeyes star wide receiver Dimitrious Stanley passed away this week, after a long battle with prostate cancer. He was 48 years old.

Stanley -- who played for the Buckeyes from 1993-96 -- disclosed his diagnosis back in 2019 ... urging his friends and family to get tested for the disease.

According to a GoFundMe set up by former Ohio State wide receiver Tyson Gentry, Stanley briefly went into remission ... but unfortunately, the cancer returned.

Stanley was famous for his incredible performance in the 1997 Rose Bowl ... catching a 72-yard touchdown to help Ohio State beat Jake Plummer and Arizona State, 20-17.

Stanley led the Buckeyes in receiving that season ... earning more than 800 yards and catching eight touchdown passes.

He went on to play professionally in the Canadian Football League for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Arena Football League for the New Jersey Red Dogs.

Stanley also ventured into local TV during his post-OSU career ... providing analysis on "The Football Fever" on ABC 6.

Stanley's former co-host, Anthony Rothman, shared a touching tribute ... saying, "My heart is shattered. Best friend/brother Dimitrious Stanley has passed after an incredibly courageous battle against prostate cancer."

Riley Gaines, an All-American swimmer, is speaking out against the NCAA after she says her and her fellow competitors were made to share a locker room with transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, and were exposed to "male genitalia."

Gaines, a 12x All-American and 5x SEC champion at Kentucky turned women's sports advocate appeared on FOX News' "America Reports", and talked about Thomas.

"Of course, we competed against Thomas, we were not forewarned beforehand that we would be sharing a locker room with Lia. We did not give our consent. They did not ask for our consent," Gaines, a 12x All-American and 5x SEC champion at Kentucky turned women's sports advocate said when she appeared on FOX News' "America Reports."

Gaines continued ... "But in that locker room we turned around and there's a 6'4" biological man dropping his pants and watching us undress, and we're exposed to male genitalia."

Of course, Lia swam three seasons on the men's swim team at the University of Pennsylvania before transitioning and competing as a woman, where she won an NCAA National Championship in 2021.

While Thomas dominated in the pool, Gaines says it's the locker room situation that bothered her most.

"That to me was worse than the competition piece. Not even probably a year, two years ago, this would've been considered some form of sexual assault. Voyeurism. But now, not even are they now just allowing it to happen, it's almost as if these large organizations are encouraging it to happen."

"Of course, after NCAA Championships, the NCAA nominated then nominated Thomas for NCAA Women of the Year. So we're celebrating this movement."

Her story has been a polarizing one for Americans ... and it's a debate that's been hotly contested.

Gaines is fighting to pass "Fairness in Women's Sports" bills, and she also wants to establish separate locker rooms for transgender athletes. She says she hopes other like-minded women will step up and speak out like she's done, but acknowledges many are scared and worried about retribution.

Clemson men's basketball star Brevin Galloway has turned a horrifying injury into a huge boon for his wallet ... scoring a big NIL deal after he severely hurt his testes last week.

Men's underwear company Shinesty announced Thursday they signed the senior guard to a pact that promises to pay him some cash and give him a whole bunch of undies -- after he suffered a testicular torsion injury that he hilariously described in a social media video as his balls "exploding."

Galloway explained in the deal's announcement that he believed the ailment happened because he was wearing loose boxers. But, now, he says he's confident his new Shinesty Ball Hammock pouch gear will keep him -- and his babymakers -- safe and sound going forward.

"Now I can focus on dropping 3's," he said, "since I know Ball Hammocks won’t drop my 2's."

In the company's announcement, Shinesty officials said Galloway is recovering from his surgery nicely and will "return to the court later this month."

Michigan State cornerback Khary Crump just caught a big break in his tunnel assault case -- the player was sentenced to probation after agreeing to a plea deal ... and will not spend any time behind bars.

Crump was one of 7 MSU players who faced legal trouble after the post-game altercation with a Michigan player in October ... and was charged with one felony count of assault by the Washtenaw County Prosecutor's Office.

Crump was the only MSU player hit with a felony ... but earlier this month, he pled guilty to misdemeanor assault and battery and disorderly person jostling.

Crump was sentenced to 12 months probation and 80 hours of community service ... and his charges can be wiped from his record if he completes the requirements of his sentence.

"That was all I could really hear, I was crying in my heart," Crump told reporters. "It felt beautiful. I'm just looking forward to finishing my term and getting back on the field."

"I just want to get past probation, put this behind me and get back to the initial plan," the 21-year-old defensive back added.

The Big Ten conference announced in November that Crump is suspended for the first eight games of next season and the other 6 players were hit with four-game suspensions.