Before he and his agent have even worked out the terms of his contract, Reggie Bush has been doing charity work in New Orleans. Bush is yet to practice with the team or perform running drills and has instead been doing charity work in order to raise his name appeal and put pressure on the team to give him a contract that he deems as fair. "That (the strategy of charity events) is highly unusual," said Marc Ganis, president of Sportscorp Ltd., a Chicago sports marketing firm. "But the whole situation in New Orleans for the past year has been highly unusual. Reggie Bush's people are producing goodwill for him through good civic contributions."

Northwestern University football coach Randy Walker died of an apparent heart attack Thursday night. He was 52. Walker died after feeling chest pains around 10:00 p.m. at his suburban Chicago home, said Mike Wolf, the school's assistant athletic director. "He will go down as a person who added a great deal to football," Northwestern president Henry Bienen said at a news conference Friday.

Sports reporter and broadcaster Lesley Visser can add another "first" to her list. Visser, of CBS Sports, will become the first woman to receive the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award. The annual award recognizes "longtime exceptional contributions to radio and television in professional football." She will be presented with the award August 5 at a dinner on the eve of enshrinement ceremonies.

Seeking to bolster the quarterback position following a potential season-ending knee injury to backup Luke McCown, the Buccaneers on Thursday signed unrestricted free agent Jay Fiedler, who had visited last week with team officials, to a one-year contract. Although he is still rehabilitating from December shoulder surgery and may not be able to throw at full velocity until training camp late next month, the Bucs are confident that Fiedler can contribute this year for them, especially if starter Chris Simms is injured.

New England Patriots defensive lineman Johnathan Sullivan faces several charges, including possession of less than an ounce of marijuana, after his car was pulled over, police said. Sullivan, 25, was stopped by a police officer early Sunday after he ran two stop signs, a police report said.

The San Francisco 49ers signed punter Tom Rouen on Thursday and waived Tom Malone. Rouen, a 14-year veteran, averaged 41.6 yards on 62 punts for Seattle last season. He averaged 50.2 yards per punt in the Seahawks' 21-10 loss to Pittsburgh in the Super Bowl. Rouen originally entered the NFL in 1991 with the Giants as an undrafted free agent. He played nine-plus seasons for the Broncos. He has also played for Pittsburgh. Malone originally signed with the 49ers after the draft as a rookie free agent out of USC.

The Chicago Bears on Thursday signed starting strongside linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer to a five-year contract extension. Financial terms were not disclosed. Hillenmeyer was eligible to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2006 season. This contract locks him up through 2011.

The Bears signed special teams standout Alex Bannister to a one-year contract on Wednesday. Financial terms were not disclosed. Bannister was a major disappointment as a wide receiver with the Seahawks, catching just nine passes for 121 yards in five seasons. But he made his mark on special teams and was named to the Pro Bowl in 2003 after recording 18 tackles on kick and punt returns. The Bears on Wednesday signed running back Adrian Peterson to a three-year contract extension through 2009.

The Buccaneers likely have lost rookie tight end T.J. Williams for the entire 2006 season after the sixth-round draft choice suffered an injury to his right Achilles tendon during the team's mandatory three-day minicamp last week. It is expected that Williams, the latter of the Bucs' two selections in the sixth round and the 202nd player chosen overall, will be placed on injured reserve.

Homegrown sports icons Mark Cuban and Dan Marino have joined a group that wants to buy the Penguins and keep them in the city to anchor a potential sports-themed development around a new arena, the group's lead backer said Tuesday. Cuban, who grew up in Mt. Lebanon and owns the National Basketball Association's Dallas Mavericks, confirmed he's joining New York financier Andrew Murstein's bid to buy the team. Cuban said by e-mail he wants "to help keep the team in Pittsburgh. That's a condition of my participation."