IN BRIEF

Suspended Roethlisberger can return to Steelers next week

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was cleared by the NFL on Thursday to return to the Pittsburgh Steelers next week, but no decision was made on the length of his suspension. Roethlisberger was suspended without pay for six games last month by commissioner Roger Goodell after a 20-year-old college student accused him of sexual assault in Milledgeville, Ga. No charges were filed.

The Steelers’ next offseason workout is Tuesday, the first of three next week. They will have three the following week, then are off until training camp starts July 30. Roethlisberger was already cleared to join them in camp and can play in preseason games.

Also: New Orleans Saints tight end Jeremy Shockey was taken by ambulance to a hospital after suffering a seizure at the team’s training headquarters in Metairie, La. It was uncertain how long Shockey would be hospitalized, but he posted a message on his Twitter account saying he was OK.

The Oakland Raiders have filed a grievance seeking $9.55 million in back wages from recently released quarterback JaMarcus Russell. A Yahoo! Sports story said the money was paid as salary advances for the 2010 to 2012 seasons.

The late Pat Tillman and former Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard are among the 14 newly elected members of the College Football Hall of Fame. Tillman played linebacker for Arizona State from 1994 to 1997 and gave up an NFL career to enlist in the Army in 2002. He was killed while serving in Afghanistan in 2004. Howard was a wide receiver for Michigan and won the Heisman in 1991.

The other players elected were defensive lineman Dennis Byrd of North Carolina State; center Ronnie Caveness of Arkansas; defensive lineman Ray Childress of Texas A&M; guard Randy Cross of UCLA; running back Sam Cunningham of Southern California; quarterback Mark Herrmann of Purdue; receiver Clarkston Hines of Duke; defensive back Chet Moeller of Navy; halfback Jerry Stovall of Louisiana State; and linebacker Alfred Williams of Colorado. Coaches Barry Alvarez and Gene Stallings were also elected.

miscellaneous

Three tied for first-round lead
at Colonial; Mickelson 89th

Jason Bohn, Jeff Overton and PGA Tour rookie Blake Adams shot 7-under-par 63s to share the first-round lead at the Colonial in Fort Worth, Texas, where 2008 champion Phil Mickelson struggled after an impressive start.

Mickelson birdied the first two holes, but that was the lowest he got on a hot day with ideal scoring conditions. He finished with a 1-over 71 and is tied for 89th place.

Brian Davis was fourth after a 64. John Daly shot 66, his first bogey-free round in two years, as 75 players broke par.

Also: Robin Freeman and Bernhard Langer each shot 6-under 66 to share the first-round lead in the PGA Senior Championship at Parker, Colo. The two took advantage of early tee times before winds whipped up and dried out the greens, giving them a two-shot lead over Tom Lehman and Brad Bryant.

A longtime friend of Memphis Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph faces drug charges after Indianapolis police said they found him driving the NBA player’s SUV with a cooler containing marijuana.

Arthur Boyd, 32, was arrested after police investigated an informant’s tip that Randolph was involved with Indianapolis-area drug dealers, according to court documents. Randolph, who was not in the vehicle, has not been arrested and “adamantly denies” any involvement with drug activity, his attorney said.

Connecticut assistant basketball coaches Patrick Sellers and Beau Archibald resigned a day before the university’s news conference to update an NCAA investigation of potential recruiting violations. Coach Jim Calhoun is expected to attend today’s news conference.

The Champions League soccer final was seen by 1.6 million viewers on Fox, an increase from 1.4 million for last year’s game on ESPN. Inter Milan’s 2-0 victory over Bayern Munich on Saturday was the first U.S. over-the-air network telecast of a European Champions League final.