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After retiring from judo for a second time as Commonwealth champion in 2014, youd think Euan Burton would have quietly stepped into an office job that didnt involve throwing people on to mats. Not his style. The 37-year-old now keeps himself busy hurling his wife across the floor… and getting paid for it! Burton, born in Ascot, is leading the judo performance programme for his adopted Scotland in Edinburgh.Gemma Gibbons, AKA Mrs Burton and Olympic silver medalist in 2012, is continuing her qualifying battle for Rio and she couldnt have a better mentor and coach in her corner.Her husband reveals why he made a U-turn on quitting the sport, his love affair with Scotland and how being a Sky Academy Sports Scholar ignited his career.I was on the podium at the Commonwealths and I just felt relief. I was in Glasgow, in front of a sell-out home crowd, Scottish flags were everywhere and everyone was screaming. It was the perfect way to hang up my judo kit and I thought this has been a good career.There were 24 months to Rio and I had moved up two weight categories to 100kg. I had been fighting at 81kg which meant a lot of dieting. My natural progression was to move to 90 but because I was coaching those three fighters trying to qualify at that same weight I would have felt very uncomfortable going against them! Mr and Mrs Burton with Euan adding an MBE to his collection for his judo career It turned out that I had done something pretty special.The Olympic level is something very different. My body was getting older and my ability and motivation to go through the torture at the elite level was probably waning! I would be 37 in Rio and I wasnt willing to be at an Olympics just to take part. Winning a medal didnt feel realistic so I was happy to let the younger guys take over!I first gave up judo after the 2012 Olympics which hadnt gone to plan. I had the desire and drive to win a medal but that didnt materialise. I moved into coaching and was working with the Scottish athletes aiming for the Commonwealth Games and we had high aspirations being a home Games.A year after London I was just a coach keeping my eye on the mat. All my focus was on the coaching, but I had never competed for Scotland having always fought under the Union Jack for Britain at the major competitions.I had spent my whole career training in Scotland and I was very proud to be a Scottish athlete and I thought that if I could give something back and win a medal it would be good for me and Scotland and to end my career.I was training so much in those last six months. I was then told to focus on winning a medal in the last three months! Fortunately I won gold and it was the most successful Commonwealths ever for Scotland and for judo - It was 30 medals, 14 athletes, six golds - not a bad return!I was a Scholar in the build-up to London 2012 and it helped in so many ways. Something I became of aware of very quickly was the level and professionalism of the profile of myself as an athlete and judo as a sport. Crazy scenes in Glasgow as Burton is crowned Commonwealth champion in 2014 We werent stupid because many people didnt know what judo was but driving in Edinburgh seeing the Sky branding and the Team GB branding on a bus stop was amazing and for people to view me as athlete and to make people think thats a sport our kids could do was incredible - that was a major benefit.I got texted from people at bus stops beside my picture saying youre not looking too bad as an old man! It represented the sport in a good way. People involved in judo are very passionate and they wished more people knew about judo and so getting feedback from Sky and how well youre coming across gave me a good feeling. Seeing your face on the big posters was unreal though! It was almost embarrassing but in a very good way. Boosting the profile of the sport is something Im very proud of.I didnt capitalise with a medal but my wife did with a silver at London. She took everybodys hearts.The amount of time and work you put into your sport, the money you make is often disproportionate and so getting the support from the Scholarship scheme was just a fantastic feeling. It was small things like getting those experiences visiting the Sky studios understanding how to promote yourself, how the industry works and what makes a good story.It taught me how to deliver my story in a 30-second snippet in front of camera. That makes a big difference as an athlete. Being able to present and talk to people now, you cannot underestimate how big an impact those experiences can have on you going forward.One amazing thing about the Scholarships was the variety of athletes. We had gymnast Louis Smith and swimmer Liam Tancock and we were all brought together for promotion. You can get caught up in a bubble of your own sport and it was so good to share experiences of other sports with people who went through similar things. Born in England, but Burton is now helping to propel Scotlands top judo athletes on the worlds stage I was always trying to learn and take the good from what anybody is doing and that was very beneficial. I picked up so many little ideas on adjusting training or preparing better.For any new Scholars, I would recommend them embracing all the opportunities. Get out of your comfort zone! Certain experiences will fill you with dread and youll wonder how youll cope. But anything that challenges you help you develop.Theyll need to understand its such a huge honour to be a Scholar and such a huge opportunity to meet people and learn. Even a tiny fraction of their ability as an athlete can mean the difference between standing or not standing on the podium.Being the national high performance coach is challenging but my goal is to do well, particularly with athletes heading to the Rio Olympics and Paralympics. I want those guys to be as well prepared as possible and hopefully we can put them in a place to deliver something special.WHATS COMING UP FOR OUR SCHOLARS19 - 27 MAY: Savannah Marshall, World Championships in Kazakhstan22 - 30 MAY: Sam Oldham, Europan Gymnastics Championships in Switzerland Also See: Euan Burton wins Commonwealth gold Sport Scotland British Judo Council Euan Burton on Twitter About the Scholarship Meet the athletes Blogs Videos Galleries Ted Williams Rangers Jersey .com) - The Chicago White Sox have officially announced that the club has agreed to terms with utilityman Emilio Bonifacio on a one-year, $4 million contract that includes a team option for the 2016 season. Hunter Pence Rangers Jersey . -- Felix Girard scored on the power play in the third period to lift the Baie-Comeau Drakkar past the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada 4-3 in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action Friday. https://www.cheaprangersbaseball.com/532h-phillips-valdez-jersey-rangers.html . Watch the action live on TSN and listen on TSN 1050 Radio beginning at 7pm et/4pm pt. The Raptors maintained their spot atop the Atlantic Friday after defeating the Wizards, 96-88, for their second win in a row. Tim Federowicz Jersey .com) - Coming off a pair of tough losses last week, the Syracuse Orange will try to put an end to their first losing skid of the season when they pay a visit to the Maryland Terrapins at the Comcast Center on Monday night in Atlantic Coast Conference action. Willie Calhoun Jersey . - The Carolina Panthers believe Steve Smith lost "top-end" speed, a big reason the franchise parted ways with its all-time leading receiver.OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Ray Rice stepped to the microphone, took a deep breath and spoke for 17 minutes about what he called "the biggest mistake of his life." His arrest for domestic violence against his then-fiancee last February is something Rice figures will haunt him long after NFL career has ended. The Baltimore Ravens running back was arrested on assault charges following a Feb. 15 altercation in New Jersey in which he allegedly struck Janay Palmer. Rice has been accepted into a diversion program, which upon completion could lead to the charges being dropped. "My actions that night were totally inexcusable," said Rice, who during Ravens training camp Thursday spoke publicly for the first time since receiving a two-game suspension from the NFL. "My daughter is 2 years old now. One day shes going to know the power of Google. Me having to explain that to her, what happened that night, thats something I have to live with the rest of my life." Rice was referring to a grainy video in which he is shown dragging Palmer, now his wife, from an elevator at an Atlantic City casino. He did not address the incident at an impromptu news conference in May, and although he refused to divulge details on Thursday, he dismissed the notion that he was provoked. "I dont want to keep re-living the incident. Im trying to move forward," he said. "What happened that night was a huge mistake, and thats what Ill keep it at. I dont condone any of my behaviour. I take full responsibility for my actions. My wife can do no wrong." Rice wore a Ravens polo shirt and a pained expression throughout the session. More than a dozen TV cameras were in place, some telecasting the interview live, and several of his teammates stood behind the throng to show their support. Rice, 27, is the teams career leader in total scrimmage yards and ranks behind only Jamal Lewis in total yards rushing. But this press conference wasnt about football. This was about apologizing for actions that he insisted were one of a kind. "It was the first time it ever happenedd," he said.dddddddddddd. "Ive never had a problem with domestic abuse. This was a one-time incident." In addition to the two-game suspension, Rice was fined three paychecks totalling more than $500,000. There have been reports that the fine was too light. Rice declined to weigh in on that subject except to say that he would have accepted whatever penalty the NFL deemed fit. "No football games and no money was going to determine what I have to live with the rest of my life. That punishment I received from the NFL, it hurts that I cant play football," he said. "I never planned to appeal any kind of punishment. So whether it was two games, four games, six games, eight games, I was going to own my actions and be a man about it and take whatever was given to me." Rices reputation has likely taken a harder hit than he has ever absorbed on the field. "In some peoples eyes, Ray can do no wrong. Thats something I take pride in," he said. "I know a lot of people out there have lost respect, maybe not like me anymore. But thats my fault. I have to own that. Thats my battle each day." Rice also pleaded with his fans to make smart decisions. "I still have kids out there wearing 27 jerseys, and I just want to tell them that please dont make the mistake I did," he said. "I always talk about one or two bad decisions and your dream can become a nightmare, and I was truly living a nightmare." Rices teammates still support him. "Ive known Ray for a while. Hes a great guy," linebacker Elvis Dumervil said. "Were all human, we all make mistakes." Rice realizes how many people were hurt by his actions. "Thats not who I am as a man. Thats not who my mom raised me to be," he said. "I let her down, I let my wife down, I let my daughter down, I let my wifes parents down, I let the whole Baltimore community down, and I got my teammates here to support me, I let my teammates down. I let so many people down because of 30 seconds of my life that I know I cant take back." ' ' '