RIO DE JANEIRO -- They teamed up for a carpool karaoke video. They planted their flag in Brazil. And when the Olympics are done, theyll be remembered as the latest in a long line of U.S. swimming powerhouses.So much for all those dire forecasts.Turns out, the less-than-glittering times at the U.S. trials were no indication of how fast they would swim once they got to the big stage. And all those who thought they were too inexperienced to shine on the international stage totally missed the mark.The Americans went into the final night at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium with a shot at their biggest medal haul in the last three decades.No matter what, Michael Phelps, Katie Ledecky & Co. made sure the U.S. stayed firmly atop the swimming world.We all know were part of a really special team, Ledecky said Saturday, five medals hanging from her neck after one of the greatest performances in Olympic history. We have such great depth in the U.S. in swimming, and its something we take great pride in. This is kind of our stage to show the world that.With four events still to come in the final late-night session, the Americans already had 14 golds -- their most since the Sydney Games -- and 29 medals overall. They were just one off their total from four years ago in London and eying the 33 medals put up by the team that dominated Down Under in 2000.Phelps, of course, was among those leading the way. In what he again insists will be his final Olympics, the 31-year-old piled up four golds before settling for silver in a stunning upset by Singapores Joseph Schooling in the 100-meter butterfly. The 4x100 medley relay was still to come.But no one was more dominant than the 19-year-old Ledecky, whose four golds included two world record-shattering performances. She joined Amy Van Dyken and Missy Franklin as the only American women to capture as many as four golds in a single games, matched Debbie Meyer as the only females to sweep the 200, 400 and 800 free, and also won silver anchoring the 4x100 free relay.What shes doing in the sport is ridiculous, Phelps said.Theres something to be said for the camaraderie displayed by the American team.During their final training session in Atlanta, a host of swimmers -- Phelps and Ryan Lochte among them -- took to the streets to record a James Cordin-style carpool karaoke video . Even Ledecky took a turn behind the wheel, even though she still has just a learners permit.I was only at a gas station, she quipped, so I didnt think I was going to hurt anyone.When the swimmers got to Brazil, they received a history lesson from one of the coaches, Greg Meehan. At a meeting with the female athletes on the eve of the games, he told them about the Homestead Act, the 1862 law that encouraged Americas westward migration by providing free land to settlers.Well let Ledecky take it from there.We each had American flags and they printed out each of the events, and the people that were competing in each of those events came forward, had a little moment together, took the flag and stuck it through the paper and into the grass in the Olympic village, she said. We were just kind of staking our claim in Rio, and I think we kind of did that in the pool as well.In addition to Phelps and Ledecky, the biggest U.S. stars were Maya DiRado, who turned in the ultimate one-and-done with two golds and four medals overall; Ryan Murphy, who extended U.S. mens dominance of the backstroke; Simone Manuel, the first African-American woman to win a gold medal in the 100 free; Lilly King, who backed up her brash diatribe against doping; and Anthony Ervin, the oldest member of the team at 35 and a gold medalist again in the 50 free -- 16 years after he first won the event in Sydney.Even with a hugely disappointing performance by Franklin, who didnt even make it to the final of her two individual events, the Americans still blew everyone away.There are several factors that go into the success of the U.S. program, starting with some simple numbers. The Americans have far more swimmers and resources to draw from than most nations, so its only natural they would dominate.Beyond that, Ledecky pointed to a U.S. trials format that sets up the team to perform well at the Olympics. Over eight nights in Omaha, just a month before the games and following the same schedule of events, swimmers earned their way onto the team before sellout crowds of more than 14,000 at every session.That was bigger than the crowds in Rio, where there were plenty of empty seats each night.Its an overly easy environment for us to swim fast in because weve been through our Olympic trials, which is way more pressure-filled than the Olympics, Ledecky said. Obviously the crowd here hasnt been that intimidating to us.Nothing was too intimidating to the Americans.---Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963 . His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/paul-newberry . 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After Martin Skrtel put the Reds in front from close range at Stamford Bridge after only four minutes, Hazard hit back in the 17th with a superb strike. Etoo gave Jose Mourinhos team a decisive lead from Oscars back pass in the 34th. FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Jalin Marshall anxiously waited three days to hear his name called at the NFL draft.The first day came and went. So did the second. The former Ohio State wide receiver figured a team would grab him in one of the last four rounds.Nope.A total of 253 players were selected in April -- and Marshall couldnt believe he wasnt one of them.There were 32 teams who passed me up in the draft, Marshall said. And now, Ive got a great opportunity to show all these teams what they missed out on. Thats at the top of my list right there.Marshall was signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent shortly after the draft concluded, and he is doing all he can during training camp to prove everyone wrong.He played just two years at Ohio State before declaring for the draft and thinks some scouts might have thought he just didnt have enough experience. Marshall ran a not-so-flashy 4.68 seconds in the 40-yard dash at his pro day, creating more doubts about whether he could play at the next level.People also said I was overweight at the pro day, the 5-foot-10, 200-pound Marshall said. There was a lot of stuff, but it was my fault. It was nobody elses fault but mine, but every day Ive got the opportunity to come out here and prove I shouldve been a No. 1 draft pick -- and thats my goal.Marshall was ready to move on from Ohio State because many of his teammates were going to the pros or graduating. Not one to be left behind in anything he does, Marshall decided it was best for him to play at the next level.He isnt cocky, he insists. Hes just supremely confident in himself, believing that he could make an impact in the NFL despite the draft disappointment and all the doubters.It doesnt fade just like that, he said. There are still people who dont think I should be here. People still think I should be at Ohio State. This thing will go on for the rest of my life, unless I make sure it turns out the right way.Marshall has certainly opened eyes all offseason, so much so that he even got some time with the starters in the preseason opener against Jacksonville last week. He had one catch for 10 yards, but it was his 84-yard kickoff return that had people buzzing.Marshall took the ball out of the end zone, leaped over a would-be tackler, got a huge block from Roontez Miles and scampered 84 yards before being run out of bounds by Dwayne Gratz at the Jaguars 18.ddddddddddddI thought I was gone, man, a smiling Marshall said. I got the opening and felt the guy had a good angle, so I tried to set him up and try to make something else happen, but it was good, man. It was a great experience. I cant explain that feeling. Its my first game ever. Itll never happen again. Ill always have that memory.Charone Peake knows exactly what Marshall means. The wide receiver was a seventh-round pick out of Clemson -- No. 241 overall -- and, like Marshall, faced long odds to make a roster that already has Brandon Marshall, Eric Decker and Quincy Enunwa securing three spots at the position.Peake has strung together more than a week of strong practices and caught a 17-yard touchdown pass from Geno Smith against the Jaguars in which he made a pretty toe tap to get both feet down inbounds.Oh, man, it felt great, he said. It was crazy because I didnt know I was in the end zone and I didnt know I was near the sideline. I was just hoping the ref would say that I caught the ball. When I saw him put his hands up for a touchdown, I was pretty excited.Peake insists he has no hard feelings about his low draft position, knowing that two surgeries on his left knee early in his college career scared off some teams.Im honestly just happy to be here, he said. It doesnt really matter what round it was in.As he continues to make plays at this level and possibly make the Jets 53-man roster, the stigma over his injury history might fade.Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has been impressed by Peake, pointing out his wide catch radius, something that has made Marshall so effective for years. Peake has also been closely studying the veteran receivers to add more of a physical element to his game.Ive been kind of taking in everything Brandon and Eric have been doing on film and taking notes, and that has helped me a lot, he said. Im just building confidence every day and trying to get better every day. 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