MINNEAPOLIS — The NFL Players Association’s claim of collusion by league owners has been rejected by the federal judge who has previously sided with the players.

U.S. District Judge David Doty issued his order on Monday, denying the NFLPA’s request to reopen the 1993 class-action lawsuit that was closed when the new collective bargaining agreement was reached in July 2011. The NFL contended the new CBA prohibited the players from suing, and Doty agreed in his written ruling.

The NFLPA contended that the league imposed a secret salary cap during the uncapped 2010 season that cost the players more than $1 billion. Four teams were punished for overspending that year.

Chiefs own No. 1 pick in NFL DraftNEW YORK — The Kansas City Chiefs own the No. 1 pick in next April’s draft, with the rest of the order set for non-playoff teams.Kansas City and Jacksonville finished 2-14 each, but the Chiefs had the weaker schedule, earning them the top selection.The rest of the top 20 picks were announced Monday by the NFL.Oakland is third, followed by Philadelphia, Detroit, Cleveland, Arizona, Buffalo, the New York Jets and Tennessee.Then come San Diego, Miami, Tampa Bay, Carolina, New Orleans, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Dallas, the New York Giants, and Chicago.The remainder of the selections will be determined by playoff results. The draft will be April 25-27.

Richardson played with broken ribsBEREA, Ohio — Trent Richardson’s rookie season was productive — and painful.Cleveland’s running back revealed Monday that he played most of his first season in the NFL with two broken ribs, an injury that not only made it tough to play but even sleep.“I still can’t lay flat on my back or on my side,” Richardson said, “but it’s going to come around, and I know I’ll be healthy before next season.”Richardson, who sat out Sunday’s season finale in Pittsburgh with a sprained left ankle, hurt his ribs on Oct. 14 against Cincinnati. For the next three or four weeks he said he needed help getting into a shower and dressing. He slept propped up.But he never missed a game and endured pain that would have sidelined most players.“It’s real tough playing like that and I’m the type of guy when anything is hurting, if I feel like I can play, I can play,” he said. “I played the whole season like that. Talking to Jim Brown and a lot of guys they were like, ‘I don’t know how you’re doing it.”’

KSU coach wins Bobby Dodd awardATLANTA — Kansas State’s Bill Snyder, who guided the Wildcats to an 11-1 regular season, is the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year.Snyder was announced as the unanimous winner of the award at halftime of Monday night’s Chick-fil-A Bowl between No. 9 LSU and No. 14 Clemson. The winner is picked each year by votes from a panel which includes previous winners.