Showing posts with label Coach Brian Jenkins. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Coach Brian Jenkins. Show all posts

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Bethune-Cookman Wildcats football vies for 3 of state's top 160

Daytona Beach, FL - Rivals' FlaVarsity.com recently released its top 160 football prospects for the class of 2012. While several of the recruits have already verbally committed to colleges, many others are mulling their choices and waiting for more offers.

Three players on the elite list -- Dondre Daley, Chris Murray and Elijah McClendon -- say Bethune-Cookman is among their top choices. The Wildcats and coach Brian Jenkins do not shy away from recruiting the top prospects in the state and have achieved several recruiting victories over bigger schools. But once a smaller school ventures into this stratosphere, the competition is pretty tough.

"If Bethune-Cookman gets two of the top 100 players in Florida, that's awesome," Sporting News recruiting reporter Brian McLaughlin said. Before National Signing Day in February, the Wildcats may be in the hunt for more of the state's top prospects.

READ MORE

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Former B-CU QB Matt Johnson signed by CFL BC Lions

VANCOUVER, Canada - The BC Lions have added a fifth quarterback for training camp with the signing of Matt Johnson. Johnson played four seasons with Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida where he led the Wildcats to a school-best record of 10-2 and a share of the 2010 MEAC Championship.

The Lions are expected to add a sixth quarterback before rookies report to camp June 2 in Kamloops. BC is talking with University of California-Berkeley quarterback Kevin Riley. Lions coach and general manager Wally Buono says if a team "is going to be in excess at any position, it should be at the quarterback position."


Videographer: rbcoach2

BC Lions Signs Former Bethune-Cookman QB Matt Johnson

Vancouver - The BC Lions Football Club announced today that quarterback Matt Johnson has signed with the team.

Johnson appeared in 32 games over four seasons at Bethune-Cookman throwing for a total of 3,283 yards on 243 completions as well as 18 TD’s. As a senior, Johnson led the Wildcats to a program-best 10-2 record and a share of the 2010 MEAC Championship. He led the conference in total offense with 2,514 total yards and passing average, connecting on 65.1 percent of his throws (140/215). He also ranked second in the MEAC and FCS in passing efficiency (152.5) and sixth in the MEAC in scoring touchdowns (20).

The Lions also added import running backs Tim Brown and Michael Smith. All three signings will attend BC Lions rookie camp slated to begin in Kamloops, BC on Thursday, June 2nd.

Matt Johnson described as a Damon Allen type

VANCOUVER - Three years ago, the B.C. Lions added a rookie quarterback to their training camp roster who was billed as the next coming of Tracy Ham, a 2010 inductee into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.

But the book on Omar Haugabook turned out to be more baloney than prosciutto. The “electrifying” Haugabook short-circuited in rookie camp and was released before the CFL team’s main camp opened.

Thus, Tuesday’s announced training camp addition of a “Damon Allen type” quarterback – Matt Johnson from Florida’s Bethune-Cookman University – must be greeted with not a pinch, but a pickup truck load of salt. Johnson will arrive at training camp in Kamloops 72,381 yards in arrears of Allen, pro football’s all-time passing leader and a four-time Grey Cup winning quarterback.

For now, the only area of comparison is their ectomorphic body types. Johnson is listed at 5-10, 175 pounds. Allen was a will-o’-the-whipish 6-1, 175, and almost impossible to hit squarely because of his elusiveness.

READ MORE, CLICK EACH TITLE.
VISIT: BETHUNE COOKMAN UNIVERSITY
VISIT: B-CUATHLETICS
VISIT: BCLIONS

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Florida Classic to stay in Orlando through 2015

ORLANDO, FL -- Bethune-Cookman University President Dr. Trudie Kibbe Reed and Florida A&M University President Dr. James H. Ammons, in concert with the Florida Classic Consortium, announced today that Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida has signed on to become the title sponsor for the annual football game between the two schools, as well as title sponsor of Battle of the Bands. The Consortium has also agreed to an extension with Florida Citrus Sports that will keep the game at Orlando’s Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium for the next five years.

The agreement with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida is for three years with an option to renew in years four and five. During that term, the game will be known as the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Florida Classic, while the Battle will now be called Florida Blue Battle of the Bands.


Videographer: andremc69

The Florida Classic began in 1978 and has spent the last 17 years in Orlando. Since its move to Orlando in 1997, this annual clash between these two Historical Black Colleges and Universities has averaged more than 66,000 at the Citrus Bowl. The game has been a regular on national television -- the ESPN network of stations since 2005.

Due in large part to these strong attendance numbers and the number of people traveling to Orlando for the week leading up to the game, the Florida Classic generated an estimated $31 million in economic impact for Central Florida last year.



VIDEO: B-CU and FAMU renew rivalry in Orlando

READ MORE, CLICK TITLE
VISIT: FLORIDA CLASSIC

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Bethune Cookman: QBs 'need work in every area,' but there is hope

ORMOND BEACH, FL -- After Saturday's Maroon and Gold scrimmage, Bethune-Cookman football coach Brian Jenkins still seemed unsure about the Wildcats' quarterback situation. "Both of them need work in every area," Jenkins said of sophomore QBs Jackie Wilson and David Blackwell after Maroon defeated Gold 14-7 at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex.

With spring drills now complete and preseason practice less than four months away, you'd think this would be a major concern. Until you realize that last year, Jenkins and his staff felt the same way.

The coaches weren't sure if Matt Johnson could handle the quarterback job in the Wildcats' new no-huddle spread system. But the senior worked hard after the spring and looked like a different quarterback when summer drills got underway.



B-CU's spring game had different feel

ORMOND BEACH -- That Ormond Beach dateline leading off a local football story might seem a bit different, but it was a different type of spring football outing for Bethune-Cookman.

Moving the annual Maroon-and-Gold game to the Ormond Beach Sports Complex seemed as pleasant was it was different. It was more of a neighborly affair, complete with barbecue, music, some baseball diamonds across the way and a couple of youth-soccer games within a decent punt to the east.

The other differences involved the events at hand. Normally, the spring game is designed to give the football-starved fan base a little look-see at what's coming four months down the road.

BCU Spring Football 2011 - Photo Gallery

Pros, B-CU, charity all win

DAYTONA BEACH -- What does Bethune-Cookman football alum Nick Collins do to follow up his 37-yard pick-six in this year's Super Bowl? The NFL lockout and another season with his Green Bay Packers will have to wait.

Friday night, Collins and fellow former-Wildcat great Eric Weems of the Atlanta Falcons hosted a "Pros vs. Joes" basketball game at Moore Gymnasium. With D.J. turntables spinning live at courtside, color commentary from emcee Harold Ford and some 700 fans on hand, the Pros eventually prevailed 102-89 after a close first three quarters.

Ticket proceeds benefited Wildcats football, which plays its spring game at 4 p.m. today at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex, as well as Collins' Jump Start Foundation. The foundation works with single parents and youth and awards scholarships to students Collins' old high school in Cross City.

READ MORE, CLICK EACH TITLE.

VISIT: BETHUNE COOKMAN UNIVERSITY
VISIT: BCUATHLETICS

Saturday, April 16, 2011

What to look for at B-CU's spring football game today

ABOUT THE GAME
WHERE: Ormond Beach Sports Complex
WHEN: Today, 4 p.m.
ADMISSION: $5 ($1 students with ID); parking

1. Quarterbacks
This could be the last chance for Jackie Wilson or David Blackwell to get a leg up heading into summer drills in the battle to replace 2010 MEAC player of the year Matt Johnson. Head coach Brian Jenkins calls the two QBs mirror images of each other. Will Wilson have an advantage playing with the maroon squad and the first-team O-line?  In the summer, the position battle could heat up even more when freshman Quentin Williams, Florida's Mr. Football winner, arrives.

2. Running backs
This could be a chance for someone to break out of a crowded pack. Three of last season's top four rushers (excluding quarterbacks) return: Isidore Jackson (514 yards, 4.4 yards per carry, eight TDs), Johnathan Moment (257 yards, 4.4 ypc, three TDs) and Andronicus Lovette (261 yards, 6.7 ypc, six TDs). Throw into the mix...


Videographer: madie1898; BCU Symphonic Band, Spring Concert 2011, "Someone"

Will Spirited Spring Game Draft Add To Saturday's Show?

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. –- What was the difference between the Bethune-Cookman University football team’s spring game player draft and those drafts you’re accustomed to watching on television? Well, Mel Kiper Jr. would have been completely clueless for one thing.

Part actual draft, part brokering session and part deal-making that you expect to find in smoke-filled rooms – in this case, without the smoke – as the evening progressed, the Wildcats gathered Thursday night in the football coaches office and labored until the wee hours of the morning hammering out the line-ups for Saturday’s game at Ormond Beach Sports Complex.

There were players practicing to be agents and the ever-looming threat of a “blockbuster trade” at the 11th hour, but the most important thing for B-CU Head Coach Brian Jenkins was seeing a lot of enthusiasm and camaraderie among the coaching staff and players.

READ MORE, CLICK EACH TITLE.

VISIT: BETHUNE COOKMAN UNIVERSITY
VISIT: BCUATHLETICS

Baseball players sign letters-of-intent to Bethune-Cookman

Four high school baseball players from around Hillsborough County signed their national letters-of-intent Thursday night. The players, members of the Team Xtreme travel baseball team, gathered at the Westchase Beef O' Brady's.

Middleton's Eric Comstock signed his letter-of-intent to play at Eastern Michigan University. He was joined by Einar Muniz (Jefferson, Bethune-Cookman University), Mike Estevez (Jefferson, Bethune-Cookman) and Sean Cramer (Armwood, Polk State College). Strawberry Crest's Jordan Keys, who was also there and a member of Team X, will sign his letter-of-intent April 21 to play baseball at St. Pete College.

BCU Incoming: Big County Prep Interviews B-CU Tampa Bay Area Signees

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

B-CU hires QBs coach from Kansas

DAYTONA BEACH, FL -- Bethune-Cookman head coach Brian Jenkins hired a new quarterbacks coach, but for now he is still handling the offensive coordinator duties himself.

Jenkins hired Joe Dailey, the recruiting coordinator at Kansas under head coach Turner Gill last year, to replace Danny Barrett as QB coach. Barrett left last month to become an assistant coach at UCF. Jenkins said he likes what he has seen of Dailey so far in early spring drills.

"He's a very detailed coach, very passionate and a good recruiter," Jenkins said. "I'm very excited from what I've seen from him on the practice field."

Dailey played quarterback at Nebraska under...



READ MORE, CLICK TITLE.
VISIT: B-CUATHLETICS

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

B-CU: Question Marks

A year ago, the excitement of football coach Brian Jenkins' first spring practice at Bethune-Cookman was palpable.

Fans wanted to know what the new coach would bring to the table. What kind of offense would he install to replace the triple-option that the Wildcats had stuck to for 12 seasons? Could he revive a program that had slipped back into mediocrity after making the playoffs in 2002-03?

The answers surpassed even the most optimistic expectations. B-CU won a share of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship in Jenkins' first season and hosted a Division I-AA playoff game. As for the offense, quarterback Matt Johnson was named MEAC Offensive Player of the Year, leading a prolific unit that averaged 38.2 points and 425.6 yards per game.

READ MORE, CLICK TITLE.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Bethune-Cookman Reaps Bay Area Talent, Hopes To Use It To Defeat FAMU

If Florida A&M alumni around the Bay area are still wondering what happened on Signing Day, yes that was your rival Bethune-Cookman coming around here and signing four players to your zero.  Going forward, this 2011 class for the respective rival HBCU schools could be a perfect test study for comparing Bay area prep prospects to those from north Florida. Has the Bay area been overlooked as one of the best training grounds in all of the country?

While both schools plucked some talent from south Florida high schools, FAMU concentrated it’s signings to the northern part of the state and Alabama and Georgia. Meanwhile, Bethune-Cookman head coach Brian Jenkins landed one of the top FCS 2011 signing classes by recruiting all over but was heavy with players on the state road 60 corridor.

READ MORE, CLICK TITLE.

Friday, February 25, 2011

BCU Announces 2011 Football Schedule

Wildcats Open With MEAC/SWAC Challenge; Face Miami on 10/1

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - A season opening ESPN game and a first-ever meeting with a renowned national powerhouse highlight the 2011 Bethune-Cookman University football schedule released today.

Coming off a 10-2 season that saw them claim a share of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship, advance to their first NCAA FCS playoff appearance since 2003 and being named National Black College Football Champions, the Wildcats will open the season against SWAC foe Prairie View A&M in ESPN's MEAC/SWAC Challenge on September 3 in Orlando. On October 1, the Wildcats travel to south Florida for a date with the Miami Hurricanes; their first foray against a BCS team.

"We announced in 2010 that we wanted to upgrade our schedule. The success of our program in Brian Jenkins' inaugural season paved the way for us to consider new and bigger opportunities for our team, university and fans to experience," said B-CU Athletic Director Lynn Thompson. "We are proud to move in this new direction."

Jenkins agreed with Thompson and is looking forward to the challenging 11-game slate. "It's a strong schedule that will test us early," Jenkins said.

Of the Wildcats' 11 games, eight are in the state of Florida, including five in Daytona Beach. The Daytona Beach games includes two early season matchups against MEAC power South Carolina State and Hampton that will set the tone for the conference race.

"It will be very convenient for our fans to follow us in record numbers like they did last year," Thompson said. "We're excited about what 2011 will bring to our fans."

Two key dates always important for Wildcat fans are Homecoming - slated for October 15 against Fort Valley State, an old rival from the days of Division II -- and the Florida Classic November 19 against Florida A&M.

For season ticket information, contact the BCU ticket office at (386) 481-2465.



2011 B-CU Wildcats Football Schedule
DATE OPPONENT LOCATION
September 4 Prairie View (MEAC/SWAC Challenge) Orlando, Fla.
September 10 South Carolina State * Daytona Beach, Fla.
September 17 Open
September 24 Hampton * Daytona Beach, Fla.
October 1 Miami Miami, Fla.
October 8 North Carolina A&T * Greensboro, N.C.
October 15 Fort Valley State (Homecoming) Daytona Beach, Fla.
October 22 Norfolk State * Norfolk, Va.
October 29 North Carolina Central * Durham, N.C.
November 5 Morgan State * Daytona Beach, Fla.
November 12 Savannah State Daytona Beach, Fla.
November 19 Florida A&M * (Florida Classic) Orlando, Fla.

HOME GAMES IN BOLD -- *-MEAC Game

By Bethune Cookman Media Relations

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Bethune-Cookman Football Signs 27 for 2011

Daytona Beach, FL - “I think this recruiting class is very talented,” said Head Coach Brian Jenkins. “We have some size that we wanted. We have a lot of speed and a lot of range. “I think we were very successful with this class; that is yet to be seen because they still have to take the field.

The exciting thing about his class is 90 percent of these guys are already qualified. That is exceptional. I am really excited about this class. It’s a lot of talent, and we have to get it out of them early. That’s what we are looking for, all of these guys to jump in and contribute right away.”

The 2011 class features 27 new additions to the Wildcats roster, including four presently enrolled in the spring semester at B-CU. The list also features three Division I FBS transfers, a highly-rated defensive back from Florida, and a wide receiver, free safety, and linebacker considered among the top players in the prep school ranks…plus let’s not forget that the Wildcats picked up Florida's "Mr. Football".

Bethune-Cookman 2011 Football Signing Class

Dominic Addison- CB - 6’2” - 170 - Freshman - Riverview, Fla. - Spoto High School
Coach Jenkins on Addison: “Tremendous athlete; Anybody who has watched his film knows that this man can get it done on either side of the ball. He’s going to play corner for us. At between 6’1” and 6’2” he is a great addition for us because it gives us two big corners, and I can see Nick contributing right away.”

Breon Allen - RB - 5’6” - 170 - Freshman - Daytona Beach, Fla. - Warner Christian High School

Ryan Bryson - DT - 6’3” - 280 - Freshman - Jacksonville, Fla. - Menendez High School
Coach Jenkins on Bryson: “Defensive lineman, very strong and athletic guy. We watched him throw guys side to side and make plays. His strength and size is something we have been lacking and he has a chance to come in and make a name for himself right away.”

Seth Clayton - WR - 6’1” - 185 - Freshman - Altamonte Springs, Fla. - Lyman High School
Coach Jenkins on Clayton: “Very explosive, very smooth, and another one that runs great routes. His ability has only been scraped. I think he can be an explosive guy with us in our offense at many different positions, and I expect great things from him.”

*Tavares Dantzler - LB - 6’3” -230 - Freshman - Homestead, Fla. - North Carolina Prep
Coach Jenkins on Dantzler: “Originally out of Homestead, Florida. 6’3” 230 pounds and has been clocked at 4.5. Great upside; this guy can play anywhere on the field. Anywhere you put him, he will perform because he has that much ability.”

*Marquis Drayton - S - 6’1” - 220 - Freshman - Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. - North Carolina Prep
Coach Jenkins on Drayton: “Coming to us out of North Carolina Prep School, he is originally out of Dillard High School in Ft. Lauderdale. As a 220 pound free safety, he has a lot of range. He can cover the middle of the field and is big enough to come down into the box and tackle those big running backs.”

Al-Ghaffar - LB - 6’2” - 225 - East Orange, N.J. – Transfer/Rutgers
Coach Jenkins on Ghaffar: “Very fast; has been clocked at 4.49. Will graduate from Rutgers and still have two years to be able to play. He’s a guy who has played a lot of football and I am excited about him because he brings a lot of speed to our linebackers, and he’s a competitor.”

Jhomo Gordon - WR - 6’0” – 185 - Freshman - Palm Bay, Fla. - Bayside High School
Coach Jenkins on Gordon: “A young achiever who possesses a lot of talent. More of a possession guy; Runs good routes; Very aware of the package that we run; Very physical with the ball after the catch. A young man who I think has a very bright future here.”

Tyree Green - WR - 6’1” -190 - Freshman - St. Petersburg, Fla. - Boca Ciega High School
Coach Jenkins on Green: “This young man possesses great size and speed. Very, very athletic and has the ability to possibly contribute right away.”

Daniel Jackson - LB - 6’2” - 225 - Freshman - Winter Haven, Fla. - Bartow High School
Coach Jenkins on Jackson: “A young kid who has a great upside. He runs extremely well, and he’s going to have to develop a little bit, but he has a big frame and a lot of ability. I think he’s going to be the big surprise out of the whole recruiting class.”

Howard Jones - CB - 6’2” - 170 - Freshman - Harvey, La. - Warren Easton High School
Coach Jenkins on Jones: “Great upside; Reminds us of Ozzie Slater a little bit. A very fast kid, long arms, and gives us what we’ve been looking for at the corner spot. You know we wanted big corners and you know this young man is out of New Orleans and has played in the inner city league and knows what it takes to be accustomed to being a physical football player at that position.”

Rakeem Knight - DL - 6’3” – 294 - Freshman - Birmingham, Ala. - Restoration Academy
Coach Jenkins on Knight: “He’s one that has not played much football, but I’ll tell you what, he’s been clocked at 4.49. He can run; he pursues ball carriers, runs them down, and causes damage.”

Harold Love - DL - 6’2” -305 - Junior - Portland, Ore. - Feather River CC
Coach Jenkins on Love: “He’s going to be an anchor for us on the inside. I’m really excited about this guy because his attitude is tremendous. He’s a great leader, and he’s one that I really think is going to elevate to the next level defensively.”

Stavion Lowe - OT - 6’5” - 330 - Junior - Brownwood, Texas - Tyler CC
Coach Jenkins on Lowe: “He originally signed with LSU out of High School, a real big, big offensive lineman, period. He’s another young man that I think will play at that tackle spot for us. He understands our scheme and he understands what it takes just to be a top offensive linemen. He was one of the top offensive linemen coming out of high school, and we expect him to come and step right on the field from day one and lead the charge for us.”

De’Shon Nettles - WR - 6’3” - 195 - Freshman - Buffalo, N.Y. - North Carolina Prep
Coach Jenkins on Nettles: “A big, physical receiver who possesses everything needed to be a playmaker. I think he will be a very, very good replacement for Reams, who we lost as a senior. I expect really, really good things from him, and I think he’ll come in and contribute right away.”

Leroy Pate - CB - 6’1” - 205 - Freshman - Jacksonville, Fla. - Raines High School
Coach Jenkins on Pate: “A guy who is dual-threat player, who can play safety or corner. The thing that he has is he’s a ball hawk; he has a nose for the ball and making plays, and he is a big kid. He gives us another big corner at close to 200 pounds, and 5’11”, and exactly what we were looking for.”

Rashard Payne - CB - 5’10” - 180 - Orchard Park, N.Y. - Eerie CC
Coach Jenkins on Payne: “Originally out of Pompano Beach, Florida, but went to a junior college in Buffalo. He is a tough medium-sized corner. He reminded us of Dion Hanks who we have here now. Great upside is he has a nose for the ball; one that’s not scared of contact and he will hit you whenever he has a chance to lay some wood on you.”

Reginald Polite - DL - 6’3” - 260 - Freshman - Bartow, Fla. - Hargrave Military Academy
Coach Jenkins on Polite: “Very quick, agile type of player, and we really expect some great things from him.”

Blake Pritchard - OT - 6’5” - 295 - Junior - Huntington Beach, Calif. - Golden West CC
Coach Jenkins on Pritchard: “A very strong force on the offensive line. He’s going to play offensive tackle for us. A very strong, very tall guy, with a great frame. He’s going to be a tremendous addition to this team. He is originally from Jacksonville. Went to school in California. He is a very good pass blocker and has a very, very mean streak when he plays.”

Jean Prophete - TE - 6’3” – 250 - Boynton Beach, Fla. - Summit Christian High School
Coach Jenkins on Prophete: “This is a man-child right here. He already has a college body; an ex-basketball player with tremendous upside, who catches the ball well. He can get north and south and has really good speed. He’s going to be a bright spot out of our recruiting class.”

Quincy Quetant - S - 6’1” - 205 - Redshirt Sophomore - Orlando, Fla. - Transfer/Univ. of Cincinnati
Coach Jenkins on Quetant: “He’s a safety out of Orlando that had a lot of playing time there at Cincinnati, will graduate, and still have two years to play. He will bring experience and accountability for our secondary.”

Johnothan Quintero - K - 5’11” - 185 - Freshman - Port St. Lucie, Fla. - Treasure Coast High School
Coach Jenkins on Quintero: “Has repeatedly kicked 50-yard field goals. He can make an extra point, that’s all I care about (flashes a joking smile). He’ll definitely be one who steps in and does stuff right away.”

*Rodney Scott - RB - 5’10” - 198 - Junior - Cross City, Fla. - Transfer/Univ. of Mississippi
Coach Jenkins on Scott: “Transfer from Ole Miss, who was the number-three rated running back in the state of Florida coming out of high school. Now, he’s come home to show his talent, and I think he’s already proven that he can be the ‘guy’.

Daniel Stewart - OG - 6’3” - 270 - Freshman - Sunrise, Fla. – Plantation
Coach Jenkins on Stewart: “He’s very strong and one of the top wrestlers in the state. He plays with good balance and has good awareness. The upside with him is that he can play any position on the front line.”

*Andre “Ross” Williams - DL - 6’4” -240 - Freshman - Jacksonville, Fla. - Hargrave Military Academy
Coach Jenkins on R. Williams: “Originally from Jacksonville, he is big and has a lot of range as a player, can run, and will only get bigger and better as a player. I’m very excited about him. He has a great attitude and a great work ethic.”

Kevin Williams - OL - 6’2” – 305 - Freshman - Brandon, Fla. - Armwood High School
Coach Jenkins on K. Williams: “He’s a young man that we are going to give a look at center, but he could play either side of the ball. Good wide body kid. Originally started out playing D-line in high school, but moved to offensive lineman. He was a mainstay for Armwood, and he’s a kid that we think is going to develop very fast on either side of the ball.”

Quentin Williams - QB - 6’0” - 190 - Freshman - Tampa, Fla. - Jefferson High School
Coach Jenkins on Q. Williams: “Exciting Player. Has one of the strongest arms I’ve seen since I’ve been coaching. The kid is a true leader, a true winner, which he’s exemplified by winning the State Championship. He also exemplified the caliber of player that he is being awarded the Florida ‘Mr. Football’ award. He’s broken every quarterback passing record in the state of Florida, and is a young man that I think is going to have a chance to lead the charge for the Wildcats in the near future.”

Anthony Woodard - DE - 6’3” - 256 - Junior - Tracy, Calif. - Phoenix CC
Coach Jenkins on Woodward: “Gives us a chance to be very good on the edge. Another big defensive end. He is quick on the ball and has a great technique. We are going to use him mainly on the edge at defensive end. And the sky is the limit for this young man and I think he will really turn heads when he gets here.”

*=Presently Enrolled at B-CU

By Bethune Cookman University Sports Information

Monday, January 31, 2011

Armwood's Kevin J. Williams will help protect Florida's Mr. Football, Quentin Williams at BCU

Kevin Jamal Williams just missed on a 4A State Championship at Armwood, but he will be joining a team with a realistic chance at a FCS Championship in 2011. Williams informed bigcountypreps.com (BCP) he has verbally committed to a scholarship offer from Bethune-Cookman University.

Williams, at 6'2" and 305 pounds, will slide inside and play either center or guard for the Wildcats. At Armwood his main priority playing left tackle was to keep QB Josh Grady's blindside protected and to open up holes quickly for backs Kyle Wilcox and Matt Jones. After transferring from Jefferson before his junior year, Williams played defense before starting at tackle for the Hawks this season. He regularly imposed his will on defenders with numerous pancake blocks and rarely was Grady ever harassed from his left side.

Bethune-Cookman has made inroads recruiting here in Hillsborough County since Brian Jenkins has taken over as head coach in Daytona...

READ MORE, CLICK TITLE.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Wild About Bethune Cookman

Boca Ciega (Florida) WR Tyree Green has committed to Bethune-Cookman University, not a bad landing spot for the 6-2, 190-pounder. Green had a good junior season and was hoping to use a bigger senior season to attract some notice. But the Pirates struggled in 2010, and his stock never quite rose. But Bethune-Cookman, which had seen him play in the spring, stepped up with an offer a few weeks ago, telling Green he had a chance to play immediately.

"I feel relieved," Green said. "I feel like I made the right decision. They have some good talent going there next year. It's close to home and they showed the most interest out of everybody." Green had drawn interest from USF, Middle Tennessee State and Iowa State, and he always seemed closest to West Virginia until the coaching changes there last year.



READ MORE, CLICK TITLE.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

MEAC entertains nixing FCS playoffs for new bowl

DAYTONA BEACH -- Bethune-Cookman coach Brian Jenkins may never again take the Wildcats to the playoffs, regardless of how well he coaches and how well his team plays.

Leaders of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference -- the school presidents, ultimately -- are expected to vote next March on whether or not to skip the Division I-AA (Football Championship Subdivision) playoffs and instead schedule a new mid-December game, the "Legacy Bowl," pitting the winner of the MEAC with the champion of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (the other major conference for Historically Black College and Universities).

Bethune-Cookman Football: New Boys on the BC Block

DAYTONA BEACH, FL – When college football fans see the initials BC, the team that immediately comes to mind is Boston College, a powerhouse among teams in the Northeast, nestled atop Chestnut Hill just outside of Beantown. But there's another BC football team, not quite holding the national stature of the Eagles, but climbing fast.

That would be Bethune-Cookman University tucked away in northeastern Florida, just this side of sunny, sandy Daytona Beach. The Wildcats, who prefer to refer to themselves as B-CU...

READ MORE, CLICK TITLE.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

FCS playoffs: UNH rolls past Bethune-Cookman

DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. – The University of New Hampshire survived a very shaky second period and roared back in the third behind junior quarterback Kevin Decker on the way to a 45-20 FCS playoff win over Bethune-Cookman University Saturday at Municipal Field.

The Wildcats, now 8-4, head to the NCAA playoff quarterfinal round for the sixth time in the last seven years, and will travel to Newark, Del., to take on No. 3 seed Delaware next weekend. Bethune-Cookman, which won its first 10 games of the season, lost its last two games and finished at 10-2.

B-CU backup QB played tough

DAYTONA BEACH -- It wasn't ideal circumstances for Bethune-Cookman quarterback Jackie Wilson to make his first college start on Saturday. To say the odds were against the true freshman would be an understatement. Wilson wasn't fully recovered from a high ankle sprain sustained two weeks earlier in B-CU's loss to Florida A&M, yet he was the best option for coach Brian Jenkins because Matt Johnson -- the senior who started every other game -- has a shoulder injury.

Playing against a New Hampshire team that has years of playoff experience, Wilson was sacked five times, fumbled twice and threw two interceptions in the 45-20 loss at Municipal Stadium.



Wildcats kept it close early on

DAYTONA BEACH -- Bethune-Cookman sophomore Kory Kowalski nailed a 44-yard punt and then was leveled by New Hampshire's Chris Setian in the second quarter Saturday. Kowalski lay flat on Municipal Stadium's Field Turf as trainers attended to him. Then he got up and fell down again.

Many of the 5,738 fans at Muncipal Stadium had to be wondering what B-CU would do if it had to go the rest of the game without the only healthy punter and kicker on its team. But Kowalski, who bruised his left knee on the play, admitted after the game that his second collapse was just milking the situation, giving B-CU's offense a little time to rest.

Backup QB Decker leads UNH football to 45-20 playoff win

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Making his first start of the season in place of injured starter R.J. Toman, junior quarterback Kevin Decker threw for three second-half touchdowns to lead the University of New Hampshire football team to a 45-20 victory over Bethune-Cookman in the second round of the Division I playoffs on Saturday afternoon.

Tenth-ranked UNH, which improved to 8-4 with the win, will meet No. 3 seed Delaware next weekend in the quarterfinals. The Blue Hens dispatched Lehigh, 42-20, in their second-round game Saturday. The Wildcats won a postseason game for the sixth time in the last seven seasons. Bethune-Cookman, the MEAC champion making its first postseason appearance since 2003, saw its season end with a record of 10-2.



Bethune-Cookman loses in 2nd round of FCS playoffs

DAYTONA BEACH — Game-changing adjustments usually happen on the field. But the decision to bench starting quarterbacks for both Bethune-Cookman University and New Hampshire came just hours before their 1 p.m. kickoff at Municipal Stadium.

BCU coach Brian Jenkins chose to sit Matt Johnson, voted MEAC offensive player of the year, Saturday despite receiving clearance from team doctors for a left shoulder injury. Jackie Wilson, a freshman backup, quarterbacked the Wildacts in a 45-20 loss in the second round of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.

Meltdown

DAYTONA BEACH -- For Matt Johnson the toughest game was his last one. And he never got off the sideline. The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference's Offensive Player of the Year had to stand and watch as his Bethune-Cookman Wildcats succumbed to a second-half offensive barrage that propelled visiting New Hampshire to a 45-20 victory Saturday in the second round of the NCAA Division I playoffs at Municipal Stadium.

"It was hard -- very, very hard. I couldn't even put it in words," said Johnson, who broke his left shoulder blade two weeks ago in a loss to Florida A&M.

READ MORE, CLICK EACH TITLE.

ATTENDANCE: 5,738



BCU Wildcats 2010 a mix of success, promise

DAYTONA BEACH -- It was nearly 10 minutes into the third quarter when it began looking like Bethune-Cookman's football season would finally end on its 12th Saturday of the fall.

New Hampshire quarterback Kevin Decker lobbed a pass toward the right sideline, where receiver Chris Chandler, angling toward the B-CU bench, had a half-step on B-CU defender Dion Hanks. Chandler made the catch; Hanks missed the tackle. As Hanks fell aside, Chandler gathered his footing and took off down the sideline toward the end zone, with B-CU's Chris Perry giving a desperate chase that came up just short.

READ MORE, CLICK TITLES.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

I-AA Playoff fever captures Bethune-Cookman football

DAYTONA BEACH, FL -- Author a successful season at the highest level of college football, you're rewarded with a bowl game. It's a trip that includes gift bags, fancy downtown dinners and, depending on the host city, anything from a cow-milking contest to a group hug with Minnie Mouse.

But outside of that marquee world -- where the Alabamas, Ohio States and Floridas reside -- the rest of college football rewards its best with a different type of post-season action, the type recognized by nearly every other sport at every level: Playoffs. Win and continue; lose and go home. Or, in Bethune-Cookman's case, lose and stay home.

Quarterback Matt Johnson still a question mark as Bethune-Cookman hosts New Hampshire today

There will be one anxious moment at Daytona Beach Municipal Stadium Saturday when the Bethune-Cookman offense first takes the field. Fans will be waiting to see if No. 13 runs onto the field to take his usual spot in the huddle.

Matt Johnson suffered a dislocation of his left, non-throwing shoulder two weeks ago in the Wildcats' loss to Florida A&M and B-CU coach Brian Jenkins has danced around questions about his senior signal caller's availability since then.

Saturday, however, will finally shed light on the mystery of Johnson, the MEAC offensive player of the year, when BCU takes on New Hampshire in the second round of the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs at Daytona Beach Municipal Stadium. Game time is set for 1 p.m. and NCAA.com is supposed to have live coverage of the game.

New Hampshire (7-4) at Bethune-Cookman (10-1)
1 p.m. Saturday, Municipal Stadium, Daytona Beach, FL
Local Radio: WELE 1380-AM
LIVE GAME VIDEO BROADCAST VIA NCAA.COM -
CLICK HERE

Eddie Poole helps lead Bethune-Cookman into NCAA Division I-AA playoffs

Eddie Poole has a steel rod in his left leg, the result of surgical procedures to support a broken fibula he suffered last year. One would figure, with the changing Central Florida weather this week, that the star Bethune-Cookman wide receiver might be having issues with his repaired leg. Of course, if he was hurting, as Wildcats' head coach Brian Jenkins has come to know, he wouldn't admit it.

"He'll just tell me, 'I ain't coming out, coach,' " said Jenkins, the first year coach who...

Dueling 'Cats face QB dilemmas: Bethune-Cookman, UNH ready for Saturday's battle

DURHAM, NH - Who will be playing quarterback? If it is the expected starters, how well will they be able to play through nagging injuries? Whether you're a University of New Hampshire Wildcat or a Bethune-Cookman Wildcat, those questions are being asked about your own QB and the other team's signal-caller. UNH senior R.J. Toman is nursing an ankle sprain. Bethune-Cookman run-pass threat Matt Johnson has an injured left (non-throwing) shoulder.

The two teams will meet for the first time Saturday in the second round of the 2010 NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. No. 13 Bethune-Cookman (10-1), champions of the Mid Eastern Athletic Conference is hosting No. 10/11 UNH (7-4), which finished third in the Colonial Athletic Association, at Daytona Beach Municipal Stadium. Game time is 1 p.m. The game will not be televised. It will be broadcast live on radio (WGIN-AM 930, WQSO-FM 96.7, WASR-AM 1420).

UNH, Jellison now have totake it one game at a time

Thanksgiving was a little bit different this year for Amherst’s Sean Jellison. He was able to spend it at home instead of with his University of New Hampshire football teammates. But the Wildcats reassembled last weekend in preparation for Saturday’s game in Daytona, Fla., against Bethune-Cookman.

It’s the seventh straight post-season appearance for the Wildcats, who recovered from a rocky start to finish 7-4 and gain one of the 20 playoff bids in the Football Championship Subdivision. Because the field was expanded to 20 teams and UNH drew a first-round bye, the Wildcats had Thanksgiving weekend off for the first time in a long time.

READ MORE, CLICK EACH TITLE.


Friday, December 3, 2010

B-CU: Change for good

B-CU Coach Brian Jenkins
Bethune-Cookman finished just 5-6 last season and Alvin Wyatt, the winningest coach in school history, was fired after 13 years on the job. The man replacing him, Brian Jenkins, had never been a head coach before and the Wildcats were picked to finish eighth in the nine-team Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

The initial transition was hardly smooth for Jenkins, 39. He dismissed 20 players from the team as he established a strict set of rules for the program. But rather than turn the team against the coach, that proved to be the first step in a fast rebuilding process that has led No. 13 Bethune-Cookman (10-1) into Saturday's FCS second-round playoff game against No. 10 New Hampshire (7-4).

READ MORE, CLICK TITLE.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Jenkins on the move?

B-CU Coach Brian Jenkins
It happens at every level of football, so Bethune-Cookman certainly isn't immune to it. A brand new coach finds success early, and it's not long before speculation begins about his near-term future. With coaching vacancies springing up this time of year, the questions are asked.

At B-CU's weekly media availability Wednesday, Wildcats coach Brian Jenkins ducked the question in one way ("I haven't given it any thought") but was very open in another way ("My phone has rung").

"Right now, I'm thinking about winning this game Saturday," Jenkins said of the upcoming playoff game against New Hampshire. "It happens in this sport. It's a question I've been asked, and people are concerned about...

READ MORE, CLICK TITLE.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

B-CU to host UNH in playoff game

DAYTONA BEACH -- One day after losing their first game of the season and watching their starting quarterback and leader suffer a possible season-ending injury, the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats received a double dose of good news Sunday.

B-CU knew after Saturday's 38-27 loss to Florida A&M in Orlando that it was headed to the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs, which start this week. On Sunday morning, the Wildcats found out they will receive a first-round bye and then host New Hampshire on Dec. 4 in the first NCAA playoff game at Municipal Stadium since 2003.

BCU quarterback Matt Johnson possibly out for FCS playoffs

Bethune Cookman University football may be in trouble before its first FCS playoff game next Saturday.

The Wildcats sports media relations department said Matt Johnson, voted the MEAC’s offensive player of the year, is undergoing evaluations and listed as a game time decision for their Dec. 4th playoff game against New Hampshire.

Painful Berth

ORLANDO -- The only thing rarer than a Bethune-Cookman turnover this season has been a Bethune-Cookman loss. As is often the case, the former led to the latter Saturday in the Florida Classic, as the Rattlers handed the Wildcats their first loss of the season, 38-27 in front of 61,712 fans at Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium.

The loss, B-CU's third straight to Joe Taylor and the Rattlers, dropped the seventh-ranked Wildcats (10-1, 7-1 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) into a three-way tie for first place in the conference with FAMU (8-3, 7-1) and South Carolina State (9-2, 7-1). However, the 'Cats won the league's automatic playoff bid based on the MEAC's tiebreaker system.



For B-CU and UNH Wildcats, waiting is the hardest part

Excerpt:

It might require equipment from the science lab to measure which team was more excited about its scenario — 11th-ranked UNH (7-4) or its opponent, 13th-ranked Bethune-Cookman, which will host the Round of 16 game on Dec. 4 in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Bethune-Cookman, the automatic qualifier from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, went 10-1 under first-year coach Brian Jenkins and the selection committee took notice. The MEAC, traditionally a one-bid league, will see another of its members, South Carolina State (9-2), visit Georgia Southern in the newly-installed first round on Saturday.

"It just shows that people have noticed the hard work that this program has put in," said Jenkins...

READ MORE, CLICK EACH TITLE.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Florida Classic: BCU coach changing football records and culture

No current college football coach in Florida has accomplished more in a rookie season than Bethune Cookman's Brian Jenkins. And that's saying a lot in an area that boasts respected football minds like Urban Meyer, George O'Leary and Skip Holtz.

Jenkins, 39, has the No. 7 Wildcats off to a historic 10-0 start, clinching at least a share of the school's first conference title in eight years. And, after Bethune Cookman's embarrassing loss to Florida A&M in last year's Florida Classic, he's looking to turn Saturday's rematch at The Citrus Bowl into a signature accomplishment.

More impressive than the team's record is how it's winning. In one season, B-CU has gone from "shine" to chic, chic, from disheveled to disciplined. And, interestingly enough, it's done it with...


Videographer: doublea198505 (BCU Florida Classic Battle of Bands - 11/19/2010)

Playoffs, milestone at stake for Wildcats

Picked in the preseason to finish eighth in its conference, Bethune-Cookman is one win away from an 11-0 record and a berth in the FCS playoffs.

ORLANDO -- Digging for reasons on how Bethune-Cookman has gone undefeated in its first year under coach Brian Jenkins can be as futile as trying to nail JELL-O to the wall.

No running back has rushed for as many as 500 yards. No receiver has as much as 500 yards in receptions. The Wildcats defense, although undeniably strong, hasn't posted shutout after shutout. And the kicking game has been a weakness all season long.

Still, a victory Saturday over archrival Florida A&M in the annual Florida Classic will allow Bethune-Cookman to finish off a regular season 11-0 for the first time in school history and clinch a spot in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.

B-CU, FAMU fans united, divided by loyalty

DAYTONA BEACH -- Kevin James Jr.'s decision to go to Bethune-Cookman University was "a no-brainer." The need to wear maroon and gold was ingrained in the sophomore's brain since he was a child by his father, a Wildcats graduate.

Kevin James Sr., 49, had to balance the playing field since his wife and daughter are graduates of Florida A&M University (FAMU).

Counting the rest of the extended family, both father and son are outnumbered yearly and will be today at the Florida Classic football game at the Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando at 2:30 p.m. where both universities face off. The Jameses have more than 50 family and friends who attend the game and gather beforehand for a tailgate party -- the majority for FAMU.



Videographer: doublea198505 (FAMU Florida Classic Battle Of The Bands 2010, 11/19/2010)

Wildcats coach: no superstars going against Florida A&M


As if his football team hasn't turned enough heads with its 10 straight wins, Brian Jenkins had one more surprise about Bethune-Cookman University during his weekly conference call.

There are no super stars on the Wildcats' team, Jenkins said, and he makes sure that none of his players ever start believing they're above the rest. He makes no secret of the fact that the remarkable season that the Wildcats are enjoying is because they think and act like a family.

"Everybody has their role (and) everybody is required to do their role at a high level," said Jenkins, who in his first season is a leading candidate for coach of the year in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. "The same demands are placed on a guy that's taking 50 reps and a guy that's taking 10 reps. There is no difference in requirements."

Florida Classic: Famu vs. Bethune-Cookman, 2:30, at orlando, ESPN Classic

The equation is the simplest in sports: win and you're in.

That's what's facing Bethune-Cookman today when it faces Florida A&M at the Florida Citrus Bowl. A win over the rival Rattlers and B-CU moves on to the Division I-AA playoffs; lose and it's forced to rely on fate to get into the postseason. The Wildcats already clinched a share of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title last week when they defeated Howard 35-20. Bethune-Cookman (10-0, 7-0 MEAC) is I-AA's only unbeaten team that could receive the automatic bid for the playoffs if it beats FAMU (7-3, 6-1) or if South Carolina State (8-2, 6-1) loses to North Carolina A&T (1-9, 1-6).

READ MORE, CLICK TITLE.



Videographer: kissinqueen2 (FAMU Florida Classic Battle Of The Bands in HD, 11/19/2010)