RB Thomas leaves Southern Jaguars

Photo: RB Larry Thomas in game for Southern Mississippi vs Florida Gators, 2006

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, Advocate sportswriter

Running back Larry Thomas, a former Southern Miss player, will not be with Southern University this season, SU coach Pete Richardson said Wednesday.

Richardson said he met with Thomas and Thomas’ grandmother during the day, after Thomas had participated in the morning session, and a mutual decision was made.

Thomas was to have been in graduate school this season and participate in his final season of eligibility. Instead, Richardson said, Thomas might try for a medical redshirt and return next season. However, Thomas had previously redshirted at USM as a freshman in 2003.

“He got his Achilles’ (tendon) operated on in January and they released him from the doctor, but he wasn’t fully (ready),” Richardson said. “We talked. We’re going to take him out of school and he’ll try to go through rehab, because he was dragging that leg. If there was any chance of playing at all, he couldn’t push off on it. He’s going to need at least six months of rehab. We didn’t really know he’d had that operation in January.”

Thomas (6-foot, 205 pounds), who joined Southern when the team reported to camp July 31, ran for 1,031 yards and six TDs at in his career at USM. He rushed for 44 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries in the first three games before leaving the team last season.

Senior Darren Coates, who ran for 119 yards and one TD last season; junior Kendrick Smith, who sat out all last school year after starring at Coffeyville Community College; and sophomore Brian Threat, who ran for 69 yards on 32 carries last season, are the team’s top rushers.

Senior scatback Chad Harris, who had one carry for minus-9 yards last season, moves ups on the depth chart. Harris had two carries and two catches in Wednesday’s brief scrimmage.

“I don’t think it’s going to affect us that much,” Richardson said. “We’ve got Coates and Kendrick and we put Chad in situational stuff and he’s doing a good job.”

SU scrimmages

Southern ended its third and final two-a-day of preseason camp with a short scrimmage Wednesday night in A.W. Mumford Stadium.

The Jaguars went 26 plays in the middle of the field, with another eight in goal-line work and then finished with one PAT/short field goal by each kicker.

No. 1 quarterback Bryant Lee and No. 2 quarterback Warren Matthews took all the snaps.

Lee was good on 7 of 9 passes, all short throws, while Matthews was 0-for-3. The work emphasized short throws and runs, including option plays.

Coates, the No. 1 running back, squeezed through on three plunges for touchdowns in the goal-line work.

“We were looking to get some situational stuff and some goal-line,” Richardson said. “Now, we’ll have a chance to make some evaluations. We’re looking at mental toughness, knowledge of assignments and efforts, who is running to the football.”

Classes begin today, with the Jaguars shifting to one afternoon practice per day. SU will still have all next week, with game week beginning Aug. 26 for the Sept. 1 season opener against Florida A&M in Birmingham, Ala.

“Now we have to zero in on Florida A&M,” Richardson said. “We’ve got everything in now. We’re going to make some film evaluations on personnel, who wants to run and hit, and get ready.”

Kick it around

Sophomore Willie Joseph, a former Southern Lab kicker who walked on at SU in 2005 and spent last season at Grambling (but not on the team) could be ahead in the competition to be the team’s field-goal kicker.

True freshman Josh Duran continues to hook balls to the left from all distances.

“He’s more consistent on the longer field goals,” Richardson said of Joseph. “We may have to take a look at that. We have to see both of them under pressure going live, and see how it works out.”

Joseph’s distance, power and accuracy have all improved drastically since he was last at Southern.

Duran, meanwhile, seems to be better at punting (with SU trying to replace Division I-AA All-American Breck Ackley, who averaged 45.2 yards per punt last season).

Roll call

Senior WR Gerard Landry (tooth) missed his second straight day. He had a root canal between practices, SU sports information director Kevin Manns said. Junior DT Frank Harry (heat) returned to practice in the morning, while sophomore G Chris Neal (heat) returned in the afternoon. Still out are redshirt freshman G Joshua Keelen, who may be academically ineligible; sophomore OT Allen Buckner (heat); freshman LB Marcus Clark (toe); junior QB C.J. Byrd (car accident); and senior WR RaShon Jacobs (ankle). Junior OT Ruben Oliver, who returned to camp Tuesday, is still just observing and not allowed to practice.

Air package to Chicago

The Shelmire Group has extended its deadline for a travel package by air to the Chicago Football Classic (Sept. 8 vs. Mississippi Valley State).

The deadline is Wednesday.

The package includes hotel, ground transportation and game ticket.

The cost is $765 for single occupancy, $615 for double occupancy per person, $565 for triple occupancy per person, $540 for quad occupancy per person.

The plane departs New Orleans at 3:35 p.m. Sept. 7 and leaves Chicago at 1:45 p.m. Sept. 9.

For information, contact Don Shelmire at (225) 356-9000.