SU pair awaits NCAA ruling

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, Advocate sportswriter

Southern sophomore center Ramon Chinyoung and junior running back Kendrick Smith have yet to be cleared to play Saturday in Southern’s season opener against Florida A&M in Birmingham, Ala.

Chinyoung is not listed on the team’s two-deep chart as of Wednesday, but Smith is, as the backup to senior Darren Coates.

“I haven’t received the paperwork back, and if I haven’t received it by the time we leave, those individuals will not take part in the first game,” Southern coach Pete Richardson said.

Southern leaves by bus this afternoon.

Chinyoung practiced Monday but not Tuesday and Wednesday.
Smith has practiced throughout the week, and Richardson said the school feels Smith will be cleared. The question is when.

“We’re in a situation now trying to get Smith straight from the NCAA,” Richardson said. “We feel confident from that aspect.”

Chinyoung, a Class 5A All-State selection as a schoolboy in Texas, emerged as the starting center during last season.

His development allowed Demarcus Stewart, who started the opener at center, to move to guard. Now, however, Stewart has slid back to center.

Meanwhile, Smith, who starred at Patterson High and Coffeyville Community College, sat out last season under NCAA transfer rules (because he had signed with Southern Illinois, a Division I-AA school like SU).

“They have parts of it,” Richardson said. “Hopefully, we can get parts of it straightened out.”

Richardson said he’s confident in Stewart.

“I feel comfortable with him, because he played center for us last year,” Richardson said. “He’s been playing center (in preseason camp) since we knew we had an issue at that spot.”

Starting right tackle Myles Williams, and sophomore Daniel Stephens, ineligible last season, are the other options.

Two-way Harry?

Junior Frank Harry, a transfer from South Florida in the spring, joined the offensive line, leaving his role as defensive tackle for cross-training at guard.

Richardson said Harry went back to the defense for brush-up work Wednesday.

“It’s a possibility (Harry plays on offense and defense),” Richardson said. “He played on offense in high school. We put him on offense to learn the system. We’re going to bring him back to defense (Wednesday) for our basic defense. He understands that.

“I’m not calculating he will play both ways, but that means he can.”

Welcome back

Besides the return of wide receiver Gerard Landry on Tuesday, SU had others return.

Alec Hawkins, the director of sports medicine, came back Monday. He had been out since Aug. 13, with Carl “Doc” Williams taking over in his place, for the birth of Hawkins’ son, Myles Sutton Hawkins. Hawkins said he’ll have to stay on campus for other activities this weekend and won’t make the trip.

Also, true freshman defensive tackle Calvin Cunningham (shoulder) returned Tuesday.

And junior quarterback C.J. Byrd at least wore practice gear — shirt and shorts but no shoulder pads like the rest of the team — for the first time Tuesday. He was in an automobile accident at the end of July.

Richardson, however, on Wednesday said again Byrd might miss this season.

“There’s a possibility we’ll probably have to redshirt him this year,” Richardson said, “because it looks like they may have to operate on his leg.”

Notes

FAMU is celebrating two anniversaries this season. The Rattlers went 11-0 and won the black college national championship in 1977 (a year before going 12-1 and winning the first Division I-AA championship along with another black college national crown). And they were 9-0 and won the black college national championship in 1957. FAMU leads the series 33-24-1. SU has practiced in at least some light rain Monday through Wednesday. The forecast for Saturday, according to weather.com as of Wednesday evening, was for scattered thunderstorms, a 50-percent chance of rain and a high of 83 degrees.