NCCU's Coard has a nose for winning

By MIKE POTTER, The Herald-Sun

Courtney Coard doesn't have to think hard to remember his first loss as a college football player.

It came in just his second game for N.C. Central, in the 2004 Aggie-Eagle Classic against North Carolina A&T at N.C. State's Carter-Finley Stadium. It was a heartbreaker for the Eagles, who saw the Aggies convert a controversial fumble in the final minute into Carlos Davalos' 50-yard field goal at the horn for a 16-15 win.

And while it was a tough loss for his teammates, Coard didn't quite know how to react.

"I had to sit down and think about how I was going to handle that one," Coard said. "I had never lost a football game before."

Coard was part of the 109-game winning streak by Charlotte Independence High, which finally ended earlier this season.

Of course, the senior captain and starting nose guard has done plenty of winning since heading to NCCU, as the Eagles are 32-6 with Coard in maroon and gray.

Saturday will be a special day for the NCCU football program, as the 3-1 Eagles visit 0-3 North Carolina A T for a 6:30 p.m. contest at Aggie Stadium. In the Eagles' first season as members of the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA), it will be their first game against another FCS team.

"We seniors have been telling the freshmen how big this game is," Coard said. "This is the one."

Coard never was recruited by the Aggies but said he doesn't hold any bitterness towards them. Most schools backed off the 6-0, 246-pounder because of either his size or his troubles with the SAT before then-NCCU assistant coach Robert Massey came offering a full scholarship to the National Honor Society member.

"I couldn't have gone to college without football," said Coard, who is scheduled to graduate in May with a degree in business management.

He got his revenge on the field, as well. Coard said that before the Winston-Salem State game his freshman year, the Rams' hulking offensive linemen started pointedly laughing at him, saying he didn't belong on the same field with them.

"He's a great leader, and he works extremely hard," NCCU first-year head coach Mose Rison said. "Some people might say he's too small, but you can't measure what's in a young man's heart. He has won a lot of football games, and he's having an outstanding year."

The Eagles won that game at home 35-33, one of the wins that got former coach Rod Broadway's program up to speed before he left for Grambling.

"Courtney is a tremendous person," Rison said. "I remember the first time I talked to him [when Rison was the team's offensive coordinator last year], he was telling me about a tragedy in his family, and we got to know each other pretty well right away. I can't say enough about what he means to this football team and to our defense.

That tragedy was the death of his father, Presley Coard, on May 26 of last year. Presley Coard's birthday was Nov. 11, which was the day of the CIAA championship game with Elizabeth City State. Brandon Gilbert hit a career-best 51-yard field goal at the buzzer to give the Eagles a 17-14 victory.

"I had a lot of tears that day," Coard said. "That kick looked like it might be going wide right, but then it was good. And after the game, my high school teammate and close friend Billy Wiggins, who was playing for Elizabeth City, came over and said 'You know your dad won that game for y'all.' "

Coard has been in on 156 career tackles including eight for losses, two sacks, five fumble recoveries and three interceptions. His biggest game probably was last season at Southern, when he had two interceptions from his interior line spot in a shocking 27-20 road win.

"I think we proved a lot that night," Coard said. "We beat an established I-AA team on the road."

NOTES -- The Eagles are ranked in three national Black College polls. NCCU is No. 7 in the Sheridan poll, No. 8 in the TSPNSports.com poll and No. 9 in the BoxToRow.com poll.