Unfinished business: Grambling State Tigers Football

Unfinished business: Grambling didn't live up to own championship expectations

By Grambling’s standards, 7-4 isn’t cutting it. After consecutive trips to the SWAC Championship — including a victory to claim the conference crown in 2008 — it’s hard to call the Tigers’ 2009 season anything but a disappointment. “Coming into the season we wanted a championship,” junior defensive end Christian Anthony said. “It’s always our No. 1 thing. Winning is the No. 1 thing. We fell short of that goal. ”Watching the Tigers, they had the look of a championship-caliber team. The talent was there, with nearly all of GSU’s 2008 starters returning on both offense and defense. The coaching was there, too. But it never quite came together. A tendency to self-destruct early in games, combined with a few untimely injuries, turned the Tigers from the odds-on favorite to win the SWAC to also-rans.

Grambling's Anthony earns two All-America honors

Celebrated Grambling defender Christian Anthony has been named to the 2009 Sports Network Football Championship Subdivision All-America team, released on Wednesday. The team is headed by Walter Payton Award winner Armanti Edwards and Buck Buchanan Award recipient Arthur Moats. Anthony was one of just two from the Southwestern Athletic Conference to be included on the first team, joining kick returner Mareo Howard of Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Grambling punt returner Kiare Thompson earned second-team honors. Anthony was also named to the American Football Coaches Association’s FCS All-America first team. He was one of only three from the SWAC on that unit, joined by Southern wide receiver Juamorris Stewart and Prairie View punter Pedro Ventura.

Grambling’s Christian Anthony named SWAC defensive player of year

Grambling State end Christian Anthony has been named the 2009 Southwestern Athletic Conference defensive player of the year. “I don’t think about all of these honors,” said Anthony, who has one more year of eligibility. “My whole thing is to go out and play as hard as I can every game.” Grambling kicker Ari Johnson was named freshman of the year. GSU offensive lineman Revay Smith, linebacker Cliff Exama and returner Kiare Thompson were named first-team All-SWAC. Running backs Frank Warren and Cornelius Walker earned second-team nods. Anthony, a Birmingham, Ala., led the SWAC in solo tackles (55) as he tied for sixth in the conference with 76 tackles. “He’s as good as anybody I’ve ever coached,” said Grambling coach Rod Broadway. “I think he has an opportunity to do something special. I think he will have an opportunity to play on Sundays.”

Photo of Grambling's Dillon honored by SportsCenter; see the shot!

A photo of Grambling quarterback Greg Dillon scoring during the Tigers’ 31-13 victory over Southern in the State Farm Bayou Classic was selected as the SportsCenter Bud Light Freeze Frame photo of the week. The photo taken by Associated Press photographer Patrick Semansky is of an upside down Dillon scoring as he dives into the endzone over Southern cornerback Tim Berry in the first half of the game. The shot of Dillon beat out photos of UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel holding his players back after they nearly had an all-out fight with USC and of Tennessee Titans wide receiver Kenny Britt celebrating after making the game-winning catch against the Arizona Cardinals. The winning photo was selected by a national online poll of voters from the Sportscenter website. The photo of Dillon received 62 percent percent of the votes.

2009 Sports Network Football Championship Subdivision All-America Team

FIRST TEAM OFFENSE: QB - Armanti Edwards, Appalachian State, Sr; RB - Deji Karim, Southern Illinois, Sr; RB - Pat Paschall, North Dakota State, Sr; FB - Tommy Fraser, Coastal Carolina, Sr; WR - Terrell Hudgins, Elon, Sr; WR - Marc Mariani, Montana, Sr; WR - Tim Toone, Weber State, Sr; TE - Clay Harbor, Missouri State, Sr; C - Kyle Mutcher, Weber State, Sr; G - Jeff Hansen, Montana State, Sr; G - Matthew McCrackern, Richmond, Sr; T - Vladimir Ducasse, Massachusetts, Sr; T - Ben Ijalana, Villanova, Jr; AP - Matt Szczur, Villanova, Jr.

FIRST TEAM DEFENSE: DE - Arthur Moats, James Madison, Sr; DE - Danny Batten, South Dakota State, Sr; DL - Christian Anthony, Grambling, Jr; DT - Sean Lissemore, William & Mary, Sr; DT - Mychal Savage, Youngstown State, Sr; LB - Matt Coen, Lehigh, So; LB - Brandin Jordan, Southern Illinois, Sr; LB - J.C. Sherritt, Eastern Washington, Jr; LB - D.J. Smith, Appalachian State, Jr; CB - Cortez Gilbert, Appalachian State, Sr; CB - Josh Morris, Weber State, Sr; SS - Jeromy Miles, Massachusetts, Sr; FS - Mark LeGree, Appalachian State, Fs; S - Terrell Whitehead, Norfolk State, S.

FIRST TEAM SPECIAL TEAMS: PK - Matt Bevins, Liberty, So; P - Trevor Ward, Southern Utah, Sr; KR - Mareo Howard, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, So; PR - Leroy Vann, Florida A&M, Sr.

SECOND TEAM DEFENSE: DE - Dane Fletcher, Montana State, Sr; DE - Adrian Tracy, William & Mary, Sr; DL - Austen Lane, Murray State, Sr; DT - Christian Clark, Sacramento State, Jr; DT - Martin Parker, Richmond, Jr; LB - George Howard, Morgan State, Sr; LB - Adrian McLeod, Western Carolina, Sr; LB - Terrence Thomas, Villanova, Jr; LB - Jabara Williams, Stephen F. Austin, Jr; CB - Korey Lindsey, Southern Illinois, Jr; CB - Patrick Stoudamire, Western Illinois, Sr; SS - Terrence Klein, New Hampshire, Sr; FS - Charles Graves, Delaware, Sr; S - J.J. Vercammen, Dayton, Jr.

SECOND TEAM SPECIAL TEAMS: PK - Zach Kutch, Illinois State, Sr; P - Jonathan Plisko, Old Dominion, Fr; KR - Scotty McGee, James Madison, Sr; PR - Kiare Thompson, Grambling, Jr.

THIRD TEAM OFFENSE: QB - *Ryan Perrilloux, Jacksonville State, Sr; QB - *Dominic Randolph, Holy Cross, Sr; RB - Brent Grimes, Central Arkansas, Sr; RB - Toddrick Pendland, McNeese State, Jr; FB - Marlin Meeks, Nicholls State, Sr; WR - Duane Brooks, Stephen F. Austin, Sr; WR - Pat Simonds, Colgate, Sr; WR - Juamorris Stewart, Southern, Sr; TE - Nathan Overbay, Eastern Washington, Sr; C - Chaz Millard, Eastern Illinois, Sr; G - Dorian Brooks, James Madison, Sr; G - Terran Hillesland, Montana, Sr; T - Levi Horn, Montana, Sr; T - David Pickard, Southern Illinois, So; AP - Taiwan Jones, Eastern Washington, Jr.

THIRD TEAM DEFENSE: DE - Tim Knicky, Stephen F. Austin, Sr; DE - Tim Kukucka, Villanova, Sr; DL - James Ruffin, Northern Iowa, Sr; DT - Sam Daniels, James Madison, Sr; DT - Ko Quaye, South Dakota, Sr; LB - Kadarron Anderson, Furman, So; LB - Luke Bonus, Hofstra, Sr; LB - Rob Damon, Rhode Island, Jr; LB - Jacque Roman, Appalachian State, Sr; CB - Jeremy Caldwell, Eastern Kentucky, So; CB - T.J. Heath, Jacksonville State, Jr; SS - Anthony Beck, Prairie View, Sr; FS - Jason House, Southern, Jr; S - Anthony DiMichele, Holy Cross, Jr.

READ MORE, CLICK EACH BLOG TITLE.