Florida A&M LB student of game

Atlanta, GA - Football is a game of hard hits and emotion, and through it all Florida A&M linebacker Demarius Folsom gleams a big, bright smile. A smile that coaches in the past may not have approved of. However, don’t be fooled by the fifth-year senior’s pleasant demeanor.

He is a down-to-business, fierce competitor. This was evident in Florida A&M’s 23-17 loss to Hampton on Sept. 8. After fellow starter Alvis Graham — the mainstay of the defense with 190 tackles in three seasons — left in the first quarter of that game with a knee injury that will lead to him missing the remainder of the season, the departure created a massive hole in the linebacking corps.

A void that Folsom gladly plugged in. “It became a lot more personal for me,” Folsom said. “Seeing him go down, I had to step up, and the coach looked to me. I had to put on my hard hat and go to work.”

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Georgia key territory for FAMU, Southern

Southern linebacker Franchot West was thrilled to make his first start last weekend, albeit in a crushing 28-24 home loss against Jackson State. This week, he’s even more excited. He’s going home. See, he grew up in Stone Mountain, Ga. It’s not a stone’s throw from Atlanta, but it’s not much farther.

West pulled for Michael Vick, Keith Brooking and the hometown Falcons. He’s even played football a few times in the Georgia Dome.

“Park ball. I played down there on the field a couple of times with my park-ball team,” West said. “You know how they do the halftimes at the NFL games, where they bring the little teams on the field to play? We were the show. Unfortunately, I couldn’t play in the dome when I was in high school, for a state championship.”

At 2:30 p.m. Saturday, in the same building where West once dreamed of playing, Southern (1-2) and Florida A&M (1-2) will renew one of the longest and hottest rivalries in black college football. To the fan bases, it’s a little more important than a high school game, let alone park ball.

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