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Showing posts with label Black College Football. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Black College Football. Show all posts
DOVER, DE -- Having wrapped up a busy preseason camp with a pair of practice sessions Friday, Delaware State University's football team is now focusing on dotting the i's and crossing the t's. The Hornets will conduct a "game simulation" scrimmage at 6 tonight at Alumni Stadium before turning their eyes toward their season opener on Sept. 5 at Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference rival Florida A&M. DSU coach Al Lavan will be looking closely at all the details in tonight's scrimmage.
"We plan to focus on simulating game situations these next couple of days," said Lavan, who is 34-22 in five seasons with the Hornets. "During [today's] final session, we'll try to go over all situations that may be encountered in a game, from A to Z. "We'll focus on everything from our various packages to sideline and press box personnel. It will amount to a mental exercise to determine how prepared we are for next week's opener." There is a sense of anticipation among the Hornets as the regular season looms.
Anthony Glaud, who earned the job as DSU's starting quarterback, has been studying and working to be as prepared as he can be. "Right now, we are working on execution and polishing up the playbook," Glaud said. "We are trying to get in as many plays and formations as possible before the end of camp. About 95 percent of the offense is in place."
Coach Al Lavan (center).
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2009 Hornets Football Schedule(Record: 0-1; Forfeit to NCAT)
Date Opponent Location Time (ET)
Sat, Sep 05 Florida A&M * at Tallahassee, Fla. 6:00 p.m. Sat, Sep 19 Delaware at Newark, Del. 12:00 p.m. Sat, Sep 26 Hampton * at Hampton, Va. 6:00 p.m. Sat, Oct 10 Bethune-Cookman * Dover, Del. 7:00 p.m. Sat, Oct 17 Michigan at Ann Arbor, Mich. TBA Sat, Oct 24 Morgan State * Dover, Del. 1:00 p.m. Sat, Oct 31 South Carolina State * at Orangeburg, S.C. 1:30 p.m. Sat, Nov 07 Winston-Salem State at Winston-Salem, N.C. 1:00 p.m. Sat, Nov 14 Norfolk State * Dover, Del. 1:00 p.m. Sat, Nov 21 Howard * Dover, Del. 1:00 p.m.
Winston-Salem State might reach back to its glory days in football to find its next athletics director. Bill Hayes, who led the WSSU football program to its greatest heights in the late 1970s and early 1980s, is being targeted by Chancellor Donald Reaves for the AD's position, several sources said. Reaves was hoping to introduce the new athletics director today at "Meet the Rams," a fall-sports pep rally at Bowman Gray Stadium scheduled from 2 to 4 p.m. However, those plans fell through when Tim Grant took himself out of contention earlier this week.
Hayes, currently the AD at Florida A&M, said Thursday night that he hasn't been contacted by WSSU officials. "I haven't heard anything from them officially throughout this whole process," said Hayes, who is 64 and still owns a home in Winston-Salem. "I don't know what they have planned, but I haven't talked to them at all in an official capacity." Hayes said he has been working hard at Florida A&M, getting ready for another football season.
2009 WINSTON-SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL SCHEDULE DATE OPPONENT TIME LOCATION
SEPTEMBER 5, NORTH CAROLINA A&T, WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. BOWMAN GRAY STADIUM, 6:00 PM
DURHAM, N.C. -- Michael Johnson is fulfilling a dream. Growing up, he was a ballboy for N.C. Central and now he is the starting quarterback for the Eagles. The former Hillside standout saw action in four games, including three starts, a year ago after transferring from Tulsa, and said his experience at Tulsa established a foundation that has allowed him to thrive with the Eagles. "I learned so much while I was there [at Tulsa]," Johnson said. "It made me a better quarterback. It made me a better student."
Johnson's decision to transfer back to his hometown university was based primarily on being closer to family so they could see him play. "It was a good experience but it was just difficult for my family to get out there to see me play," Johnson said. "My family likes to see me play so it was best for all of us for me to come back." Johnson said he feels like he has improved a lot since last season when he was thrust into action in the sixth game of the year against Presbyterian.
2009 NCCU Eagles Football Schedule
Date Opponent Location Time Affifiliation Series (Last Meeting) Sept. 5 at Hampton “Pirates” Hampton, VA 6:00 pm FCS HU leads 13-5 (11/14/1992 - L, 19-31)
Sept. 12 at Liberty “Flames” Lynchburg, VA TBA FCS First Meeting
SEPT. 19 MOREHEAD STATE “Eagles” DURHAM, NC 1:30 PM FCS First Meeting O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium
Sept. 26 at Duke “Blue Devils” Durham, NC TBA FBS First Meeting
Oct. 3 at North Carolina A&T “Aggies” Greensboro, NC TBA FCS A&T leads 45-30-5 (10/3/2008 - W, 28-27)
Oct. 10 at Appalachian State “Mountaineers” Boone, NC TBA FCS First Meeting
OCT. 17 CENTRAL METHODIST “Eagles” DURHAM, NC 1:30 PM NAIA First Meeting O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium
OCT. 31 CENTRAL STATE “Marauders” DURHAM, NC 1:30 PM II Series tied 1-1 “Homecoming” O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium (10/19/1996 - W, 24-6)
Nov. 7 at Old Dominion “Monarchs” Norfolk, VA 2:00 pm FCS First Meeting
Nov. 14 at Winston-Salem State “Rams” Winston-Salem, NC 1:00 pm FCS Series tied 21-21 (11/15/2008 - W, 23-16)
Little did Greg Byrne know it when he did it, but the first football game contract he signed as athletic director at Mississippi State made college football history. That would be the one that pays Jackson State $315,000 to come play at Starkville on Saturday. It will mark the first football meeting in history between a school from the Southeastern Conference and a school from the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
"To be honest, we weren't thinking of it in terms of a historical perspective," Byrne said. "We want to play one game a year against a Football Championship Subdivision (FCS, formerly Division I-AA) team. "We felt it made more sense to play, if possible, a regional team or someone in our own state. It also made sense to find a team that has a history of its fans traveling well. That was what we had in mind when I approached Bob Braddy (JSU's athletic director).
"Now, we're excited about bringing their band, their team, their fans to our campus. The historical part? We're honored to be a part of that." A week out, the game is nearing a sellout. From Braddy's point of view, it's a no-brainer: the largest payday in Jackson State history and a short trip besides. There is some historical irony at work here: The sons and grandsons of players who once made the SWAC perhaps one of the most talent-laden conferences in college football, now do the same for the SEC.
MEAC/SWAC Sports Main Street... Memo to A.D. Bob Brady--You gotta push the money envelop back for more cash in negotiations, especially with the Sonic Boom Marching Band and possibly 8,000+ JSU fans travelling to MSU. With only 148 miles separating MSU and JSU, the Bulldogs need only 7,326 additional fans to cover the JSU payout of $315,000. JSU averaged 21,263 fans for four home games in 2008, ranking #4 in the FCS in attendance. MSU averaged 43,453, ranking #54 in FBS average home attendance, with only one saleout (#7 ranked Auburn) at 55,082 Davis Wade Stadium. Expect the stadium record for attendance at 56,188 to be broken for this anticipated game. Game tickets are $43.00 each for JSU fans.
$315,000!! We're talking about a SEC school buying a FCS victory to become bowl eligible with a 6 win season. Surely a guaranteed victory is worth more...even for a bottom dwelling SEC Bulldog program.
THE CRYSTAL BALL SAYS...Quarterback Chris Mitchell, who was a rather solid passer two years ago, has returned from grade issues. That gives ASU's offense a boost. Offensive coordinator Richard Moncrief, a former Division I quarterback, understands the game and has the respect of the players. That means something. The defense, as it has been the last three years, should be very solid again. Just looking at the first 22, this is a solid team that could challenge for the SWAC. Depth, however, is a big issue -- one that will likely cost the Hornets a couple of games. ASU goes a respectable 7-4 and is in the SWAC East discussion until late in the year.
Hornets Coach Reggie Barlow (8-14 in two seasons at ASU), 2008 record 3-8 overall, 2-5 SWAC .
QUOTEBOARD...According to Barlow: "It's time to get this done and show some progress on the field. I've been here two years, and I feel like we've done some good things, but we have to start turning some of this into wins, because fans won't stand for it if that doesn't happen. I understand that. I knew the expectations and the situation going in here. I have to produce ... or find something else to do."
According to defensive coordinator Jo Nixon: "I'm just ready to get this season kicked off. When I was at (NAIA) Langston, we had some tight games with some of the teams from the SWAC. (The coaches) would always be like, 'We weren't really looking at y'all' and stuff like that. Things to just discredit us. Well, now I'm over here and everything's equal. I wonder what excuse they're going to use now?"
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2009 Hornet Schedule 9/5 Concordia College 7pm 9/12 at Savannah State 4pm 9/19 Edward Waters (Fla) 7pm 9/26 at Mississippi Valley State 4pm 10/10 Prairie View A&M 1pm 10/17 Grambling State 1pm 10/24 Alcorn State 1pm 10/31 at Alabama A&M 2:30pm (Magic City Classic) 11/7 at Jackson State 4pm 11/14 at Southern University (Mobile, AL) 2:30pm 11/26 Tuskegee 3pm (Homecoming/Turkey Bowl)
MEAC/SWAC Sports Main Street... After consecutive seasons of 5-6 and 3-8, who blames Coach Barlow for padding the schedule with lower division cupcakes like Concordia, Edward Waters and Savannah State. Add Valley, Alcorn, A&M and D-II, Tuskegee, the Hornets have an opportunity to finish with a 7-4 season. It's more important for Coach Barlow to just WIN, even if the Hornets opponent is Wetumpka High School. FAMU's A.D. Bill Hayes decided to delay a return date with the Hornets to play two money games at the University of Miami in '09 and '10. Sort of unfair to the Hornets schedule and for Rattler and Hornet fans that had waited more than a decade for this series to return.
SU Jaguars head coach Pete Richardson (16th year, 128-57)
To listen to the media types covering Southern University's football team, the Jaguars sound ready for prime time. Optimism abounds in the Southern camp, with a lot of the key cogs among 17 returning starters that were a couple of close losses away from playing in the Southwestern Athletic Conference title game. Even venerable coach Pete Richardson, entering his 17th season with the Jaguars, broke out of his stoic façade to voice high hopes for his team.
"I'm excited to see what kind of team we can have," Richardson said. "We've got a lot of guys back who have been through some battles for us, and we're coming into the season pretty healthy. A lot of these guys worked hard, stayed here during the summer, and I think a lot of them have really matured in a year."
Still, all the talk of going from the "Bluff to Birmingham" for the SWAC Championship Game might be a little premature. After all, the Jags haven't claimed a SWAC title since 2003 and haven't even won their own division since 2004. Last season, SU had to win two of their last three - one in overtime -- just to finish with a winning 6-5 record in 2008, and the squad showed a disturbing knack for self-destructing at crucial times last year. Fourth-quarter losses to Florida A&M and Prairie View A&M punched a hole in what could have been a banner year.
Jaguar senior All-SWAC QB Bryant Lee #16
2009 JAGUAR SCHEDULE
Sept. 5 at UL Lafayette (6 p.m.) Sept. 12 Central State (OH) (6 p.m.) Sept. 19 Tennessee State (6 p.m.) Sept. 26 *Alcorn State (6 p.m.) Oct. 3 *at Jackson State (6 p.m.) Oct. 17 Fort Valley State (5:30 p.m.) Oct. 22 *Prairie View A&M (6:30 p.m.) Oct. 31 *at Ark.-Pine Bluff (2:30 p.m.) Nov. 14 *vs. Alabama State (2:30 p.m., Mobile, Ala.) Nov. 28 *vs. Grambling (1 p.m., New Orleans) Dec. 5 *at Texas Southern (1 p.m.)
Home games in bold. *denotes Southwestern Athletic Conference games
Alcorn State University Alcorn mourns huge loss in its family WHETHER IT WAS the flags, jerseys or baseball caps, the Alcorn State presence was very evident Saturday at former football star Steve McNair's funeral at Reed Green Coliseum. Just as many people think of Brett Favre when Southern Miss is mentioned, Alcorn State will always be associated with the NFL MVP quarterback from Mount Olive.
"Steve McNair is someone that Alcorn was very proud of and put the school on the map." said Charles Longmire, an ASU alum wearing his purple and gold baseball cap. When asked how the Alcorn community is handling the death of it's greatest legend, Longmire just let out an exhausted sigh, "sadness." "He was really a family member," the former ASU football trainer said. "Even if you graduated in 1955, you still know him as a true family member. He's a fallen comrade so I just wanted to come out and support the family."
DOVER, DE -- It has been a whirlwind summer so far for Derek A. Carter, who was hired as Delaware State University's athletic director in April. Carter, who came to DSU after serving as athletic director at Bowie State University since 2003, has met all of the school's head coaches and all of the staff and has had to acclimate himself and his family to their new home. He knows it will only get more hectic as fall approaches, but he wouldn't want it any other way.
"I am excited with the opportunity and challenge to join DSU and the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference," Carter said. "I am looking forward to all the great things that will take place." Carter has been involved in athletics for most of his life and was a starting cornerback for Virginia Tech, where he was a defensive teammate of former Buffalo Bills defensive lineman and 2009 NFL Hall of Fame inductee Bruce Smith. He even earned an opportunity to try out as a free agent with the Eagles in 1985. Now, Carter has taken on a new challenge. He has a plan to revitalize the 17 intercollegiate sports programs at Delaware State University.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - Perry Clark has a new and battle-tested lieutenant at his side heading into the next Islander basketball season. He's added Cy Alexander as associate head coach. Alexander was let go by Tennessee State earlier this year after his sixth season with the Tigers. He led them to the conference title game in 2008, but had a losing overall record.
The legendary Cy Alexander is the winningest coach in MEAC and South Carolina State (277-202) history. He has a career record of 344-306 in 24 seasons, leading the S.C. State Bulldogs to five seasons of 20-plus wins, five NCAA Tournaments and five MEAC championships.
It was a stark contrast to his first stop at South Carolina State, where he spent 16 seasons and reached the NCAA Tournament five times. He replaces Billy Garrett, who left to take a job at DePaul. Garrett also served as the team's recruiting coordinator, a job Alexander should fit right into. Combined with Clark, the duo has piled up more than 600 career coaching victories. "I don't think there will be very many situations on the court that either one of us have not seen. I think that's going to bring a very positive influence to what we're trying to get done. I don't think we'll be outcoached," Alexander said.
Florida Agricultural And Mechanical University FAMU Marching “100” Hosts its Annual Band Camp and Parade The Florida A&M University (FAMU) Marching “100” will host its Annual Band Camp from Monday, July 13 through Saturday, July 18. The “100” will lend its talent to hundreds of the nation’s best high school band students. More than 400 band participants will have the opportunity to master and emulate the style and concepts of the world-renowned Marching “100”. The participants will showcase their new skills and moves to the FAMU family and the Tallahassee community at the annual band camp parade scheduled for Friday, July 17, at 2 p.m. Ranging from grades 9 through 12, these young students have shown a sincere desire to better themselves as not only musicians, but as leaders of their respective band programs.
Sights and sounds from FAMU Summer Band Camp 2008 -- Building another generation of Incomparable Marching 100s...
The parade’s grand marshals are Linard McCloud (Class of 1976), director of bands for Burke High School in Charleston, South Carolina; Attorney Daryl Parks, Parks and Crump, LLC; Gallop Franklin, president of FAMU’s Student Government Association; and Mr. & Miss FAMU. The special guest will be the legendary Marching "100" director (retired), William P. Foster, Ph.D. This year’s parade will consist of both campus and community organizations.
Band participants will continue to showcase their new skills at events through the end of the week. Thursday, July 16, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., an ensemble concert is scheduled and from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., a symphonic concert is scheduled. Both concerts will be held in Lee Hall Auditorium. Participants attending the camp will travel from around the world such as California, Detroit, Bahamas and Virgin Islands. For more information, call the FAMU Band Department at (850) 599-3024.
Jasmine Grice's father can't remember when he wasn't a part of his daughter's basketball life. It doesn't appear that will change now that she is taking her game to the college level at FAMU. Grice called on her father, Vincent, for just about every answer during her first sit-down interview since becoming a Rattler. But when it came to talking about what she brings to coach LeDawn Gibson's women's program, Grice was pretty succinct. And, by the way she puts it, not much is going to change in her approach that led to an average of 25.6 points per game when she played at East Gadsden High School.
2009 First Team All-Big Bend (Florida) and Co-Big Bend Player of the Year, Jasmine Grice, 5'-7" wing guard averaged per game - 29.7 points, 4.3 steals and 5.4 rebounds at East Gasden H.S.
"I've got to stay determined," said Grice, named the Big Bend girls' basketball co-player of the year as a senior. "I'll be more focused." Grice should be able to do that now that the recruiting frenzy is over. For at least a year, she said, a long list of schools that included Boston College, Wisconsin and LSU sought after her. She said she saw the onslaught of letters and telephone calls coming, but she wasn't prepared to handle them. Yes, that job was handed off to her father.
There weren't too many significant offers for Austin Trainor when he was looking for a place to play college football. He listened to everyone's pitch anyway. Florida A&M football coach Joe Taylor and his staff struck the right chord with the former North Florida Christian quarterback. "When I went to FAMU and met all the coaching staff, everybody seemed sincere and real," Trainor said. "I asked them if I had a chance and they told me yes. They told me everything happens on the field and that's all I needed to hear. All I needed to prove myself was the opportunity."
Austin Trainor is a Rattler freshman QB prospect from Tallahassee's North Florida Christian H.S.
Trainor's situation could easily be that of the 29 other walk-ons who are hoping they'll catch the eyes of Taylor. The ones who make the mark could actually have a better-than-average chance of getting playing time next season with 24 players expected to graduate after this season. Considering the slots that will be opened up, Taylor has assigned assistants coaches Jimmy Tyson and Edwin Pata to monitor the walk-ons. "The program is going in the direction now that we could have some pretty good walk-ons," Taylor said. "I don't want anybody who looks at TV and thinks they're football players," he said. "Usually that's a hospital bill. We want the young man who the only reason is not on scholarship is because he came late or because we don't have the scholarship."
What a difference a 9-3 record makes. FAMU football coach Joe Taylor took a few minutes Wednesday to tell members of the Tallahassee Rotary Club how last season's success is affecting his team. For one thing, going from 3-8 to 9-3 has raised the expectations of Rattler fans. Then there are those who want to jump on the bandwagon — something that Taylor obviously is leery about. One of the biggest concerns is the outpouring of volunteerism when it comes to conditioning his players. He said he's warned them not to seek outside help and stick with what they're getting from strength and conditioning coach Antonio Wallace. Anything else, he said, is a distraction.
"So many people now want to jump on board and supposedly want to help," Taylor said, following his talk to the Rotarians in a small room at the Civic Center. "We need to stay in our tree, stay within our realm. When you were 3-8 nobody wanted to talk to you. Now everybody wants to talk to you." Taylor told the audience how he and his staff turned around the program in his first season as head coach, using the same blueprint that worked during 16 seasons at Hampton University. The change has more to do with the players' attitudes, he said.
Recruit can be scorer and make impact early for team Curtis Berry, who coached Florida A&M basketball signee Amin Stevens, might as well have been talking about a prizefighter when responding to a question about his protege's tenacity. "He will fight back," said Berry, who coached at Mount Vernon Presbyterian High in Roswell, Ga. "That's one thing that will toughen him up — when someone is in his face challenging him." That's the very reason Eugene Harris didn't hesitate to get in the fray to recruit Stevens. Stetson and South Carolina State also made bids for Stevens.
"I knew that he would be a guy that didn't shy away from contact," Harris said. "He is a guy that likes to score and I like scorers. There should be no reason why he can't come in here and play as a freshman." Stevens, a 6-foot-6 small forward, is expected to get plenty of playing time in his first season with the Rattlers. He's already on campus attending summer school and spending his spare time in the weight room. His willingness to face up to the challenge that awaits him, especially during conference play, will give FAMU more options on defense.
FAMU's Battle is like a coach on the football field A receiver chased a pass from quarterback Curtis Pulley, dropping the ball. Eddie Battle didn't like what he'd just witnessed. Battle, Pulley's second on FAMU quarterback depth chart, stood back, shook his head and folded his arms. His displeasure was obvious. Another play and the receivers pulled in the catch. Battle didn't take his eyes off the receiver as he trotted back to the huddle. The look on his face was one of approval. So went the afternoon for Battle as he took charge of running Monday evening's 7-on-7 unsupervised workouts.
Rattler QB Eddie Battle
With help from some of the veterans on the team, Battle has the undertaking of keeping order and structure during the 60 minutes that the Rattlers participate in the practice intended to stay sharp for the upcoming preseason drills. He seemed especially concerned about the timing between receivers and quarterbacks. "You could have a defensive lineman that is just causing hell up front," Battle said, "but if you have a receiver who is running perfect routes, the quarterback can give him the ball." Lallygagging annoy him as much as horse playing. He roams the field looking for the good and the bad, just like a coach.
While Florida A&M's athletic department continues to crawl out from under a financial blanket of red, head coaches in two revenue-generating sports won't have to sing the blues over a shortage of money to hire assistants. FAMU is currently searching for coaches to run the men's and women's track program. Those positions as well as vacancies in football and basketball will be filled, said athletic director Bill Hayes. He also said Tuesday that cost-cutting measures that he implemented several months ago will stay in place.
The athletic department operated last year with a deficit of $7 million, prompting concerns about how the current economic crisis would affect FAMU athletics. Additionally, FAMU's administration is looking for ways to make cuts in other departments. "We are making every effort to be frugal and manage the monies that we have without being wasteful in any way," Hayes said. "That's the direction that we are going in.
You have to hand it to James “Shack” Harris. He sure knows how look at his job with a “glass is half-full” point of view. The Grambling legend was named the Detroit Lions’ Senior Personnel Executive in February, joining General Manager Martin Mayhew and head coach Jim Schwartz in the task of rebuilding the franchise that recently became the first in NFL history to suffer through a winless season. But the Lions aren’t 0-16 any more. They’re 0-0. “It’s going good — we’re tied for first place, so we’re feeling pretty good,” Harris said of his first few months on the job.
Eligibility of several Bulldogs depends on summer courses -- Defensive end Jeremy Maddox and wide receiver Nate Baxter are among a handful of key Alabama A&M players who are in summer school seeking to become eligible for the upcoming season, coach Anthony Jones said. The Bulldogs report for preseason practice Aug. 2 and open the season at Tennessee State on Sept. 5.
"We have a couple of guys in summer school that have some issues this summer," Jones said. "The guys who are on the border ... all you can do is encourage them to go to class and monitor their progress. Ultimately, a lot of that responsibility has to fall upon them. They have to go to class and make the grades. The summer is always tough because everything is condensed and you have a ton of distractions. If it's important to them, they'll endure." According to Jones, approximately 40 players are in summer school, but most of them are trying to get ahead.
Southern’s football schedule has changed again. Texas Southern, in accepting a proposal from ESPNU, has moved its home game against the Jaguars to Dec. 5 — one week after the Bayou Classic and one week before the Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship Game. The TSU game was originally scheduled for Oct. 10. Southern will have a bye that week instead.
The decision to move the game was made solely by TSU, Athletic Director Charles McClelland said.
“We got inquiries to move the game, and we were able to put it on national television,” McClelland said. “And there was financial benefit to both universities.” McClelland said both schools will receive a payout of more than $100,000, but declined to give an exact figure.
According to SU records, this would be the first time the Jaguars played a conference game between the Bayou Classic and the SWAC Championship Game, which began in 1999. In fact, this will be the Jaguars’ first regular-season game after the Bayou Classic since 1979, when they finished with back-to-back wins against Grambling and Alabama State. “I’m not pleased with it,” SU coach Pete Richardson said of the change. “I was informed that it would probably happen a few days ago. It could have an impact on the conference championship.
Seven home games, including visits from Hampton, William and Mary and defending MEAC champion South Carolina State, highlight the Norfolk State football schedule finalized Tuesday. The Spartans, who played just five home games last year, will play five of their first six at Dick Price Stadium this season, beginning with the annual Labor Day Classic against Virginia State on Sept. 5. They'll play just four road games.
"Last year, we had to kind of pay the piper," coach Pete Adrian said. "This year, we hopefully can get the reward." The Spartans play four straight at home from Sept. 19 to Oct. 17, beginning with a first-ever visit from William and Mary. They'll face the toughest part of their conference schedule next, with home games against Bethune-Cookman, South Carolina State and Hampton.
QB Dennis Brown and the Spartans prepare for '09 MEAC title run.
Saying the school can make more money playing in Jackson than in Baton Rouge, Southern University officials have moved the Jaguars' Oct. 3 home game against Jackson State to 60,492-seat Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium. The two SWAC East division rivals play yearly, alternating sites, but the chance to sell 40,000 or more tickets in Jackson outweighed the home-field advantage that comes with 28,000-seat A.W. Mumford Stadium in Baton Rouge.
"You can't measure (home-field advantage)," said Southern athletic director Greg LaFleur, whose school is facing stiff budget cuts and recently eliminated its women's golf and men's tennis teams. "I can't worry about the part I can't measure. "But we can count cheeks in the seats." The schools have a verbal agreement, but nothing has been signed. While cash is the primary factor in the decision, how the money will be shared has not been solidified.
DELAND, FL — Florida A&M football coach Joe Taylor came right into the backyard of Bethune-Cookman University and caused quite a stir with the help of an audience of FAMU fans Saturday morning. Taylor, who is preparing for his second season as the Rattlers' head coach, fielded questions from the audience. It was apparent that beating B-CU in recruiting in the tiny town is a priority for most of those in the group that makes up FAMU's Volusia County Alumni Association.
Getting the best of the qualified players in the small town — nestled between Orlando and Daytona — is part of his mission, Taylor told the gathering at Chisholm Community Center. "There are lots of schools in Florida that have tremendous athletes off the beaten-path," Taylor said afterward. "There is another college in this area (B-CU) that's recruiting in this area, but we just came to make sure that we talk to the alumni and let them know what kind of program we run."
Taylor will do just that during the next six weeks, as he makes the rounds throughout Florida and other parts of the country to inform FAMU fans on the upcoming season. The appearance in Volusia county was the third of seven stops on Taylor's summer tour.
Jackson State offensive coordinator James Woody was suspended for five days without pay by the university for an "unspecified personnel issue" on Friday. The suspension was announced in a two-paragraph press release following two days of speculation fostered by a Jackson television station report that Woody had been terminated on Wednesday.
Woody declined comment when reached at his home on Thursday and did not return calls on Friday. Coach Rick Comegy and athletic director Bob Braddy did not return several calls over the past two days.
This October, in a game that shouldn't be played because of a contract that shouldn't have been signed, little Delaware State will face Michigan in the Big House.
If you made a list of the 10 dumbest things ever done by university administrators, Delaware State's decision to play Michigan would be Nos. 1-5. It was so dumb that nobody from the school can (or will) explain the anatomy of a football deal that forces it to forfeit a conference game. DSU has to forfeit its Oct. 17 game against North Carolina A&T because school negotiators somehow forgot to rearrange the team's existing schedule.
The truly unnerving part of this story is that other schools might be tempted to copy Delaware State. Just take the money, stick it to the conference schedule, plead stupidity and cash the check.
Dr. Donald J. Reaves: "Staying in Division II and returning to the CIAA is a real possibilityfor RAMS."
Winston-Salem State fans and alumni hoping for a vote of confidence from Chancellor Donald Reaves about the athletics program's move to Division I didn't get one Wednesday night. Reaves, speaking at a public forum, spelled out what WSSU needs to complete its transition to Division I and the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
"It's not an expense problem," he said. "We are not having a problem in athletics because it's spending too much. That's simply not the case. If you look at the expenditures of the other MEAC schools, you will see we are not spending nearly as much as they are. "The problem at Winston-Salem State is a revenue-side problem. We simply don't raise enough revenue."
WSSU, in its fourth year of transition to Division I, has lost $6.1 million since starting the move, and charts that Reaves used Wednesday show more losses ahead. Reaves was loud and clear about the key point of his presentation -- WSSU needs to raise nearly $3 million more a year to help offset losses. WSSU currently brings in about $2.9 million a year in student fees for athletics, by far the biggest source of revenue.
How much money would you accept to forfeit a meaningful game in order to play another game you will definitely lose?
Holly: Today on our bully pulpit agenda: Delaware State, a I-AA program, is forfeiting a conference game to North Carolina A&T because Delaware State wants to play Michigan instead. And by "wants," I mean they have the opportunity to cash in for a bodybag appearance in Ann Arbor in mid-October. All anyone's saying is the two MEAC schools "could not agree" on a date to reschedule the game, and now NCA&T is 1-0. In May.
What say you, gents? Is a big payday worth it if you're being paid to fall down in front of a powerhouse team? (Or in front of Michigan?)
Doug: Well, you know, that's what everybody thought about Appalachian State, too...
Holly: I was gonna say.
Doc: The ghost of Appalachian State will never die! But I'm not sure it's worth actually forfeiting a win to chase a ghost. Or a gazillion dollars. Or whatever it is.
Glenn Rogers stood at the center of 35 football players and rattled through his list. He told them to form a line, sign the waiver and pay the $80 fee. He advised those who were still in college that they would be forfeiting any remaining eligibility if they participated in this scouting combine for the Canadian Football League.
"We got three scouts here, all right?" said Rogers, an assistant coach at Memphis University School and former CFL player. "You impress them enough, they'll want to talk to you about a contract. Or they'll want to get your information. Who knows? They might want to sign a guy on the spot."
Ronald "Rock" Dillon played strong safety and linebacker for Alabama State. He was a two-time all-SWAC first-team selection, and his late interception against Southern clinched the 2004 SWAC championship.
This piece of information rippled through the pool of candidates two weeks ago at MUS, where the late-morning sun bounced molten heat off the artificial turf: professional contracts, there for the taking. Sweat ran in thick streams down the players' necks, soaking jerseys that bore the logos of teams familiar and obscure. They hailed from Lane College and Ole Miss, Lambuth and Cincinnati, athletes hopeful and hopeless, fresh out of college or several seasons removed, all bound by desire.
Ronald "Rock" Dillon began to stretch. The Southwestern Athletic Conference's defensive player of the year as a senior linebacker at Alabama State in 2004, Dillon had spent the past five years drifting through professional football's minor leagues, scrambling for opportunities, searching for roster spots, determined to crush his reputation of being too small, too slow -- words that continued to trail him like exhaust. At 26, he knew his window was closing.
NFL greats Doug Williams (L) and Ken Riley(R). Riley's NFL career: Bengals cornerback, 1969-83; fourth on NFL all-time interception list with 65.
Students want him in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
WINTER HAVEN, FL - What started out as a class assignment has turned into a movement. Winter Haven High School classmates Nick Harper and Jordan Powell hope the movement turns into a tidal wave of support that sweeps Winter Haven High dean Ken Riley into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. "We researched it and found out he was pretty good," Harper, an 18-year-old senior, said of Riley, who played for 15 years with the Cincinnati Bengals. "He's had the most interceptions without being in the hall. He went to a Super Bowl. Why isn't he in?"
So, the duo went to work. They have collected more than 1,000 signatures and have contacted some of the Hall of Fame voters, including local voter Ira Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune. They're trying to get everyone to remember the achievements of the Bartow native Riley, who last played in 1983. It may be working. Kaufman said last month that he has received some of the letters and talked with some committee members while at the owners' meeting in California in March.
"He's legitimate," Kaufman said of the Union Academy graduate Riley. "I brought up his name to some of the voters and got a very positive response. It's a wonder why someone with the numbers he has hasn't really seriously been considered."
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Former FAMU Rattlers, Ken Riley displays a game ball and three AFC Interception Leader awards he won during his 15 seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals. Riley, 61, a dean at Winter Haven High School, resides in Bartow.
LIFE OF RILEY
High School: Union Academy, Bartow, FL; College: Star QB, Florida A&M University; 6th Round Draft Choice 1969, Cincinnati Bengals-- Played 15 seasons as cornerback.
Riley also excelled academically and earned his team's scholastic award and a Rhodes Scholar Candidacy.
NFL career: Bengals cornerback, 1969-83. Fourth on NFL all-time interception list with 65.
Post NFL-career: 1984-85: Green Bay Packers assistant coach; 1986-93: Head coach, Florida A&M University, compiling a 48-39-2 record with two Mid-Eastern Athletic conference titles and 2 MEAC coach of the year awards; 1994-2003: Athletic director, Florida A&M.
Personal: Age 61, hometown is Bartow, Fla. Married, three grown children, one grandchild. Resides in Bartow, Fla.
In 2007 Riley was named to the Florida High School Association All-Century Team which selected the Top 33 players in the 100 year history of high school football in the state of Florida's history.
Riley is in other halls of fame, including the Florida Sports Hall of Fame, Polk County Sports Hall of Fame and the Florida A&M Hall of Fame.
Coach Rod Broadway Grambling Tigers has two ESPNU or ESPN2 HD dates--Sept. 6 vs. SCSU and Nov. 12 vs. Texas Southern.
The Southwestern Athletic Conference will have four football games aired live on Thursday nights on ESPNU during the fall. Alcorn State will kick off the schedule with a road game at Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Oct. 1. The game time has not been set.
Prairie View A&M at Southern will be featured Oct. 22 with kickoff yet to be determined.Texas Southern will travel to defending conference and black college national champion Grambling State on Nov. 12. Start time is lotted for 8 p.m.The 86th Turkey Day Classic between Alabama State and Tuskegee will shown Nov. 26 at 3 p.m.
The Bulldogs will play five games in Orangeburg for the first time since the 2005 campaign
ORANGEBURG, S.C. – South Carolina State will not host the Low Country Classic in Charleston, S.C. during the 2009 football season, the University announced today. SC State president, Dr. George E. Cooper, shared that as a result of the on-going decline in appropriated state resources, the University, this year, would focus on using available resources to support events on the campus and in Orangeburg. The decision means that The Bulldogs will play five games in Orangeburg for the first time since the 2005 campaign.
Dr. Cooper said that he hopes SC State alumni, stakeholders and fans will increase their support of the football team, no matter where The Bulldogs play. S. C. State, which will play an 11-game schedule in 2009, opens the season Sept. 6 against Grambling in the fifth MEAC/SWAC Challenge at Orlando, Fla. The Bulldogs will be making their second appearance in the game, created and sponsored by ESPN to match outstanding teams from the MEAC and SWAC. SC State played Alabama State in the inaugural MEAC/SWAC Challenge in 2005, coming away with a 27-14 win.
After what he calls an "interesting" football career at Howard University, Endor Cooper is like every other college player, anxiously waiting for the results of the 2009 NFL Draft this weekend. He's not sure when or if he'll be selected during the seven-round event, but today and Sunday will determine his future in football. "I'm like the rest of the players," Cooper said, " everybody's wait-ing to see what happens."
Even if he's not picked this weekend, Cooper could be a non-drafted free agent pick up for a team. He said his agent, Greg Hale, told him a week ago that as many as nine teams expressed interest in the 2004 Hylton grad.
Cooper, a 6-foot-3, 245-pound linebacker, could be a quality addition to an NFL club after putting together an impressive senior season with the Bison. He was the lone bright spot on the Howard (1-10) defense, recording more than twice as many solo tackles than any other player on the team with 71. His 98 total stops were nearly as many as any two Bison combined. He was named to the All-Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference first team defense.
Coach Al Lavan (center).
