FAMU trustees say no to Rick Scott's request to suspend school president

Dr. James H. Ammons, President
 Florida A&M University

TALLAHASSEE — Florida A&M University trustees needed just two minutes Monday to dismiss Gov. Rick Scott's call to suspend President James Ammons as authorities investigate a student's hazing death and allegations of financial fraud.

"We will stand firm against outside influence regardless of how well intended," said Board of Trustees chairman Solomon Badger.

Meeting via conference call, the 12-member board barely discussed a recommendation that Ammons be removed until the investigations are complete.  Badger suggested the board wait for a final report before taking further disciplinary action against Ammons, the university's president since 2007.

"Dealing with a sensitive matter, such as a student's death, allegations of hazing and the well-founded concerns of the students' safety, requires that we operate on facts," he said.

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B-CU's win is a Breeze; Wildcat women fall to FAMU court press, 81-57

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- Bethune-Cookman's Anthony Breeze said he felt he might have hurt his team Tuesday when he played for the first time in two weeks after injuring his shoulder. That certainly wasn't the case Saturday.

The 6-foot-5 post player scored a game-high 22 points and sophomore forward Adrien Coleman came off the bench to score 18 points and pull down a game-high nine rebounds as the Wildcats defeated Florida A&M 74-59 at a packed Moore Gymnasium.

It was B-CU's first win over an NCAA team this season. The Wildcats (3-5) improved to 1-0 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, while FAMU fell to 0-7, 0-1.

"Anthony Breeze just wore us out," FAMU coach Clemon Johnson said. "This is the first time I saw (Rattlers 6-8 center Yannick Crowder) get outplayed against a school our size. But he got outplayed (Saturday)."



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B-CU women fall to FAMU court press, 81-57

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- Bethune-Cookman saw the return of three key starters in its Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opener against rival Florida A&M, but the good news for the Wildcats ended there.

FAMU beat B-CU 81-57 on Saturday at Moore Gymnasium, and Demetria Frank's first game back since having knee surgery last year ended with her hopping off the court early in the second half.

Nothing obvious occurred to cause the injury, but the senior guard collapsed in agony behind the bench as team doctors attended to her surgically repaired knee.

Wildcats coach Vanessa Blair said she had no information on Frank's status and didn't want to speculate on her availability for their next game Dec. 11 vs. Stetson. The game against the Rattlers (3-4, 1-0 MEAC) was supposed to be a coming-out party of sorts for the Wildcats (1-5, 0-1).

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FAMU Band Director: 'He looked like he had passed out'

ATLANTA, Georgia -- For the first time since the death of Florida A&M drum major Robert Champion, director Julian White is giving more details about what happened that day.

11Alive's Blayne Alexander is the only Atlanta reporter to speak with Dr. White. During the interview, he described the moments after Champion collapsed.

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FAMU dismisses 4 students connected to death 
Florida A&M expels four students in wake of suspected hazing death

Hundreds attend funeral for FAMU drum major Robert Champion

DECATUR, Georgia -- Mourners filled a church in Decatur, Georgia, Wednesday for the funeral of a Florida university drum major who died this month in what officials have called a hazing-related incident.

A line of people -- some of them wearing band uniforms -- filed past Robert Champion's open casket. He was wearing his Florida A&M University Marching 100 uniform and holding a baton.

As the service began, a group of drum majors draped his coffin with the university's flag.

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FAMU dismisses 4 students connected to death
Death of FAMU Band Member Puts Other Universities on Notice
Scott Calls For Review Of Hazing Rules After FAMU Drum Major's Death
Bill Cotterell: Brutality is not a tradition
Scott wants universities to review hazing and harassement policies

FAMU student talks to WFTV about hazing

Tallahassee, Florida -- Only WFTV reporter Daralene Jones spoke with a student at Florida A&M University who said she was rushed to the emergency room after being hazed. Bria Hunter said the incident happened just days before band member Robert Champion died in Orlando earlier this month.

Hunter said some band members felt as if they had to join one of the underground groups known as the "Clones," "Red Dogs" and "Gustapos," so they can be accepted by veteran band members.

Champion, 26, mentored several members of the famed FAMU band, before he was hazed to death, including Hunter.

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Southern Mississippi Falls to Florida A&M Lady Rattlers, 77-66

Hattiesburg, Mississippi - Florida A&M women's basketball team got 25-second chance points off 23 offensive rebounds as the Lady Rattlers defeated Southern Miss 77-66 Tuesday night.

Southern Miss (2-4) placed three players in double figure scoring led by Tanecka Carey with 16 points followed Jamierra Faulkner with 15 points to go with 10 assists and Sedreka Plummer added 10 points.

Qiana Donald led all scorers with a game-high 20 points for Florida A&M (2-4) followed by Antonia Bennett and Tameka McKelton with 15 points apiece and Keturah Martin added 13.

FAMU out-rebounded the Lady Eagles 51-39 with Donald pulling down a game-high 17 boards that included 10 offensive rebounds. Southern Miss managed to score 40 points in the paint and get 21 points off 25 FAMU turnovers. The Lady Eagles struggled from the free throw line, converting only 4-of-10 shots.

Southern Miss trailed by as many as 27 points, 56-29, early in the second half as FAMU ...

Box Score

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Invoking Memories of Rattler Past

Tallahassee, Florida -- I invoke the memories of Rattler past and for me there are many. For as long as I can remember I have officially been a FAMU Rattler. No, I didn’t grow up attending FAMU DRS, I never had an immediate family member work on The Hill, nor did I play sports at FAMU, though I once considered it.

Almost from the time I was born I attended Ratter football games and later in life practically every other FAMU sporting event including tennis and womens volleyball. I will not say my memory is perfectly correct, so you need not correct me if I get something wrong. The most important thing is to relate these past memories to the present.

Yes, I followed Coach Jake Gaither from the latter days of Bob Hayes to Coach Gaither’s latter days as a retired coach and athletic director. I can still visualize John Eason, Major Hazleton, Kent Schoolfield, Jumping Joe Williams (one of my favorites), Hubert Ginn, Glenn Edwards, Henry Lawrence, Earl Goodrum, James Owens, and this list goes on. I remember seeing then quarterback ...

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FAMU football seeks fifth home game

Derek Horne
FAMU Athletics Director

Tallahassee, Florida -- FAMU football coach Joe Taylor just might get his wish for five home games if athletic director Derek Horne could get final contractual agreements to complete a proposed 2012 schedule that would include two important non-conference games.

Horne said Sunday he is in agreement with a five-game home schedule. He also confirmed that talks are underway to revive FAMU's rivalry game against Tennessee State University and possibly play another regional FCS team.

In addition to creating opportunities for potential corporate supporters to advertise inside Bragg Stadium, Horne said having more non-conference FCS teams on FAMU's schedule will help its case for postseason consideration. He's looking at programs that would be competitive as well.

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What I learned on the field with the FAMU marching band

Editor’s note: Dereyck Moore is currently employed by NBA digital and previously worked for CNN Digital. Moore is a graduate of Florida A&M University. He was a member of the FAMU Marching 100 band from 1990 to 1994

By Dereyck Moore, Special to CNN

(CNN) - The tragic death of Robert Champion, drum major for the famed Florida A&M University marching band, weighs on me. I never knew Robert personally. I never shook his hand or carried on a conversation with this young man. But his death has touched me as if I had lost a member of my immediate family - because I have.

I was a member of the FAMU band 20 years ago, and the news of his death traveled among my band mates, through those who marched before me and long after I was gone. It’s sad and shocking to hear his death might be related to hazing by members of the band.

I have always looked upon my beloved FAMU Marching 100 band and many other historically black college and university - HBCU - marching bands with pride. That pride has been shaken to its core by the investigation into the death of a member of our family, my family - a young man just like me.


(Videographer: TheOProductions1907)

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Florida A&M University band director is fired amid hazing investigation

Dr. Julian E. White
Former Chairman, Music Department and Director of
Florida A&M University Bands career comes to end
after 39 years of service with high distinction.

(click on photo to enlarge)

ORLANDO, Fla. — Florida A&M University has fired longtime band director Julian White, four days after the death of a drum major in which police say hazing was involved.

"Dr. White has been terminated from employment at the university," said FAMU President James Ammons, citing White’s "inability to stop hazing in the department of music and in the band."

"We are serious: This has to stop," Ammons said in an interview with The Orlando Sentinel. "The highest priority we have as a university is protecting the health, safety and well-being of our students."

The news comes a day after Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings announced that hazing is being investigated in the death of Robert Champion, who collapsed aboard a parked charter bus in front of the Rosen Plaza hotel Saturday night after the Florida Classic football game. The FAMU band performed during halftime.

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Former FAMU band member: Directors knew about hazing

SMYRNA, Georgia -- When Ivery Luckey heard that hazing may be to blame for Robert Champion's death, he wasn't surprised. Thirteen years ago, as a sophomore clarinet player in FAMU's Marching 100, Luckey was beaten so badly he spent 11 days in the hospital.

"I had full renal failure," he said. "My organs were beginning to shut down and toxins were building in my body and I had to go into dialysis."

Luckey joined Florida A&M University's famed band as a freshman in 1997. He later became friends with 26-year-old Robert Champion, the Southwest DeKalb High School grad and FAMU drum major who died last weekend after suspected hazing.

In an exclusive interview with 11Alive's Blayne Alexander, Luckey described his own hazing ordeal. He said it began his sophomore year, when he wanted to secure his place on the field.

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Director of famous marching band fired as university president vows to end initiation ceremonies after 'healthy' drum major dies

• Julian White fired by Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University president
• James Ammons disappointed White could not stop alleged 'hazing' events
• Robert Champion, 26, died after initiation ceremony on Saturday in Orlando

United Kingdom -- A world-famous university marching band has been thrown further into chaos after its long-serving director was last night fired after the death of a drum major in a suspected initiation ceremony.

Julian White, of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University in Tallahassee, was unable to stop the alleged ‘hazing’ events in the band and music department, college president James Ammons said.

Robert Champion, 26, was found unresponsive on a bus parked outside a hotel in Orlando, Florida, on Saturday night after the school's football team lost to Daytona Beach rival Bethune-Cookman.

Mr Champion was vomiting and had complained he couldn't breathe before he collapsed. Mr White meanwhile has been placed on paid administrative leave and has 10 days to respond to his firing.

The incident happened following a popular football and marching band competition between two of the state's historically black universities at the Florida Clasjavascript:void(0)ic in Orlando.

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FAMU band director to be fired following drum major's death
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Task force will review death of FAMU student

3 straight Classic losses too much for B-CU Wildcats

Game Time: 2:30 p.m.
TV: ESPN Classic
Internet: ESPN3

ORLANDO, FL -- Ryan Davis remembers how bad he felt for Bethune-Cookman's seniors after Florida A&M rallied to a victory in last year's Florida Classic. "It was tough to see those seniors go out that way," said the Wildcats defensive end. "I just wanted to win it for those guys last year. I felt bad that we couldn't do it." Davis doesn't want to become one of those seniors.

Florida A&M comes into today's game at the Florida Citrus Bowl with three straight victories over its arch-rival. B-CU's senior class does not want to go out 0-4 against the Rattlers.

"I'm 0-3 against them, so this game is going to mean a little more," Davis said "Never having beaten FAMU has eaten at me throughout my career. So it's very important that we execute in all fazes of the game." Both teams have been on a roll after starting off slowly this year. Florida A&M (7-3 overall, 5-2 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) has won four in a row, while B-CU (7-3, 5-2) has won five straight. The winner will likely be considered for one of 10 at-large bids to the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs, which begin next week.

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Florida Classic: Ex-Winter Springs RB Al-Terek McBurse comes home

Orlando, Florida -- Al-Terek McBurse is excited about Saturday's Florida Classic, as would be any member of the teams playing: Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman University.

But for McBurse, it's not just the pomp and precision of the festivities and competition on the field. There will be one very important person off the field there to witness him playing college football for the first time.

And as long as his parents, Allison McBurse and Clinton Dunston, get Mervin McBurse to the Citrus Bowl on Saturday, everything will be perfect for the FAMU running back, who will also be taking part in his first Florida Classic (2:30 p.m., Citrus Bowl, ESPN Classic).

"She'll be getting to see me for the first time ever in college," McBurse said of the woman who raised him, who will turn 81 next month. "As long as they get my grandma there everything will be good."



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BCU Wildcats, FAMU Rattlers rolling with Wilson, Fleming at QB

Florida A&M (7-3, 5-2 MEAC) vs. Bethune-Cookman (7-3, 5-2)

WHAT: Florida Classic

WHERE: Florida Citrus Bowl, Orlando

WHEN: 2:30 p.m. Saturday

TICKETS: Available seats priced $31.75 to $59.25 can be purchased at Amway Center box office, call 407-839-3900 or go to tickemaster.com

TV: ESPN Classic

RADIO: WELE (1380 AM)

OTHER KEY EVENTS: Friday, Battle of the Bands, Amway Center, Orlando, 7 p.m.; Official Classic Step Show, Bob Carr Performing Arts Center, Orlando, 7:30 p.m. Saturday: Florida Classic FanFare, Citrus Bowl Parking Lot C, 9 a.m.

LAST YEAR: FAMU won 38-27. Attendance: 60,712

DAYTONA BEACH, FL -- Saturday's Florida Classic may not have the luster of last year's game, but the winner could be rewarded with an at-large playoff bid. And a month ago, that did not seem possible.

This season, Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman were expected to build on the success of sharing the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title with South Carolina State last year. But the Rattlers began the season 3-3 and the Wildcats started 2-3, with both teams losing two of their first three MEAC contests.

Since then, FAMU (7-3, 5-2 MEAC) has won four straight, and the catalyst for its success was installing freshman Damien Fleming at quarterback in the fifth game.

Improved play behind center has also contributed to B-CU's surge. Since North Carolina A&T stifled the Wildcats' vaunted spread offense in a 22-3 upset on Oct. 8, B-CU (7-3, 5-2) has won five in a row, averaging 516.8 yards during the streak.


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Stetson Hats rout FAMU Rattlers for rare 2-0 start

Tallahassee, Florida -- Stetson routed Florida A&M, 78-60, on Monday night to open the season with two consecutive victories for the first time since the 1952-53 season. The win was also the first non-conference road victory for the Hatters since an 89-79 victory at Wake Forest to start the 2010-11 season.

It wasn't always pretty, though. Stetson turned the ball over 26 times, but FAMU (0-2) gave the ball back 19 times. Stetson was able to build a lead by beating the Rattlers on the boards to the tune of a 54-31 advantage.

"If you put the entire 40 minutes together tonight, it was significantly better than the first game," Hatters coach Casey Alexander said. "We all know there is miles and miles of improvement left to go."

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FAMU men's basketball falls to Stetson

Tallahassee, Florida -- Midway through the second half, FAMU guard Avery Moore went to the free throw line to shoot two shots for a technical called against Stetson University on Monday night.  He missed the second one, then rolled his eyed toward the ceiling of the Lawson Center as he mumbled a few words not suitable for printing.

Such was the kind of night that the Rattlers had as they fell 78-60. They just couldn't get their shots to fall on a night when they could have used some sure points from Amin Stevens, Brandon Hosely and Chris Watson. Eligibility issues forced them to watch from the bench.

The Rattlers tried getting its points from behind the arc. They got 2 of 16. They tried jumpers, lay-ups. Nothing worked, especially in the second half.

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Florida A&M turns focus to Florida Classic

DURHAM, North Carolina — Now that the picture is clear as to whom is the MEAC champion, coach Joe Taylor wasted little time explaining the significance of Saturday's game that has turned into a little bit more than a rivalry between Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman.

Norfolk State won the league title, leaving the Rattlers to fight for the No.2 spot, which might actually mean something as far as an at-large bid to the NCAA playoffs. If nothing else, they will be playing for state bragging rights in the nationally-televised game at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando.

"Now this game down there has significant value to it," said Taylor following the Rattlers' 31-10 victory Saturday over North Carolina Central. "We will get back and we will prepare. It's going to be electric for the classic; it always is but (the stakes) are going to add some things to it."

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FAMU Marching 100 leading Tallahassee, Florida Veterans Day Parade, 11/11/2011.

NCCU falls to Florida A&M in final home game, senior day

Durham, North Carolina -- North Carolina Central University’s second half efforts were not enough to combat the first half deficit against Florida A&M University who won 31-10 on Senior Day at O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium.

FAMU amassed 261 total offensive yards in the first half, outscoring the Eagles 28-0 before intermission, including three touchdowns in the second quarter. Junior running back Lavante Page gave FAMU an early lead on the opening drive scoring on a two-yard touchdown run, giving the Rattlers a 7-0 lead at 7:55 of the first quarter.



The Eagles’ opening drive was a four-and-out on three plays for a gain of only two yards ending with a punt by redshirt sophomore punter Matthew Cornelius. That trend continued for the Eagles as they only had five first downs in the first half compared to 15 by FAMU.

When the Eagles were not giving the Rattlers the ball off of punts, NCCU turned the ball over twice, fumbling and then on an interception, both times resulting in touchdown drives for FAMU.

Photo Gallery   

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Analyzing Florida A&M at North Carolina Central

Time: Today at 2 p.m.
Records: N.C. Central (2-7 overall, 1-5 MEAC); Florida A&M (6-3 overall, 4-2 MEAC)
Site: O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium, Durham, N.C.
Series: FAMU leads 4-1-1.
Forecast: Mostly sunny, temperatures in the low-to-mid-60s.
Complete Game Notes (PDF)
Radio: WEED 1390 AM (Rocky Mount, N.C.); WARR 1520 AM (Warrenton, N.C.); “GameCentral” at NCCUEaglePride.com. Starts at 12:30 p.m. (Chris Hooks, play-by-play; Joe Simmons, color analyst; Danielle Johnson-Webb, sideline)
Video: NCCUEaglePride.com features “GameCentral” by Stretch Internet ($8.95 per game). Starts at 1:45 p.m. Link: http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/nccu.portal#

WHEN FLORIDA A&M HAS THE BALL

The Rattlers come into today's game off another exciting come-from-behind win last week against North Carolina A&T. Quarterback Damien Fleming tossed two more touchdown passes and now has seven in the seven games he's played — with only two interceptions. Completing 60 percent of his passes and a 7-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio puts Fleming third in the MEAC in pass efficiency.

The running back trio of LaVante Page, Al-Terek McBurse and Eddie Rocker could see plenty of carries today against a defense that ranks ninth in the MEAC by allowing just over 180 yards per game on the ground.



N.C. Central linebacker Brandon Outlaw leads a defense that has struggled for most of the year, but is coming off its best performance in a 14-7 win over Delaware State. Outlaw has 86 tackles, despite only four in the Eagles' first MEAC win of the season last week.

Cornerback Malik Cromartie was the hero for NCCU last week, blocking a first-quarter field goal to keep the game tied and intercepting a pair of passes. His second pick came with Delaware State driving late in the game to seal the win. Fleming will also need to keep an eye on junior defensive back Marc Lewis, who leads NCCU with seven pass breakups.

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N.C. Central looks for second MEAC win

Durham, North Carolina -- Last weekend's first victory in the MEAC wasn't one that North Carolina Central coach Henry Frazier wanted his team to spend too much time celebrating. But it was a huge sense of relief. At the mention during his weekly conference call that it might have been like a monkey off his back, Frazier laughed.

"I wouldn't say it was a monkey," he said. "I say it was a big, old gorilla. We had been close a few times and just hadn't been able to pull it out."

In fact, the Eagles (2-7, 1-5) have held fourth-quarter leads in four of their previous six games before hanging on to beat Delaware State last weekend in Dover, Del.



One reason that Frazier didn't want to spend too much time savoring the win is because his team has the challenge of trying to beat Florida A&M in its last home game today at O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium in Durham,N.C.

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Florida A&M Open 2011-12 Campaign Against Georgia Tech

FLORIDA A&M RATTLERS AT GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS
DATE: November 11, 2011
GAMU TIME: 8:00 PM ET
TV: ESPN3.COM

|  | Watch Live |  CLICK -- Watch on ESPN3

Atlanta, Georgia -- Georgia Tech will open its 2011-12 season and play its first game under new head coach Brian Gregory at 8 p.m. Friday night against Florida A&M at the Arena at Gwinnett. The game is the nightcap of a double-header involving the Yellow Jackets' women's team, which will open its season at 5:30 against Alabama State.

Tech hired Gregory, who enjoyed a successful eight-year run as the head coach at Dayton, as its head coach last March. The new Yellow Jackets' skipper compiled a record of 172-94 at the Atlantic 10 institution, guiding the Flyers to two NCAA Tournaments and three berths in the NIT, which they won in 2010.

Gregory inherits two returning starters and nine letterwinners from a team that went 13-18 overall, 5-11 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, a year ago. Two of the three leading scorers from last season are gone - Iman Shumpert going in the NBA Draft, where he was the 17th overall selection, and Brian Oliver, who transferred to Seton Hall.

Tech's returning players, however, have combined to start 120 games in their careers. Back are juniors Glen Rice, Jr., a 6-5 forward from Marietta, Ga., and Mfon Udofia, a 6-2 point guard from Stone Mountain, Ga., sophomore forwards Jason Morris (6-5, Augusta, Ga.) and Kammeon Holsey (6-8, Sparta, Ga.), and sophomore centers Daniel Miller (6-11, Loganville, Ga.) and Nate Hicks (6-10, Panama City Beach, Fla.), who combined to score 51 percent of Tech's points in 2011-12.

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Johnson tweaking lineup as Florida A&M Rattlers open season

Tallahassee, Florida -- An exhibition basketball game can reveal so much, as Florida A&M's first-year coach Clemon Johnson found out.

Among his discoveries were that Avery Moore is a shooting guard, not the one to run the point. Johnson also said the Rattlers might have done better against Albany State if Amin Stevens was playing power forward instead of small forward.

"I was trying to put our best players on the floor, but I had to put people in positions that they weren't ready to play," said Johnson, whose return to FAMU as head coach of its men's team was ruined by a four-point loss to the Rams last week. "They looked good in practice against each other but when the game came it was different."

Johnson is hoping that he'll be much closer to finding the right combination of players when FAMU plays a stretch of four games against major and mid-major programs during the next 10 days. They begin today at Georgia Tech, then a visit by Stetson to the Lawson Center will be followed by games against Providence and Rice.



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Orlando East River OL Ivan Rios will take his talents to FAMU

Orlando, Florida -- Ivan Rios Jr. has just one scholarship offer. There could be more on the way, but the East River offensive lineman doesn't need to see any more offers. Rios, who plays guard for East River, liked his visit to Florida A&M so much that he nearly committed on the spot.

"When I went to visit the school, I loved it up there," Rios said. "It was a great experience and the coaching staff was great and the speeches they gave about academics and being focused was great … I just like their team overall."

Rios, 6-foot-5, 280 pounds, is part of one of the best offensive lines in the state. The Falcons' front five is anchored by 6-foot-8, 350-pound tackle Adam Duckett and bookended on the other side by tackle Josh Farr (6-5, 250), while the other guard is Micah Cross (6-1, 285) and the center Jacob Bear (6-0, 285).



But Rios knows there could be more formidable linemen to compete against for a spot on the field once he arrives at FAMU. "There are some pretty big boys over there, but I don’t think it’s a problem," Rios said. "I think I can go over there and start soon."

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