MSU Chad Simpson gets invite to NFL Combine

Slide Show: MSU All-American RB Chad Simpson - 2007

BALTIMORE, Md. – Morgan State University senior All-American running back Chad Simpson has earned the chance to increase his NFL draft possibilities in the coming months. Simpson has been invited to the 2008 NFL Draft Combine.

Simpson becomes the first Bear to earn a spot in the NFL Combine since current Minnesota Viking tight end Visanthe Shiancoe in 2003. Shiancoe was a 3rd round selection by the New York Giants.

Simpson, a first-team Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference selection, was named MEAC Player of the Year after breaking Morgan State’s single season record for rushing yards. He became Morgan State’s third MEAC MVP in 28 years (Darrell Coulter, 1979), and the second in four years (Bradshaw Littlejohn, 2003) after running for 1,402 yards.

The Miami native also became the ninth All-American selection at Morgan State and the first in almost 15 years (Matthew Steeple, 1993) when he was selected to the American Football Coaches Association Football Championship Subdivision Coaches’ All-America Team.

Simpson has also been named to the inaugural Boxtorow/BASN Black College All-American Team and was selected as an honorable mention to The Sports Network’s FCS All-America Team.

Nearly 300 of the top college football players are invited annually to participate in the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, set for February 20-26. Top Executives, Coaching Staffs, Player Personnel Departments and Medical Personnel from all 32 NFL teams will be on hand to evaluate the eligible players for the upcoming NFL Draft.

-from Morgan State Sports Information

Editor's note: Chad Simpson led the MEAC in rushing in 2007 with 1402 yards on 276 carries at 5.1 yards per carry; 14 touchdowns, 127.5 yards per game, with longest run of 56 yards. He also finished in second place in all-purpose yards to MEAC leader--Florida A&M sensational freshman RB Philip Sylvester, with a total of 1778 yards for a per game average of 161.6.

-beepbeep

Jackson State Speaks sees zone

Photo: This is one sister in the JSU Sonic Boom of the South Band you may not want to play with unless you can stand the heat.

By David Brandt, Clarion Ledger

Jackson State middle linebacker Marcellus Speaks said he expects to see a healthy dose of zone blocking and running schemes from the Alabama State offense on Saturday.

"They've got a good system," Speaks said. "We've got to be smart about what we're doing out there and not get caught out of position because they've got some really good running backs."

Alabama State senior Jay Peck has been one of the SWAC's best running backs for the past two years. Peck is averaging 105.4 rushing yards per game and 4.6 yards per carry so far this season.

MCLAURIN OUT

Wide receiver Kethonne McLaurin will miss the Alabama State game after his shoulder injury - suffered three weeks ago against Texas Southern - turned out more serious than expected.

"Apparently, his shoulder's got a pretty good crack in it," JSU coach Rick Comegy said. "If it lasts much longer we'll probably look at redshirting him and bringing him back next season."

McLaurin would be a solid veteran in what will be a young receiving unit next year. Three of JSU's current top six receivers - Jaymar Johnson, Chris Johnson and Terrance Jones - will exhaust their eligibility at season's end.

FAMU starting QB quits team

The Tallahassee Democrat has released a story indicating that FAMU senior starting quarterback and preseason all-MEAC nominee, Albert Chester II announced Tuesday evening that he is leaving the FAMU football team.

Head Coach Rubin Carter and his Rattler team members were blind-sided by this development and shocked to hear the news. It was delivered by Chester during an interview with the Democrat, 30 minutes after the team practice on Tuesday. It is my understanding that Chester did not participate in the practice and his announcement comes as somewhat, shocking news to Rattler Nation.

Chester was pulled late in the third quarter of last Saturday's Atlanta Football Classic game against FAMU's longtime rival, Tennessee State University. Chester performance was below par with only 84 passing yards, zero touchdowns and one interception. He was replaced by senior quarterback Leon Camel, who sparked the Rattlers on a scoring drive and the game winning touchdown.

We're not going to speculate on what motivated Chester II to make the move at this time but we wish him the best in his pursuit of a degree from the FAMU College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Albert Chester II has attempted to wear big shoes left by his father's legacy at FAMU. Albert Chester Sr., was FAMU's starting QB and helped FAMU win the first ever NCAA 1-AA National Championship in 1978 and led the Rattler's upset win over the University of Miami Hurricanes.

The only way that Chester II could please Rattler Nation message board critics was to go 11-0, win the MEAC and FCS national championship titles in his final season.

The FAMU Rattlers are scheduled to do battle Oct 6, with the Winston Salem State University Rams in the Circle City Classic in Indianapolis, Indiana. (beepbeep)

Albert Chester II, may have played the final game of his college career at the 2007 Atlanta Football Classic.

Southern shuts down ASU Hornets

Special to the Advertiser

SOUTHERN 21, ALABAMA STATE 2:

MOBILE -- Before the season, Alabama State head football coach Reggie Barlow chose the theme: "Push it to the Limit," which turned out to be quite apropos, as each of the first four games came down to pivotal plays in the final few minutes.

In the Gulf Coast Classic -- against a formidable Southern defense -- the Cinderella season hit its first bit of adversity as ASU simply ran out of magic dust and fell 21-2 to Southern on Saturday.

"It was a tough game," Barlow said. "We were really bad on offense. We moved the ball, but we couldn't take advantage of the opportunities."

Alabama State quarterbacks Alex Engram and Chris Mitchell combined to go 8-of-33 for only 84 yards and two interceptions. Southern's Bryant Lee, who had not thrown an interception in 183 consecutive attempts, tossed three picks during a 16-of-29, 242-yard performance.

Between the teams, there were 14 punts and eight turnovers.

Still, the Jaguars made just enough big plays to get an important SWAC win. However, the ASU defense would get none of the blame from Barlow.

"Those guys (ASU defense) are great," he said. "They play so hard, but we just didn't get them any help from the other side of the ball."

Rechard Johnson tallied 10 tackles, forced a fumble, recovered a fumble and broke up a pass. Not to be outdone, Leland Jones had his breakout game of the season with seven tackles -- including two for loss -- forced a fumble, broke up a pass and picked up a quarterback hurry. Also, his third-quarter tackle of Chad Harris in the end zone accounted for the Hornets' only points of the night.

"We don't care what happens, we are one team," Jones said. "If one side of the ball is struggling, it's our responsibility as teammates to pick them up. That's what we do for each, and that's what we'll do this week as we get ready for Jackson State."

The Hornets will travel to Jackson, Miss., to take on the Tigers at 3 p.m.

DSU faces big test at Hampton

By KRISTIAN POPE, The News Journal

Win would give Hornets significant boost in chase for MEAC title

DOVER -- A conversation this week between a Delaware State assistant football coach and a Hornets player ended with a rather urgent statement, considering it is still September.

"He said if we don't win this game," junior fullback Adam Shrewsbury said of today's game at No. 13 Hampton, "then our season is over."

While no DSU coaches were willing to make that statement publicly, it hit home with guys like Shrewsbury, who feel the program's push to win a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship.

Photo: DSU Coach Al Lavan Hornets are ready for Hampton.

Is today's game DSU's most important of the season?

"That's what it is," Shrewsbury said. "But every game is going to be like that. We're not promised anything. It's the biggest game of the season, but every game will be the biggest from this point."

Just three games into the season, and with virtually the entire schedule of league games remaining, here's how the postseason looks for DSU (2-1, 1-0 MEAC) heading into today's game:

Hampton, while not the overwhelming power it was last season, appears to be the best team in the MEAC. The Pirates are 3-0, with all their wins over MEAC teams.

If the Hornets lose today, they would need Hampton to lose twice in MEAC play in order to have a chance at the regular-season championship and automatic berth in the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs.

South Carolina State (2-2, 2-0 MEAC), the preseason favorite, travels to Hampton on Oct. 20 and plays host to DSU on Oct. 27. Either one of those games could determine the champion.

"Every game [from] here out is for the MEAC championship," DSU senior defensive lineman Kelly Rouse said. "But they're [Hampton] the champs. You got to knock off the champs."

Beating Hampton on its own turf hasn't been easy for DSU. The last time it happened was 1969, when coach Arnold Jeter led DSU to a 20-0 win.

The teams didn't meet from 1971 to 1994. Since the series resumed in 1995, Hampton has gone 11-1 against the Hornets.

19th ANNUAL ATLANTA FOOTBALL CLASSIC: FAMU vs. TSU

By Eric Stirgus, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The streets of downtown Atlanta will be covered with Florida A&M green and orange and Tennessee State blue this weekend as approximately 150,000 people are expected to attend the 19th annual Bank of America Atlanta Football Classic.

Classic events began Wednesday with a town hall meeting on childhood obesity, and will continue with a step show, a health and job fair, parade and Saturday's football game at the Georgia Dome (3 p.m. kickoff). Many of the Thursday and Friday events will be held at the Georgia World Congress Center.

Next to the State Farm Bayou Classic, held each November in New Orleans, the Classic is considered the largest historically black colleges and universities football game and weekend. Slightly more than half of those who will take in some portion of a Classic event come from outside Georgia. The Classic is organized and hosted by 100 Black Men of Atlanta Inc.

"It has grown because we have tried to make it more inclusive," said John T. Grant, 100 Black Men's chief executive officer. "Our goal is to make it a Super Bowl event."

Classic organizers estimate it pumps $30 million into the city's economy. Some proceeds from the weekend's events will go to 100 Black Men of Atlanta's flagship charity, Project Success, a mentorship program for Atlanta Public Schools students.

Florida A&M and Tennessee State played each other in the first two Classic contests in 1989 and 1990 at Georgia Tech's Grant Field. Saturday's game will be the ninth consecutive year they meet in Atlanta. The two schools earlier this year signed a three-year extension to play each other at the Georgia Dome through 2010.

COUNTDOWN

5: Florida A&M's winning streak over Tennessee State

54%: Attendees from outside Georgia

78: Companies at the job fair

3,800: Parade participants

$70,000: Average household income of attendees

Source: 100 Black Men of Atlanta Inc., Atlanta Sports Council

THE SCHOOLS

Tennessee State University


>Mascot: Tigers

>Colors: Reflex Blue and white.

>Founded: Nashville on June 19, 1912, as the Agricultural & Industrial State Normal School, serving 247 students.

>Today: The present-day school, 65 buildings over 500 acres, exists as a result of a 1979 merger with the former University of Tennessee at Nashville. More than 75 percent of the school's 9,000 students are black; 46 states and 45 countries are represented. Since 1994, TSU has been listed in the U.S. News & World Report's "Guide to America's Best Colleges."

>Claim to fame: The Tigerbelles. Coached by Ed Temple and anchored by the great Wilma Rudolph, TSU's women's track team was perhaps the most dominant in history.

>Football: Simply put, TSU was a national power for decades, winning 10 black college national championships, stringing together a 27-game win streak in the early 1950s and producing nearly 100 All-Americans.

Six Great Tigers:

>Oprah Winfrey, media mogul.

> Harold Ford, Sr., politician.

>Ed "Too Tall" Jones, former NFL great.

>Carl Rowan, award-winning journalist.

>Wilma Rudolph, Olympic gold medalist.

>Moses Gunn, co-founder of the Negro Ensemble Company.

Source: Kina Cleveland, a media representative at the university and a 2001 graduate.

Florida A&M University

>Mascot: Rattlers

>Colors: Orange and Green, representing the citrus industry.

>Founded: Oct. 3, 1887, in Tallahassee with one building, two instructors and 15 students as the State Normal College for Colored Students.

>Today: African-Americans represent 92 percent of the school's 11,700 students. In 2006, Black Enterprise named it the best school in the country for African-Americans.

>Claim to Fame: Under William P. Foster, the Marching 100 has been the school's major public relations machine for decades. It marched in the Bastille Day Parade to celebrate the Bicentennial of the French Revolution and performed at the 1993 inaugural parade of Bill Clinton. Earlier this year, they played with Prince at the Super Bowl.

>Football: Beginning in 1945, under legendary coach Alonzo "Jake" Gaither, the school won 203 games in 25 seasons, captured six national titles and produced 36 All-Americans.

Six Great Rattlers:

> Julian "Cannonball" Adderley and Nat Adderly, jazz greats.

> Althea Gibson, tennis great.

>Kwame Kilpatrick, mayor of Detroit.

> Pam Oliver, sports reporter.

>LaSalle D. Leffall, former president of the American Cancer Society.

Source: Murell Dawson, archivist and curator of the Carrie Meek-James N. Eaton Sr. Southeastern Regional Black Archives Research Center and Museum and 1983 FAMU graduate.

Will NC A&T say so long NC Central?

Rob Daniels is clueless to what constitutes a "brawl." Stomping on a field logo and players pushing each other at 50 yard line in pads and helmets is not a brawl. Let's talk about how exciting and competitive the game was, Rob....(beepbeep).


















By Rob Daniels, Greensboro News-Record

A brawl followed the end of N.C. A&T's loss to N.C. Central on Saturday in Greensboro.

After a post-game brawl Saturday, the Aggies might cancel their football series with N.C. Central.

GREENSBORO -- Almost immediately after its return from a one-year hiatus, the football series between N.C. A&T and N.C. Central is again imperiled. Disturbed by Saturday's postgame fight, an incident apparently instigated by Eagles players, officials at A&T have discussed canceling the schools' scheduled 2008 meeting and will take up the topic again today when Chancellor Stanley F. Battle convenes his regular cabinet meeting this morning, an athletics administrator said Sunday.

Associate athletics director Wheeler Brown said the issue is on the agenda in light of events late Saturday night. Moments after Central's 27-22 win, some Eagles ran to midfield and jumped -- intentionally and derisively, A&T said -- on the Aggie logo, an intense-looking bulldog. That irritated the Aggies, who had just lost their 20th straight game. Players clashed, threw punches and were ultimately dispersed when A&T police officers interceded with pepper spray, players and coaches said. Players from both teams vomited after coming in contact with the irritant, commonly used by police in crowd control.

Saturday's contest, the 79th in the history of a series that began in 1924, was the first on either campus since 1992. The institutions signed a contract to play in Aggie Stadium in 2007 and at a site of Central's choosing in 2008, but the fight has clouded that.

"We feel our kids were provoked," Brown said. "We're not condoning what happened by any means."

Central athletics director Bill Hayes said Sunday he has suspended one unnamed player for one game and may mete out further punishment if necessary. On Friday night, Hayes was among four legendary former coaches whom A&T honored for their service to the school. Owner of the most wins in Aggie football history, he was fired following the 2002 season, and he became AD at Central, his alma mater, shortly thereafter.

Both schools issued carefully and passively worded statements about Saturday's fight.

"The N.C. A&T logo was stomped following a very spirited football game where athletes competed vigorously," A&T's missive said. "We regret the conflict that (ensued), for this is not indicative of what we represent. The teams were immediately separated. A&T Police & Public Safety officials were on the scene. No one was hurt.

"This is an isolated incident. No charges have been filed at this point pending further investigation led by Police and Public Safety Chief Richard Holden. Additional information will be disseminated per Chief Holden's investigation.

"N.C. A&T and NCCU have had a long relationship as athletic rivals for many years. In the end, our common ground and number one mission is educating young people."

Dee Todd, A&T's athletics director, did not respond to telephone calls seeking comment.

Eagles coach Mose Rison did not address whether his players initiated the melee. He praised them for what he termed their quick acceptance of directives to stop whatever had been started.

"After our game Saturday, emotions were running very high; however, we still expected to walk across the field and conduct the traditional handshake," Rison said. "Instead, some physical aggression erupted, and thanks to the quick action of the police, was made brief. On behalf of my staff, I will state that I believe we acted immediately and properly, and that our student-athletes responded accordingly to our instructions.

"In every level of football I have ever coached, there is always an arch rivalry. These games are exciting to watch and exciting to play and coach. They mean a great deal to the teams, the fans, the institutions, and to the alumni. The challenge to all of us is to channel our excitement and emotions and keep them on a level that honors the sport and the work that goes into it. When the game is over, we need to share our elation in a positive manner. We need to feel our disappointment without taking it out on anybody else."

The incident is the latest chapter in an on-again, off-again series between the schools.

The institutions began the rivalry in 1924 and met every year from 1945-92. After skipping 1993 over unspecified contractual disagreements, they resumed in 1994 but took the game to N.C. State's Carter-Finley Stadium, where it remained through 2005. In 2002, they turned over administration of the event to the Capital Area Sports Foundation, a tax-exempt arm of Raleigh municipal government that still hasn't paid them in full for the 2005 game. A&T cited the foundation's breach of contract in declining to play the Eagles in 2006, but Central's decision to seek full NCAA Division I status and to apply for MEAC membership compelled a renewal of the rivalry.

The Eagles had hoped to have a deal with the MEAC by now, but nothing has been finalized. Brown said the conference effectively placed all expansion plans on hold some time ago.