UAPB Coach knows Turner’s path to excellence

UAPB Coach Monte Cole-man: "Senior linebacker Tim Turner is the unquestioned leader of the Golden Lions defense with 122 tackles a year ago."

PINE BLUFF, AK — Arkansas-Pine Bluff Coach Monte Coleman probably thought he had a pretty interesting sports history. It’s not every day a young man grows up with his eye on other sports, hardly plays high school football, never receives a recruiting letter and yet goes on to become a standout linebacker in college and, later, the NFL. Yet for all the odd little bumps and curves that led Coleman to stardom, he’s not the only member of the UAPB football program who has followed that path... at least up through college.

A preseason All-Southwestern Athletic Conference selection who led UAPB with 122 tackles a year ago, senior linebacker Tim Turner is the unquestioned leader of the Golden Lions defense. His speed — Coleman said he can run a 4. 5-second 40-yard dash — and 6-1, 220-pound size fit the ideal college linebacker mold, enough so that the New York Giants had a scout in Pine Bluff last Friday to do some firsthand observation.

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Giants' Strahan sacks his 15-year career

Photo: Former Texas Southern University defensive end and NFL future hall of famer, Michael Strahan retired after 15 seasons with the N.Y. Giants.

Any of the people Michael Strahan reached out to yesterday morning - team management, players, owners and coaches - must have known what was up when they saw their caller ID or the sender of the text message.

This is it, they undoubtedly thought.

Strahan had been mulling retirement ever since the Super Bowl - since last summer, really - but the 36-year-old's announcement that he'll hang 'em up still caught many off guard. The news was made public early in the day in a report by Foxsports.com in which the unsubtle Strahan subtly stated: "It's time. I'm done."

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Memory of former Charleston Rocket surfaces at Super Bowl

Photo: Former Texas Southen University great--Michael Strahan, Defensive End, New York Giants.

IF you were a kid growing up in Charleston, West Virginia in the 1960s, chances are you loved the old Charleston Rockets. For us, it was our taste of pro football as we headed to old Laidley Field to watch the Rockets. Coached by Perry Moss, the Rockets competed in the United and Continental Football Leagues with such personalities as linebacker Sam Fernandez, defensive end Coy Bacon, wide receiver Sammy Weir, running back Millard Fleming, wide receiver Darrell Elam and punter Jim Hollingsworth.

To prove the impact that the Rockets continue to have on the football world, the memory of a former Rocket great surfaced in one of the Super Bowl's biggest stars this weekend. In an interview this week, Michael Strahan, the veteran leader of the New York Giants defense, gave credit for his NFL success to his former head coach at Texas Southern University.

That coach was none other than a former Charleston Rocket - standout center Walter Highsmith.

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Dang! We didn't know Walter Highsmith played for the old Charleston Rockets with Coy Bacon. Bacon got famous playing for "the future is now" Washington Redskins coach George Allen. Highsmith would later coach at Florida A&M University, among other stops in his career. Great to see a 15 year veteran and future Pro Football Hall of Famer give credit to his Alma mater, Texas Southern University and his coach (Walter Highsmith) for developing him into the star that he is today.

Highsmith son, Alonzo Walter Highsmith is currently a scout for the Green Bay Packers. He was selected in the first round, 3rd pick overall in the 1987 NFL Draft from the University of Miami (FL) and played six NFL seasons. He also won a national championship during his four years at Miami.

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