Showing posts with label OVC Football. Show all posts
Showing posts with label OVC Football. Show all posts

Saturday, September 25, 2010

TSU values football classics for history, money

Tennessee State Coach Rod Reed told his players this week that Florida A&M would be the best team they've faced. He also emphasized the importance of the game even though it is not against an OVC opponent. The Tigers (1-2) and Rattlers (2-1), from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, have met 14 times in the Atlanta Football Classic, and FAMU has won 11.

"I don't view either type of game as being more important than the other whether it's a conference game or one of our classics," said Reed, who is TSU's all-time leading tackler with 406 from 1985-88. "I embrace the classics. That's our heritage as (a Historically Black College and University)." TSU usually plays non-OVC opponents in Classics, which routinely draw larger crowds and are steeped in tradition.



FAMU Ready For Atlanta Classic


It's a rivalry that dates back to 1944. FAMU head football coach Joe Taylor says, "Through the Jake Gaither, John Meritt days when those two guys always had tremendous battles and we're just keeping that tradition going."

A tradition that began in 1989, sixteen games between Tennessee State and FAMU have met halfway, in Atlanta, to play in what is now called the Atlanta Football Classic. FAMU sophomore DT Padric Scott adds, "It's always a big event. The history and tradition surrounding it, now you can't let that get too much over you so you still have to approach it as a game, but it's also a great game to have that environment."



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Friday, September 24, 2010

TSU safety keeps piling up tackles

Even though safety Eugene Clifford is Tennessee State's leading tackler, that doesn't mean opposing ball carriers are making it to the last line of defense, Coach Rod Reed said.

"That doesn't bother me because the coverages we've been running put safeties down in the box, up close to the line," Reed said. "Tackling is what his job is. A lot of the linebackers' responsibility on runs is to clog up the middle and spill to the safeties."

The scheme has worked against the run as TSU (1-2) is first in the OVC and 21st in the Football Championship Series, allowing 110.0 yards per game. The Tigers play Florida A&M (2-1) on Saturday at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

The Rattlers have depended heavily upon the running back tandem of senior Philip Sylvester and sophomore Eddie Rocker. TSU held Sylvester and Rocker to a combined 61 rushing yards in FAMU's 31-12 win last year, and Clifford recorded six tackles.

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Tennessee State's Preston Brown to get bulk of carries
Austin Peay beats TSU

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Atlanta Football Classic weekend brings FAMU Rattlers, Tennessee State Tigers

The Atlanta Football Classic is expected to bring 60,000 visitors and a economic impact of $26 million, according to the Atlanta Visitors and Convention Bureau.



The Georgia Dome will host the Atlanta Football Classic on Sept. 25. Tennessee State will attempt to break its eight-year losing streak to Florida A&M, which has won 11 classics. Just as in the previous games, though, the classic will carry far more meaning than a football game.

"It's about an early come-together before Thanksgiving. It's a family reunion, part one," said Joe Bullard, voice of the Marching 100, Florida A&M's incomparable marching band. (If you're wondering, parts two and three take place at FAMU's homecoming and then at its final game of the year, according to Bullard.) It's a weekend of activities that include a health fair, job fair, college fair and parade.

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Week 3 Score Card: Pretenders vs. Contenders

SWAC
Alabama State 18, Prairie View A&M 15
Grambling State 28, Jackson State 21
Alcorn State 27, Mississippi Valley 9
Texas Southern 32, Alabama A&M 9
Southern and Arkansas Pine Bluff (open date)


MEAC
South Carolina State 61, Benedict 20
Florida A&M 50, Howard 7
Bethune Cookman 42, Savannah State 7
Norfolk State 51, Virginia State 28
Hampton 35, North Carolina A&T 21
Appalachian State 44, North Carolina Central 16
North Dakota State 35, Morgan State 9

OVC
Austin Peay State 26, Tennessee State 23

CIAA
Winston Salem State 48, Chowan 7
Bowie State 55, Livingstone 6
Virginia Union 55, Lincoln (Pa.) 31
Elizabeth City State 38, Fayetteville State 26
Saint Augustine's 31, Saint Paul's 7
Catawba 32, Shaw 21
Brevard 25, Johnson C. Smith 21
Norfolk State 51, Virginia State 28

SIAC
Albany State (Ga.) 34, Tuskegee 6
Morehouse 41, Kentucky State 6
Fort Valley State 56, Stillman 2
Clark Atlanta 35, Miles 9
Tennessee Tech 43, Lane 0 (9/16/10)
South Carolina State 61, Benedict 20

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Tennessee State defense faces challenge against Austin Peay

Had Tennessee State's defense struggled in other games as much it did against Austin Peay last season, Rod Reed probably would not be coaching the Tigers today. Reed was the defensive coordinator when the Governors piled up 201 rushing yards and beat the Tigers 24-21. That's more yards on the ground than any other opponent has gained on TSU in the last 23 games.

Reed was elevated from defensive coordinator to head coach after James Webster resigned at the end of the season, but it wasn't based on his performance against Austin Peay. "They rushed for over 200 yards on us, so evidently I didn't figure out how to stop them," said Reed, whose defense led the OVC last year against the rush (119.9 yards). "Hopefully we'll come up with a little better scheme to get them stopped this year."

The challenge for TSU (1-1, 0-0 OVC) tonight at LP Field will be...

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WATCH ON ESPN3
6:00 P.M.
Austin Peay vs. Tennessee State

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Jackson State wins Southern Heritage Classic, 33-26

Quarterback Therriault is MVP, stars with four TD passes

Memphis, TN - In the past, Jackson State coach Rick Comegy would have been hoping, perhaps praying, that his defense would be able to hold off a late Tennessee State rally. That’s because his team has fallen too many times to their Southern Heritage Classic rivals not to worry. But Saturday night, with his team clinging to a seven-point lead and TSU having five cracks inside JSU’s 10-yard line at a game-tying touchdown, Comegy was confident his Tigers would prevail.

And when JSU held on for the 33-26 win, snapping a seven-game slide to TSU in front of 44,688 Saturday night at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, Comegy declared it the beginning of something special.

Johnson's knee injury a blow to secondary


MEMPHIS — The 33-26 win over Tennessee State on Saturday night didn't come without an unfortunate loss for Jackson State. Starting cornerback Anthony Johnson is likely out for the season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during Saturday's win. The diagnosis of a torn ACL is a preliminary one, a school official said during the game.

Johnson, a 6-foot, 205-pound senior who transferred from Mississippi State before last season, will be re-evaluated at a later date. Johnson suffered the injury while running down to cover a punt early in the first quarter. Johnson, who scouts say is JSU's best chance to get a player picked in the upcoming NFL draft, had to be assisted off the field by three people. He put no weight on his right leg.

Euphoric breakthrough


MEMPHIS — With a flabbergasted look rolling across his face, Jackson State linebacker Ryan Rich looked for someone - anyone - as he ran about the Liberty Bowl field. Someone to hug. Someone to smile with. Someone to share this oh-so-fantastic feeling with. It's a feeling that comes eight years in the making.

Jackson State beat Tennessee State 33-26 on Saturday night in front of a raucous crowd at the Liberty Bowl, knocking off the Tigers from Nashville for the first time in eight years in the Southern Heritage Classic. Not only that, but the Tigers from Mississippi's Capital City are 2-0 for the first time since 2001.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Classic retains star power -- Founder Jones keeps game in spotlight

As the Southern Heritage Classic heads into its 21st game Saturday night at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, one thing it's proven is that it has staying power.

Throughout the Classic's existence, founder Fred Jones has been able to keep the annual event, which culminates with Tennessee State meeting Jackson State, fresh, exciting, and more importantly, relevant.

Fans come to Memphis from across the Mid-South to attend the Classic Comedy Jam, the Classic R&B concert, the Ed "Too Tall" Jones Golf Classic, the SHC parade, the high school Battle of the Bands, the tailgating - and yes, the game itself.

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Friday, September 10, 2010

TSU receiver takes hands-on approach

As Rod Reed became better acquainted with Tennessee State's offensive players after moving from defensive coordinator to head coach, he had a suggestion for wide receiver Joseph Hills. Reed knew enough about Hills to tell him the nickname he had chosen was not a good fit. "He was wearing No. 85 and calling himself (Bengals receiver Chad) Ochocinco and I told him, 'No, you're Ouchocinco' because when the ball hit him in the hands he dropped it like it hurt," Reed said.

Hills didn't allow the ribbing to rub him the wrong way. He used it as a catalyst to become a more dependable pass catcher and then spent the summer working with TSU's quarterbacks. The extra work paid off Saturday when Hills had five catches for 67 yards and a career-best two touchdowns in a 27-14 win over Alabama A&M. The 6-foot-5, 205-pound senior from Palmetto, Fla., led TSU in receiving...

TSU freshman sets return record

Tennessee State Coach Rod Reed promised redshirt freshman Ray Weatherspoon playing time at cornerback heading into Saturday's game against Alabama A&M. Weatherspoon returned the opening kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown and said it was his way of making sure Reed didn't forget his promise in the Tigers' 27-14 win. The kickoff return was a John Merritt Classic record, erasing the 64-yard mark set last year by A&M's Ulysses Banks.

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Sunday, September 5, 2010

Tennessee State wins in Coach Rod Reed's debut

The Rod Reed coaching era started with a bang for Tennessee State and never let up. After redshirt freshman Ray Weatherspoon exploded untouched on the opening kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown the Tigers roared to 27-14 route over Alabama A&M in the John Merritt Classic at LP Field before a crowd of 22,607.

It made for a jubilant debut for Reed, the former defensive coordinator who took over the head coaching job after James Webster resigned after TSU posted a 4-7 record last season. Reed was doused with a bucket of Gatorade by his players in the final seconds of the game.

After redshirt freshman Ray Weatherspoon exploded untouched on the opening kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown the Tigers roared to 27-14 route over Alabama A&M in the John Merritt Classic at LP Field before a crowd of 22,607. It made for a jubilant debut for Reed, the former defensive coordinator who...




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Wednesday, September 1, 2010

TSU to start transfer Jeremy Perry at quarterback

Jeremy Perry, a transfer from Middle Tennessee State, will get his first start at quarterback for Tennessee State in the season opener Saturday against Alabama A&M at LP Field. Perry, a 6-foot-3, 215 pound, junior from Memphis, transferred from MTSU in 2008 and spent last season at TSU backing up Calvin McNairl and Dominic Grooms. He played five games and completed 12 of 36 passes for 142 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions.

"We feel that Jeremy gives us the best chance to win at this point," Coach Rod Reed said. "He has been the most consistent throughout camp, and he deserves the job. He worked for it and earned it."

McNairl, who started eight games and led TSU in passing (628 yards) and rushing (920), moved to wide receiver in the spring. Grooms, a senior from Tampa who transferred from Missouri in 2008, started three games and completed 22 of 66 passes for 279 yards, with no scores and four interceptions.



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TSU safety wants to see more offense

Friday, August 27, 2010

Tennessee State turns to tradition‎

NASHVILLE, TN -- New head coach Rod Reed hopes to revive a proud tradition that he and his father helped establish in a golden age of Tennessee State football. Robert Reed Jr., Rod's father, was an All-America offensive lineman on iconic coach John Merritt's first two teams, in 1963 and 1964. Rod won four varsity letters at TSU from 1984-88 as a linebacker, and still holds the Tigers' season record for tackles (197 in 1987).

"It means the world to me to be the head coach here," Reed said as practices began in August. "I'm so excited just to be out here on the grass again."

Tigers defensive lineman Malcolm Crawford, a former Kingsbury standout, says of the new attitude, "everything around this team picked up." Last year, the Tigers went 4-7 under James Webster and 3-4 in the Ohio Valley Conference. TSU lost four of its last five games. The Tigers led the league in total defense with Reed as coordinator, but their offense was last in the OVC in points scored.



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Sunday, August 22, 2010

TSU displays strong rushing attack in scrimmage

If Saturday night's scrimmage was any indication, a shift in power could be under way at Tennessee State. Defense has been the Tigers' strength the past few seasons, but in the first full scrimmage it was the offense that shined.

"The offense did its job. It moved the ball up and down the field all night,'' said first-year Coach Rod Reed, the former defensive coordinator. "I like our running game. I expected it to have a good night, and it did. Preston Brown had a good game. Trabis Ward had a good game. Ryan Berry did his thing while he was in there." TSU's backs gained 151 rushing yards on 26 attempts in the one-hour scrimmage at Hale Stadium.

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Tuesday, August 17, 2010

TSU enjoys good depth in backfield

Preston Brown realizes he is being chased by more than defenders at Tennessee State's practices. New Coach Rod Reed said the Tigers came into preseason camp with four running backs other than Brown capable of starting and now a freshman is threatening to get into that mix.

"I never imagined we would have this kind of depth," said Brown, a senior and former Antioch star who was the team's running back last season with 474 yards on 128 carries and four touchdowns. "They stay on me and are making sure I work hard. If I stop one of them can do the same thing I do."

TSU ran the ball 64.5 percent of the time last year, and Reed said the offense would lean even more heavily on the run this season. Behind Brown is senior Terrence Wright, junior Dante' Thomas and sophomores Ryan Berry and Trabis Ward. Freshman Jeremy Coffey from Brentwood has turned heads in camp and Reed said he also could figure into the rotation.

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Sunday, August 15, 2010

2010 HBCU Schedule of Televised Football Games

Listed below is the composite schedule for the 2010 football season of all games (HBCU) that are scheduled to be televised or available by access live and on-demand streaming video and audio. We will update this list within the next few weeks with Colleges/University websites that offer streaming video of all "home games" and their web link addresses. Some services may require user fees charged by the respective conference/university service. You know the deal! No free TV...

Thursday, September 2
FAMU at Miami (FL)
ESPN3.com - 7:30 p.m.

Norfolk State at Rutgers
ESPN3.com - 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, September 4
South Carolina State at Georgia Tech
ESPN3.com - 1 p.m.

Alabama A&M at Tennessee State
John Merritt Classic
OVCSports.TV., 6 p.m.

Louisiana Tech vs. Grambling State
"Port City Classic"
ESPNU - (Tape delay)- 10:30 p.m.

Sunday, September 5
Delaware State v. Southern University
"2010 MEAC/SWAC Challenge"
ESPN – 12:00 p.m. – Live


Saturday, September 11
Morgan State at Maryland
ESPN3.com - 6 p.m.

Tennessee State vs. Jackson State
"Southern Heritage Classic"
Fox Sports South - 6 p.m. - Live

Thursday, September 16
Lane College at Tennessee Tech, 7:00 p.m.
OVCSports.TV. , 7 p.m.

Saturday, September 18
Austin Peay at Tennessee State
Wazoo Sports/OVC Game of the Week - 6 p.m.

Saturday, September 25
Tennessee State vs. FAMU
Atlanta Football Classic
Versus - 3:30 p.m. - Live


Saturday, September 25
Prairie View A&M vs. Grambling State
State Fair Classic
ESPNU - (Tape delay)- 10:30 p.m.

Thursday, September 30
Hampton at Delaware State s
ESPNU - 7:30 p.m. – Live

Saturday, October 2
Chowan vs. Virginia Union
CIAA Network - 1:00 p.m. - Live

Kentucky State at Eastern Kentucky.
OVCSports.TV. , 6 p.m.

South Carolina State at FAMU
ESPNU – 10:30 p.m. – Taped Delayed

Thursday, October 7
Prairie View A&M at Arkansas-Pine Bluff
ESPNU - 7:30 p.m. - Live

Saturday, October 9
Tennessee State at Southeast Missouri
OVCSports.TV., 6 p.m.

Thursday, October 14
Elizabeth City State at Virginia State

CBS College Sports Network - 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, October 16
Tennessee State at Jacksonville State
OVCSports.TV., 3 p.m.

Thursday, October 21
Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Alcorn State
ESPNU - 7:30 p.m. - Live

Saturday, October 23
Tennessee Tech at Tennessee State
Wazoo Sports/OVC Game of the Week
OVCSports.TV. , 6 p.m.

Thursday, October 28
North Carolina A&T at Bethune-Cookman
ESPNU – 7:30 p.m. – Live

Saturday, October 30
Shaw vs. WSSU
CIAA Network - 1:00 p.m. - Live

Saturday, November 6
Eastern Illinois at Tennessee State
OVCSports.TV., 5 p.m.


Thursday, November 11
South Carolina State at Morgan State
ESPNU – 7:30 p.m. – Live

Grambling State at Texas Southern
ESPN Classic - 7:30 p.m. - Live


Saturday, November 13
CIAA Championship
CIAA Network - 1:00p.m.- Live

Tennessee State at UT Martin
Wazoo Sports/OVC Game of the Week
OVCSports.TV., 6 p.m.

Saturday, November 20
Tennessee State at Murray State
OVCSports.TV., 1 p.m.

Bethune-Cookman v. FAMU Rattlers
"The Florida Classic"
ESPN Classic – 2:30 p.m. - Live

Thursday, November 25
Tuskegee at Alabama State
"Turkey Day Classic"
ESPNU - 4 p.m.

Saturday, November 27
Grambling vs. Southern
"Bayou Classic"
NBC - 1:00 p.m. - Live

FCS Playoffs First Round (campus sites)

Saturday, December 4
FCS Playoffs Second Round (campus sites)

Friday, Dec.10/Saturday, Dec. 11
FCS Playoffs Quarterfinals (campus sites)

Saturday, December 11
2010 SWAC Championship Game
ESPN Classic - 2 p.m. - Live

Friday, Dec. 17/Saturday, Dec. 18
FCS Playoffs Semifinals (campus sites)

Friday, January 7, 2011
FCS National Championship (Frisco, Texas)

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Tennessee State coach Rod Reed expects boldness from quarterback Dominic Grooms

TSU Tigers Coach Rod Reed

Even with Calvin McNairl no longer in the way, senior Dominic Grooms won't simply step in as Tennessee State's starting quarterback. First-year Coach Rod Reed said Grooms, who backed up McNairl last year, must prove he possesses a boldness Reed considers necessary to lead the offense.

"I want to see him show that he has a take-charge attitude,'' Reed said Monday on TSU's first day of practice. "I want him to go out there and say, 'This is my offense and I'm going to run it.' I want to see him with a little attitude, with a chip on his shoulder that lets everybody know he's going to be the man to take this offense to the next level."

Grooms played enough last season to prove to Reed, the defensive coordinator in 2009, that he can replace McNairl, who moved to receiver in the spring. Grooms started three games when McNairl was injured and played in another. He completed 29 of 66 passes for 279 yards, with four interceptions and no touchdowns.

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Friday, July 30, 2010

Origin of the Tennessee State University Football Program

Joe Gilliam, Sr., followed the legendary John Merritt to Tennessee State University, where, as defensive coordinator, he helped the Tigers to four undefeated seasons and seven Black College National Titles in a 20-year span. He served as TSU head coach from 1989 to 1992, earning Ohio Valley Conference Coach Of The Year honors in 1990.

He is the father of former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Joe Gilliam, Jr., (deceased) and the grandfather of R&B singer/record producer, Joi Gilliam. "Jefferson Street" Joe Gilliam, Jr., was a two-time All-American at TSU and 11th round draft pick of the Steelers in 1972. Coach Gilliam was inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall Of Fame in 2007.



Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Tennessee State Tigers sport new look, attitude

Tennessee State Tigers Coach Rod Reed touts logo changes

A new look for helmets, names on uniforms, and more oversight on discipline are some of the changes new football Coach Rod Reed has put in place at Tennessee State. Reed revealed the helmet changes Monday at OVC Media Days. The Tigers were picked to finish fifth by the league's coaches and sports information directors. The new helmets will be white with a similar TSU logo on the sides to those the Tigers had on the blue helmets they've worn since the 1990s. But the logo will now be blue, outlined in red. There also will no longer be a stripe down the middle of the helmets.

Those helmets, however, won't be worn in the first game. TSU will have a throwback helmet look for the John Merritt Classic Sept. 4 against Alabama A&M. Those will be white with a large red T and smaller blue S and U, like those worn in the 1960s and '70s when Merritt was the coach.

"The plan is to wear those helmets that one game unless we score 50 points and get to feeling good about it and then we'll stay with the throwbacks the whole year," Reed said. "We just thought we would do that in commemoration of John Merritt. When my father (Robert) played here (1961-64) that's what they had on the helmets so I thought it'd be nice to throw out there."

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Saturday, June 5, 2010

EKU Football Game Against Kentucky State Moved to Oct. 2

RICHMOND, Ky. – The 2010 football game between Eastern Kentucky University and Kentucky State University, which was originally scheduled for Sept. 25, has been moved to Oct. 2 due to a scheduling conflict. The game will serve as the home opener for the Colonels. The Oct. 2 date is the latest EKU has played its home opener since 1964. Eastern Kentucky is 4-0 all-time against Kentucky State with the two in-state schools last meeting in 2000. EKU’s first game of the 2010 fall season is set for Thursday night, Sept. 2 at Missouri State. The Colonels will be aiming for their third OVC title in the last four years.

Kentucky State University has not released their 2010 Football Schedule.

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Sunday, April 18, 2010

TSU will practice indoors this year

Tennessee State University athletic director Teresa Phillips adds to the Tigers growing list of capital assets for improving the student-athletes quality of life in Division I, Ohio Valley Conference Sports -- a new Indoor Football Practice Facility with field turf. The Tigers home games are played at Nashville's LP Field, home to the NFL's Tennessee Titans and Tennessee State University football.

Tennessee State is ready to break ground for a new indoor football practice facility that Coach Rod Reed hopes will break new ground in recruiting. A groundbreaking ceremony is set to take place later this month for the $3.2 million facility that is to be completed this year, Athletics Director Teresa Phillips said. The date has not yet been set. The building will house an artificial surface practice field, meeting and film rooms, along with coaches offices.

It will be located at the west end of the Gentry Center parking lot and one of the first features Reed points out to prospects. "It's going to be a nice new structure and pleasing to the eye and definitely something you want recruits to see the minute they hit campus,'' Reed said. "Kids don't like practicing in cold or really hot weather. It absolutely is a recruiting tool because I don't know of any other OVC school that has an indoor practice facility." A construction notice-to-proceed was issued April 7 to Lee Adcock Construction Company, contractor for the facility.

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Saturday, April 17, 2010

Former football player's mother describes losing son to prescription drug abuse

Justina McIntyre holds a photo of her son, the late Ronald L. Powell III as Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman looks on Wednesday. Powell was a Fulbright Scholar at Tennessee State University.

Montgomery County, PA - As a standout football player at Souderton Area High School and Fulbright Scholar at Tennessee State University, Ronald Powell III had a lot going for him. But the 19-year-old kept addiction to painkillers a secret, and he died in 2008 of an overdose. The teenager’s parents, Justina and Daniel McIntyre, were devastated by Powell’s death. “Receiving that phone call was the worst day of my life,” Justina McIntyre said.

On Wednesday, the Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman held a press conference to announce a prescription drug collection program scheduled for Saturday. Powell’s road to addiction began not with buying illegal drugs on street, but from a nursing home co-worker who had given him painkillers to try. “As a parent, I truly believe my son did not realize that his choice of taking Vicodin would take him where it did,” McIntyre said.

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