Bethune Cookman University Wildcats
Defensive end Baggs taking advantage of opportunity with Roughriders
Already it's been a career year for Stevie Baggs. Just six games into the 2009 CFL campaign, the Saskatchewan Roughriders' tenacious defensive end has registered single-season highs in tackles (17), sacks (four), interceptions (one) and fumble recoveries (two). Then again, that's really no huge accomplishment for a player who's played sparingly and bounced between three teams in four seasons.
But Baggs, a native of Fort Lauderale, Fla., is certainly serving notice that all he needed to prove himself was the chance to do so. "My talent and ability haven't changed," he said. "I finally have an opportunity to play and show people what I can do. "Every time I played in this league I tried to show I was worthy of being a starter or impact player. I'm just so happy and fortunate the Saskatchewan Roughriders gave me the opportunity to come in and show what I could do."
Keeping Baggs away from quarterback Quinton Porter will be a priority for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (4-2) on Sunday when they face the Riders (3-3) at Mosaic Stadium (TSN, 7 p.m. ET). Baggs began his CFL career by signing with Winnipeg as a free agent in 2006. He split the '07 season between the Blue Bombers and Edmonton before joining the Riders as a free agent in September 2008, dressing for five games and starting three.
Stevie Baggs Football Camp 2009
But he finally got the opportunity to start full-time when the club dealt defensive end Kitwana Jones to Edmonton. Despite his early success, Baggs said he still has plenty to learn. "Right now I still feel I have head and shoulders to improve on my game because I still feel like a rookie," he said. "I'm really still getting my feet wet and acclimated to the defence and being on the field and playing special teams so it's a lot.
"I can improve my technique as far as using my tools to really rush the passer. I don't think I've used and utilized my abilities like I should have. I've been doing a lot of thinking and not really playing football and that's all my fault. I really need to hone in on it and just go, go, go."
Bouncing between teams is nothing new for Baggs. Prior to coming to Canada, he spent time in the NFL, NFL Europe and Arena Football League. Baggs enjoyed a stellar college career at Bethune-Cookman, where he was a three-time All-American and a three-time All Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference player. As a senior he became the school's all-time leader in sacks with 40 and was named the MEAC's top defensive player. What's more, Baggs, 27, has persevered to become a pro football player despite being badly pigeon-toed. "It has definitely given me character and resilience," Baggs said.
Tennessee State University Tigers
Former TSU star working on consistency with Cardinals
Arizona cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie made plenty of big plays during his rookie year.As he prepares for his second NFL season, the Cardinals want the former Tennessee State standout to pay more attention to the small ones. That means relying less on his dazzling speed and mastering techniques in practice. When it comes to pure exhilaration, learning proper footwork doesn't compare to the 99-yard interception return for a touchdown that Rodgers-Cromartie turned in last season.
Rodgers-Cromartie Makes the Right Calls on his Future in NFL
But the coaches say an improved practice regimen will help the 23-year-old Floridian turn his potential into consistent production at one of the game's most demanding positions."In order for him to take that step to the next level, which is an elite cornerback in this league, he has to do it every day on the practice field, every day that he's working, and then it has to show up in the games," coach Ken Whisenhunt said. As he walked off the practice field at Northern Arizona University this week, Rodgers-Cromartie nodded when told about Whisenhunt's assessment.
Norfolk State University Spartans
Jaguars Claim CB Don Carey Off Waivers
The Jaguars made a waiver claim on Don Carey, a corner-back who was cut by the Cleveland Browns. Carey is a player whom the Jaguars were reportedly interested in before the draft. He ended up being a 6th round selection, and came from a smaller school, Norfolk State. He's in the mold of most Gene Smith draft picks, having good measurables, and from all appearances he's a high character individual. I found this interesting overview.
Carey will be one of draftable cornerback prospects unearthed from outside the Football Bowl Subdivision. A four-year starter, he was second-team All-MEAC as a junior and was named on the first team in 2008. He accumulated eight interceptions and 14 pass breakups over those two seasons. An excellent student, Carey turned down a chance to attend Yale because it was cost prohibitive. His play at the East-West Shrine practices earned him a lot of credibility among scouts.
Don has acceptable speed, running a 4.5 40 yard dash at the combine, and he's showed adequite strength on the bench, with 18 reps. He played both free safety and corner in college, and shows the physicality necessary to be a cover 2 DB. The interesting aspect of this, is that we may have just claimed a player to put him on IR for a year. Carey suffered a shoulder injury, and it appears the Browns waived Carey because he wouldn't be likely to contribute this year.
The Flip Side of the Coin Coming Out of Cleveland on the Carey Waiver...
Curious case: When the Browns gave up on rookie cornerback Don Carey five days into training camp, it was a surprise. When the Jaguars claimed the injured player the next day, it was a shock. "That's the first time I've ever seen that," said an official with another team. "I would have bet money that nobody would have claimed him." It's not as if Carey was certain to even make the team. He is a developmental player, selected in the sixth round from Norfolk State. Plus, he suffered a shoulder injury on the first day of camp and probably will need surgery and be sidelined for the year.
Still, according to one source, "Everybody in the [Browns'] building liked him," and some coaches were against exposing Carey to waivers. So why did they? Until the first roster cut, teams have to expose an injured player to waivers before putting him on injured reserve. The Browns could have waited another two weeks to do that, but they would have lost the roster spot and continued with 79 players in camp. Coach Eric Mangini didn't want to do that. He filled Carey's spot with Brandon Anderson of Akron.
"So what?" said one source. "So you go one player down a little while. That was the most embarrassing thing I've ever seen. You never give up on a young cornerback you like." Another school of thought is that Jacksonville was out of line in claiming Carey. The Jaguars broke no rule but broke protocol, said the source. "We all have to 'waive/injured' players every year," the source said. "We're all in the same boat. You just don't claim those guys. What Jacksonville did was unethical."
Jacksonville General Manager Gene Smith has been aggressive in claiming healthy players waived by other teams to replenish a roster famished for talent. The Jaguars, who hired former Browns defensive coordinator Mel Tucker in the off-season, showed an interest in Carey before the draft. The Jaguars have to keep Carey on their active list until the first cut. Carey's specific injury and rehab timetable are unknown. The Jaguars declined to make him available for comment. Interestingly, they denied an interview request for Smith, too.
South Carolina State University Bulldogs
DE/LB Robert Ayers agrees to deal with Broncos
Robert Ayers was impressive all minicamp, quickly grasping his new responsibilities on defense as he rotated in with the first team. Now, the Denver Broncos rookie defensive end/linebacker is just hoping he didn’t lose his standing. Ayers, the brother of South Carolina State defensive end Jayson Ayers, signed a five-year deal Monday, showing up for training camp a week after his fellow rookies reported. The first-round pick knows he has some catching up to do to make up ground.
“Any day, any hour, any workout, anything you miss is always going to be a setback,” Ayers said. “Hopefully, I didn’t get too far behind.” With Ayers on board, that leaves tailback Knowshon Moreno, the team’s top pick, as the only unsigned player from its 10-member draft class. Ayers was on the field before the evening practice session, taking new coach Josh McDaniels’ mandatory — and difficult — interval sprinting test. He passed with a few seconds to spare.
Former S.C. State basketball standout signs with Chilean team
Former South Carolina State basketball standout Thurman Zimmerman has signed a pro contract to play for Liceo Mixto de los Andes in Chile’s top league, the Dimayor. Last season, Zimmerman suited up for Provincial Osorno, also in Chile, where he averaged 20.1 ppg, 13.3 rpg (second in the league), and 2.4 spg (third in the league) en route to being named All-Chilean League. This will be his fourth season as a pro.
A Columbia native and Keenan High graduate, Zimmerman averaged 15.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.3 steals during his four-year (2002-06) S.C. State career. The 6-5, 220 Zimmerman was a four-time All-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) performer and earned both Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year honors as a Bulldog.
Hampton University Pirates
NY Jets sign G Conley
The Jets signed free agent G Dennis Conley, who was waived by the Chicago Bears the same day the Jets opened training camp in Cortland. Conley (OG/6-2/300/Hampton University/Suffolk, VA) was waived by the Bears on July 31 after being signed as an undrafted free agent on April 26, 2009. A two-time All-MEAC choice from Hampton University, Conley played in 37 games, starting 30, as a left guard.
Q&A: Broncos rookie free-agent Chris Baker
It’s hard not to notice a guy who stands at 6 feet, 2 inches tall and weighs 326 pounds. Guys like that command the room, even if they don’t always mean to. Chris Baker has been 6 feet tall since he was 11, so forgive him if he seems used to drawing attention. When you’re a walking mountain, people are bound to stop and stare. Of course, like all swords, this one has two edges. Baker will be the first to tell you his size has been a blessing throughout his athletic career. It’s what drew him to basketball as a child. It’s the trait that turned his dream of playing professional football into a sure-fire reality. But possessing the mass to play any position along the defensive line is also one hell of a magnifying glass.
After allegations of involvement in two fights at Penn State, Baker found himself squarely in the middle of one of those rare situations in life that can determine your path, your future. And the target on his back, like the rest of him, was a little bigger than most. Baker could have quit. He could have accepted the public’s view of him as a “thug.” He could have curled up and accepted a fate handed to him by those unwilling to get to know the true Chris Baker. But giving up is a foreign concept to this young man.
Baker transferred to Hampton University, determined to succeed. He made up his mind that he would decide his own path. It was the right move. After a junior season that included 16.5 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks, people are paying attention to the facts on the field, not the accusations off it. For this former Hampton Pirate, Penn State Nittany Lion and current Denver Bronco, life really is like a grinding wheel that either polishes you up or grinds you down, depending on what you’re made of.
MEAC/SWAC/OVC CHAMPIONSHIP SPORTS
Alabama State University Hornets
ASU finds motivation even without SWAC title shot
Reggie Barlow will use any motivational tool he can for his Alabama State Hornets, even if it means pointing to a success story that happened an hour down the road and 16 years in the past. The Hornets are ineligible for a Southwestern Athletic Conference title this season due to NCAA sanctions, so Barlow has to get creative. Remember the 1993 Auburn team that went undefeated in that situation? "We'll talk about Auburn," Barlow said. "We'll let them know how Auburn didn't lose a game that year and how people still recognize that team as one of the best teams in the nation that year. You've got to do all those things to motivate these guys and keep them motivated."
ALABAMA STATE FOOTBALL: Hornets hope to select starting QB soon
He's a year older -- and he believes a step slower -- but Chris Mitchell is once again looking like Alabama State's best option at quarterback. Mitchell, a junior who missed last season because of academic issues, has outperformed senior Anthony Speight and sophomore Devin Dominguez through a week of practices and appears poised to nail down the starting spot. "It has kind of surprised me a little (that I've been able to play consistently)," Mitchell said. "These other guys have had a year in the system and I'm trying to play catch-up. I still have a lot of work to do, but I feel like I've done pretty well so far."
Should he continue to do that, Mitchell could have the job by the end of the week. ASU is scheduled to hold its first full scrimmage of the fall -- a 50- to 55-play workout -- on Saturday morning. Head coach Reggie Barlow said he would like to name a No. 1 quarterback afterward. Offensive coordinator Richard Moncrief wants to name a starter prior to that. "You give me till Friday. I'll have one then," Moncrief said. "It's all about consistency for me, and (Mitchell) has given that to me more than the other guys, so far. That could change. I wouldn't say (that it's Mitchell's job to lose), because those other guys can still play well and take it."
Photo Galleries
ASU 1st practice
Reggie Barlow Golf Tournament
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University Rattlers
FAMU's Taylor keeps his team grounded
Joe Taylor has a bit of concern about how this season will play out for his football team. And, it doesn't have a lot to do with the X's and O's of the game. With all of the preseason accolades that some individuals and his team have been receiving, Taylor has been coming up with ways to keep his players grounded. Guest speakers such as former Rattlers Curtis Miranda and legendary high school coach Jesse Heard have been lending a hand with speeches intended to keep the team focused.
The subject of how to keep his players from becoming overconfident as they take aim at wining FAMU's first MEAC title since 2001 was one of the topics covered during Saturday's Media Day. "The onus is really on the seniors," Taylor said. "They have been there, done that. They are the ones who are going to have to lead by example. That senior leadership makes a difference if you're trying to win a championship."
Rattlers are becoming a 'brotherhood'
Through the first few days of loose workouts on FAMU practice field, the scene on the sidelines has been like the first day back to school. Every day. The players seem happy to be back as a unit. They are calling it a brotherhood, unlike the cliquish kind of dissension that unraveled the team two seasons ago. "It's real good to have chemistry like this because we play so much better because we are together," said senior offensive lineman Robert Okeafor. "We can do stuff that other teams can't do just because we are a band of brothers. Everybody is on the same page and it helps our play."
It wasn't so two years ago. Back then, the holdovers from the Billy Joe Era appeared to be separated from recruits brought in by then-coach Ruben Carter. That quarterback Albert Chester left the team at mid-season didn't help. The end result was a 3-8 season that cost Carter his job. There seems to be more harmony on the hill these days. So much so that the players are walking around with swagger and talking about an undefeated season.
At the core of the new attitude are players like Cameron Houston and quarterbacks Curtis Pulley and Eddie Battle. It's not unusual to see the two quarterbacks talking techniques on the sidelines, although Pulley came in last season to win the starting role this year from Battle. There is no obvious separation between offensive and defensive players either.
Photo Galleries: FAMU Football Practice
Joke or not, FAMU looks to score big »
It might have been a joke. It could have been just a coach trying to pump up his unit. But the word around FAMU's Galimore Fieldhouse on the first day of practice Wednesday was all about a benchmark of 60 points per game that offensive coordinator Lawrence Kershaw just happened to mention. Kershaw laughed off a question about it, saying he just wants the offense to score.
Whether it was a joke or psychology, the offensive unit seems to be taking him seriously. The goal then would be to beat the 35.2 points per game the Rattlers averaged last season when they led all Football Championship Subdivision teams. "Of course, I think we can improve on last year," said quarterback Curtis Pulley. "We just have to cut down on the mistakes to get better. I think if everybody comes out with the right mind-set we'll have a special offense."
Last season's offense was all about Pulley. He rushed for 1,382 yards and 17 touchdowns. Pulley took the onus off Kershaw a bit, saying the idea of scoring more than 50 points per game is just that — an idea. "He really doesn't focus on us having to score that many points," Pulley said. "He focuses on us scoring more than our opponents, but 40-50 points sounds pretty good."
FAMU freshmen are right in the mix »
Just about all of the freshmen players on FAMU's football teams are turning heads — not for their abilities. That will come later. But the incoming class of players fresh out of high school is making their upperclassmen take notice of their willingness to fit in. As the Rattlers completed their third day of walk-through drills, the newcomers are right in the mix. "I appreciate the hustle on their part, but the big thing about being a freshman is you have to learn to follow before you lead," said back-up quarterback Eddie Battle. "That doesn't tell them not to work hard or not to be first in the drills because that's what we want. We want good work ethic."
Coach Joe Taylor is seeing that much. Obviously, though, the separation will come when the team suits up next week in full pads for two-a-days. The freshmen can expect to spend their days with the practice squad. But for now they are right where they can get noticed. "The upperclassmen have invited them to really participate; don't sit back," Taylor said. "They will see that they have to participate because that's the only way they can find out where they fit. I just think we have the kinds of kids that are going to be patient, but they're going to work."
Rattlers hit the track for work »
Just about every one of FAMU's football players — from those with an established name to the ones who hope to make a name for themselves — were on the track early Tuesday morning. They ran the 40-yard sprint, looking for their best times. They did the vertical jump, proving their ability to elevate themselves. It was a prelude to the grind of pre-season drills, which begins with two-a-days next week. But starting today, FAMU coach Joe Taylor will take the Rattlers through segment workouts. They seemed impatient just going through the running and jumping, though.
What Taylor saw impressed him. They seemed anxious to begin contact drills. "I see this group as being a group that's going through this, but they really can't wait to get this thing going, putting pads on and lining up and playing," Taylor said. "They are definitely ready." Understandably so. It's been an eight-month journey that stated with off-season drills — the early-morning runs and a long summer of lifting weights with conditioning coach Antonio Wallace. Taylor attributed FAMU's turnaround from 3-8 in 2007 to 9-3 last year to Wallace's off-season program. He intensified the workouts this summer and Taylor is expecting big dividends.
Local crooners to play celebration
Saturday's 450th birthday bash in downtown Pensacola, FL.
The singers will highlight a diverse lineup of performances Saturday that includes the Florida A&M University Marching 100, which performed at President Barack Obama's inaugural parade. "The FAMU band is phenomenal," said Nancy Halford, events coordinator for Celebrate Pensacola. "We're going to just give them free rein on Palafox to do what they do." The 420-member band will burst out of the Jefferson Street parking area onto Palafox Place at 7 p.m., following a time capsule ceremony at Jeweler's Trade Shop. They'll lead the crowd to the main stage area at Government and Palafox. Billy Harrell, project development manager for WSRE-TV, will emcee the night of music. He encourages revelers to stick around after the fireworks and dance to music by The Celebration Band.
Famu's Blazeski named the MEAC preseason volleyball player of year
Florida A&M's Jovana Blazeski was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference volleyball preseason player of the year, the conference announced on Monday. Preseason honors were voted on by the league's head volleyball coaches and sports information directors. Florida A&M and Maryland Eastern Shore were picked as the preseason favorites in the northern and southern divisions.
Out of 22 first-place votes in their respective divisions, Florida A&M received 19 while Maryland Eastern Shore tallied 20. Florida A&M posted a 7-1 conference mark and a 14-13 overall record in 2008 en route to their eighth consecutive MEAC title. Blazeski, a 2008 second team All-Conference performer, is one of four Lady Rattlers' returning from last year's championship team. She led the MEAC with 352 kills and 4.21 points per set and finished with 273 digs. She was also selected to the All-Tournament team. Joining Blazeski on the preseason team is teammate Susan Egoavil. South Carolina State's Bria Brimmer, Bethune-Cookman's Chelle Ticeson, Whitney Johnson of Maryland Eastern Shore and Delaware State's Cassandra Joyner round out the list of preseason honorees.
Around FCS: Ford vs. Pulley for 2009 MEAC title
From the moment the 2009 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football schedule was finalized, South Carolina State and Florida A&M have circled Oct. 17 on their calendars. The Bulldogs and Rattlers, who meet that day at South Carolina State's Dawson Bulldog Stadium, have top-20 potential going into 2009, with both of these proud programs aspiring to more than just reaching the FCS playoffs. Two-time Payton Award candidate and senior South Carolina State running back Will Ford will lead the Bulldogs into the 2009 season on the heals of their first MEAC Championship since 1994.
Fellow Payton Award nominee and senior Florida A&M quarterback Curtis Pulley will give Ford and SCSU a run for the title as the Kentucky transfer begins his first full season behind center. Norfolk State senior free safety Terrell Whitehead, a preseason Buchanan Award candidate for the second straight year, will lead a Spartan defense that ranked 15th nationally in pass defense last season. The league also features a talented Bethune-Cookman team looking to stay atop the MEAC standings and a Hampton squad that has made the playoffs three times in the past five seasons. Both teams finished tied for second in 2008.
Freshman linebackers take similar path to FAMU
Bobby Jackson and Jerod Brisbon didn't know how familiar their paths to FAMU were until they met Monday, the first day for football players to check into their dorms. Both freshmen linebackers received scholarship offers from Division I schools, before they were withdrawn. The withdrawals were for the same reason — the schools wanted bigger players. Ironically, both were being pursued by University of South Florida. Iowa also wanted Brisbon, and a coaching change at Alabama ended that school's effort to land Jackson.
They might not have measured up to the size that other schools wanted, but Florida A&M coach Joe Taylor said both have the credentials that could earn them playing time this season. Brisbon, at 5-foot-11, 200 pounds, recorded 110 tackles in his senior year at Tampa Hillsboro High School. At 6-foot-1, 213 pounds, Jackson had 103 tackles in his senior year at Miami Jackson High School. "The thing that we were impressed with is that they just fly around the football," Taylor said. "It's possible they'll get playing time but they have a lot of experience in front of them."
FAMU LB has eyes on more
Last season was supposed to be a time for FAMU redshirt freshman linebacker Alvis Graham to learn his role in the new defensive scheme that Coach Joe Taylor introduced during his first season as head coach. But consider this: Graham overcame an early season ankle injury and wound up as the second-leading tackler for the Rattlers. During the spring, Graham raised a few eyebrows. As the Rattles begin to count down to starting practice on Aug. 17, Graham knows that the bar has been taken up a notch to the point that he's expected to be an impact player.
"Now that I know the defense, I can put the speed behind it," he said. "I want to be the best that I can be to help my team out as much I can. I'm trying to work hard to be the kind of player who could do whatever I need to do on the field." Graham was a fast study last season. He credits senior Vernon Wilder for being his mentor and helping him grasp the system. But as fast as Graham was learning, linebackers coach Earl Holmes gave just enough for the freshman to handle. That was to Graham's advantage as he tried to work through a sprained left ankle that he sustained during the spring of 2008. The time he wasn't on the field allowed him to soak up all that Wilder passed on.
Morgan State University Bears
Q&A with Morgan State coach Donald Hill-Eley
When Morgan State football coach Donald Hill-Eley opens practice today, he'll see 40 returning lettermen and 14 starters from last season's 6-6 (4-4 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) team. Although the Bears were picked to finish sixth in the MEAC preseason poll, there is reason for optimism. Seven Morgan State players were named to the Preseason All-MEAC team, including running back Devan James and defensive end Justin Lawrence. Hill-Eley, entering his eighth season, has a career mark of 36-43. The team opens the season Sept. 12 against Football Bowl Subdivision opponent Akron of the Mid-American Conference. The Baltimore Sun spoke with Hill-Eley at Sunday's media day at Hughes Stadium.
Question: You have a lot of lettermen and starters back from a team that went 4-4 in the MEAC last season. Yet you were picked sixth in the preseason poll. Is your team ready to surprise the MEAC this season?
Answer: Anytime you've got that many lettermen coming back, it's a good thing. It's pretty much 50-50 offense and defense. Sometimes you lose continuity when you lose seniors, but we're truly in a better position this year. We have a lot of young talent coming in, young men who have been part of high school championships. We have high hopes, and if we jell at the right time we can finish well.
Q: Who are the teams to beat in the MEAC?A: Week in, week out it can be any of them. The division is very strong. Last year we knocked off 7-2 [ Florida A&M] then lost to 2-7 Norfolk State. You've got to be prepared every week. You have to make sure you put your best self out there on the field every week.
Morgan Volleyball Picked 4th in MEAC Northern Division Preseason Poll
The Morgan State volleyball team was picked to finish fourth in the northern division of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) preseason poll, as voted by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors. Defending MEAC North champion Maryland Eastern Shore received 20 of the possible 22 first place votes to earn the top nod in the North, while eight-time defending MEAC champion Florida A&M, who was slated to win the MEAC Southern Division, received 19 first place votes.
Last season Morgan State finished 3-25 overall and placed fifth in the MEAC North with a mark of 2-8. It was the first time in school history the Lady Bears missed out on the conference postseason championship. The Lady Bears begin the 2009 campaign in Raleigh, N.C., as they take part in the North Carolina State Tournament (Aug. 28-29). Morgan State will open up against host N.C. State, followed by Campbell on Aug. 28, before facing Charleston Southern and Davidson on Aug. 29.
Jackson State University Tigers
JSU opens basketball season at Memphis
A road game against Conference USA power Memphis on Friday, Nov. 13, will kick off Jackson State’s men’s basketball schedule, which the school released on Monday. The 31-game slate has 13 non-conference opponents, including Spring Hill, which the Tigers will meet for the first time on Dec. 30 at home. JSU opens its home schedule with matchups against Stephen F. Austin and Southeastern Louisiana on Dec. 2 and Dec. 5. The first Southwestern Athletic Conference game is against Alabama A&M at home on Monday, Jan. 4. Coach Tevester Anderson’s Tigers (18-15) finished second in the SWAC regular season and tournament last season.
JSU men’s basketball schedule
Nov. 5 — Millsaps; 10 — Miles; 13 — at Memphis; 17 — at Alabama; 21 — at Stephen F. Austin; 24 — at North Texas.
Dec. 2 — Stephen F. Austin; 5 — Southeastern Louisiana; 15 — at Baylor; 17 — at Tulsa; 19 — at Nebraska; 22-23 — Las Vegas Invitational; 30 — Spring Hill.
Jan. 4 — Alabama A&M; 6 — Alabama State; 9 — at Alcorn State; 11 — at Southern U.; 16 — Prairie View; 18 — Texas Southern; 23 — Grambling; 30 — at Miss. Valley.
Feb. 1 — at Arkansas-Pine Bluff; 6 — Alcorn State; 8 — Southern U.; 13 — at Prairie View; 15 — at Texas Southern; 20 — at Grambling; 27 — Miss. Valley.
March 1 — Arkansas-Pine Bluff; 4 — at Alabama A&M; 6 — at Alabama State; 10-13 — SWAC Tournament at Birmingham.
WR Richardson leaves Tigers
The last 48 hours have seen an odd string of events in the case of Jackson State receiver Rico Richardson. The freshman from Natchez had drawn rave reviews from coach Rick Comegy and was featured in a story in The Clarion-Ledger on Friday. Richardson left the team Thursday despite being optimistic about his role just days earlier. Comegy was hesitant to go into all of the details surrounding the situation, but his absence is thought to be caused by a junior college offering a better opportunity and the chance to go to a Division I-A program afterward.
The coaching staff, however, expected Richardson and his mom to return Friday afternoon and had plans to meet then. He hadn't shown up by the end of practice and coaches were still awaiting his arrival. Comegy did say that Richardson came to talk to him about the situation before leaving campus. "I want him to see that we care for him," Comegy said. "He's got some personal issues at home." The 6-foot-1, 185-pounder ranked No. 5 in the state among Class 5A receivers his senior season at Natchez with 891 receiving yards and seven touchdowns and was a second-team 5A All-State selection by the Mississippi Association of Coaches.
Comegy: D-line making strides
The offense had been ahead of the defense during the early practices of the Jackson State preseason camp, coach Rick Comegy noticed. That's not the norm as offense relies so much on timing, but JSU returns all of its starting players at the skill positions. Defense has worked new players on the line, at linebacker and in the secondary. The defense, however, was the first thing Comegy talked about after Monday's practice - the first full-pads, full-contact session of camp. "The defensive line is starting to come on and do some good things," Comegy said. "I was pleased with the movement up front.
"That's been (a concern) for me the last couple days." Defensive tackle Neal Pogue hasn't worried, considering the unit is replacing two starters coupled with the fact returning starting defensive end Sam Washington has had back issues. "Everybody's always rusty," Pogue said. "Everybody has to work the kinks out. It may take a day or two, but after that third day, we're going to roll."
Tigers place emphasis on outside speed
Comegy hopes elusive running backs boost offense...Rick Comegy made a conscious decision regarding recruiting strategy that has played out every day during preseason practices. The Jackson State coach wanted more speedy, slasher-type running backs that could be used in a variety of ways. So, in came Anthony Mayes (5-foot-9, 180 pounds) and Demario Pippen (5-9, 215 pounds) last year, and Alfred Moreland (5-6, 185 pounds) this year. Suddenly, JSU is able to put in packages using those players both in the backfield and in the slot with the goal of getting them the ball out in space.
"They give us team speed," Comegy said. "Those are the type of guys that can hit a home run for you and they're young. "Outside speed. We didn't have that kind of kid that could do those things." JSU has always run its share of screens under Comegy and offensive coordinator James Woody over the years, though with limited success. Fans became increasingly frustrated with the play in 2009, but it often involved a player without the type of speed and shiftiness that Mayes, Moreland and Pippen possess.
Edwards makes resounding hit
Jackson State practiced in shoulder pads for the first time Saturday, and it's always interesting how wearing pads can affect the entire atmosphere and tempo of a session. The Tigers were especially lively with real contact for the first time, so much that a no-tackle practice became the exact opposite during a 9-on-7, inside-running drill. The defense, which included linemen and linebackers, started strong and was letting the offense know about it. But the white jerseys, which included a quarterback, linemen and running backs, finished with the upper hand. Running backs Darius Bolela, Bloi-Dei Dorzan, Jeward Smith and Terrence Davis all popped through holes on what would have been significant gains during a game. But it was Luther Edwards who made the play of the day.
Norfolk State University Spartans
As NSU practice starts, five questions
Eighty-four football players will take the practice field when Norfolk State opens preseason camp this afternoon, and, for most of them, it will be familiar turf. The Spartans return the most mature team in the Pete Adrian era, featuring 34 juniors and seniors - 19 of whom took a redshirt year - and another 15 redshirt sophomore s on the roster. All that experience is the product of the program Adrian implemented when he took over in 2005. The Spartans are hoping the payoff comes this year. With 16 starters back from last year's 5-7 team, which was snakebitten by injuries and close losses, Adrian believes this squad can contend for a MEAC title. To do so, it will have to answer some the questions facing the team as practice opens. Questions like...
Will the offense be improved? NSU ranked seventh in the MEAC in total offense a year ago. Look for the Spartans to spread the field more this year to get the ball into the hands of their best athletes. That list begins with quarterback Dennis Brown, back for his senior season, and junior tailback DeAngelo Branche, a 1,000-yard rusher last year. They'll be joined by speedy receivers Chris Bell - a Penn State transfer - and Jeremy Wicker, the top returning receiver with 18 catches. Dwight Fluker-Berry, who returned two kicks for touchdowns last year, moves from safety to receiver.
South Carolina State University Bulldogs
SC State defense dominates
South Carolina State held its annual Media Day followed by a 3 p.m. preseason scrimmage Saturday at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium. The Bulldogs ended the scoreless contest with the defense shutting down the offense. "We had a bit of a struggle snapping the ball on the offensive line," Bulldogs coach Buddy Pough said. "We rotated a couple guys in there to see if we could get some things going, and it showed us where we need some work."
Senior fullback Kenneth Smalls had an impressive series running the ball for the Bulldogs. Senior All-MEAC running back Will Ford and Travil Jamison didn't play on the day. "When you got a guy like Smalls who can make things happen in the open space, that's a really good thing for our offense," said Pough. "He kind of gives us that flexibility to do more than one thing."
All-MEAC senior linebacker Marshall McFadden did not play in the scrimmage due to an injury to his wrist that will sideline him all season. Clemson transfer Barry Humphries also will not suit up for the Bulldogs this season because of a knee injury he suffered with the Tigers. The S.C. State players will receive their 2008 MEAC Championship rings during "Meet the Players Day" Aug. 22 at approximately 11:30 a.m.
Injured McFadden remains upbeat
S.C. State standout will miss season but hopes to return and take his shot at the NFL...South Carolina State linebacker Marshall McFadden had big plans for his final season. The fifth-year senior has started all 37 games in his career and was on the radar of several NFL scouts. He felt with a strong season, he could earn an invite to the NFL Combine and continue his playing career beyond college. But all those plans were derailed when McFadden broke his right wrist on the first day in full pads and will miss the season.
“Hearing the words that I was done for the season brought tears to my eyes,” the former Lamar High standout said Saturday morning during S.C. State’s media day at Oliver C. Dawson Bulldog Stadium. “After I talked to the doctor and coaches, and they said I might be able to play next year, it brought a little life back to me." McFadden said the school will petition the NCAA to allow for a sixth-year of eligibility. He played as a true freshman in 2005 but missed all but two games in 2007 with an elbow injury.
He returned last year and moved from strong safety to middle linebacker. He flourished in the new role and finished tied for the team lead with 88 total tackles, including a team-high 51 unassisted stops. That earned him second-team All-MEAC honors and he was a preseason first-team pick this year.
Bulldogs middle linebacker McFadden likely to miss season
South Carolina State middle linebacker Marshall McFadden has been lost for the season. McFadden collided with teammate Rafael Bush during Tuesday’s afternoon practice and suffered a dislocated wrist. "We were in Cover 2, and we were both going up to deflect a pass and we collided," a sullen McFadden said late Wednesday night. "I went today and they relocated my wrist," he continued. "They put the joint back in place. I’m getting a CAT scan. Next week, I’m supposed to have surgery to re-attach all the ligaments in my wrist."
McFadden was the clear-cut leader of the South Carolina State defense heading into the season. He was one of the few Bulldogs on campus for the second semester of summer school and was in impressive physical shape. A 176-pound safety four years ago, McFadden came into preseason camp at a chiseled 235 pounds, boasting a 4.6, 40-yard dash time. "I busted my (butt) this summer," McFadden said. "I was planning on having a big season. Up until this point, I was having a big camp." South Carolina State head coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough said McFadden was at his best through the first few preseason practices.
"He is just a beautiful athlete," Pough said. "He was looking good as a player along with the fact that he was our speed linebacker. He had the size and he could run as fast as anybody." McFadden led South Carolina State with 69.5 tackles, 11.5 for loss, last season. He was the top returning pass rusher after tallying five sacks last season. A fifth-year senior, McFadden was redshirted two seasons ago after dislocating his elbow against Bethune-Cookman.
Humphries calls it a career
Barry Humphries came to South Carolina State to compete for the starting center position. He never really got the chance. It was announced Thursday that Humphries, a fifth-year senior that transferred from Clemson last week, would not be able to play this season due to a pre-existing knee injury. “Barry was struggling with that knee,” Pough said. “From the very beginning, when they told me it was an ACL, I was worried. That’s a full year to recover from, and we were inside of that point. It looked like it would take a while longer.
They looked at the X-rays and gave him the prognosis of how long it would be before he would be full speed. He took that and said he better go and get a job. He finished school. He has no reason to continually beat that thing up. He’s better off giving it a chance to heal properly so he can go through the rest of his life in a normal manner.” Humphries was slated to battle Sam Timothy for the starting center position. With Humphries out of the equation, Pough said Casey Fortune would likely move back to center and that guard Juavahr Nathan would also see time at the position.
Asheton Jordan transferring to S.C. State
The Post and Courier is reporting that Asheton Jordan, The Citadel’s leading rusher a season ago, has opted to transfer to South Carolina State University. As a freshman last season, Jordan (6-0, 206) led the Bulldogs with 711 rushing yards and four touchdowns. In the story by The Post’s Jeff Hartsell, Jordan said he also considered Charleston Southern and Georgia Southern.
“But I wanted a program that was a little bit bigger than Charleston Southern and that ran the ball a lot,” Jordan told Hartsell. “S.C. State has a good team and they really pound the football, so I thought that would be a good place for me.” A former Stratford High School star, Jordan was found guilty of an honors violation at The Citadel last spring, but told Hartsell that was “just a big mix-up in the military stuff.” Jordan will sit out this year and have three seasons left to play for S.C. State.
Summer Camp Photo Gallery
The Top Dog: S.C. State’s Will Ford is ready to run wild
Nineteen players came before him in the countdown but no one is ranked above him.Thursday night, Will Ford, The T&D’s "Top Dog" in its top 20 countdown of South Carolina State football players, was on campus in Orangeburg hanging out with teammates Travil Jamison and Derrick Wiley."It feels good (to be back)," Ford said. "I’ve been away for a little while, but I’ve been patiently waiting for this and I’m ready.
"Today, the Bulldogs will officially open the 2009 season with their first practice of the year, scheduled for 6 p.m. at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium and Ford can barely wait. He spent the majority of his summer at home in Travelers Rest preparing for this season, his final as a Bulldog, and it doesn’t escape him that this is the most important season of his life to date. There are plenty of personal goals. Of course, he wants to perform well for scouts at the next level, and as long as he does that records will fall. Ford enters the year with 3,640 rushing yards, just 454 yards away from breaking Michael Hicks’ career rushing record at South Carolina State and 1,009 yards from running past former Hampton tailback Alonzo Coleman for the all-time career MEAC rushing record.
10 questions for the Bulldogs
The “Dream Season” of 2008 is officially in the archives for South Carolina State. As the Bulldog players return to campus today and start preseason practice at 3:10 p.m. Friday, the focus will be on preparation for defense of their Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship, Now the “hunted,” S.C. State enters this year’s campaign with a bevy of expectations based upon last year’s success and high preseason Football Championship Subdivision rankings.
For Bulldog fans, this is a welcome alternative to the past three weeks, where most of the talk concerned off-field issues such as the firing/rehiring of defensive line coach David Harrison and the decision not to fund summer workouts. How the recent controversy will affect the eighth season under head coach Oliver “Buddy” Pough is just one of 10 questions S.C. State will look to answer heading into the Sept. 6 season-opener against Grambling in Orlando, Fla.:
1. What do the oddsmakers think of the Bulldogs’ chances of repeating?
'Top Dogs': Long ready to prove he is worthy of his 'C'
Malcolm Long was in Gaffney Wednesday night closing out one crazy summer. The South Carolina State quarterback was in Orangeburg for the first session of summer school, but headed home for the second session. Turns out, he was just in time to witness his hometown (Gaffney) get terrorized by serial killer Patrick Tracy Burris. Luckily, Burris’ spree was brought to an end when he was gunned down by law enforcement officials in early July.
“When I first got back is when the serial killer came down,” Long said. “I was trying to be protective of my family and look over them. It really got hectic. I’ve never seen as many law enforcement officials in my life. They were everywhere trying to catch that guy.” Despite the tense situation, Long still managed to get out of the house and head down to his old stomping grounds at Gaffney High School to get work in. Throwing balls to the Indians in 7 on 7 passing drills however, the former South Carolina “Mr. Football” quickly learned that his arm is just a little too much for most high school players to handle.
Media Day and first scrimmage gallery
The T&D launches 'The Bulldog Zone'
South Carolina State kicked off the 2009 season with its first practice Friday and The Times and Democrat was there. Want the report from practice? Want exclusive news and notes in the Day 1 notebook? Want an exclusive with former North Carolina Shrine Bowl defensive back and new Bulldog Dominique Ellis, a former N.C. State player? Go to http://www.thebulldogzone.com/ for the stories, as well as exclusives, photos and video by the T&D Sports Staff.
While there, take a look around. “The Bulldog Zone” is The T&D’s new Web site aimed at providing in-depth coverage of S.C. State Athletics. The site, which is in its soft-launch phase, features plenty of news on the S.C. State Bulldogs football team, including video, a forum and photo galleries. Fans can look forward to exclusives on the site as well as practice reports. Want to know the inside scoop on the ‘Dogs? Check out the Dog Dish, and keep up with S.C. State through Thomas Grant’s “Following the Bulldogs” blog as well as the sports staff’s blog, “The Huddle.”
Tennessee State University Tigers
TSU looks to transfers to boost wide receivers
Tennessee State opened practice Monday with no receivers who caught a pass for the Tigers last season. But Coach James Webster is hoping three transfers will help fill a void that also includes the loss of former Louisville receiver JaJuan Spillman. "I've got three secret weapons that people don't know about,'' Webster said. "We had a great receiving corps last year but I really believe with this receiving corps we won't miss a beat." Spillman, who started for the Tigers last season and caught 43 passes for 570 yards and five touchdowns, has been ruled academically ineligible. Webster said he is treating it as a redshirt season for Spillman and expects him back for spring practice.
Javier Jackson, a redshirt junior from Memphis who had three catches for 71 yards, graduated early and decided not to return. The transfers are Oklahoma State's Jeremy Broadway, Illinois' Marques Wilkins and former Whites Creek High player Calvin Roberts. Broadway was a starter early in his career at Oklahoma State but lost his spot last year. He only had two catches last season, but one against Iowa State was a 95-yard TD that set a record for the longest play in school history. He was kicked off the team for violating team rules in December. Broadway still had a year of eligibility remaining after graduating last spring and enrolled in graduate school at TSU.
Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University Bulldogs
Alabama A&M trying to rebound from losing season
Alabama A&M coach Anthony Jones is in an unfamiliar position. For the first time since taking over the Bulldogs in 2002, he must rebound from a losing season. The good news for Jones & Co. is that 17 starters return from a team that was a game away from making the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship game despite a 5-7 overall record. The Bulldogs couldn't quite overcome an 0-3 start, though, and Jones is looking to avoid a repeat performance. They open Sept. 5 at Tennessee State.
"We have to come out of the blocks hot," he said. "If we don't, we're going to dig ourselves a hole and we'll use the remainder of the season trying to get out of it like we did last year." Reasons for optimism include an offensive line that returns all five starters, led by center Xavier Manuel. Incumbent quarterback Kevin Atkins is trying to hold off a challenge from Kentucky transfer DeAunte Mason, a redshirt freshman. Atkins did return from an ankle injury to pass for 357 yards and five touchdowns in the season finale against Mississippi Valley State to end an up-and-down year. His favorite target, wide receiver Thomas Harris, is also back after catching 72 passes for 1,208 yards.
Hampton University Pirates
HU players say former assistant Rose right man for head coaching job
At first, LaMarcus Coker thought everything Donovan Rose was saying might be too good to be true. As Rose, then an assistant coach at Hampton University, tried to talk Coker into joining the Pirates, the running back wasn't sure what to believe. "I kind of thought, 'I might need to watch him,' because in recruiting, (coaches) will tell you anything," Coker said. "(Rose) was telling me about the water, and how beautiful the campus was, and the girls that are gonna be here, and the facilities that the football team had and all the things that they were trying to do, and how many players they put in the NFL.
"Rose's pitch worked, luring Coker to Hampton after his troubled Tennessee career ended. Once there, Coker found Rose to be true to his word. "I can say that everything he told me has come to pass," said Coker, who led the Pirates with 713 rushing yards last year. "(Rose) was basically my reason for coming. ... He's smart. I knew that he knew what he was talking about as far as football goes. He's a great person.
"The demeanor Rose, now in his first year as Hampton's head coach, displayed as a recruiter has the players he first met in that role confident that he can restore stability to a program beginning its second consecutive season with a new coach.Quarterback Herb Bynes, who threw for a school-record 2,713 yards last season as a sophomore, drew plenty of college attention at Boyd H. Anderson High in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. But when his test scores lagged behind the athletic prowess that saw him rack up almost 5,000 yards of total offense, some of that interest faded.
Savannah State University Tigers
QB Battle Rages on at Savannah State University
The position of starting quarterback at Savannah State continues to be up for grabs. Sophomores A.J. Defilippis and Kurvin Curry are both impressing head coach Robby Wells. Curry was the starter last season while Defilippis took the reigns in the Spring. That’s when Curry was held out due to academic reasons. The Tigers open up the season in Greenville against Livingstone College September 5th.
SSU struggles in first scrimmage
Tigers slow on offense, draw costly penalties... Savannah State did not record statistics during the football team's first scrimmage of fall training camp Saturday morning. That's probably a good thing because seemingly everyone struggled during a lackluster, two-hour outing. "We've got a lot of work to do," SSU second-year head coach Robby Wells said. "On a scale of one to 10, I'd say we're probably about a four. We've still got a good, long way to go to get where we want to be. "Every time that you come in, you've got to basically beat the dust off of everybody and get them all shaped up and ready to play. That's exactly what we're trying to do right now."
Sophomore quarterback A.J. DeFilippis, a Benedictine graduate, started the scrimmage with the first-team offense against the first-team defense. The first series ended when DeFilippis was intercepted by junior defensive back Darren Hunter. Sophomore quarterback Kurvin Curry started the second series with the second-team offense against the second-team defense. During a pitch from Curry to freshman Antonio Proctor, a Memorial Day graduate, the ball hit the ground and was scooped up by sophomore linebacker Michael Kuku.
Video: SSU Tigers hit the field for first scrimmage of 2009
Freshman quarterback Antonio Bostic, of Greensboro, Fla., started the third series with the third-team offense against the third-team defense. He fumbled and sophomore defensive lineman Juvaro Goodman picked up the ball and raced 25 yards for a touchdown.
North Carolina Central University Eagles
Briscoe leaving NCCU
Basketball guard Jamar Briscoe is transferring to Charlotte from N.C. Central. Coach Bobby Lutz announced Tuesday that Briscoe will be a walk-on with the 49ers. He will sit out this season under the NCAA's transfer rules and have three years of eligibility left.
NCCU jazzes up festival
North Carolina Central University's Jazz Ensemble took part in a jazz festival in Newport, Rhode Island over the weekend. Students played before thousands at the George Wein's CareFusion Jazz Festival 55. The event is one of the oldest annual jazz festivals. It started in 1954, and is where Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald and others made music history.
Click here to view images from the event
The band was invited to play at the event four months ago. The young musicians of North Carolina Central University were gassed to be in Newport, shyly introducing themselves to legends such as Walton. “Just to be here — it has so much history, to be here where Coltrane played and everything,” trombonist Brad Maston said, shaking his head, before playing.
After the big-band set (a smaller combo played with Joey Calderazzo in the morning), it was the audience members who were shaking their heads. George Augustine, of Durham, N.C., has been coming to the jazz festival on and off since 1986, and he’s seen the NCCU band in their home state, but said “This is obviously another step up. They rose to the occasion.”
Ira Wiggins, director of jazz studies at NCCU, said that the gig came through Marsalis, who sat in with the big band in the afternoon. The idea of building a top-notch jazz program, Wiggins said, had two strikes against it at Central: Firstly, the arts and music don’t get a lot of academic respect anywhere; and secondly, what attention is paid to music at a historically black college goes to gospel and marching band. So how did they do it?
“A lot of will and a lot of perseverance,” said Wiggins, who has been at NCCU for 23 years. For Walton’s part, he pronounced himself “totally blown away” by the number of young jazz players and listeners, and their level of knowledge, thanks to university programs that didn’t exist when the 75-year-old was coming up. “That’s how we maintain,” he said after playing. Members told a local publication that the experience was surreal.
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Southern University and A&M College Jaguars
Battle in trenches tops Southern scrimmage
A few yards shy of the end zone, Southern’s first-team offense settled into a goal-line formation. The defensive line dug in. Saturday morning, as an angry sun hovered over the Jaguars during their first fall scrimmage, the offense and defense squared off for six final plays inside the 5-yard line. Four times, the offense tried to run it up the gut. Four times, the offense got stuffed — much to the delight of Terrence Graves, the defensive coordinator, who smiled and screamed at his troops. On play No. 5, quarterback Bryant Lee threw a fade to wideout Roderick Banks. His pass sailed out of bounds. Finally, on the last play of the day, freshman tailback Brandon Rice rumbled over the goal line. The defense had made a stand, and the offense closed on a good note. So went the first true test of training camp.
Stewart leads Southern wideouts
Slashing and burning like a store that’s going out of business, Southern wideout Juamorris Stewart tore up the Southwestern Athletic Conference last season, delivering on the potential he showed as a youngster from Istrouma High School. Yet this summer, when someone asked Stewart about some of his biggest plays, he grinned, shook his head and looked at the floor. “Prairie View,” Stewart said, referring to the Jaguars’ 24-23 loss in Houston.
“Just before halftime, a ball was in the air and I lost it in the lights. As I recall, that would have put us up by two scores. It could have broken their backs. That was one of the biggest plays of the season for me.” It was one of the few moments Stewart failed to come through in the clutch.
He led the conference in receptions (76), yards (1,138) and touchdowns (12).
For Jaguars linemen, it’s all about the hands
When Ted Jones started his college football career at Southern, he was a tight end. Then the coaches took a look at his strength and quickness, and they moved Jones to defensive end. He might have thought he’d never again use his hands on the football field. He was very, very wrong. He learned an interesting little surprise: While many offensive and defensive linemen have thighs that resemble tree trunks; no sign of a neck; and biceps that put Hulk Hogan to shame; often, their most important physical tools are two open palms and 10 chubby fingers.
At Southern, linemen are told they must have good hands.“For a defensive lineman, some people try to downplay how important ... your hands can be,” Jones said. “Then I got here, and they emphasize that your hands are crucial. Once I realized that, I realized I could be a better player.”
Southern's Hollimon moves from QB to RB
Southern’s Gary Hollimon, a fourth-year junior, moved from backup quarterback to running back Thursday in a move to get himself closer to playing in a game. Hollimon (6-foot-1, 215 pounds) started training camp with hopes of nailing down the No. 2 spot behind senior Bryant Lee, but Hollimon soon found himself behind two freshmen, Jeremiah McGinty and LeAndre Thompson. “He wants to have an opportunity to play,” Southern coach Pete Richardson said. “Right now we’re looking for ways to give him that opportunity and to make it work.”
SU coaches get 'late steal' in Ohio RB Rice
As a senior last year at Walnut Ridge High School in Columbus, Ohio, running back Brandon Rice never planned on coming to Southern. Now, as fall practice moves into its second week at SU, the two parties are glad they’ve found each other. According to Rivals.com, Rice (5-foot-8, 176 pounds) was a three-star prospect who had scholarship offers from Miami (Ohio) and Eastern Michigan — but coaches at both schools were fired, and the new coaches chose not to honor the offers. That left Rice without a college program, even after his high school graduation.
SU offensive coordinator Mark Orlando said he was recruiting Ohio for 2010 when coaches told him about Rice. He brought game tapes back to Baton Rouge, and coach Pete Richardson liked what he saw. Before fall camp, Rice became a Jaguar. “We feel like we got a late steal,” Orlando said. “He’s a true freshman, but he’s learning. He has some talent and ability to help us.”
Southern offensive line wants to be beastly
SU Coach Damon Nivens
On many mornings, Southern offensive line coach Damon Nivens often looks like he’s ready for a day in the rain forest than a day at training camp. Decked out in a safari hat and a shortsleeve windbreaker, he strolls into Louisiana’s subtropical heat and onto the practice fields, where he meets, among others, a burly beast named Ramon Chinyoung. Nivens says his senior center looks like a wolf — strong, loyal and, at times, a little out of control. Chinyoung, the line’s leader and unofficial spokesman, disagrees.
“No, coach,” Chinyoung says, only half-joking. “I’m a lion. I’m king of the jungle.” Chinyoung, who never needs much motivation, said he’s excited about his senior year —and although he’s a little biased, he says this group of linemen could be the best since he came to SU. To his left is a longtime partner — senior guard Adrian Banks, another cat from the Houston area, who thought about giving up football but decided to return for a fifth year.
Delaware State University Hornets
From Day 1, the battle for No. 1
Competition was the operative word as Delaware State University kicked off its preseason football camp at Alumni Stadium on Tuesday night. Opportunities to impress Delaware State coach Al Lavan and his staff abound as the Hornets look to replace their leading passer, leading rusher, leading receiver and four of the teams' five leading tacklers from last season. "I'm eager to get started because we have a lot of work to do before the opener at Florida A&M [Sept. 5]," Lavan said. "There's always a concern about conditioning as camp begins. We'll know early on who's in the best condition to compete."
The Hornets' long journey toward their Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference season opener against the Rattlers began with a 2 1/2-hour practice session. The fighting for starting spots, learning offensive and defensive playbooks and constant conditioning will continue on a near-daily basis until the team breaks camp with a scrimmage on Aug 29. "We lost a number of key players from last season, so there will be some interesting battles during camp," Lavan said. "We also have more new players than in the past several years, so it will be crucial that they learn our system and our way of doing things. "There will be little time to waste as we prepare for opening day."
Grambling State University
Orange's 'Big Cat" Ladd in Grambling Hall of Greats
Orange legend Ernie Ladd “Big Cat” continues to receive prestigious honors. Ladd, who passed away in March of 2007, was among the inaugural class of the Grambling University Sports Hall of Fame. Spearheaded by James “Shack” Harris (former NFL Pro Bowl Most Valuable Player) and Doug Williams (former Super Bowl MVP) the ceremony was held at the Monroe Civic Center in Monroe, Louisiana.
At 6-9 and 315 pounds, Ladd arrived to Grambling in the late 1950s and immediately made an impact. A first-team all-league defensive lineman in his final season at Grambling in 1960, he helped Grambling to its first-ever SWAC championship. He may have been known as a ferocious All-Pro defensive lineman as well as “The Big Cat” in the professional wrestling ranks, but Ernie Ladd was also known as the gentle giant from Orange, Texas.
Remembering: Ernie "Big Cat" Ladd, #77 AFL San Diego Chargers
Ladd, who was born and raised in Orange, Texas passed away in 2007 after a long bout with cancer. The “Big Cat,” has claim to fame in being enshrined in both the American Football League Hall of Fame and the World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Fame. Ladd was a fierce product of the former Wallace High School in Orange and was coached by the late legendary coach Willie Ray Smith. He played on the 1954 state championship team as a sophomore and was also an All-State basketball player in helping lead the Dragons to a state crown as well in that sport.
Ladd went on to play for another legend, Eddie Robinson, at Grambling State University. With Ladd’s efforts, Robinson was able to land his first Southwest Athletic Conference championship. The American Football League’s San Diego Chargers selected Ladd with their 15th pick in the 1961 draft. At 6-9, 315 pounds, Ladd was arguably the biggest and strongest man in pro football during his era. He had a 52-inch chest, 39-inch waist, 20-inch biceps, 19-inch neck, 20-inch calf, and size 18D shoes.
Ladd went on to become a three-time All-AFL player and he played in four consecutive Pro Bowls. The Chargers made strong runs to the AFL championship games. The Chargers won it all during the 1963 season, defeating the Boston Patriots. They also advanced to three title games, falling to Houston in 1961 and Buffalo in 1964 and 1965. Ladd spent the 1966 season playing for the Houston Oilers before moving, in 1967, to the Kansas City Chiefs. There, with Buck Buchanan, a former Grambling teammate, he filled out what was probably the biggest defensive tackle tandem in history, and won another AFL title. Both Ladd and Buchanan are members of the Grambling State University Athletic Hall of Fame.
While playing football, Ladd began making appearances at wrestling events at first as a special referee and later as a wrestler. Knee problems, and what at the time ended up being a more lucrative career as a wrestler, ended his football career. Ladd started wrestling in 1961. As a publicity stunt, some wrestlers in the San Diego area challenged Ladd to a private wrestling workout. Before long, Ladd was a part-time competitor in Los Angeles, during football's off-season. Ladd became a huge draw in short order.
Butter fingers!: Drops plague Grambling receivers in scrimmage
They gathered, Grambling’s receivers, in a circle to pay their penance. Balls had littered the Robinson Stadium turf throughout Saturday’s scrimmage. Now it was time to get up close and personal with that grassy surface. Over and over, in this grueling drill, the receivers hit the ground flat — as if doing a push up — then jumped back to a standing position. Enclosed in a damp blanket of humidity, a few struggled to rise again. Quarterback Greg Dillon, in a day that underscored his quick maturation after less than a year as a starter, was right there with his teammates.
CATCHING ON: Grambling's receiving corps are young but talented
Take a look at the Grambling roster and you won’t find a lot of experience among the wide receivers. The Tigers’ top returner in the passing game is sophomore wideout Kiare Thompson, who had 25 receptions for 310 yards and seven touchdowns in 2008. Beyond Thompson, the returnees who made the best targets for quarterback Greg Dillon last season are two running backs (Kenneth Batiste and Frank Warren) and a tight end (Larry Donnell). Finding a few more reliable receivers to stretch opposing defenses is one of the Tigers’ biggest concerns as the Sept. 6 season opener against South Carolina State approaches.
Ball-hawking GSU secondary back at work
A cornerstone of Grambling’s success last season was gritty play in the secondary. So expectations run high, as fall sessions get underway, for a group that led the SWAC in interceptions, returns all but one starter, and boasts talented depth like Desmond Lenard — who led the team in picks a year ago. That starts with the starters, who have returned with some lofty goals. How lofty? Only setting school records. A second straight Southwestern Athletic Conference crown.
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