BCU's Jenkins shares credit for success

DAYTONA BEACB, Florida  -  You don't have to tell Brian Jenkins how big the MEAC/SWAC Challenge is for his Bethune-Cookman Wildcats. Jenkins, the head coach, took the team to the classic HBCU game last year -- when the Wildcats manhandled Prairie View A&M, 63-14, in an impressive performance to open the season.

In the 2012 installment of the MEAC/SWAC Challenge presented by Disney -- taking place at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Fla., on Sept. 2 -- Bethune-Cookman will again represent the MEAC, this time going up against Alabama State from the SWAC.

"It's going to be a tremendous game," says Jenkins. "Alabama State is a championship-caliber team. We're happy and thankful to be invited back to play in this venue. It puts you on the national stage, and that's good for your program."



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In the FCS Huddle: Taylor's influence all over the MEAC

NORFOLK, Virginia – Over the years, it's become almost impossible to keep track of the amount of players, coaches and individuals impacted by Florida A&M head football coach Joe Taylor. Not to mention, the influence he's had on the football conference he has been in for 20 years.

On Friday, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference held its annual preseason football media day and for many it was no surprise six teams received first-place votes.



"This is probably going to be the strongest competitive conference in football that I've seen," Taylor said. "And I've been in this game a long time."

For Hill-Eley and the other coaches who have spent time with Taylor, words can't express the respect and admiration they have for him.

"Nobody calls him friend because most of us call him our father and he has always acted that way towards us," Hill-Eley said. "The type of leadership and character he displays is amazing, and he consistently raises the bar for fellow coaches."

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Norfolk State developing winning tradition

NORFOLK, Virginia — Norfolk State coach Pete Adrian said he expected to have a red "x" on his team's back going into the season, but being picked by the league's coaches to repeat as MEAC Conference Champions makes the "x" bright red.

"You can't sneak up on anybody anyway," Adrian said at MEAC Media Day.



With three consecutive winning seasons and a MEAC Conference Championship under its belt, Norfolk State isn't sneaking up on anyone anymore. With a less than sparkling football history, Adrian is now looking to establish a winning tradition, as the Spartans were picked to finish first in the MEAC again by league's coaches.

"We went from not being able to win a ball game to winning the championship," Adrian said. "It takes a lot to develop that, and now, when we take the field, we expect to win."

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Rose, Hampton U. eagerly anticipate challenging season

NORFOLK, Virginia — The term that Donovan Rose repeated to describe himself was that he is now a "full-fledged" head coach.

Yes, it was his name on the door to the big office at Hampton University's football complex for the past three years. Yes, wins and losses during that time were attached to his resume'. And yes, it was his program that got whacked recently by the NCAA for continued academic negligence.

But for Rose, "full-fledged" connotes a combination of experience, tenure, understanding, vision and direction. Four years in, he finally feels equipped to run the Pirates' program and to restore it to the level attained under his former boss, Joe Taylor.

"I've grown up," Rose said Friday at Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference media day. "I realize as a head coach that everything is on me. In doing that, I put all of myself in everything. As a full-fledged head coach, in my fourth year, every recruit has come under me, every coach has come under me and everything else has come under me. With that in mind, I think we've turned the corner."

The Pirates return 17 starters from a ...



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Kickoff set for OU Sooners home opener vs. FAMU

NORMAN, Oklahoma - Oklahoma’s string of night games will continue through the second week of the regular season. The Big 12 Conference announced on Friday that the Sooners’ Sept. 8 home opener against Florida A&M at Owen Field will kick off at 6 p.m.

The game will mark the first-ever meeting between the Sooners and the Rattlers. Oklahoma has won its initial game of the season in Norman each of the past six years. Dating back to the start of the 2006 campaign, the Sooners own a 36-1 (.973) home record. Among FBS teams, only Boise State at 37-1 (.974) has a better home winning percentage over that span.

Oklahoma begins the 2012 season at UTEP with kickoff set for 9:30 p.m. CT in El Paso, Texas. Thus far, they are the only games that have start times. The kickoff times for the remaining 12 regular-season games will be announced at a later date.

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MEAC coaches recruit Florida, Panhandle

NORFOLK, Virginia — When Norfolk State University won the MEAC football title last season, it was Tallahassee’s Chris Wally who led the Spartans into the NCAA playoffs.

Coach Pete Adrian is counting on receiver Derrick Demps, yet another Tallahassee native, to be a major offensive contributor this season. He praised Demps, a product of Florida High, at Friday’s gathering with reporters at the MEAC media day here at the downtown Sheraton.

“He has good speed and handles the ball real well,” said Adrian, whose team was picked to win its second straight conference title this season.

“He’s become a great team leader for us. He talks a lot but that’s OK because he’s always talking positive. He gets really excited about playing and that’s what you want.”

Actually, that’s what Joe Taylor would love to have more of for his Florida A&M football team, too. But Tallahassee players do escape from the Big Bend and FAMU recruiters.

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Coach Waltar Bright to enter Allen University Hall Of Fame

"Every year our first game was against Florida A&M. They liked to play home games at high noon under the hot sun," Bright said. "The only place you could find shade was under the bench."

EASTON, Pennsylvania  -  Waltar Bright's football career started with a hall-of-fame caliber team and will end up with him being inducted into his college's hall of fame.

The 71-year old Bright, who was a senior safety on the undefeated 1958 Easton High School team, considered by some to be the finest football team in school history, played his college ball at Allen University in Columbia, S.C.  He has been told he will be inducted into its Hall of Fame on Nov. 9. Bright was all-conference in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) as a junior and a senior and an All-American as a senior.

"I haven't spoken directly to anyone from the school yet," Bright said. "They left a message on my voice mail telling me about the ceremony while I was at a basketball clinic at Kutztown University earlier this week."

Bright served in the Marines after graduating from Easton and played football against many NFL players in Marine football games. He was approached by the Allen athletic director about playing college football. When Bright told him that he still had almost two years left as a Marine, he gave Bright a business card and said "Call me when your hitch is done."

When Bright's hitch was done, he worked for a flooring company in Philadelphia. He thought about attending college, but "the money was too good." Finally his boss approached him, telling him that he himself had two daughters in college and would feel guilty if he prevented Bright from attending college.

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