Thursday, July 8, 2010

FAMU President Ammons still looking for program's next AD

Ole Miss Senior Associate Athletics Director for External Affairs, Derek Horne is a finalist for the FAMU Rattlers athletic director position. The Quitman, Georgia native is a grad of University of Mississippi (1987) and is in his 14th year with the Rebels athletics department

James Ammons
knows exactly what he's looking for in the two finalists for Florida A&M athletic director. And, it's not someone with a strong coaching background. Interim AD Mike Smith interviewed Wednesday for the position that has been vacant since December when Bill Hayes resigned. Ammons didn't disclose the name of the second candidate during an interview Tuesday, but sources have named University of Mississippi associate athletic director for external affairs Derrick Horne as that person.

Horne is expected to meet with athletic department personnel this morning before Ammons makes his choice. That decision will be made before the start of the football season, Ammons said. FAMU also is faced with having to fill five coaching vacancies within the next two months. Baseball has been without a head coach since Robert Lucas was fired in May, and the search also is under way to find head coaches for swimming and men's track and field. Men's and women's basketball have vacancies for assistant coaches.

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NCCU Eagles Centennial Sports History: DID YOU KNOW?

NCCU Teams Have Won 41 Conference Championships, Two National Titles



This video is a look back at some of the history of NCCU, compiled as a tribute during Trailblazers Weekend. Images provided by NCCU Archives and Records, along with NCCU Public Relations (Robert Lawson).

DID YOU KNOW? North Carolina Central University sports teams have won 41 conference championships in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) and Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), including 10 conference titles in its final three seasons of NCAA Division II competition (2004-07).

In addition, two NCCU teams have captured national championship titles. The Eagles won the NCAA Division II men’s basketball national championship in 1989, while the men’s track & field team won the NAIA national championship in 1972.

NCCU has competed in the NCAA playoffs 21 times in the sports of football, men’s and women’s basketball, women’s volleyball, softball and women’s cross country.

As part of North Carolina Central University's Centennial celebration, the NCCU Department of Athletics posted sports history facts from the institution's first 100 years to its official web site, http://www.nccueaglepride.com/, every week during the year-long observance.

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Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Crunch time for Southern athletics

His hands folded, his posture tall and towering, Greg LaFleur surveyed the carnage inside his office last Wednesday afternoon. Old books, stacked high on a chair, formed a dusty skyscraper. His computer took up residence on the couch. Files covered bookshelf after bookshelf. LaFleur, who enters his sixth year as Southern’s athletic director, had tough decisions to make. What does he need to keep? What can he afford to scrap?

Stuff was everywhere — and when you move from one place to the other, that’s the best word for it: stuff. This summer, members of the athletic department are bailing out of old Jesse Owens Hall, a building grimy and battered beyond salvation. Some personnel will head back to the F.G. Clark Activity Center. LaFleur is moving to a seldom-used room in the new A.W. Mumford Field House. “Definitely a move for the better,” he said. “For everyone involved.” This offseason marks another crossroads for the SU athletic department. All at once, it’s an exciting and stressful time.

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SU Mitchell putting in long days

Last week, on a grim, humid late afternoon in the dead of summer, scores of people drove to an otherwise still campus at Southern University. They packed an oversized suite in the A.W. Mumford Field House. Politely and patiently, they listened as Stump Mitchell’s assistant coaches told stories and answered questions about the status of their beloved-but-battered football program.

Then, to the sound of warm applause, Mitchell himself walked to the lectern. This was the man they’d come to see. Yet again, Mitchell vowed his staff and players will work hard, and good things will come from that. Again, he stressed Southern will win championships. Soon. “We don’t have a daggone three- or four-year plan,” he said. “We want to win it all right now.” The crowd erupted. This was the way it used to feel.

Almost six months have passed since Mitchell came to SU, replacing the once-revered Pete Richardson. Not everyone in the suite had wanted Mitchell. Most dissenters had preferred a favorite son, former SU safety and Prairie View assistant Heishma Northern. Some of them still aren’t sure. Yet there they were last week, in the suite, now willing to listen. “I know I’m not the man for all of you right now,” Mitchell said. “But I’m going to be the man before long.”

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Wooten-Collier brings title experience to VUU women's basketball

As a player, Barvenia Wooten-Collier helped lift the Virginia Union women's basketball team to the pinnacle of NCAA Division II competition. Now she will try to lift the school's once-proud women's program back to respectability as a coach.

Wooten-Collier, the linchpin of Virginia Union's 1983 NCAA championship team, was hired last month to replace Bryan Underwood as the Panthers' head coach. VUU's administration chose not to renew Underwood's contract after the Panthers stumbled badly in 2009 and 2010, winning only 16 games overall -- and only seven in the CIAA.

The new coach intends, eventually, to install an up-tempo, emphasis-on-conditioning philosophy. But she said her first goal will be to instill a sense of ownership and responsibility in athletes who won only two of 20 CIAA contests last season. "I get the feeling that the players, right now, think of basketball as just another thing they have to do," Wooten-Collier said. "I don't see excitement and enthusiasm. I want these kids to understand that the opportunity to play basketball at Virginia Union is a gift. I don't want them to be content merely to play. I want them to perform."

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Tuesday, July 6, 2010

SCSU's Young running route toward Panther position

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Graduating as the all-time leader in career receptions and yards at South Carolina State got Oliver "Tre" Young noticed by the Carolina Panthers. At least that's the opinion of his college head coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough. "You know, that is always going to be one of the factors, the statistical information that people gather," Pough told PanthersInsider.com. "That's what they sometimes use in the evaluation process. I think they also look at his size, strength and athletic ability. I think it's a combination of things along with stats. When you look at him play, you think this is a guy who might have a shot at being good."

#3 Oliver "Tre" Young

The 6-2 undrafted free agent also understands those school-record numbers (135 receptions, 2,156 receiving yards) alone will not allow him continue his NFL career within proximity of his port city hometown. "We pretty much know that we have to prove ourselves," Young said. "For me, coming from a small school, I'm a little bit behind the 8 ball so I think that my level of play will have to be above and beyond."

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Wallace leaves FAMU over contract dispute

Strength and conditioning coach Antonio Wallace left a new contract from Florida A&M on the table instead of re-signing on the same terms that he had for the past three years without benefits. His last day on the job was June 30 as an assistant to head football coach Joe Taylor. Wallace said Monday he would have stayed if the new contract with FAMU's athletic department gave him an increase in his salary of more than the $50,000-plus that he was making, with the addition of benefits.

"It was in my best interest and in my family's best interest to move on because anytime you get into a situation like that it's very hard to continue to grow within the program," Wallace said, without saying exactly how much he would have signed for. "I was presented with a contract and I was unwilling to be subject to those terms. I didn't feel good about it."



Wallace graduated from Alabama A&M University in 2003 with a Bachelors of Science in the field of Industrial Safety Management and served previously as a graduate assistant under Dr. Johnny Thomas at Alcorn State, responsible for strength and conditioning and coaching defensive ends.

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Monday, July 5, 2010

Printers, B.C. Lions kick their way to road victory

Former FAMU Rattlers' Quarterback Casey Printers plays turnover - free football in the B.C. Lions 25-10 road win over the Edmonton Eskimos in yesterday's Canada Day season opener.

EDMONTON, AB — The distance from where the Lions began their Canadian Football League season on Sunday and where they would like it to end up is not large. It is precisely 25 steps to walk from the visiting locker-room to the palatial new digs occupied by the Edmonton Eskimos at Commonwealth Stadium, where this year’s Grey Cup game is to be played. And in relative terms, what the Lions did when they posted a 25-10 win on the strength of a turnover-free game in which they also forced the hosts into five giveaways, not to mention six field goals by Paul McCallum, was take precisely one step in that direction.

One step, nothing more. But with so much uncertainty as a result of the massive off-season personnel airlift, there is reason to think coach Wally Buono has assembled the makings of a team. And if there were doubts about the young offensive line, they were erased when Jon Hameister-Ries sprang Robertson with a block for his scoring run. Quarterback Casey Printers was only dropped behind the line of scrimmage once.

Video:
Highlights: BC 25, EDM 10

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Sunday, July 4, 2010

A Cautionary Tale for ALL Student - Athletes: 10-year NBA vet now homeless

Thomas "Ray Williams" retired in 1987 without a college degree or professional skill, although he played at the University of Minnesota and San Jacinto Junior College, and was selected 10th overall in the 1977 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks.


Amid the ceaseless acquisitive frenzy that is NBA free agency, the Boston Globe dropped a harrowing profile of Ray Williams, a former captain of the New York Knicks and a reserve guard on the Boston Celtics' 1985 NBA Finals team who played for six teams during a 10-year NBA career from the late '70s through the mid-'80s. Williams' name might not ring out with today's fans, but he averaged 20 points per game in two different seasons (1979-80 and 1981-82), hung 52 on the Detroit Pistons as a member of the New Jersey Nets on April 17, 1982, and once drew (admittedly aspirational) comparisons to the great Walt Frazier.

Now, writes the Globe's Bob Hohler, he's homeless.

Desperate times


POMPANO BEACH, FL — Every night at bedtime, former Celtic Ray Williams locks the doors of his home: a broken-down 1992 Buick, rusting on a back street where he ran out of everything. The 10-year NBA veteran formerly known as “Sugar Ray’’ leans back in the driver’s seat, drapes his legs over the center console, and rests his head on a pillow of tattered towels. He tunes his boom box to gospel music, closes his eyes, and wonders.

Williams, a generation removed from staying in first-class hotels with Larry Bird and Co. in their drive to the 1985 NBA Finals, mostly wonders how much more he can bear. He is not new to poverty, illness, homelessness. Or quiet desperation. In recent weeks, he has lived on bread and water. “They say God won’t give you more than you can handle,’’ Williams said in his roadside sedan. “But this is wearing me out.’’

A former top-10 NBA draft pick who once scored 52 points in a game, Williams is a face of big-time basketball’s underclass. As the NBA employs players whose average annual salaries top $5 million, Williams is among scores of retired players for whom the good life vanished not long after the final whistle. Dozens of NBA retirees, including Williams and his brother, Gus, a two-time All-Star, have sought bankruptcy protection.

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The most sobering thing about Hohler's piece? Williams' decline into unemployment, poverty and homelessness appears to have just kind of ... happened. Williams, a former University of Minnesota standout who averaged 15.5 points and nearly six assists per game during his time in the league, adamantly tells Hohler that he's "never fallen prey to drugs, alcohol, or gambling," and he's never been arrested, so it's not like he's some shiftless sociopath whom we can easily vilify.

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Shaw Announces 2010 Football Schedule; Season Tickets On Sale

Raleigh, NC – Shaw University will host four home football games this season and take on one NCAA Division I FCS opponent. The Bears’ ten-game schedule includes home dates with Virginia Union, Fayetteville State, Chowan and Winston-Salem State.

The Bears open the season with the Shaw Pride game against Virginia Union on September 4, then hit the road for five straight weeks. On September 11, Shaw takes on Elon University. The Phoenix finished 9-3 in the Southern Conference last season with a strong Division I FCS schedule. The following week, the Bears will take on Catawba College.

The CIAA season begins on September 25 when the Bears travel to Elizabeth City State, followed by road games to Livingstone and Johnson C. Smith.

On October 16, the Bears return home to face division rival Fayetteville State, with the homecoming game against Chowan one week later. Shaw closes out the home season on October 30 as they host Winston-Salem State in a game that will be nationally televised. That game is also Senior Day and Shaw Open House.

Shaw finishes the season on the road at cross-town rival Saint Augustine’s.

Shaw defensive backs coach Robert Massey.

Shaw will play its first three home games (VUU, FSU and Chowan) at Southeast Raleigh High School at 2600 Rock Quarry Road. Game times are 6:00 p.m. for Virginia Union and Fayetteville State and 4:00 p.m. for Chowan. The final home game, against WSSU, will be played at Durham County Memorial Stadium at 1:00 p.m.

Season ticket packages, which include reserved seating, parking, and three t-shirts and a polo shirt cost $150 and can be purchased by calling (919) 546-8281.

Individual tickets went on sale July 1. Prices to all but the homecoming game (Chowan) are $15 for adults, and $10 for children and students with IDs. Homecoming tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for children and students with IDs. Shaw students attend all home games for free with their student ID. Individual tickets may be purchased through the Shaw athletics website – www.shawbears.com.

Shaw will hold its annual scrimmage on August 28 at Chavis Park. Time is to be announced at a later date.

Last season, the Bears finished with an 8-2 record, 5-2 in the CIAA and one game out of first in the Western Division.

Football Coaching Staff
Darrell Asberry Head Coach (5th Season: 27-16)
David Geralds Associate Head Coach
Kienus Boulware Assistant Football Coach (Defensive Coordinator)
Robert Massey Assistant Football Coach (Defensive Backs)
Vyron Brown Assistant Football Coach (Offensive Coordinator
Richard McGeorge Assistant Football Coach (Offensive Line)
Jermonty KimbroughAssistant Football Coach (Running Backs)









2010 BEARS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Saturday, September 4 VIRGINIA UNION UNIVERSITY 6:00 p.m.
SHAW PRIDE DAY
Saturday, September 11 Elon University 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, September 18 Catawba College 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, September 25 Elizabeth City State University* 2:00 p.m.
Saturday, October 2 Livingstone College* 1:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 9 Johnson C. Smith University* 2:00 p.m.
Saturday, October 16 FAYETTEVILLE STATE UNIVERSITY* 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, October 23 CHOWAN UNIVERSITY* 4:00 p.m. HOMECOMING
Saturday, October 30 WINSTON-SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY* 1:00 p.m.
SENIOR DAY / SHAW OPEN HOUSE (DURHAM COUNTY STADIUM)
Saturday, November 6 Saint Augustine’s College* 1:30 p.m.

Home Games Listed in BOLDFACE CAPS
Home Games, Except for WSSU, Played at Southeast Raleigh High School
(2600 Rock Quarry Road)
WSSU Game Played at Durham County Memorial Stadium
* CIAA Conference Game

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Grambling State reportedly set to cut golf, tennis

Months after a program-defining moment, Grambling golf is on the chopping block. Continuing efforts to balance a teetering budget could, in fact, result in GSU dropping as many as four sports — men's and women's golf, as well as the school's tennis teams. But Coach Tegtira Thomas and the men's golf squad, coming off their best showing ever, are perhaps the most notable possible cut: Jonathan Coleman shot low individual score at the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament to earn the area's first-ever automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championship.

That couldn't save the team, Thomas said. The eighth-year coach confirmed on Friday that his program has been slashed, and that Coleman will likely transfer to Jackson State — defending SWAC golf champion, and winner of that title in 21 of the last 22 seasons.

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Time to remove Savannah State Dixon's interim label

It's time for Savannah State University to remove the interim label from interim football head coach Julius Dixon's title. Dixon has been serving in that capacity since Jan. 28, when he was named interim head coach by interim athletic director Marilynn Suggs to replace Robby Wells. Dixon is a good man. He has the character, integrity, experience and leadership skills SSU needs. He also has the respect of SSU's players and administration. He reminds me of former SSU head coach Theo Lemon. I have tremendous respect for both men.

College football, at least at this level, is not exclusively about winning games. It's about helping young men mature and maximize their potential en route to earning bachelor's degrees via the opportunity that fooball provides. Dixon truly cares about his players. He is a hard-working, humble family man. He is honest. Dixon, who was SSU's defensive coordinator the past two seasons, and his assistants (Eddie Johnson, Alan Hall, Barry Casterlin and Hans Batichon) are a close-knit staff. They work well together. Their focus is on the team, not on themselves. And they're hungry to win while doing things the right way.

















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Lincoln graduate finds a home at FAMU after leaving UCF

That homey feeling that Steven Robinson felt he couldn't find at Florida A&M University before he settled on the University of Central Florida two years ago was gone. His discomfort in the Knights' program grew even more as his passion for the game was being questioned. The former Lincoln High School offensive lineman decided he'd take a second look at FAMU. He felt what he described as a "family vibe" in his meeting with coach Joe Taylor. Six months after that meeting, Robinson is excited about playing football again. It's been so long," he said earlier this week after participating in a weight-room workout with his new teammates. "I just can't wait."

Getting this far has been a bit of a journey for Robinson, a 6-foot-3, 310-pound left tackle. He took last semester to attend Tallahassee Community College, where he satisfied clearinghouse issues to meet FAMU admission standards for a transfer. But as he worked out on his own during the months leading up to his first workout with the Rattlers in June, Robinson couldn't help thinking about the disappointment at UCF. He figured he would have been a key player on the Knights offensive line but the honeymoon ended quickly.

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LeMoyne-Owen College event honors Coach Johnson

Tennessee Sports Hall of Famer and legendary LeMoyne-Owen College Coach Jerry C. Johnson left a lasting legacy on America. In his 46 years over the Magicians, there have come eight NBA players, six high school or junior high school coaches, seven college coaches, four principals, a city councilman, and a mayor of Memphis, Dr. Willie W. Herenton. Even his former player, David "Smokey" Gaines succeeded Coach Johnson, taking the reins of the Lemoyne-Owen Magicians in 2005. After LeMoyne-Owen, Gaines played for the Harlem Globetrotters and the Kentucky Colonels of the old ABA league before the merger with the NBA. Later, Gaines was one of the pioneering African American coaches at so-called majority institutions when he became the head coach at the University of Detroit and at San Diego State.

The Alumnae of LeMoyne-Owen College celebrated the college's legendary head basketball coach Jerry C. Johnson's 92nd birthday. The event was a weekend of fun and learning, June 18 & 19, and included a golf scramble at Tunica National Golf Course as well as a coaches clinic at Harrah's Casino Convention Center. The Celebration Dinner was held at the Holiday Inn Express on Democrat Road at Airways Boulevard. Proceeds from this event will fund the Magician's Club which provides scholarships for the college's athletes.

Coach Johnson retired from the college's basketball program in 2005 after more than 46 seasons. When he was 86, he ranked first among active NCAA Division II coaches with 818 victories in 45 seasons. He has lost just 400 games in that time, and is the second winningest coach in Division II NCAA history behind another legend, Clarence "Big House" Gaines (Winston-Salem State).


Coach Jerry C. Johnson is the only coach in Tennessee history to win a national basketball championship. Since his retirement, he has received numerous honors for his outstanding career. Coach Johnson was inducted into the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference ((SIAC) Hall of Fame, the Fayetteville State University Hall of Fame, and the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame. The coach of the year award for the SIAC is now The Jerry C. Johnson Coach of the Year Award. And in 1991, LeMoyne-Owen College awarded Johnson an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters. He ended his career with 821 victories.

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MIAA Athletic Director

Ed McCann Resigning From Centenary; Heading To Alabama A&M Bulldogs

Ed McCann
Head Coach

Ed McCann, the Centenary College of Louisiana Gents baseball coach since 1999, is resigning and will be the next head coach at Alabama A&M in Huntsville.
`
In an afternoon phone interview with KTBS, McCann said he looks forward to going to a university that, "Cares about baseball and cares about athletics." Centenary College is one year away from dropping down to NCAA Division III from their current status as a Division I school. McCann, a tireless worker, who sold Centenary baseball to everyone and anyone he met, has already secured his first recruit for A&M, a young man out of Detroit, Michigan. During McCann's tenure, the Peyton Sheehee Stadium was constructed as well as improvements made to the baseball and soccer offices nearby, courtesy of the Mike McCarthy family.

Michael Tompkins
Assistant Coach

Michael Tompkins, who completed his eligibility this past season as a Gent, will follow McCann to A&M as an assistant coach. McCann is expected to hand in his letter of resignation on Monday or Tuesday and then it's off to the SWAC for Easy Ed McCann.

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Benedict Tigers' Riley ready for senior season

Benedict College Charlie W. Johnson Football Stadium opened Sept. 2006 with a capacity for 11,000 seats --expandable to 17,000 seats, located on a 61 acre tract contiguous to the Columbia-Sumter Empowerment Zone.

Former Bainbridge (Ga.) High School Bearcats All-Region 1AAAA quarterback and track sprinter Patrick Riley continues to excel on the football field at Benedict College in Columbia, S.C. As a junior last season, he led the Benedict Tigers to a strong 8-3 overall record and a 6-3 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) mark. Riley was named second team All SIAC in 2009. He rushed for 1,088 yards and 12 touchdowns and passed for 887 yards and eight touchdowns.

One of the Tigers’ key victories last season, a 28-20 homecoming win over the Fort Valley State University Wildcats, featured some late-game heroics by Riley. They took a 21-17 lead when Riley scored on a nine-yard run around the right side. He set up the touchdown with a 37-yard touchdown pass to teammate Corey Gardhigh. Before transferring to Benedict, Riley had two outstanding seasons quarterbacking the Eastern Arizona Junior College Gila Monsters in Thatcher, Arizona.



Quarterback Pat Riley is number 4 in this video. The redshirt senior is 6'0"/180 from Attapulgus, GA.

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Friday, July 2, 2010

Alabama A&M football standout killed in Bessemer bike club shooting

Alabama A&M University head football Coach Anthony Jones said he is shocked at the early-morning shooting death of football standout Maurice Thomas. "I think the kind of player he was, was exemplified in the way he played and the longevity of his career," Jones said today. "I think a lot of people didn't know the kind of person he was because people can't see under the helmet. He was a young man who worked hard and believed in his teammates, his friends and his family. He was a kid you can count on."

Thomas
, 23, of Bessemer and two other men were shot about 3 a.m. inside the Getties Boyz Club, a biker bar, on 22nd Street and First Avenue
North.



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Tampa Bay Buc's James Lee (SCSU), Muck City and a better Belle Glade

BELLE GLADE, FL - Muck City doesn't sound like a welcoming place. No, pass a sign that says "Welcome to Muck City," and you start looking for an exit pronto. Also, known as Belle Glade, Florida, Muck City's signs read "Her Soil is her Fortune." That's where the name comes from, the rich "muck" or soil that the city lies on which is known for producing sugarcane. In fact, most of the elders in the town of 17,000 make their money off what grows from that muck, working in the local sugar mill.

Aside from the sugarcane, "Muck City" is also known for its powerhouse prep football team, Glades Central, and the number of football players that have made it out of town - former Eagles safety Andre Waters, star tailback Fred Taylor, former Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes and former S.C. State offensive tackle and current Tampa Bay Buccaneer James Lee .

24 year old former South Carolina State University's Offensive Tackle James Lee, 6'4"/305; 3 years NFL experience with Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Yes, "Muck City" can also live up to the negative connotation that the name can give off. Lee, the 2007 MEAC Offensive Lineman of the Year, knows that well. "(Growing up) it was a rough neighborhood," Lee said Monday. "Football basically ... it was every young kids' dream to get out of there and play football." Lee did that much, escaping to Orangeburg where he prospered under Buddy Pough. But, just because he got out didn't mean he was ready to forget where he came from. Instead, Lee, who has spent the summer touring Florida speaking to children about the importance of education, has embraced "Muck City," starting his very own "Muck City Fest."

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Grambling State signs Anniston High standout

The Grambling State Tigers won the recruiting battle over Alabama State and Florida A&M University for the dual sports star, Darius Taylor.

Talent and options.

Recent Anniston High School graduate Darius "Boo" Taylor was skilled enough in two sports that he didn’t have to worry about which one would ultimately come through and fund his college education. Taylor, who stands at 6-foot-4, played basketball and track as a Bulldog. He was most widely known for his exploits on the hardwood, where he played a key role as Anniston’s sixth man during the Bulldogs’ run to the Class 4A state title in 2009. He emerged as a starter at forward in his senior season and averaged a double-double at 18 points and 10 rebounds per game. The Bulldogs advanced to the state semifinals, losing to eventual champions Ramsay.

Taylor was a first team selection to The Star’s Class 4A-6A All-Calhoun County team and was chosen to the Fab 5, a list that comprises the best five players in the paper’s seven-county, 30-plus school coverage area regardless of classification. However, Tuesday morning at Carver Community Center in West Anniston, Taylor signed a National Letter of Intent to run track at Grambling (La.) State University.

“I liked them both,” Taylor said when asked which sport he preferred growing up. “I wanted to play basketball, but I knew it didn’t matter because I liked doing both.” Taylor picked up the sports in middle school and became an elite competitor under basketball coach Schuessler Ware and former boys track coach Alex Wilson, who was among the family and friends present at the ceremony. He placed fourth in the state in the 400 meters this past spring. But it was after he ran the 800 meters in 1:58 to place third at the state meet in Gulf Shores that he began to garner the attention of college coaches.

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Meet Mackie Freeze, 2010 Grambling Legends Inductee

Mackie Freeze, known today as a sideline icon at Richwood (La.) High, had already established his credentials during a memorable stint as a student athlete at Grambling.Freeze had previously coached at Montgomery (La.) High before his stay on the bench with the Rams. He retired to become an assistant principal at Richwood, and later worked for the city of Monroe.

Freeze was a standout pitcher, helping the Tigers win 120 of 137 baseball games over his final three college seasons. That included Grambling's first-ever national NAIA championship under the late coach R.W.E. "Prez" Jones, who was also the school's second president.

Jones had first spotted Freeze trying out a curve ball in the yard. "Boy, you're a pitcher," Freeze remembers "Prez" saying. Was he ever. Freeze never lost a game on the mound at Grambling, and even subbed — though, at Jones' direction, quite sparingly — as a guard on the football team under Eddie Robinson.

That two-sport effort has helped earn Freeze induction into the Grambling Legends Hall of Fame, in ceremonies to be held at 6 p.m. Saturday, July 17, 2010, at the Monroe Civic Center in Monroe, LA. Admission is $60 per person, and $500 for a table of eight, with all proceeds going to the non-profit Legends group for distribution in support athletics at Grambling. Tickets can be purchased at the Monroe Civic Center box office. Call 329-2837.

The Dodgers baseball organization actually signed Freeze out of college, where he said he participated in training camp with Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reese and Roy Campanella. But the son of Sterlington's Jhonnie and Mamie Freeze always wanted to work with young people.

Coaching at Richwood for 13 seasons ending in 1967, he guided scores of youth to Grambling — among them Goldie Sellers, a two-time all-conference honoree; Charles "Tank" Smith, part of Philadelphia's 1980 Super Bowl squad; and Amos Augustine, a member of the team that earned Robinson his historical 200th career win.

"If kids knew that you loved them, they would do anything for you," Freeze said. "If they don't love you, you can't win." And win, they did.

Freeze earned victory in 116 of 139 prep football games at Richwood, including a staggering 66 in a row. His Rams claimed four consecutive state titles from 1961-64, though the last was won by forfeit — so Freeze never counted it. They were also district champions from 1960-62.

"We were pretty good, though we didn't get as much coverage back then," said Sellers, who then helped Grambling to a league title 1965 and became a Super Bowl champion with the Kansas City Chiefs four seasons later. "A lot of those guys didn't have fathers, so guys like Coach Freeze and Coach Robinson were our father figures. The things that they taught us eventually helped us so much."

That started with building out from nothing. Freeze was handed $300 in 1954 and asked to start a football program at Richwood, south of Monroe. Freeze would pull out a paddle he carried with him, this attention-grabber called "Papa." More important than the wins to Freeze now, is this: Some 65 southside youngsters found their way to college on athletic scholarships. In all, 11 of his players who were drafted or signed to pro football contracts.

He called on north Louisiana coaching legends like Neville High's Bill Ruple, who Freeze said donated football pants to the fledgling team. He got shoulder pads, he said, from West Monroe High. Despite those struggles, Freeze never coached a losing season.

"They were good country boys," Freeze said, "boys who wanted to play. The first boy I had go to college, (eventual Richwood coaching successor) Eugene Hughes, walked 5 or 6 miles to school every day. He used to pick cotton after practice." Football, then, was a respite.

As long as it was well played.

Even as Richwood won, and won and won, Freeze standards couldn't be lowered. His diamond-hard gaze toward future success never wavered. Sometimes, Freeze could sense a lack of focus, prior to kickoff — or even with a sizeable lead. That wouldn't do.
Freeze would pull out a paddle he carried with him, this attention-grabber called "Papa." "His method of coaching included hard times," said former Richwood standout Don Zimmerman, a teammate of "Tank" Smith's on that 1980 NFC champion Eagles team, chuckling.

"But as you get older, you look back and see what Coach was trying to do. He was trying to teach us that life is not a bed of roses. You have to work hard. That was one thing he instilled in everybody who played for him."

More important than the wins to Freeze now, is this: Some 65 southside youngsters found their way to college on athletic scholarships. In all, 11 of his players who were drafted or signed to pro football contracts.

Freeze had previously coached at Montgomery (La.) High before his stay on the bench with the Rams. He retired to become an assistant principal at Richwood, and later worked for the city of Monroe.
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For details on the event and the Grambling Legends Sports Hall of Fame's 14 other inductees, go to www.gramblinglegends.net.