UAPB’S success in Spring; Will it pay off in Fall?

Photo: The Golden Lions Schedule has only three road games outside of Arkansas in 2008, with no games against FCS powerhouses like Southern Illinois University played by UAPB in 2007.

For a team that won only four games in 2007, the players and coaches at Arkansas-Pine Bluff are excited about their chances in 2008.

Things have never been better for the UAPB football program, even if it is coming off of a 4-7 season. Keep in mind that the Golden Lions did win their final three games of the season last year. There is a thing called momentum and the returning players that are coming back from last season remember that.

With a new head coach in Monte Coleman, the Golden Lions are feeling rejuvenated these days. It helps matters that Coleman has been on the staff since 2004 and knows the players very well already. We’re not even into May yet and people are fired up for UAPB football, due to several factors, with the hiring of Coleman being one of them.

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Hampton's Marcus Dixon signs with Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys signed Hampton defensive end Marcus Dixon to a three-year deal as an undrafted free agent. Dixon spent 15 months in prison for aggravated child molestation and statutory rape before the Georgia Supreme Court ordered his immediate release in 2004.

Dixon, 6-4, 295, was a three-year captain at Hampton and was on the Dean's list. He finished his senior year with six sacks.

The Cowboys, "were the most aggressive during the day," Dixon's agent Joe Linta said. "They didn't have a seventh round pick, but they convinced me that they would've taken him had they had one.

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The mainstream media need to read the court transcript of the Marcus Dixon case before the Georgia Supreme Court. Dixon was cleared of the claimed aggravated child molestation and statutory rape charges. Moreover, he was wrongfully held in prison for 15 months due to racism by the Floyd County, GA District Attorney's Office. Read the case--these facts are not up for debate. The press need to stop slandering his character and reputation--simply add--Mr. Dixon was CLEARED of all charges by the Georgia Supreme Court. End of Story!

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SCSU Lee signs NFL free agent contract with Cleveland Browns

While Idaho linebacker David Vobora was being recognized on ESPN as this year’s "Mr. Irrelevant" - the final player selected Sunday in the NFL Draft - James Lee was on the telephone. It was the Cleveland Browns who were anxious to offer the South Carolina State All-American offensive guard a free agent deal.

One hour later, Lee and his agent reached a two-year agreement with the Browns, sending the 2007 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Offensive Lineman of the Year from one "Dawg Pound" in Orangeburg to another in the Midwest. “Everybody wants to get drafted, but I’m just glad that it’s all over and I know where I’ll be spending my next two years at,” Lee said in a telephone interview.

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Few chosen, few needed for Minnesota Vikings

Jaymar Johnson, meanwhile, is a 177-pound receiver who will have to win the punt return job to make the team. Johnson was drafted in the 6th round, #193 out of Jackson State University.

The Vikings all but set their roster last week with the acquisition of defensive end Jared Allen, leaving them to nibble at the periphery for the duration of the NFL draft. They added only five players in producing the smallest draft class in team history: a backup safety, a likely third-string quarterback, a raw defensive tackle, a backup center and a punt returner.

If all goes as planned, none of those players will start a game for the Vikings in 2008. Only a couple project as future starters. So it goes for a team that committed almost $70 million in guaranteed money this offseason to ensure it wouldn't have to wait for players to develop.

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Will Robinson, 1st black coach in Division I, dies at 96

AUBURN HILLS, Michigan - Will Robinson, the first black basketball coach at a Division I school and a Detroit Pistons scout who discovered Joe Dumars and Dennis Rodman, died Monday. He was 96.

Robinson died at a Detroit hospital, Pistons spokesman Matt Dobek said. Robinson had been sick for 15 months and in a nursing home for more than a year, Dobek added.

Robinson broke a racial barrier in the 1970s when he coached Illinois State. He joined the Pistons as a scout in 1976, and the additions of Dumars and Rodman were keys to Detroit's 1989 and 1990 NBA championships. Those teams were coached by Chuck Daly, who took the job after Robinson declined former general manager Jack McCloskey's offer.

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Robinson is a 1937 graduate of West Virginia State University.

Gavion, Brooks power Southern over Grambling

Sunday was all about how Southern started.

Michael Gavion’s hustle negated the loss of Romey Bracey, and pitcher Sherrard Brooks had yet another strong outing as Southern walloped Grambling, 21-9, in a Western Division showdown game at Lee-Hines Field.

Hitting at the top of the order for Bracey, who missed his fourth straight game with a wrist injury, Gavion went 4-for-5 with four runs and two RBIs. Most important: Gavion beat out the throw on two infield hits in the first and third innings to ignite two-run and nine-run outbursts.

Meanwhile, Brooks (5-1) won his third straight divisional game since entering the weekend rotation. The Jaguars have scored 12, 17 and 21 runs in those three wins.

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Mississippi Valley tops Southern U for SWAC softball title

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas — Mississippi Valley State won its fifth straight Southwestern Athletic Conference softball title Sunday. And for the second year in a row and the fourth time in that run, Valley did so by beating Southern. As it was last season, Southern forced a second game only to have Valley win.

Tournament Most Outstanding Player Brittany Franklin went the distance as Valley won the championship game 6-3. Earlier, Southern junior Lauren Dodd’s sixth-inning grand slam lifted the Lady Jaguars to a 5-2 win in the first game.

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FAMU Rattlers officially announce men's basketball signees

Photo: FAMU Basketball Coaches Johnny Jones (L), Eugene Harris (M) and Reggie Sharpe (R).

Head coach Eugene Harris says eight-man class "foundation" for future of FAMU Basketball

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The Florida A&M University Men's Basketball program officially released details on the school's 2008 Recruiting Class on Friday evening. The eight-man group features seven high school standouts and one junior college player, which will provide instant impact in both the front court and back court areas of the club for 2008-09 and beyond.

Head coach Eugene Harris and his staff, which included veterans Johnny Jones and Reggie Sharp, sought to address their need for size, skill and depth inside, as well as add quickness and excellent perimeter shooting in the back court. Harris also lauded the academic credentials of his inaugural recruiting class, all eight of whom have qualified fully in the classroom, which was a determining factor in their recruitment.

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With a new 9,000 seat teaching gym (arena) coming on line at FAMU in February 2009, Coach Harris is taking the right approach in recruiting great students and athletes that can play his up-tempo pressing style. I really like his approach of recruiting high school students and using JUCOs only to fill a specific weakness on the club.

It doesn't hurt either that most have been battle tested against great competition at the large school divisions and state championship tournaments. Harris appears to have established good local recruiting contacts in Florida, Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi. It will be great to develop team continuity with incoming players that will be with the program 4-5 seasons. It's also great for the fans who get attached to their favorite Rattler players to have them for a full four year cycle.

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Jackson State's Jaymar Johnson drafted by Minnesota Vikings in 6th Rd., #193

Photo: Jackson State University's Jaymar Johnson, WR, 5-11 1/2, 180 pounder that runs a 4.349 40 yard dash, was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the 6th round, #193 in the 2008 NFL Draft.

One of the quickest receivers in this year's class, Johnson is explosive as a receiver and return man. He caught 66 balls for 1,140 yards (17.3 per) and nine touchdowns and averaged 10.9 on 43 punt returns (with two scores) in his last two seasons. He couldn't crack the All-SWAC teams, but Johnson will have a great chance at achieving two other goals: being an NFL draft pick and making a NFL roster.

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WSSU's William Hayes selected 4th Rd., #103 by Tennessee Titans

Photo: Tennessee Titans draftee William Hayes, DE, 4th Round, #103 of the NFL 2008 Draft.

Tennessee traded away its fifth-rounder to move up and draft defensive end William Hayes at the start of the fourth.

PRESS CONFERENCE AT BAPTIST SPORTS PARK
FOLLOWING THE SELECTIONS OF CRAIG STEVENS AND WILLIAM HAYES

Titans Coach Jeff Fisher....

And then what we did was trade this year’s five to Washington to move up from 124 up to 103 and that got us in position to have an opportunity to draft William [Hayes]. We had William in, looked at William. The entire scouting staff looked at William over the last couple of days and the coaches and there is a lot of interest out there despite the early reports of what you may have read and so on and so forth. He was a very fast rising prospect. We feel like William can come in and help us immediately at the end position. Despite the fact that he came from a smaller school, he has some skills that are rare -- his hand use, his explosion, his quickness, his effort, his change of direction. We feel like William can help us right off the bat and the end position.

The kid had a great workout. He worked out with Wake Forest over there and [Jeremy] Thompson went just before him. He weighed 270 pounds and ran a 4.61 40. He had a good workout and he has natural skills. I don’t care what level he played on. He stands out as far as his hand skills and the things he does, leverage.

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Hampton's Kendall Langford drafted by Miami Dolphins, 3rd Rd. #66

Photo: Hampton University's Kendall Langford, defensive end, was drafted in 3rd Round, #66 by the Miami Dolphins.

DAVIE — The Dolphins were busy trading partners today, trading down to tab defensive end Kendall Langford in the third round and trading up five picks to select offensive guard Shawn Murphy in the fourth round. The Dolphins swapped third-round picks with Detroit early Sunday, and used the 66th selection to draft Langford out of Hampton, a Division I-AA school.

Langford, 22, is the second defensive end drafted in the Dolphins' first four picks, joining Phillip Merling, the Dolphins' 32nd overall pick out of Clemson. The Dolphins also selected offensive tackle Jake Long first overall, and quarterback Chad Henne 57th.

Langford, a 6-foot-5, 294-pound defensive end from Petersburg, Va., compiled 23 1/2 sacks and nine forced fumbles in four years with the Pirates, and was named All-MEAC first team his final three seasons.

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Savannah State suspends Hardy

Photo: SSU head baseball coach Carlton Hardy.

Savannah State baseball head coach Carlton Hardy has been suspended and is the focus of an internal investigation, SSU communications director Loretta Heyward said Thursday night. Hardy, who is in his third season at the school, has not coached the Tigers since an April 16 game at Mercer, SSU sports information director Opio Mashariki said. The Tigers (19-18) lost that game 27-1.

SSU has played four games without Hardy. The team is being supervised by assistant coach Emanuel Wheeler. Heyward said Hardy "has been suspended, effective April 18, pending the outcome of an internal investigation." Because the case is a personnel matter, Heyward said she could not provide further information "in order to protect the integrity of the investigation, and Mr. Hardy's rights."

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Moore impresses as UAPB wraps up spring camp

Although the 2008 season does not begin until Aug. 30, Monte Coleman said that Saturday’s Black and Gold Game felt like a real game.

“This whole day has been feeling like it’s a game day instead of a scrimmage,” Coleman said. “It came to reality when my wife called and she was asking me all these questions about parking passes and tickets for the game. And I was saying it was only a practice. That’s when the reality was setting in that it was only a practice.”

The Black and Gold Game, “won” by the Black Team 24-8, won’t count in the standings, but it will help the first-year head coach evaluate the Golden Lions, who are coming off of a 4-7 campaign last season.

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UAPB and Alcorn State were originally scheduled to play each other on Saturday, Sept. 20, but the game has been moved to Thursday, Sept. 18 for television. The Sept. 18 matchup between UAPB and Alcorn will be televised on ESPNU at 4 p.m. Central.

Arizona Cardinals earn high praise for Rodgers-Cromartie selection at #16, 1st Round

No pick in the first round of Saturday's NFL draft drew a louder or more positive response from any of the talking heads on the NFL Network than the selection of Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. When the Cardinals took the Tennessee State cornerback at No. 16, all you could hear on the television was someone shouting, "Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!"

It was Deion Sanders. "I love the intangibles! I love the upside!" Sanders, the former eight-time Pro Bowl cornerback, said. " . . . I want to work with this guy."

Say what you want about Sanders, be it his mouth, flamboyance or his fear and loathing to make tackles during his NFL career. But when a cornerback of the stature of Prime Time says he wants to personally work out with your rookie defensive back, it should tell you something.

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, 2008 Senior Bowl Defensive MVP.


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UAPB Coleman makes transition easy

Monte Coleman’s ascension to head football coach at Arkansas-Pine Bluff was about as smooth as college coaching changes get.

When the former Central Arkansas and NFL standout was bumped up from his defensive coordinator position after the dismissal of former Coach Mo Forte, Coleman passed on making sweeping changes. The coaching staff remained intact, as did the packages, plays and terminology.

Today’s Black and Gold scrimmage at 1 p.m. at Golden Lion Stadium will conclude UAPB’s 15-day spring practice session, and it should be an early indicator of whether more of the same is what the Golden Lions need.

Archive Photo: UAPB Golden Lions vs. New Mexico State University (2007).

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Today's Pine Bluff Commercial newspaper is reporting former UAPB players Jason Jones and Chris Wallace could be members of the National Football League by the end of this weekend.

Jones, who starred at wide receiver for the Golden Lions the last three seasons, has garnered interest from several teams, including the Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, New York Giants, and St. Louis Rams. Coach Monte Coleman said the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have shown interest in Jones as well.

The 6-foot-1 Jones has been projected as a possible fourth to fifth round pick in this weekend’s NFL Draft. Wallace, who helped quarterback the Golden Lions to the SWAC Championship Game in 2006, may be a late-round pick or a free agent.

FAMU signs JUCO Softball Pitcher, Amanda Reyes

Photo: RH Pitcher Amanda Reyes (Photo provided TCC).

Tallahassee Community College (FL) announced yesterday that student-athlete Amanda Reyes has been signed to a national letter of intent by Florida A&M University.

A native of Scotts Valley, California, Reyes has appeared in 59 games during her two seasons with the Eagles. She has a career record of 24-22, including a 14-7 mark as a freshman in 2007, with a 1.75 ERA. The only returning pitcher for the Eagles in 2008, her ten wins have helped TCC secure its fourth straight berth in the FCCAA Gulf District Tournament.

Reyes appeared in 28 games with 14 complete games. She recorded 88 strikeouts with 54walks and in Panhandle Conference games, she went 5-3 with 3.06 ERA with 18 strikeouts.

Amanda played at Scotts Valley High School where she was a four-year starter and two-time MVP. As a senior, she earned Pitcher of the Year honors for Scotts Valley in the Santa Cruz Athletic League in California; was named 1st team all-conference; and posted a 0.36 ERA while averaging 8.4 strikeouts per game.

Reyes pitching will be a welcomed addition next season to a Lady Rattlers club that is sporting a 2008 record of 11-36 (1-5 MEAC), going into this weekend home series with Bethune Cookman University.

FAMU currently has only two pitchers on a team led by Coach Veronica Wiggins. Wiggins has a 367-412 career record, and last won a MEAC championship and participated in the NCAA softball tournament in 1999.

WSSU's Hayes eager to see if he gets drafted

Archive Photo: Winston Salem State University William Hayes awaits NFL draft selection, possibly on Sunday in Rounds 4 thru 7.

This is a big week for William Hayes, a defensive end from Winston-Salem State. Hayes has been poked and prodded and asked plenty of unusual questions by NFL scouts and assistant coaches. In the process, he has learned a lot about the NFL. "Oh, definitely I've found out that it's all business," Hayes said.

He has had visits with the Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Giants, Tennessee Titans, Detroit Lions and Indianapolis Colts, and a scout for the Atlanta Falcons was on campus yesterday to talk with Hayes one more time.

Hayes, a 6-2, 272-pounder and a graduate of High Point Andrews High, started at WSSU for four seasons. He led the team with 8.5 sacks last season and was second in tackles with 78. Earlier this month, he ran a very good 40-yard dash time for scouts, 4.62 seconds.

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Grambling legend Patricia Cage-Bibbs will not return to take over former program

Photo: North Carolina A&T State University head women's basketball coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs turns down her alma mater's head coaching position at Grambling State University. Coach Cage-Bibbs has 422 career wins and nine conference championships on her resume.

GRAMBLING — Nearly three weeks into the search for a new Grambling State women’s basketball coach, it remains unclear who will replace David “Rusty” Ponton. We now know, however, who it will not be: GSU product Patricia Bibbs. Bibbs, currently head coach at North Carolina A&T, called Grambling athletics director Troy Mathieu on Tuesday and removed her name from consideration.

“He told me to think about it, to sleep on it,” Bibbs said. “I love my school, and I will always love my school, but I have to do what’s best for me and my family — and that’s stay here.”

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Ingrid Wicker-McCree named NCCU Athletic Director

Photo: North Carolina Central University athletic director, Ingrid Wicker-McCree.

It turned out to be something entirely different when N.C. Central on Wednesday announced that Ingrid Wicker-McCree, 41, had been hired from a large pool of candidates as the school's athletic director, a job she had held on an interim basis for five months.

In landing the job, Wicker-McCree qualifies as a rarity in college athletics. Less than 2 percent of the NCAA's 300-plus Division I schools have female African-American ADs, which in part explains her surprise when the school made the decision.

"It was a big surprise, but it was a big, pleasant surprise," she said. "I don't know who all of the candidates were, but I do know there were a lot of very good ones."

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Rodgers-Cromartie’s success harkens back to Tennessee State Tigers glory days

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie has become one of the nation’s best cornerbacks and on Saturday, is expected to become the first Tennessee State University player taken in the first round of the NFL Draft since Ed “Too Tall” Jones and Waymond Bryant were selected 34 years ago.

“I always thought I was capable of playing in the NFL,” said Rodgers-
Cromartie. “That didn’t just come about this past year or the year before. I thought I could play on that level ever since I got to TSU and it's something I've looked forward to, like everybody does.”

Rodgers-Cromartie made big splashes at the Senior Bowl, the NFL Combine, and during individual workouts for pro scouts. The 6-2, 184 pound Bradenton, Fla., native’s last workout came Tuesday at TSU’s Hale Stadium for the New England Patriots and New Orleans Saints. The Patriots have the seventh pick and are in the market for a cornerback after losing Asante Samuel to free agency.

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TSU Express Interests In Playing Football Games at New Stadium

Dynamo Stadium Efforts Land a New Ally

The Houston Dynamo's efforts to partner with the City of Houston on a downtown soccer stadium received a boost Wednesday when Texas Southern University expressed interest in playing its home games in the proposed facility.

Photo: Texas Southern University athletic director Charles McClelland hits the ground running to improve the Tigers facilities.

"Although I officially start on May 1 at Texas Southern University and I haven't had an opportunity to look at all of the data involving the proposed stadium, TSU athletics and its football program would be excited to be able to participate and partner with all entities involved in the project to ensure Texas Southern has a state of the art football facility," said Charles McClelland, the schools' new athletics director in an interview with FOX 26 Sports.

The Dynamo and the City of Houston are in the midst of intense negotiations on the project that would be built near Minute Maid Park with an estimated cost of $110 million.

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SCSU to take on Bethune-Cookman in Lowcountry Classic

Visits to the Port City have generally gone well for the South Carolina State football team under head coach Oliver “Buddy” Pough.

On Sept. 13, SCSU will get another shot at the Bethune Cookman University Wildcats in Johnson Hagood Stadium on the campus of The Citadel. SCSU Board Chairman Maurice Washington made the announcement Thursday of the game moving from Orangeburg to Charleston as part of the fourth Lowcountry Classic.

Photo: SCSU Cleve McCoy scores over Bethune Cookman's Cedric Mason in the 2007 game at Daytona Beach, FL.

SCSU is 2-1 in the Classic, including last year’s 51-7 trouncing of North Carolina A&T. The lone loss, however, was a 45-21 pouncing by Bethune-Cookman in which SCSU jumped out to an early 14-0 lead before allowing 45 unanswered points and giving up 493 passing yards before an estimated 16,000 fans.

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Who the hell will they draft 2008: Howard DE Rudolph Hardie

While it is possible that the Colts will draft Georgia DE Marcus Howard or Purdue's Cliff Avril in rounds 2 or 3, that does not mean pass rushers in later rounds will get ignored. A player like Hardie is intriguing here, especially when you consider Indy's success with drafting late round defensive talent. First and foremost, Hardie played college ball at Howard, an African American college that does not play premiere talent. But I'm not one to put a ton of stock in the big school mentality. As I've said before, Laurence Phillips played a lot of college ball against top tier talent, and still sucked at the pro level. Vince Young and Reggie Bush played top tier college talent, and both are fading fast in the pros. Hardie's college, Howard University, runs a Tampa 2-style defense and it produced Colts starting safety (and Pro Bowler) Antoine Bethea.

Photo: #99 Howard University's Rudolph Hardie vs. Hampton University in the Real HU Game 2007. Will the Indianapolis Colts draft Hardie is the question?

The system Howard runs is a system very similar to Indy's. So, naturally, Indy's scouts take an interest when a player from Howard starts to make waves. Hardie was not present at the NFL Combine, but his production at Howard (in particular his knack for destroying QBs) and his university work out on March 11 impressed scouts. With Hardie, it is not his timed speed that wows scouts but rather his quick first step and non-stop motor. Hardie is also very stout against the run, as NFL Draft Scout notes, able to take on guards and tackles.

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Pitchers coming through for FAMU

Photo: Cirilo Manego, 5-9/165 Pitcher/IF, senior, New Orleans, LA De La Salle HS.

FAMU baseball coach Robert Lucas has done some tinkering in his bullpen that is paying big dividends as the Rattlers have reeled off four victories in their last five games.

Lucas seems to have found the perfect pitching rotation with Miguel Parga, Anthony Espin and Cirilo Manego. The trio is pitching with more consistency than they did earlier in the season to give FAMU a late-season surge in the MEAC standings.

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Norfolk State signs Casey Pomeroy to NLI

Norfolk State University has signed to a national letter of intent a star softball pitcher and second baseman in Casey Pomeroy, Fallon High School, Fallon, Nevada.

Pomeroy has been a pitcher and second baseman for the Greenwave softball for the last four years. She plans to major in kinesiotherapy at Norfolk State. She's the fourth Greenwave softball player to sign with a Division I school in the last four years. "I'm excited," Pomeroy said. "I'll pitch and play outfield and fill in wherever they need me."

There were several colleges interested in Pomeroy, including the College of Idaho and Boise State.

Video: Casey Pomeroy


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