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While playing football at Winston-Salem State University, I remember my head football coach Kermit Blount saying “Gentlemen, football is a metaphor for life. But this not pep rally, this is a pep reality." In those team meetings or so-called pep "realities", coach Blount would give us (players) a little dose of reality and a few lessons on life.
I can still hear him in his cool baritone voice like Billy Dee Williams in "Lady Sings the Blues" say: “Gentlemen, you are going to have to learn how to prioritize......and find out what's more important to you: school or girls, football or foolishness, coming to practice or playing video games." "But regardless of what you decide to do, you must prioritize...gentlemen."
Yeah, those team meetings or "pep realities" with coach Blount seemed more like church than a college football meeting. Because he rarely talked about the X's and O's, blocking schemes, or defensive assignments. He focused more on telling players to call their moms, staying out of trouble, and looking out for one another.
Just as quickly as the question was posed for a reaction to Florida A&M being picked to finish second in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, linebacker Brandon Hepburn fired off his response. Just the reference of South Carolina State being predicted to win the conference for a third consecutive season was enough to get Hepburn fired up.
"I don't really care what they had to say," Hepburn said Tuesday. "We worked too hard during the summer and me and my brothers are going to the championship. Point blank. Period. That's all I have to say about it." But he went on. "We're not being No. 2 — at all. The MEAC is ours and it's time to reclaim what is ours. If you don't want to be the best, why do we play football?"
FAMU will actually have to play football like it didn't play last year when it finished 8-3 and and finished in second place for the second straight year. The Rattlers finished as predicted last season, but the previous year they beat the odds in coach Joe Taylor's first season at the helm by finishing second instead of seventh as was predicted.
FORT VALLEY, GA — The first day of football practice at Fort Valley State was like most of the ones at nearly every college throughout the land: fairly routine and injury-free. Everybody head coach Donald Pittman expected to be in uniform was there Wednesday for the first day of practice, and the returning Wildcats came back in shape. But Pittman and his staff will have a little less stress as they prepare for the season and the opener Aug. 28 at Miles College.
“I’ll tell you what the most important part of it is,” said Pittman, beginning his second season at FVSU. “The president, Dr. (Larry) Rivers, he gave us an opportunity to come in two days before (camp) started and gave us the chance to register and get cleared and do all of those things.
“We don’t have to worry about that at the end. It’s all cleared now.” Pittman and his predecessors regularly went through August camp with players having to wait on a variety of administrative and financial aid issues to be cleared with players. And often, some of those matters weren’t taken care of before the season started, so a player might miss a game or more.
When he signed with the Jackson State football team in 2006, Antonio Colston had heard the stories about Tigers fans - how some go to games just for the halftime shows. "I knew that a lot of fans come strictly for the band," Colston, a senior offensive lineman from Mobile, said in an interview last week. "I never knew it was so strong until we started losing."
Marked by a season-ending loss to in-state rival Alcorn State and poor attendance figures, last year's 3-8 record came with something else: embarrassment for players. "It really hurt my heart," safety Kerry Hoskins said last week. "We were a better team than that."
Players were not allowed to talk to reporters Wednesday, the first day they reported for fall camp in preparation for the Sept. 4 season opener against Delta State. Ninety players reported to campus, said school spokesman Wesley Peterson. Coach Rick Comegy, who was also not available for interviews, spoke through the spokesman.
As the former coach at Hampton and an ex-assistant at Clemson and a handful of mid-majors, Kevin Nickelberry never has been able to pick and choose his recruits from a selection of top-level prospects. But even for a coach who has spent many of his days in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, Patriot League and Northeast Conference, recruiting never was as tough as it was at his last job.
Before he was hired as coach at Howard in May, Nickelberry scoured dusty gyms trying to assemble a scrappy team that could hold its own against the best competition on the continent. Only those dusty gyms - some of which didn't even have doors - were scattered across Libya. "I use the word 'gym' loosely," Nickelberry said. "There's a floor, there's dirt and there's dust all over."
After resigning under pressure at Hampton following the 2008-09 season because he hadn't won enough, Nickelberry landed a job as the coach of the Libyan national team for four months as the country hosted its first FIBA African Championships.
Gary “Big Hands” Johnson, a Chargers Hall of Famer and one of the most dominant defensive tackles in club history, died yesterday, two weeks after suffering a stroke. Johnson, also a member of the College Football Hall of Fame after an outstanding career at Grambling State University, died at LSU Medical Center in Shreveport, La., the city in which he was born. He was 57.
Johnson was the eighth player chosen in the 1975 draft and played for the Chargers from 1975-84 before finishing his career with San Francisco in 1984 and 1985. Johnson was voted an All-Pro in 1980 (when he had 17 1/2 sacks) and 1981 and was named to the Pro Bowl in four straight seasons (1979-82). The Chargers won the AFC West in three of those seasons and made the playoffs in all four.
GREENSBORO, N.C. — He is N.C. A&T’s most decorated returning football player, the kind of guy any coach would eagerly build his defense around. And yet, Justin Ferrell stood on the lush, manicured grass of Aggie Stadium on Tuesday morning and pointed out his own flaws. Drenched in sweat from A&T’s first football practice under the August sun, Ferrell vowed to be better.
“I really looked forward to this practice because my last two years, as a freshman and sophomore, I really didn’t show the passion I should have,” Ferrell said. “I didn’t show the intensity in practice I should have to get better, to take heed to what the coaches are putting forth to make us better in life and on the field.” This from a first-team All-MEAC defensive back. This from a player who volunteered to move from cornerback to safety last season to help his team. This from the guy who led the league with six interceptions last season.
BATON ROUGE, LA - After a 17 year run, a new day is literally dawning on the bluff. New head football coach, Lyvonia "Stump" Mitchell, is set to welcome his first class to campus for fall preparation. The Jags open the 2010 season on Sunday, September 5, 2010 at 12:00pm in the Citrus Bowl versus Delaware State in the MEAC-SWAC Challenge.
Stump Mitchell and staff are set to welcome 90 players to the north Baton Rouge campus. "For us, as coaches, it's the most important time of the year -- other than when you're trying to recruit the players here," Mitchell said. "Spring (practice) was important, too, as far as us getting to know what we had. ... But this is where you really get to practice."
DURHAM, NC -- After a tough start to the 2009 football season, when N.C. Central let several winnable games slip away late, the Eagles hope strength in numbers will make a difference in 2010. NCCU coach Mose Rison welcomed 88 players to the first practice on Monday night at O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium as the Eagles tried to beat the heat. Rison said he didn't know what to expect with the weather to open camp after going through an oppressive July.
"It was really nice," Rison said. "We didn't have to worry about the heat. It was a good first practice." The Eagles open the 2010 season, their first in the MEAC at the Division I Football Championship Subdivision level, at home against Johnson C. Smith on Sept 2 at 7 p.m. Rison said there were about 30 players out on the field horsing around and playing catch 45 minutes before practice was scheduled to start.
2009-10: 19-13, 17-1 2009-10 postseason: NIT Coach: Tevester Anderson (114-113 at Jackson State, 217-165 overall)
Jackson State dominated the Southwestern Athletic Conference in 2009-2010 with a 17-1 record. Yet the team failed to show up when it mattered the most, and fell in the first round of the conference tournament. That left the Tigers in the NIT instead of the NCAA Tournament. But all of that work was done mostly without preseason conference player of the year Grant Maxey who played in just two games before suffering a season ending ankle injury. The young team has grown up and should be able to cruise through the SWAC yet again.
Key Losses: G Garrison Johnson
Key Newcomers: Kelsey Howard will probably end up being the star of this recruiting class. The 6-4 guard is a pure scorer and has enough size to attack the basket when he is not knocking down an outside shot. In a conference like the SWAC most pure scorers are strictly shooters, but because of Howard’s size he has the ability to be a multi-dimensional scorer and that will make him a good player sooner or later. Fellow freshman guard Scottie Sterling will not do nearly as much scoring, but he is a solid defender and ball handler. Derrell Taylor, a 6-7, 175 pound forward, needs to bulk up a bit, but he will eventually provide some depth to the frontcourt. Wing Jeniro Bush and 7-2 center Jamarious Sykes sat out last season and will look for minutes this time around.
HUNTSVILLE, AL - Alabama A&M football coach Anthony Jones has had to replace key players before. This season, however, it appears Jones has to replace more than he ever has entering his ninth season with the Bulldogs.
Gone are all-time leading rusher Ulysses Banks, all-time leading receiver Thomas Harris, center Xavier Manuel, a three-year starter and All-Southwestern Athletic Conference performer, defensive end Jeremy Maddox, who finished second behind Robert Mathis in sacks and tackles for loss, and placekicker Jeremy Licea, who finished his career as the school's all-time leading scorer.
That's just a handful of the people Jones and company will have to replace if the Bulldogs are going to win the East Division title and return to the SWAC championship game for the fifth time in his tenure.
Texas Southern University president Dr. John M. Rudley and athletic director Charles McClelland are the key drivers behind the shared new Houston Dynamo Soccer/TSU football stadium. The Tigers total lifetime investment -- $2.5 million. Sweet deal!!
HOUSTON, TX - Tim Leiweke, president and CEO of Anschutz Entertainment Group, co-owners of Major League Soccer Houston Dynamo, told FOX 26 Sports Wednesday the team's new downtown soccer-specific stadium will open in June of 2012. This is the first time Dynamo ownership has been able to nail down when the stadium will officially open.
"We're going to move in by June of 2012," said Leiweke. "So the paperwork is being wrapped up. Every agreement is being signed. We're out (Wednesday night) starting to sell the naming rights. Our bids are in. Our design is done. We hired a construction team. We hired a project manager.
"This is a $110 million dollar project. We've have a cost-certainty on budget. Now we get on with the task of making sure that we protect the best interests of the Dynamo and Texas Southern University."
The project will be financed with an estimated $75 million from Dynamo ownership. The city of Houston and Harris County are providing $10 million each, that will be funded by taxes generated by the stadium complex. The city (Houston) is providing the land which cost around $15 million.
TSU athletic director Charles McClelland said the school has entered the project as a co-tenant and will make a one-time payment of $2.5 million for the full use of the new stadium.
“We’re gonna have our own locker rooms. We’re gonna share the sales for concessions, on ticket sales so it’s gonna be the home of the Texas Southern University Fighting Tigers,” said McClelland.
Other than the Labor Day Classic with SWAC champions Prairie View A&M University Panthers, TSU has been a transient program for over 30 years. The Tigers currently play their home football games at a high school stadium.
The Labor Day Classic is played at the NFL's Houston Texans Reliant Stadium which has a seating capacity of 71,500.
Upon completion of the "unnamed" Dynamo/TSU stadium, the Tigers will become the envy of the Southwestern Athletic Conference as co-tenant of this 22,000 seat state-of-art facility with luxury suites. A rail line will literally run right next to the stadium that will have fan friendly in terms of concessions and restrooms, and parking and access.
The stadium will be located deep within downtown Houston, in the East End on prime real estate as the Dynamo and the TSU Tigers continue their quest to cement their programs in the hearts of Houston sports fans.
There is certainly a brighter day ahead for TSU with Coach Johnnie Cole's timely resurrection of the Tigers football program.
TSU resides in the 10th largest television market in the U.S., and has the 8th largest population. This is a good, fertile market for high school athletes and musicians to fuel the Tigers showcase Ocean of Soul Marching Band and athletic programs. One could accurately say--the sky is the limit on how good the Tigers can become with their new digs.
The legendary Coach Willard Bailey is show in a 2007 photo with Saint Paul's star player Craig Mangrum.
CIAA’s ‘winningest’ football mentor faces health challenges.
Coach Willard Bailey was hired to resurrect the Saint Paul’s College football program. Now, with that mission accomplished, the coach at the top of the CIAA’s all-time win list is taking a break to focus on his own health.
"I promised my family and the Lord that I would be the perfect patient," he told the Free Press, via cell phone, while undergoing tests last Thursday at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital.
“I have to get straight before I get back and get involved anywhere.”
The 71-year-old Suffolk native did not go into details about his medical condition, but noted “I don’t want anyone to panic - let’s just leave it there.” On Tuesday, he told the Free Press he’s still the head coach and that he expects to return to his active role as coach.
In response to a question, he said he has a contract as head coach fro the upcoming football season. Bailey’s replacement, former defensive coordinator Kevin Grisby, will carry the “interim” tag this season. The Tigers are to begin practice Aug. 4 in preparation for the Aug. 28 season opener at West Virginia Wesleyan.
Grisby, a former Bethune-Cookman standout who had a tryout with the Philadelphia Eagles, has served under Bailey at Saint Paul’s and Virginia Union. “I still consider coach Bailey our coach,” Grisby said at the CIAA Kickoff Luncheon last Thursday at Virginia State. “Whenever something comes up, I’d like to think that he’s only a call away.”
AD Hayes, trying to trim costs, talks of purchasing Bowman Gray
There was much to celebrate in 2006 when the city-owned Bowman Gray Stadium began to build a state-of-the art field house that included two football practice fields.
Winston-Salem State University, the main tenants of the nearly 21,000 square foot complex, signed a 30-year lease then to begin paying off $3.3 million to the city. Most of the athletics department offices are in the field house, along with a weight room and a training room for the football team. However, the lease amount doesn't include the weekly rent that WSSU pays to play its home football games.
Bill Hayes, the athletics director since January, is talking with city officials to try to reduce the expenses for using the stadium on game days.
According to Bucky Dame, the director of Joel Coliseum and Bowman Gray Stadium, the rent for each game will be $3,785, plus operating expenses.
In 2006 the rent for each game was about $400 less, but Dame said that the gradual increase is because expenses are higher.
WSSU, which will play four home games at Bowman Gray Stadium this season, also pays operating expenses for each game. Dame said that those operating expenses vary depending on the size of the expected crowd and other factors.
When WSSU decided to leave the CIAA four years ago to begin transition to NCAA Division I, it decided to start charging for parking and tailgating at Bowman Gray Stadium. Dame said that the agreement, which is still in place, is that the city and WSSU split the revenue for parking.
The city receives all the revenue from concessions, according to Dame.
Former Florida A&M University 3-times All-American and Cincinnati Bengals 3-times AFC interception leader, Ken Riley is long overdue to be called for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Bragging rights over which state plays the best high school football is an argument that rages on in Ohio, Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania and California, among others. With 28 members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame born in Texas and 27 in Pennsylvania, both can make good arguments. Ohio checks in with 23 Hall of Famers, while California has 16.
What about Florida? The Sunshine State boasts eight — but that’s a figure growing rapidly. With Rickey Jackson and Emmitt Smith entering the Hall this year, that gives Florida five Hall of Famers in the last four years. Expect that number to continue to grow in years to come as Deion Sanders, Derrick Brooks, Ray Lewis and Warren Sapp become eligible.
For a further example of Florida’s excellence, check out this 33-player All-Century team selected in 2007 by the Florida High School Athletic Association’s panel of experts. It’s an all-state team sure to stack up well against any other.
Excerpt:
Ken Riley, Union Academy (Bartow), 1965. Played offense and defense in high school and QB at Florida A&M, where he was a three-time All-American. Moved back to the secondary in the NFL, where he played 14 seasons with 65 interceptions. Was later head football coach (1986-93) and athletic director (1994-2003) at FAMU.
Willie Galimore, Excelsior High School (St. Augustine), 1952. “He was perhaps the greatest running back I ever saw or coached against,” said Earl Kitchings, former head coach of Matthew Gilbert and Raines high schools. Considered by some experts to be the best Florida high school RB prior to Emmitt Smith. Remains leading rusher in Florida A&M University history. Killed in an automobile accident in 1964. Played football for the NFL Chicago Bears.
Bowie State University head football coach Damon Wilson
Bowie, MD - The 2010 CIAA Predicted Order of Finish and Preseason All-CIAA Team were announced at the annual Football Kick-Off Press Conference held Thursday morning at Jones Dining Hall on the campus of Virginia State University. The Order of Finish and Preseason All-CIAA Team are voted on by the CIAA Football Coaches Association.
The Bulldogs, who finished at 6-5 overall in 2009 and in a three-way tie in the Division (5-2), were picked to finish third overall out of the 13 CIAA teams.
Six BSU student-athletes received preseason honors; Seniors Terence Peete, Jr. (Memphis, TN, Northwest) (Defensive Back), Alexander Payton (Rockville, MD, Richard Montgomery) (Defensive Line), Rodney Webb (Baltimore, MD, Milford Mill Academy) (Running Back), juniors Reginald Berry (Washington, DC, James Madison Univ.) (Offensive Line), James Proctor, Jr. (Capital Heights, MD, Suitland) (Kick Returner) and Clifton Budd (Silver Spring, MD, Sherwood) (Punt Returner).
The Bulldogs will kick off the season on August 28th on the road against Seton Hill University, in Greensburg, PA.
Bowie State Defense ranked #1 in NCAA Division II 2009 Total Defense. The "Darkside" as they are known also finished top 3 in NCAA Division II in 3 other categories and top 15 in 10 other categories.
The complete predicted order of finish is as follows:
Northern Division Bowie State Elizabeth City State Virginia Union Virginia State Chowan Saint Paul’s Lincoln (Pa.)
Southern Division Fayetteville State Shaw Winston-Salem State Saint Augustine’s Johnson C. Smith Livingstone
The Bulldogs junior defensive back Kenneth Turnerwas named to Lindy's Pre-Season Division II All-America Second Team. Turner, from Oxon Hill High School, Oxon Hill, Maryland was a member of the 2009 All-Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (CIAA) Defensive Second Team. Tuner topped the CIAA in Passes Defended (14), tied for third in conference interceptions (5) and ranked sixth on the team in total tackles (32).
The Bulldogs home games are:
9-25 vs. Virginia Union - 1:00PM 10-2 vs. Virginia State - 1:00PM 10-16 vs. Lincoln (PA) - 1:00PM 10-23 vs. Elizabeth City State - 1:00PM
Stacy Danley was certainly aware of Alabama State's revolving door in the athletic department. The university has had six different athletic directors since Rob Spivery left in 2002, seven if you want to count execu tive vice president John Knight, who has run the department since interim direc tor Sterling Steward resigned in June.
Danley, a former star running back at Auburn in the late 1980s, served as Tus kegee University's athletic director in 2008 and 2009 so he couldn't help but no tice the turmoil of the Hornets' program as it went through coaching transitions, NCAA sanctions and constant changes at the top of the athletic department.
Danley also noticed other changes on campus. New baseball, softball and soccer facilities as well as a football complex were the latest developments for a pro gram trying to put its chaotic struggles in the past.
"It was very clear to me they were at a position where they were ready to transform this athletic department," he said. "They made a commitment to me that they wanted me here and they wanted me here for some time. I'm not going any where any time soon. We've got a lot of work to do. It's not going to happen over night but we're going to get it done."
OWINGS MILLS, MD - Ramon Harewood was ambling through a college fair in his native Barbados six years ago as a high school senior, pondering his future when he was discovered by Atlanta track and field coach Michael Grant.
The chance meeting between a towering, hulking teenager and Grant ultimately created a historic path that guided Harewood to the Baltimore Ravens as the first player from Barbados to reach the NFL.
Harewood had the brain of a rocket scientist and a body frame that approached the height and bulk of former Ravens tackle Orlando Brown. "I'm looking at him from a recruiting standpoint, going, ‘Oh my God,'" Grant said. Grant couldn't believe his eyes.
Harewood was academically gifted with a 1370 SAT score. He was 6-foot-6 and well over 300 pounds. And the young man was athletic enough to excel on junior national teams in rugby, track and field, and volleyball. He also played a mean game of cricket.
Grant went to work on Harewood, convincing him to enroll at Morehouse after he first attended the University of West Indies. "He saw me at a rugby game and some track meets and was like, ‘Dude, I'm telling you, you need to be overseas playing sports," Harewood said.
The Morehouse College Glee Club embraces a ninety-year tradition of musical excellence and achievement. The Glee Club has continued in this tradition through the dedication and commitment of its members and the leadership that our directors have provided throughout the years. It is a tradition that has bestowed upon the Glee Club a vast history of attainment and shall provide it with a secure future of even greater accomplishments. It is the mission of the Morehouse College Glee Club to keep its standard of excellence.
Music calms the beast in all of us, so enjoy this cultural experience of the world famous Morehouse College Glee Club, under the direction of Dr. David Morrow.
Orangeburg, S.C. -- (Excerpts) : South Carolina State has finally come clean about the Legacy Bowl. Around a month after Florida A&M issued a statement denouncing the bowl, earlier this week, the school issued a press release confirming that it, along with the rest of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, are engaged in talks regarding a potential Legacy Bowl that would put the winner of the MEAC against the winner of the SWAC at the end of the 2011 season.
All interview requests by T&D Senior Sports Writer Thomas Grant Jr., directed to South Carolina State President George Cooper and Athletic Director Charlene Johnson were rejected. Looking at things from Johnson and Cooper's point of view, and for that matter the MEAC's, and in their defense, the game may actually provide an initial financial benefit. But, it's also a very near-sighted move, especially for South Carolina State.
Southern University has announced that former two-sport athlete and 2008 USA Olympian, Brian Johnson, has been named Interim Head Track & Field Coach. Johnson takes over after the resignation of interim head track coach, Tinnequo Lightfoot-Ross.
Ross had just completed her 10th year at Southern University and her first as interim head track & field coach. She took over the program after the long illness, and death of long-time SU Track Coach, Johnny Thomas. She previously served as an assistant coach for eight years.
"With our cross country student-athletes reporting next week, we needed to have someone in place as soon as possible", says Greg Lafleur, SU Athletic Director.
Johnson qualified for his first Olympic Team with his runner-up finish at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials, where he posted his best jump of the year. His 2007 season was highlighted by wins at Baton Rouge and Rethymno, where he had his best mark of the season of 8.31meters/27-3.25. He is currently the #2 ranked long jumper in the US, and 9th worldwide.
Johnson enjoyed a banner season in 2006, highlighted by victories at the AT&T USA Indoor and Outdoor Championships, and ending the season ranked #3 in the U.S. by Track & Field News.
Three years after suffering a devastating knee injury, the former Southern University All-American became a world class long jumper when he captured the 2005 USA Indoor title, later that summer Johnson placed third at the USA Outdoor Championships with a leap of 8.09m 26-6.5. That effort qualified him for a spot on the Team USA roster for the 2005 World Outdoor Championships in Helsinki, where he barely missed qualifying for the final.
Johnson earned his degree in Political Science in 2003 from Southern University and A&M College. His wife, Pamela, is also a Southern U. graduate and they have a son, Kobe.
Delaware State University was picked Friday to finish seventh in this year's MEAC football race and that did not stun Hornets head coach Al Lavan. "I'm not surprised by the preseason rankings, given the number of question marks surrounding our team this season," Lavan said in a press release.
South Carolina State was picked to win its third straight MEAC title this fall. The Bulldogs collected 15 of 18 first-place votes and 315 total votes. Florida A&M was picked second, garnering two first-place votes and 268 total votes. Delaware State collected 120 votes. Lavan is 38-28 in six seasons with the Hornets, including 30-18 in MEAC contests. The Hornets begin their preseason football camp on Aug. 10.
Delaware State opens its 2010 season on Sunday, Sept. 5, against Southern University (La.) in the sixth annual MEAC/SWAC Challenge in Orlando, Fla. The contest, which will kickoff at noon, will be broadcast live on ESPN and ESPN3. com.
DSU's home opener takes place on Sept. 11 against Florida A&M with a 6 p.m. starting time. Delaware State (4-7, 3-5 MEAC) finished tied with Hampton and North Carolina A&T for sixth place in the MEAC last season.
Savannah State University football interim head coach Julius Dixon has hired three assistant coaches: Carl Funderburk (offensive line), Corey McCloud (defensive line) and Dwayne Curry (linebackers). They will join SSU assistant coaches Alan Hall, Eddie Johnson, Hans Batichon and Barry Casterlin.
John Montgomery (offensive line) resigned earlier this year.
Coach Funderburk is a 1989 graduate of Elon University and coached the offensive line at Winston-Salem State University in 2009. Prior to WSSU, he served seven years at Methodist University (Fayetteville, N.C.), where he was the offensive line coach and travel coordinator.
NORFOLK, VA - South Carolina State is the clear favorite to repeat as Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football champ, but league coaches say that if the Bulldogs win the title they will have earned it. The word "parity" was heard quite often Friday at the MEAC's football media shindig, where league coaches voted S.C. State quarterback Malcolm Long and Hampton linebacker Julio Sanchez preseason players of the year.
"I'd say this is the best it's ever been," said Norfolk State's Pete Adrian, who is in his 13th year in the conference as a head coach and assistant. "There might have been better teams, … but out of the original members that are here, every one of them can beat you. You have to be ready to play."
Florida A&M was picked to finish second. Adrian's Spartans, on paper he said the best returning team he's had, were voted third. Hampton University was picked fourth.
"That's what the coaches around the league think, but that's not something we use as a measuring stick," said Pirates coach Donovan Rose, who overhauled his staff after a 5-6 record and uncharacteristic sixth-place finish in the conference.
What I learned from Coach Kermit Blount 
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