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Winston-Salem State hasn't changed its style on defense much, said new coordinator Kienus Boulware. Mike Ketchum, now the defensive-line coach, was the coordinator the past five seasons. "What Coach Ketchum's defense was based on last year is very similar to what we have this year," Boulware said. "He had more three-man fronts, but in the package we are running now, we have some of the same stuff."
Linebacker Shawn Kearney, the top returning tackler from last season, said he's encouraged by what he has seen. "There's not too much of a difference because we have the same type of packages, but they have different names," Kearney said. "We are still going to be that fast defense you have always seen."
When new head coach Connell Maynor heard the suggestion that he might win the Rams' quarterback derby, he laughed, then said: "No, I don't have any eligibility left." Maynor -- an All-MEAC quarterback during his days at N.C. A&T -- is closely watching the competition between transfers Octavius Hawkins, Kameron Smith, Jamie DeGeare and freshman Vernon Brandon, and said he hopes to name a starter by late next week.
Out on the practice fields at Southern University, where the football team has spent most of its afternoons for the past week, players are not permitted to place their hands on their hips. Or, for that matter, on top of their heads. As the new coaching staff dutifully (and sometimes loudly) reminds them, those movements convey a message to the opponent. “You keep doing that,” strength and conditioning coach Thomas Hall said, “you’re telling them you’re tired.”
One other thing: Even with above-average temperatures and triple-digit heat indexes, players cannot talk about the weather. Which made Monday afternoon awfully awkward. Coaches and players hit the field just after 3 p.m. Monday, gearing up for what was supposed to be SU’s first practice in full pads this preseason. At the time, the temperature was 96 degrees with a heat index of 109, making it the second-hottest day of preseason camp thus far. Of course, conditions didn’t stay that way for long.
After Donovan Rose's first season as head coach at Hampton University ended in a 5-6 mark and the Pirates' first losing record since 1996, a few shakeups took place. Most notably, a new, yet familiar, offensive coordinator is now calling plays in one of several changes on Rose's coaching staff. The tweaks will be tested right away, as HU opens the 2010 season at I-A Central Michigan on Sept. 2. Here are five key questions going into that game:
Who is the Pirates' starting quarterback? Herb Bynes, HU's starter in 2008, split time behind center with Syracuse transfer David Legree last season. But the ankle injury that hampered Bynes throughout 2009 required offseason surgery, curtailing his participation in spring practice and effectively handing the offense to Legree, who threw for 803 yards and seven touchdowns last year to Bynes' 987 yards and eight TDs. Legree will begin the year as the Pirates' starter, with Rose hoping Bynes is healthy enough to provide an experienced option. "We've got two experienced guys, and we'll see what happens," Rose said. "Starting off, it will be David, and hopefully Herb will be back in his raw form. But I think it's a great situation to have two quarterbacks that can come in and control the team."
Ricky Carson, a former teammate of Jerry Rice at Mississippi Valley State, is now the head football coach and athletic director of NAIA Texas College.
NATCHEZ, MS — When Alcorn State University hired Rickey Carson as its first ever golf coach, there was one teeny-weeny problem. Carson had never played golf. When The Dart landed at Duncan Park Golf Course Friday afternoon, Carson was practicing his swing while wife Victoria and daughter Courtney looked on. “I had to find out about the rules. What’s a par? What’s a birdie? I didn’t even know what that was,” Carson said.
But Carson is well versed in the game now. But Carson is well versed in the game now. An assistant head coach and offensive coordinator for the ASU football team from 1998 to 2000, Carson studied the rules of golf at the library, and eventually applied his newfound knowledge at Duncan Park.
“I did bad my first time out. I tore up the golf course real bad,” Carson said. “I’m sure everyone was glad when I left that day.” Carson didn’t let his less than stellar debut deter him from the game. He continued to practice, and even gained pointers from his team, which finished sixth overall in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. READ MORE, CLICK TITLE.
Dover, DE --- Delaware State University's 2010 summer football camp is underway. About 85 players spent today moving into their rooms, attending meetings and being welcomed by among others, DSU President Harry Williams and athletic director Derek Carter. After a picture taking session Wednesday morning, the 2010 Hornets will hit the field for the first time. The players will be put through a run test tomorrow morning and take part in their first official practice in the evening.
Although the Hornets return their starting quarterback, best rusher, top two receivers and leading tackler from last season, there will be a number of new faces at other key positions this year. Delaware State expects to return just seven starters and 32 letter winners from last season. The defense is most critically hit, with just one starter and nine others on the 2009 two-deep returning. The offensive line must replace three starters, while the Hornets will also feature newcomers at punter and placekicker this season.
Each afternoon, the quarterbacks at Southern University begin practice with something so simple, so routine, it’s almost an afterthought to everyone else. It wasn’t an afterthought to Ted White. White, the Baton Rouge native and first-year SU quarterbacks coach, watches carefully as his players speak. Or, more accurately, he listens. Is the timing right? Do they sound OK? Do the quarterbacks bob their heads too much? White watches, listens and instructs.
The quarterbacks’ cadence is important, he says — not just to them, but to the entire offense.
It’s one of those details that might help the Jaguars’ new pro-style offense go from being average to being great. “If you want to run any type of offense, and you want the offensive linemen and receivers and everyone else to get used to your cadence, you have to practice it every day,” White said. “That’s what they do in the NFL. That’s what they did when I played college football. You try to bring those experiences from everywhere you’ve been.”
To read The Advocate's Southern University Preseason page, Click Here.
Bower is Pennsylvania track's first female feature race champion.
During the school year, Nicole Bower is on a mission to bring Delaware State University its first NCAA team championship in any sport. But during the summer, Bower kicks off her bowling shoes and puts on her racing helmet and firesuit to race sprint cars at tracks in Pennsylvania.
On the bowling lanes, Bower helped the Hornets advance to their second consecutive NCAA Tournament last spring. She has found success behind the wheel, too. In early May, Bower led all 20 laps of the 358 sprint feature at Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicburg, Pa., becoming the first female to win a feature race at the half-mile clay track. The "358" designation refers to engine displacement. Bower lives about 15 minutes from the track in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania.
"It was unbelievable," said Bower, who began her racing career at the age of 12 in a quartermidget, often racing at New Castle's Airport Speedway. "It took quite a few days for the win to set in. I had dreamed of standing in victory lane at Williams Grove for a long time. All of the great drivers have been there ... and to get that opportunity is just great."
The 19-year-old will gott yet another thrill on August 5, when she competed against Sprint Cup regulars Kasey Kahne and Tony Stewart in the Ollie's Bargain Outlet "Battle at the Grove" charity race at Williams Grove.
DURHAM, N.C. -- After a week of practice, N.C. Central football coach Mose Rison thinks he's got a team that can be pretty good. "For the first time since I've been here we're not going to be outmanned at any position in any game," Rison said.
"I expect us to turn it up and be ready to play. If we play good early, we have a chance to be ranked in the top-25."
Rison's confidence is boosted by a roster that returns 17 starters. The Eagles got off to a rough beginning a year ago, with six losses to start the season, but rallied to win four of their last five. And after what Rison called a tremendous off-season program, he thinks this squad is in the best shape they have been in since he arrived.
The Eagles certainly appeared loose and confident Sunday during their annual media and photo day. NCCU opens its season on Sept. 2 at home against Johnson C. Smith, a former rival in the CIAA. Since leaving that conference, NCCU has been preparing for play in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. The Eagles have five games scheduled against MEAC opponents this season before playing a full slate next year.
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The NCCU Marching Sound Machine wants you to support the NCCU Marching Sound Machine on Their Road to the 2011 Annual Tournament of Roses Parade.
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Make Your Donation Today! Tickets Will soon be available for purchase: • From any NCCU Sound Machine Musician or The Exquisite Ladies of the eClipse Auxiliary Squad • Student Affairs • Campus Bookstore • Student Union • Michael Jordan Nissan • Sound Machine Booster Club and Alumni Band Members.
Christian Anthony gets all the headlines for the Grambling defense, and rightfully so. The Tigers' star defensive end is the reigning SWAC Defensive Player of the Year, and is expected to take the award home again this year. Last season, Anthony had 76 total tackles (55 solo), 15 tackles for loss, eight sacks, five interceptions, five forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, and two defensive touchdowns.
But there's more to Grambling's defense than just Anthony. One player who is extremely effective, but doesn't get as much recognition, is defensive end Kendall Robinson. Robinson had seven tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks last season, and along with Anthony, he creates a formidable tandem for the GSU front four. "He's not as flashy as Christian, but he's started for us for four years," Grambling head coach Rod Broadway said. "He doesn't get nearly enough due."
In a few weeks, the four HBCU conferences – the CIAA, MEAC, SIAC & SWAC – will need to make room at nation’s the table for a newcomer. The revamped Gulf Coast Athletic Conferencewill begin life with six historically black colleges and universities after 29 years as a mixed league. Dillard University,Edward Waters College,Fisk,Southern University-New Orleans, Tougalooand Xavier of Louisiana will try to keep the conference alive after six former members – all predominantly white institutions -- departed for greener pastures.
When the 2009-10 athletic season finished back in June, the GCAC had 10 members. But, LSU-Shreveport left to join the Red River Athletic Conference. Belhaven, Loyola of New Orleans, Mobile, Spring Hill and William Carey joined the expanding Southern States Athletic Conference in a bid for more exposure, according to New Orleans Small College Examiner Eddie Francis. That left GCAC with just four teams – Dillard, SUNO, Tougaloo and Xavier. Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director at Xavier, explained that the conference needed six members to keep its automatic bids to the various NAIA tournaments. Otherwise, members would have to participate in a preliminary tournament with the Association of Independent Institutions for the chance to go to the playoffs.
Savannah State University interim head football coach Julius Dixon has a past history of high achievements (see bio below).
Julius Dixon has been in charge of Savannah State University's football program since Jan. 28, 2010 the day Robby Wells was forced to resign and interim athletics director Marilynn Suggs appointed Dixon interim head coach. Dixon, SSU's defensive coordinator the past two seasons, began preseason training camp Saturday with the interim tag still in his title. He also is listed in the Tigers' 2010 media guide as interim.
It's an awkward position for Dixon, but the 43-year-old Toccoa native said he is confident he has the support of SSU's administration.
"In this transition phase into the (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference), there were several requirements placed, football-wise, that had to take place," Dixon said Sunday during SSU's annual Media Day at Tiger Arena. "It's really been a busy process for a lot of different people to make this transition work a little smoother.
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COACH JULIUS DIXON BIO
Julius Dixon, a native of Toccoa, Georgia, attended and graduated from Stephens County High School in 1985; earned his bachelor’s degree in political science in 1990 from Furman University.
As a star cornerback for Furman, Dixon was one of four freshmen to letter in his first year, and was a member of the 1985 NCAA I-AA runner-up team that finished with a 12-2 record and a Southern Conference championship. As a senior, he earned first team all-conference honors, and was the captain of the 1988 NCAA I-AA national championship team. That year, the Paladins compiled a 13-2 record, a conference championship, and earned the nation’s top scoring defense holding opponents to 9.5 point per game. During his four-year span, the Paladins recorded a 40-10-2 record.
Dixon entered his first year as the defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach for Savannah State University in 2009. He comes to SSU from Presbyterian College where, in 2007, he was the defensive coordinator and helped coached the team to a 6-5 record in their first year of Division I, FCS competition.
Prior to that, he spent 14 years as an assistant with Furman University; first as defensive line coach for three years, and then he served as the defensive backs coach for eleven years. During his tenure at Furman, Dixon coached three All-Americans and six All-Conference players. He also helped coach the Paladins to three conference championships (1999, 01, 03), and playoff appearances in 1999, 2001, 2004, and 2005. The 2001 team finished as the NCAA I-AA national runner-up.
Dixon got his start in coaching at Camden High School (S.C.). He served as an assistant coach for four years, from 1988-92. During his first year as an assistant, Camden went 15-0 and won the South Carolina AAA State Championship.
He is married to the former Tawanda Cooper of Kingstree, S.C. and they have two children; Jailyn (7) and Devin (2).
Bryan Nelson's chances of getting on the field this season appeared to be pretty slim. Sure, he probably could have played some on special teams, but Nelson, buried down the depth chart at inside linebacker, wanted a bigger role. So, when Alabama A&M coach Anthony Jones asked Nelson to consider moving to fullback at the beginning of summer workouts, he jumped at the chance.
"I did it for the team and myself," said Nelson, who is battling Chris Hall, another converted linebacker, and true freshman Joseph Porter for playing time. "We've got great backs in Tony (Green) and (Kaderius) Lacey and they can run the ball well with a lead blocker and I felt like I could help them be productive." The Bulldogs haven't had a quality fullback since Trevis O'Neal finished his eligibility after the 2006 season. Roger Smith started at fullback last season, but elected not to return for his fifth year.
Bears face challenging early-season schedule before starting goal of reaching MEAC championship.
The Morgan State football team faces a daunting schedule in the coming season, including traveling to College Park to face Maryland for the first time and a trip to distant North Dakota State in back-to-back games. And that's before the Bears open their Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference schedule against Howard in East Rutherford, N.J., in one of the first games at the new Giants Stadium — an experience the players won't soon forget.
But the Bears are focusing all their attention on their first game of the season, against Bowie State on Sept. 4, knowing they can't dismiss a single opponent if they are to reach the MEAC championship. "I'm looking forward to [playing in Giants Stadium], but it all starts with the first game," junior tight end Lamont Bryant said Sunday at the team's media day at Hughes Stadium." We can't look over the first game. We have to start from that game and take it one game at a time."
Savannah State University Coach Horace Broadnax has played the Georgetown University Hoyas in Tiger Arena (2009) and now has Atlantic Coast Conference power Georgia Tech on the Tigers home court in 2011.
Georgia Tech's men's basketball team will travel to Savannah to play a game against Savannah State University at Tiger Arena during the 2011-12 season, according to a report by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Georgia Tech’s non-conference home basketball schedule this season will include games against in-state opponents Kennesaw State, Mercer, Georgia and Savannah State.
The Yellow Jackets, who went 23-13 last season and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament, will also host UNC-Charlotte, Charleston Southern, Albany, Niagara, Fordham, and UT-Chattanooga.
Copies of contracts between Georgia Tech and those schools were obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in response to an open-records request. Georgia Tech hasn’t released its schedule. This season (2010-11), SSU will travel to Atlanta to play Georgia Tech on December 11. In one of two pay-to-play games, Georgia Tech will pay Charleston Southern $70,000 to play on Nov. 12, in addition to a $12,000 travel stipend. The Yellow Jackets will pay UT-Chattanooga $35,000.
Monday marks the start of another season of FAMU Rattler football with head coach Joe Taylor. FAMU head football coach Joe Taylor adds, "(9-3), (8-3) means the ship has been righted, and now it's time to get to that next level."
A daunting task opens the Rattlers 2010 season. The first four games are away from Bragg Memorial Stadium, then the home opener is against MEAC rival South Carolina State.
Joe Taylor adds, "The key is we know we have to take each game one game at a time. We know if you don't win some then other don't matter. The key is I am asking for sixty minutes. I want sixty minutes and I think that the blue print says that and they understand that."
The FAMU Football team will hold their annual football media day and fan appreciation day on the third floor of the Al Lawson Multipurpose Center and Teaching Gymnasium on Saturday, Aug. 14. From 8:30 a.m. to 9:45 a.m., the Rattler Football Team and Coaching staff will host local media for their Annual Media Day. Then at 10 a.m. to Noon, local fans and alumni will have the opportunity to meet the 2010 FAMU Football team for Fan Appreciation Day. Poster and schedule cards will be on hand for autographs.
Joe Bullard has been the "voice of the FAMU Marching 100" and a major contributor to the hundred legacy of greatness, since 1975. The silky smooth Bullard has been a radio personality(96.1 JAMZ FM) in the Capital City since 1972. As the band's announcer, his voice is known throughout the world.
Almost 25 years later, former Florida A&M baseball coach Robert Lucas still vividly remembers the day that Robert Jackson Jr. decided to be an ironman for the Rattlers. FAMU was involved in two tournament games against Alabama State when Jackson threw under 80 pitches to win the first of two seven-inning games. He pleaded with Lucas to give him the ball for the second game. Lucas reluctantly allowed the now deceased Jackson to make his second start on the same day.
"He said, 'coach, I'm not even tired,' " Lucas recalled. "I said let's go two innings. I looked up and he had thrown only 18 pitches." Jackson ended up staying in the game and throwing 78 pitches, just as many as he did in the first game as he went to distance to win both games. "He was a guy that had a tremendous amount of courage," Lucas said. "He wanted the ball he wanted to pitch."
On Oct. 1, Jackson will get the ultimate athletic recognition from FAMU for his heroics during his four years as a pitcher for the Rattlers. He will be inducted in the school's hall of fame along with five others in ceremonies at the Lawson Center. The other inductees are Tiffany Daughtry, Track & Field; Olrick Johnson, football; Ulysses Wilson, baseball; Amos Hill, coach; and supporter Joe Bullard.
Prairie View A&M University Athletic Director Fred Washington is proud to announce his first-ever Athletic Director’s Challenge. This open challenge to everyone across the nation and state or who is a part of the Panther Family is an effort to share our story and generate support for the proposed Sports Complex.
To participate in the challenge, log on to www.helppvbuild.org and click on the donate link at the bottom of the complex rendering. The second step of the challenge requires that after submitting a gift you contact five additional prospective supporters and invite them to accept the challenge. Once you and five others contacted by you have made a contribution, e-mail your name along with the names of your five contacts to athletics@pvamu.edu become a Challenge Champion.
A picture of the proposed complex, which will be developed in three phases and include amenities such as a 15,000-seat football stadium and adjoining athletic facility, is above while step-by-step directions on how to participate in the challenge are listed below.
"We’re proud to have a presence and support in Houston and the surrounding communities," said Washington. "This is not a simple task and to accomplish it, we’ll need as much assistance sharing the message and raising financial support as we can get". Panther Athletics looks for you to become a Champion today.
ATHLETIC DIRECTOR’S CHALLENGE
1. Log on to www.helppvbuild.org.
2. Click on the donate link at the bottom of the complex rendering.
3. In the other amount field under Your Gift, pledge $30
4. Fill out the required fields below (designated with a gold asterisk)
5. Under the Additional Information section, type Athletic Director’s Challenge in the message block and then proceed to submit your gift using the button at the bottom.
6. Contact and encourage 5 prospective donors to participate in the challenge
7. Once they complete the challenge, e-mail your name along with the names of the five donors to athletics@pvamu.edu to become a Challenge Champion.
Dylan Drayton signs a letter of intent to attend North Carolina Central University. He is surrounded by his mother, Dee Dee Drayton, left; sister, Taylor; grandfather, Jerry Anderson; and grandmother, Rita Anderson.
He played Shortstop for Middle Creek High School (Apex, N.C.) from 2008-2010. He started three years on the varsity team. Drayton was all conference TRI 8/9 his junior and senior years. He was academic all conference his senior year.
His 2010 batting average was .398 and his 2009 batting average was .414. He was coached by Jeremy Thompson. Career batting stats at MCHS Fourth in total hits Fifth in homeruns Fifth in triples Second in runs scored Fourth in batting average with .386 Single seasons MCHS Records Third and fifth total hits Runs scored third and fourth Third in doubles Second in runs batted in First player in MCHS history to lead off a game with a home run. He is 5’6” and weighs 140.
It appears the N.C. Central Eagles have signed a future star.
WINSTON-SALEM, NC - The Winston-Salem State University C.E. "Big House" Gaines Hall of Fame will welcome its class of 2010 inductees when eight individuals along with the 2000 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Champion Rams football team will take their place among the WSSU greats.
The individual inductees will be inducted in a ceremony on Friday, Sept. 17 at the Grand Pavilion Ballroom located at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Winston-Salem, N.C. and will be honored at halftime of the Winston-Salem State versus Chowan University football game on Saturday, Sept. 18.
"To an athlete, being enshrined into your university's athletic hall of fame is reaching the mountaintop. There is no higher honor," WSSU Director of Athletics, William "Bill" Hayes said. "On behalf of the entire WSSU Department of Athletics, congratulations to all inductees for reaching this milestone."
The Clarence E. "Big House" Gaines Athletic Hall of Fame class of 2010 will include some of the top student-athletes in school history. The class will include two softball players (Kenisha WilliamsandSheila Vanhook McDonald), one tennis player (Darrell Edmund Galloway), four football players (Masha Paul, Kelley D. Goodman, Gary Raiford and Antonio Stevenson), and one member of the Rams track & field team (George Dillard Macklin).
ALBANY, GA — A quintet of Albany State University alumni are about to go from legendary to immortal. Five distinguished individuals — Dr. Wilburn Campbell Jr., Dr. John I. Davis, Johnny Seabrooks, Timothy Goff and Antonio Leroy — will be inducted into the Albany State University Sports Hall of Fame’s Class of 2010 on Sept. 10 as part of the school’s 11th Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.
The event will begin at 7 p.m. in the Albany State University HPER Gymnasium.
Campbell is an associate member of the ASU National Alumni Association and was the swimming coach at Albany State from 1969 to 1982. During that span, his swimming and diving teams were SIAC Champions from 1975 to 1981. Campbell’s swimming and diving teams were the first National Black College Champions in 1979, and he was SIAC Coach of the Year. His team repeated as National Black College Champions in 1980. Campbell is the only Albany State coach to win a college national championship. As a coach, Dr. Campbell contributed to the success of numerous students.
Bulldogs determined to win MEAC and a playoff game this season
ORANGEBURG, S.C. — Buddy Pough fielded familiar questions on Saturday at South Carolina State media day at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium. Will the Bulldogs win the MEAC football championship again? Will the team get its first NCAA playoff win since 1981? Will SC State impress the FCS committee enough to rate a first-round bye and/or an opening home game?
“The first thing is we have to win the conference championship, or all this talk means nothing,” said Pough, who has guided the Bulldogs to back-to-back 10-2 records, MEAC titles and automatic NCAA postseason berths. “We have some holes to fill, but the guys we have back seem to have the right stuff. The goal is to win the conference again and see what happens in the playoffs.” Pough believes his team has its best chance yet to rate a high enough national seed to open at home.
“We’ll start with a high enough ranking that if we handle our end of things, we should be in good shape there,” he said. “Our attendance at home should also come into play and be a factor.
Here is the official transcript of Jerry Rice's speech Saturday night as he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio on 8/7/2010.
"Thank you. Thank you, guys.
"I have something I have to admit to today. My uniform, the way I dress, is everything. I'm a very honest guy. I made a mistake today. I have a blue and a black sock on today (smiling).
"Now, for me to do this speech, I need to borrow a black sock from someone (laughter). Just joking, guys.
"Hey, look, thank you, Eddie DeBartolo, for that introduction. Thank you, thank you.
"I love you fans, especially the greatest fans in pro football, the 49er fans. Thank you, God, for allowing us to travel here safely. This has been such an unbelievable week. To the city of Canton and the Pro Football Hall of Fame, thank you for your hospitality. It has been incredible. To the selection committee, thank you for bestowing this great honor to me.
"I had never been on an airplane until I was drafted by the 49ers. And I left Crawford, Mississippi, for a long, stomach-churning flight to San Francisco. I was scared to death, but excited at the same time. Scared about surviving the flight, excited like I am now because I knew I was joining a great team that had already won two Super Bowls. And, of course, we went on to win three more.
"I was also part of the Oakland Raiders, a team I admired that also went to the Super Bowl.
"But standing here today as the newest member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, feeling like a rookie all over again, I can honestly say this is the greatest team I have ever belonged to. I'm truly honored and humbled.
"I also feel very fortunate to be part of the 2010 Hall of Fame class. Russ Grimm, Dick LeBeau, Floyd Little, John Randle, another 49er Rickey Jackson, and, of course, the NFL all-time leading rusher Emmitt Smith. If not for you, Emmitt, and the Dallas Cowboys, there would be three more Super Bowl rings on my fingers (laughter).
"Rivalries are great for the NFL, and it's fitting that the 49ers and Cowboys are represented here today. We definitely made each other better. When I was a kid, I had these embarrassing huge hands that I would hide in my pockets. I was always running, even before I played sports. I ran everywhere. I didn't even know why. But I guess I was preparing myself for something, destined for something, but I didn't know what.
"In the summertime, holidays, I would work with my father laying bricks for homes and businesses. We started at 5 a.m. and finished after dark. It was hot, hard work. My brothers and I would be the supply chain for bricks, and many times I would be the last link between the bricks and my father. Sometimes I would balance myself on the scaffolding two stories up and catch bricks thrown to me from the ground.
"There was a certain standard. Even though my job was to make sure that my dad had bricks and everything worked out smoothly, I took pride in it. There were no shortcuts. The concrete had to be laid a certain way. The bricks had to be stacked because any slowdown was money lost. It was a lot of pressure. I didn't want to let my father down. I was afraid to fail.
"I'm here to tell you that the fear of failure is the engine that has driven me throughout my entire life. It flies in the faces of all these sports psychologists who say you have to let go of your fears to be successful and that negative thoughts will diminish performance. But not wanting to disappoint my parents, and later my coaches, teammates and fans, is what pushed me to be successful.
"My dad was a hard man. I never saw him cry, and he didn't say, I love you. But like men of his generation, he expressed it in other ways. He taught us about responsibility at an early age. I miss him and I know he would be very proud of me today. I wish you were here, dad. I love you.
"Despite the fear of knowing my mom and dad would whip me good, one day my sophomore year at B.L. Moor High School, I decided to play hooky with a friend. We got caught by the school principal, Mr. Ezell Wickes. He saw how fast I sprinted away from him and realized I could put my speed to better use. So after whacks with a leather strap, he forced me to meet with Charles Davis, our head football coach, who convinced me to come out for the team.
"Coach Davis made us run hills after practice, 40 yards up, 40 yards down, a training regimen I kept doing 20 seasons in the NFL. I received a lot of letters from recruiters at big schools like USC, LSU, Mississippi State. But I chose Mississippi Valley State for two reasons: Coach Archie Cooley loved his team to throw the football, and they were the only ones who sent someone to see me play. Coach Cooley is here today. Thank you.
"Before Joe Montana or Steve Young, there was Willie Totten, my quarterback at Mississippi State Valley University. We earned the nickname satellite express because the ball was seemingly in orbit. Willie is here today. Thank you.
"It was a dream come true to be drafted by the 49ers, and I'm so proud to be part of such a classy organization, with the greatest owner ever, Eddie DeBartolo. The greatest coach of all time, Bill Walsh, and the greatest fans. There will never be another organization like that in the history of sports. To have two guys like that, who were all about winning.
"Eddie would say, I'll give you guys everything you want. You're going to have the best hotels, the best planes to travel on. You're going to go a day early to the East Coast. All I want is for you to do is win championships. Eddie was like that 12th man. He loved football, loved his players even more, and he wanted to win. And, man, did the 49ers win under Eddie DeBartolo. Five Super Bowls in 12 years.
"Every player knew nothing was finer than to be a 49er, and some was willing to take pay cuts to play there. We were the envy of the NFL, the guys they said wore wing tips and carried briefcases because we were a first-class operation and meant business.
"Just like he did after every game, Eddie has greeted players like Joe Montana, Steve Young, Fred Dean and me in Canton, Ohio. He deserves to be standing with us as a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Thank you, Eddie. I love you and your family, your wife Candy, and your daughters.
"I miss Bill Walsh every day of my life. I know he's up there looking down from heaven today smiling. What can I say about the genius, the legend? He was like magic. He would cast a spell on you just being in his presence. You wanted to win for this guy. There was just something about him, and he knew how to get the best out of his football players.
"Bill is the reason I played in the NFL. He was like a father to me, someone I could talk to about relationships and business or professional football. I never wanted to let my father down, and I was afraid to let Bill Walsh down. He taught us to be perfect. If you failed to be perfect, then excellence would be within your grasp. He had every gift but length of years.
"I love you, Bill, your wife Geri and your family. Geri Lynn, thank you for joining us here today. I love my teammates and coaches. There are too many of them to mention. I was blessed to play for not one but two Hall of Fame quarterbacks. Joe Montana and Steve Young. Joe was the ultimate prankster, put in Tiger balm in jocks and Steve would roll out of bed and come to work with his hair all messed up.
Dwight Clark and Freddie Solomon, they were true professionals and took me under their wing. Even though they knew I was there eventually to replace them. To Roger Craig and Raymond Ferris, thank you for helping me take my training regimen to the highest level possible. I wasn't the most physical or the fastest receiver in the NFL, but they never clocked me on the way to the end zone. The reason nobody caught me from behind is because I ran scared. That old fear of failure again. It's hard to go into every game with a red X on your chest, and I could feel the hair rise on the back of my neck when people chased me.
"People are always surprised how insecure I was. I love it when some commentary would refer to an upstart receiver as the next Jerry Rice. That made me work even harder. It was as if I was saying, You're going to have to work so hard to get to where I am, and if you can pay that price, you deserve it.
"But I was always in search of that perfect game, and I never got it. Even if I caught 10 of 12 passes, or two of three touchdowns in the Super Bowl, I would dwell on the one pass I dropped.
"I played for 20 years and I still believe in my heart I could play today. I played that long because I love this game of football. I loved everything about it, especially the fans. The stadium was my stage, and I was there every Sunday to put on a performance for the fans. I hope the players today respect the game, respect the men whose shoulders they are standing on. But most importantly, don't play for what the game can give them rather than what they can give to the game.
"I felt proud every time I put on that uniform. That's why I'm still humbled to pose for pictures and to sign autographs. I'm a lot like my mom in that respect. If she just met you, she would invite you into her home and cook you dinner. She is the most caring and passionate person I know. I love you, mom.
"Thank you to my brothers and my sisters for sharing this moment with me today. To my children, I am so proud of you. You are my life, and I love you with all my heart. I'm so looking forward to seeing you make your mark in this world.
"To Jackie, thank you for being the anchor for our family and for supporting me for all these years. In addition, thank you to your family for their support.
"To my management team, thank you for all those hats you wear and keeping me together all these years. To the York family and the 49ers organization, thank you for your continued support.
"When you play as long as I have, there are a lot of people that have contributed to my journey. I regret that I cannot mention all of you today, but I hope you all know how important you are to me.
"To my 'Dancing With the Stars' family, you provided me with a whole new audience to thrill and a new challenge, another venue where I could be judged and triumph over my fear. All I had to do was wear sequins, an afro wig and heels.
"Today I feel as if this honor of being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame was made not just to me but mostly to my work, to my sweat and sacrifice of all those who carried me to the steps of this hallowed ground.
"But if I have a single regret about my career standing here today, it's that I never took the time to enjoy it. I swear to God, this is true because I was always working. Right after the season, whether we won the Super Bowl or not, I would take two weeks off and go right back to training. The doubts, the struggles is who I am, and I wonder if I would have been as successful without them.
"A lot of emotion that I kept submerged bubbled to the surface last February when my name was finally called for selection into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. You see all the faces of the people that helped you reach your goal: My mom and dad, brothers and sisters, my family, my coaches, my teammates, the fans. But you also realize that it signals the end of your career.
But I am excited about tomorrow. I'm like the guy who jumps out of a high-rise building and every floor he passes on the way down, he says, So far so good. But this is finally it. There are no more routes to run, no more touchdowns to score, no more records to set. That young boy from Mississippi has finally stopped running.
"Let me stand here and catch my breath. Let me inhale it all in one more time. (Goes to front of stage.)
"Thank you. Thank you. You know what, guys, I feel like dancing!"
Jerry Rice and San Francisco 49ers former owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr., unveils Bust of Mr. Rice, the legendary player from tiny Crawford, Mississippi and Mississippi Valley State University Delta Devils.
CANTON, Ohio -- This should surprise no one. But when it was Jerry Rice's turn to talk here Saturday, the man was prepared. Know why? He was scared. He has been scared all along, as he acknowledged in his meticulous yet powerful acceptance speech at the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
"I'm here to tell you that the fear of failure is the engine that has driven me throughout my entire life," Rice said. "It flies in the faces of all these sports psychologists who say you have to let go of your fears to be successful. But not wanting to disappoint my parents, and later my coaches, teammates and fans, is what pushed me to be successful."
Rice then added: "When I was a kid "... I was always running, even before I played sports. I ran everywhere. I didn't even know why. But I guess I was preparing myself for something, destined for something, but I didn't know what." Saturday, of course, was the "what." It was the ultimate "what," really. Rice could finally stop running. He officially joined the most elite club in his sport. In doing so, he looked and sounded like a million bucks. It was no upset for a football player who always paid painstaking attention to detail.
JSU Coach Rick Comegy is looking to bounce back from a 3-8 season.
Jackson State began the process of fine-tuning its kicking game at the team's second fall practice Saturday, coach Rick Comegy said. "We got some good kicking stuff done, special teams work," Comegy said. "We emphasized trying to get our punt protection. Second and third (string) guys got work." The special teams' spotlight, though, shines on the two new kickers. Eric Perri and punter Brett Bennett, both All-SWAC members, are gone.
Jabril Smith, a sophomore and former Callaway player who redshirted last year, is likely to replace Perri. Smith handled kickoff duties for the Tigers as a true freshman in 2008, averaging 50 yards a boot. Transfer Reed Gallagher is set to replace Bennett. Gallagher punted at Coahoma Community College last year. "Both are kicking well," Comegy said. "I'm looking for both to have a good year."
HUNTSVILLE, AL - Chance Wilson was content with being the starting punter at Alabama A&M last season. The redshirt freshman averaged 36.5 yards per punt and was among the leaders in the Southwestern Athletic Conference with 25 kicks inside the 20-yard line to help the Bulldogs reach the league championship game.
Now, Wilson, a former Buckhorn High School start, wants to do more. And, he just might get an opportunity. Wilson served as the Bucks' kicker and punter for three years before coming to A&M. With Jeremy Licea, the leading scorer in school history, having graduated and Ray Blanks academically ineligible, Wilson may get a chance to do both jobs this season.
"I told (A&M) Coach (Anthony) Jones during the spring that I wanted a chance to kick and punt," Wilson said Wednesday. "He told me I was going to get that chance. Ray didn't participate in spring practice and they were looking for a kicker, but right now I'm the guy." Jones is still looking a kicker as the Bulldogs continue preseason practice, but Wilson is confident he can do both jobs effectively. READ MORE, CLICK TITLE.
Winston-Salem State hasn't changed its style on defense much, said new coordinator Kienus Boulware. Mike Ketchum, now the defensive-line coach, was the coordinator the past five seasons. "What Coach Ketchum's defense was based on last year is very similar to what we have this year," Boulware said. "He had more three-man fronts, but in the package we are running now, we have some of the same stuff."
