MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- The 2011 Alabama State football team begins its quest for the SWAC Championship Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. when fall practice opens at Hornet Stadium.
"We have high expectations," head coach Reggie Barlow said of his team, which won the Eastern Division title last season. "We're coming from a different place; far different from where it was five years ago or even three years ago. We are at a place where we want to get back to the championship game and win it all this time."
Barlow and the football coaching staff will welcome approximately 90 players to camp, which opens with six consecutive practice days. The first two-a-day practice is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 8.
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Wednesday, August 3, 2011
SC State Begins Football Drills; Elmore Declared Ineligible
ORANGEBURG, SC – South Carolina State conducted its first preseason football workout Tuesday night as the Bulldogs began preparing for the 2011 campaign.Tuesday’s practice was originally set for 3:10 in the afternoon, however, head coach Buddy Pough and his staff moved the drill to the evening to avoid scorching temperatures. Bulldog practices through Saturday will also begin in the evening at approximately 7 p.m.
Almost 100 players were on hand for Tuesday’s practice, which was conducted in shorts and helmets and concentrated mostly on conditioning.
Pough noted his team appeared to be in reasonable good shape but added that he and his staff considered it a sense of urgency that his players hit the ground running and learn quickly because of the many unknowns for a team that lost 11 starters, among them the Bulldogs’ three-year starting quarterback, three starting offensive linemen and the starting linebacker corps.
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NSU-BCU Football Game Moved to Thursday, Oct. 20 for ESPNU
Norfolk, VA - Norfolk State's home football game against Bethune-Cookman has been moved up two days to Thursday, Oct. 20 at 7:30 p.m. to accommodate a live ESPNU broadcast. The game was originally slated for Saturday, Oct. 22.The teams have split their last four meetings in the series, with B-CU winning 21-7 last season en route to a share of the MEAC regular-season football title. The Spartans have won the last two meetings at Dick Price Stadium.
This will be NSU's first home Thursday night game since an Oct. 6, 2005 matchup against South Carolina State.
“We are very excited about having the opportunity to play on national television this year,” NSU Athletics Director Marty L. Miller said. “This televised game will showcase the outstanding student-athletes who are major contributors to the success of the athletic programs as well as the great facilities that we have at Norfolk State University.”
By Matt Michalec, Sports Information Director
VISIT: NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY
VISIT: NSUSPARTANS
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Ex-Bethune-Cookman's Weems signs 1-year deal with Falcons
Atlanta, GA - Former Seabreeze and Bethune-Cookman standout Eric Weems signed a one-year contract with the Atlanta Falcons on Saturday. Weems was a restricted free agent. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
With the changes to kickoffs this year, it was thought his value to the Falcons would diminish. He also returns punts, plays on coverage teams and fills in at times at wide receiver. He made his first Pro Bowl last season after returning 40 kickoffs for 1,100 yards and one touchdown and 18 punts for 230 yards and one touchdown. He added six receptions for 61 yards.
Weems was named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Month in December after a franchise-record 102-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and 55-yard punt return for a touchdown.
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With the changes to kickoffs this year, it was thought his value to the Falcons would diminish. He also returns punts, plays on coverage teams and fills in at times at wide receiver. He made his first Pro Bowl last season after returning 40 kickoffs for 1,100 yards and one touchdown and 18 punts for 230 yards and one touchdown. He added six receptions for 61 yards.
Weems was named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Month in December after a franchise-record 102-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and 55-yard punt return for a touchdown.
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Detroit land ex-Jaguars linebacker Justin Durant (Hampton U.)
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| Justin Durant, Detroit Lions |
The Lions made their first significant move of the free-agent signing period late Wednesday, agreeing to terms on a two-year contract with linebacker Justin Durant (Hampton University), according to a team source.
Reached by phone shortly before 11 p.m., Durant's agent, Adisa Bakari said, "Not yet. Deal's not done." But Bakari and the Lions were heavy in contract talks late into the night. Durant, who played four seasons for the Jacksonville Jaguars, appeared to confirm the signing, first reported by the Chicago Tribune, on Twitter.
Now everybody from the 313, put ya (...) hands up and follow me!!!" he wrote.
Durant, who turns 26 in September, has never played a full 16 games in a season and missed six games last year with a groin injury.
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Bayou Classic to be on NBC through ‘12
“The Bayou Classic is a slice of Americana, and at the end of this agreement we will have broadcast this iconic event for 23 straight years,” said Jon Miller, president of programming for NBC Sports and VERSUS in the announcement. This year’s Bayou Classic is scheduled for Nov. 26.
“The NBC Sports broadcast and the title sponsorship helps us spread our Jaguar pride into millions of households nationwide,” Southern University System President Ronald Mason Jr. said in the release. “(The) Bayou Classic is more than a football game; it’s a tradition of family fun and camaraderie that we look forward to every Thanksgiving weekend.”
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UAPB now a SWAC title contender?
Pine Bluff, Ark. - Having spent his childhood in Arlington, Texas, with freeways and skyscrapers that seemed to stretch on forever, Colton Jones had plenty to enjoy. Even late into the night, Jones could find a hot hamburger, a cold milkshake and, in all likelihood, a pro sporting event nearby. Then, at 18 years old, Jones headed to Pine Bluff, Ark., which was, suffice it to say, a little different.
“You just have to get used to the atmosphere, the people around town, everything,” said Jones, now a fifth-year senior and a mainstay on the Arkansas-Pine Bluff offensive line. “The surroundings are very different between home and Pine Bluff. It was hard at first, but I’m a survivor. Basically, you adapt to your circumstances.”
Now, that trait might come in handy again.
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“You just have to get used to the atmosphere, the people around town, everything,” said Jones, now a fifth-year senior and a mainstay on the Arkansas-Pine Bluff offensive line. “The surroundings are very different between home and Pine Bluff. It was hard at first, but I’m a survivor. Basically, you adapt to your circumstances.”
Now, that trait might come in handy again.
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Jackson’s promotion at W.Va. Wesleyan a league accomplishment
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- When his predecessor accepted another job at another West Virginia Conference school, Jonas Jackson received a promotion from West Virginia Wesleyan officials.Changing one word in his job title resulted in a historical accomplishment for Jackson, who went from assistant head coach to interim head coach in June after Dennis Creehan resigned to become the athletic director at Alderson-Broaddus.
Jackson is believed to be the first black head coach at a non-HBCU (Historically Black College or University) in the league's long history.
"It says a lot about our institution, and it says a lot about our president, our dean and our athletic director," said Jackson, a 32-year-old Boston native who has a bachelor's degree from Eastern Michigan and a master's degree from Valparaiso.
"It's an honor, and I embrace it. I have to make sure I work very, very hard to represent the institution and those who aspire to be where I am. For up-and-coming black coaches like myself, we have to work our tails off and put our best foot forward so other guys get this opportunity."
Despite the historical significance of his promotion, Jackson said he is not sure colleges' hiring practices are "a black-and-white issue."
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Monday, August 1, 2011
Howard University Bison: A Star On And Off The Floor
Prince Okoroh’s talent on the basketball court gained the former Eleanor Roosevelt High School standout an athletic scholarship to Howard University. It’s his dedication to performing well in the classroom, though, that may be even more impressive.
You didn't have to worry about eligibility stuff with Prince, Roosevelt coach Brendan O’Connell said. “It’s weird, because, like, in the offseason and stuff, he would miss practice or miss a workout or miss a running session. But it’s because he was going to take a college class at Johns Hopkins or something like that. So how can I get mad at him, you know?”
Okoroh — who was awarded a Gates Millennium Scholarship at Roosevelt — took part in the 2011 World Scholar-Athlete Games in the Greater Hartford, Conn. area, which ran June 26 through July 4.
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Southern University moving forward after tough ‘10
Baton Rouge, LA - At the intersection of Swan Avenue and Scenic Highway, less than a mile from A.W. Mumford Stadium, a homemade sign hangs underneath the window of a sports apparel shop. Painted in sloppy blue letters, the sign reads: “Just get it done.” That was the slogan adopted by Stump Mitchell’s first football team at Southern University.
As fans and alumni painfully remember, there was only one problem: When it came to winning games, the Jaguars didn’t get it done. After the final whistle at the Bayou Classic, players slowly walked off the field inside the Superdome and headed toward the tunnel, looking upward, toward thousands of empty seats.
The Jaguars had clinched a 2-9 record, the worst season in school history.
SU key football dates - Wednesday: Players report...Thursday: Practice begins... Aug. 14: Media day...Aug. 22: Classes begin...Sept. 3: Season opener, at Tennessee State...Sept. 10: Home opener, vs. Alabama A&M.
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NSU quarterback makes preseason first team
NORFOLK, VA - In just one offseason, Norfolk State quarterback Chris Walley has gone from criticized to recognized. The NSU senior is 1 of 3 Spartans on the preseason All-MEAC first team, joining offensive tackle Kendall Noble and defensive tackle Josh Turner. Linebacker Corwin Hammond was named to the second team. The teams were announced at the MEAC's preseason luncheon Friday.
It's the first time an NSU quarterback has earned the preseason recognition. Heading into last year, the Spartans' quarterback competition was the focus of training-camp conversation - and Walley's start was poor.
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It's the first time an NSU quarterback has earned the preseason recognition. Heading into last year, the Spartans' quarterback competition was the focus of training-camp conversation - and Walley's start was poor.
While learning a new offense and rotating through an uninspiring selection of wide receivers, the Spartans spent much of the season near the bottom of the MEAC in passing. Walley, a junior college transfer, passed for fewer than 55 yards in consecutive weeks during the middle of the season.
He rebounded, though, averaging more than 240 yards in his final three games ...
North Carolina Central excited to return to MEAC as D-1 member
Head coaches and sports-information directors from the MEAC pegged NCCU to finish seventh among the 11 teams that play football in the league, while A&T was picked to finish ninth.
NCCU was a founding member of the MEAC in the early 1970s and then left in 1979 for the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association when the MEAC moved to Division I. The Eagles have been going through the process of reclassifying as a D-I program since 2007 and this will be their first year as a full member pending more approval step by the NCAA in August.
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Southern-FAMU to be shown by Versus
Atlanta, GA - The Atlanta Football Classic between Southern and Florida A&M will be televised by the cable network Versus, according to a release from the Southwestern Athletic Conference.SU and FAMU will play at 2:30 p.m. Sept. 24 in the Georgia Dome. It is the first meeting between the longtime rivals since FAMU held off the Jaguars in a 52-49 shootout at A.W. Mumford Stadium in 2008. The teams have played 58 games since 1941, according to school records. The Rattlers hold a 33-24-1 edge.
The Atlanta Football Classic is one of two Southern games to appear on national television this season.
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MEAC to use instant replay for televised games
NORFOLK, Va. — To this day, there is still some debate about one play three seasons ago that might have changed the postseason fate for Florida A&M in Joe Taylor's first season as head football coach.At the crux of matter is a pass by quarterback Eddie Battle that was ruled a fumble, enabling South Carolina State to score the first six points on its way to a 20-point halftime lead. FAMU mounted a furious second-half comeback but the momentum swing caused by the questionable call was too much to overcome in a 28-21 loss.
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference commissioner Dennis Thomas on Friday said the league will be implementing the use of instant replay, a move that he hopes will alleviate calls such as the one that still haunts FAMU. Instant replay will be available this season to teams whose games are televised, Thomas said during the conference's media day at the Waterside Marriott.
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SIAC Championship debate
ATLANTA — Albany State’s road to its sixth SIAC football title in the past decade will be a little rockier than normal. Yes, the Rams were named preseason favorites to repeat as conference champions at Wednesday’s SIAC Kick-Off Luncheon at Fox Sports Grill in Atlanta.But there is a new factor in this year’s conference — a championship game.
In the past, the team with the best regular-season conference record was crowned as the SIAC champ. This year, the 10 teams are divided into two five-team divisions — East and West — and the winner of each division will face off in the inaugural SIAC Championship game Nov. 12.
Teams will play a seven-game conference slate, including all four divisional opponents and three rotating non-divisional opponents. Every two years, one non-divisional opponent will rotate on, and off, each team’s schedule over a 10-year period, and each team will play its non-divisional opponents an equal number of times.
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Sunday, July 31, 2011
Southern, Grambling State already in a Bayou Classic mode
State Farm presents…
2011 BAYOU CLASSIC
November 25-27, 2011
New Orleans, LA
Baton Rouge, LA - Southern fans have already penciled in the Nov. 26 football game on the Jaguars’ schedule as an automatic victory. The problem is that Grambling State fans have done the same thing.
It’s not because they view each other as a slouch. Rather, it reflects the deep level of passion and pride behind the State Farm Bayou Classic, now in its 38th year. There are certainly no shortage of story lines for this year’s game. Second-year Southern coach Stump Mitchell’s team is seeking to rebound from a 2-9 season that included a 38-17 loss to Grambling.
Grambling interim athletic director Aaron James is no stranger to the New Orleans area, having played in high school at Cohen, then collegiately with the Tigers, and in the NBA with the New Orleans Jazz.
“This is a great rivalry and a family affair,” James said. “It’s the Black College Super Bowl. The reason why we are out here this early is that, since Hurricane Katrina, the attendance has dropped, and we want to build it back up to where it use to be. We’ve got to get the 65,000-75,000 people back in the Superdome.”
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Albany State Rams looking for big things from passing game
ALBANY, GA — Uyl Joyner knows exactly what his bread and butter is going to be this year.After all, Albany State certainly feasted on it last season. Star quarterback and reigning SIAC MVP Stanley Jennings is back for his senior season, and Joyner — the Rams’ new offensive coordinator — is ready to hit the ground running.
Joyner and the rest of the ASU coaching staff spoke to alumni, fans and media at Friday’s 12th annual Quarterback Club Kickoff Football Reception at Eula Lovett Hall, and excitement floated around the room every time Jennings’ name was brought up.
“We are looking for big things out of the quarterback play this year,” said Joyner, who will also remain the quarterbacks coach — a position he has held for the past two seasons. “That’s the one solid area we do have on offense. Stanley is ready to go, and I am ready to run with him.”
Jennings, a 2010 Harlon Hill Trophy nominee and...
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Rimmer signs with Alcorn State Braves
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| ASU Braves Coach Luther Riley |
“Alcorn is really coming along with a great new coach in Coach (Luther) Riley,” said Rimmer. “It’s a great program that I would like to be a part of. I think we’re going to make things happen there.”
The 6-foot-2 Rimmer averaged 14.2 points, 5.2 assists and 4.3 rebounds, leading the Tornadoes to the Class 2A state title. He signed with Tennessee-Chattanooga, but after not qualifying academically because of his ACT score, he was released from his national letter-of-intent and was able to go elsewhere. He has since met the NCAA’s eligibility requirements and is expected to be eligible at Alcorn this fall.
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Former PVAMU Lady Panther Signs Pro Basketball Contract
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| Latara Darrett |
Darrett was Prairie View A&M's leading scorer in the 2009-10 campaign with 15.7 points while pulling down 6.6 rebounds per outing. She was a five-time Southwestern Athletic Conference Newcomer of the Week and a two-time SWAC Player of the Week.
A native of Chino, Calif., the 5-10 guard scored 23 or more points on four occasions with a high of 29 versus Mississippi Valley State on Jan. 25, 2010.
"Latara is an incredible athlete and it was only (a matter of) time when this opportunity would come,” said head coach Toyelle Wilson. “Her passion was always to play professionally. She will do very well in one of the top premier leagues in Italy."
By Prairie View A&M University Sports Information
Bernstine’s call comes from Texas Southern University
Marshalltown, Iowa - Miko Bernstine describes himself as always being a pretty spiritual guy. Texas Southern University provided the answer to his prayers with an opportunity to play NCAA Division I baseball. The do-everything Marshalltown Community College outfielder Bernstine signed with the Southwestern Athletic Conference school on Friday.
The Des Moines native Bernstine was set to play baseball at Ashford before the opportunity to move from the MCC Tigers to the TSU Tigers arose. "No D-I offers were coming my way. I was getting a lot of offers from NAIA, D-II, stuff like that," Bernstine said before playing in a game Friday in the Carolina-Virginia Collegiate League.
"I just kept praying on it that I would get an offer from a Division I school," he added. Bernstine lead Marshalltown in most offensive categories as he hit .390 with 49 runs scored, 62 hits, five home runs, 42 RBIs and 17 stolen bases.
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The Des Moines native Bernstine was set to play baseball at Ashford before the opportunity to move from the MCC Tigers to the TSU Tigers arose. "No D-I offers were coming my way. I was getting a lot of offers from NAIA, D-II, stuff like that," Bernstine said before playing in a game Friday in the Carolina-Virginia Collegiate League.
"I just kept praying on it that I would get an offer from a Division I school," he added. Bernstine lead Marshalltown in most offensive categories as he hit .390 with 49 runs scored, 62 hits, five home runs, 42 RBIs and 17 stolen bases.
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49ers lose rookie (from FAMU) for season with torn Achilles
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| Curtis Holcomb (Photo courtesy FAMU Athletics) |
Seventh-round draft pick Curtis Holcomb is likely out for the season after rupturing his Achilles tendon during a conditioning test on Thursday. His agent said that Holcomb, who played at Florida A&M, will have surgery to repair the tendon.
Holcomb was the last of the team's draft picks. He had been training in the Tampa area before flying to California early this week and signing his contract Thursday morning. Another seventh-round pick, fullback Bruce Miller, was placed on the physically unable to perform list with a shoulder injury, although he is expected to be activated in a matter of days.
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49ers Training Camp 2011: Curtis Holcomb Ruptures Achilles, Likely Done For Season
9ers 7th round draft pick Curtis Holcomb ruptured his achilles tendon in practice today, and is likely to miss the rest of the season, per Matt Barrows twitter account. Holcomb will have surgery on Thursday and will face a long recovery from what is one of the more painful and difficult injuries in sports.
Holcomb, at 5'10, 190 lbs was selected with the Niners last pick in this year's Draft, out of Florida A&M, and was looking to secure himself a roster spot. He doesn't lack confidence, and on a recent 49ers conference call, he had this to say about his best skill as a cornerback:
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New B-CU hoops coach ready to run with opportunity
DAYTONA BEACH, FL -- If there is one thing Gravelle Craig hated when he was a basketball player, it was slowing the ball down.Playing one year under Richmond University coach Dick Tarrant's walk-the-ball-up-the-court system seemed like an eternity for the 5-foot-8 point guard. So after his freshman season in 1989, Craig transferred to Cleveland State where coach Kevin Mackey's breakneck running, pressing style was famously dubbed the "Run 'N Stun."
Apparently patience was not Craig's strength as a player. A lot has changed since then. He spent the past seven seasons at Bethune-Cookman as an assistant coach under Clifford Reed. It was only in the past year that he thought it might be time to being looking at NCAA Division II or III head coach openings.
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Former 'bama State Tarvaris Jackson expected to start for Seattle
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| The newly signed $8 million dollar man, Tarvaris Jackson is expected to be the starting QB for the Seattle Seahawks. |
Jackson signed a two-year deal with the Seahawks on Friday. He watched Saturday's practice in shorts and a T-shirt, unable to participate in camp until next Thursday due to rules established in the new collective bargaining agreement.
Carroll says Jackson's familiarity with offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell gave the newcomer the edge. Jackson and Bevell worked together in Minnesota from 2006-10.
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Confirmed: Seahawks agree to terms with Tarvaris Jackson
The Seahawks have reached an agreement on a contract with quarterback Tarvaris Jackson, according to a league source. Jackson played the past five seasons in Minnesota, which chose him in the second round of the draft.
Terms of the deal are not known, and he can't sign a contract until Friday, which is the first day transactions may be filed with the league. Jackson, 28, played in Minnesota under Darrell Bevell, who was hired to be Seattle's new offensive coordinator.
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Tarvaris Jackson To Seattle
The Seattle Seahawks agreed to a deal with Tarvaris Jackson following the news that free-agent quarterback Matt Hasselbeck will not return to Seattle this season, multiple sources told ESPN. Hasselbeck will turn 36 in September. His prior contract was signed before the start of the 2005 season and was followed by him leading the Seahawks to their only Super Bowl appearance.
According to the sources, Jackson's deal is for $8 million over two years, an indication he was brought in to compete for the starting job. His contract matches that of current Seahawks quarterback Charlie Whitehurst, who signed a two-year, $8 million contract after being acquired in a trade before last season.
Jackson, Minnesota's second-round pick in 2006, would appear to have an edge in the competition because he has played for current Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell when they were both a part of the Vikings.
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