The "unofficial" meeting place for intelligent discussions of Divisions I and II Sports of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) and HBCU Athletic Conference (HBCUAC).
America's #1 blog source for minority sports articles and videos. The MEAC, SWAC, CIAA, SIAC and HBCUAC colleges are building America's leaders, scholars and athletes.
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Southern’s players jokingly chide Dray Joseph after the senior utters a line during summer workouts.
As they pant and sweat under the sweltering sun, the senior quarterback will offer a refrain borrowed from a familiar source.
“We all can make this journey,” he says.
Chuckling and smiling, his fellow Jaguars offer a quick retort: “You sound just like Coach Odums.”
Relaying the anecdote to coach Dawson Odums, he only offers up a contended grin at the mind meld taking place to help Joseph evolve from the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s best passer into a field general mastering a West Coast scheme as the Jaguars try to end a stretch of three consecutive losing seasons.
“It’s great to see the leadership he’s displaying on and off the field,” Odums said Monday during SWAC Media Day. “It’s a tough position, and you want to be accepted as an individual, but it takes a quarterback to say, ‘I’m not really like everybody else.’ He’s accepted that pressure.”
WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- Virginia Union University's football team was picked to finish eighth in the CIAA at the 2013 CIAA Football Media Day, held on Thursday, July 25, in Winston-Salem, N.C.
VUU's Denzel Duchenne earned Pre-Season All-CIAA Honors as a punt returner, it was released on the same day.
VUU finished 5-5 last season, including 3-4 in CIAA play. The Panthers led the CIAA with an average of 4.9 yards per rush.
Duchenne, a sophomore from Brooklyn, N.Y., returned 22 punts for 319 yards (an average of 14.9 yards per return). Duchenne also returned seven kickoffs for 115 yards and caught 19 passes for 233 yards and a touchdown.
COURTESY VIRGINIA UNION UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
NORFOLK, Virginia -- Pop open the hood on the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference preseason football poll and the shiny engine that is defending champion Bethune-Cookman can make you reach for the sun-glasses.
Take a closer look, though, and you realize there's plenty of sparkling parts that comprise what could be a big season for MEAC football.
Plenty that threaten Bethune's title reign, too.
The Wildcats were the clear favorite at Friday's media day in Norfolk, Virginia, gaining 16 of the 21 first-place votes in the preseason poll, but an 11-team, one-division set-up makes for a grind each season, and the rise of North Carolina Central and North Carolina A&T last season has heightened that scenario.
South Carolina State, which had been the recent MEAC power until ..,
WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- From start to finish Thursday, 11 CIAA football coaches stepped onto a small stage at Winston-Salem State and quoted from nearly identical scripts — list goals for the coming season and, at some point, kiss the host’s ring.
And why not? WSSU has earned any respect being thrown its way.
Since Connell Maynor took over as coach in 2010, the Rams are 35-4 overall, 21-2 against CIAA opponents and have won the last two league titles.
The 2012 team — one of the best in HBCU history — had a conference-best 14-1 record.
NORFOLK, Virginia – Five North Carolina Central University Eagles were named to the preseason all-conference team, while NCCU was picked to finish the upcoming season in fourth place in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference as voted by the league's head football coaches and sports information directors.
The announcements were made by the MEAC on Friday in Norfolk, Va., during the conference's annual football media day and luncheon.
The five Eagles named to the All-MEAC Second Team are senior quarterback Jordan Reid, senior offensive tackle Charles Goodwin, sophomore safety Ryan Smith, senior punter Matthew Cornelius and junior kicker Oleg Parent.
NCCU is coming off its first winning season since 2007 with a 6-5 overall record and a 5-3 conference mark. The Eagles tied for third place in the MEAC standings a year ago. With a fourth place prediction for 2013, NCCU is listed behind No. 3 North Carolina A&T, No. 2 South Carolina State and No. 1 Bethune-Cookman, the defending conference champion, on the preseason predicted order of finish.
Reid (High Point, N.C.) threw for 1,594 yards and 13 touchdowns, while breaking the NCCU single-season record by completing 62.3 percent of his pass attempts.
Goodwin (High Point, N.C.) started every game at left tackle for the Eagles last season, while recording an average grade of 89 percent with 19 pancake blocks and 28 knockdowns in 11 games.
Smith (Upper Marlboro, Md.) finished his rookie season as NCCU's second-leading tackler with 65 total takedowns. He also ranked second on the team with three interceptions and third on the squad with eight passes defended (three interceptions, five pass break-ups), while leading the MEAC and tying for second among NCAA-FCS leaders with four fumble recoveries.
Cornelius (Charlotte, N.C.) averaged 35.9 yards per punt with a long of 58 yards. He also placed 16 punts inside the 20-yard line with only two touchbacks.
Parent (Lake Forest, Calif.) was the No. 1 scoring kicker in the MEAC last year with an average of 6.2 points per game. He converted 11 field goals, including 3-of-6 from 40 yards or beyond with a career-long boot of 46 yards.
NCCU opens the 2013 season on Aug. 31 at Duke University inside Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, N.C.
The Eagles' first home game is on Sept. 7 against Saint Augustine's University inside O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium. Season tickets to NCCU's six home games are still available for purchase online at www.NCCUEaglePride.com or at the NCCU Ticket Office (919-530-5170) on the lower level of W.G. Pearson Cafeteria.
COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
NORFOLK, Virginia -- Head football coaches and sports information directors of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference have selected five Savannah State football players to the Preseason All-MEAC squad. The selections were announced at the annual MEAC football press luncheon held at the Norfolk Waterside Marriott Hotel.
Senior wide receiver Simon Heyward made the first team offense while senior defensive back John Wilson was named to the second team defense. Dylan Cook (wide receiver) and Kris Drummond (tight end) were named to the third team offense while senior Micah Blount (defensive lineman) was named to the third team defense.
Heyward (5-11, 185) had 44 receptions for 751 yards and six touchdowns last year. The Savannah, Georgia native enters his senior year with 116 career receptions for 1,381 yards and eight touchdowns.
Earlier this summer, Heyward was named to the First Team by College Sports Madness Preseason All-MEAC team Heyward is also on the watch list for the College Football Performance Awards FCS Wide Receiver Award. The award is given annually to the top wide receiver in the Football Championship Subdivision. Heyward is one of 34 players on the watch list.
Wilson (5-10, 175) finished last season with 68 tackles , three tackles for losses, four interceptions and seven pass break-ups. The Athens, GA native also blocked one kick.
Cook (6-2, 190), a senior from Hiram, GA, caught 37 passes a year ago for 491 yards and one touchdown while Drummond (6-5, 215), a junior who hails from Washington, D.C., hauled in 21 receptions for 318 yards and a touchdown. Blount (6-6, 225) played in nine games last year and had 37 tackles, four tackles for losses. The Stone Mountain, GA native also had 2.5 sacks.
Savannah State, which received one first place vote, was picked to finish 11th in the MEAC.
COURTESY SAVANNAH STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
NORFOLK, Virginia – Florida A&M quarterback Damien Fleming and Bethune-Cookman running back Isidore Jackson along with linebacker Jarkevis Fields received top honors as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) announced its 2013 preseason football players of the year at the annual Football Press Luncheon Banquet on Friday afternoon at the Norfolk Marriott Waterside Hotel in Virginia.
All preseason honors are voted on by the MEAC’s football coaches and sports information directors.
Bethune-Cookman, the defending conference champion, was predicted to finish
first in the annual preseason poll. The Wildcats finished the 2012 season with
an unblemished 8-0 mark and 9-3 overall record. For the second straight year
South Carolina State was picked to finish second while North Carolina A&T
was selected to finish third.
Fleming finished second in the MEAC in passing yards with 2,175, completing
214-of-308 pass attempts. He ranked second in the conference in passing
efficiency (142.2) and passing yards per game (196.1). Fleming led the Rattlers
in total offense (2,351) in 11 games of action.
Jackson, a native of Mossy Head, Florida, led the MEAC in
rushing with 1,069 yards on 191 attempts. He averaged 89.1 yards per game and
recorded 11 touchdowns. He finished third on the team in receiving with 148
yards, averaging 12.3 yards per game. He led the Wildcats in scoring (72
points) and all-purpose yards (1,217) during his junior season.
Fields finished sixth in the conference and led the Wildcats in total tackles
with 103 including 46 solo and 57 assists. He averaged 8.6 tackles per game and
recorded six tackles for a loss, four breakups, four deflections, one sack, and
one forced fumble.
Florida A&M led all teams with six student-athletes receiving first-team
preseason honors. Bethune-Cookman and Delaware State were tied at second with
five student-athletes to earn a first-team
nod.
ORLANDO, Florida -- When Florida A&M and Mississippi Valley State face off on Sept. 1 in the ninth installment of the MEAC/SWAC Challenge presented by Disney, it will be the third meeting between the two storied programs. Their first meeting was way back in 1990, a game FAMU won 28-13.
For the Florida A&M Rattlers, this game marks the team’s first under new head coach Earl Holmes, whose team finished with a 4-7 record last season. The Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils, under Karl Morgan, ended the 2012 season with a 5-4 mark.
SC State head coach Buddy Pough addresses the media Friday at the MEAC’s Annual Football Press Luncheon held in Norfolk, Virginia (Courtesy SC State Athletics)
NORFOLK, Virginia— Six SC State University Bulldogs were named to the preseason all-conference team, while SC State was picked to finish second behind, the defending champion Bethune-Cookman in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) as voted by the league's head football coaches and sports information directors.
The announcements were made at the MEAC's Annual Football Press Luncheon held Friday afternoon at the Norfolk Marriott Waterside Hotel in Virginia.
Sophomore defensive lineman Javon Hargrave and redshirt-senior punter Nick Belcher earned All-MEAC First Team honors, while junior linebacker Justin Hughes earned Second Team All-MEAC accolades and senior wide receiver Tyler McDonald, redshirt-junior offense lineman Domanic Wilson, redshirt-junior defensive lineman Andrew Carter, and kicker Nick Belcher all earned Third Team All-MEAC honors respectively.
"I was surprised," head football coach Buddy Pough said. "I hadn't quite had a chance to digest it all. But I guess they still respect what we have done in the past."
Hargrave (Salisbury, NC) recorded 45 total tackles, 26 solos, with 4.5 tackles for loss and two sacks as a true freshman. He was named to The College Sports Journal 2012 FCS All-Freshman Team.
Belcher (Sumter, SC) averaged 38.9 yards on 75 punts and had a long of 62 yards with 20 kicks inside the 20-yard line. He also made 8 of 15 field goal attempts, with a long of 47 yards.
SC State is coming off a 5-6 overall record and a 4-4 conference mark. The Bulldogs were picked to finish second in the MEAC standings a year ago. With a second place prediction for 2013, SC State is listed ahead No. 3 North Carolina A&T, No. 4 NC Central and No. 5 Florida A&M to round out the top five teams.
"I think we've got guys who should be disturbed that they weren't selected and it might give them some inspiration," Pough said.
The Bulldogs open the 2013 season on Aug.31 at home against Coastal Carolina at Oliver. C. Dawson Stadium in Orangeburg, SC. Season tickets to SC State's five home games are still available for more information go online to www.scsuathletics.com or contact the SC State Ticket Office at 803-536-8579 or 1-800-298-9157.
2013 Predicted Order of Finish (First Place Votes in Parenthesis) School Points 1. Bethune-Cookman (16) 480 2. South Carolina State (2) 365 3. North Carolina A&T 302 4. North Carolina Central 260 5. Florida A&M 250 6.Howard 227 7. Norfolk State (1) 222 8. Delaware State 201 9. Hampton (1) 196 10. Morgan State 113 11. Savannah State (1) 52
First Team All-Defense Pos. Player Cl. Hometown DL Javon Hargrave So. Salisbury, N.C. P Nick Belcher r-Sr. Sumter, S.C.
Second Team All-Defense Pos. Player Cl. Hometown LB Justin Hughes Jr. Virginia Beach, Va.
Third Team All-Offense Pos. Player Cl. Hometown WR Tyler McDonald Sr. Summerville, SC OL Domanic Wilson r-Jr. Lake City, SC
Third Team All-Defense Pos. Player Cl. Hometown DL Andrew Carter r-Jr. Hamlet, NC PK Nick Belcher r-Sr. Sumter,
COURTESY SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
NORFOLK, Virginia (July 26) – FAMU head coach Earl Holmes stepped to the podium at the MEAC
football luncheon just moments after it was revealed that his team was picked to
finish fifth in the conference by the league’s head coaches and sports
information directors. It would have been easy to spend his five minutes
dwelling on how inaccurate the prediction was from his standpoint, but the young
coach displayed an uncommon poise for a first year coach.
“Greetings from the highest of seven hills in Tallahassee, Florida. I’d like
to say thanks for having us here. On behalf of Dr. (Larry) Robinson, our AD
Mike Smith, Faydre (Hawkins Brown) and our staff,” Holmes said. It was a classy
move, indicating a level of maturity from a rookie coach.
The good news of the day was the Rattlers placing 11 players on the preseason
All-MEAC squad. Along with making the first team, quarterback Damien Fleming was selected as co-offensive player
of the year. Still, for the staff he’s assembled, for the recruits he’s brought
in and for the returning players, it was a hard pill to swallow. But, he had a
crafty comeback. “Looking at the predictions they’ve got us ranked fifth.
That’s fine. One thing about predictions and projections, you can say what you
want to say, but at the end of the day you’ve got to play the game. We all love
to play the game, that’s why we’re all here,” he said.
Fleming and safety John Ojo were at the press conference and luncheon
to represent the Rattlers. Fleming is picked to have a banner year as the
Rattler signal caller, while Ojo is under the radar. Attaining a medical
hardship from the NCAA allows the Spring 2012 graduate to begin work on his
master’s degree, while playing for the Rattlers.
Fleming is excited about the fast approach of the season. “I’m just excited
to get this year started. We’ve been going against each other all Summer in
seven-on-seven and one-on-one, so I’m just really excited to put the pads on. I
want to see some guys hit each other, even though I don’t really get to see any
of that until the season starts,” Fleming said.
The media interviews allowed the players to take a quick glance at some of
the top players in the MEAC. That brought even more energy to the day. “Just
to see some of these guys, some familiar faces, we came up short against some of
them last year…I mean it’s all about revenge this year,” Fleming said.
Ojo was humbled by the chance to go out on a more positive note than ending
his career at FAMU with an injury. “I’m just excited man and thankful to God I
got another year to play. I think for of all it starts with our discipline.
Bringing in new coaches is going to help with that, and our offseason strength
and conditioning I think is going to help us. I think we look forward to having
a successful season by strengthening ourselves in those areas,” Ojo
concluded.
Holmes did excite the crowd in his address at the luncheon. His analysis of
the level of disrespect was addressed in quite a tactful and witty utterance.
“Being from FAMU, we all love homecoming. In fact, I’ve got four homecomings
this year. We play South Carolina State for their homecoming, Morgan State for
their homecoming, coach Pete (Adrian), I play you for homecoming, so I guess
Florida A&M is just the homecoming team. That’s okay, I’m a young guy and a
good guy. But, like I tell everybody and I told these coaches, Holmes coming,”
Holmes said.
NORFORK, Virginia -- The Florida A&M Football Team was predicted to finish fifth in the 2013
season. Quarterback Damien Fleming was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic
Conference Preseason Co-Offense Player of the Year as the Rattler gridders
placed 11 players on the 2013 Preseason All-MEAC team, voted on by the
conference sports information directors and head coaches. The teams and
predictions were announced today by Patricia Porter, assistant MEAC commissioner
for media relations, at the annual MEAC Football Kickoff Luncheon held at the
Marriott Waterside Hotel.
Fleming, a 6-2, 205, junior quarterback from Jacksonville, Fla., is a First
Team Preseason All-MEAC selection and Co-Offensive Player of the Year, an award
shared with Bethune-Cookman’s running back Isidore Jackson.
Fleming finished last season with 2,157 yards as he completed 214 passes in
308 attempts with 16 TDs and five interceptions. In addition, he became the
first FAMU quarterback to pass for 2,000 plus yards in a season, since 2004 when
Ben Dougherty was the Rattler signal caller.
Joining, Fleming on the Preseason All-MEAC first team are running back James Owens, wide receiver Lenworth Lennon, offensive linemen Kevin House and
Zerrie Patterson and place kicker Chase Varnadore.
Earning second team honors is defensive back Jonathan Pillow and return specialist Owens, with
his second nod. Rounding out the cast of all-conference performers is center Douglas
Almendares, linebacker Brandon Denmark, and defensive back Devonte
“Terry”Johnson.
FAMU was picked to finish fifth as a team with 250 points. Reigning champion
Bethune-Cookman was predicted to finish first as the Wildcats garnered 480
points and 16 first place votes. South Carolina State was predicted to finish
second as they tallied 365 points and two first place votes, followed by North
Carolina A&T with 302 points. North Carolina Central was predicted to
finish fourth with 260 points.
Predicted to finished sixth was Howard with 227 points, followed by Norfolk
State with 222 points and 1 first place vote in seventh place.
Rounding out the conference is Delaware State with 201 points for an eighth
place predicted finish, followed by Hampton with 196 points and one first place
vote for a predicted ninth place finish. Morgan garnered 113 points for a 10
place predicted finish and Savannah State is predicted 11th with 52
points and one first place vote.
FAMU will open its 2013 season against Mississippi Valley State in the
MEAC/SWAC Challenge presented by Disney, at the Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando,
Fla., broadcasted live on ESPN in an 11:45 a.m. start.
The following week, the Rattlers will open their 2013 home schedule against
Tennessee State on Saturday, September 7 at Bragg Memorial Stadium in a 2 p.m.
start. For ticket information, contact the FAMU ticket office at
850-599-3141.
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama --Several Southwestern Athletic Conference assistant football coaches were selected to participate in the Bill Walsh Minority Coaching Fellowship and will finish the off-season working side-by-side with NFL teams during Off-Season Training Activities (OTA) and training camp.
Southern co-offensive coordinator, Chad Germany, Mississippi Valley State offensive coordinator, Alex Jackson, and Prairie View A&M wide receivers coach, Harry Williams, were picked for the opportunity to work along side the teams during full activities.
The Bill Walsh NFL Minority Coaching Fellowship is an annual program administered by the NFL Management Council and NFL Player Engagement.
Designed as a vocational tool to increase the number of full-time NFL minority coaches, all 32 NFL Clubs participate in the program on an annual basis. Specific aspects of the program (including hiring, salary and coaching duties) are administered on a Club-by-Club basis.
Germany was selected to work the summer with the Minnesota Vikings. He enters his third season as a member of the Jaguars coaching staff and has been instrumental in the development of All-SWAC quarterback Dray Joseph.
Jackson, who is set to begin his first season as offensive coordinator with Delta Devils, joins Germany with the Vikings organization after serving part of last season in the interim role at MVSU. He took over as offensive coordinator midway through the season and makes a consecutive stint in the fellowship.
Williams was tagged by the Houston Texans to particiapte in the program. He joined the Prairie View A&M staff in 2009 as a volunteer assistant and played an integral part in the passing game as three receivers had career years in receptions and yards.
The NFL established the Bill Walsh NFL Minority Coaching Fellowship Advisory Council in 2012 to further enhance the idea conceived by the late Pro Football Hall of Fame head coach Bill Walsh. Walsh introduced the concept to expose talented minority college coaches to the NFL’s methods and philosophies when he invited a group of minority coaches to participate in San Francisco 49ers’ training camp.
Participants are hired for the duration of training camp, including all pre-season games and clubs are encouraged to hire a minimum of four participants.
Bill Walsh introduced the concept of a minority coaching internship program in 1987 when he brought a group of coaches to 49ers training camp. Eventually, this program was picked up by every NFL team and now, 26 years later, the NFL has renamed it the Bill Walsh Minority Coaching Fellowship Program.
The program has given hundreds of coaches a foot in the door. Several current NFL head coaches, including Super Bowl winning coach Mike Tomlin, are graduates of the program.
NORFOLK, Virginia – Bethune-Cookman University was selected to
repeat as Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football champions for the 2013
season, it was announced Friday afternoon at the annual MEAC Football Kickoff
Luncheon inside the grand ballroom of the Marriott Waterside Hotel.
Additionally, Isidore Jackson was selected as Preseason
Co-Offensive Player of the Year, while Jarkevis Fields was voted Preseason Defensive
Player of the Year.
In all, a total of five Wildcats landed on the Preseason All-MEAC First Team,
while another was voted to the Second Team.
Bethune-Cookman finished the 2012 campaign as regular season champions ending
the conference season 8-0 for the first time in school history. It was the first
undefeated record in league play for the Wildcats since winning the conference
title in 1984.
Senior running back Isidore Jackson was tabbed Preseason MEAC
Co-Offensive Player of the Year alongside Florida A&M quarterback Damien
Fleming. A 5-10, 205-pound native of Mossy Head, Fla., Jackson finished the 2012
campaign on the all-conference team for the second consecutive season. He rushed
for a league second-best 1,069 yards and aided the vaunted Wildcats offense that
led the MEAC as a team in scoring offense, total offense, rushing offense and
first downs. He would end the season becoming the first B-CU running back to
rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season since Steve Wallace in 1997, and the
first Wildcat overall to gain 1,000 yards since quarterback Allen Suber in
2002.
Senior linebacker Jarkevis Fields was voted Preseason MEAC
Defensive Player of the Year after leading the Wildcats in tackles during the
2012 campaign. Fields, a 6-0, 230-pound senior from Sanford, Fla., ended the
2012 campaign with 103 tackles (sixth-best in the Mid-Eastern Athletic
Conference), six tackles for losses and a sack. He also dropped back and broke
up four passes, while helping the B-CU defense finish third nationally in passes
intercepted. Fields was named to the First Team All-MEAC squad in 2012, as well
as receiving the Army Strong Leadership Award at the Florida Blue Florida
Classic. He was also the recipient of the MEAC/SWAC Challenge Walter Payton
Achievement Award, in addition to being a preseason HBCU All-America selection
by BoxToRow.
Jackson and offensive lineman Alex Monroe were on the Preseason All-MEAC
First Team for offense, while defensive end LeBrandon
Richardson and defensive back Nick Addison joined Fields on the defensive
team. Senior wide receiver Eddie Poole landed on the second team for
offense, and defensive lineman Tevin Toney received honorable mention
awards.
For a complete list of this year’s Preseason All-Conference Team, please
click here.
You can also visit MEACsports.com.
The Wildcats of Bethune-Cookman begin the season Sunday, Sept. 1, traveling
to Tennessee State in Nashville, Tenn. A time for kickoff will be announced at a
later date.
To purchase tickets for the 2013 Bethune-Cookman Wildcats football season,
call the B-CU Ticket Office at 386-481-2465 or visit www.TicketMaster.com.
For the latest information on the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats, follow us on
Twitter, @BCUGridIron, and
make sure to ‘Like Us’ on Facebook at BCUathletics.
Join the conversation for all things related to B-CU Football in 2013 by using
the official hashtag #NeverSatisfied in all tweets.
NORFOLK, Virginia — At the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football media day Friday, Norfolk State head football coach Pete Adrian shared his philosophy for helping his team succeed this season.
"We're just going to take it one game at a time," he said.
After finishing the 2011 season with a 9-3 record, a MEAC title, and a berth in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs, the Spartans struggled last year, finishing 4-7. Adrian said the team looks to rebound this season by getting back to the basics.
"The best part of a new season is that everyone starts with a 0-0 record," he said. "We aren't caught up in what happened last year, we are just going to go out and play and take it game by game."
Adrian attributed his team's record in the 2012 season to an excess of turnovers (34) and not focusing on the fundamentals. After winning their first two games of the season, the Spartans went on a seven-game losing streak before winning their final two games.
NORFOLK, Virginia -- Outwardly, Donovan Rose appeared the same as ever: fit, trim, engaging, good natured. Internally, however, he feels like a man unchained.
Hampton University's head football coach enters the 2013 season, the fifth at his alma mater, again on a level playing field with his competitors.
He feels good about his staff and his personnel, and particularly about the Pirates' ability to prepare to compete each week.
"I feel revived," Rose said Friday at Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference media day. "I feel that everything I went through is for a purpose. It made me better."
Rose and the Pirates endured a kind of imperfect storm that resulted in ...
SEATTLE, Washington -- Tarvaris Jackson spent seven years trying to earn the starting job as quarterback of an NFL team. Now, as he prepares for his eighth season and a second stint with the Seattle Seahawks, the former Sidney Lanier High and Alabama State star has a new outlook.
“I could have gone to other teams, but I’m in the eighth year of my career now, and I’m just trying to get to the Super Bowl,” he said. “I’m all about winning championships. I feel like that was my best chance among the teams I could choose from.”
Forgive Jackson if he doesn’t sound quite as competitive as he used to be.
The last two years have been frustrating, downright mystifying at times, for a player who feels he has shown he has what it takes to be a starting quarterback in the league but can’t always overcome the business aspects of pro football.
Tarvaris Jackson #7 to Rice on 52 Yard Bomb for TD.
NORFOLK, Virginia -- The days of people thinking North Carolina A&T is a lower-tier football program in the MEAC seem to be behind the Aggies.
It was announced on Friday at the annual Preseason MEAC Football Luncheon at Norfolk's Waterside Marriott Hotel that MEAC head coaches and sports information directors predicted the Aggies to finish third in the conference in 2013.
A&T went 7-4 and 5-3 in the MEAC during the 2012 season. A season removed from its first winning season in nine years, A&T garnered 302 points in the preseason poll.
S.C. State, a team the Aggies beat for the first time in 12 years with a 17-7 win on Nov. 10, 2012, were picked to finish second with 365 points and two first-place votes. Bethune-Cookman, who won the MEAC title last season, was picked to repeat with 480 points and 16 first-place votes.
"My hope is that we have a really good football team," said A&T head coach Rod Broadway. "I expect us to be competitive, play hard and do the right things as far as football and school is concerned. How the ball bounces, I don't know. I know we will be well prepared, and I know the guys are going to give great effort. This could be a big year for us despite not having spring practice."
The Aggies were not allowed to have spring practice in 2013 because NCAA sanctions stemming from a poor academic progress rate score.
But Aggies' restrictions administered by the NCAA have been lifted because of improved single-year scores over the past four years.
A&T is now eligible to win the MEAC Championship and advance to the postseason. To help in that effort, the Aggies return all four starters from a secondary that posted the No. 1 pass defense in the Football Championship Subdivision. They return seven defensive starters in all from a defense that was ranked No. 2 in Division I-FCS.
"Last year we were able to win because of our defensive play," said Broadway. "Offensive football can be so unpredictable. Defensively, you have a chance of always being good. If you're sound defensively, that's going to keep you in a lot of football games."
The Aggies offense only produced four touchdown receptions last season. Broadway hopes the addition of veteran offensive coordinator Rickey Bustle will ignite the Aggies passing game, making it easier for senior running backs Ricky Lewis and Dominique Drake to operate.
"He brings experience, leadership and knowledge, and he is committed to his work," said Broadway about Bustle.
The Aggies open the season in Boone, N.C., when they take on Appalachian State, Saturday, Sept. 7 at 6 p.m. They come home a week later to face Piedmont rival Elon at 6 p.m.
COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
NORFOLK, Virginia -- Hampton University redshirt-senior offensive lineman Jamal Wilson and senior defensive end Matthew Davis were each named Preseason Second Team All-MEAC as the preseason honors were announced on Friday at the MEAC Football Press Luncheon.
Wilson (Brooklyn, N.Y.) started all 10 games for the Pirates last season, and he was part of an offensive line that helped Hampton rank fifth in the MEAC with 148.1 rushing yards per game. He was part of a Pirates offensive line that helped Jeremiah Schwartz become the first Pirate to rush for over 1,000 yards since 2009.
Behind Wilson's offensive line, Schwartz had seven 100-yard rushing games last season.
Davis (Chesapeake, Va.) tallied 37 tackles last season, including 13 solo efforts. His career-high of 12 tackles (five solo) came against Bethune-Cookman back on Sept. 29, and he led the team with 4.0 sacks last season.
His 7.0 tackles for loss were third-most on the team.
Senior defensive back Carvin Johnson (New Orleans, La.) was a Preseason All-MEAC Honorable Mention. He was fourth on the team with 57 tackles in 2012, including 31 solo stops. He had a career-high 18 tackles at Tennessee Tech, and he recovered a team-high three fumbles last season.
Florida A&M's Damien Flemming and Bethune-Cookman's Isidore Jackson were named Preseason MEAC Co-Offensive Players of the Year, while Jarkevis Fields of Bethune-Cookman was named Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
The Pirates, coming into their fifth season under head coach Donovan Rose, were picked to finish ninth in the MEAC in a preseason poll voted on by the conference's head coaches and sports information directors. Hampton, which went 3-7 last season, tallied 196 points and picked up a first-place vote.
Defending champion Bethune-Cookman picked up 16 first-place votes and was picked to repeat with 480 points. South Carolina State picked up two first-place votes and tallied 365 points in being predicted to finish second.
North Carolina A&T, North Carolina Central, and Florida A&M were picked to finish third, fourth, and fifth, respectively.
The Pirates will open the 2013 season on Thursday, Aug. 29, when they head to Macomb, Ill. to take on Western Illinois at 7 p.m. For more information on Hampton University football, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.
ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- Eddie Ellis, director of bands at South Carolina State University, has been selected to serve as guest conductor for the 54th annual Intercollegiate Music Association’s Conference at Norfolk State University next February.
Ellis said he was “totally taken by surprise” when IMA President Dr. Adolph E. Wright issued the invitation.
“The highest honor one can receive is one of commendation by your peers,” Ellis said. “Whenever you are asked to be a guest conductor for a conference it is an honor. This very prestigious invitation is one that I will cherish.”
Ellis is responsible for all band programs and activities at S.C. State, where he has conducted the symphonic band, the wind ensemble and the Marching 101 Band.
NORFOLK, Virginia -- When he meets with reporters today during MEAC Media Day, Earl Holmes likely will field questions about whether his FAMU football team is going to be more defense-oriented than it has been in the past.
Holmes, after all, made a name for himself in college and the NFL by tormenting any offensive player with the ball. But the Rattlers’ first-year head coach insists he is focused on more than just defense.
“Yes, I’m a defensive-minded coach, but I understand what it takes to win games,” Holmes said. “Defense wins championships, but at the same time you’re going to need some offense.
WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- The Bowie State University football team has been predicted to finish 6th in the CIAA and 3rd in the Northern Division according to the 2013 conference preseason poll, which was released during the league's football press conference at the Reaves Center on the Winston-Salem State University campus.
The Bulldogs return 39 lettermen including 16 starters from last year's squad. Bowie State finished the 2012 campaign with a 5-5 overall record and 2-5 record in the CIAA.
Senior defensive tackle Oladimeji (5-11, 240, Washington, D.C.), junior tight end Khari Lee (6-4, 235, Baltimore, Md.), fellow junior center Austin Hochman (6-5, 284, Annapolis, Md.) and sophomore defensive back Curtis Pumphrey (5-8, 155, Laurel, Md.) were selected to the 2013 All-CIAA Preseason Team. The conference Predicted Order of Finish and Preseason Team are voted on by the CIAA Football Coaches Association.
The defending CIAA Champions of Winston-Salem State University were selected to finish as the top team in the conference in 2013 followed by Elizabeth City State University, St. Augustine's University, Chowan University and Shaw University made up the top five teams. Bowie State was voted as the sixth overall ranked team in the conference followed by Johnson C. Smith University, Virginia Union University, Fayetteville State University, Virginia State University, Livingstone College and Lincoln (Pa.).
Bowie State will open up the season on September 7th, making a non-conference road trip to Manchester, N.H. to face the St. Anselm College Hawks at 1 pm. St. Anselm is a member of the Northeast-10 Conference and finished the 2012 season with an overall record of 2-9 (1-7 in the conference).
CIAA Football Predicted Order of Finish
1. Winston-Salem State University
2. Elizabeth City State University
3. St. Augustine's University
4. Chowan University
5. Shaw University 6. Bowie State University
7. Johnson C. Smith University
8. Virginia Union University
9. Fayetteville State University
10. Virginia State University
11. Livingstone College
12. Lincoln University (PA)
WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- Livingstone football players reporting to camp on August 12 will find an unwelcome surprise in their locker.
It’ll be a sheet of paper with the CIAA predicted final standings and it’ll show Livingstone picked to finish 11th in the 12-team league and last in the Southern Division.
New coach Daryl Williams is a realist, but he was a little surprised at the ranking during CIAA Media Day at Winston-Salem State on Thursday.
The favorite word in his vocabulary is “standard.” You find out quickly the requirements at Livingstone are different now. Williams’ business card states at the bottom ‘The standard is the standard.’
“We’ve created a standard throughout our whole building,” Williams said. “We always say ‘Did you meet the standard?’ ”
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Howard University student athletes rank among the best in the nation. Both NCAA and the MEAC have recently announced major academic honors for high-performing athletes at Howard.
“Howard University has a tradition of academic excellence,” said Howard University Director of Athletics Louis “Skip” Perkins. “We are very proud of the recent recognition from the NCAA and MEAC Commissioner. These represent the hard work, commitment and dedication of our student athletes, coaches and athletics staff.
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference recently named Howard University the top institution in the conference for producing academic all-stars. MEAC named 101 student-athletes from Howard to the 2013 Commissioner’s All-Academic Team. The Howard total beat all other institutions in the 13-member conference.
The Bison women’s cross-country team was recognized recently by the NCAA for producing an Academic Progress Rate (APR) in the top 10 percent nationally for their respective sport in 2011-12. The APR provides a real-time look at a team’s academic success each semester by tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete on scholarship.
NCAA President Mark Emmert in a letter to AD Perkins lauded Howard Athletics.
“These teams represent intercollegiate athletics at its best,” Emmert said. “Once again, I congratulate you, the head coach, student-athletes, athletics department and institution for the outstanding academic achievements.”
Last year proved to be another exemplary academic year for Bison Athletics. Howard reported an impressive 68 percent graduation rate for its student athletes. The cumulative GPA for student athletes was 3.08; nearly half of all athletes held GPAs above 3.0.
ABOUT HOWARD
Founded in 1867, Howard University is a private, research university that is comprised of 13 schools and colleges. Students pursue studies in more than 120 areas leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. Since 1998, the University has produced two Rhodes Scholars, two Truman Scholars, a Marshall Scholar, 30 Fulbright Scholars and 11 Pickering Fellows. Howard also produces more on campus African-American Ph.D. recipients than any other university in the United States. For more information on Howard University, call 202-238-2330, or visit the University's Web site at www.howard.edu.
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- Johnson C. Smith is expected to finish near the bottom of the CIAA South in a preseason poll of the league's football coaches.
The Golden Bulls, who went 6-4 last season and 5-2 in CIAA play, were picked behind two-time champ and national runner-up Winston-Salem State, St. Augustine's and Shaw. JCSU finished second in the South in 2012 by winning its final four games.
“It’s about building a foundation, and we’ve done that, now we have to turn the corner and succeed despite any adversity,” JCSU coach Steve Aycock said. “We’re doing some good things at JCSU, but we will continue to show humility and strive to reach the mountain top.”
