NSU Spartans Report for Camp Sunday, Media Day is Aug. 10

NORFOLK, Virginia  --  Norfolk State football players will report for their preseason training camp Sunday and will hold their first practice Monday morning.

Head coach Pete Adrian's Spartans hit the practice field for their first preseason practice from 9-11 a.m. Monday. Practices will remain at 9 a.m. for the remainder of the week, weather permitting. The team is also slated to have a one-hour conditioning period each day next week beginning at 3 p.m. Practices are generally open to the public.

The Spartans' first day of full two-a-day practices will be next Saturday, Aug. 10. The team practices at 9 a.m. and is scheduled to scrimmage at 7 p.m. at Dick Price Stadium. In between the two sessions next Saturday (Aug. 10), NSU will also hold its annual football media day from 2-3 p.m. Players and coaches will be available for one-on-one interviews. Media are encouraged to contact the NSU Sports Information Office by close of business on Friday, Aug. 9, to make player interview requests. For more information or to make interview requests, please contact Matt Michalec, assistant athletics director for communications, at (757) 823-2628 or by email at mmichalec@nsu.edu.

The 2-3 p.m. window is open to media only. Fans are invited to attend the evening scrimmage.

The 2013 season gets underway with the Virginia Lottery Labor Day Classic against the University of Maine at 6 p.m. on Aug. 31 at Dick Price Stadium. For ticket information, call (757) 823-9009 or visit www.nsuspartanstickets.com.



By Michalec, Asst. AD/Communications
COURTESY NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Seventy-First football player Evan Raines dies after practice Saturday

FAYETTEVILLE, North Carolina  --  Seventy-First High School football player Evan Raines, 16, died at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center on Saturday after collapsing at the end of a morning practice.

Raines was listed on last year's Seventy-First roster as a 6-foot-1, 210-pound, sophomore defensive end.

Frank Till, superintendent of Cumberland County Schools, said Raines got sick at the end of practice.

"We don't know medically what happened,'' Till said. "The first responders and EMS got there, and he passed away at the hospital."

Till said he went to both Seventy-First and the hospital.

CONTINUE READING

PVAMU Athletics Announces Fan Hotel Rates For Upcoming Football Season

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas  --  Fans who are planning to travel with the Panthers for the 2013 football season will have a variety of hotel options catering to Prairie View A&M to choose from during selected games.

 

Special hotel rates are available for the Panthers' road contests at Texas State on Saturday, Sept. 7 and Southern University on Saturday, Sept. 14. A special rate has also been secured for PV's neutral site games versus Grambling State (Dallas, Texas) on Saturday, Oct. 5 and Jackson State (Shreveport, La.) on Oct. 26.

 

HOTEL RATE SPREADSHEET

 

In additon to the selected road contests, special hotel rates have also been secured at two Houston-area hotels for the highly anticipated homecoming contest versus Mississippi Valley State on Saturday, Oct. 19.

Fans are advised to book now as the special rates will expire at the end of August.

 

For more information, click on the above link for the special rates and hotel contacts or call (936) 261-9111.

COURTESY PRAIRIE VIEW A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Michael Wallace makes return to Savannah State football team

SAVANNAH, Georgia  --  Life has come full circle for Savannah State assistant football coach Michael Wallace.

He was born in Clyo and played for Effingham County High School before earning a scholarship to Savannah State. He starred with the Tigers as a player and eventually logged 11 years as an assistant before leaving to coach at Morris Brown, Clark Atlanta, Stillman, Lane and Benedict.

Now he has returned to the school by the sea.

Wallace will be coaching the inside linebackers and special teams for Tigers first-year coach Earnest Wilson.

“Coaching here at my alma mater is always what I wanted to do,” Wallace said. “When I got into my fourth or fifth year (as an assistant coach at SSU), I didn’t even consider trying to go anywhere. This is where I was happy.”

CONTINUE READING

Southern’s Wynton Perro is back where he started

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  -- After trying his hand at safety and linebacker the past two seasons, Southern junior Wynton Perro has finally found his way back into the offensive backfield.

Perro entered fall camp Thursday as a candidate to back up star signal-caller Dray Joseph, returning to the position he played throughout high school at Houston’s Booker T. Washington. All the way back to the position he always thought he’d play in college.

“I love playing quarterback,” he said. “This is my first love since I was little, so it’s a great feeling being back at this position and being in a position where I can help the team if called upon.”

Perro arrived at Southern with Joseph in 2010 and spent his first year on campus as a redshirt. Then J.P. Douglas signed with the Jaguars, creating a bit of a logjam of underclassmen at the position.

CONTINUE READING

Bowie State returns 16 starters with championship hopes

BOWIE, Maryland -- The Bowie State football team was competitive in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association last season, but the Bulldogs failed to win the conference championship.

The Bulldogs return to the gridiron Sept. 7 with 16 of its 22 starters from last season. Bowie State will face St. Anselm in Manchester, N.H., with a 1 p.m. kickoff, starting the Bulldogs’ campaign to the 2013 CIAA Football Championship.

“Everyone has an opportunity,” head coach Damon Wilson said about the Bulldog’s competition this season. “It’s not a schedule we can look up and down and say, ‘Here’s a win.’ It’s a matter of staying healthy and executing.”

In this fifth year as head coach, Wilson said he is excited to get back to work with a championship-caliber team.

“I’m excited about this season,” he said. “I think we have a good nucleus returning from last year.

CONTINUE READING

Former NFL Seahawks Bailey hired for Paine College Football

AUGUSTA, Georgia  -- Paine College officials announced today that former NFL Player, Edwin R. Bailey, joined the Paine College football program as the new Assistant Head and Offensive Line Coach. Nicknamed “Pearl”, Bailey played 11 years as a starting left guard for the Seattle Seahawks.  

A fifth-round draft choice in 1981 out of South Carolina State University, Bailey started 120 games as left guard from 1981-1991 on some of the most successful teams in NFL franchise history and helped the Seahawks advance to the playoffs four times [1983, 1984, 1987 and 1988].

Edwin R. Bailey Seattle Seahawks Video

Born in Savannah, Georgia Bailey caught football fever early on and while playing football at Tompkins High School, he earned the All-American and two-time First Team All-City titles (1974-1976).

Bailey played college football at South Carolina State for the late Bill Davis who later hired Bailey as a Savannah State University assistant coach. Bailey held the position for one season and helped guide the SSU Tigers to the NCAA Division II playoffs.

CONTINUE READING

FSU's Johnson & Bailey, Jr., Named Preseason All-Americans

MICHAEL JOHNSON

COLON BAILEY, JR.

FAYETTEVILLE, North Carolina  -- Fayetteville State junior Michael Johnson (Raleigh, NC) and senior Colon Bailey, Jr. (Manteo, NC) have been named to the 25th Annual USA College Football Division II Preseason All-American Teams. Johnson was placed on the First Team for defense at the free safety position; while Bailey Jr. earned Second Team accolades for offense as a running back.

For Michael Johnson (a 6-3, 191-pound free safety), this is his second honor of the preseason. He was previously named to Lindy's Sports Magazine's All-Division II First Team.  He led the Broncos defense last season and was fifth in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) with 93 tackles in ten games played. Johnson was named the CIAA Defensive Back of the Week following a stellar performance against Johnson C. Smith in which he had a career-high 19 tackles; falling just one tackle shy of the school record set in 1997 by Sam Washington.

 

Colon Bailey, Jr. (a 6-0, 200-pound running back) was recently named to the Preseason All-CIAA Team at the conference's Media Day in Winston-Salem, NC.

 

He earned CIAA All-Conference honors last season after rushing for 1,015 yards and ten touchdowns. Bailey, Jr. became the first FSU running back since Clifton Davis in 1994 to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season. He finished 38th nationally in rushing and was fourth in the conference in rushing yards and touchdowns.

The duo was two of ten players from the conference to be selected as a Preseason All-American. Johnson was joined on the First Team by offensive lineman Nathaniel Hartung (Winston-Salem State), defensive lineman TJ Batchelor (Chowan) and linebacker Carlos Fields (Winston-Salem State). The Second Team, along with Bailey, Jr., consisted of offensive lineman Vincent Maene (Elizabeth City State), defensive lineman Javarous Faulk (Saint Augustine's) and defensive back Darnell Evans (Shaw). Bowie State tight end Khari Lee (Third Team) and defensive back Curtis Pumphrey (Honorable Mention) also received recognition.

The Broncos open the 2013 season on Sept. 7 against the Virginia State Trojans at L.N. Jeralds Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m.  Fans wishing to purchase 2013 season tickets may do so online via etix.com or by contacting Antoinette Fairley, FSU Ticket Manager, by phone at (910) 672-1724 or by e-mail at afairley@uncfsu.edu.

Fayetteville State University is the second-oldest public institution in North Carolina. A member of the University of North Carolina System, FSU has nearly 6,000 students and offers degrees in more than 60 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. 

COURTESY FAYETTEVILLE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION 

Southern notebook: Jaguars switch to 4-3 to counter spread

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  --  When the Southern defense is on the field this season, the Jaguars will operate in a 3-4 alignment.

Coach Dawson Odums said the move is partly to accommodate the personnel he has on his roster, which includes 15 linebackers and 11 defensive linemen. But he also believes it will help the Jaguars counter the boatload of college offenses that have adopted spread-formation attacks.

“All these teams want to spread you out and play sideline to sideline,” Odums said Friday. “We want speed on the field.”

It so happens that the personnel Southern returns fits nicely into those plans.
“I think we’re athletic and have a lot of guys that can run,” Odums said. “We’re going to utilize that.”

CONTINUE READING

Southern football notebook: Conditioning test proves too challenging for 30 players

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  --  Before hitting the practice field Thursday afternoon for their first workout of fall camp, Southern’s football players reported in the morning to go through preseason conditioning tests.

Coach Dawson Odums said 65 of the 95 players in camp passed.

Of the 30 who did not, Odums said 23 were not on campus to participate in Southern’s summer strength and conditioning program.

“That really goes to show you why it’s important to have those guys here in the summer,” Odums said. “It’s so important to have those guys here over the summer.”

The conditioning tests included a series of 12 100-yard sprints for all players, with a 22-second break in between.

CONTINUE READING

Grambling State's Williams comfortable with own recruits

GRAMBLING, Louisiana  --  Grambling football coach Doug Williams says he’s a believer of coaching his own recruits.

Now that Williams is entering his third season back at his alma mater, he said the current squad more closely mirrors the coaching staff.

“We’re at that point now, and we’ve got at least two-and-a-half classes that represent the coaches,” Williams said Thursday. “At the same time, the players that have stayed here are focused and understand what we’re after and what we’re looking for.”



The Tigers hope to eradicate the stench of a 1-10 record this past season with a return to Grambling’s usually lofty standing in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

That process started ...

CONTINUE READING

FAMU: Returning WRs play key role

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  --  Offensive coordinator Quinn Gray hasn’t been secretive about the kinds of things that he’d like to do with FAMU’s offense this season. He just hasn’t gotten into specifics.

But whatever he rolls out when it comes to throwing the ball, Gray will have a receiving corps led by some players that he’s seen grow up before his eyes.

In particular, juniors Lenworth Lennon, Admenson Felix and Dewayne Harvey should give the unit
plenty of experience.

Receivers coach Ernie Mills said he’s been hearing nothing but good things about his group’s offseason workouts. Especially the returning players.

“Those guys have been playing so it’s not like I’m waiting on guys to know if they’re going to play,” said Mills, who is in his first season with the Rattlers.

CONTINUE READING

WVSU Yellowjackets: Mountain East Football Media Day

BRIDGEPORT, West Virginia  --  The first-ever Mountain East Conference football media day will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 6, at the Bridgeport Conference Center at 2 p.m. Coaches and select players from each of the 11 schools will be present to meet members of the media. The MEC preseason poll will also be revealed on that day.

Each coach will make a few brief remarks to start the session before being available for one-on-one and television interviews. Additionally, the MEC will be gathering questions from fans via Twitter and Facebook in the days leading up to the event to pose to the participants throughout the afternoon. The social media hashtag will be #MECFb.

The 2013 football season starts with several Mountain East Conference teams in action on Thursday, Sept. 5. The first week of MEC play is Saturday, Sept. 14.     

COURTESY WEST VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY MEDIA RELATIONS

Florida A&M Marching 100 set to resume practicing

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  --  Now off suspension after spending 20 months on the sidelines, Florida A&M’s revered Marching 100 is scheduled to begin regrouping during the coming week.

A date for the band’s first public appearance has not been set, however.

Student officers with the band will assemble at 8 a.m. Thursday, university officials announced, and try-outs for new members get under way at 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10.

But before a single snare drum ripples or a trumpet blares, prospective band members will hear from a host of FAMU officials next Saturday, including interim President Larry Robinson, legal counsel Avery McKnight and football coach Earl Holmes.

CONTINUE READING

S.C. State’s Buddy Pough answers 5 questions

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina  --  Today marks the beginning of the 12th season as South Carolina State head football coach for Buddy Pough. Since taking over the program from the legendary Willie Jeffries in 2001, Pough has posted the second-most wins (88) in his alma mater’s history to go with four Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championships and three Football Championship Subdivision playoff appearances.

Despite the success, the disappointment of last year’s 5-6 record stands out as glaring on Pough’s resumé. A season which started with promise ended in disappointment with the first losing campaign under Pough and first for the program since 2000.

A new year saw Pough make various changes from bringing back Joseph Blackwell as offensive line coach and offensive coordinator to shifting around responsibilities for nearly every position on offense. The Bulldogs will also avoid the challenges of traveling long distances for several games last season as 10 of the 12 games this season will take place exclusively within the Carolinas and Georgia.

Pough discussed the changes and upcoming season through a series of questions.

CONTINUE READING

Bethune-Cookman, Grambling State Football Announce Home-and-Home Series for 2014-15

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida –  Bethune-Cookman and Grambling State announced a future home-and-home football series for 2014-15, renewing an HBCU rivalry that began in 1947.

Bethune-Cookman will host Grambling on Sept. 13, 2014, while the second game will be held on Sept. 12, 2015, with the Wildcats traveling to Grambling, Louisiana.

“We are elevating the non-conference portion of our schedule, and as we complete the schedule for the next few years, it will be sprinkled with opponents from BCS conferences as well as FCS power conferences in our attempt to improve the out-of-conference experience for our student-athletes,” said B-CU Director of Athletics Lynn W. Thompson.

With the addition of the series, Bethune-Cookman’s non-conference schedule for 2014 is nearly complete. One additional game contract is being worked out before the schedule announcement expected in February 2014, with the Wildcats once again playing a 12-game slate. Already on the schedule is another trip to Miami against Florida International University.

The last time the Cats played Grambling State was in 2004 as part of the Proctor & Gamble Ohio Classic in Cincinnati. A crowd of 35,608 saw the Tigers escape by the slimmest of margins, 24-23, with B-CU going on to win its next three games consecutively. Prior to that contest, the two teams played each other regularly, competing against one another four times from 1984-88.  During that span, B-CU traveled to Grambling twice, and the Tigers returned the favor with trips to face B-CU as part of the Gateway Classic in Jacksonville, Florida.

The first game between the two schools occurred on Dec. 6, 1947, as first-year B-CU head coach Rudolph “Bunky” Matthews suffered a 46-7 setback against fifth-year head coach Eddie Robinson of then what was known as Grambling College. The game was played as part of the Lions Bowl in Ruston, La.

“To renew this longtime relationship is great for both institutions and our fans,” continued Thompson. “Doug Williams is fondly remembered by Florida fans for his stint with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And reverse of that, Brian Jenkins honed is coaching skills at Louisiana-Lafayette. Both coaches were elated to reach this agreement.”

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.

COURTESY BETHUNE-COOKMAN UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

Alabama State football: Hornets hold first practice today

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Alabama State football coach Reggie Barlow welcomed the 2013 version of the Hornets to the Houston Markham Football Complex on Thursday for the start of preseason camp

“It’s really an exciting time to see all of the athletes coming back to campus,” Barlow said. “We are ready to get them through all of things they need to do today and get them out on the field Friday.

Alabama State will hold its first practice at 3:30 p.m. today at old Hornet Stadium. The Hornets are looking to build on last season’s 7-4 campaign which saw them tie for first in the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s Eastern Division with a 7-2 record. It was the third consecutive season the Hornets have finished tied atop the division.

ASU returns six starters on the offensive side of the ball, which will be the foundation of an offense that led the conference in scoring last season with 353 points. The Hornets return five starters on defense, and has 34 returning lettermen from last season.

CONTINUE READING

Times set for all 2013 DSU Football Contests

DOVER, Delaware  --  Delaware State University’s 2013 football season opener at the University of Delaware on Sep. 7 has been moved to 3:30 p.m. to accommodate the NBC Sports Network, which will broadcast the game live. This marks the second straight year that the network has scheduled to televise the “Route 1 Rivalry” contest between the state’s two Division I football programs. This will be the fifth meeting the Hornets and Blue Hens. Delaware State is seeking its first win in the series.

Also, Delaware State’s Sep. 14 contest at Towson University will kick-off at 7:30 p.m.

The Hornets will also visit two-time defending FCS champion North Dakota State (Sep. 21) and Savannah State (Sep. 28) in the MEAC opener before playing at home.

The Hornets’ 2013 home opener is Oct. 5 against Bethune-Cookman. Game time is 2:00 p.m. at Alumni Stadium.

Delaware State will welcome Norfolk State to Alumni Stadium for the annual homecoming contest on Oct. 12.

The Hornets will also entertain MEAC rivals Howard (Nov. 2) and Morgan State (Nov. 23) at home.

2013 Delaware State University Football Schedule

COURTESY DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Alabama A&M Football Camp Notes #1

Normal, Alabama – The players have moved in, the physicals have been completed, and most of the paper work has been done.  Now it's time to play some football.

After over 85 players were welcomed on "The Hill" for preseason camp for the fall of 2013 the Bulldogs hit the field looking excited to get some work in.  But sometimes the elements in the Tennessee Valley have other ideas as they were soon exiting the field heading inside due to lighting in the area that did not move out.

Starting his 12^th season at the helm of the A&M program coach Anthony Jones had to make adjustment as the Thursday and Friday practices was just helmets.  Saturday and Sunday will be shells while the Bulldogs start clickin on Monday.

"The first two practices went well, we are getting a lot of work done but it's hard to evaluate people when you have just helmets on," Jones commented.  "The good thing is the guys are starting to pick up plays and defensive schemes. We are throwing a lot at them early and everyone is beginning to understand what we're trying to do."



"We have some good competition across the board and we will see how this thing progresses," Jones continued.

"It's hard to tell who is ready to play football with just helmets on. As we get a little more into this and we start hitting then the guys will start to emerge and we will have a better picture of where we are," Jones said.

A&M will practice on Saturday morning then shoot their team pictures in Louis Crews stadium that afternoon.

Season and single game tickets as well as tailgating spots are available by calling 256-372-4700 or visiting AAMUTIX.com.For more information on A&M Athletics, visit aamusports.com. Fans can also find the Bulldogs on Twitter at @aamubulldogsor on Facebook at Facebook.com/Alabama-AM-Bulldogs.

COURTESY ALABAMA A&M UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Five storylines may determine SCSU’s season

HEAD COACH BUDDY POUGH

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina  --  The 106th preseason camp could not arrive soon enough for the South Carolina State football team.

With players reporting today for the start of practice Saturday at 9:30 a.m., the focus can finally turn away from last year’s 5-6 record. The first losing season in 12 years and first under head coach Buddy Pough prompted various staff changes and a return to the program’s roots in terms of a recommitment to the running game.

Heading into the Aug. 31 season opener at home against Coastal Carolina, the Bulldogs find themselves with more questions than immediate answers. Here are five potential storylines which could play themselves out this year.

1. Aberration or trend?
Not since the 3-8 season of 2000 had a Bulldogs’ team finished under .500. It happened for the first time in the Buddy Pough era as a combination of factors from offensive struggles, a formidable schedule which included two Top 25 Football Bowl Subdivision teams (one of whom in Texas A&M was led by eventual Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel) and hectic travel both in MEAC and non-conference games proved too daunting to overcome.

CONTINUE READING

SSU gets early start, puts in new offense

SAVANNAH, Georgia -- As the clock struck midnight welcoming a new day in a damp Savannah summer, Earnest Wilson III and his Savannah State Tigers were working to create a new day, and era, in Savannah State football.

Wilson, in his first season as the head coach of the Tigers, began his first full practice at midnight on Thursday. The Tigers enter 2013 off of three straight 1-10 seasons.

Why did he do it?

“I just thought it would be a change of pace for the young men — something fun,” he said Thursday afternoon. “When we got going, we actually enjoyed it. Everyone was saying how fun it was. We wish we had more fans out there to watch it.”

Senior wide receiver Simon Heyward, who was the only Tiger selected to the 2013 MEAC All-Conference first team agreed.

CONTINUE READING

The History behind "TSU We Run the 90's "

HOUSTON, Texas  -- It wasn't that long ago that a team from what some would consider a small historically black university in Houston started to gain national attention. The following video segment takes an in depth look at the Texas Southern University men's basketball team under the direction of Robert Moreland in the 90's.



COURTESY TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Southern football team takes first step toward season

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  --  There soon will be all sorts of signs that football is back at Southern.

Coach Dawson Odums will be wearing the sweatshirt he sports every August to make sure he sweats as much as his players.

Quarterback Dray Joseph will be throwing darts to Lee Doss on third-down crossing routes.

A crowd of fans — the same usual faces — will be gathered to watch the Jaguars practice.
“In their spot over there by the tree, right there between the Subway and the practice field,” Odums said.
T
he scene Wednesday was the surest sign yet that football is back: droves of burly young men in T-shirts and shorts toting appliances into their Southern dorm rooms.

On the day before they would hit the practice field for the first time, the Jaguars welcomed 95 players who ...

CONTINUE READING

Southern notebook: Jaguars have strength in numbers

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana --  Most of the players who checked in Wednesday at Southern didn’t have much catching up to do.

First-year coach Dawson Odums said more than 70 of the 95 players who reported for fall camp were active members of Southern’s conditioning and weight program this summer. Odums said the number was in the 20s last year.

“I’m excited about it,” Odums said. “I think it creates a lot of excitement for our football program and really gives us a chance to create some continuity with all those guys having been here this summer.”

Odums said he believes the increase in participation will show when Southern conducts conditioning tests Thursday morning. Quarterback Dray Joseph said he thinks it will show on game day as well.

“When you get on the field and it’s fourth-and-1 and you see that player that you worked out with all summer, you understand you have been there before and you’re grinding together,” he said. “So let’s get it done.”

CONTINUE READING

Two Alabama State kickoff times changed

MONTGOMERY, Alabama  --  In the world of television, everything is subject to change.

 

A pair of Alabama State kickoff times for the 2013 season have been altered to accommodate broadcast schedules. 

 

The Hornets' (7-4, 7-2) Sept. 7th meeting on the road against last year's SWAC runner-up Jackson State (Miss.) has been moved up to 5 p.m. and their tilt at reigning league champion Arkansas-Pine Bluff the following week will get going at 4 p.m., according to a release sent out by the school. 

 

Each of those contests will be shown live on ESPN3 and broadcasted on tape delay at 9:30 p.m. the same day. 

 

CONTINUE READING