Southern works around weather

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  --  The Southern football team has had three preseason practices, and none has gone according to plan.

“That’s usually how a season goes,” coach Dawson Odums said philosophically Sunday afternoon as lightning near A.W. Mumford Stadium forced a 30-minute delay just as the Jaguars were finishing their pre-practice stretching.

After 30 minutes, Southern returned to the field amid moderate rain that gradually dissipated during the two-hour practice.

The Jaguars’ first practice Friday was moved inside a gymnasium because of rain, and Odums moved Saturday’s workout from the practice field to the stadium because of concerns about the safety of the field’s surface.

Odums said Southern would move to its regular practice field for its Monday morning workout.

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NFL Hall of Fame Welcomes Class of 2014: Three HBCU Legends Inducted

Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2014
Claude Humphreys, Tennessee State University
Aeneas Williams, Southern University
Michael Strahan, Texas Southern University
Ray Guy, Southern Mississippi
Walter Jones, Florida State
Andre Reed, Kutztown University
Derrick Brooks, Florida State

Strahan inducted into Pro Football Hall of Fame

COURTESY SWAC.TUBE

CANTON, Ohio - When Michael Strahan was bypassed for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, his mother offered encouragement.

Louise Strahan, who resides in Spring with her husband, Gene, told her youngest son to keep his chin up. She reminded him that next year, the Hall of Fame would be voted on in New York, site of Super Bowl XLVIII.

"And New York is kind of Michael's town, so it was only fitting," Louise said recently.

Strahan's mother was omniscient. Her son was voted into the Hall of Fame in New York as part of the class of 2014.

Strahan, outside linebacker Derrick Brooks, receiver Andre Reed, cornerback Aeneas Williams, offensive tackle Walter Jones, punter Ray Guy and defensive end Claude Humphrey were inducted on a cool, cloudy Saturday night at Fawcett Stadium.

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UAPB Golden Lions report to fall camp

PINE BLUFF, Arkansas  -- Arkansas-Pine Bluff will report today and hold its first practice at 3:30 p.m. Monday to kick off Coach Monte Coleman's seventh season.

The Golden Lions are set to practice twice on Aug. 9, 11, 13, 15, 18 and 20 in preparation for their Aug. 30 season-opener at Texas State.

UAPB is trying to bounce back from a 2-9 finish in 2013, Coleman's worst as coach that was marred by eligibility issues with several key players.

Quarterback Ben Anderson, a Little Rock Parkview graduate, will begin his fourth season as starter, having been named preseason Southwestern Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year.

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Norfolk State Spartans Open Preseason Training Camp on Monday

NORFOLK, Virginia  --  The Norfolk State University football team opens its preseason training camp with a 9 a.m. practice on Monday morning at the Spartans' practice field.

The team will practice from 9-11 a.m. Monday through Friday during the first week of training camp with a conditioning session each afternoon. The team's first two-a-day session is Saturday, with a 9 a.m. intrasquad scrimmage and a 7 p.m. special teams practice scheduled.

Coaches and players will be available for interviews following the conclusion of the 9 a.m. practice each day. Practices are generally open to the media unless otherwise stated.

NSU returns 14 starters from last season and had nine players voted to the Preseason All-MEAC first, second or third teams.

The Spartans open the 2014 season at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 30 at defending Colonial Athletic Association champion Maine in Orono, Maine. NSU's home opener is at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 6 against defending Big South Conference co-champion Liberty at Dick Price Stadium.

NSU season and single-game football tickets are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at the NSU Ticket Center on campus between the hours of 9:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Tickets can also be purchased any time at www.nsuspartanstickets.com.

Matt Michalec, Asst. AD/Communications

NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Ex-NSU Spartans Williams, Deloach sign with Italian teams

NORFOLK, Virginia  -- Former Norfolk State guards Pendarvis Williams and Michael Deloach will compete professionally in Italy during the 2014-15 season, the school announced Friday.

Williams, who wrapped up his NSU career in 2014, recently signed a contract with Moncada Solar Agrigento of the A2 Gold league.

Deloach has been playing professionally overseas since he finished his career at NSU in 2010. He recently signed a contract to play for Liomatic Viola Reggio Calabria of the A2 Silver league.

The pair won't be the only former Spartans to play professional basketball this season. Kyle O'Quinn will enter his third year with the Orlando Magic after the organization kept him past the July 15 waiver deadline.

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Williams takes over at middle linebacker as Bethune-Cookman rebuilds defense

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Florida — Even a veteran like LeBrandon Richardson needed to get acclimated Friday as Bethune-Cookman opened its first preseason training camp at the New Smyrna Beach Sports Complex.

And not just because of the mid-summer heat and high humidity. The defensive end was surrounded by new faces and unsure paces as the Wildcats embarked on a rebuilding project — replacing eight departed defensive starters.

“It's a new crew. We're putting the pieces to the puzzle together, and it was a great start today,” Richardson said.

With only three defensive starters returning — including Richardson, a two-time all-MEAC selection — the Wildcats are looking for several of last season's reserves to step up.

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NCCU Eagles dodge rain to get to work for Mack

DURHAM, North Carolina   — That moment when rain pushes back the first day of football practice: “We’ve got to get on the grass some kind of way,” first-year N.C. Central coach Jerry Mack said shortly after 3 p.m. Friday.

NCCU was supposed to start practice at 3:30 p.m. Soaking rain flipped the script.

But make no mistake, the Eagles were going to work Friday.

“Rain, sleet or snow, we’re going to practice,” Mack said.

Having the East Carolina Pirates waiting in Greenville on Aug. 30 can create such a sense of urgency, although NCCU senior defensive end Ty Brown would tell you Mack’s intense like that all of the time. 

Football players at Duke and North Carolina can go hard in indoor practice facilities when the weather outside is frightful. NCCU doesn’t have that option.

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North Carolina A&T Begins Football Practice

GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- The North Carolina A&T's football team returned to the field for its first official practice on Saturday.

A&T practiced for two and a half hours in preparation for a 12-game 2014 schedule.

Twenty-nine days later the Aggies will open the season in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge presented by Disney at 11:45 a.m., Sunday, Aug. 31 at Bright House Networks Stadium in Orlando, Fla. A&T's home opener is Saturday, Sept. 6 at 6 p.m., against FCS playoff quarterfinalist Coastal Carolina at Aggie Stadium.

The Aggies were 7-4 overall and 4-4 in the MEAC last season. The Aggies return five starters on offense and four players on defense.

The Aggies have four preseason first-team All-MEAC players in reigning MEAC Rookie of the Year running back Tarik Cohen, fifth-year offensive lineman William Ray Robinson III, senior wide receiver Desmond Lawrence and fifth-year linebacker D'Vonte Grant.

 

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Brian Von Bergen joins Albany State as QB coach

ALBANY, Georgia — For the second straight offseason, Albany State has landed a quarterback coach with an impressive resume and Division I coaching experience.

ASU announced the hiring of Brian Von Bergen as its newest QB coach on Thursday, filling the void left by Willie Totten, who left his post with the Rams after one season to take an assistant coaching job at Alabama A&M.



Like Totten — a former head coach and legendary receiver at Mississippi Valley State — did last summer, Von Bergen brings plenty of experience to the Rams.

“I feel very fortunate to be at Albany State,” said Von Bergen, who was the passing game coordinator and wide receiver coach for Division I Montana State the past five seasons and helped turn the Bobcats into one of the top offensive teams in the Big Sky Conference. “Ultimately I feel like I’m on a championship team and feel very blessed to work with these guys.”

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2014 CIAA Media Day Commissioner's Observation

2014 CIAA Media Day Commissioner's Observation from CIAA Media Relations on Vimeo.

DURHAM, North Carolina -- CIAA Commissioner Jacqie McWilliams said last Thursday as she kicked off the 2014 Preseason Football Media Day at the Durham Convention Center that the cancellation of last year's CIAA Football Championship Game was a "dark day in history" for the conference but a significant lesson was learned.

"It reminded us," McWilliams said, "of what we should be focused on and what is most important to this conference, and that is the welfare and the experience of our student/athletes." Speaking prior to media interviews with coaches and players from each of the league's 12 teams, McWilliams said an ad hoc committee of the conference's Board of Directors, the league's presidents, decided that no further action would be taken against the institutions involved but also made changes to the conference's constitution so that "what happened last year will never happen again."

"The bottom line," McWilliams said in also announcing conference initiatives to promote fair play, ethical conduct and sportsmanship, "isthere is zero tolerance for behaviors that diminish the values and the mission of this great conference." When it got down to play on the field, Winston-Salem State in the South and Virginia State in the North, the two teams that were scheduled to meet in last year's championship game, were the preseason selections by the league's head coaches and sports information directors to repeat in their respective divisions. But things will be a little different, at least at WSSU.

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FAMU finds solid lineman in Fuse

TALLAHASSEE, Florida --Despite being a key player on an undefeated state championship team, Daikwon Fuse didn't get too many offers to play college football.

While he and the Dwyer High School Panthers were blowing over the competition, the Rattlers were struggling to a 3-9 record last season. Even so, he didn't hesitate to take the offer to become a Rattler.

He figured the combination of FAMU needing to win and his familiarity with winning was a good match.

"Who doesn't like to win," Fuse said, explaining his decision. "I'm coming to win. I want to be a competitor. I'm going to bust my behind until we win.

"Coming from a winning team to a team that's struggling, I have nothing but time to help turn everything around."

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FAMU coaches participate in NFL minority internship

HEAD COACH EARL HOLMES
Florida A&M University
(Photo Courtesy: FAMU Athletics)

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Don't be surprised to see Quinn Gray, offensive coordinator for FAMU's football team, being a little more creative on short yardage plays than he's been in the past.

What he's experienced during the recent NFL Bill Walsh Minority Coaching Fellowship Program, has given him a new perspective on play-calling, Gray said.

Especially on second or third down with short yards to go, he said Saturday.

"It gave me the opportunity to just sit back and better understand play-calling in situations, understand why you do certain things in a situation," Gray said of the stint he had with the Detroit Lions' coaching staff. "It gave me a better overall understand on being able to lead a group of men."

Secondary coach Corey Fuller also participated in the program at Minnesota, while linebacker's coach Levon Kirkland spent time with the Tennessee Titans. Walsh initiated the program while with the 49ers in 1987, before the entire league adopted it for the last 25 years.

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Claude Humphrey, from Hazzard County to the Hall of Fame

CANTON, Ohio  -- Atlanta fans don't get to do this often. There's Deion Sanders, but the team's three other enshrinees -- Eric Dickerson, Chris Doleman, and Tommy McDonald -- played a combined five years in Atlanta. Even Deion played only five, though Falcons fans can fully claim every bit of him without thinking twice.

Humphrey, the imposing former Tennessee State Tiger, played 11 of his 14 seasons in Atlanta. That includes starring on the 1977 Falcons, the lunatic "Grits Blitz" that often blitzed nine of 11 defenders and gave up the fewest points in NFL history.

(That means he also played a major role in changing all of football, as the NFL swung its rules in the offenses' favor the following year. Don't like defense-free shootouts? Blame Claude Humphrey and company for being too good at stopping them.)

And even though he briefly retired mid-career and lobbied for a trade, ending up with theEagles, one cannot be blamed for wanting to leave the pre-Arthur Blank Falcons. "Pre-Arthur Blank" is a really spacious-sounding era and must describe a whole lot of years as being bad years, you say, and you are right. He then helped the Eagles reach Super Bowl XV, where he threw a penalty flag back at a ref.

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Didinger: TSU's Humphrey Takes His Rightful Place

CANTON, Ohio --The head slap was a devastating weapon for a defensive lineman, the football equivalent of a Joe Frazier left hook.

At the snap of the ball the lineman would come out of his stance and club the blocker upside the head with his forearm. Done with sufficient force, it could knock an opponent off-balance or even off his feet.

The NFL eventually outlawed the head slap because it was deemed too dangerous, but in the 1960s and ‘70s it was the go-to move for pass rushers and none used it better than Claude Humphrey. 



When the 6-foot-5, 260-pound Humphrey slammed his hand against the helmet of an offensive lineman, it sounded like a sledgehammer hitting a rock. There were times when Humphrey landed a blow and the opponent’s knees would buckle. The poor guy’s ears would be ringing the rest of the day.

“Deacon Jones (Rams Hall of Famer) may have invented the head slap, but Claude Humphrey got it outlawed,” said former Eagles coach Dick Vermeil. “Claude’s head slap was devastating.”

Humphrey VIDEO 

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Claude Humphrey got head start to Hall of Fame at TSU

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- Playing for Tennessee State gave Claude Humphrey a head start on what turned out to be a legendary NFL career.

The preparation from TSU coach John Merritt and his staff left the 6-foot-4, 252-pound defensive end with little to learn after the Atlanta Falcons made him the third overall pick of the 1968 draft.



So began a run that would last 14 years and include the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award, five first-team All-Pro selections and six Pro Bowls. The 70-year-old Humphrey will receive his greatest honor on Saturday with enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

"Everything I did my first year in professional football was stuff I had learned at Tennessee State," Humphrey said. "I did it in a Falcons uniform and a Falcons helmet, but it was all Tennessee State. The stuff that I was learning at Tennessee State, the pros hadn't caught onto it yet."


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Texas Southern's Michael Strahan ranks right below Lawrence Taylor amongst NY Giant greats

CANTON, Ohio − He sat in a locker room as a rookie, taking orders from Lawrence Taylor. He spent so much time during his career with Harry Carson (S.C. State) that he considers him “my big brother.” He is enough of a student of history that Michael Strahan can list all the greatest defensive players in Giants history.

It still seems strange to him that his name is placed so prominently on that list.

“To hear names like that and think I’m in that same group is unbelievable,” Strahan said on Friday. “Because I never planned on it. The fact it came down to this, being mentioned in that (group), it’s something. I mean, LT? Are you kidding me? Harry Carson? These guys are guys that I grew up watching and I loved and appreciated them.”

And they appreciate him, and have accepted the soon-to-be Hall of Famer into their notable group of former Giants. Yes, when discussing the list of greatest Giants defenders, it starts with Taylor and there’s a gap before anyone else. But on that next tier of names, Strahan − who will be inducted into the Hall on Saturday night − has to be included.

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Texas Southern's Michael Strahan: Pro Football Hall of Fame where he belongs

CANTON, Ohio  -- Michael Strahan takes his rightful place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday. Enshrinement comes a year later than it should have for the gap-toothed former New York Giants great, who missed out in his first year on the ballot. It is, however, an honor that is richly deserved for Strahan, probably the second-best defensive player in Giants history behind Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor.

Strahan's 15-year career with the Giants ended when he helped them defeat the New England Patriots, 17-14, in Super Bowl XLII. There were many, many great moments during a career that began in 1993 and ended in 2007.  The video below illustrates many of hem.

When we put together the '2014 New York Giants Almanac' I asked Big Blue View contributors for their favorite Strahan memories. Here are a couple of them.

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2014 Pro Football Hall of Fame: Aeneas Williams gets emotional during Gold Jacket Ceremony

CANTON, Ohio  --  Aeneas Williams tried not to get emotional Friday night as he was welcomed into the exclusive fraternity of the Pro Football Hall of Fame by the gauntlet Gold Jackets awaiting.

Williams had promised himself he wouldn't.

But three steps into the line of Hall of Famers, which included one-time nemesis Dallas Cowboy receiver Michael Irvin, Williams' eyes were already beginning to fill. By the time Williams reached fellow New Orleans native and former St. Louis Rams teammate Marshall Faulk, there was no controlling his emotions.

Williams and Faulk shared a long embrace as the more than 4,000 attendees of the Gold Jacket Ceremony applauded at the Civic Center in Canton. The seven Hall of Fame enshrinees were presented their signature Gold Jackets.

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Texas Southern and Tennessee State University Marching Bands Play in 2014 Pro Football Hall of Fame Parade

CANTON, Ohio - Tens of thousands of fans line the parade route to honor Michael Strahan and the six other 2014 enshrinees to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

The morning crowds watched as the class of 2014 Enshrinees - Derrick Brooks, Ray Guy, Claude Humphrey, Walter Jones, Andre Reed, Michael Strahan, Aeneas Williams - and many more returning Hall of Famers were escorted in cars through downtown Canton.

There were specialty units, giant helium balloons, fabulous floats and marching bands including Tennessee State University and Texas Southern University "Ocean of Soul" as the enshrines were cheered by the crowds that were five rows deep.

PHOTO GALLERY

Watch Tennessee State University Aristocrat Marching Band at the 40:00 mark.
Watch Texas Southern University Ocean of Soul Marching Band at the 56:00 mark.

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Hall of Fame notebook: Mel Blount gets some Southern support in Canton

CANTON, Ohio —Mel Blount finally is getting some company from Southern University in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Exactly 25 years after being enshrined in 1989, following a spectacular career with the great Pittsburgh Steelers teams of the 1970s, Blount will be joined Saturday night by former Southern star Aeneas Williams.

Being only the second former Southern player to be elected to the Hall has even more meaning for Williams, who like Blount played cornerback for 14 NFL seasons.

It’s extra special to Williams because his father, Lawrence, attended Southern when Blount was on his way to stardom during his career with the Jaguars in the late 1960s.

“I love football and I’m a historian of the game, so I knew Mel’s statistics and all of that,” Williams said Friday, on the eve of his induction along with six other former NFL greats.

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Southern's Aeneas Williams still ‘enjoying this wave’ all the way to the Pro Football Hall of Fame

CANTON, Ohio — After 14 productive seasons in the NFL and another 10 years removed from the game he played so well, Aeneas Williams turned back the clock Friday.

From an early-morning photo shoot on the steps of the Pro Football Hall of Fame museum surrounded by 106 members of the shrine, to the Ray Nitschke Luncheon, to a solemn Gold Jacket Dinner that capped a busy day, Williams was a wide-eyed rookie again.

Williams, a New Orleans native and former Southern University star, harkened back to his days as a third-round draft pick by the then-Phoenix Cardinals by doing a lot of listening on the eve of his induction into the Hall of Fame.

“Being in that room with those guys,” a smiling Williams said during an afternoon news conference, “I’m a rookie all over again.”

At the same time, Williams wasn’t intimidated by ...

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As SU Jaguars open camp, no early clues on QB situation

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  -- Southern’s quarterback competition resumed Friday with the first practice of preseason camp.

Every snap, every throw and every decision of four inexperienced players is being dissected by the coaching staff as they try to choose the one most capable of leading the offense when the Jaguars open the season Aug. 30 at Louisiana-Lafayette.

While the coaches look for clues as to which player deserves to start, observers are looking for clues as to what the coaches are thinking.

On Friday, Deonte Shorts worked with the first-team offense, and fellow redshirt freshman Frances Kennah worked with the second team.

And just what does that mean?

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SC State To Begin Preseason Football Camp With 95 Student-Athletes

COACH BUDDY POUGH

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina  --  SC State will begin preparing for the 2014 football season Friday (Aug.1) when players report to the campus for orientation, team seminars, and physicals. The Bulldogs will conduct their first two practices in helmets Saturday (Aug.2) and Sunday (Aug.3) —at 9:30 a.m.

SC State will also conduct, single workouts in shorts and helmets on Monday (Aug. 4) and Tuesday (Aug.5) at 9:30 a.m. and Tuesday at 3:10 p.m. First workout in full pads begin Wednesday (Aug.6) at 9:30 a.m., with two-a-day practices, on an alternating basis, beginning Thursday (Aug.7), with the morning workout set for 9:30 a.m., on Friday (Aug. 8) as well.

Coach Buddy Pough's team will hold its annual "Press and Picture Day" Saturday (Aug. 9), beginning at 9 a.m. at the O.C. Dawson Stadium before conducting its first preseason scrimmage at 7 p.m. The team will take Sunday off before resuming practice Monday (Aug.11) at 9:30 a.m., followed by evening practice at 7:10.

The team's annual "Meet the Players Day", sponsored by The STATE Club, will be held August 16^th at 12:30 p.m. and will be preceded by the second preseason scrimmage at 10 a.m.

 

The Bulldogs open their 12-game 2014 schedule Aug. 30 on the road against intrastate rival Benedict College in the Palmetto Capital City Classic at 5 p.m.at Charles W. Johnson Stadium in Columbia. SC State has five home games slated this season at Oliver. C. Dawson Stadium in Orangeburg. Pough's team was picked to finish second in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference for the second straight season in a preseason poll of head coaches and sports information directors.

2014 Bulldog Preseason Football Information
Friday Aug. 1 Players report/Orientation/Seminars/Physicals/Team Meeting/Sports Information- 6:30 p.m.
Saturday Aug. 2
Practice # 1 (helmets) 9:30 a.m.
Sunday Aug. 3
Practice # 2 (helmets) 9:30 a.m.
Monday Aug. 4
Practice # 3 (shells) 9:30 a.m.
Tuesday Aug. 5
Practice # 4 (shells) 9:30 a.m.
Wednesday Aug. 6
Practice #5 (full pads) 9:30 a.m.
Thursday Aug. 7 Two-a-day Practices Begin
Practices #6 (full pads) 9:30 a.m.
Practices # 7(shells) 7:10 p.m.
Friday Aug. 8
Practice #8 (full pads) 9:30 a.m.
Saturday Aug. 10 Media & Picture Day-9 a.m. O.C. Dawson Stadium
Practice#9
(Scrimmage #1-full pads)-7 p.m.
Sunday Aug. 11 No practice
Monday Aug. 11 Two-a-day Practices
Practice # 10(full pads) 9:30 a.m.
Practice # 11(shells) 7:10 p.m.
Tuesday Aug. 12
Practice # 12(full pads)-9:30 a.m.
Wednesday Aug. 13 Two-a-day Practices
Practice # 13(full pads) 9:30 a.m.
Practice # 14(shells) 7:10 p.m.
Thursday Aug. 14
Practice #15 (full pads)-9:30 a.m.
Friday Aug. 15 Two-a-day Practices
Practice # 16(full pads) 9:30 a.m.
Practice # 17(shells) 7:10 p.m.
Saturday Aug. 16
Practice# 18 (Scrimmage # 2-full pads) 10 a.m.
Sunday Aug. 17 No practice
Monday Aug.18 Two-a-day Practices
Practice # 19(full pads) 9:30 a.m.
Practice # 20(shells) 7:10 p.m.
Tuesday Aug. 19 Classes Begin, No Practice

**In-season practice schedule begins Aug. 20 (times vary, consult Athletic Media Relations Office).**
 
COURTESY SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Freshman linebacker in hurry-up mode at FAMU

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  -- The sense of urgency to play college football was obvious in Fitzgerald Mofor's voice, as he talked about finally getting his college football career started.He had to make an unexpected stop at a prep school. He's at FAMU now, hoping to make the team as one of four starting linebackers.

"I'm really pumped," he said. "I want to showcase my talent; try to show what I can do."He would have been doing that a year ago at Benedict College, which signed him in the spring of 2013 out of Sherwood High School in Maryland. Instead, he ended up at Jireh Preparatory Academy high school in Matthews, N.C., for a semesterHe's been attending summer classes at FAMU, hoping the stay ahead of the academic curb.

"I'm really pumped," he said. "I want to showcase my talent; try to show what I can do."

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