In quarterback race at NSU, then there were two

NORFOLK, Virginia  -- The competition at quarterback remains open at Norfolk State.

First-year coach Latrell Scott said Friday that sophomore Terrance Ervin, who started nine games as a true freshman, will have to stave off newcomer Greg Hankerson to keep the job. Hankerson, a junior transfer, appeared in 16 games over two seasons at Florida Atlantic.

Asked whether he had a quarterback controversy on his hands, Scott didn't hesitate.

"I think there's a controversy in everything," he said, speaking before the MEAC's annual media luncheon in downtown Norfolk. "It's not so much controversy, it's competition."

Ervin, a Richmond native, completed 54.3 percent of his passes last season for 1,310 yards, eight touchdowns and nine interceptions. Hankerson passed for 647 yards and four scores in two seasons at FAU.



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Jay Gruden: Redskins decision-makers deemed Junior Galette worthy of a second chance

RICHMOND, Virginia – Jay Gruden said an impressive body of work, plus the contrite and grateful attitude that he observed in Junior Galette, sold him on the free agent linebacker.

Galette, released Monday by the New Orleans Saints after he fell out of favor with the organization in the past year, met with Gruden on Thursday and told the coach he was eager to redeem himself and repay the Redskins for believing in him.

“Talking to Junior, he’s very thankful for the opportunity New Orleans had given him, very remorseful about what happened, just being in the situation he was in,” Gruden said on Friday, relaying his conversations with Galette, who spent the first five seasons of his career with the Saints.


The Washingotn Redskins signed Galette to a one year contract worth $745,000.  He played his final college season at Stillman, after being dropped by Temple. 

“And he was really excited about a second chance. … He said he’d do everything in his power to make sure we wouldn’t regret it.”

The 6-foot-2, 258-pound Galette posted 22 sacks in the past two seasons. His pass-rushing expertise will help a Redskins defense that struggled to get to the quarterback while plagued by injury last season.

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T.J. Wisham earns Southern, Nicholls State, Grambling offers, ties Episcopal weight-lifting record

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  -- A scholarship offer Friday evening from Southern marked just the latest development in an impressive summer for T.J. Wisham.

The highlights for the standout Episcopal 2016 running back include three scholarship offers — from Nicholls State, Grambling State and Southern — as well as tying a school weight-lifting record.

"I feel really good about the (summer)," he said. "My main goals were to get better and help my team get better, and I did both. I went to a few camps and felt they were very productive. I've picked up a lot of interest, and things going into my senior year are looking well.

 

"(I'm) really excited about the season with the way the team has grown the last two months. We've been working hard, spending a lot of time together and are really a solid family. I think we have a special season in front of us."

 

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New Mexico State, Harvard, Southern latest offers for Zachary quarterback Lindsey Scott

ZACHARY, Louisiana -- Lindsey Scott reported scholarship offers from four SWAC programs in a span of eight minutes Friday afternoon via Twitter.

The rapid-fire announcement of Grambling State, Alcorn State, Texas Southern and Southern University was enough for former NFL wide receiver JJ McCleskey to jokingly ask if the Zachary quarterback had just attended the conference's media day.

Southern offered Scott on Friday, just weeks after Harvard, but the other three SWAC schools did so earlier in the growing list on the under-recruited standout's phone.



Under-recruited for now, anyway.

New Mexico State offered Scott a scholarship as he discussed the SWAC schools with NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune, and other notable programs may not be far behind.

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Southern football training camp preview: After sitting out spring practice, Jaguars have extra work to do

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- The start of preseason football practice is supposed to be an opportunity for a team to pick up where it left off at the end of spring practice and for the coaches to start figuring out who’s going to assume roles vacated by the previous season’s seniors.

But when Southern reports Sunday and practices for the first time Monday, those challenges will be greater than normal.

The Jaguars didn’t have spring practice; they were banned from the workouts, finishing the final sanction from NCAA punishment relating to subpar academic progress rates. Additionally, 11 players who had remaining eligibility after last season are no longer on the active roster.

Six of those players are academically ineligible: defensive backs Bryan Anderson and Justin Bethancourt, offensive linemen Brandon Thibodeaux and Neako Jones, linebacker Jordan Taylor and punter Paul Randle Soden. Some of the academic casualties have appealed and could be reinstated, but Southern officials won’t say who falls into that category.

Four others left the team: running backs Jamarcus Jarvis and Tyre Bracken, offensive lineman Clayton Sylve and defensive lineman Gerald Brent. Also, kicker Kyle Yonke was dismissed.

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Soaring with the SeaHawks: Former Southern U. standout working his dream job, mixing football and people, with NFL team

Maurice “Mo” Kelly
Courtesy: Seattle Seahawks

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- It’s not every day that you run into someone who loves his job and cares about the people with whom he works.

Well, if you see Orangeburg, South Carolina native Maurice “Mo” Kelly the next time he is visiting family in the Garden City, you will quickly realize he is one of those people.

Kelly -- a former Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School football player who later played in the Canadian Football League and the NFL – has been promoted by the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks to the position of vice president of player engagement.

Although Kelly says the title is mostly all that’s changing from his former position as senior director for player development, he appreciates the executive level of the title that Coach Pete Carroll and General Manager John Schneider decided he deserves. And it’s a bit more executive-like than the nickname he carried during his professional playing days as a defensive back/linebacker: “Crash Kelly.”

“It’s really a title of a job to go along with ...

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HU coach Connell Maynor senses greater comfort level in second year

NORFOLK, Virginia — Connell Maynor knows his players better, and they have a firmer grasp on his goals and schemes as Maynor enters his second year as Hampton University’s football coach.  There aren’t any more unknown feelings — Maynor knows what to expect out of the Pirates this season.

“The biggest adjustment has just been showing patience,” Maynor said at the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference’s annual media day Friday. “I had to understand that I didn’t have all of my players. I have to have a couple recruiting classes to get my players in there and get them to understand our system and to learn what championships are all about. That’s a process.

“Hopefully, we’ll get a little bit better next year. This was our first full year of recruiting. That’s going to help us out tremendously. We got the guys from last year to understand what we’re looking for, and hopefully that makes us a lot better.”

HU (3-9 in 2014) returns seven starters on offense and eight on defense. The defense, which ranked 10th in the MEAC in scoring defense and ninth in total defense, went through some changes with new coordinator Mike Ketchum, formerly of Delaware State.

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NCCU aims to claim MEAC title of its own

NORFOLK, Virginia — As he prepared for the MEAC media luncheon Friday, N.C. Central junior Mike Jones put on a sharp gray suit and navy collared shirt.

He fastened his watch and tied his shoes.

Then, he picked up a flashy maroon and silver ring and slid it on his right ring finger for the first time since he got it.

Jones usually leaves it sitting in its original box on his desk, buried under papers and other trinkets that always seem to collect on dorm room desks.

Every member of last year’s 7-5 team has this ring, symbolizing the school’s conference championship. But, after a five-way tie for the title last season, four other teams also claimed shares of the championship and have rings celebrating their share of the MEAC.

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Norfolk State Spartan Football Picked 7th in MEAC Preseason Poll

MEAC Preseason Predictions

NORFOLK, Virginia – The Norfolk State football team was predicted to finish seventh in the preseason poll of MEAC head coaches and sports information directors, and seven Spartans were named to the preseason All-MEAC teams as the league held its annual media day and luncheon on Friday.

Senior linebacker Deon King and senior receiver Isaac White were both named to the preseason All-MEAC first team. Senior defensive lineman Shawn Fauntleroy Jr. was voted to the second team, while the quartet of senior defensive lineman Kevin Williams, senior linebacker Lamar Neal, junior safety Brandon Walker and junior kicker Cameron Marouf were all voted to the third team.

North Carolina A&T, one of last season's five MEAC co-champions, was narrowly voted as the favorite to win the conference. The Aggies were followed in the preseason poll by the other four co-champions from last year: South Carolina State was predicted second, Bethune-Cookman third, North Carolina Central fourth and Morgan State fifth. Hampton was tabbed sixth and NSU seventh.

Rounding out the poll in eighth through 11^th places were Florida A&M, Howard, Delaware State and Savannah State, respectively. FAMU, Howard and SSU are ineligible for the MEAC championship this year.

King added to his list of preseason accolades Friday. He has already been named to the STATS FCS Preseason All-America second team and is a member of the STATS Defensive Player of the Year Watch List. King tallied 106 tackles, 18 for loss, and 7.5 sacks as part of the nation's No. 2 ranked defense last season on his way to All-MEAC first-team honors. King also recovered three fumbles, forced two and intercepted a pass.

White was a second-team All-MEAC selection last year, when he led all conference players with 664 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. He made 48 receptions as a junior in 2014.

Fauntleroy has helped plug the middle of the NSU defense from his nose guard position the last three seasons. He is coming off a 2014 season in which he made 33 tackles, two for loss.

Williams started just twice in 12 games last season, but came on strong toward the end of the year. Williams had 19 tackles, 2.5 for loss, with one sack, two pass deflections and a forced fumble. He figures to move into an even larger role this season.

Neal ranked fourth on the team and tied for 16th in the MEAC in tackles, with 85. He made 3.5 tackles for loss and one sack while starting 11 of the Spartans' 12 games at inside linebacker.

Walker started 10 times last season at strong safety and enjoyed a breakout year. Walker made 43 tackles, 3.5 for loss, and broke up eight passes to help the Spartans finish second in the nation (FCS) in pass defense.

Marouf was a third-team All-MEAC selection after last year, when he made 10 of the 15 field goals he attempted. Marouf connected on seven field goals of at least 40 yards in length, including a 51-yarder against Delaware State.

N.C. A&T running back Tarik Cohen was named the MEAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, and South Carolina State defensive lineman Javon Hargrave was voted the MEAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.

The Spartan players report for preseason training camp this Thursday before holding their first practice at 3 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 7. NSU's first two practices (Aug. 7-8) will be held at Norview High School in Norfolk due to the AAU Junior Olympics track and field meet being held on the NSU campus.



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

Ten SCSU Bulldogs Named To All-MEAC Preseason Team, SC State Picked Second

PHOTO COURTESY: SCSU ATHLETICS

NORFOLK, Virginia —Ten (10) SC State University Bulldogs were named to the preseason all-conference team, while SC State was picked to finish second behind, the defending Co-champion North Carolina A&T State in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) as voted by the league's head football coaches and sports information directors.

This is the third straight year the Bulldogs were picked second in the preseason conference poll. The announcements were made at the MEAC's Annual Football Press Luncheon held Friday afternoon at the Norfolk Marriott Waterside Hotel in Virginia.

South Carolina State, received four first-place votes, behind North Carolina A&T State with nine first-place votes to receive the first place ranking in the conference's preseason poll for 2015 MEAC Football Season. All five teams that earned a share of conference title last year rounded out the first five spots of this year's preseason predicted order of finish.

All-American defensive lineman and last year's MEAC Defensive Player of the Year Javon Hargrave was this year's favorite to win the award again, along with redshirt sophomore and the 2014 Rookie of the Year Darius Leonard earning First Team All-MEAC honors.

Hargrave also garnered postseason honors last year, leading the MEAC and ranking second in the nation in sacks with 16 for a loss of 199 yards and fourth in the FCS in tackles for loss with 23.5. He finished the season recording 55 total tackles, three forced fumbles, one recovered fumble (61 yards), eight quarterback hurries and two breakups. He was listed on the Sports Networks' Buck Buchanan Award List for much of last year and earned national and conference Defensive Player of the Week honors after tying a conference and FCS-best record of six (6) sacks in a single game in a win over ranked Bethune-Cookman. Hargrave is currently on the award list for The Sports Networks' STATS FCS Defensive Player of the Year honor.

Senior running back Jalen Simmons, tight end Temarrick Hemingway and redshirt junior offensive lineman Javarius Leamon, all earned All-MEAC Second Team honors on offense. On defense it was senior defensive end Reggie Owens, and defensive back/return specialist Antonio Hamilton.

Meanwhile, redshirt senior defensive lineman James Settles and senior defensive back Chris Pauling were named to the All-MEAC Third Team respectively.

The Bulldogs open the 2015 season on Sept. 6 in the 11th Annual MEAC/SWAC Challenge against SWAC foe Arkansas Pine-Bluff in Orlando, Fla. Kick-off is 3 p.m. and will be televised live on ESPNU/ESPN3. 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.

Listed below are the 2015 MEAC Preseason Predicted Order of Finish and Preseason All-MEAC teams:

2015 Predicted Order of Finish (First Place Votes in Parenthesis)
1. North Carolina A&T State University (9)
2. South Carolina State University (4)
3. Bethune-Cookman University (1)
4. North Carolina Central University (4)
5. Morgan State University
6. Hampton University (2)
7. Norfolk State University
8. Florida A&M University**
9. Howard University**
10. Delaware State University (1)
11. Savannah State University** (1)
** Florida A&M, Howard and Savannah State is not eligible
for post season competition**

BULLDOG ALL-MEAC HONORS
First Team All-Defense
Pos. Player
DL Javon Hargrave
LB Darius Leonard

Second Team All-Offense
Pos. Player
RB Jalen Simmons
TE Temarrick Hemingway
OL Javarius Leamon

Second Team All-Defense
Pos. Player
DL Reggie Owens
DB Antonio Hamilton
RS Antonio Hamilton

Third Team All-Defense
Pos. Player
DL James Settles
DB Chris Pauling

COURTESY SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION        

S.C. State picked second in MEAC behind N.C. A&T

NORFOLK, Virginia -- South Carolina State was picked to finish second Friday in the annual Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football poll of head coaches and sports information directors. North Carolina A&T was picked first.

S.C. State received four first-place votes with North Carolina A&T State getting nine. All five teams that earned a share of the MEAC title last year rounded were in the top five spots in the preseason poll, including No. 3 Bethune-Cookman, No. 4 N.C. Central and No. 5 Morgan State.

All-American senior defensive lineman Javon Hargrave of S.C. State was named preseason Defensive Player of the Year. He earned first-team All-MEAC honors, along with sophomore linebacker Darius Leonard.

Running back Jalen Simmons, tight end Temarrick Hemingway and offensive lineman Javarius Leamon, defensive end Reggie Owens and defensive back/return specialist Antonio Hamilton were picked to the All-MEAC second team.

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A&T Picked To Win MEAC, Cohen Named Preseason POTY

NORFOLK, Virginia – The North Carolina A&T football team went nine straight seasons (2004-12) without being predicted to finish in the top 5 of the MEAC standings.

On Friday at the annual MEAC Media Luncheon at the Norfolk Waterside Marriott, the Aggies were not only picked to win the league, but MEAC head coaches and sports information directors also selected A&T star junior running back Tarik Cohen (5-foot-6, 173, Bunn, N.C.) as the preseason offensive player of the year. Joining Cohen on the preseason first team are senior cornerback Tony McRae (5-9, 178, Laurinburg, N.C.), redshirt junior defensive tackle Marquis Ragland (6-3, 271, Fayetteville, N.C.) and junior place kicker Cody Jones (5-11, 141, Gastonia, N.C.).

Senior defensive tackle Michael Neal (5-11, 260, Greensboro, N.C.) , senior rover Landis Shoffner (6-0, 186, Greensboro, N.C.) and redshirt sophomore left tackle Brandon Parker (6-7, 279, Kannapolis, N.C.) were second-team selections, while junior offensive guard Wes Cole (6-6, 335, Norwood, N.C.) was selected to the third team.

A&T, who finished last season 9-3 overall and 6-2 in the MEAC, received nine out of 22 first-place votes and received 425 points, 17 more than S.C. State who was picked to finish second with four first-place votes. Bethune-Cookman (one first-place vote), N.C. Central (four first-place votes) and Morgan State, last season’s MEAC representative in the NCAA FCS playoffs, rounded out the top 5. The MEAC race finished in a five-way tie for first in 2014 with A&T, Morgan State, Bethune-Cookman, NCCU and S.C. State sharing the MEAC title.

“How about that?” said fifth-year head coach Rod Broadway about being picked to win the conference. Broadway is four wins shy of his 100th career victory.

“When we stated four years ago, no one thought we were in the position to compete for a championship after coming off 27 straight losses,” he continued. “Just getting to the point where we are expected to do well is a great accomplishment by our players and coaches.”

Cohen, the league’s co-offensive player of the year in 2014, is coming off of a season where he rushed for 1,340 yards and 15 touchdowns, the second most yards in a season in A&T history. Only Maurice Hicks (2,812) has rushed for more yards in a two-year period than Cohen (2,488) in program history. Cohen has led in the MEAC in rushing over his first two seasons at A&T, and also led the MEAC in scoring (96 points) and touchdowns (16).

Nationally, he ranked third in yards per carry (6.8), 11th in rushing yards per game (121.8) and 15th in rushing TDs.

“He’s just a special talent,” Broadway said. “I think what makes him special is his will to win and work ethic. He is one of our most talented players, and he has the heart of a champion. He has an excellent skill set with that work ethic, which makes him a great player.”

McRae serves two roles for the Aggies. He is their top corner and kickoff returner. He was a first-team defensive back and second-team kickoff returner in 2014 after making five interceptions, breaking up 11 more passes and earning 25.7 yards per kickoff return. He ranked 13th nationally in passes defended (1.3 per game) and 15th in INTs (0.4 per game) as the Aggies led the nation in turnovers gained and were second in INTs.

Ragland is coming off a career season in which he made 69 tackles (38 unassisted), 15.5 tackles for loss, eight sacks and he blocked three kicks. From his nose guard position, he was third in the MEAC in sacks and fifth in tackles for loss.

Jones was a first-team 2014 All-MEAC selection after connecting on 15 of 19 (.789) field goals and 45 of 47 (.957) extra points. His 90 points were second in the MEAC behind Cohen. He led the conference in field goal percentage and was second in extra point percentage. Jones also doubled as the Aggies punter last season, ranking seventh in the league in yards per punt.

A&T opens the season Sept. 5 at home against Shaw University at 6 p.m. The Aggies first conference game is Oct. 3 at Hampton at 1 p.m.

NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Morgan State has MEAC's attention

NORFOLK, Virginia -- (STATS) - Few, if any, foresaw Morgan State capturing a share of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title and its first-ever FCS playoff bid at the start of last season.

The Bears were getting acclimated to a first-year head coach, hadn't won the conference title in 35 years and were picked ninth in the conference's preseason poll.

They didn't touch first place in October and endured a 45-0 loss with two weeks left in the season (yeah, ouch).

Yet on the final Saturday of the regular season, everything that had to go right did, and Morgan State was one of five teams to earn a share of the title. The tie-breakers then fell the Bears' way in the form of the postseason bid.

It's all changed this year. Opponents aren't sleeping on these Bears, although on Friday at MEAC football media day in Norfolk, Virginia, they were selected ...

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Jackson City Council Honors Former Jackson State University Director of Bands, Dowell Taylor

JSU opponent preview: Arkansas-Pine Bluff

JACKSON, Mississippi -- There's some top line talent on Arkansas-Pine Bluff's defense, which features three players who were preseason All-SWAC first team.

It'll be up to that talent to produce some results now after the defense surrendered 39.2 points per game in 2014, and gave up at least 42 points on six occasions.

Golden Lions coach Monte Coleman apparently tried to address those defensive issues in this past recruiting cycle when he signed nine defensive backs, six linebackers and four defensive linemen.

Those newcomers and some of the returners from last season will look to build upon a defensive foundation set by defensive lineman Demarcus Berry, linebacker Willie Duncan and defensive back Kevin Rucker.

Berry was disruptive coming off the line of scrimmage and recorded eight sacks last season. Duncan was a strong downhill defender against the run and posted 100 tackles.

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Milestone moment: From Southern to Cooperstown

BATON ROUGE -- Arkansas native and Mer Rouge transplant Lou Brock became the 20th player in Major League Baseball history to enter the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

Brock, a former standout for the Southern University baseball team, walked-on in order to gain a collegiate scholarship to pay for school, but even he did not realize the magnitude to which his potential could climb. His ability became truly undeniable following his sophomore season, where he raised his batting average to .500; .300 points higher than his freshman campaign.

As a member of the Jaguars, Brock led Southern University to its first NAIA baseball championship and was named to the All-SWAC team in 1960, his second consecutive appearance.



Brock’s success on the diamond led to the United States baseball team selecting him to play in the Pan American games, where he performed so well that he was offered a $30,000 signing bonus by the Chicago Cubs. Brock accepted the offer, and spent only one year in the minor leagues before being called up to the MLB at the end of the ’61 season.

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Tuskegee receives permission to speak with Michigan's Dennis Norfleet about a transfer

ANN ARBOR, Michigan -- Dennis Norfleet's situation with the Michigan football program has been cloudy for roughly three months now.

But it appears he's at least strongly considering spending his final year of eligibility elsewhere.

A spokesman at Tuskegee University told MLive on Monday afternoon that the university received official permission to speak with Norfleet about a potential transfer to the school over the weekend.
Tuskegee is a Division II school in Alabama. If Norfleet transferred there, he'd be eligible to play immediately.

Michigan has declined to comment on Norfleet's status officially for three months now. In May, King High School coach Dale Harvel told MLive that the receiver/kick returner had been dismissed from the program by coach Jim Harbaugh.

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New AD Overton starts in August, contract worth $185,000 annually

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- New Florida A&M Athletic Director Milton Overton Jr. signed an employment offer sheet from university President Elmira Mangum in June, agreeing to a base annual salary of $185,000 with incentives.

The offer sheet mentions a one-time lump sum payment of $25,000, to be paid within 30 days of Overton's start date. Overton will receive a courtesy car and salary incentive bonuses for reaching milestones in "team, academic and departmental revenue performance."

Overton officially starts at FAMU on Aug. 3, two days before the university's next Board of Trustees meeting. FAMU CFO Dale Cassidy said during a committee meeting he and Overton were working on revising Florida A&M's athletic budget to increase potential revenue this year.

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2015 JCSU Football Media Guide Now Available Online

VIEW JCSU FOOTBALL MEDIA GUIDE

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina — The 2015 Johnson C. Smith University football media guide is now available online.

The guide is filled with historical information regarding JCSU football, as well as 2014 statistics, the 2015 season preview and other information about the 2015 JCSU football team.

Fans can click here to view the guide.


AWAYS WATCH IN 1080p HD, WIDE SCREEN

COURTESY JOHNSON C. SMITH UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Prioleau, Thomas and '90 football team headed to CSU Hall of Fame

The 1990 Central State Football Team

WILBERFORCE, Ohio – Central State Athletic Director Jahan Culbreath has announced the department's Hall of Fame committee's 2015 inductees. Joining the CSU Hall of Fame this year will be Thelanious "Laney" Prioleau, Dr. Arthur E. Thomas, and the 1990 Central State football team.

"We are proud of the inductees and appreciate everything they have done for Central State," Culbreath said. "The induction ceremony is an opportunity for all the proud Central State alumni to come together to celebrate the accomplishments of Marauder athletics. The event serves as a platform to relive great memories and honor the tremendous achievements of our inductees."

In addition to this year's inductees, Central State's undefeated 1965 men's basketball team will be in attendance to celebrate their 50th anniversary. The '65 team won the school's first NAIA national basketball title with a flawless 30-0 record.

"It is a great privilege to have members of our '65 basketball team celebrate 50 years with us," Culbreath said. "This group set the bar for the CSU teams that followed them and established the great tradition of Marauder basketball."

The 2015 Hall of Fame Luncheon will be held at the Country Club of the North in Beavercreek on Friday, October 9, at 1 p.m. Tickets to the induction ceremony are available for $35 each and can be purchased online or by calling the CSU Athletic Office at 937-376-6289. All those planning to attend must RSVP prior to the event and purchase their ticket(s) on or before Monday, August 31.

Bio information on the 2015 inductees is as follows:

Thelanious "Laney" Prioleau

Thelanious "Laney" Prioleau solidified himself as one of the most versatile baseball players to ever play for Central State. Playing from 1983 for 1985, Prioleau posted a career batting average of .394 with 18 home runs, 80 runs batted in and 98 stolen bases. He also was a threat on the mound accumulating a 12-5 career record with 139 strikeouts.

A graduate of Mergenthaler Vocational Tech High School in Baltimore, MD, Prioleau arrived on the campus of Central State in the winter of 1983 poised to make an impact on the baseball diamond. As a freshman, Prioleau batted .319 and hit a team high 4 triples. As a pitcher, Prioleau quickly showed coaches his versatility as a dual threat by compiling team highs in wins (4), strikeouts (39), innings pitched (32) and a school record 14 strikeouts against rival Kentucky State. His 6.5 strikeout average was 5th in the nation in the 1983 statistical rankings. Following the 1983 season, Prioleau was labeled as the "mainstay" of the rotation by CSU Hall of Fame baseball coach Steve Kring.

Prioleau continued his improvement as a hitter as a sophomore, posting a .412 batting average which ranked in the top 30 in the nation. Prioleau led CSU in RBI (26), home runs (5), triples (4), doubles (7) and stolen bases (27). He continued his dominance on the mound, going 4-1 with team highs in strikeouts (45) and innings pitched (37). Prioleau also was the only CSU player to play all nine positions in a single game against Walsh University in May of 1984.

In his final season with CSU, Prioleau ranked 5th in the nation with a .452 batting average and once again led the team in RBIs (39), triples (5) and doubles (9). He also hit 10 home runs and led the nation with a school record 53 stolen bases. In 39 innings of work, Prioleau pitched to a 4-2 record, a career high 53 strikeouts and ranked 2nd in the nation in 1985 with 8.8 strikeouts per game.

Prioleau exemplified himself as a leader on and off the diamond. He earned the team's academic achievement award in all three years in which he wore the maroon and gold. He also served as the team captain in the '84 and '85 seasons.

After the 1985 season, Prioleau was drafted by the Detroit Tigers. He returned to Central State to complete his degree in 1989. Since graduating, Prioleau has established a 24-year career in the biotechnology industry. He currently resides in Baltimore, MD, with his wife of 25 years, Terry. His son, TJ, and daughter, Teniera, are also multi-sport athletes. TJ served as captain of the 2014 CSU basketball team and also ran track for the Marauders. He recently accepted the head women's coaching position at CCBC-Catonsville. Teneira is currently enrolled at Wilson College (PA) and plays on the basketball team and soccer team.

Dr. Arthur E. Thomas

Dr. Arthur E. Thomas has dedicated his entire adult life and career toward championing the cause of the poor, the oppressed, and the denied. He has, at great personal sacrifice, fought all forms of injustices at the local, state, and federal levels. A 1962 graduate of Central State University, Dr. Thomas has worked as an elementary and high school teacher, as well as, a football and track coach. He has also taught and directed advocacy programs. At the university level, he has served as Vice President and President at Central State University. He served on the Historically Black College and University Presidential Advisory Board of former Presidents George H.W. Bush and William J. Clinton. Dr. Thomas served for 12 consecutive years, never faltering in his advocacy for poor and denied people.

Dr. Thomas was selected by President Clinton to be an official U.S. repr
esentative to the first democratic elections in South Africa. During his tenure as President at Central State University, he awarded 123 full scholarships to African students from 23 African countries. Ten students were recipients from South Africa in fulfillment of a commitment to the Honorable Nelson Mandela.

During Dr. Thomas' presidency, Central State University had a record enrollment of more than 3,200 students; developed a four-year undergraduate International Water Resources Management Program; established a four-year fully accredited Manufacturing Engineering Program; re-established the Master's Degree in Education; an emphasized the African Studies Program; and developed a model Linguistics Program. In addition he directed the university's internationally renowned Convocation series which also was promoted the University through a PBS television series and book, "Like It Is." In the area of student development, Dr. Thomas was instrumental strengthening the award winning Invincible Marching Marauders and the Grammy nominated University Chorus and in the success of the athletic department. During his tenure, Central State won two football national NAIA championships, eight women's national NAIA track championships, two men's national NAIA track championship, and women's basketball teams also won eight district basketball championships and participated in the national NAIA Tournament eight times. In addition to numerous athletic honorees and award winners, Central State student-athletes also included participants in national and international competition including the Olympics, highlighted by Olympic Gold Medalist Deon Hemmings'1996 performance in the 400-meter hurdles.

Dr. Thomas is proud of his determined efforts to provide access to a college education to the poor as well as to those who have been victimized by racist and inadequate public school systems. He received the Carter G. Woodson Award from the National Education Association as well as awards from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, The Rainbow PUSH Coalition, and the National Council of Negro Women. Dr. Thomas earned his Master's in Education from Miami University (Ohio), and his doctoral degree in Education Administration from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Dr. Thomas has received honorary degrees from Shaw College, Capital University, and his Alma Mater, Central State University. Dr. Thomas recently received an outstanding Leadership Award from NAFEO (the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education) for his leadership and courage at Central State University and the Lifetime Achievement Award from Delta Zeta Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. He also is a member of the CSU Alumni Hall of Fame and most recently was inducted into the 2012 National Black College Hall of Fame and received its Lifetime Achievement Award.

Additionally, Dr. Thomas served as the Director of the Kellogg Foundation-funded NAFEO Kellogg Leadership Fellows Program and as the Program Manager for the California State University San Bernardino Integrated Technology Transfer Network Program at Morgan State University in Baltimore, MD. More recently, he has served as the Senior Administrative Coordinator of the Ph.D. Program in Bioenvironmental Science, School of Computer, Mathematical, & Natural Sciences at Morgan State University. Currently, Dr. Thomas is serving as a NAFEO Presidential Fellow and working to developing programs and engaging in the resolution of problems confronting HBCUs. Dr. Thomas is also working to develop a HBCU Consortium to offer undergraduate degrees to incarcerated men and women of color during the period of their incarceration.

The 1990 Central State Football Team helped set the standard for CSU football. After establishing the program as a perennial NAIA powerhouse throughout the 1980s, Hall of Fame coach Billy Joe and the Marauders solidified their place in history by delivering the first national football title to CSU in 1990.

Entering the season with a high powered offense, a shutdown defense, and an electrifying special teams unit, the Marauders began the 90' campaign with blowout victories over Morgan State, St. Francis and Tennessee State. In week four, the Marauders suffered their only loss of the season in a 43-42 shootout against Northeast Missouri State.

According to the coaches and players, the loss sparked a new found motivation to finish the season off the right way. CSU dominated the remainder of the regular season and entered the NAIA playoffs with a 7-1 record.

After disposing Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas, with a 48-10 win in the first round; CSU's semifinal matchup pitted them against Carson-Newman College in Johnson City, Tennessee – the team that had ended CSU's postseason runs in '87, '88 and '89. With extra incentive to beat their rivals, the Marauders cruised to a 41-14 win to advance to the national title game against Mesa State University. If there ever was a way to make winning a national title look easy, the Marauders did just that with a dominate 38-16 win over Mesa State in Junction City, Colorado, to bring a title back to Wilberforce. Senior running back Ray Hill was named the game's Offensive MVP while junior linebacker Marvin Pope earned Defensive MVP.

On their march toward the title, the 1990 national champion Marauders set NAIA Div. I records by scoring 594 points (54.8 ppg) and averaging 492 yards of offense. The Marauders defeated opponents by an astounding average point margin of 37.5 per game.

The Central State players and coaching staff went on to earn many individual honors. OL Erik "Big E" Williams, QB Henderson Mosley, DB Marvin Coleman, Hill and Pope earned All-American honors that season.

1990 Results
Morgan State - W (63-13)
Saint Francis - W (39-6)
Tennessee State - W (35-14)
Northeast Missouri State - L (43-32)
Knoxville - W (70-44)
Bowie State - W (56-7)
Kentucky State - W (69-14)
West Virginia State - W (64-14)
Fort Hays State - W (48-10)*
Carson-Newman - W (41-14)*
Colorado-Mesa State - W (38-16)*
*-denotes NAIA Playoffs

Hotel Information
Holiday Inn - Fairborn
Address:2800 Presidential Dr, Fairborn, OH 45324
Phone:(937) 426-7800
Map

Venue Information
Country Club of the North
Address:1 Club N Dr, Xenia, OH 45385
Phone:(937) 374-5000
Map

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COURTESY CENTRAL STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Southern's Banks, Sam to take part in Euro Goodwill Tour

Courtesy: Southern U. Athletics

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Junior Trelun Banks and redshirt sophomore Jared Sam will compete in a three country goodwill tour sponsored by Global Sports Academy starting Aug. 6.

The nine day showcase features five scheduled games which begin with the tour opener Aug. 8 in Brussels. The teams will play games in Ghent, Bruges and Antwerp before traveling to Amsterdam to play in the tour finale.

After the finale, the team, comprised of players from several NCAA Division 1 institutions, will spend its final day sightseeing in London before returning home Aug. 14.

During 2014-15 season, Bank and Sam, who starred as teammates for Class 5A state champions Scotlandville High in 2013, helped lead Southern to the SWAC Tournament final.

Banks averaged 10.3 points per game last season and finished as the team's third leading scorer after being named the league's freshman of the year in 2014. Sam posted 5.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game in his first full season on the court after redhirting in 2014.

Banks and Sam are joined on the 2015 team with Plaisance Scott (UL Lafayette), Sidy Djite (Clemson), Locke Kayel (UNC Greensboro), Chris Cokley (UAB), Sterling Brown (SMU), Benjamin Moore (SMU), Brian Steele (South Carolina) and Joel Scudder (Mount St. Joseph)
Global Sports Academy (“GSA”) has been participating in domestic and international competition since 1991. It was initially established to provide athletes overseas playing opportunities in Ice Hockey and it has grown to support a total of 12 different sports that compete in 25 different countries.

In 1991, the organization was incorporated with its mission to create and arrange athletic competition between equally matched teams at all levels internationally. To "Promote International Goodwill" and a better understanding between nations through sports is the major goal.

For more information log on to GoJagSports.com for the latest news, scores and updates on Southern Jaguar athletics. Fans can also access the latest information on SU athletics through social media by following @SouthernUsports on Twitter and Instagram or liking the Facebook page at Facebook.com/SouthernUJaguars.

COURTESY SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Washington Redskins to host former Saints outside linebacker Junior Galette (Stillman College) for visit

RICHMOND, Virginia -- The day after they signed Ryan Kerrigan to a lucrative contract extension, the Redskins will explore the possibility of further bolstering their pass rush by meeting with free agent outside linebacker Junior Galette, two people with knowledge of the situation confirmed.

Galette arrived in Richmond on Wednesday night and on Thursday was to meet with general manager Scot McCloughan, Redskins president Bruce Allen and other members of the organization, according to a person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak for the team. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers also have expressed interest in Galette, but it’s believed that

Washington ranks first on his list of destinations, another person familiar with Galette’s thinking said.

A fifth-year veteran out of Stillman College, the 6-foot-2, 258-pound Galette boasts great talent, having recorded a total of 22 sacks in 2013 and 2014 – his first two seasons as a starter.

His signing  would give Washington a dominant pass rusher to pair with Kerrigan, who last season recorded a career-high 13.5 sacks and on Wednesday signed a five-year, $57.5 million extension.

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FAMU Football Opens Training Camp August 3

TALLAHASSEE, Florida – The 2015 Florida A&M University Football team will open final preparations for the coming season Monday, August 3, as prospects for the team are slated to report to campus.

Head coach Alex Wood and his staff will conduct two days of orientation for the players on Tuesday and Wednesday, a time frame which will include physical exams and conditioning evaluations.

The Rattlers will hit the field for initial drills in helmets and shorts, Thursday through Saturday, then will open their full contact regimen on Monday, August 10, with two work sessions.

FAMU opens the 2015 regular season on Saturday, September 5 agains the University of South Florida (USF) at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. Kickoff will be 7:00 p.m.

2015 FAMU FALL FOOTBALL CAMP SCHEDULE

Monday, August 3 ……………. Players Report

Tues-Wed, August 4-5 ……… Orientation Period

Thu-Sat, August 6-8 ………… Drills In Shorts and Shells

Monday, August 10 …………. First Day of Full Contact Drills

Two-A-Day Dates …………….. August 10, 12, 14, 17, 19, 21

Single Practice Dates ……….. August 6, 7, 8, 11, 13, 15, 18, 20, 22

Monday, August 24 ………….. First Day of Fall Classes

Saturday, September 5 ……… SEASON OPENER – BEAT USF!!!


2015 FAMU FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Sept. 5 #at University of South Florida (7:00) Tampa, Fla.

Sept. 12 at Samford University (2:00) Birmingham, Ala.

Sept. 17 +at South Carolina State* (7:30) Orangeburg, S.C.

SEPT. 26 TENNESSEE STATE (4:00) HOME

Oct. 3 at Savannah State* (7:00) Savannah, Ga.

OCT. 10 N.CAROLINA CENTRAL*(4:00) HOME

OCT. 17 DELAWARE STATE* (3:00) HOMECOMING

OCT. 31 NORTH CAROLINA A&T*(3:00) HOME

Nov. 7 at Hampton University* (1:00) Hampton, Va.

Nov. 14 at Morgan State University*(1:00) Baltimore, Md.

Nov. 21 Bethune-Cookman * (2:30) Orlando, Fla.

*-MEAC games; +-ESPNU Thursday Night game; #-ESPN3

COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Russell Barbarino Hired as Head Strength & Conditioning Coach at Michigan



RUSSELL BARBARINO
HEAD STRENGTH & CONDITIONING
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
(Photo Courtesy: FAMU Athletics)

ANN ARBOR, Michigan --University of Michigan director of strength and conditioning Mike Favre announced Russell Barbarino Wednesday (July 29) as a head strength and conditioning coach for Olympic sports. He will direct strength and conditioning for women's basketball and field hockey during the 2015-16 athletic season.

Prior to Michigan, Barbarino spent five years as the Director of Strength and Conditioning at Florida A&M University. He was responsible for the supervision of more than 300 student-athletes from FAMU's 18 intercollegiate athletics teams and coordinating all strength and conditioning programs, including the direct supervision of three full-time assistants. During his time there, the football team won the 2010 MEAC Conference football championship. He also trained two NFL Draft selections and nine players selected to free agent NFL professional contracts. Additionally, he trained the 2014, 2013, 2012 and 2011 MEAC Conference South Division volleyball champions, a team that was 38-2 in MEAC conference play and 44-6 including MEAC Tournament play from 2011-2014.

Prior to FAMU, he was a successful business owner and nationally certified fitness and athletic performance specialist in Tallahassee and surrounding areas, including owning and operating Anytime Fitness of Tallahassee Mahan Drive and Anytime Fitness of Crawfordville, Florida.

Barbarino previously served as the director of strength and conditioning at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, from 2005-2006. Due to the effects of Hurricane Katrina, he relocated to College Station, Texas, and set up a training schedule in conjunction with Texas A&M University officials. He coordinated strength and conditioning programs for all of Tulane's 16 men's and women's division I varsity sports programs, which were located at four different universities, including Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Louisiana Tech and Southern Methodist. Also, he worked together on a daily basis with the Texas A&M Strength & Conditioning Staff, assisting with the training of the Texas A&M football, men's basketball and a variety of Olympic sports programs.

Prior to Tulane, Barbarino served as the Director of Strength and Conditioning at the University of Delaware from 1999-2005. While at Delaware, he coordinated, designed and implemented strength and conditioning programs for all 23 men's and women's Division I varsity sports programs. The football team garnered its best record in school history, going 15-1 and winning the 2003 Division I-AA (FCS) national championship while also capturing the 2000, 2003 and 2004 Atlantic-10 Conference Football championships. On their way to winning the 2003 national championship, Delaware outscored its playoff opponents, 149-23, including a 40-0 victory in the championship game -- all current FCS records. The women's basketball program posted five 20-plus win seasons, participated in the WNIT in 2005, 2003 and 2002 and earned a trip to the 2001 NCAA Tournament. They also won the 2005 and 2003 Colonial Athletic Association regular-season championships and 2001 America East Conference championship. The men's basketball program also had a pair of 20-plus win seasons and an invitation to the 2000 NIT. He also trained the 2004 CAA field hockey champions and 2000 women's lacrosse team to the NCAA Championship tournament.

Prior to his stint at Delaware, Barbarino served as an Assistant Strength and Conditioning coach at Florida State University from 1995-1999. While Barbarino was at Florida State, the program won the 1999 NCAA FBS championship, had two national runner-up finishes and won five Atlantic Coast Conference football titles. Barbarino assisted with the development of 11 first-round NFL draft picks and 38 athletes drafted or signed to free-agent contracts by NFL teams.

Barbarino is no stranger himself to the iron game. As a competitive powerlifter, he has become a two-time world, four-time national and nine-time state powerlifting champion who has held world and national records in both the bench press and deadlift while competing in the WNPF, ADFPA, WPA and APA organizations.

Barbarino also has experience working as a volunteer/intern with the following NFL professional organizations including: New Orleans Saints (2005), Baltimore Ravens (2004) and Philadelphia Eagles (2002).

Barbarino is Strength and Conditioning Coach Certified (SCCC) by the Collegiate Strength & Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCa). He is also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and a member of the U.S. Weightlifting Federation (USAW) as a coach.

A former football letterwinner at Kean University in New Jersey, Barbarino earned a bachelor's degree in exercise science from the school in 1995 and added a master's degree in sports administration from Florida State in 1997. He and his wife, the former Jennifer Engelbrecht, have three boys named Kyle, Bryce and Ryan.

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Spirit is high around N.C. Central football

DURHAM, North Carolina -- Jerry Mack has many reasons to be excited about the upcoming football season.

First, North Carolina Central is the co-MEAC defending champion from Mack’s inaugural season.

Second, the Eagles return 15 starters (seven on offense, eight on defense), including starting quarterback Malcolm Bell who passed for 1,982 yards and 15 touchdowns against just five interceptions, and rushed for another 416 yards and five TDs.

Third, NCCU was voted as having the No. 1 HBCU recruiting program by Box To Row, a sports talk radio program.

And fourth, with the exception of one replacement, Mack’s staff remains intact for another season. Ask any head coach how important that is.

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