Honda Battle of the Bands has been celebrating HBCU marching bands for 15 years

ATLANTA, Georgia -- For Shomari Willis and his fellow Benedict College band mates, their Honda Battle of the Bands performance doesn’t begin when they take the field at the Georgia Dome. It begins the minute they arrive in Atlanta and step off the bus.

“You never know who will be watching,” he says.

Tens of thousands of people are expected to visit the Georgia Dome to watch as marching bands from historically black colleges and universities put their showmanship on display.




The Honda Battle of the Bands is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year with the theme “Celebrate the History, Create the Future.”

Eight bands will prance onto the field with the hopes of entertaining and inspiring on Jan. 28. R&B singer NeYo will perform during the showcase.

Bethune-Cookman University’s Marching Wildcats have been a part of that history for over a decade.

“In sports you have Super Bowls for football, the National Championship for Basketball and March Madness for College Basketball. For HBCU bands that’s what Honda is to us,” Donovan V. Wells, band director, said.

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Winnipeg Blue Bombers Hold Tryout in Jackson for Fourth Year

JACKSON, Mississippi -- Coming to Jackson in late January is becoming a tradition for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The Canadian Football League franchise has held a tryout in the capital city for the last three years.

Scouts for the Blue Bombers trekked to Jackson on the Saturday of the Senior Bowl (Jan. 27) after spending the week there scouting players. Winnipeg spends a week in Mobile, Ala., looking for talent that the NFL might not take in its spring draft.

The Blue Bombers also hold free agent tryouts across the country for talent that has slipped through the cracks. Winnipeg has held a tryout for the last three years at Smith-Wills Stadium.

The team is returning to Smith-Wills for a fourth year on Saturday, Jan. 27, for another free agent tryout. This marks the second year in a row the tryout will take place at night under the lights of the stadium.

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SU Lenard Tillery, GSU Chad Williams and N.C. A&T's Tarik Cohen try to make impression at NFLPA Collegiate Bowl

HOUSTON, Texas -- Once he was invited to play at the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, the first thing Lenard Tillery did was hit the internet.

Tillery had never heard of the showcase game, but it seemed like a big deal once everyone started to congratulate him.

It was an illuminating experience.



“I didn’t realize the magnitude the game had,” Tillery said. “After a while with everyone saying, ‘Congratulations, congratulations,’ I had to look the game up and I was like, ‘Wow, this is an opportunity. This is a big deal.’

“I was happy, but more than anything I was stressed. I had to make sure I was right back on it, making sure I get my workouts in and everything.”



For players like Tillery or former Grambling wide receiver Chad Williams, who will also play in Saturday’s game, the annual showcase, now in its sixth year, highlights some of the top and second-tier NFL draft-eligible players for a week of practice and interviews in Los Angeles.

Tillery and Williams will line up for the National team, led by former St. Louis Rams coach Mike Martz.

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Gold Rush survive SUNO, earn third consecutive victory

NEW ORLEANS — The winner was the team with the final run.

That was Xavier University of Louisiana, whose 17-2 spurt during the last eight minutes clinched a 61-53 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball decision against SUNO at the Convocation Center.

The Gold Rush (6-11, 2-0) have won a season-high three in a row. A familiar theme in the streak: XULA allowed fewer than 60 points in regulation in every game.

"Our guys are buying in on defense," XULA coach Alfred Williams said. "It's been the key to our success."

XULA's final defensive stand brought it back from a 47-42 deficit. Season scoring leader Jalen David produced three steals during the rally, and there were six additional SUNO turnovers during that time.

The Gold Rush went ahead to stay with 5:12 remaining when David passed to freshman Mike Williams for a basket. Williams finished with 16 points and became the first this season to lead XULA in scoring in back-to-back games. He had four assists for the second straight game to equal his career best.

SUNO opened the game with an 8-1 run. XULA answered with a 30-5 run and led 31-16 at halftime. But the Knights (4-11, 1-2) regained the lead with a 21-3 run.

In addition to Williams, XULA's other three season scoring leaders reached double figures. Seth Jackson scored 13, Leland Alexander had 11, and David had 10. Alexander grabbed a career-high-tying 11 rebounds in his team-leading third double-double this season and second in the last three games. David's four assists were a career best.

"This was a really good team win for us," Alfred Williams said.

Marcel Daniels scored 19 points and had six steals for SUNO, and Dominique Suggs scored 12. Daniels is a younger brother of XULA student assistant RJ Daniels, a four-year Gold Rush letterman from 2012-16.

XULA outshot the Knights 43.5 to 35.4 percent from the floor — 47.6 to 17.9 in the first half — and outrebounded them 34-29. It was the fifth consecutive game that the Gold Rush won the boards.

Next for XULA will be a GCAC matchup at 5 p.m. Saturday at the Convocation Center against Edward Waters. The Tigers are 3-1 in conference and won their last three, including a 90-75 home victory Monday against Talladega, the GCAC regular-season champion the past two years.

NOTES: For just the second time in its last seven home attempts, XULA swept a doubleheader against SUNO. The Gold Nuggets won 73-60 . . . Alexander grabbed nine first-half rebounds . . . Jackson is 10-of-14 from the floor the last two games, 3-of-3 on 3-pointers . . . SUNO coach Dale Valdery, who led the Gold Rush from 1990-2002, is 5-14 against his alma mater in nine seasons with the Knights.

BOX SCORE

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Former President Barack Obama’s Final Speech Before Departing Joint Base Andrews 1/20/17

JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Maryland -- Former President Barack Obama addresses a crowd at Joint Base Andrews in Camp Springs, Maryland, bidding them farewell before heading to California for vacation 1/20/17.



First and second families, former and new, posed for a photo on the U.S. Capitol steps before the Obamas and Bidens departed on 1/20/17.

Talladega College Marching Band at 2017 Inauguration Parade

Talladega College Marching Band at 45th President Donald Trump's Inaugural Parade 1/20/2017.

Two weeks later, Nuggets in same spot in NAIA poll

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana maintained Tuesday its position, 35th, in the fourth NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches Top 25 Poll of the season.

Unlike the previous poll two weeks ago, the Gold Nuggets share the spot with Montana Tech. Both teams received three points. Freed-Hardeman is No. 1 for the third consecutive poll. The next poll will be announced Jan. 31.

XULA is 11-6 overall and 2-0 in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference. The Gold Nuggets have won a season-high five straight and eight of their last nine games. Next for XULA will be a 3 p.m. Saturday GCAC game against Edward Waters (15-4, 3-1) at XULA's Convocation Center.



NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Jan. 15)

Rank Team Record Points Last
1 Freed-Hardeman (9) 17-0 250 1
2 Lewis-Clark State (1) 19-0 242 2
3 Westmont 16-1 233 3
4 Lindsey Wilson 17-0 227 4
5 Vanguard 16-1 218 6
6 Shawnee State 19-1 206 10
7 Oklahoma City 14-1 201 8
8 Campbellsville 17-3 193 7
9 Lyon 13-2 190 9
10 Baker 13-3 178 14
11 Montana State-Northern 14-3 171 11
12 Columbia (Mo.) 14-3 164 12
13 Central Methodist 14-2 156 16
14 Cumberland 13-4 140 15
15 Benedictine (Kan.) 11-5 135 19
16 MidAmerica Nazarene 10-5 133 5
17 Bethel (Tenn.) 11-7 108 21
18 Our Lady of the Lake 12-6 106 22
19 Wayland Baptist 13-2 104 RV
20 The Master's 12-4 99 17
21 Biola 13-4 82 RV
22 Pikeville 13-6 79 23
23 John Brown 11-6 73 18
24 Lindenwood-Belleville 12-5 66 24
25 Montana Western 14-3 63 RV

Dropped from previous rankings: No. 13 Great Falls, No. 20 Loyola (N.O.), No. 25 Carroll (Mont.)
Others receiving votes: Loyola (N.O.) 60, Martin Methodist 28, Carroll (Mont.) 27, Great Falls 14, LSU-Shreveport 12, Talladega 9, William Penn 8, Harris-Stowe 7, William Woods 7, XULA 3, Montana Tech 3


Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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NSU Spartans to Host William and Mary Football in 2017

WILLIAMSBURG, Virginia -- William & Mary doesn't have to leave Virginia for the highlight matchups on its 11-game 2017 schedule announced Thursday.

The Tribe will kick off coach Jimmye Laycock's 37th season with a visit to the University of Virginia on Sept. 2. They will play five home games at Zable Stadium in Williamsburg, including an Oct. 21 Homecoming date against 2016 CAA Football and national champion James Madison. The Tribe will wrap up the regular season in the Capital Cup at Richmond on Nov. 18.

William & Mary is coming off a 5-6 season, including 3-5 in the CAA.

2017 William & Mary Schedule
Sept. 2, at Virginia
Sept. 9, at Norfolk State

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Norfolk State Football to Face FCS National Champion James Madison in 2017

NORFOLK, Virginia -- The Dukes’ 2017 schedule features six games in Bridgeforth Stadium, including its first meeting in two decades with East Tennessee State University (Sept. 9) and its first in program history against Norfolk State (Sept. 16).

After a 12-year absence, football returned to ETSU in 2015. The Buccaneers went 5-6 in 2016. Norfolk State went 4-7 and 3-5 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

In-state rival Richmond will also be one of four teams that finished in the CAA’s top 5 in 2016 that will be coming to Bridgeforth in 2017. Three of those four earned FCS playoff berths, including New Hampshire, which JMU beat in the second round and will host for homecoming on Oct. 28.

“We’ll treat our schedule the same way we do every year. Our goal is to win the CAA championship and we’re going to take it one game at a time,” Houston said. “You have to focus on the game right in front of you, so for us, the only game that matters is ECU.”

2017 JMU football schedule
Sept. 2 at East Carolina
Sept. 9 ETSU
Sept. 16 NORFOLK STATE
Sept. 23 MAINE *
Sept. 30 at Delaware *
Oct. 14 VILLANOVA *
Oct. 21 at William & Mary *
Oct. 28 NEW HAMPSHIRE *
Nov. 4 at Rhode Island *
Nov. 11 RICHMOND *
Nov. 18 at Elon *

BOLD CAPS – indicates home game
* – indicates CAA game

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Miami set to open 2017 season against Bethune-Cookman

MIAMI GARDENS, Florida -- The Hurricanes don't know yet what their Atlantic Coast Conference schedule will look like this season, but they know now who they'll face in their non-conference 2017 opener.

For the second time in three seasons, Miami is set to open against Bethune-Cookman, Hurricanes athletic director Blake James confirmed. The game is set for Sept. 2 at Hard Rock Stadium.

It will mark the first time the programs have played since the Hurricanes opened the 2015 season with a 45-0 win over the Wildcats. The two have met three times entering this season's matchup, with Miami winning all three games and outscoring Bethune-Cookman 128-14.

Along with hosting Bethune-Cookman, Miami is set to host two more non-conference games at Hard Rock Stadium with Notre Dame previously announced to visit on Nov. 11 and Toledo set to visit on Sept. 23, according to the website FSBSchedules.com.

The Hurricanes' fourth non-conference game is set to be at Arkansas State.

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FAMU Legend Bob Hayes To Be Honored By NFL At Super Bowl LI

FAMU legendary coach Jake Gaither with "Bullet Bob" Hayes - Tallahassee, FL
State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory 

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Robert “Bullet Bob” Hayes, undoubtedly the greatest male student-athlete produced by the legendary athletic program at Florida A&M University (FAMU), will be among the 29 historically Black college and university (HBCU) gridiron greats honored in February by the National Football League (NFL) during the Super Bowl LI festivities in Houston, Texas.

In December 2016, the NFL joined the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) at the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl in Atlanta, Georgia to kick off an enhanced partnership initiative titled, “Strength of HBCUs: Impacting Pro Football Since 1948.” The goal of the partnership is to honor the history and impact of HBCUs and their players and increase career opportunities for students and athletic administrators at these institutions.

VIDEO: Bob Hayes - Only Man To Win Olympic Gold & Superbowl | Tokyo 1964 Olympics

The NFL announced that its celebration of the influence of HBCUs and their players will continue at this year’s Super Bowl, where it will honor the 29 Pro Football Hall of Fame players who attended HBCUs, culminating with an on-field, pregame ceremony featuring the Hall of Famers at NRG Stadium on Sunday, February 5, 2017.

Hayes was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in July 2009, seven years after his death in September of 2002, at the age of 59. The legendary two-sport Rattler was credited by many with revolutionizing the game of professional football with his world-class sprinter’s speed. In addition to a successful career with the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys and a stint with the San Francisco 49ers, Hayes was an Olympic gold medalist, and earned the nicknames, “Bullet Bob” and “World’s Fastest Human.”

VIDEO: Bob Hayes | Top Ten: Fastest Players | NFL Films

FAMU’s Interim President Larry Robinson, Ph.D., expressed the University’s appreciation for the NFL’s commitment to HBCUs, and for the unique way it will honor one of the institution’s most beloved sons.

“I commend the NFL for honoring Bob Hayes along with the other well-deserving HBCU greats,” Robinson said. “I look forward to representing FAMU and Rattler sports at one of the world’s most widely viewed athletic events.”

He added, “The University has worked with the NFL on several previous occasions, including our Marching ‘100’s’ performance at Super Bowl XLI with the late music legend, Prince. We look forward to a growing and fruitful relationship with one of the most influential brands in the world.”

In a recent statement, NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations Troy Vincent said, “the HBCU influence on the NFL goes beyond the evolution of the game and reaches deep into the very fabric of football.”

“Our partnership with the HBCUs is an important initiative which celebrates the tremendous legacy fostered by these institutions that continue to contribute a standard of excellence and character for our game,” Vincent said.

Bob Hayes Jr., will attend the event to witness his father’s recognition.

FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Donika Sutton Named TSU Volleyball Head Coach

HEAD COACH DONIKA SUTTON
TSU VOLLEYBALL

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- Tennessee State University Director of Athletics Teresa Phillips announced the hiring of Donika Sutton as the next head volleyball coach on Monday.

Sutton brings more than eight years of Division I coaching experience to the new role and will become the program’s seventh head coach. She has been an assistant coach at Tennessee State for the past three seasons and previously served on the staff at South Carolina State University.

“Coach Sutton is a passionate, knowledgeable and driven volleyball coach who has experience as a head coach. She has established relationships with our players and knows our program well. We are excited to have Coach Sutton lead our program into the future.”

As an assistant at TSU, Sutton coached three All-OVC first-team selections, the OVC Defensive Player of the Year, an OVC All-Tournament team member and two OVC All-Newcomer selections. Away from the court, two student-athletes achieved OVC Academic Medals of Honor and six players made OVC Honor Roll.

“I am extremely grateful for this opportunity. I would like to thank President Glover, AD Teresa Phillips, the administration, and the team,” Sutton said, “They have shown confidence in me to lead this program into the future. I am excited and thankful for the support the players showed during this process. Tennessee State is a wonderful institution and this program has a tradition of excelling. More importantly, Tiger volleyball is all about family and that will continue to be the foundation for the program to grow moving forward.”

Before joining the staff at TSU, Sutton served as the head coach at South Carolina State for two seasons. While at the helm of the program, Sutton led the Bulldogs to their first winning season in seven years in 2011. Sutton coached the MEAC Player of the Year in 2011 and 2012. She had four All-MEAC selections in two years. During her tenure, the Bulldogs had 10 All-MEAC academic team honorees and South Carolina State led the NCAA in service aces per set in 2011.

Prior to taking over as head coach at South Carolina State, Sutton served as the assistant coach from 2009-2010, helping the Lady Bulldogs capture their second Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Championship and a trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2010.

Sutton began her collegiate playing career at Southwest Missouri State University-West Plains where she competed for one season. During that season she was a member of the Region 16 championship team. That team also competed in the National Junior College Championships. Sutton went on to have a standout career as a middle-hitter at Alcorn State. In her first season (2003) she was named the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Newcomer-of-the-Year and Second Team All-SWAC.

In her final season (2004) she was named First Team All-SWAC and to the SWAC All-Tournament Team. In that same season she was the recipient of her team's Most Outstanding Blocking Award and was named the team’s captain.

Sutton graduated from Alcorn State University in 2005 where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in political science with a minor in pre-law.

TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

TSU Seeks Brutal Schedule in Hope of Boosting NCAA Chances

HOUSTON, Texas -- It’s not so much that TSU destroyed Grambling State 76-55 on Saturday night. It’s not so much that Texas Southern is now a perfect 4-0 in SWAC conference play, or even so much that the Tigers have won four straight games. Instead, it’s about this. TSU played its 17th game of the season Saturday night. And it was TSU’s first home game.

TSU is now 8-9, but don’t be fooled by that record because TSU has played a difficult ridiculously difficult non-conference schedule that has included facing No. 1 Baylor, No. 14 Louisville, No. 16 Arizona and No. 22 Cincinnati (all rankings as of Sunday). The schedule has also included games against 14-3 TCU and 12-6 Rice.

Playing all of these non-conference games on the road has become a common occurrence since Mike Davis took over the program five seasons ago. Davis realizes his team should always compete for the SWAC title, and that winning the SWAC tournament means an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. But Davis wants more for his team than just that automatic bid because that usually means getting stuck with a No. 16 seed or a play-in game.

So Davis takes his team on the road. He schedules difficult games. And he does with one goal in mind, raising his team’s RPI as high as it can get before the team gets into conference play.

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From Rochester to Miami, 2017 MLK Celebrations & Parades

Trailblazer Award a ‘key accomplishment’ for former WVSU and SCSU football coach Oree Banks

COACH OREE BANKS

INSTITUTE, West Virginia -- There is an added sense of pride for Oree Banks, the former West Virginia State football coach who won this year’s American Football Coaches Association Trailblazer Award. For one, it recognizes Banks’ contributions as a coach at historically black colleges and universities. He served as head coach at both South Carolina State and WVSU.

It also is an award he helped create.

“It was a great honor,” Banks said. “I felt that it was one of the key accomplishments in my life, making sure that these people are recognized.”

Since 2004, the award has honored legends like Hampton’s Charles Williams, the first African-American member of the AFCA, Florida A&M’s Jake Gaither and Grambling State’s Eddie Robinson. The seeds of the award were planted in 2001 and 2002, when Banks approached college football coaches, and then approached AFCA executive director Grant Teaff, about the need to recognize the contributions and achievements of HBCU coaches from 1920-80.

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The AFCA Trailblazer Award was created to honor early leaders in the football coaching profession who coached at historically black colleges and universities. Past Trailblazer Award winners include Charles Williams of Hampton (2004), Cleve Abbott of Tuskegee (2005), Arnett Mumford of Southern (2006), Billy Nicks of Prairie View A&M (2007), Alonzo “Jake” Gaither of Florida A&M (2008), Fred “Pops” Long of Wiley (2009), Harry R. “Big Jeff” Jefferson of Bluefield State (2010), Edward P. Hurt of Morgan State (2011), Vernon “Skip” McCain of Maryland-Eastern Shore (2012), Marino Casem of Alcorn State (2013), Gideon Smith of Hampton (2014) and Eddie Robinson of Grambling State (2015). The award is given each year to a person that coached in a particular decade ranging from 1920-1970. This year’s winner coached from 1960 to 1970.

EHS senior commits to Tuskegee

ENTERPRISE, Alabama -- Enterprise senior defensive lineman Jaren Jones committed to accept a football scholarship with Tuskegee University Tuesday night.

Jones committed to Tuskegee over offers from Miles College, William Penn, Arkansas-Monticello and Union College.

“It feels really great to get the recruiting process over with,” Jones said. “It feels like a weight off my shoulders has been released.”

The Tuskegee Golden Tigers football program has a long tradition of success with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) National Championships in 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1929, 1930, 2000, 2007 and 2015.

Tuskegee also has 38 conference championships in the Division II program’s storied history.

“It felt good to get offered by (Tuskegee) and what led me to choose them was how they are always competitive in their division and I just want to help out,” Jones said. “Talking to my D-Line Coach I will have a chance to play early as a freshman if I just put in the work. Also, the tradition there, what more can I say about that?”

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Grambling's next step: Operate like champions

GRAMBLING, Louisiana — Grambling's start to 2017 began just as it ended — the champions of black college football.

For players, and to some extent the coaching staff, Grambling is basking in the glory of an HBCU national championship, the program's first since 2008 and the first under coach Broderick Fobbs, who is leading a transformation from the ground up.

But just a few days after a Dec. 17 win over North Carolina Central in the Celebration Bowl to earn the label as the top HBCU team in 2016, Fobbs was already in his office with his mind set on 2017. There, he visualized the information he will later use in a PowerPoint presentation for the 2017 season. Preparations to repeat as champions began last week with staff meetings.

"2017 is more about motivating to be who we should be. Now that we’ve been crowned as the champions, now we have to walk in it and be in it," Fobbs said. "If you’re going to be the champion, you have to operate that way. You have to carry yourself that way. You have to do all the necessary things the right way if that’s what you are. A champion eats a certain way. A champion walks a certain way. A champion works a certain way. That’s what we have to get across to our players."

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Path to the NFL: DB prospect Nehemiah Coward, Central State University

BALTIMORE, Maryland -- Nehemiah Coward comes from a small school in division II football from Central State University Marauders (HBCU) in Ohio. On the field, he has a knack for making the big plays particularly on special teams as he has five career blocks and a 109-yard missed field goal return for a touchdown. Marauders coaches have utilized Coward’s athleticism as he has the ability to play cornerback, nickleback and both safety positions.

Gamer’s like Coward tend to fly under the radar when the NFL Draft rolls around every year but the best organizations do their due diligence to find gems at small schools. A perfect example of finding a gem would be a player like Baltimore Ravens defensive back Lardarius Webb who was drafted by the team in 2009 out of Nicholls State (FCS school).

Coward took the time to talk to me on Baltimore Beatdown about his journey in football and what he thinks he can bring to the table on the NFL level.

Coward’s Measurable’s via Capfigure

Positions: CB, FS

Height & Weight: 6’0″ 183 lbs.

40 Yard Dash: 4.36 sec.

Vertical: 38 in.

Bench: 315 lbs.

100 Meter Dash: 10.62 sec.

Squat: 285 lbs.

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Durant played at a small, historically black school, Hampton University and didn’t anticipate playing in the NFL

FRISCO, Texas -- When Justin Durant decided to play football at Hampton University in 2003, the very last thing he thought about was parlaying that opportunity into a job in the National Football League.

“I didn’t even know that I had a shot of going [to the NFL] until probably my senior year,” Durant said. “When agents started calling and I’m looking at the ratings, I’m like, ‘Is this serious? Is this what’s going on?’ ”

Hampton University is a predominantly black university which doesn’t have the training facilities and equipment – and financial backing from its alma mater – which many of the predominantly white universities have. Durant, a linebacker with the Dallas Cowboys, even admits to the difficulties of trying to get to the NFL via the Historical Black College or University (HBCU) route, yet he knows it’s possible.

“I guess it’s a little bit harder,” Durant said. “But I’ve been trying to tell people that if you have the talent they’re going to find you, especially with all the ways of scouting and how they can get to see you regardless of the different platforms you’re put on.

“If you can do what you need to do, then they’ll come and find you.”

The Jacksonville Jaguars found Durant and chose him on the second round (48th overall) of the 2007 NFL Draft. That year, Durant appeared on the pro scouts’ radar after he became the first player named Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year on three different occasions.



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Ben Carson’s Top Adviser Offers To Pay Historical Black College’s (Talladega) Way To Inauguration

Talladega College is still weighing whether to accept Armstrong Williams’ offer to pay $60,000 for the school’s marching band to participate in the Trump inaugural parade

TALLADEGA, Alabama -- Armstrong Williams, a longtime conservative media entrepreneur and adviser to former GOP presidential candidate Ben Carson, said he has offered to pay $60,000 in travel expenses for Talladega College’s marching band to perform at the inaugural parade on Jan. 20.

Williams told BuzzFeed News he hadn’t heard back from the president of Talladega College — the oldest historically black, private liberal arts school in Alabama — since making the offer Friday.

“The issue is: The kids want to go,” Williams said. “I don’t want resources to be a reason they can’t go.”

Of the 41 organizations formally invited by the Presidential Inaugural Committee, Talladega College — founded in 1867 by former slaves — is the only historically black college or university (HBCU). Talladega applied to participate in the event before the election.

Talladega College President Billy Hawkins said Wednesday that the school’s Board of Trustees has told him they’d prefer to raise their own money. Hawkins noted that the school has raised nearly $32,000 of its $75,000 goal through a GoFundMe account.



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Hughes needs time to get Jackson State football right

JACKSON, Mississippi -- When Tony Hughes left Mississippi State to take the head coaching position at Jackson State, he didn’t think he was looking at a complete rebuild.

There was talent on the roster. He inherited a solid group of linebackers and defensive ends and a quality veteran defensive backfield left over from the Rick Comegy era.

Hughes only had 45 days to pull together his first signing class, but he still found a way to make some noise. He signed 31 players, including 28 high school seniors, highlighted by North Pike three-star quarterback Juwan Adams.

But everything since that day has been a learning experience for Hughes, who will officially enter his second year on the job when he wraps up his 2017 recruiting class in two weeks.

Hughes has said he wants to build the program from the ground up — signing at least 25 high school players every year. That sounds great to fans, alumni and administrators within the athletic department, but few know just how big a task that is proving to be.

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Philander Smith College Names New Athletic Director

Little Rock, Arkansas – Philander Smith College has named Nathan Cochran to the post of Athletic Director. Cochran, who started work on Jan. 3, will oversee the institution's sports programs which currently include, Men's and Women's basketball, Women's volleyball, and Men's and Women's track and field.

A native of Boulder, Colo., Cochran comes to Philander Smith from Paine College in Augusta, Ga., where he was the Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance and Sports Information Director. Prior to entering athletics administration, he spent fourteen years in collegiate coaching, including stints as the Head Men's and Women's Track and Field/Cross Country Coach at Paine; Assistant Football Coach/Offensive Coordinator in Paine's inaugural NCAA Division II football season; and two years as the Head Football Coach at Lincoln University in Missouri. Additionally, he is a USA Track and Field (USATF) Level 1 certified coach specializing in sprints and jumps.

"This is a wonderful opportunity to serve Philander Smith College, bringing my passion for sports and commitment to educating student-athletes," says Cochran. "As I work to enhance and expand our athletic programs, my foremost concern is to ensure that Philander Smith athletes are successful not only in competition, but also as scholars and well-rounded individuals."

Cochran holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics education from South Carolina State University – where he played football and ran track – and a master's degree in management from Webster University.

About Philander Smith College
Celebrating its 140th Anniversary, Philander Smith College – founded in 1877 – is a small, privately supported, historically Black, four-year liberal arts institution related to the Board of Higher Education and Ministry of the United Methodist Church. The College's mission is to graduate academically accomplished students, grounded as advocates for social justice, determined to change the world for the better. Philander Smith College, the only United Negro College Fund (UNCF) member institution in Arkansas, strives to provide a quality education for all regardless of race, religion, sex, national origin or ethnic background. For more information, visit www.philander.edu.

PHILANDER SMITH COLLEGE ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

NFL dreams carry 6 from Grambling to HBCU all-star game

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- All-American wide receiver Chad Williams will get the bulk of the NFL Draft attention among Grambling players during the next several months.

This weekend, however, six departing Tiger players get their shot to further their career in the HBCU Spirit of America Bowl, a showcase game in Virginia Beach that features 110 players from 53 HBCU schools around the country, ranging from the FCS level to NAIA programs.

Wide receivers Verlan Hunter and Dominique Leake, running back Jestin Kelly, offensive lineman Trey Goins and defensive backs Guy Stallworth and Jameel Jackson will suit up for the Pride roster Sunday at the Virginia Beach Sportsplex.

"It's huge because any time you get a chance to put your product out there and play in front of NFL scouts, there's always a chance you can possibly get an opportunity out of it," Grambling coach Broderick Fobbs said. "At the end of the day, all you want is a chance, you want an opportunity. This is another one of those opportunities."

The HBCU postseason game wraps up ...

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XULA Gold Rush rack up points and roll past Rust 97-53

NEW ORLEANS — Freshman guard Mike Williams scored 15 points Friday to lead Xavier University of Louisiana in a 97-53 men's basketball rout of Rust.

The victory gives XULA (5-11) its first two-game winning streak this season.

Williams reached double figures for the first time since Dec. 1 and scored his most points since Nov. 15. He scored 11 in the first half. Williams grabbed a career-best seven rebounds and had four assists and three steals to equal career highs.

Seth Jackson scored 14 points, Chris Ward 13 and Hakeem Simon a career-high 12 for the Gold Rush. Simon was 5-of-5 from the floor and grabbed a game-high nine rebounds, and Elex Carter had eight points, seven rebounds and a career-best five assists. Jackson was 6-of-7 from the floor. Innocent Kukulu had a game- and career-high six assists.

Allen Potts scored 19 points for the Bearcats (2-17), and Dewan Fowler had 17.

XULA outscored Rust 58-28 in the second half and finished with its largest winning margin and most assists (29) since November 2007. All 11 Gold Rush players in uniform produced points and rebounds, and 10-of-11 had assists. XULA committed eight personal fouls, its fewest since November 2004.

"Our guys played with a lot of energy," said XULA coach Alfred Williams, whose team outshot Rust 58.8 to 35 percent from the floor. "I was most excited by our 29 assists and winning the boards by 21."

XULA is an NAIA member, and Rust competes in NCAA Division III. This was the first matchup of these HBCUs since 1993.

The Gold Rush will play city and Gulf Coast Athletic Conference rival SUNO at 7:30 p.m. Monday at XULA's Convocation Center. It'll be a doubleheader; the XULA and SUNO women will meet at 5:30.

NOTES: XULA produced its highest-scoring game and first 50-point half since October 2014 and its highest-scoring half since October 2009 . . . Simon and Carter, both centers, made their only 3-point attempts. It was Simon's first XULA attempt; Carter is 2-for-3 from long range this season . . . Simon's six offensive rebounds matched the most in a game by a XULA player this season . . . XULA is 5-1 this season against HBCUs . . . The losing margin was Rust's largest since December 2013.

BOX SCORE

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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FAMU AD Overton cuts spending, fundraising for Bragg begins

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- There’s still work to do – and funds to find – but Florida A&M Athletic Director Milton Overton Jr. is chipping away at the nearly $1.3 million he needs to cover both a projected 2016-17 budgetary shortfall and repairs to Bragg Memorial Stadium.

Friday, during a BOT budget, finance and facilities committee conference call, FAMU CFO Wanda Ford said Overton reduced spending for the 2016-17 fiscal year by eliminating department positions and reducing administrative travel expenses. He also secured $200,000 from the NCAA.

The measures mean the athletics department is now projected to fall $237,442 short of its $8,937,500 budget – down from the $651,724 shortfall projected in a December meeting of the committee.

Per a presentation given to trustees, Overton saved $177,282 by eliminating mostly part-time positions and by not hiring an additional compliance officer – the salary for that position would have been $55,000. In a phone interview after the meeting, Overton said the $200,000 from the NCAA was a “one-time” payment.

FAMU needs $622K for mandatory repairs to Bragg Stadium.

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