Southern's Danny Johnson is ready to be a leader in a veteran defensive backfield

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Southern's Danny Johnson led the Football Championship Subdivision with seven interceptions in 2016.

Not good enough. His goal was 10.

Johnson finished with the fourth-most total tackles and had by far the most solo tackles on the Jaguars defense last year.

Not good enough. He could have been in better position to make more stops.

Given a significant boost by Johnson, Southern finished with a Southwestern Athletic Conference record of 8-1.

Not good enough — in more ways than one.

Heading into the 2017 season, Johnson isn’t assuming a new leadership role or taking on any duties he didn't have the past three years. He has been one of the best defenders, if not the best, and a defensive leader for the Jaguars since he first stepped on campus in the summer of 2014.

But as a senior, Johnson is now the unquestioned face of the Southern defense. And while nothing may ever be good enough for a player who constantly pushes himself to be his best, that isn’t going to stop him from trying.



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S.C. STATE FOOTBALL: Pough likes stable of runners

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- Historically, South Carolina State has been the most dominant running team in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Bulldog runners have been among the league’s top rushers since the inception of the league.

And, until last season, the MEAC career rushing leader was a Bulldog – William “Will” Ford, who amassed 4,672 yards during his career (2006-2009). North Carolina A&T’s Tarik Cohen surpassed Ford’s mark in 2016.

S.C. State's Ford, second; Michael Hicks (1993-1995), fourth; and David “DeShawn” Baker (2003-2006), sixth, rank among the MEAC’s top-10 rushing leaders. This dynamic Bulldog trio combined for nine 1,000-plus-yard rushing seasons and went over the 100-yard single-game rushing mark a combined 22 times.

However, 1,000-yard rushing seasons and 100-yard games have been a rarity since the departure of Hicks, Baker and Ford. The last back to reach the 1,000-yard rushing plateau in a season was Jalen “Scoot” Simmons – now with the Carolina Panthers – who achieved the feat in 2014. And the last back to go over the 100-yard rushing mark in single game was Bishop Ford last season.

Reaching such rushing milestones is certainly noteworthy, but you don’t have to have a 1,000-yard rusher to be effective on offense anymore. Strategies have evolved and the “throw” game has come into play, according to Bulldog head coach Buddy Pough, who is pleased at the stable of running backs S.C. State will have in 2017.

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Former Skyline star DeVante Kincade now tearing it up at Grambling State

DALLAS, Texas -- Former Skyline quarterback DeVante Kincade had a great first season at Grambling State, where he accounted for 3,286 yards of offense and 35 touchdowns and was named the Southwestern Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year.

Now he's preparing for his senior season, and he's the SWAC Offensive Preseason Player of the Year. He's expected to do a lot of the things he used to do for Skyline. This highlight from last season should remind Skyline fans of what Kincade did at Skyline:



Kincade starred at Skyline through the 2012 season and then signed with Mississippi on signing day in 2013. He was part of one of the early signing classes for Hugh Freeze, who abruptly resigned Thursday after allegations of sketchy behavior -- here are those details.

Kincade transferred to Grambling State after the 2015 season so he could be closer to his mother, who was struggling with some health issues. He talked about it shortly after transferring in a story in The Clarion-Ledger.

"So hard," he said. "It was a stress, man, because I was thinking about my mom and I wanted to practice plus I had homework on top of that. I told her I just want to come home and be closer to her so I won't have to be going back and forth that far."

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NSU, Southern fans ready for upcoming season

ALEXANDRIA, Louisiana -- Are you ready for some football?

Northwestern State and Southern fans from Central Louisiana are ready for the upcoming season as both schools held preseason pep rallies in Alexandria Thursday.

Meanwhile, Southern coach Dawson Odums is also optimistic about the 2017 season.

Picked to finish second in the SWAC Western Division, the Jaguars are eligible for the SWAC Championship Game Dec. 2 in Houston and the Celebration Bowl — a bowl game pitting the winners of the SWAC and the MEAC — Dec. 16 in Atlanta.

"I think 2017 is going to be a good year for us," Odums said. "We return a lot of seniors, especially our starting quarterback (Arthur Howard) and our tight end (Dillon Beard). Both of those guys are preseason All-Conference performers, so we're looking for great things out of those guys."

Odums has made quite the dent in Central Louisiana with his recruiting as Tioga's Jalen Ivy signed with the school in February, while Peabody's Jamar Washington, Chris Nash and Robert Perry along with Marksville's Qa Mingo and Tioga's Jestan Deville will be preferred walk-ons once fall camp begins.

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New York fuels Donaldson’s competitive fire

NEW YORK, New York -- It has been an intense and exciting summer for Khaila Donaldson, who enters her senior year at Howard University this fall. An outside hitter on the Bison volleyball team, she has done her best to train while doing an internship at JPMorgan Chase & Co. in New York. A successful internship will result in a full-time offer for the company’s two-year rotational analyst program, and Donaldson has put her competitive energies to use in doing a standout job.

“Most of it is personified in competition and trying to be the best at all times,” said Donaldson, a finance major. “I’m trying to be the best. I’m competing with myself.

“What I’ve learned with volleyball is the stress passes,” she added. “Hopefully, if you do well enough under pressure, the end result will be something you will be proud of.”

Howard’s volleyball team has gone to the national tournament the past two years, and Donaldson’s goal is to repeat that and make it to the Sweet 16, building a foundation for the team’s future success. Training has not been easy with the demanding internship, but she’s done her best to squeeze in workouts.

Despite the pressures, Donaldson, who grew up in the Chicago area, has fallen in love with New York and looks forward to returning to the city after graduation. She will do so with the confidence she has developed attending Howard, a renowned HBCU in Washington, D.C.

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NCCU head coach measures up to Triangle peers

CARY, North Carolina -- Five college football coaches sat on stage during the 15th Annual Bill Dooley Pigskin Preview.

Among the coaches was legendary quarterback whisperer David Cutcliffe, the head coach at Duke. Sitting to Cutcliffe’s left was his protege, second-year East Carolina head coach Scottie Montgomery. At the end of the table sat coaches from rival schools: North Carolina’s Larry Fedora and N.C. State’s Dave Doeren. Between Fedora and Doeren sat N.C. Central’s Jerry Mack.

If the casual football fan looked at the stage and was asked to pick the most successful of the five, who would it be? Cutcliffe’s had his fair share of success, first as the head coach at Ole Miss and for the last 10 years at Duke, giving life to a Blue Devils program that was constantly at the bottom of the ACC. He tied for a division title as the Rebels head coach, and won the ACC Coastal Division in 2013.

Fedora took over a North Carolina program at a dark time, right when the team was under heavy fire from the NCAA. Despite that, Fedora led the Tar Heels back to the top of the conference, winning the Coastal in 2015. Doeren won two MAC conference titles at Northern Illinois, but has not had that kind of success since taking over in Raleigh.

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JSU's Robert Porter earns first CFL start

VANCOUVER, B.C., Canada – The Winnipeg Blue Bombers will enter Friday’s road game against the B.C. Lions without one of their key leaders on defence.

When the team released its roster and depth chart for the Week 5 matchup at BC Place, missing on it was strong-side linebacker Maurice Leggett. With Leggett out, Robert Porter will earn his first CFL start.

Porter, 24, played two seasons at Jackson State, where he earned All-SWAC honours in 2015, lining up at both corner and nickel. That year he finished with 38 tackles and one interception. He also broke up 12 passes.

Porter, who stands 5-10 and weighs 190 pounds, went undrafted to the NFL in 2016, but later signed a free-agent deal with the Chicago Bears. After his release from the Bears, the Bombers signed the Detroit, Mich. native to a contract in January. He was assigned to the practice roster at the start of the 2017 CFL season.

With the absence of Leggett, the Bombers are without two of their original starting linebackers. Weakside linebacker Ian Wild was injured during a 29-10 loss to the Calgary Stampeders in Week 3 and has been ruled out for at least six weeks. Kyle Knox, who lost out the middle linebacker job to Sam Hurl, has been playing in relief of Wild.

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Towson-Morgan State Hold Battle For Greater Baltimore Press Conference

BALTIMORE, Maryland -- (7/18/17) Today, representatives from Towson University and Morgan State University held a joint press conference atop the Greene Turtle in Towson, Md., to announce the 'Battle For Greater Baltimore' – a renewal of the sports rivalry between the Baltimore area's only two local universities with a college football program. The competition for local bragging rights begins on September 2, 2017, when the Bears take a short trip over to Johnny Unitas® Stadium to take on the Tigers.

"Both programs have a rich history of playing outstanding football and this rivalry is something that our students, fans, and alumni can look forward to each year," said Edward Scott, director of intercollegiate athletics for Morgan. "Our goal is to create an event that is more than just a football game; we see this as an opportunity to rally the Greater Baltimore community."

"We are excited to renew the rivalry with Morgan State," said Towson University Director of Athletics Tim Leonard. "The series is not only good for both Universities, but it is also very beneficial to the Greater Baltimore community. Both myself, and (Morgan State AD) Ed (Scott), are committed to playing this game as often as the schedule permits."

The teams are scheduled to play the home-and-home series in 2017 and 2018. During the press conference, both AD's noted that they are working out the details of extending the series through 2020.

Saturday, September 2, will mark the 24th meeting in the series between the two university football programs that began with a 34-7 Morgan Sate win on September 1, 1979 at Towson. The Tigers hold a 17-6 advantage in the all-time series and will be playing Morgan for the first time since 2011. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.

The game will be broadcasted by WEAA, 88.9FM and televised.

Fans can keep up-to-date with all MSU Athletics via twitter at Twitter.com/MorganStBears and @MSUBearFootball. You can also become a fan of the Bears on Facebook at Facebook.com/MorganStateBears.

MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

NSU-ODU to Renew Basketball Rivalry This Year at Scope Arena

NORFOLK, Virginia – The Norfolk State and Old Dominion men's basketball programs will renew a once-strong rivalry this upcoming season when the two teams play a non-conference game at Norfolk Scope Arena on Dec. 22.

Game time will be 7 p.m. from Scope Arena in the first game between the two programs in two years. The teams last met on Dec. 29, 2015, a 68-57 win for the Monarchs at ODU's Ted Constant Center. That game marked the first meeting between the two programs in 15 years after they met at Scope Arena during the 1999-2000 and 2000-01 seasons.

"I am looking forward to a great evening of basketball between these two outstanding programs," said NSU Athletics Director Marty L. Miller. "I think this is the game that fans from both institutions want to see on the schedule every year. This game will be marked on the calendar of every sports fan in the Hampton Roads community."

ODU leads the all-time series 12-6 dating back to the first ever meeting during the 1965-66 season. The two programs played regularly during the early 1970's, meeting several times during the regular season at Scope Arena and in the NCAA tournament when both teams were members of Division II. Altogether, the teams have met 10 times at Scope Arena over the years.

"I am very excited that we have renewed the series with ODU," said NSU head coach Robert Jones. "When we played in 2015 the atmosphere was electric! The city was buzzing, and there was talk in the barber shops, beauty salons, and other places about this game.

"It also showcased how comparable our basketball programs really are. It allowed us to gain new fans who had never seen us play before that have continued to support us since then. Now that the game has moved to the Scope Arena, it will allow more fans to witness this exciting game. My hope is that this will become an annual event."

NSU will have game tickets available for sale. More information
will be announced at a later date.

Mike Bello, Assistant Sports Information Director
NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Morgan State Women's Basketball Star Corin 'Tiny' Adams In Midst Of International Odyssey

ATHENS, Greece -- Former Morgan State women's basketball star Corin "Tiny" Adams, whose 2,058 career points with the Bears are the most among men and women at the school, completed her seventh season playing overseas this spring after a successful season with Panathinaikos Athens. The team finished third in Greece's A1 national women's basketball league during the 2016-17 season.

Primarily a pick-and-roll style point guard, the 5-foot-7 Adams averaged 11.5 points, 4.3 assists, 3.7 defensive rebounds and 3.1 steals per game with Panathinaikos this season.

For Adams, 28, it was a long, winding road to Greece, which she described as a "great experience" and said she "felt like a real, real pro for the first time" thanks, in part, to Panathinaikos' professional staff.

Playing overseas has presented unique opportunities for Adams, such as exploring Europe with her mother, Gwendolyn, during her teams' winter breaks and experiencing different cultures -- Adams proudly said she's eaten Caracois (Portuguese snail). She's now played in 15 different countries internationally, including 13 in Europe.

But playing overseas wasn't necessarily Adams' first choice. Hailing from Brooklyn, N.Y., Adams averaged 19.4 points and 4.1 rebounds per game and was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Player of the Year during her senior year at Morgan State in 2009-10. She had hoped to parlay a terrific four-year college career into a shot at a WNBA roster. But that chance evaporated before it ever materialized, a harbinger of the challenges to come overseas.

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Wash High’s Blount moves on from Duquesne to NCCU

DURHAM, North Carolina -- There was much more on the mind of Khalid Blount as he got into a three-point stance during spring football practices throughout March at Duquesne University. It wasn’t a worry about execution. It was a decision about leaving.

The 2015 Washington High School graduate had a good understanding of what needed to be done to get playing time on Saturdays, rotating on the Dukes’ defensive line in 10 games as a freshman.

Blount recorded five tackles – three solo – while taking up blockers and plugging holes from his tackle spot. He knew he could play, but wasn’t sure this was the place.

“When the thought of transferring came into my head, I was always telling myself it was something I didn’t want to do,” Blount remembered.

“I liked Duquesne,” he continued. “When I was on the football field, I was happy. Once I got away from football, I just wasn’t happy. As spring progressed, I had talked to my brothers, my family and God about it.”

Through those conversations, and a desire to move further away than the 25-minute drive home Blount made on many weekends, he finally decided to transfer to North Carolina Central University.

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Ex-NCAA scoring leader Daniel ready to return for new team

KNOXVILLE, Tennessee — Tennessee guard James Daniel III finally has the chance to deliver a follow-up performance to his 2015-16 NCAA scoring title, an opportunity that essentially eluded him last season.

After an ankle injury caused Daniel to play just two games last season at Howard, the 6-foot graduate transfer brings experience and offence to Tennessee’s backcourt.

“I wanted to go on the biggest stage for my last year and try to pursue my hopes and dreams since I’ve been a little kid, which was to get to the NBA,” Daniel said.

Daniel likely won’t be shooting or scoring as much as he did at Howard, where he averaged 27.1 points per game to lead all Division I players in 2015-16. He’s more interested in getting to the NCAA Tournament, something he hasn’t done and Tennessee hasn’t accomplished since 2014.

“At this point in my career I’m ready to win,” Daniel said. “That’s pretty much what I have to do. I feel like if we win, my personal goals will be met.”

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Jackson State Football Adds Two Assistant Coaches

JACKSO, Mississippi -- Jackson State University head football coach Tony Hughes has added Carl “Big C” Roberts and Lionel Stokes to the Tigers coaching staff. Roberts will serve as the offensive line coach and Stokes will take over defensive back responsibilities.

Roberts, a long time offensive line coach at JSU, was most recently the Assistant Head Coach and Offensive Line Coach at Texas Southern (2012-2015). Roberts has over 30 years of coaching experience. He first joined the JSU coaching staff in 1983 as a graduate assistant. He came on as a full time staff member in 1987, when he served as the offensive line and strength coach. He remained a member of the JSU coaching staff until 2003. After at stint at Grambling State, he returned to JSU as a special teams coach in 2010.​

While in college, Roberts was an outstanding offensive guard for Jackson State (1979-82). He was a three-time All-SWAC team member and went on to play for the Oklahoma Outlaws and the San Antonio Gunslingers (USFL).

​”Coach Roberts brings a wealth of experience back to Jackson State,” said Hughes. ” He has a proven track record of producing great offensive linemen. He has an outstanding relationship with the community and we are proud to welcome him back.”​

Stokes comes to JSU after serving as the linebackers coach at Louisiana-Lafayette. Before coming on as a full​-​time member of the Ragin’ Cajuns coaching staff, Stokes spent two seasons (2014-2015) as a graduate assistant on Louisiana-Lafayette’s defensive coaching staff. Before going into coaching,

Stokes played two seasons at Copiah Lincoln Community College before finishing his playing career at Louisiana-Lafayette (2010-12). He was a two year starter at defensive back for the Ragin’ Cajuns. In 25 games he recorded 135 tackles and had five interceptions playing both corner and safety.

​”Stokes, who is a lifelong Mississippi resident, is a young and energetic coach,” said Hughes. “He brings a lot of intensity to the program. He has proven to be an outstanding position coach. He will enhance play making on the field, as well as with recruiting.”

JSU reports to campus for training camp on July 25 and the Tigers open the 2017 season on September 2 when they travel to Fort Worth, Texas to face TCU.

JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

MEAC Announces 2017 Football Media Day Student-Athlete Attendees

NORFOLK, Virginia -- The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) has announced its list of student-athlete attendees for the 2017 MEAC Football Media Day and luncheon on Friday, July 28 at the Marriott Waterside Hotel.

Twenty-two student-athletes and head football coaches from the MEAC's 11 football playing institutions will kick off the 2017 football season. ESPN college football analyst and former Howard University quarterback Jay Walker along with College Football Hall of Famer and former SC State head coach Willie Jeffries will serve as co-master of ceremonies for the second consecutive year.

A limited number of tickets are available to the public for the press luncheon and can be purchased by calling the MEAC Office at (757) 951-2055. Tickets are $30 per seat or $300 per table (10 persons) and must be purchased by 5:30 p.m. on Friday, July 21 in order to obtain the special rate.

Media members may obtain a credential for the luncheon and/or one-on-one interviews by completing an application found on www.MEACSports.com. One-on-one interviews will begin promptly at 9:00 a.m. followed by the luncheon at noon.

The 2017 MEAC football season kicks off on Saturday, Aug. 26 as Florida A&M will host Texas Southern in a non-conference game.

South Carolina State will travel to Baton Rouge, La. to face Southern University in the 13th annual MEAC/SWAC Challenge on Labor Day Weekend, Sunday, Sept. 3 at 2:30 p.m. Details and ticket information can be found on www.meacswacchallenge.com.

For more information about the MEAC, log on to www.MEACsports.com.

Click the link below to access the credential application:
'
https://secure.sportssystems.com/events2/?eventKey=2cf59acf-db9a-4cc9-8db4-672365db65a8


Bethune-Cookman
QB Frank Brown (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.)
LB Trenton Bridges (DeLand, Fla.)

Delaware State
RB Brycen Alleyne (Wilmington, Del.)
LB Brian Cavicante (Portsmouth, Va.)

Florida A&M
OL Osman Aguilera (Miami, Fla.)
DL Calvin Darville (Belle Glades, Fla.)

Hampton
RB Yahkee Johnson (Richmond, Va.)
LB Steven Smith (Virginia Beach, Va.)

Howard
TE Howard Warren (Hopewell. Va.)
LB Devin Rollins (Miami, Fla.)

Morgan State
QB Elijah Staley (Marietta, Ga.)
DL A.J. Agbelese (Lanham, Md.)

Norfolk State
WR Marcus Taylor (Highland Springs, Va.)
DL Chris Lee (Woodbridge, Va.)

North Carolina A&T State
OL Brandon Parker (Kannapolis, N.C.)
DB Zerius Lockhart (Auburn, Ala.)

North Carolina Central
RB Ramone Simpson (Wilmington, N.C.)
DL Antonio Brown (Jacksonville, Fla.)

Savannah State
QB Tino Smith II (Carmel, Ind.)
LB Mulik Simmons (Savannah, Ga.)

South Carolina State
QB Dewann Ford, Jr. (Atlanta, Ga.)
LB Darius Leonard (Lake View, S.C.)

MEAC MEDIA RELATIONS

WSSU ready to be favorites yet again in CIAA

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- When you are the top dog in the CIAA, heading to yet another media day means one thing.

“I’m sure somebody will take whatever we say and use it against us,” coach Kienus Boulware of Winston-Salem State said.

The conference will hold its football media day later this week in Salem, Va., the site of the CIAA championship game in November, and when the preseason coaches’ poll is released it’s a safe bet the Rams will be the favorite again.

As two-time defending league champions who have most of their top players back, it would be a surprise if the Rams weren’t the favorite.

“It’s a great position to be in, and I don’t mind being the hunted,” said Boulware, who will begin his fourth season as head coach this fall. “It says a lot about where we are as a program, and because we are back-to-back champions, one of the hardest things we are going to do is try to defend those titles.”

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SC State LB Will Battle The Big Boys For The Butkus

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- He's the reigning MEAC Defensive Player of the Year and now South Carolina State senior linebacker Darius Leonard finds himself on a list with college football's heavyweights as they up for a national award.

Leonard joins Skai Moore from USC and Kendall Joseph from Clemson on the 51-player watch list for the Butkus Award. The award is named after former Chicago Bear Dick Butkus who wore the #51. A 51-person panel compiled the list of candidates for the award which is presented by the Butkus Foundation.

Leonard led the MEAC with 124 tackles and finished 4th in the FCS with 78 solo tackles. He also added14.5 tackles for a loss of 64 yards, 3.5 sacks, two interceptions, five pass deflections, four forced fumbles (8th in FCS) and two blocked kicks. Leonard also scored two touchdowns for the Bulldogs, one on offense and one on defense.

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LSWA selects XULA' s Moses Louisiana Coach of the Year

NEW ORLEANS — For the second time in three years, Xavier University of Louisiana's Joseph Moses is Louisiana Coach of the Year in women's track and field.
     
A Louisiana Sports Writers Association of college sports publicists selected Moses. The LSWA announced the honor and its 2017 All-Louisiana men's and women's teams late Saturday.
     
Moses coached XULA to the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's team championship, its fourth in five years. The Gold Nuggets won just 5-of-20 events at conference but had great depth — 20-of-24 athletes scored. Freshmen and sophomores combined for 86 percent of XULA's points at conference.
    
Additional season highlights:
     •  School records in the 1,600-meter relay, 3,200 relay and 400.
     •  XULA qualified for the NAIA National Championships in four events (five entries) and scored in two.
     •  Junior Drew Chatters (javelin) and sophomore Brianna Pace (distance) were named CoSIDA Academic All-District — and Chatters earned second-team Academic All-America.
     
Moses outpolled Loyola's Nick Dodson, LSU's Dennis Shaver and Tulane's Eric Peterson for the state award. Shaver was voted men's Coach of the Year.
     
The coaching honor is Moses' 12th at the state level. In cross country, Moses has won the women's award six times and the men's honor four times.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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RICK CLEVELAND: In college athletics, the rich get richer

JACKSON, Mississippi -- USA Today’s recent report about athletic budgets at universities around the country raised some eyebrows in Mississippi.

The headlines told us Jackson State ($7.6 million), Alcorn State ($6.7 million) and Mississippi Valley State ($4.3 million), which all compete in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), all were among the lowest spenders in Division I.

Valley ranked No. 228 of 230 schools, Alcorn No. 225, and JSU No. 220.

Meanwhile, Ole Miss’ athletic revenue was highest among Mississippi universities at $110.5 million, followed by Mississippi State at $94.9 million.

The Southern Miss athletic budget checked in at $25.9 million.

Of course, everything is relative, and all the Mississippi schools were near the bottom of their respective conferences. JSU, Alcorn and Valley were all at or near the bottom of the SWAC. Ole Miss and State were among the lowest spenders in the SEC. And Southern Miss was next to lowest in Conference USA.

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S.C. State quarterbacks talented, but inexperienced

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- A quick examination of the 2017 South Carolina State projected preseason football roster finds six quarterbacks listed.

Missing from that group are the two signal-callers who shared the quarterbacking duties on the 2016 team. Adrian Kollock Jr. completed his studies and playing eligibility and the once-promising Caleb York (1,116 passing yards in 2016) transferred to play at Campbell University.

That leaves Bulldog head coach Buddy Pough and his staff having to rely mostly on a youthful group of quarterbacks in 2017. The group has promise and loads of talent, but little game experience. That could prove to be big in a conference that has become more and more reliant on a top performer behind center.

The Bulldog quarterback logjam most likely signals a fierce preseason battle to win the position and lead S.C. State on the field September 3 against Southern University in Baton Rouge, La.

Leading the pack are ...

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'When Rickie says something, we listen:' Former Southern star Rickie Weeks a steadying influence for Rays

ST. PETERSBURG, Florida — Inside the home clubhouse at Tropicana Field, it’s a night for good times. The sound system’s thump-thump-thump sets a fun-loving mood. Players for the Tampa Bay Rays, enjoying a victory, are making light-hearted conversation while mixing in occasional hijinks.

Over in the corner, it’s all business.

The team’s oldest player, Rickie Weeks Jr., is quietly sitting at his locker stall, slowly putting himself together, his back to the room.

Soon, he will slip away, barely making a sound.



“But when Rickie says something, we listen,’’ Rays pitcher Alex Cobb said. “He knows how to act like a pro. We respect him so much. Nobody has to say it. It’s just the truth.’’

To the untrained eye, Weeks appears to be a veteran with his best days long behind him, a name that once generated considerable buzz and All-Star votes. Now a first baseman who plays almost exclusively against left-handed pitching, the former Southern star batted .216 with two home runs and eight RBIs before landing on the disabled list.

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SWAC Basketball Tournament Trophy To Be Named After Legendary Coach Davey Whitney

LORMAN, Mississippi  -- The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) men's basketball championship trophy will bear the name of an iconic Alcorn State University sports figure.

The SWAC Council of Presidents and Chancellors voted to name the Men's SWAC Championship Basketball Tournament trophy after the legendary Coach Davey L. Whitney.

Whitney posted a 508-292 record at Alcorn including a 259-115 mark in the SWAC. He coached the Braves for 27 seasons over two stints from 1969-89 and 1996-03.

Whitney guided Alcorn to 12 SWAC Championships and was a nine-time SWAC Coach of the Year winner. His 508 wins are the most in school history, ahead of Dwight Fisher who recorded 190 victories from 1948-56.

Furthermore, Whitney coached three SWAC Player of the Year winners (Larry Smith twice and Michael Phelps once) and six SWAC Tournament MVP's (Larry Smith twice, Aaron Brandon twice, Albert Irving and Marcus Fleming).

President Alfred Rankins Jr. commended the Council for recognizing Whitney's achievements.

"I am pleased that the SWAC Council of Presidents and Chancellors recognized the great accomplishment and contributions of Coach Whitney by naming the tournament championship trophy in his honor," said Rankins. "Coach Whitney was one of the best Division I coaches of all time."

Whitney, who passed away in 2015, coached at Alcorn to a win over Mississippi State 80-78 in the 1979 National Invitation Tournament (NIT). Whitney led Alcorn to a win against South Alabama in the first round of the 1980 NCAA Tournament, which was the first time a historically black college and university had won in the tournament. Whitney also guided Alcorn to NCAA Tournament wins in 1983 and 1984 and six appearances in the dance.

Whitney was elected to the Kentucky State University Hall of Fame in 1976, the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 1991, the Alcorn State University Hall of Honors in 1993, the Alcorn State University Sports Hall of Fame in 1996 and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.

The Whitney family expressed their appreciation upon receiving the good news. Gail Whitney, Coach Whitney's daughter, said that the family is grateful for the love and support that the SWAC and the University has shown for her late father.

"The Whitney family would like to extend our appreciation to the Southwestern Athletic Conference and Alcorn State University for honoring the legacy of our father, Davey "The Wiz" Whitney, Sr.," said Whitney. "We look forward to the first presentation of the trophy at the 2017-2018 SWAC Basketball Tournament Championship."

Alcorn renamed its basketball gym to the Davey L. Whitney Complex in 1995. It was previously known as Scalpin' Grounds Arena. Whitney was one of the few coaches in the history of the sport to ever coach in a building that was named after him.

ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Fobbs: GSU Offense may take time to be as potent

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Expectations on the offensive side of the ball soar when the conference Offensive Player of the Year returns to the huddle.

With rising senior quarterback DeVante Kincade piloting the attack, Grambling State’s offensive firepower in 2017 has the chance to pack more gunpowder than last season’s potent arsenal that put up almost 40 points per game and scored 66 touchdowns.



Kincade, in his first year starting, accounted for 35 of those scores, with 31 coming through the air along with 3,022 passing yards, making him the lone 3,000-yard passer in the SWAC last season and landed him Preseason Offensive Player of the Year honors at the conference’s annual Media Day Friday in Birmingham.

Preseason first-team All-Conference running back Martez Carter, looking to improve off his successful junior campaign of 891 yards and 10 touchdowns, also comes back to fully load the backfield chamber, giving the Tigers the most proven one-two punch in the league.

But standout wide receiver Chad Williams is gone and now lines up wide with the Arizona Cardinals. Three of GSU’s offensive linemen have graduated, and while those departures don’t diminish fourth-year head football coach Broderick Fobbs’ confidence, they do illicit some pause.

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FAMU High School Band Camp Halftime Show 2017

COURTESY: Derrell Smith, Videographer

Southern University High School Band & Dance Camp (2017) | Full Performance

COURTESY: trin.t productions

2017 Chicago Bears training camp preview: Running back Tarik Cohen (N.C. A&T)

CHICAGO, Illinois -- The star of the Bears’ offense this summer is at running back in the form of Jordan Howard, and he has a couple of new teammates in the position room with fourth-round rookie Tarik Cohen and former Rams back Benny Cunningham. The Bears also have a couple of fullbacks and bring back Jeremy Langford and Ka’Deem Carey. Here are the key questions to be answered at running back during training camp.

How will the offense utilize Cohen? One of the highlights in OTAs and minicamp was Cohen, a human highlight reel in college. He clearly has the shiftiness and playmaking ability to be a force in the open field, but making plays in minicamp in shorts is one thing. Doing it against a padded defense (albeit one that is not supposed to bring down the ball carrier) will be a challenge, especially as he makes the transition from the MEAC defense he faced in college. Offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains has a Swiss Army knife in the backfield to get creative with, and we’ll start to see how involved Cohen can be in the offense during camp.

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