Who the hell will they draft 2008: Howard DE Rudolph Hardie

While it is possible that the Colts will draft Georgia DE Marcus Howard or Purdue's Cliff Avril in rounds 2 or 3, that does not mean pass rushers in later rounds will get ignored. A player like Hardie is intriguing here, especially when you consider Indy's success with drafting late round defensive talent. First and foremost, Hardie played college ball at Howard, an African American college that does not play premiere talent. But I'm not one to put a ton of stock in the big school mentality. As I've said before, Laurence Phillips played a lot of college ball against top tier talent, and still sucked at the pro level. Vince Young and Reggie Bush played top tier college talent, and both are fading fast in the pros. Hardie's college, Howard University, runs a Tampa 2-style defense and it produced Colts starting safety (and Pro Bowler) Antoine Bethea.

Photo: #99 Howard University's Rudolph Hardie vs. Hampton University in the Real HU Game 2007. Will the Indianapolis Colts draft Hardie is the question?

The system Howard runs is a system very similar to Indy's. So, naturally, Indy's scouts take an interest when a player from Howard starts to make waves. Hardie was not present at the NFL Combine, but his production at Howard (in particular his knack for destroying QBs) and his university work out on March 11 impressed scouts. With Hardie, it is not his timed speed that wows scouts but rather his quick first step and non-stop motor. Hardie is also very stout against the run, as NFL Draft Scout notes, able to take on guards and tackles.

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Pitchers coming through for FAMU

Photo: Cirilo Manego, 5-9/165 Pitcher/IF, senior, New Orleans, LA De La Salle HS.

FAMU baseball coach Robert Lucas has done some tinkering in his bullpen that is paying big dividends as the Rattlers have reeled off four victories in their last five games.

Lucas seems to have found the perfect pitching rotation with Miguel Parga, Anthony Espin and Cirilo Manego. The trio is pitching with more consistency than they did earlier in the season to give FAMU a late-season surge in the MEAC standings.

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Norfolk State signs Casey Pomeroy to NLI

Norfolk State University has signed to a national letter of intent a star softball pitcher and second baseman in Casey Pomeroy, Fallon High School, Fallon, Nevada.

Pomeroy has been a pitcher and second baseman for the Greenwave softball for the last four years. She plans to major in kinesiotherapy at Norfolk State. She's the fourth Greenwave softball player to sign with a Division I school in the last four years. "I'm excited," Pomeroy said. "I'll pitch and play outfield and fill in wherever they need me."

There were several colleges interested in Pomeroy, including the College of Idaho and Boise State.

Video: Casey Pomeroy


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Alcorn's Steve McNair left lasting impression

Where do I start in talking about former Alcorn State quarterback Steve McNair, who announced his retirement from the Baltimore Ravens last week? The many last-second wins at Henderson Stadium and then Jack Spinks Stadium where a concert-like crowd was treated to another rock-star type performance?

Steve McNair NFL Retirement Speech


The guy who went from saying maybe four sentences a game following a game his freshman year to a go who talked with ease with the country smile when he was a senior? The guy who played through so much pain and through so many injuries that bandage companies probably lost revenue after he left town?

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FAMU signs Atlanta's Shauib Winters

The FAMU track team signed Atlanta distance standout Shauib Winters to a national letter-of-intent, the Rattlers announced Wednesday.

He won distance titles in the Southern Indoor Nationals in 2006 and 2007 while taking eighth and the AAU Junior Olympics. He also won the men's 5,000 meters at the Morehouse College Relays and took third in the men's 3,000 at the Ed Temple Indoor Track Classic at Tennessee State.

His best times are 4:30 in the 1,600, 9:14 in the 3,000, 9:47 in the 3,200 and 15:43 in the 5,000.

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HU's Langford an NFL mid-rounder

HAMPTON - — A Hampton University football player has been selected in 12 of the past 16 NFL Drafts. Barring the unexpected, defensive end Kendall Langford will add to the list. Pro Football Weekly personnel analyst Nolan Nawrocki wrote on Tuesday: "Hampton DE Kendall Langford may be available in the fourth (round), but his value could be too great for 3-4 fronts to make it that far into the draft."

Photo: NFL draft prospect Kendall Langford, #98, Hampton University.

Langford said on Thursday that he is hearing that he'll go in the fourth round or earlier. Langford, a 6-foot-6, 290-pound senior, started four seasons at Hampton and was selected to two All-American teams for his play in 2007.

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Pine Bluff’s Torii Hunter at home in L.A., continues to be a force on, off the field

Photo: Los Angeles Angels superstar Torii Hunter has provided UAPB with $500,000 in seed money to build an on campus baseball only stadium. The facility will be named in honor of Hunter, who never attended college.

Torii Hunter has won seven Gold Glove awards. He’s been named an American League All-Star twice. And the new contract he recently signed with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim makes him one of the wealthiest professional athletes in the world today.

The day the Pine Bluff native was taken 20th overall in the 1993 amateur baseball draft by the Minnesota Twins, he could’ve left his hometown and never looked back, like many athletes tend to do. But that’s not Hunter.

“I just like to help people,” Hunter said modestly. “And I’m in the position to do it.”

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