Alcorn State signs 17 players

LORMAN, MS — There will be 17 new faces on the Alcorn State football team next year. The university signed 17 high school athletes Wednesday on National Signing Day, and interim head coach Earnest Collins is excited for the future. “This is a great group of kids,” Collins said in a statement released Wednesday. “They wanted to come to Alcorn and play.” Among those signed are receivers Sam Randall, of Wingfield High in Jackson, and Tavoris Doss, of Sheffield High in Memphis, Tenn.

“Those two guys in particular fit the need that we have for getting some speed on the team,” Collins said. “They both can run, and they’re pretty shifty. They’ll come in right away and make a big impact on the return teams. They can do something special when they get out in space.” Four other Mississippians, defensive lineman Joel Clems, of Hattiesburg High, Armand Stevenson, a defensive back from Murrah High in Jackson, linebacker William Seliby, of Harrison Central in Saucier, and linebacker Robert Gainwell of Yazoo City High also signed Wednesday.

Collins said Seliby and Gainwell, along with Darryl Ward of Homestead (Fla.) High, will make a big impact on a Braves team that lost three guys off its linebacker corps this year. Also on defense, the Braves signed defensive lineman Patrick Christian, of Whitehaven High in Memphis, Elijah Young, of Bowling Green (Ky.) High and Kevaughn Williams, of W.H. Adamson High in Dallas.

To view the 2009 Signee List, click here.

CONTINUE READING, CLICK BLOG TITLE.

ASU Braves 2009 Football Signees

NAME POS HT. WT. HOMETOWN / LAST SCHOOL
Patrick Christian DL 6'4 210 Memphis, TN / Whitehaven H.S.
Joel Clems DL 6'1 280 Hattiesburg, MS / Hattiesburg H.S.
Tavoris Doss WR 5'9 175 Memphis, TN / Sheffield H.S.
Robert Gainwell LB 6'2 220 Yazoo City, MS / Yazoo City H.S.
Terrance Green TE 6'4 210 St. James, LA / St. James H.S.
Matthew Haynes OL 6'2 255 Indianapolis, IN / Warren Central H.S.
Larry Moore WR 5'9 185 New Orleans, LA / Edna Karr H.S.
Mark Nyainda DB 6'1 185 Grand Prairie, TX / Mansfield Timberview H.S.
Donte Parker ATH 5'11 175 Arlington, TX / Mansfield Timberview H.S.
Samuel Randall WR 5'9 165 Jackson, MS / Wingfield H.S.
William Seliby LB/RB 6'2 215 Saucier, MS / Harrison Central H.S.
Armand Stevenson DB 6'0 180 Jackson, MS / Murrah H.S.
Bobby Tatum OL 6'3 250 Forney, TX / Forney H.S.
Arnold Walker RB 6'0 195 Atlanta, GA / McNair H.S.
Darryl Ward LB 6'0 200 Homestead, FL / Homestead H.S.
Kevaughn Williams DL 6'1 280 Dallas, TX / W.H. Adamson H.S.
Elijah Young DL 6'3 285 Bowling Green, KY / Bowling Green H.S.

Alabama A&M Bulldogs 2009 Football Schedule Released

Alabama A&M director of athletics Betty Austin and head football coach Anthony Jones announced Friday the release of the 2009 Alabama A&M football schedule. Along with a seven-game Southwestern Athletic Conference schedule, the lineup features three black college "Classics" and a the continuation of the in-state and regional rivalries with Tennessee State, Jacksonville State, and Tuskegee.

The Bulldogs will open the season by returning to the John Merritt Classic on Sept. 5 in Nashville at Tennessee State before coming home for the remainder of the month of September. A&M plays three straight home dates on Sept. 12, 19, and 26 against Hampton, Jacksonville State, and Arkansas-Pine Bluff, respectively. The Sept. 26 date against Arkansas-Pine Bluff is both Homecoming and the SWAC opener.

The month of October will be spent on the road as the Bulldogs make a return trip to the Circle City Classic on Oct. 3 to again face Tuskegee in Indianapolis for the final non-conference game of the season. Back-to-back SWAC road games await the Dogs on Oct. 10 at Grambling and Oct. 17 at Alcorn State before a bye week on Oct. 24.

The month closes on Oct. 31 with the annual showdown with Alabama State at the Magic City Classic in Birmingham. The Bulldogs open play in November on the 7th at Prairie View A&M, and then return home for the final two games of the season on Nov. 14 vs. Jackson State and Nov. 21 vs. Mississippi Valley State. The SWAC Championship Game is set for Saturday, Dec. 12 in Birmingham.

Date Opponent Location Time/Result Details

9/5/2009 at Tennessee State Nashville, Tenn. - LP Field, John Merritt Classic
9/12/2009 HAMPTON Huntsville, Ala. - Louis Crews Stadium 6:00 PM
9/19/2009 JACKSONVILLE STATE Huntsville, Ala. - Louis Crews Stadium 6:00 PM Homecoming
9/26/2009 * ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF Huntsville, Ala. - Louis Crews Stadium 3:00 PM
10/3/2009 vs. Tuskegee Indianapolis, Ind. - Lucas Oil Stadium, Circle City Classic
10/10/2009 * at Grambling Grambling, La. - Eddie Robinson Stadium
10/17/2009 * at Alcorn State Alcorn State, Miss. - Jack Spinks Stadium
10/31/2009 * vs. Alabama State Birmingham, Ala. - Legion Field 2:30 PM, Magic City Classic
11/7/2009 * at Prairie View A&M Prairie View, Tex. - Blackshear Stadium
11/14/2009 * JACKSON STATE Huntsville, Ala. - Louis Crews Stadium 1:00 PM
11/21/2009 * MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE Huntsville, Ala. - Louis Crews Stadium 1:00 PM

SWAC Championship Game
12/12/2009 SWAC Championship Game Birmingham, Ala. - Legion Field

A&M Sports Info

Alabama State Hornets cater to new football philosophy

Somewhere near the end of the 2008 season, Alabama State head coach Reggie Barlow came to a decision. Win or lose, Bar­low decided he was going to run the ASU program the way he felt was best. He had a specific offensive system he liked, and he was will­ing to fire his second coordina­tor in two seasons in order to find a guy who shared his be­liefs. He also had a specific de­fensive plan he felt would work best, and he was willing to fire a popular and successful defen­sive coordinator in order to run it.

Last Wednesday, Barlow and his staff signed a class that re­flected those new philosophies. And in terms of filling needs, it was a successful signing day. ASU welcomed in 28 players, almost all of which addressed a hole created by a graduating senior or a change in philoso­phy. Offensively, for example, Barlow's game plan is to create a hybrid-style offense that uses el­ements of the spread offense's short passes and the pro forma­tion's power rushing attack.

As the Hornets learned last season, when they employed the spread, quick, agile receivers are a must. Without them, the short passes in the spread are just short passes. In one game, ASU completed 23 pass attempts for only 136 yards. To address that issue, the Hornets signed six receivers in this year's class. All of them have good speed and four of the six were signed specifically be­cause of their ability to run after the catch.

CONTINUE READING, CLICK BLOG TITLE.

Make the most of opportunity, no matter where it is

UAPB Coach Monte Coleman signs a potentially great possession receiver in LaDarius Eckwood.

High school football players in the state should take note of Arkansas' 2009 recruiting class. Razorbacks Coach Bobby Petrino and his staff used their connections to recruit players from all over the country, from California to Florida. Of the 30 players who signed, only six are from Arkansas. Petrino will still go after the very best in Arkansas, but he'll quickly look elsewhere if he can't fulfill his needs at home. That's good for the Arkansas program, but maybe not so good for a few more kids who dream of being a Razorback.

Springdale receiver LaDarius Eckwood had visions of playing for the Razorbacks since hearing stories about his great uncle, Jerry Eckwood, who was a top running back at Arkansas in the 1970s. LaDarius Eckwood had a standout senior season with 108 catches for 1,505 yards, including a school-record 19 catches for 305 yards against Fort Smith Northside. Still, Arkansas only showed little interest, and Eckwood signed with Arkansas-Pine Bluff after also considering Arkansas State and Central Arkansas.

View LaDarius Eckwood Video: Ladarius Eckwood

CONTINUE READING, CLICK BLOG TITLE.

UAPB Coleman targets offense in second recruiting class

The Arkansas-Pine Bluff offense ranked in the bottom half of the Southwestern Athletic Conference in several statistical categories last season. Considering that fact, finding players who can provide immediate offensive help was UAPB’s main focus this recruiting season. And when UAPB coach Monte Coleman announced his second recruiting class as coach on Wednesday, he feels most of those needs were addressed.

Eleven of the 17 players who signed national letters of intent on Wednesday are expected to play on the offensive side for the Golden Lions. That includes six wide receivers, two quarterbacks, two running backs and an offensive lineman. Another wide receiver signed a letter of intent at a ceremony at his school on Wednesday, but as of Wednesday evening, Coleman had not yet received it. “There is a focus on that part of the ball,” Coleman said. “We needed receivers, quarterbacks and offensive (linemen).”

UAPB’s emphasis wasn’t put toward the offensive line as much as when it signed 10 players to those positions last year but directed more toward players at the skill positions. The Golden Lions, who finished 3-9 in Coleman’s first season as coach, were eighth in the SWAC in scoring offense, ninth in total offense and 10th in passing offense.

CONTINUE READING, CLICK BLOG TITLE.

The 2009 Signers to UAPB Golden Lion Football

Name: Pos. Height Weight Hometown/High school

1. Parker Taylor WR 6'5" 198 Brownwood, TX/ Brownwood High School
2. Kaci Robinson LB/DE 6'3" 260 Little Rock, AR/ Independence Jr College
3. Quinn Franklin WR 6'2" 215 Monticello, AR/ Warren High School
4. Joshua Boudreaux QB 6'4" 210 Baton Rouge, LA/ Sacramento Jr College
5. Raphael Hendrix FS 6'2" 190 Marshall, TX/ Marshall High School
6. Justin Billings TB 5'9" 205 El Dorado, AR/ El Dorado High School
7. John Toney TB 5'10" 210 El Dorado, AR/ El Dorado High School
8. T.Q. Mims QB 6'1" 190 Minden, LA/ Minden High School
9. Chris Bolton WR 5'11" 185 Monroe, LA/ Quachita High School
10. Hardie Ezell DL 6'3" 265 Gautier, MS/ Gautier High School
11. Arthur Washington DT 6'2" 270 Dallas, TX/ Dallas Skyline High School
12. Jeffrey Amey DT 6'3" 275 Helena, AR/ West Helena Central High
13. Jarvis Webb SS 5'11" 190 Pine Bluff, AR/ Pine Bluff High School
14. Cordara Frazier WR 6'3" 195 Pine Bluff, AR/ Pine Bluff High School
15. Damien Lee DT 6'3" 250 Little Rock, AR/ Little Rock Central High
16. Ledarius Eckwood WR 6'2" 180 Springdale, AR/ Springdale High School
17. Nicholas Clary WR 5'11" 180 Fordyce, AR/ Fordyce High School

Texas Southern 2009 Football Recruits

Texas Southern Media Relations

Houston, Texas – The Texas Southern Fighting Tigers are bringing a new group of playmakers into the football program. This is a new TSU and these young men exemplify the top quality student-athletes that we are recruiting. “We accomplished what we wanted in this recruiting class,” said football head coach Johnnie Cole. “We went after Texas kids and older kids to fill some voids and we believe we got them.”

Coach Cole got some new fuel for his high octane big play offense. Cole’s impact-players include quarterback Arvell Nelson from Iowa, wide receiver Ricky Dixon from LSU, wide receiver Chip Gregory from Arkansas and offensive lineman Ernest McCoy from LSU. “These guys are play-makers and that’s what we were missing. They are big time players who played in the big leagues,” Cole said. “And adding McCoy upfront should make our offensive line one of the best in the conference.”

When the last form is faxed in, Cole expects to have at least 35 new faces on the team… including 11 top players from Texas…nine of them from the Houston area.
“These kids will take care of business on the field and in the classroom. We are not where we want to be, but we are off to a good start,” said Cole.

2009 Texas Southern Football Signees & Transfers

NAME POS HT WT CL HOMETOWN (Previous School)

Day 1 Announced Recruits
* Jared Benton OL 6-3 320 FR Houston, TX (North Shore HS)
* Justin Coleman DL 6-2 285 JR Schulenburg, TX (Navarro College)
* Chip Gregory WR 6-4 225 Jr Carrollton, TX (Arkansas)
* Vontray Sellers OL 6-2 300 JR Dillon, SC (Feather River CC)
* Jordan Curtin TE 6-4 270 JR Manistee, MI (Eastern Arizona JC)
* Edward Collins DL 6-5 295 FR Chaneyville, LA (Northeast HS)
* Arvell Nelson QB 6-5 210 JR Cleveland, OH (Iowa)
* Antonio Bassett DB 6-0 200 JR Cincinnati, OH (Iowa Central)
* Michael Griggs FB 5-11 225 FR Southfield, MI (Valley Forge Military Academy)
* Gordi Metezier DB 6-2 190 SO Margette, FL (Dodge City CC)
* Ernest McCoy OL 6-6 330 SO Belle Glade, FL (LSU)
* Ricky Dixon WR 6-2 210 JR Reserve, LA (LSU)

Day 2 Announced Recruits
Marvin Hollie OL 6-3 320 Fr Houston, TX (Madison HS)
Kingsley Akinwole DL 6-3 330 JR Allen, TX (Trinity Valley JC)
Alvin Samuel RB 6-0 215 FR Clute, TX (Brazoswood HS)
Sean Spears DL 6-0 260 FR Baton Rouge, LA (Clinton HS)
Jonathan Ellis OL 6-4 325 Fr Houston, TX (Spring Westfield HS)
Tyrrell Jones FS 6-2 200 FR Channelview, TX (Channelview HS)

Day 3 Announced Recruits
Dedric Shipman DB 6-2 200 FR Lawrenceville, GA (Meadow Creek HS)
Eloes Whitaker LB 5-10 200 FR Houston, TX (Westbury HS)
Andrew Franklin LB 6-2 195 FR Memphis, TN (Mitchell HS)
Danny Wash OL 6-2 265 FR Memphis, TN (Mitchell HS)
Serigne Sarr OL 6-3 320 FR Houston, TX (St. Pius X HS)

* Players currently enrolled in school

New HU assistant has 'unbelievable heart'

One thing is certain about Hampton University's new recruiting coordinator: He knows how to keep a clear head. On Dec. 6, Stephen Field, then in his second season as a graduate assistant at the University of Miami, was driving near a busy interchange with I-95 when he saw a car smashed into a tree. He broke the car's windshield with a hammer and pulled the driver, a man whose identity was not released, free of the smoking car. So the coach now charged with convincing recruits to come to Hampton can tell them he's a bona fide hero, right?

"There were, like, 1,000 articles, and that's what they said," said Field, who didn't want to say much else about the rescue. Clint Hurtt, the Hurricanes' defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator, wasn't as reticent."It didn't surprise me. That's the kind of heart he has," Hurtt said. "When Coach Field first got the GA job down here in Miami, he didn't have a place to stay, so I let him come stay with me. He's a great person, a great guy with an unbelievable heart. ... He's the kind of person, if you call him at 2 o'clock in the morning and you have an issue, he's going to roll right out of bed to do whatever he can to help you out."

CONTINUE READING, CLICK BLOG TITLE.


Hampton signees

STEVEN ROBINSON RB 6-2 220 Georgia Military/Milledgeville, Ga. Second-team All-American had more than 3,000 yards and 25 touchdowns in two years at Georgia Military.

DARYELL WALKER DE 6-5 225 Bethel High School/Hampton. Second-team all-district pick had 50 tackles and two sacks as a senior.

LANCE HAWKINS DT 6-2 310 Atlantic Shores High School/Virginia Beach. First-team all-state as a senior and as a junior.

ANTONIO McCLOUDE RB 5-7 175 Glades Central High School/Belle Glade, Fla. All-state pick and team MVP as a senior; played in the Outback Steakhouse all-star game.

RAY RIJOS OG 6-2 330 Bayside High School/Virginia Beach. Second-team All-Tidewater pick as a senior; two-time All-Beach District selection.

DENZEL BONNER C 6-2 305 Godby High School/Tallahassee, Fla. Second-team all-area and all-state pick; played in the Florida-Georgia Border War all-star game.

VINCENT HARPER FB 6-0 260 Glades Central High School/Belle Glade, Fla. All-area pick voted "Toughest Player in the Area"; had 50 pancake blocks as a senior.

GABRIEL SMITH FB 5-11 250 Friendship Collegiate High School/Washington, D.C. All-conference pick and an all-independent-school selection by The Washington Post.

JORDAN DAVIS QB 6-0 180 William Penn/York, Pa. County player of the year and all-state honorable-mention selection.

JAMIE SLAUGHTER DT 6-3 280 Hazelwood East High School/St. Louis. First-team all-state selection in Missouri.