South Carolina State Legend Gets His Due

Coach Jeffries reflects on his journey through college football history before Hall of Fame induction.

Willie Jeffries, his wife, Mary, and two of his children have a road trip on tap this week to South Bend, Indiana. It’s not a pilgrimage to Notre Dame. No, Jeffries is going to take his appointed place in the College Football Hall of Fame. The 2010 Enshrinement Festival runs Saturday and Sunday.

“It is quite an honor for me,” said Jeffries, whose 29-year college coaching career netted a 179-132-6 record, including a 128-77-4 mark in 19 seasons during twostints at South Carolina State, his alma mater.

“Being inducted into the college football hall of fame is the apex of my profession. In all my years of coaching, I never thought about any halls of fame, especially this one. There is no greater honor for a coach.”

Jeffries is a beloved South Carolinian — a man whose influence reaches beyond the field. In addition to being a member of several athletic halls of fame (South Carolina State, South Carolina, Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, Wichita, Kansas, to name a few), he is the recipient of two of the highest civilian honors in the state — the Order of the Silver Crescent for outstanding community service, and the Order of the Palmetto, the state’s highest civilian award.



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2010 COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME ENSHRINEE BIO

WILLIE JEFFRIES - Howard University, Wichita State University, South Carolina State University Head Coach Emeritus - 179-132-6.


The first African-American to be hired as a head coach at a Division-I school (Wichita State), Willie Jeffries finished his career as the winningest coach in South Carolina State and MEAC history.

A three-time Black National Championship winner, Jeffries is credited with inventing the "Freeze Option" offense and is the only person in history to coach against College Football Hall of Famers Paul "Bear" Bryant and Eddie Robinson. Jeffries won the MEAC conference title seven times, six with SCSU and one with Howard. He has also coached College Football Hall of Famers Harry Carson and Donnie Shell.

Named coach of the year on eight different occasions, he was given the lifetime achievement award by the Black Coaches Association in 2002. An inductee of both the MEAC Hall of Fame and SCSU Athletic Hall of Fame, Jeffries was awarded the Order of the Silver Crescent in 2001, South Carolina's highest honor for Outstanding Community Service.

Jeffries was recently named head coach emeritus at South Carolina State and will serve as a liaison between the university, its alumni and other constituents. He currently resides in Elloree, S.C.

LINK: http://www.collegefootball.org/

Hard times dog Mississippi Valley Delta Devils athletics

Home football games moved to Greenville High; financial woes keep Delta Devils living on edge.

As bad days go for football coaches, Karl Morgan's story ranks up there. It was last winter - Morgan doesn't remember the date, and it's hard to blame him - when he was summoned to a campus-wide meeting to discuss Gov. Haley Barbour's proposal to merge his new employer, Mississippi Valley State, with the state's other two historically black public universities. Morgan, on the job just a few days, also found out that Rice-Totten Stadium was declared unsafe to use this season. Oh, and he wouldn't be able to hire all of his staff until a few months later.

"It was tough," he said with a laugh on a recent morning in his office.

Much of the scares from those days have blown over. The Legislature has since squashed the idea of consolidation, though the state's bleak fiscal picture at least suggests that further talks aren't out of the question. By the time August practice starts in advance of Valley's Sept. 4 opening game at Alabama State, Morgan expects to have his staff hired.

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UMES' Boozer named to College Football's Hall of Fame

PRINCESS ANNE, MD -- Emerson Boozer, who has garnered various honors for his abilities on the gridiron, can now add another accolade to his resume -- College Football Hall of Famer.

The former NFL running back and University of Maryland Eastern Shore graduate will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., the weekend of July 16-17. Boozer will be the third UMES football representative inducted, following legendary coach Vernon "Skip" McCain in 2006 and Roger Brown last year.

"I was at home and my wife was on the computer and she says, 'Come here for a minute and read this,' " Boozer said. "Then I read about being accepted in the College Football Hall of Fame and being enshrined in July. I had to read it a couple of times to make sure that I had read what I had read."

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EMERSON BOOZER, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Halfback (1962-65)

A four-year letterman and storied halfback under legendary coach Vernon "Skip" McCain at Maryland Eastern Shore (formerly Maryland State College), Emerson Boozer ran over opposing defenses to secure a spot in the 2010 College Football Hall of Fame Class.

A two-time First Team All-America by the Pittsburgh Courier, Boozer amassed 2,537 yards and 22 touchdowns during his career. He averaged a remarkable 6.78 yards per carry and was named a Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) All- Conference pick in 1964 and '65. He was also inducted into the University of Maryland Eastern Shore Hall of Fame in 1982.

The New York Jets selected Boozer in the sixth round of the draft, and he played with the franchise for 10 seasons. He was named the 1966 Pittsburgh Courier AFL Rookie of the Year and was twice named a Pro Bowl selection. He also helped the Jets defeat the heavily favored Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III.

After his time in the pros, Boozer worked with CBS as an NFL analyst. He has been inducted into the State of Georgia and Suffolk Sports halls of fame. Now retired, he lives in Huntington Station, N.Y.

LINK: http://www.collegefootball.org/

FAMU's Printers suffers hamstring injury in Lions' loss to Riders

Vancouver, BC (Sports Network) - British Columbia Lions starting quarterback Casey Printers suffered an apparent leg injury in the final minute of the first half of Saturday's 37-18 loss against the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Printers was taken down by defensive end Brent Hawkins when he was hurt and limped gingerly off the field. Travis Lulay played under center for the second half. "I could've played but I couldn't risk making it worse. It was a precautionary thing to sit back. It's a long season," Printers said. Prior to suffering the injury, Printers completed 10-of-14 passes for 120 yards and a touchdown.

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Video Highlights: SSK 37, BC 18

BC Lions' had a brilliant night – except for the football

VANCOUVER — It was a great night for the lions. Stoic and noble, glorious and indomitable – those were the lions on the North Shore mountains. For the Lions down on the field, playing the first outdoor regular-season Canadian Football League game since 1982, B.C.'s football team was far eclipsed by its stadium. The Lions were far eclipsed by the Saskatchewan Roughriders, too, losing 37-18 in a game that dulled the nostalgia of returning to Empire Field for the 2010 season.

The two best lions were those peaks in the Coast Range overlooking English Bay and Burrard Inlet. The only B.C. Lion close to them was Geroy Simon, whose first-half jumpball catch on Casey Printers' 32-yard heave-ho and a garbage-time grab of Travis Lulay's bomb for a 98-yard touchdown gave his team an illusion of competitiveness.

Roughriders spoil Lions' return to Empire lands before a sold-out crowd

VANCOUVER — The Empire didn't strike back, it struck out. Saskatchewan Roughriders stopped a five-game Lions win' streak against them at Hastings and Cassiar - albeit one that stretched back 28 years - as they crushed B.C. 37-18 before a sold-out crowd of 27,500 at Empire Field Saturday night. The game was the first CFL game played outdoors in Vancouver since the 1982 season at the former site of Empire Stadium, demolished after the Lions moved to BC Place a year later.

And demolished pretty much described the state of the Lions after their first regular-season game at Empire Field, the temporary, $15 million structure that is the team's contingency home while BC Place undergoes renovations for a retractable roof.

The Lions lost starting quarterback Casey Printers late in the second quarter with a strained quad muscle after he was flushed out of the pocket by defensive end Brent Hawkins, who was a monster all evening for the Roughriders. Besides his constant raids into the Lions backfield, Hawkins forced a fumble when he tackled Travis Lulay - Printers' replacement - then picked up the loose ball to score Saskatchewan's fourth touchown on 40-yard fumble return.


#1 Quarterback Casey Printers (FAMU)

CFLGame Video:

• Week 2: Roughriders vs. LionsPlay

Highlights: CGY 23, HAM 22

Highlights: TOR 36, WPG 34

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Shell’s play speaks for itself

Brandon Shell, a great-nephew of NFL and UMES Hall of Famer Art Shell, keeps low profile during recruiting. Brandon is ranked #74 by Rivals.com and is the #4 ranked recruit in South Carolina. He has a 5-star rating by Scout.com., and is already being projected as an NFL 1st round draft pick.

At first, the man whom some would call an NFL icon would sit in his car in the Goose Creek High (Goose Creek, South Carolina) parking lot. Apparently, the last thing Art Shell wanted to look like was a meddler. Yes, his great-nephew Brandon was a budding star at offensive tackle, the same position Art played on his way to a Hall of Fame career. But Art just sat in his car and watched Brandon. And Goose Creek coach Chuck Reedy kept on coaching.

“Not anything other than supportive,” Reedy said of Art’s involvement. “He will be involved in the process, but he’s not gonna tell him where to go.” Gradually, Art Shell has started to take on more of a role in the race between colleges for his great-nephew’s services. Art got out of the car and attended a couple practices, a scrimmage and a game. And, consciously or not, there is an obvious influence on Brandon Shell. Art Shell, who was born in Charleston, S.C., was named to eight Pro Bowls during an illustrious playing career. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1989.

But he may be best known for being the first African-American coach in the NFL modern era (L.A. Raiders, 1990). Today, there are six black head coaches in the NFL, and three of the past four Super Bowls have featured a team with at least one black coach. Since he was fired in 1994, Shell has spent most of his time as an assistant coach or working for the NFL, except a one-year return to coach the Raiders in 2006. He lives in Atlanta.


WARNING: MUSIC is Offensive!!! Please mute sound. Video provided by tramelterry1's, a third party, and is NOT a reflection of Brandon Shell or MEAC/SWAC Sports Main Street.

Now along comes Brandon, who at 6-foot-8 and 280 pounds reminds everyone of his great-uncle. College recruiters see the potential, with more than 30 offers to Shell, who recently whittled his list to South Carolina, Clemson, Alabama and Georgia.

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Stillman College/Detroit Lions DT Sammie Lee Hill Beating The Sophomore Slump

Former Stillman College and current Detroit Lions defensive tackle, Sammie Lee Hill (6'-4", 331 lbs., 5.20/40 yard dash), joins four other Tigers on NFL or CFL rosters.

Somewhere during the process of researching prospective players for selection in the NFL draft, the research has a way of revealing players to whom we gravitate for one reason or another. My research during the prelude to the 2009 NFL draft helped me discover a larger-than-life figure who had NFL-caliber defensive tackle size with enough athleticism to play “shut-down defensive end” for a small college in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

The history of the former Stillman Institute is a fascinating read. From a small school steeped in roots with the Presbyterian Church comes a young man who Lions defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham took under his wing to ensure the best possible transition for a homesick Sammie Lee. The information on Sammie Lee Hill from his NFL Combine profile is an intriguing read.

http://www.nfl.com/draft/2009/profiles/sammie-lee-hill?id=79571

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Southern QBs to toss new balls

When he arrived at Southern University six months ago, first-year coach Stump Mitchell started to assess and review almost everything within the football program. Eventually, he even inspected the footballs themselves. Mitchell changed those, too.

When the Jaguars report for fall camp Aug. 3, they’ll break in a new set of footballs — the result of a new deal brokered between Mitchell and Wilson Sporting Goods Co., the Chicago-based firm that manufactures game balls for the NFL, not to mention thousands of other high school and college programs.

Mitchell said he made the move with two things in mind — quality and efficiency. “We’ve got to cut expenses around here. Everything is in cost-cutting mode at Southern,” Mitchell said. “So I had an opportunity to let our quarterbacks throw the Wilson. They liked it, and we just made the switch.” In recent years, SU had deals with Nike and Spalding, but the team was only allowed so many footballs per season. “With Wilson, we can get as many balls as we need,” he said. “The opportunity was afforded to me, and it worked out.”

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