UAPB Golden Lions Open Camp Looking to Fill Key Voids

Pine Bluff, AK - The University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions football team officially opened camp on Monday with over 90 players reporting for fall drills all vying for playing time and a chance to compete for several open slots on the Golden Lions depth chart.

A new era in Golden Lions football will begin in at the start of the season as UAPB welcomes the addition of Eric Dooley as Offensive Coordinator, Earl Buckingham as linebackers coach, and Marty Biagi as defensive backs coach.

There will also be a new face behind center with the departure of Joshua Boudreux who last season broke the 3,000 yard barrier while setting new records in several statistical categories. In addition offensively the Golden Lions will look to replace Raymond Webber who led the NCAA FCS tallying 101 receptions while racking up 1,429 receiving yards.

UAPB Head Coach Monte Coleman is optimistic that those voids left from last seasons' departures all across the board can be filled by a talented group of newcomers that will look to make immediate impacts.

“The starting quarterback position is completely up for grabs,” said Coleman. “With that in mind we have two red shirt freshmen in C.J. Branch and Ben Anderson as well as a transfer in Dewayne Watts that will compete for the starting position. With none of them having any playing experience at this level we plan on going with the player that exhibits the best decision making ability within the confines of what we're going to try to do offensively. Whichever one of these young men separates himself in that regards is going to be our starter.”

“At the wide receiver position last season our top receiver caught over 100 receptions. If we're able to spread the ball around more this season and have three or four guys catch 30-40 receptions we would be pleased with that. We plan to do a lot of the same stuff offensively so we anticipate our players will be able to adjust easily to Dooley's system. The biggest part of this transition will be our players grasping the new terminology.”

Defensively the Golden Lions will be anchored by 2011 SWAC Preseason First Team selection Jer-ryan Harris and cornerback James Harrell who looks to have a breakout year after starting off strong last season.

Discipline, focus, and quick reaction was consistently relayed to the defense on the first day of camp with several players running to the ball at all times. On the defensive side of the ball Arkansas-Pine Bluff also welcomes back Michael Johnson (DT), Joe Brown (DB), and Jamel Maxwell (DB) who return from injuries.

“It was good to see several guys from last years' team who had to sit out much of last season,” said Coleman. “Johnson, Brown, and Maxwell all have contributed to this program in the past and they all seemed fired up to be back out on the football field. Collectively the defense flew around today and as a coach you're always pleased to see that early on. I feel we started camp today with the right team attitude and we'll look to get better tomorrow.”

Arkansas-Pine Bluff will continue camp on Tuesday at 2:15 pm at the Golden Lions practice field. UAPB will host two scrimmages on Friday, August 19th at the White Hall football stadium at 7:00 pm and another on August 24th at 6:00 pm at the UAPB practice field. Both scrimmages are set to be open to the general public.

By UAPB Media Relations 

Hut hut! NSU Spartans begin preseason camp

Norfolk, VA - The first two days of practice for Norfolk State are in the books with a few noteworthy occurrences. The biggest move was sophomore Nico Washington going from defensive line to offensive line in an effort to help solve NSU's biggest issue heading into the season.

A defensive tackle who played in all 11 games and made eight tackles in 2010 as a true freshman, Washington is the leading candidate to begin the season at right tackle. There's good and bad to that.

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From QB to coach, Malcolm Long still guiding SCSU Bulldogs

Orangeburg, S.C. - Malcolm Long wants South Carolina State fans to view his football legacy in a positive way. "I'd like to be remembered as a successful quarterback," he said.

The school record books can more than affirm the Gaffney native's accomplishments. During Long's four seasons under center, he essentially rewrote the S.C. State all-time record book by surpassing 15 single-game, single-season and career marks.

There's also the 27-8 overall and 21-1 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference record as a three-year starter to go with three conference titles, three Football Championship Subdivision playoff appearances, a 2009 Black College Football National Championship, not to mention five Class 4-A titles in football (3) and basketball (2) at Gaffney High School.

Yet rather than continue...

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MEAC preseason honor gets DSU receiver Wilson revved up for Hornets' season

Justin Wilson
(Courtesy DSU Athletics)

DOVER, DE -- Justin Wilson has weathered the storm of three consecutive losing seasons at Delaware State University. But the junior wide receiver says the difficult times have spurred him to work harder, because he knows football isn't a sport about individual glory but about reaching team goals.

So while getting the nod as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference's preseason offensive player of the year was nice, Wilson said he's more concerned about the prediction that DSU will finish eighth in the MEAC under first-year coach Kermit Blount.

"It means a lot," Wilson said, of his preseason recognition. "It just shows that all of the hard work we did [last] season paid off. I know our record didn't show it as much, but it just motivates me to work even harder and get more accolades as the season goes on."

Wilson opened some eyes around the MEAC last season as a player that defenses had to key on.

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FAMU names Willie Brown new baseball head coach

Tallahassee, FL - Former minor league outfielder Willie Brown will become the next head baseball coach at Florida A&M, the Tallahassee Democrat learned late Tuesday night.

Efforts to reach FAMU athletic director Derek Horne were unsuccessful and calls to Brown's cell phone went directly to a voicemail. However, multiple sources said they've had knowledge of Brown's hiring as early as Monday.

He is expected to bring on Tonayne Brown, a former Godby (High School, Tallahassee) standout who also played professional ball, as his assistant.

Brown, who resigned as Maclay High School's (Tallahassee) baseball coach at the end of this past season, becomes the second consecutive FAMU alum hired as a head coach. Former Rattler Clemon Johnson was recently hired as men's basketball coach.

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NOTE:  The list of candidates included: former Florida A&M and minor league outfielder Willie Brown (who recently resigned as head coach at Maclay High School), Santa Fe Community College assistant Bruce Larkins, former Bethune-Cookman University assistant Joel Sanchez, Keith Shumate (who recently resigned as head coach at North Carolina A&T) and Brett Richardson, current FAMU interim baseball head coach.

Progress Name of the Game for Shaw Bear's Darnell Evans

Darnell Evans

From academic casualty to walk-on to pre-season All-America, former Dodger now fulfilling potential.

Raleigh, N.C. - Darnell Evans began practicing this week for his Shaw University encore. The former Madison High School standout is coming off a 2010 football season in which he led the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association with six interceptions and was the only freshman named to the all-conference First Team.

The cornerback helped the Bears to their third CIAA title in four years and earned the 2010 Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Already named as a Consensus Draft Service Preseason All-American First Team selection—one of only four sophomores on the first team—it's easy to see that Evans was destined for an impressive collegiate career.

Except he almost never gave himself the chance for such accomplishments.

Had he not refocused his academic energies at County College of Morris, then spent a second year in the Shaw classroom, Evans would've been left imagining success instead of realizing it.

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Battle For Atlanta: Clark Atlanta Panthers vs. Georgia State Panthers

BATTLE DATE: FRIDAY, SEPT. 2, 2011 GEORGIA DOME, ATLANTA, GA 7:30 p.m. ET