Tennessee State's Rodgers-Cromartie reports to Cardinals camp

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie made the 2 1/2-hour drive from Phoenix to Flagstaff with an Arizona Cardinals staffer on Saturday. Rodgers-Cromartie had a chance to take in some pretty scenery and think about an even longer journey - his transformation from a skinny, unrecruited cornerback at Tennessee State to a first-round NFL draft pick.

"It gave me a lot of time to just think about what I've got to do and the work I've got to put in and all the things that I overcame just to get here," said Rodgers-Cromartie, who signed a six-year contract on Friday.



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Bulldogs’ Ford and Bison’s Cooper Earn Top Preseason Honors

South Carolina State’s Will Ford and Endor Cooper of Howard earned the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference’s (MEAC) top football preseason awards, as announced by the league on Friday afternoon at the Sheraton Norfolk Waterside Hotel. Ford was selected as the preseason Offensive Player ofthe Year and Cooper was named the Defensive Player of the Year by the MEAC head football coaches and sports nformation directors.

For the second year in a row the South Carolina State Bulldogs were the consensus pick to win the MEAC title in 2008. The defending MEAC Champion Delaware State Hornets finished second in the preseason poll.

Ford led the Bulldogs in total rushing yards with 1,389 yards on 210 attempts and four touchdowns. He finished second in the MEAC in rushing yards per game with an average of 126.3. Ford earned the MEAC’s Rookie of the Year honor his freshman season and was selected to the All-MEAC First Team as a sophomore.

Cooper earned the defensive player of the year honor after leading the Bison with 50 solo and 87 total tackles in 2007. He finished fifth in the league in tackles and tallied three forced fumbles, fourth best in the MEAC.

Hampton led all teams with six players on the preseason All-MEAC first team. The Pirates also had three second team selections for a total of 11. South Carolina State had 12 total selections on both teams; five were recognized on the first team. Delaware State, Morgan State and Norfolk State had six total selections each.

The 2008 Preseason Predictions and All-Conference teams are listed below.

2008 MEAC Football Preseason Predicted Order of Finish

1. South Carolina State (6) 272
2. Delaware State (6) 252
3. Norfolk State (2) 216
4. Hampton (2) 214
5. Morgan State 170
6. Florida A&M 120
7. Bethune-Cookman (1) 91
8. Howard 85
9. North Carolina A&T (1) 35

Photo: Preseason Offensive Player of the Year - Will Ford, South Carolina State, #28

Preseason Defensive Player of the Year - Endor Cooper, Howard University

2008 All-MEAC FIRST TEAM


Offense
Pos Name CL School Hometown
QB TJ Mitchell r-Jr. Hampton Virginia Beach, Va.
RB William Ford Jr. South Carolina State Travelers Rest, SC
RB Philip Sylvester So. Florida A&M Marianna, Fla.
TE Taj Jenkines Jr. Florida A&M Jacksonville, Fla.
WR Jeremy Gilchrist r-Sr. Hampton Virginia Beach, Va.
WR Jamar Johnson r-Sr. Norfolk State Norfolk, Va.
OL Dennis Conley Sr. Hampton Suffolk, Va.
OL Jamien Banks r-Sr. Norfolk State Tappahannock, Va.
OL Devon Dawson Jr. South Carolina State Greer, SC
OL Dwayne Delaney Sr. Morgan State Amelia, Va.
C Raymond Harrison r-Sr. South Carolina State Columbia, SC

Defense
DL Clarence McPherson Sr. Morgan State Miami, Fla.
DL Ronn Spinner Sr. Delaware State Lofton, Va.
DL Dexter Jackson Jr. Bethune-Cookman Jacksonville, Fla.
DL Cedric Lloyd Sr. South Carolina State Manning, SC
LB Endor Cooper Sr. Howard Woodbridge, Va.
LB Josh Pope r-Jr. Delaware State Philadelphia, Pa.
LB Jarrell Guyton* Sr. Morgan State Miami, Fla.
LB Vernon Wilder* r-Sr. Florida A&M Miami, Fla.
DB Terrell Whitehead Jr. Norfolk State Virginia Beach, Va.
DB Markee Hamlin Jr. South Carolina State Lamar, SC
DB Sam Pope Sr. Hampton St. Helena Island, SC
DB Chris Williams Sr. Morgan State Miami, Fla.
P Jahmal Blanchard Jr. Hampton Lauderdale Lake, Fla.
P/K James Meade Sr. Morgan State Upper Marlboro, Md.
Ret Jeremy Gilchrist r-Sr. Hampton Virginia Beach, Va.

2008 All-MEAC SECOND TEAM

Offense
Pos Name CL School Hometown
QB Vashon Winton Sr. Delaware State Chicago, Ill.
RB Michael Ferguson Sr. North Carolina A&T Norfolk, Va.
RB Kareem Jones Sr. Delaware State Lansinburg, NY
TE Octavius Darby Sr. South Carolina State Hollywood, Fla.
WR Kevin Teel Sr. Hampton Bowie, Md.
WR Oliver Young* Jr. South Carolina State Charleston, SC
WR Jeremy Wicker* r-So. Norfolk State Quantico, Va.
OL Anthony Collins r-Jr. Florida A&M Miami, Fla.
OL Reubin Mordecai r-Sr. Bethune-Cookman Daytona Beach, Fla.
OL Robert Norris Sr. Morgan State Houston, Texas
OL Michael Ola* r-So. Hampton Riverdale, Ga.
OL Adrian Brown* Sr. Delaware State Baltimore, Md.
C Nick Richmond r-Jr. Delaware State Lampeter, Pa.

Defense
DL Tyre Glasper Sr. North Carolina A&T Detroit, Mich.
DL James Simmons Sr. South Carolina State Greenville, SC
DL Keyon Brooks Sr. South Carolina State Miami, Fla.
DL Dennis Marsh r-Sr. Norfolk State Greensboro, NC
LB Andre Thornton Jr. North Carolina A&T Charlotte, NC
LB Tony White Sr. South Carolina State Seneca, SC
LB Charles Robinson r-Sr. Hampton Hampton, Va.
DB Curtis Holcomb So. Florida A&M Miami, Fla.
DB Antwane Cox Jr. Bethune-Cookman Miami, Fla.
DB Don Carey Sr. Norfolk State Norfolk, Va.
DB Brandon Colbert Sr. North Carolina A&T Fayetteville, NC
P Aaron Haire Jr. South Carolina State Orangeburg, SC
P/K Carlo Turavani So. Hampton Ontario, Canada
Ret Corey Council Sr. Bethune-Cookman Valdosta, Ga.

** indicates tie

Savannah to get ABA team?

Savannah State alums own league franchise

Two former Savannah State University men's basketball players are looking to bring professional hoops to SSU Tiger Arena. Brothers Levi and Mark Williams have purchased an expansion franchise in the minor league American Basketball Association for the Savannah market. They would like the Savannah Pride to play this upcoming season starting in December, preferably at their old gymnasium.

"I had the opportunity to put a team in four, five places," said Levi Williams, 28, who played for the Tigers from 1998-02. "I think Savannah is a basketball town and a wonderful city. The people in Savannah really grab hold and take to things that represent them in a good way."

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Only award that matters for FAMU LB Wilder is title

NORFOLK, Va. — Less than an hour after FAMU linebacker Vernon Wilder got through telling reporters how he could have made a few more tackles last season, he got some incentive Friday to try harder. Wilder was one of three Rattlers selected to the MEAC All-Conference preseason first team. Running back Philip Sylvester and receiver Taj Jenkines also were first-team selections by the league's coaches and sports information directors.

Wilder, a senior who led FAMU in tackles the past two seasons, is gunning for the bigger prize. "I just want to try to get that MEAC ring," he said in a conference room packed with members of the media, coaches and players. "I want to lead the nation in sacks, and I feel this is the year."

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Taylor may be gone, but not forgotten by Hampton

NORFOLK, VA - It all seemed so familiar at first, to the point where you started to wonder, "Maybe the guy didn't leave after all." Upon entering the ballroom for the MEAC football kickoff news conference, Joe Taylor paused for a moment, then - just as he'd done so many times before - made his way to the Hampton area.

Expect Joe Taylor to have a hall of fame run with the Rattlers over the next five years, surpassing the achievements of another former Rattlers Hall of Famer in Coach William "Billy" Joe.

He hugged Pirates offensive lineman Dennis Conley and embraced defensive end Charles Young before the two players shared small talk with a man both call a father figure. Only this time, Taylor didn't settle in with the other Pirates. He kept moving until he found his new table, the one adorned by an orange helmet with the word "Rattlers" arched along the side.

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2008 Florida A&M Football Schedule

Date Opponent Location Time
August 30 ALABAMA STATE HOME 6:00 P.M.
September 4 at Delaware State* Dover, DE 7:30 P.M.
September 20 at Howard* Washington, D.C. 1:00 P.M.
September 27 at Tennessee State Atlanta, GA 3:00 P.M.
October 4 SOUTH CAROLINA STATE* HOME 6:00 P.M.
October 9 WINSTON-SALEM STATE* HOME 7:30 P.M.
October 18 at Southern Baton Rouge, LA 6:00 P.M. CST
October 25 at Norfolk State* Norfolk, VA 1:00 P.M.
November 1 MORGAN STATE* HOMECOMING 3:00 P.M.
November 8 at North Carolina A&T* Greensboro, NC 1:30 P.M.
November 15 HAMPTON* HOME 3:00 P.M.
November 22 Bethune-Cookman* Orlando, FL 2:00 P.M.
*-denotes MEAC games

FAMU Coaching Staff - 2008

Joe Taylor - Head Football Coach
Earl Holmes and Tim Edwards - Defensive Coordinator/Secondary Coach
George Small - Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Line Coach
Juan Vasquez - Special Teams Coach
Lawrence Kershaw - Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach
Tim Edwards - Outside Linebackers Coach/Recruiting Coordinator
Earl Holmes - Inside Linebackers Coach
Steven Jerry - Quarterbacks/Wide Receivers Coach
Edwin Pata - Offensive Assistant
Aaron Taylor - Runningbacks Coach
Jimmie Tyson - Defensive Assistant/Safeties Coach
Antonio Wallace - Head Strength and Conditioning Coach

Former Lehigh Senior High School (Alcorn State) football player Adams dies in car accident

Ladarrius Adams remembered

The Lehigh Senior High School weight room has been quiet the last two days. “Pure silence,” Lehigh running back Otis Jiles said. “You could only hear the AC running. I’ve never seen it like that before.” That’s the impact Ladarrius Adams’ death has had on the school’s football team as well as his family.

Adams, 17, was killed Thursday morning in a car accident near Fayette, Miss. An incoming freshman at Alcorn State University, Adams had arrived early to go to class and take part in summer workouts. Teammates D’Angelo Buckner and Isaac Williams were also injured.

“I lost my husband (Robert) two years ago, but this is nothing like that,” said Lorraine Curry, Adams’ mother. “Your child comes from you and I just can’t tell you the pain my family is going through; but we stick together and keep the faith and believe that we will make it. But right now, it’s devastating to get that kind of phone call.”

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QB Battle selling FAMU on his skill

NORFOLK, Va. — The Green team had a commanding lead over the Orange squad in FAMU's annual spring game when Eddie Battle erased whatever uncertainty coach Joe Taylor might have had about his starting quarterback. Battle had his team in the red zone with just a few yards to go for a first down. He couldn't find an open receiver after setting up for a pass on a second-down play.

He pulled back and scampered for just enough yards to get a first down. Taylor was sold. "Those are the kinds of little things that you look for in your quarterback," Taylor said. "You always have to be in a thinking mode, and a thinking mode means you can't get too excited and you can't get too low.

"He is a good decision maker — he knows when to put it up and pull it down."

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Former SU's Williams still preaching excellence

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — When he wanted to better himself as a cornerback, Aeneas Williams sought out the best and relentlessly pursued them. Chased after them as if the knowledge they carried were the ball.

He flew to Houston at his own expense to meet with Pro Football Hall of Famer Kenny Houston. He tracked down former Oakland Raider Marcus Haynes through his post-football employer, Callaway Golf, just to get a few words from the nine-time Pro Bowler over the telephone. Each summer for years he would train with former San Diego Chargers cornerback Gill Byrd, lessons soaked in sweat and stamped into his consciousness.

“He’d say, ‘Aeneas, what is your mindset on how to play the cornerback position?’” Williams recalled Byrd asking him. “I said, ‘Man, I can’t get beat.’ He said...

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Taylor's replacement set for Hampton-Florida A&M

NORFOLK, Va. — FAMU's new football coach Joe Taylor has left some kind of legacy in the Hampton Roads area. He received one of the loudest applauses when he was introduced Friday at the MEAC football season kickoff luncheon. But even bigger is the handprint that he's left on the Hampton football program.

Taylor departed Hampton after 17 seasons to become FAMU's new head coach this season. He was replaced by his former defensive coordinator, Jerry Holmes, who credits Taylor for opening the door to his first head-coaching job after 10 years in the NFL.

Hampton University head football coach Jerry Holmes is on a collision course with his mentor, Joe Taylor. Who will prevail is the question on every one's mind (Mark's Digital Photography).

"Every individual has a foundation," said Holmes, who played for three NFL teams between 1980 and 1991. "Coach Taylor is a great part of Jerry Holmes' foundation. "I've learned so much from coach Taylor, not just football but character, how to treat other people and how to handle different situations."

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Hampton University 2008 Football Schedule
Date Opponent Location Time/Result
8/31/2008 Jackson State (MEAC-SWAC Challenge) Orlando, Fla. 2 p.m.
9/6/2008 Southern Illinois Carbondale, Ill. 6 p.m. (CST)
9/13/2008 * Howard Hampton, Va. 6 p.m.
9/20/2008 * North Carolina A&T Hampton, Va. 6 p.m.
10/4/2008 * Delaware State Dover, Del. 1 p.m.
10/18/2008 * Norfolk State - Battle of the Bay Hampton, Va. 1 p.m.
10/25/2008 * South Carolina State Orangeburg, S.C. 2 p.m.
11/1/2008 Winston-Salem State - Homecoming 2008 Hampton, Va. 2 p.m.
11/8/2008 * Bethune-Cookman Hampton, Va. 2 p.m.
11/15/2008 * Florida A&M Tallahassee, Fla. 3 p.m.
11/22/2008 * Morgan State Baltimore, Md. 1 p.m.

Head Coach: Jerry Holmes (West Virginia '79)
Running Backs: Milo Austin (West Virginia '05)
Offensive Line: Terry Beauford (Florida A&M '91)
Defensive Line: Canute Curtis (West Virginia '97)
Defensive Backs: Devan Hill (Hampton '04)
Quarterbacks: Roy Johnson (Hampton '99)
Director of Football Operations: Andrew Rhoden (Hampton '04)
Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator: Donovan Rose (Hampton '79)
Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers: Corey Sullivan (Tennessee State '02)

B-CU Freeman's coaching success keeps coming one at a time

Coach Gary Freeman has set the benchmark for achievement in golf. The 1955 Morgan State University graduate is a native of Washington, D.C. and has won 10 Division I national minority collegiate golf championships with the Wildcats.

A drama of life concluded here at Palm Harbor some 10 years ago, but the memories of love and appreciation for the work and standards of golf director Gary Freeman have stayed as strong as ever.

Freeman now is the successful men's and women's golf coach at Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, but the six years he gave at Palm Harbor set a standard that might never be equaled. Ten years ago might be a long time for some to remember, but Freeman managed without much effort.

At Bethune-Cookman, Freeman has guided the men's team to four Division I national Minority Collegiate Golf Championships and his women's squad six of them, including the last three. That's quite a stack of hay for a coach who went for one year and is now in his 10th one year.

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Academics could sideline Grambling's senior quarterback

GRAMBLING — Monroe product Brandon Landers, a three-year letterman at Grambling State, will likely miss next season over an academic issue. “I’m trying to see what I can do,” the quarterback said. “I didn’t get the grade I needed (in a history class), so it’s up in the air right now if I will even play.”

Landers, a fifth-year senior after redshirting in 2005 at Grambling, most recently posted career highs for completions, yards and touchdowns in the inaugural season under GSU coach Rod Broadway. That helped the Tigers advance to their fifth Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship Game since 2000, before falling to Jackson State last December.

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DSU Hornets picked second in MEAC

NORFOLK, Va. -- Delaware State was picked to finish second in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference preseason football poll, voted on by conference coaches and sports information directors. South Carolina State led the poll, which was released during MEAC media day on Friday.

"The thing that I expect for our team is a higher and more consistent level of play, especially from our senior leadership," DSU coach Al Lavan said in a press release. "I think the players that are in our program have taken a step forward each year."

The Hornets earned their first NCAA Division I-AA playoff berth last season, when they went 8-0 in the MEAC and finished 10-2 overall. "It would be very special to win back-to-back championships, especially with this being our senior year," wide receiver Derrick McNeil said.

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Annual PVAMU-TSU Football Lucheon & Gala set for Sunday, August 27th

Prairie View A&M University Marching Storm

HOUSTON, Texas - The Touchdown Club of Houston will host the Annual Prairie View A&M- Texas Southern luncheon and gala on Wednesday, August 27th at the Power Center, located at 12401 So. Post Oak.

Prairie View A&M head football coach Henry Frazier will co-headline the event with first-year Texas Southern head coach Johnnie Cole. Also speaking will be PVAMU acting athletics director Fred Washington and first-year TSU athletics director Charles McClelland.

The special guest speaker will be Steve McNair, former quarterback for the Houston Oilers, Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens.

"All fans of PVAMU and TSU are invited to attend this event, which always spices up the rivalry between the two schools the week of the game," said TD Club executive director Neal Farmer. "And this year promises to be even more spicy."

Texas Southern University Ocean of Soul Marching Band


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Three from NSU are first-team preseason picks

Norfolk State University head football coach Pete Adrian has the Spartans knocking on the championship door (Mark's Digital Photography).

NORFOLK, VA - Norfolk State's Jamar Johnson, Jamien Banks and Terrell Whitehead were selected to the preseason All-MEAC first team, chosen by conference coaches and sports information directors Friday. The Spartans never have had as many as three players receive first-team preseason honors under coach Pete Adrian, entering his fourth season.

Johnson, a redshirt senior from Lake Taylor High, led the Spartans in every major receiving category last season with 42 receptions for 565 yards and six touchdowns. Banks, a redshirt senior, started all 11 games at left guard. Whitehead, a junior defensive back from Kempsville High, ranked sixth nationally with six interceptions.

Norfolk State's Don Carey, Dennis Marsh and Jeremy Wicker are second-team picks.

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Lady Hawks' Jessica Worsley Named 2008 MEAC Woman of the Year

NORFOLK, Va. - The University of Maryland Eastern Shore's (UMES) Jessica Worsley was named the 2008 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Woman of the Year during an awards luncheon held at the Sheraton Waterside Hotel in Norfolk, Virginia.

"This is such an accomplishment and an honor," said Worsley in her acceptance remarks. "It is a very prestigious award and a nice recognition of sorts for the four years of hard work and effort put into academics and athletics."

The award, selected annually by the MEAC Senior Woman Administrators, celebrates
the achievements of senior student-athletes who have excelled in academics, athletics, service and leadership.

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TSU Cole rebuilds teams and his reputation

He lands SWAC job with fresh slate from NCAA

BIRMINGHAM - Johnnie Cole is a fixer-upper. The new head coach at Texas Southern has developed a reputation of rebuilding ailing football programs. He did it at Tennessee State along with his brother, L.C. Then he did it at Alabama State and, most recently, at Division II Lane College in Jackson, Tenn.

Now Cole is embarking on perhaps his biggest rebuilding project yet - trying to revitalize the moribund program at his alma mater, Texas Southern, which was 0-11 last season. "I'm in familiar territory," Cole said Tuesday during the Southwestern Athletic Conference's annual Media Day and Kickoff Luncheon. "I joke with people that I don't know if I could take a job that was already established. I can put my brand on it and implement the same system we've had in other places."

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FAMU Camp Leads a Drumbeat for a Marching Band’s Style

Excerpt:

In the nation’s historically black colleges, marching bands have long provided far more than “The Star-Spangled Banner” for football crowds, and none, arguably, has grown more famous than Florida A&M’s.

The group’s traditional and official name, the Marching 100, is a rare bit of false modesty: the group now numbers upward of 350 musicians, drum majors and flag-carriers. The unit has built a national, even global, following with appearances at the Super Bowl, both of President Bill Clinton’s inaugural parades, the Grammy Awards and the bicentennial of the French Republic.

The Marching 100 has created a revolution in band style, radically infusing the traditional catalog of songs and formations with the sounds and dances of black popular culture. “It slides, slithers, swivels, rotates, shakes, rocks and rolls,” the band’s founding director, Prof. William P. Foster, wrote in his memoirs. “It leaps to the sky, does triple twists, and drops to earth without a flaw, without missing either a beat or a step.”

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2008 FAMU Summer Band Camp Half-Time Show, Parade, Dance Routine & More

2008 Florida A&M University Summer Band Camp - Total: 450 middle & high school students

Florida A&M University Summer Band Camp Parade July 24, 2008

Florida A&M University Summer Band Camp Dance Routine
The Saxophone Choir performs a medley of cartoon themes: "The Simpsons, Flintstones, Inspector Gadget, & Family Guy" conducted by FAMU Professor Diron T. Holloway and arranged by Chandler Wilson.

Dr. Julian E. White talks about life at the FAMU Marching "100" Summer Band Camp in this excerpt.

S.C. State Bulldogs picked to win MEAC Football Crown

NORFOLK, VA – For the second consecutive year, South Carolina State (7-4, 6-2 MEAC) has been picked to win the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football championship, edging out defending champion Delaware State (10-0, 8-0 MEAC) in an announcement made at the league’s annual Football Press Luncheon.

Coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough's Bulldogs have the conference championship target on their backs again in 2008 (Mark's Digital Photography).

Also, the Bulldogs (7-4, 6-2 MEAC) placed 10 players on the preseason All-MEAC squad, among them junior running back Will Ford, tabbed as preseason Offensive Player of the Year, and one of five S.C. State players earning first-team honors.

In being named as the team to beat in the MEAC again, Coach Buddy Pough’s team, which has finished tied for runner-up in the league the last two seasons, received 272 points to 252 for Coach Al Lavan and the 2007 champion Hornets.

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SCSU Bulldogs 2008 Football Schedule

Date Opponent Location Time/Result
8/30/2008 UCF Orlando, FL 6 PM
9/6/2008 BENEDICT$ Orangeburg, SC 6 PM
9/13/2008 BETHUNE-COOKMAN Charleston, SC 4 PM
9/20/2008 Clemson Clemson, SC 1 PM
9/27/2008 Winston-Salem State Winston-Salem, NC 6:00 PM
10/4/2008 * Florida A&M Tallahassee, FL 6 PM
10/11/2008 * NORFOLK STATE ! Orangeburg, SC 1:30 PM
10/18/2008 Open TBA
10/25/2008 * HAMPTON Orangeburg, SC 2:00 PM
11/1/2008 * Delaware State Dover, DE TBA
11/6/2008 * HOWARD Orangeburg, SC 7:30 PM
11/15/2008 * Morgan State Baltimore, MD 4:00 PM
11/22/2008 * North Carolina A&T TBA 1:30 PM

Home Games are in bold
Neutral Site Games are in italics
* Denotes a conference game.

!-Denotes Homecoming
$-Denotes Hall of Fame Game

Head Coach: Oliver "Buddy" Pough (Sixth Season)
Asst. Head Coach/Def. Line/Def. Ends: David Blanchard
Asst. Coaches: Demetrius Davis (Off. Line/Tightends); Joe Blackwell (Off. Coordinator/Off. Line); Gerald Harrison (Def. Line/Tackles); Mike Adams( Def. Coordinator/Linebackers); Maurice Drayton (Secondary); Kevin Magouirk (Quarterbacks); Howard Feggins (Receivers); Daniel Lewis (Running Backs/Recruiting Coordinator); Joel Taylor (Defensive Assistant ); Rawn Miro (Videographer).

Car Crash Kills Alcorn State Athlete; Two Other Alcorn Student Athletes Injured

FAYETTE, Miss. -- Alcorn State University officials said that a car crash has claimed the life of freshman football player Ladarrius Adams. The wreck, which occurred on Highway 61 south near Fayette early Friday morning, also injured D'Angelo Buckner and Isaac Williams. The university said that Buckner and Williams are also incoming freshmen and members of the football team.

Adams was a native of Fort Meyers, Florida and was recruited as a running back to Alcorn State. Buckner and Williams are natives of Clinton, Mississippi and were recruited as corner back and offensive lineman, respectively.

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Minnesota Vikings quarterback Tarvaris Jackson not offended by Brett Favre speculation

Former Alabama State University Hornets quarterback Tarvaris Jackson handles Favre speculation with maturity.

MANKATO — Tarvaris Jackson said the Brett Favre speculation would never have come up if Jackson were an established, proven quarterback. But he's not. The Vikings reportedly are considered Favre's ideal destination if he were to work his way out of Green Bay, with which he remains under contract. Jackson has heard all the speculation regarding Favre, and he's taking it in stride. He said he's not offended by the talk.

"I know I've got to get better to the point where if it happens again with any other guy, it wouldn't be a question," Jackson said today after the first practice of training camp at Minnesota State Mankato. "I've still got some improving to do, and I know that. It's only speculation. I know it was going to happen because the type of quarterback he is, and I haven't proved myself yet."

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MEAC expresses academic concerns

Photo: Florida A&M University director of athletics, William "Bill" Hayes

NORFOLK, Va. — There's no middle ground when it comes to meeting the NCAA-mandated Academic Progress Report standards. That was the message FAMU athletic director Bill Hayes and other MEAC officials heard for more than 90 minutes Thursday.

Hayes came away from the all-day meeting, promising to make FAMU a flagship school for graduating student-athletes. FAMU will use money from a grant it recently received to hire a full-time monitor to gauge athletes' classroom performance, Hayes said.

"We're going to put more teeth into it," he said. "We've got to have better supervision. It can't be lax. It's got to be matter-of-fact. Once we do that you will see an improvement." FAMU's APR rating wasn't immediately available, but in a recent report it hovered close to 50 percent.

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A long, happy journey for SSU's Jessie Kenlaw

Savannah State University graduate now interim head coach for WNBA team, Washington Mystics

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Jessie Kenlaw, while at Savannah State in the 1970s, was among a group of students who petitioned the office of the president to begin a women's basketball program. Their efforts paid off after a few years as Kenlaw played in her only season as a senior, 1976-77, when she was named the team's most valuable player. The Guyton native said the school did not offer basketball scholarships for women at the time.

"We knew there was a lot of talented players there through AAU, travel teams and intramurals," said Kenlaw, who graduated from Savannah State with a bachelor's degree in physical education in 1977. "We had to fight but we ended up getting it." Some 30 years later it was a person in authority - general manager Linda Hargrove of the WNBA's Washington Mystics - who recently came to Kenlaw with a proposal. Hargrove asked Kenlaw to take over as the interim head coach of the Mystics.

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MVSU Delta Devils seek fresh start

BIRMINGHAM, AL — Last year, Steven Fulbright experienced the nightmare of any senior player who sweated through an entire offseason of work: He was injured, lost for the season with a ligament tear in his knee, on the first play of Mississippi Valley State's first game. So how did the defensive back deal with this crushing disappointment?

"Every game, I was in the press box writing down the plays," he said. "I learned more about the game and I just learned a lot being in the press box with the coaches, and learning the game from a higher point of view."

If anything gives Valley coach Willie Totten reason to believe his team can shake off its 3-8 season from a year ago and return to winning ways, it's players like Fulbright. He'll return, the recipient of a medical redshirt, with added knowledge about the game and a bunch of optimism, too.

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Alcorn Braves planning to aim high

BIRMINGHAM, AL — Anyone paying attention to the Alcorn State football program can tell there's a stark difference between the lively new coach Ernest Jones and his stoic predecessor Johnny Thomas. But as the saying goes, "Talk is cheap." Jones can say all the right things, but if players don't buy what he's selling none of it will matter for a team picked to finish dead last in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Eastern Division.

But when Emmanuel Arceneaux drops the phrase, "It's a new day," in a casual conversation at the Southwestern Athletic Conference Media Day in Birmingham, you get the feeling he's been paying attention to the new face of Alcorn football. "It did need to change," said Arceneaux, the team's top returning receiver. "The mindset is the pride and tradition that he's trying to bring back to Alcorn. No disrespect to the former coaches, but they came in and gave a boost of energy. Everything is just fired up."

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