"This is a dream come true,” Sanders said. “I proved to the non-believers I can make it happen. I accomplished my goal - I am in the NFL from Division II."
Baltimore, MD - At about 11 a.m., Walter Sanders was watching the NFL Network in his East Baltimore home with his 2-year-old daughter, Makenzii, when his agent, Jason Sklar, called. That’s when the Baltimore native learned the Ravens planned to sign him.
“It’s a tremendous honor to sign with the Baltimore Ravens,” Sanders said. “It’s been my dream all my life to play in the National Football League, but not only the National Football League, but, in particular, with the Baltimore Ravens.“ “What more can you ask for than to play for your hometown team?”
At Mervo High, Sanders excelled in basketball and football and became a regional champion in the hurdles during spring track. The 5’10’, 227-pound back decided to continue his football career at Saint Augustine’s College in Raleigh, N.C.
Despite the Division-II level of competition he faced, the blazing back, who most recently clocked a 40 time of 4.39 seconds, still managed to attract attention from NFL scouts. Last year, Sanders finished his senior campaign with the first 1,000-yard rushing season for the Falcons in the modern era of college football.
READ MORE
VISIT: SAINT AUGUSTINE'S COLLEGE
VISIT: SAINTAUGFALCONS
Friday, July 29, 2011
Virginia Union's David Mims Signs with the Kansas City Chiefs
"Happy to say that I am officially a Kansas City Chief" Mims tweeted on the morning of July 26.
Mims, a 6-8 offensive lineman from Charlotte, N.C., anchored a VUU offensive line which allowed Panther runners to rush for 1,884 yards in 2010 and set a school-record 490 rushing yards against Virginia State University in 2009.
Mims becomes the first Virginia Union football player to sign with an NFL team since Jerome Leslie signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2004.
VISIT: VIRGINIA UNION UNIVERSITY
VISIT: VUUSPORTS
Former FAMU Rattlers Sylvester signs with Atlanta Falcons
Marianna, FL - Former Marianna Bulldogs football star Philip Sylvester has signed a contract with the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, and will participate in the team’s training camp in hopes of making the final 53-man roster.Sylvester, who spent the last four seasons playing for the FAMU Rattlers, wasn’t selected in the April NFL Draft, but was offered a free agent contract by the Falcons on Monday, and then left for Atlanta on Tuesday.
Efforts to contact Sylvester were unsuccessful, but the speedy running back’s former high school coach Don Dowling said he couldn’t be happier to see the mild-mannered former Bulldog get his shot.
“It’s a big deal. Someone mentioned to me that he was my first former player to sign an NFL contract, which I thought was pretty cool,” said Dowling, now the head coach at Sneads. “He’s one of those kids who deserve it. He has worked hard his entire career, and he’s a great kid. Back at Marianna, you wouldn’t have even known he was some big-time running back in the hallways. He’s just a regular kid.
READ MORE
Chowan Hawks projected fifth in CIAA-North
ETTRICK, VA. — Michael Jordan used to say about winning championships, “It’s the shoes”.Thursday at the annual pre-season football Media Day for the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) you could have said, “It’s the hair”. Or maybe, the ‘lack’ thereof.
The coaches of the four top picks to win the 2011 CIAA Football championship are: (1) from the league’s South Division, and (2) happened to have been sporting bald heads on Media Day. Members of the CIAA Football Coaches Association have picked defending 2010 champion Shaw University to repeat in 2011. Winston-Salem State was picked second, followed by St. Augustine’s College, and Fayetteville State.
Elizabeth City State edged out Virginia State to win the North Division and play November 12 in Raleigh for the league title. Meanwhile, Chowan was picked fifth in the division and ninth among the dozen league teams. The Hawks were among the teams who had to adjust their schedules...
READ MORE
VISIT: CHOWAN UNIVERSITY
VISIT: GOCUHAWKS
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Tuskegee picked to win SIAC West, Miles a surprising second
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- First-year Miles College coach Reginald Ruffin said no one is surprised that Tuskegee was tabbed to be the team to beat this year in the West Division of Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football."Tuskegee is the team," said Ruffin, a former Tuskegee assistant. "They have been the mecca of the conference, they have been the mecca in black college football. They are a big measuring stick of where you would like your program to be."
SIAC POLL
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Football Coaches Association released its preseason football poll on Wednesday in Atlanta.
EAST
1. Albany State
2. Fort Valley State
3. Morehouse
4. Clark Atlanta
5. Benedict
WEST
1. Tuskegee
2. Miles
3. Kentucky State
4. Stillman
5. Lane
SIAC Champion: Albany State
Source: SIAC Football Coaches Association
Stillman picked 4th in SIAC West
Results of the preseason poll were announced Wednesday during the SIAC Kickoff Luncheon in Atlanta. The conference features two divisions this season, with the East and West winners meeting in a championship game. The title game is scheduled for Nov. 12 in Columbus, Ga., but Keaton said Stillman would not be able to participate if it qualifies because the Tigers’ homecoming game against Concordia of Selma is set for the same day.
Tuskegee was picked as the West favorite, followed by Miles, Kentucky State, Stillman and Lane. Albany State, the defending champion, was the top choice in the East. Fort Valley State was picked second, followed by Morehouse, Clark Atlanta and Benedict. Albany State was chosen to win the overall conference title.
READ MORE
SportsGroove Presents CIAA 2011 Football Media Day
Heritage Sports Radio Network (HSRN) Mark Gray report from the CIAA 2011 Football Media Day as the conference prepares for its 100th season of intercollegiate athletics with the start of the gridiron action.
HSRN Announces 2011 Football Broadcast Schedule
Hartly, DE – The Heritage Sports Radio Network (HSRN) will broadcast 23 exciting football games including the Super 7 Series of classic events. The broadcasts will be national on Sirius XM Satellite Radio and on local stations across the country. “This will be our most exciting broadcast schedule yet. The staff is proud to present the HBCU community a national radio platform that will give all fans and alumni consistent coverage,” said HSRN CEO Omarr Bashir.
HSRN will kickoff the schedule on (Sept. 1) with the Division I FBS vs. Division I FCS match-up in Piscataway, NJ, N. C. Central and Rutgers.
The highlight of the schedule is the “Super 7 Series” which includes seven events that will bring the Major Classics to the HBCU national community. The series will open on (Sept. 3) in Nashville, TN with the John Merritt Classic featuring Tennessee State and Southern. The “Super 7 Series” will also feature (Sept. 10) Cleveland Classic – N.C. Central vs. Central State, (Sept. 24) Atlanta Classic – Florida A&M vs. Southern, (Oct. 1) Circle City Classic – Albany St. vs. Kentucky St., (Oct. 29) Magic City Classic – Alabama A&M vs. Alabama St., (Nov. 19) Florida Classic – Bethune Cookman vs. Florida A&M and (Nov. 26) Bayou Classic – Grambling St. vs. Southern.
HSRN will feature three additional classic games (Sept. 3) Battle of the First/Wade Wilson Classic – Lincoln vs. Cheyney, (Sept. 10) Nations Classic – Morehouse vs. Howard, (Oct. 1) and (Oct. 8) Morehouse/Tuskegee Classic. There will also be four double header weekends including the championship games for the CIAA and SIAC (Nov. 12).
Top non-conference match-ups this season will be the Hampton Roads, VA CAA vs. MEAC rivalry (Sept. 17) between Hampton and Old Dominion, FBS/FCS match-up (Nov. 3)) between Mississippi Valley St. and South Alabama, and (Nov. 24) Annual Turkey Day Classic – Alabama St. vs. Tuskegee.
Conference rival match-ups will include (Sept. 17) Bowie St. homecoming vs. Livingstone (Oct. 15), N.C. A&T homecoming vs. Delaware St., and (Oct. 22) Florida A&M vs. S.C. State.
Founded in 2006, HSRN was created to provide a sports voice for the HBCU community. For over 100 years HBCU's have participated in collegiate athletics with little to no media coverage. Stars like Walter Payton, Doug Williams, and Michael Strahan are just a few of the many superstars who were HBCU athletes. There are approximately 7 million fans of HBCU sports who were media orphans in search of a home. HSRN is the only national radio network dedicated to HBCU sports. Our goal is to fuse the greats of the past with the stars of today to showcase the significance of this unique colorful and underserved sports community.
HSRN 2011 Football Broadcast Schedule
Date | Game | Site | Time |
09/01 | N.C. Central vs. Rutgers | Piscataway, NJ | 7:30pm |
09/03 | Lincoln @ Cheyney Battle of the First/Wade Wilson Classic | Cheyney, PA | 1:00pm |
09/03 | $ - Southern vs. Tennessee St. John Merritt Classic | Nashville, TN | 6:00pm CT |
09/04 | Bethune Cookman vs. Prairie View MEAC/SWAC Challenge | Orlando, FL | 12:00pm |
09/10 | $ - Central St. vs. N.C. Central Cleveland Classic | Cleveland, OH | 12:00pm |
09/10 | Howard vs. Morehouse Nation’s Classic | Washington, DC | 3:30pm |
09/17 | Bowie St. vs. Livingstone | Bowie, MD | 1:00pm |
09/17 | Hampton vs. Old Dominion | Norfolk, VA | 6:00pm |
09/24 | $ - Florida A&M vs. Southern Atlanta Classic | Atlanta, GA | 3:30pm |
10/01 | $ - Albany St. vs. Kentucky St. Circle City Classic | Indianapolis, IN | 2:30pm |
10/08 | Morehouse vs. Tuskegee Morehouse-Tuskegee Classic | Columbus, GA | 2:00pm |
10/15 | Delaware St. vs. N.C. A&T | Greensboro, NC | 1:30pm |
10/22 | Florida A&M vs. S.C. State | Orangeburg, SC | 1:30pm |
10/29 | $ - Alabama A&M vs. Alabama St. Magic City Classic | Birmingham, AL | 3:30pm |
11/03 | Mississippi Valley St. vs. S. Alabama | Mobile, AL | TBA |
11/05 | Albany St. vs. Ft. Valley St. Fountain City Classic | Columbus, GA | 2:00pm |
11/12 | CIAA Championship Game | Durham, NC | TBA |
11/12 | SIAC Championship Game | TBA | TBA |
11/19 | $ - Bethune Cookman vs. Florida A&M Florida Classic | Orlando, FL | 2:00pm |
11/24 | Turkey Day Classic | Montgomery, AL | 1:00pm |
11/26 | $ - Grambling vs. Southern Bayou Classic | New Orleans, LA | 3:00pm |
12/03 | Pioneer Bowl | Columbus, GA | 2:00pm |
12/10 | SWAC Championship Game | Birmingham, AL | 2:00pm |
$ - Super Seven Series Schedule is Subject to Change |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)