3 former SCSU Bulldogs cut from NFL rosters; 4 remain for Week One

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina - A trio of former South Carolina State players was among the casualties of NFL cuts.

On Monday, the Washington Redskins released free agent signee offensive lineman James Lee. The move came after the weekend saw Jacksonville Jaguars’ linebacker Donovan Richard and Kansas City safety Dominique Ellis get the notice from “The Turk.”

In the case of Richard, this marked the second time in three months he was released by the Jaguars.

There are currently four Bulldogs on NFL rosters heading into Week One: cornerback Phillip Adams (Seattle Seahawks), safeties Rafael Bush (Denver Broncos) and Christian Thompson (Baltimore Ravens) and linebacker Marshall McFadden (Pittsburgh Steelers).

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Finally, Harvey gets his big shot at FAMU

TALLAHASSEE, Florida - The last three football seasons have been difficult for receiver Travis Harvey on the FAMU campus. He always had some explaining to do.

“Everybody knew I played football but when the game came I wasn’t playing,” he said. “To say I was ineligible was hard because I’m not a dumb person. I wasn’t as focused as I needed to be.”

After taking a redshirt in his first season as a walk-on from Inglewood, Calif., Harvey came up ineligible for the next two seasons. Last season, he started a turnaround and ended up in four games.

He showed enough to restore FAMU coach Joe Taylor’s faith in him. A strong spring solidified him as the replacement for Brian Tyms.

At 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, he’s shown ...

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Junior QB Darius Smith ready to lead Alcorn into 2012 opener

LORMAN, Mississippi — Last season, Alcorn State quarterback Darius Smith was thrown into the fire when he took over for departed starting quarterback Brandon Bridge midway through the Braves' season.

This year, Smith knows that he is the man under center from Day 1, but he said he is not letting the lessons he learned last season be forgotten.

"Last season I was kind of thrown into it, but it definitely helped me get ready for the upcoming season," Smith said. "I wasn't expecting to play, and I didn't study like I should have. But now I know I'm the guy and am taking the time out (to prepare)."

Saturday, Smith and the Braves will take the field for the first time under a new coaching staff led by head coach Jay Hopson when they face Grambling State University in the Port City Classic. Smith said he is ready for the challenge and ready to show how his game has improved.

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Q&A with UMES men's basketball coach Frankie Allen

COACH FRANKIE ALLEN

PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland  -  After four seasons in Princess Anne, UMES coach Frankie Allen  admits that he thought his program would be further along by now.

The Hawks went 7-23 during the 2011-12 season, giving Allen a record of 34-89 at UMES. But Allen, the former Virginia Tech, Tennessee State and Howard coach, is optimistic that things will be better for the Hawks starting this year.

UMES returns two starters in junior guard Louis Bell and junior forward Ron Spencer, and three reserves in senior center T.J. Kosile, senior forward Pina Guillaume and sophomore guard Ishaq Pitt.

Joining those five veterans will be an “infusion of new blood.” Allen has added six players to his roster: Jarrod Davis, a 6-foot-6, 220-pound freshman forward from Lakewood, N.J.; Kevin Mays, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound freshman forward from Brooklyn, N.Y.; Troy Snyder, a 6-foot-6, 210-pound junior forward from Chicago who transferred last year from Wisconsin-Green Bay; Donald Williams, a 6-foot-3, 210-pound junior guard from Hyattsville who played at Prince George’s County Community College; Kyree Jones, a 6-foot-3, 205-pound sophomore guard from Indianapolis who comes from Kankakee (Ill.) Community College via Northern Illinois; and Francis Obumneme, a 6-foot-10 junior center from Nigeria who played at Monroe (N.Y.) Community College.

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SU's Stump Mitchell says Dray Joseph earned starting QB job

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana - After Southern coach Stump Mitchell settled on a starting quarterback, he brought candidates Dray Joseph and J.P. Douglas in for a meeting. There, Mitchell pulled out a piece of paper that listed the facts.

Joseph had won the quarterback battle. The numbers said so.



“I gave them a sheet that showed exactly what both of those guys did,” Mitchell said. “There’s no sense in me having closed-door meetings. We’re all family. We should be able to talk. We should be able to discuss. I didn’t want one guy to think I was telling him something and another guy something different.”

Mitchell told them both that this season will be a very different scene from the last one. Joseph will be the man in charge, Douglas will be his backup, and the only way they’ll switch roles is if Joseph gets injured.

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New position, more plays for WSSU Rams DeGeare

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina - Athletes often have trouble giving up a position they've played most of their lives, but Jamie DeGeare knew he wanted to see more action in his final football season at Winston-Salem State.

So when coaches asked him about switching from quarterback to fullback, DeGeare needed to think about it. But after remembering how little fun he had as backup quarterback in 2011, he figured he'd enjoy the season much more if he played more.



"In the spring, I was able to get prepared for all the contact that's involved," DeGeare said Saturday, after catching a short touchdown pass from Kameron Smith in a scrimmage. "It's actually coming along pretty well right now, and I'm excited about the season starting."

DeGeare starred at Glenn High School and ...

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Strike Up the Band, Talladega College has started a Marching Band Program

TALLADEGA, Alabama — Talladega College, it’s the home of the famous Amistad Murals, championship men’s and women’s basketball teams, an illustrious list of graduates that became university presidents, the first meeting place of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Andrew Young, alumni in business, science, education, healthcare and industry world-wide; and now adding to its current list is a new marching band. Talladega College started a marching band program this summer.

Over 100 prospective and current students expressed an interest in participating in the College band. Activities were set with a Band Camp which was held on the campus July 29 through the first week of August. The new band will perform at sports events, parades, celebrations, concerts and make special guest appearances. Following the summer camp, the band students will continue with instruction and begin performance in the fall.

“We are looking forward to this new program at the College. With music, you have the ability to inspire, unite and uplift an audience and community. Our program is attracting students from across the southeast. They are excited to come and be a part of the ‘first-ever’ Marching Band at Talladega College,” remarks President, Dr. Billy C. Hawkins.

Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Evelyn White also adds, “I think the Band is a tremendous asset. It will boost the level of excitement and enjoyment at our sports events and other occasions on the campus.”

The College is eager to launch and increase the ‘Dega sound’ as we touch others with music and more.

Talladega College Band members marched and danced their way through New Orleans streets on August 22, 2012, in their first on-the-road performance, after holding the school’s first-ever band camp only three weeks ago. The 100 plus member band was on the roster as a part of the Prince Hall Shriners’ parade in New Orleans.

According to a release from the college, most of the band students are from New Orleans and surrounding areas. They had a chance to perform for their home crowd and national visitors in a parade that in the past has taken four hours to complete.






ABOUT TALLADEGA COLLEGE

Talladega College, with the assistance of the American Missionary Association, was founded in 1867, by the descendants of the slaves who helped to build its first building, Swayne Hall-now a national historic site. Talladega College was the first institution in the state of Alabama to admit qualified persons of any race or ethnic origin.

The private, four year, co-educational, liberal arts college offers 17 majors grounded in the liberal arts. Its athletic programs are members of the States Collegiate Athletics Association, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC) and the Association of Independent Institutions (A.I.I.). Talladega College offers seven intercollegiate sports teams: for women, basketball, softball and volleyball; for men, baseball, basketball, golf, and soccer.

The college is affiliated with the United Church of Christ.

COURTESY TALLADEGA COLLEGE MEDIA RELATIONS