Tennessee State Tigers Set to Open Fall Camp on Aug. 5

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- Monday Aug.5 will mark the first day of fall camp for the Tennessee State football team. All practices are scheduled to be held at Hale Stadium and are open to the public.

The first week of practices will run from 6-8 a.m. and the squad will start in just helmets but progress to full pads by the following week on Aug. 12.

Fall camp will kick off the Tigers’ 2013 campaign, a year removed from their most successful season since 2001 (8-3). Despite the team’s success from a year ago, this year’s club feels it still has a lot to prove to get into the National Playoff picture.

TSU was recently pegged to finish third in the Ohio Valley Conference and seven Tigers were named to the league’s All-Preseason Team. Included on that list was cornerback Stephen Godbolt III who was also named the conference’s Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.

Fall camp will mark the first time that the entire team will be together since spring practices and will serve as the first opportunity for Big Blue’s No. 1 Ranked HBCU recruiting class to back up its distinction.

TSUTigers.com will be providing updates from camp up until the Tigers’ first contest on Sept. 1 in the John Merritt Classic against Bethune-Cookman.

Tentative Fall Practice Schedule (all times a.m. unless otherwise noted):
MONDAY, AUGUST 5, 2013 - 6:00-8:00  PRACTICE #1 (HELMETS)
TUESDAY, AUGUST 6, 2013 - 6:00-8:00  PRACTICE #2 (HELMETS)
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7, 2013 - 6:00-8:00 PRACTICE #3 (SHELLS)
THURSDAY, AUGUST 8, 2013 - 6:00-8:00 PRACTICE #4 (SHELLS)
FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 2013 - 6:00-8:00 PRACTICE #5 (SHELLS)
SATURDAY, AUGUST 10, 2013 - 7:30-9:30 PRACTICE #6 (SHELLS)
MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013 - 9:15-11:30 PRACTICE #8 (FULL)
TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2013 - 7:30-9:30 PRACTICE #9 (FULL)
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14, 2013 - 9:15-11:30 PRACTICE #11 (FULL)
THURSDAY, AUGUST 15, 2013 - 7:30-9:30 PRACTICE #12 (FULL)
FRIDAY, AUGUST 16, 2013 - 9:15-11:30 PRACTICE #14 (FULL)
SATURDAY, AUGUST 17, 2013 - 7:30-9:30 PRACTICE #15 (FULL)
MONDAY, AUGUST 19, 2013 - 9:15-11:30 PRACTICE #17 (FULL)    
TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2013 - 5:45-7:45 (P.M.) PRACTICE #19(FULL)
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 21, 2013 - 9:15-11:30 PRACTICE #20 (FULL)
THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2013 - 5:45-7:45 (P.M.) PRACTICE #22 (FULL)
FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2013 - 8:00-10:00 PRACTICE #23 (FULL)
SATURDAY, AUGUST 24, 2013 - 4:00-6:00 (P.M.) PRACTICE #24 (FULL)



COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

CLC's College Colors Day set for Aug. 30

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- With the kickoff of the 2013 football season less than a month away, Southern University is encouraging Jaguars fans to pledge their allegiance by supporting the school on Aug. 30 as a part of College Colors Day.

College Colors Day is an annual celebration dedicated to promoting the traditions and spirit that embody the college experience by encouraging fans across America to wear their favorite college or university apparel throughout the day on Friday, August 30.

The Jaguars open its 2013 schedule on College Colors Day against the University of Houston in Reliant Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. and the game will stream live on ESPN 3.

Fans can visit GoJagsGear.com, the official online store for SU athletics, to purchase licensed Jaguar apparel. By downloading a custom designed SU Facebook cover, fans can also display their passion for SU sports on social media.

Southern is scheduled to send weekly College Colors Day reminders to fans via Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Since its inception in 2005, College Colors Day has grown rapidly across the country. Thousands of organizations and millions of individuals participate annually by donning their team colors and sharing in the college spirit with friends and colleagues.

Additionally, College Colors Day, which coincides with “back to school” and the kick-off of intercollegiate athletics, strives to advocate higher education through increased public awareness, and celebrates the achievements of colleges and universities, acknowledging their fundamental importance.

COURTESY SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

B-CU Wildcats look to defend their MEAC championship

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida  --  The way Bethune-Cookman coach Brian Jenkins handles interviews might make Bill Belichick envious.

Belichick, the New England Patriots coach, is renowned for employing “coach speak” — the art of answering questions without divulging much pertinent information at all — when dealing with the media.

Jenkins might be better at it.

So, heading into Bethune-Cookman’s first day of fall practice, Jenkins, not surprisingly, was not about to give too much away.

“We will see (what we have),” he said. “Our expectations are that we will have a good football team. And our expectations are that we had a good summer.”

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St. Aug Starts Football Practice On Wednesday, Aug. 7

RALEIGH, North Carolina  --  Saint Augustine's University will hold its first football practice of the 2013 season on Wednesday, Aug. 7 at SAU Stadium at 6:30 p.m.

"It's another year and another opportunity to work on what we strive to do each year, which is to play for the CIAA Championship," said Head Coach Michael Costa, who has guided the Falcons to two winning records the past three seasons. "Our goal is to be in Winston-Salem."

The Falcons return 58 players including 14 offensive and defensive starters. They also bring back their placekicker and punter. The returnees and a 36-player recruiting class will report to campus on Monday, Aug. 5.

The Falcons are picked to finish second in the Southern Division and have the third-best team in the CIAA. Two players – defensive end Javarous Faulk (Sr./Macon, Ga.) and linebacker Chaz Robinson (Sr./Hampton, Va.) – were named to the Pre-season All-CIAA Team.

The Falcons, 6-4 overall in 2012, open the regular season at Division I North Carolina Central University on Saturday, Sept. 7 in Durham, N.C. at 2 p.m. The contest is the first of a 10-game schedule for the Falcons, who host Stillman College in their home opener on Saturday, Sept. 21. The slate includes home games against two-time CIAA champion Winston-Salem State University and two-time CIAA runner-up Elizabeth City State University.

COURTESY SAINT AUGUSTINE'S UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

JCSU Lennox Graham Selected to the Coaching Staff for 2013 IAAF World Championships

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina  --  Johnson C. Smith University head men's and women's track and field coach Lennox Graham has been selected to join the coaching staff for the Jamaican National Team at the 2013 International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championships in Moscow, Russia. Graham will be working with the Jamaican hurdlers on technique during their preparation.

Graham, in his sixth season with the JCSU program, led the women's team to its highest outdoor national finish in program history in a narrow runner-up finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships with 54 team points between just eight entries behind Academy of Art's winning total of 60.

Graham also guided the Golden Bulls to a CIAA Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championships title; their second in three seasons (2011, 2013). He has been named USTFCCCA National and CIAA Outdoor Track and Field Women's Coach of the Year this outdoor season. Graham also won coach of the year honors from the USTFCCCA Atlantic Region and CIAA for the women's indoor season.

"This is a great honor and a privilege to join the coaching staff for the (Jamaican) national team," said Graham. "I value this chance to share my knowledge with the athletes, as well as gain coaching experience. This is truly an invaluable professional development opportunity."

Moscow 2013 marks the 14th IAAF World Championship and it will be particularly exciting as it will be exactly a year after the 2012 Summer Games in London have concluded and will provide a timely opportunity for many of those athletes to meet again. The dates of competition have been set from August 10-18, 2013, and main competition will have a one day break in the middle of the schedule.

Senior and 2013 USTFCCCA National Women's Outdoor Track Athlete Danielle Williams (St. Andrew, Jamaica) will be competing in the 100m hurdles (Round 1 - August 16th). Her sister and JCSU alumna Shermaine Williams will also be competing in the same event.

JCSU alumnus Leford Green will also be on hand, competing in the 400m hurdles (Round 1 – August 12th) events.

COURTESY JOHNSON C. SMITH UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

St. Aug's Faulk Selected Pre-Season Football All-American

RALEIGH, North Carolina  -- Rising senior Javarous Faulk of Saint Augustine's University was named to the USA College Football Division II Pre-Season All-America Second Team entering the 2013 season. Click HERE to view the USA Pre-Season All-America teams.

This is the third pre-season honor for Faulk, who is considered one of top defensive ends in the nation. A Macon, Ga., native, Faulk was chosen Pre-season Honorable Mention All-American by Beyond Sports Network in June and named to the Pre-season All-CIAA Team in July.

Faulk, who is hearing impaired, is coming off a banner 2012 season. He ranked second in Division II with 1.3 sacks per game. His 13 sacks ranked second in the CIAA and tied a school single-season record.

His outstanding play led to three postseason accolades last season. Faulk was named to the Black College Sports Page All-America Third Team, the Don Hansen All-Super Region One Third Team and the All-CIAA First Team. He was a nominee for the Gene Upshaw Award which goes to the Division II lineman of the year. For his career, Faulk has 17.5 sacks at St. Aug.

SAINT AUGUSTINE'S UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Detroit Lions release two, including Hampton's Ricardo Silva

ALLEN PARK, Michigan -- The Detroit Lions released safety Ricardo Silva and defensive tackle Spencer Nealy on Thursday morning, signing defensive tackle Xavier Proctor and safety Trevor Coston.

An undrafted rookie out of Hampton in 2011, Silva earned a spot on the Lions practice squad after an impressive preseason. He spent parts of the past two seasons on Detroit's main roster, appearing in 14 games and starting six.

In 2012, Silva tallied 40 tackles and intercepted a pass in the Lions' win over the Seattle Seahawks.

Nealy signed with Detroit at the end of May as an undrafted free agent out of Texas A&M.

To fill the two roster openings, the Lions added Proctor and Coston, two players who had been previously been with the team.



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