UNIVERSITY PLACE, Washington -- Walter Payton's brother, Eddie, had been a hell of an athlete himself -- a football, baseball and basketball star who grew into a good enough NFL return man to once take back a punt and a kickoff for touchdowns in the same game. He could zigzag his way around a golf course, too, ultimately playing to a 2 handicap and becoming one of the most successful college coaches in America at Jackson State.
Eddie Payton had seen a lot from tee to green by the early 1990s, but nothing quite like the high school recruit out of Savannah, Georgia, he scouted one day on an unsolicited tip, a kid named Tim O'Neal.
"He watched me hit my first tee shot and my second shot and just drove off," O'Neal recalled Tuesday as he prepared to play in the U.S. Open. "He didn't say anything. I had no idea where he went."
And there was a pretty good reason for that.
"I only needed to see those two swings to decide to offer him a scholarship," Payton said from his office at Jackson State. "I've never seen a swing that fluid and powerful. Everyone works toward creating one that will repeat over and over, and whenever you see it, you know it."
CONTINUE READING
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
SWAC Announces 2015 Football Media Day Roster
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Head coaches accompanied by a pair of student-athletes from all 10 Southwestern Athletic Conference schools will share in the 2015 SWAC Football Media Day.The annual event is set for July 17 at the Birmingham - Marriott in Birmingham, Ala.
Charles Ward will moderate the live coverage which will get underway at 10:00 a.m. CT live on the SWAC Digital Network.
SWAC Commissioner Duer Sharp, Coordinator of Football Officials Harold Mitchell Sr. and other guest will be in attendance and available to the media upon request.
The SWAC’s official website, swac.org, will carry continuous coverage of MD15 via online video and audio broadcast stream.
The list of head coaches and student-athletes participating in SWAC Football Media Day include:
Alabama A&M
James Spady - Head Coach
Harvey Harris (RB • 5‐9 • 170 • So. • Montgomery, Ala.)
Bryan Bower (RB • 5‐10 • 205 • Jr. • Millbrook, Ala.)
Alabama State
Brian Jenkins - Head Coach
DeMario Bell (WR • 6‐3 • 180 • Sr. • Wetumpka, Ala.)
Kourtney Berry (LB • 6‐0 • 215 • Jr. • Merrillville, Ind.)
Alcorn State
Jay Hopson - Head Coach
John Gibbs Jr. (QB • 6‐6 • 220 • Sr. • Houston, Texas)
Damon Watkins (DL • 6‐1 • 235 • Sr. • Temecula, Calif.)
Grambling State
Broderick Fobbs - Head Coach
Jevonta Williams (DL • 6‐2 • 262 • Sr. • Zachary, La.)
Johathan Williams (QB • 5‐11 • 185 • Sr. • Tampa, Fla.)
Jackson State
Harold Jackson - Head Coach
Ryan Deising (K • 5‐8 • 170 • Sr. • Nashville, Tenn.)
Teddrick Terrell (OLB • 6‐2 • 230 • Sr. • Jackson, MS.)
Mississippi Valley State
Rick Comegy - Head Coach
Kahlil Young (DL• 6‐5 • 241 • Jr. • New Orleans, La.)
Quantavious Peterson (QB• 6‐1 • 205 • Jr. • Shelby, Miss.)
Prairie View A&M
Willie Simmons - Prairie View A&M
Courtney Brown (RB • 6‐0 • 200 • Sr. • Lake Charles, La.)
Damond Jackson (DB • 6‐0 • 195 • So. • New Orleans, La.)
Southern
Dawson Odums - Head Coach
Demetrius Carter (LB • 6‐0 • 225 • RSr. • Chicago, Ill.)
Anthony Mosley (OL • 6‐2 • 282 • Sr. • Cairo, Ga.)
Texas Southern
Darrell Asberry - Head Coach
Amir Bloom (DL • 6‐4 • 245 • Sr. • Miami, Fla.)
Malik Cross (WR • 5‐11 • 190 • Sr. • Fort Washington, Md.)
Arkansas‐Pine Bluff
Monte Coleman - Head Coach
Willie Young (WR • 6-1 • 185 • Jr. • New Orleans, La.)
Wille Duncan III (LB • 6-2 • 220 • Jr. • Southfield, Mich.)
COURTESY SWAC MEDIA RELATIONS
FAMU's Rudy Hubbard on College Football Hall of Fame ballot
 |
| COACH RUDY HUBBARD Florida A&M University (1974-85) Hubbard captured back-to-back national championships in 1977 and 1978, including the inaugural NCAA Division I-AA (FCS) National Title in 1978. |
Hubbard, an Ohio native, was head football coach at FAMU from 1974 to 1985, compiling an 83-48-3 record, which was highlighted back-to-back national championships in 1977 and 1978. His 1977 club ended the campaign as the nation’s only undefeated team (11-0), while 1978 club posted a sterling 12-1 mark, capping the season with first-ever NCAA Division I FCS (I-AA) National Championship, thanks to a 35-28 win over the University of Massachusetts in the Pioneer Bowl at Wichita Falls, Texas. The following season (1979), the Rattlers pulled off a stunning upset of the University of Miami, 16-13 at Doak Campbell Stadium.
Hubbard’s tenure produced nearly a dozen All-American players, highlighted by three-time first team All-American guard Tyrone McGriff (1977-79), who in 1996, became the first FAMU player to be enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame, as a member of the Hall's inaugural Divisional Class of players. Should Hubbard be elected, he would become the third coach in the Hall of Fame to have served at Florida A&M joining the legendary A.S. "Jake" Gaither (1975) and William “Billy” Joe (2007), and the fifth Rattler Football personality, which includes former All-Americans Tyrone McGriff (1996) and halfback Willie Galimore (1999).
BALLOT
COACH RUDY HUBBARD
Catherine Fakler, Devinn Rolland are Xavier University's first-ever first-team Academic All-Americans
NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Catherine Fakler and Devinn Rolland added to their legacies Monday when they were named to the 2014-15 Capital One Academic All-America® College Division Women's Track & Field/Cross Country Team.
Fakler and Rolland, both seniors, are XU's first-ever first-team selections. They made the second team as sophomores.
Fakler, a distance runner from Phoenix, Ariz., and a graduate of Xavier College Preparatory High School, graduated from Xavier in May with a cumulative 4.0 grade-point average as an English / English education major. She will attend graduate school at the University of Arizona.
Rolland, a sprinter/long-jumper from Harvey, La., and a graduate of Cabrini High School in New Orleans, has two more years in the College of Pharmacy before receiving her XU degree. She compiled a 3.91 GPA through her first seven semesters.
In track and field they won a combined 21 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference individual outdoor championships — 11 by Fakler, 10 by Rolland — and led the Gold Nuggets to GCAC team championships in 2013, 2014 and 2015. Rolland also was a three-time NAIA All-American in the long jump.
Fakler also excelled in cross country. As a junior in 2013, she won the GCAC individual title and was chosen Louisiana Runner of the Year. She helped the Gold Nuggets win four GCAC team titles.
"Catherine and Devinn are two exceptional young ladies who are very deserving of this honor," XU coach Joseph Moses said. "They excelled at Xavier in the classroom and in athletics. They will be successful throughout their lives because of their focus and commitment to hard work."
The Capital One Academic All-America® College Division Track & Field/Cross Country Teams are comprised of student-athletes from NAIA, Canadian and two-year institutions. The College Sports Information Directors of America has sponsored the Academic All-America program since 1952.
Xavier's All-Time List of Academic All-Americans
(chosen by the College Sports Information Directors of America)
Year Name Sport Team
2008-09 Joe Drexler-Dreis Men's Track and Field/Cross Country Second Team
2011-12 Matt Pieri Men's Track and Field/Cross Country Second Team
2011-12 Javon Mead Men's Track and Field/Cross Country Third Team
2012-13 Taylor Reuther Women's Volleyball Third Team
2012-13 Matt Pieri Men's Track and Field/Cross Country Second Team
2012-13 Javon Mead Men's Track and Field/Cross Country Third Team
2012-13 Catherine Fakler Women's Track and Field/Cross Country Second Team
2012-13 Devinn Rolland Women's Track and Field/Cross Country Second Team
2014-15 Catherine Fakler Women's Track and Field/Cross Country First Team
2014-15 Devinn Rolland Women's Track and Field/Cross Country First Team
Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.comXAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
https://twitter.com/xulagold
https://www.facebook.com/
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Recruiting Roundup: FAMU DRS' Jackson ready to bust out
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- FAMU DRS wide receiver Chris Jackson doesn't have the size desired by the elite Division-I football schools.
The Rattlers' rising senior is not 6-foot-4. He won't knock a cornerback to the ground in press coverage.
But what Jackson currently lacks in one area of his physical attributes, he makes up for in others.
Route-running. Speed. Sure hands. Tenacity.
Jackson has been touring this summer, such as recently at the Jimbo Fisher Football Camp, and participating in 7-on-7 tournaments. And wherever he goes, he's impressed those that unexpectedly caught a glimpse of his skill set.
CONTINUE READING
The Rattlers' rising senior is not 6-foot-4. He won't knock a cornerback to the ground in press coverage.
But what Jackson currently lacks in one area of his physical attributes, he makes up for in others.
Route-running. Speed. Sure hands. Tenacity.
Jackson has been touring this summer, such as recently at the Jimbo Fisher Football Camp, and participating in 7-on-7 tournaments. And wherever he goes, he's impressed those that unexpectedly caught a glimpse of his skill set.
CONTINUE READING
Overton ready to put leadership skills to the test at FAMU
 |
| MILTON OVERTON Director of Athletics FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITYCourtesy FAMU Athletics |
It won't be an easy job, and it certainly won't be done overnight (or even in one year), but Overton said he's confident he'll be able to implement a plan to improve the university's athletic department that will include students, administrators and FAMU fans.
He already has plenty of support.
Florida A&M baseball coach Jamey Shouppe, who was a member of a 10-person committee that gathered facts on the top three candidates for FAMU's athletic director last week, said Overton was impressive.
"I think this will prove to be one of the best hires in the history of athletic directors at FAMU," Shouppe said.
CONTINUE READING
TSU Men's Basketball Adds Eight for 2015-16
NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- On Tuesday, Tennessee State men’s basketball coach Dana Ford announced the addition of eight student-athletes who will join the team this upcoming season.“This class makes our team bigger, stronger and faster, which are things that will improve our ability to score,” Ford said. “They are all very grounded and hard-working players that come from places that value basketball.
Thomas Davis (Lighthouse Christian HS/Antioch, Tenn.), Jalen Duke (Martin Luther King HS/Nashville, Tenn.), Neville Fincher (Navarro College/Teaneck, NJ), Wayne Martin (Navarro College/Brooklyn, NY), Samson Oyediran (Ancilla College/London, England), Jordan Reed (Binghamton/Philadelphia, Pa.), Khalil Spencer (Ridgeway HS/Memphis, Tenn.) and Johnny Woodard (North Dakota State College of Sc
ience/Duluth, MN) all signed and will be eligible to play in 2015-16.
“Last year we were one of the youngest teams in the country, and I felt that two of our best players were freshmen. This gives us a great foundation to build on, and this class has added experience as well as a little more youth,” Ford added.
Davis played high school ball at nearby Lighthouse Christian in Antioch, where he led his team to a national championship in 2015 by winning the National Association of Christian Athletes (NACA) Tournament. “Tripp” was also named to the All-Midstate Second Team by The Tennessean as a senior. Davis scored over 2,000 points in his career at Lighthouse Christian, the first to accomplish that in school history, and is the son of TSU Professor Thomas L. Davis.
Duke was also his team’s all-time leading scorer after graduating from Martin Luther King HS. The 6-5 guard amassed over 1,600 points in his time at MLK and was named the District 10AA Player of the Year as a senior. He went on to lead his team to a fourth place finish in the District championships. MLK students have a history of coming to TSU, as Gerald Robinson signed with the Tigers in 2007.
Fincher spent the last two seasons at Navarro College in Texas, but was highly recruited coming out of prep school in 2013. Fincher averaged 12 points and 8 rebounds at Hargrave Military Academy as a senior. The 220-pounder was recruited heavily by Marshall, Seton Hall, Western Kentucky, Towson and Houston before committing with Kansas State University. At 6-10, Fincher should provide a significant post presence for TSU.
Martin was a teammate of Fincher at Navarro College before also committing to TSU. Martin played in 27 contests for the Bulldogs, averaging 15.4 points and 9.5 rebounds per game while leading them to a 22-8 record. The Brooklyn, NY native. spent 2013-14 with Saint Francis College, where he poured in an average of seven points in 16.9 minutes per game.
Oyediran, a 6-7 small forward from London, England signed with the Tigers after sitting out a season at Ancilla College in Indiana. Prior to attending the JUCO, Oyedrian starred at the Preston College basketball academy overseas. He is rated as a two-star prospect by verbalcommits.com.
Reed, a 6-4 two-time all-conference selection at Binghamton University, was the program's leading scorer and rebounder in each of his first two seasons. Last year, he led the American East Conference in rebounding (8.9 rpg) for the second straight season. He also came one point away in the regular-season finale of becoming the first freshman ever to lead the conference in scoring and rebounding during the 2012-13 season.
Spencer comes to TSU after leading Ridgeway HS to an 18-11 record in 2014-15 and a spot in the quarterfinals of the Region 8-AAA tournament. Spencer also played at Mitchell HS in Memphis and Booker T. Washington HS. The combo guard averaged 20 points per contest at Booker as a freshman and helped lead his team to a berth in the Class A State Tournament.
Woodard, a 6-4 wing, had spent the past two seasons at North Dakota State College of Science, where he averaged 19.6 points per game as a freshman and 22.2 in 2014-15. Woodard also helped lead the Wildcats to a 55-11 record during his two seasons. He was a Minnesota Mr. Basketball finalist as a senior at Duluth East HS after leading his team to the Class AAAA State Tournament.
The eight players join Armani Chaney, who previously signed his letter of intent, to round out TSU’s 2015-16 recruiting class.
COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)