Cam Newton's brother Caylin on Howard: 'This is my Auburn'

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Caylin Newton has spent much of his formative years in the shadow of his older brother, former Auburn quarterback Cam Newton.

Caylin is a decade younger than Cam, the former NFL MVP who stars for the Carolina Panthers, and has been compared to him at every stage of his childhood on the football field. Caylin is hoping to change that now that he's entering his freshman year at Howard, a small historically black university in Washington D.C. that plays in the MEAC.



"I'm trying to make my own path," Caylin recently told the Washington Post. "I'm trying to be a person that stands for who I am, but my last name is my last name. I get it. I mean, he's a big deal. NFL MVP. So I can't be not owning who my brother is."

Still, Caylin is trying to make a name for himself for the Bison after signing with the program in February. While both were standouts at Atlanta area high schools, Cam has 6 inches on his little brother and was a far more coveted prospect. Caylin threw for 3,322 yards and 33 touchdowns as a senior at Grady High while running for more than 1,000 yards and 13 scores, but his size disadvantage kept him more under the radar despite his family name.

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MEAC Monday: Hampton plays in Puerto Rico while UMES and Bethune-Cookman release 2017-2018 schedules

HAMPTON, Virginia -- WE HAVE SOME BASKETBALL GAME ACTION!

Two more MEAC teams have released their 2017-2018 schedules. Yet what really gets me excited is live basketball action, and thanks to Hampton we have a little warm up for the upcoming season.

How well are the Hampton Pirates coming together? A team-building trip can give us a few answers.

The Pirates played three games this weekend in Puerto Rico against international competition and went 3-0. On Friday, the Pirates defeated UC Bayamon 86-60 behind an impressive defensive performance. Outstanding sophomore guard Jermaine Marrow led the charge with 14 points, seven assists and five rebounds. The Pirates saw three others score in double figures as Austin Colbert scored 13, Lysander Bracey had 12 and Greg Heckstall added 10 points accompanied with 12 rebounds. The balanced offensive attack provided a comfortable lead, but it was the stifling defense that made the difference. The Pirates held UC Bayamon to just 26 percent shooting on the night.

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HAMPTON MEN FINISH PUERTO RICO TRIP 3-0 WITH 78-64 WIN

GUAYNABO, PUERTO RICO – The Hampton University men's basketball team finished a 3-0 weekend of international competition in Puerto Rico with a 78-64 win over Universidad Metropolitana (UMET) on Sunday night.

In a reverse of Saturday night's victory, Hampton opened the game outscoring the hosts 23-12 in the first quarter and held a 49-32 lead at the half. UMET outscored the Pirates 32-29 in the second half, but couldn't get closer.

Jermaine Marrow topped Hampton with 21 points and nine rebounds while Kalin Fisher added 12 points for the double figure scorers on Sunday.

 HAMPTON UNIVERSITY PIRATES ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

New York Jets Signs Former JSU WR Daniel Williams

NEW YORK, New York -- The Jets signed wide receiver Daniel Williams and waived WR Deshon Foxx.

Williams recorded 47 receptions for 599 yards and three touchdowns for Jackson State in 2016. The 6'3", 200-pounder totaled 2,497 yards and 19 touchdowns on 184 receptions in four seasons for the Tigers.

Foxx originally signed a reserve/future contract with the Jets in January, but was waived May 9. He was re-signed later that month when the team placed WR Devin Smith on injured reserve after he tore his ACL in Phase One of the offseason workout program.

Dan turned heads at JSU Pro Day in April, clocking a 4.3 in the 40 yard dash. He signed with the Raiders in May as an undrafted free agent and participated in rookie minicamp.

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FAMU bound Wilson High graduate hit by stray bullet dies

Jamahri Sydnor

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Jamahri Sydnor spoke with the enthusiasm of a cheerleader and an eloquence beyond her years.

Whether the event was ordinary or exceptional, the 17-year-old approached it with unbridled energy and a broad smile. She jumped for joy for classmates who passed an exam or were accepted to college. She convinced a discouraged friend to stay in school and led an impromptu dance aboard a sightseeing boat around Manhattan.

She was so excited about her future and heading to Florida A&M University in about 10 days that she posted a copy of her acceptance letter on Twitter.

A single bullet ended her plans.

Sydnor died Saturday, two days after she was shot in the head by a stray bullet fired about 3:30 p.m. Thursday as she drove along a street in a Northeast Washington neighborhood.

Police said she remained on life support until Saturday, a difficult state for her friends to comprehend as they recalled her upbeat demeanor. “There was never a day I saw her she didn’t have a smile on her face,” said Patrice Arrington, the college and career coordinator at her school, Woodrow Wilson High in Northwest Washington.

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Alcorn students, faculty, and HBCU family remember longtime band director Samuel S. Griffin

LORMAN, Mississippi — The Alcorn State University family gathered in Vicksburg Saturday to say their final goodbyes to long-time band director Samuel Griffin.

To many people at Alcorn, Griffin wasn’t just a band director — he was a father figure. Annette Jones-Baskin is one of Griffin’s former students, “He’s been like a mentor, father figure, role model. He was a whole lot to me so he gave me the opportunity to go to college because I was from a family that couldn’t afford to send me to a university.”

Throughout his nearly 50 year career at Alcorn, Griffin provided dozens of students with scholarships and promising futures.

“He put quite a few people through school,” says former student Keith Thompson. “And if it wouldn’t have been for my band scholarship I don’t know if I would have even gone to school.”

Jeffrey Knight agrees, “The scholarships that he gave over the years, from all walks of life, venture out and get different careers and he was always behind them as long as you did a positive thing about it. He was always there for you.”

Griffin is best known for giving the marching band it’s nickname, Dyn-O-Mite.

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Griffin began his career at Alcorn in 1966. Following a brief period as assistant band director, Griffin assumed the position as director of bands in 1969. He created the marching band nickname, Sounds of Dyn-O-Mite and was well known for his auxiliary innovations, including the Golden Girls and the Purple Flashers Flag Corp. He led the marching band to halftime shows in high profile venues including the Miami Orange Bowl, Los Angeles Coliseum, Houston Astrodome, the Georgia Dome in Atlanta and the Superdome in New Orleans the year of its opening in 1975.

Griffin displayed his love for Alcorn by being one of the University’s top recruiters. Under his leadership, a number of students made Alcorn their school of choice. Many graduated to successful professional careers and lives, crediting Griffin as an integral contributor to their achievement.

While Griffin distinguished himself as a musician and band extraordinaire, he also supported the mission of the University through outstanding community service. In addition to the hundreds of parades for municipalities, school districts, and civic organizations, he served as a clinician and adjudicator for many festivals and competitions. Griffin retired from Alcorn in 2012.

In November 2016, the Band Hall at Alcorn was named in Griffin’s honor. In January 2017, he received the Honda Battle of the Bands’ Honoree Award for his outstanding contributions to historically black college and university marching bands.



COURTESY ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY MEDIA RELATIONS

Nimmons trying to live up to family legacy at WSSU

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina --Jack Nimmons chuckles when asked the obvious question about his hall of fame father.

Nimmons, a junior defensive end for Winston-Salem State, says whenever his father, Jonathan “Sly” Nimmons, starts waxing poetic about his playing days with the Rams in the 1980s, the sentences start the same way: “Back when I played ... ”

But that’s OK with Jack Nimmons because he can’t think of a better role model to follow than his father, who is in the Big House Gaines Hall of Fame after being a four-year letterman and an All-CIAA, All-NAIA and All-America player.

“Of course he starts those sentences like that,” Nimmons said.

Nimmons, who is from Reidsville, has worked hard to become a starter for the Rams after beginning his college career at St. Augustine’s. After graduating from Reidsville High School he went to St. Aug’s, where he redshirted but never let his dream of going to WSSU die.

“I always wanted to come to Winston-Salem State,” Nimmons said. “So after the year at St. Aug’s, I took a chance and came here as a walk-on.”

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Zanders takes step forward, defense stands tall in NCCU Eagles’ scrimmage

DURHAM, North Carolina -- The North Carolina Central football team held a two-hour scrimmage at O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium Saturday morning. It was the first time coach Jerry Mack and his staff got a chance to evaluate the team under game conditions with officials and plenty of fans watching.

The Eagles, who start the season on Sept. 2 at Duke, have some holes to fill on both sides of the ball, especially on offense, where they have to replace seven starters. Two of the main concerns will be replacing quarterback Malcolm Bell and four offensive linemen.

Here are some observations from the scrimmage:

Transfer quarterback Micah Zanders took the majority of the first-team reps. A sophomore out of Hinds (Miss.) Community College, Zanders threw a touchdown pass to sophomore receiver Xavier McKoy on the second drive of the day. He also threw a long pass to David Miller to set up a short touchdown run by Dorrel McClain. Zanders, who arrived in Durham over the summer, said he is getting much more comfortable in the offense and with the coaching staff. Mack, however, won’t hand the reins over to Zanders just yet.

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