Football Gazette's Small College Football Blog

Davis Stars, Azusa Pacific Rolls

2007-10-02T15:11:00.000-05:00

By Gary Pine, Azusa Pacific SID

AZUSA, Calif. –- It would never have been said publicly but behind closed doors and only amongst whispers it could be heard last week. Azusa Pacific was more than just the best 1-4 team in the nation. The Cougars believed they were among one of the NAIA’s 25 best teams in the nation.

Southern Nazarene University, a team on the doorstep of its own Top 25 recognition, just might be the star witness in a case for Azusa Pacific after the Cougars dismantled SNU, 38-7, before a crowd of 2,083 Saturday evening in the “Canyon City.”

For the second time this season All-American candidate Jon Davis tied a school single-game record with 4 touchdown receptions and senior QB Rudy Carlton threw for 221 yards and had a hand in all 5 Cougars TDs as Azusa Pacific systematically and thoroughly put away an upstart Southern Nazarene which made its first-ever venture into California with aspirations of making a national statement to the pollsters. Instead, it was the Cougars who made a pronouncement that will surely leave the NAIA rating committee collectively scratching its head about how to properly evaluate a now 2-4 Azusa Pacific team that has certainly been a victim of a most daunting schedule among all NAIA teams and yet defeated 2 NAIA foes both considered among the top 30 programs in the country this year.

Azusa Pacific closed out with 31 unanswered points over the final 3 quarters and scored touchdowns on 5 consecutive drives to post its first blowout victory in nearly 2 seasons. Not since a 47-6 thumping of Eastern Oregon back on Oct. 29, 2005, had Azusa Pacific enjoyed such a large margin of victory, and the Cougars tallied their points in a variety of ways. They used an assortment of long drives, SNU miscues, physical force, lightening speed, and dazzling plays, particularly a couple by Davis, to run away from the Crimson Storm and in the process avenge last year’s 17-10 overtime loss at SNU in Bethany, Okla.

It took a pair of possessions for Azusa Pacific to figure out how to best attack the Crimson Storm defense but it was an ill-advised SNU decision that led to the game’s first score. After the Cougars failed to punch the ball into the end zone from 4 yards out on a fake field goal attempt, Southern Nazarene designed a fake of its own – from the Crimson Storm 9-yard line where punter Peter Orth, instead of kicking the ball, ran with it only to be caught by Joe LaPorta and Todd Dini a yard shy of the first down.
Azusa Pacific took over at the SNU 9 and 3 plays later Carlton hit Davis on a 5-yard slant to put the Cougars up 7-0.

Wendell Thompson, though, returned the ensuing kickoff 73 yards to the Cougar 21-yard line, and on the first play from scrimmage Tyler Schneider hit Jared Elmore on a perfectly thrown lob to the corner of the end zone to knot the game at 7 apiece. But that was the last time Schneider would be at ease in his own backfield.

Led by defensive ends Casey Roel and Kenny Simmons, the Cougars pummeled Schneider, sacking him 4 times, putting on a hurry on at least 3 of his throws and holding him to just 154 passing yards, 50 yards under his season average.
The Cougars moved out to a 14-7 lead when Carlton again teamed with Davis on a 1-yard TD lob on the first play of the second quarter. It was the cap on what could be considered a 2-play TD strike. On the previous snap, the final one of the first quarter, Davis beat one-on-one coverage and made a spectacular one-handed grab down the right sideline in a dead sprint to highlight a 59-yard catch-and-run that ended at the SNU 1-yard line.

“Rudy and I are really good friends,” said Davis, “and there are plenty of times where he just gives me a head nod and I know exactly what he wants. When it comes to the football field, we just connect.”

And that was just the beginning.

After SNU was held to just 12 yards on the next possession, the Carlton-Davis tandem went back to work as Carlton hit a wide open Davis down the middle for a 32-yard touchdown which pushed the Azusa Pacific advantage to 21-7 midway through the second quarter.

“We’ve always had this connection, where I know that if drop back and have time, Jon is going to make the play,” said Carlton. “I have all the confidence in the world in him, and it was great to get him some opportunities to score.”

Roel, who seemingly was in the Crimson Storm backfield on every play, then recovered a Schneider fumbled snap at the SNU 33-yard line to set up yet another Cougar first half score. An SNU pass interference call on a Carlton to Paul Hardiman attempt put the ball at the 10-yard line and 3 plays later Carlton leaned in from a yard out for his second rushing TD of the season and a 28-7 Cougar halftime lead.

Azusa Pacific held the Southern Nazarene on the opening drive of the second half and the Carlton-Davis tandem wasted no time getting back to work, connecting on a 58-yard scoring strike on Azusa Pacific’s first snap of the second half, giving Davis his fourth touchdown reception of the game to match the school single-game record that he equaled in this year’s season-opener vs. MidAmerica Nazarene University and that 2 other Cougars have matched over the past 40 years.

“They seem to be on the same wavelength,” Santa Cruz described of the Carlton-Davis duo. “It’s a great connection.”

Davis now has 12 touchdown receptions in just 6 games this season and is only 3 shy of Dexter Davis’ school-season record of 15 TD catches that he set in 14 games during the Cougars’ 1998 NAIA championship season.

“Records are fun, but when you’re 1-4, you just want to win,” said Davis. “This win feels so good. This is a team sport – Pelt (Alex Peltier) had a great block for me on a touchdown, Rudy put an amazing touch on the ball for me, and this was just a great team win.”

Azusa Pacific capped the scoring the with a Ben Hansen career-long 49-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter, which in turn allowed Santa Cruz to turn to the reserves and offer nearly 65 players playing time.

Southern Nazarene, which came into the game averaging 333 yards of total offense, managed just 56 yards in the first half and didn’t help itself with 2 turnovers. The Crimson Storm got into a rhythm in the second half, moving into Cougar territory on its final 4 drives but the last 3 all stalled out on downs, including the final one which ended the Cougar 13-yard line with just under a minute to play.

“Anytime you come out and only give up 7 points, that’s a big statement game for our defense,” said Santa Cruz. “I expected them to get better this week, and that was what they did. Football is all about details, and I saw a team this week taking care of the details much better than before.”

Brandon Smith rushed for a game-high 79 yards on 21 carries to spearhead the SNU offense. Carlton finished the game an efficient 10-for-17 passing for 221 yards and 4 TD tosses. He becomes the first Cougar since Neo Aoga in 1999 to throw for over 200 yards in 6 straight games. Davis finished with 6 receptions for 162 yards. Simmons recorded a season-high 10 tackles and had a hand in 2 sacks.

With the setback, Southern Nazarene falls to 3-2. Azusa Pacific, now 2-4, preps for Southern Oregon, which brings its 2-2 record to Azusa next Saturday (Oct. 6) for a 6 p.m. game.

RED ZONE for 9/24/07

2007-09-24T13:39:00.000-05:00

THE RED ZONE By Craig Burroughs

This season is shaping up to be one of the most interesting and memorable in college football history, what with the remarkable upsets already played and the long list of major powerhouse programs not ranked in today's Top 25, and it has been exceptionally exciting so far in my personal football travels as well. To start it all off with a bang, I stopped at St. Johns University in Collegeville, MN, the morning after this year's first game, North Dakota's rout of Humboldt State in Grand Forks on August 23rd. I had long been curious how college football's all-time wins leader, John Gagliardi, runs his practices without whistles and full-pads-contact, and the Johnnies had a 9:30AM session that day, giving me the perfect opportunity to slake that curiosity. I was amazed to find at least 150 red-clad players on the field when I got there, all taking turns doing play run-throughs in two groups on opposite ends of the field, dressed in shorts, shoulder pads and helmets. Roughly an hour was spent this way before alternate groups started at midfield with 40-second, one time-out end-game drills to see how many times they could score before time ran out. An assistant coach served as referee, calling penalties and keeping track of the clock time with a stopwatch. Tackles were made by tagging the ball carrier or running him out-of-bounds. SJU's offensive teams scored about 75% of the time during this half hour of drills. After practice ended for the morning, I asked Coach Gagliardi if I could take a few pictures of him in his office, and he graciously accommodated. Not only did I get some great photos both of and with this extraordinary coaching legend, we spend more than an hour chatting about football and my extensive travels as his assistants drifted in one by one. He was particularly impressed with my indestructible automobile, a 1992 Oldsmobile station wagon which now has more than 760,000 miles in its rear-view mirror, and he was kind enough to ask me to join him and his staff for lunch at the school cafeteria. One of his assistants, his son Jim, had just purchased a used van with 150,000+ miles on its odometer, and they both wanted to know the secrets behind auto longevity, leaping to the questionable conclusion that I must be some sort of expert because mine had traveled so far. Coach Gagliardi suggested I should write a book on the subject, and I assured him that I would include a car-care chapter in my book-in-progess. He also noticed that I got a spontaneous nose bleed during lunch, a problem I have been tolerating for the past 21 years with little effective treatment. He told me that he had the same condition when he was young, and a doctor recommended a simple solution which he passed on to me and which seems to be working well for me. So I ended up with far more than I had expected when I stopped to watch a St. Johns practice...I got some fantastic pictures, a much better understanding of the SJU dynasty, a terrific lunch, effective medical advice, a handful of new friends, four hours of indelible memories, and a date to come back in the spring to monitor a session of Coach Gagliardi's locally-famous "Theory of Football" class, which is, in reality, a theory of life class. Ironically, two days later as I was heading back toward Collegeville on my way home from a Canadian Juniors game in Winnipeg, the engine in my car finally blew, breaking the crankshaft and stranding me in Rothsay, MN, for a couple of nights before arrangements could be made for its replacement. I drove a rental car from the Fargo airport for a couple of weeks while mine was being rebuilt, putting over 6,000 miles on it in nine States and one Canadian Province in the process. I also bought the rental car company a new airbag at a cost of $1,600, thanks to a gap in the pavement in the middle of a poorly marked construction zone in Indianapolis that caused quite a shock but no physical damage to either me or the car. As a direct result of my automotive adventures, I have been home for exactly one night in the past month, since I had to drive back to Rothsay and Fargo during the two days I might have had at home last week. If I'm lucky, I'll have the luxury of two more nights at home in the next six weeks, as an emergency business trip to Alaska has interjected itself into my football schedule in mid-October. I'm not sure how much more of this excitement I can stand, but I'm hoping that more of it will be on the football field and less of it on the road for the rest of 2007!
* * * * *
I had another wonderful coach-related experience last weekend which took me back to my beginnings as a peripatetic football vagabond in 1990. That was Roland Ortmayer's last of 43 years as head football coach at the University of LaVerne in Southern California, and it was the first of my now 18-season-long quest to capture the essence of North American college football, and the year in which I met him at a Leopards game at California Lutheran. Ort is now 90 and residing with his faithful dog Sport in an assisted-living apartment three blocks from the stadium which fittingly bears his name on the ULV campus. I visit Ort regularly when I'm in California (I have family living 10 miles from LaVerne), and I promised him early this year that I would take him to the opening home game at Ortmayer Stadium this year. That game was last weekend against Whitworth, a team I wanted to see again since I had missed the first quarter of the only game I'd seen the Pirates in against Menlo a couple of years ago. It also gave both Ort and I the chance to see the first game of the Andy Ankeny era at ULV. Ankeny is a former assistant at East Texas Baptist, and he is the first coach at LaVerne since 1947 who was neither Roland Ortmayer nor someone who both played for and coached under Ort. The travel gods conspired to make the day a challenge for me, as my morning flight from Atlanta to Ontario, 15 miles from LaVerne, got away 90 minutes late. Then the rental car I chose had a mechanical "hold" on it when I got to the exit gate, so I had to choose another, which got me to Ort's apartment just 25 minutes before kickoff. Ort's daughter Corlyn and granddaughters Reina and Denise were there to help me with his wheelchair, but complications arose with the chair's leg extensions and we barely got to the field in time to see the kickoff. Despite the logistical frustrations, Ort and his family were able to spend two hours at the game, parked along the sideline near the LaVerne bench, and he was honored at halftime as part of the Community Day ceremonies. Many of his old friends came to visit with him while he was there, including LaVerne's AD, its President, its Public Relations Director and several former players and coaches.
He seemed to enjoy the hot dog and the carne asada taco from Cornie's Corner, the student-run concession stand which was operated for decades by his late wife and which still bears her name. The ballgame itself, which no one at ULV expected to win against the playoff-calibre Pirates, was competitive for the 1st Half, with Whitworth getting only a TD and a safety in the opening period and a lone field goal in the second, while LaVerne gained several first downs and looked good on defense. But the roof caved in after intermission, and Whitworth flew home with a 34-0 win, which Ort did not stay around to see end. Corlyn took him home midway through the 3rd Quarter, but it did my heart a great deal of good to see this extraordinary coach and even more amazing human being sitting on the sideline that he patrolled so faithfully for 43 years. One of my fondest wishes is that Ort be given, while he is still alive and alert, the best honor that could be bestowed upon him, induction into the College Football Hall of Fame. He certainly has enough wins (almost 200), but his philosophy was not the win-at-any-cost regime followed by many of the Hall's inductees, so his winning percentage does not meet the Hall's minimum requirements. There are, however, exceptions that can be made to those prerequisites, and Ort will have all the support anyone could ever have from the legions of players whose lives he influenced for the better during his lifetime of devotion to football at LaVerne. My job here will not be done until Ort has a bust in South Bend!
* * * * *
I was appalled, as I'm sure you were, to read the reports of the on-field melee that took place last Saturday after the Henderson State at Delta State D-II Gulf Coast Conference game in Cleveland, MS. After a 9-7 DSU win in which two HSU field goal tries from inside the 20 were blocked in the waning minutes of the game, Henderson's coach Scott Maxfield and Delta's Rick Roberts exchanged both heated words and blows instead of the usual handshake. Their behavior incited their teams to engage in a helmet-swinging, pushing and kicking riot which was a major embarassment to both schools and to their conference. Conference Commissioner Nate Salant, with the endorsement of the presidents of both schools, suspended both coaches for their games this week, put both on probation for two years with the threat of serious consequences for any future violations of conference sportsmanship and behavioral standards, and also reprimanded DeltaState for lax security both during and after the game. DSU also was cited for ignoring conference rules restricting the seating of home fans in the visitors' seating area, which had resulted in taunting and harassment of HSU fans during the game. Last year's on-field violence between Miami and Florida International players should have given all football fans and school administrators enough of a warning about lack of player discipline and sportsmanship training, but when something like this happens at the Division II level and is incited by the coaches themselves, it is beyond reprehensible. Maybe Delta State should rethink their team nickname...Statesmen seems more than a little ironic in this case!
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RED ZONE for 9/12/07

2007-09-13T14:42:00.000-05:00

THE RED ZONE By Craig Burroughs

This football season has certainly gotten off to a wild and woolly start! Four 1-AA teams (yes, I, like USA Today, will continue to refer to that subdivision of D-1 by its historic monicker, as the confusing "FCS" and "BCS" nomenclature is, in my mind, just another example of the NCAA shooting itself in the proverbial foot by its failure to focus group their changes for public reaction) have already beaten 1-A teams. Northern Iowa's decisive 24-13 win over my Iowa State Cyclones was the most lopsided, and was a shocking outcome for the largest crowd in the history of Jack Trice Stadium, but it was hardly the biggest shocker of this season, or any season in living memory. Two-time defending 1-AA champion Appalachian State rocked the football world with its stunning upset of then-#5-ranked Michigan in front of more than 109,000 Maize and Blue fans at the "Big House" in Ann Arbor.
You've all heard about the historical superlatives of this game by now, but it puts me in mind, once again, about how deep the pool of college football talent, both players and coaches, has become. If the top 1-AA team can beat a Top 10 1-A program on the road, who's to say that major college football's #16 can't upset the #1 team in the country in an opening round playoff game. Each year the argument for a 16-team playoff in 1-A intensifies, and App State has clearly shown the way.
I will not stop commenting about the clear injustice and hypocrisy of the 2-team popularity contest of the current BCS system until the bowl game mavens and major college administrators figure out that everybody wins when 16 teams vie for a real National Championship by actually playing the games! Tens of thousands of fans of schools like Boise State, TCU, Fresno State, Toledo, Hawai'i, Southern Miss and their underappreciated ilk will be extremely, and justifiably, grateful!
* * * * *
My season has gotten off to an unusual start as well. On my way home from my second Canadian Juniors game of the season, at Winnipeg on August 29th, my faithful Battleship JB, with over 750,000 miles behind, finally broke the crankshaft on an engine that had needed only one tuneup in 15 years. Rather than pay the price for a new car or shell out $10,000 or more to buy someone else's problems, I made the easy decision to put a rebuilt engine and accessories in my intrepid and widely-traveled Olds wagon at a cost of $4,500. While driving a rental during the past two weeks, I had a minor contretemps with a gap in the concrete while going through a construction zone in Indiana...no damage to me or the car, fortunately, but the shock deployed the airbag, meaning another $1,100 out the window since my insurance didn't cover it! I am safely back on the road now in my own wheels, and headed for a truly exciting and adventurous year. This weekend I'll be in California to see Whitworth at LaVerne, and I'll be taking legendary LaVerne coach Roland Ortmayer to the game with me. Ort is now 89 years old and spends most of his time in a wheelchair as a result of a stroke several years ago, but he is still quite lucid and enjoys reminiscing about his 45-year head coaching career, and it will be a real pleasure to see him visit the stadium that bears his name to watch the first Leopards home game in 59 years under the direction of a coach who isn't himself or someone who played for him. By the end of this year I hope to have seen at least 83 college games, in addition to another couple of dozen NFL, CFL and high school games. I've already seen 2 Canadian college games and a CFL game, and plan to see both the Vanier Cup(Canadian college championship) and Grey Cup(CFL title game) this year, as both are at the Rogers Centre in Toronto just two days apart. This may also be the season that I end with the Super Bowl, a game I haven't attended since Super Bowl IV at the late Tulane Stadium in 1970.
College football game #1,000 occurred for me at the first game in Saint Vincent's brand-new Chuck Noll Field on September 1st, which was also SVC's first varsity football game in 45 years. The opponent was Gallaudet, playing its first varsity game in 10 years, after fielding a club team during that time. GU's Bison won the game 32-13 against a coach who had been their mentor in 1970 and '71. I've seen three of the seven new teams for 2007 already, and will see the final two playing against each other when Faulkner meets UNC-Pembroke in Pembroke, NC, on the 27th of October. Until then, I will keep you posted on a regular basis as the thrills and excitement of a very promising season continue to unfold.
* * * * *
I have noticed a strange trend already this season that makes me feel even more strongly about a position I've taken for a long time....teams should try for 2 points on conversion attempts more often, if not most of the time. I was reminded of this while watching the Minnesota JuCo Kickoff Classic at Saint Cloud State in late August. Over a span of five games in two days, I witnessed 21 missed conversion attempts, 18 of the kicking attempts. Only one of the 10 teams made all of its extra point tries, and in one game only 1 of 7 XP's was good, while another game saw just one successful conversion in six tries. Of course, the success ration of less than 40% of kicks in these five games is far from representative, I have witnessed more missed kicking attempts than usual in four-year college games as well. It has long seemed to me that if you can't make three yards 50% of the time for a two-point conversion, you're not preparing very well. This is especially true when you consider that most teams don't prepare much for 2-point conversions. If you assume that only about 90% of kicking tries are successful, that means you only have to make 45% of 2-pointers to break even. Anything more than that gives you an advantage, and the odd scoring patterns created by successful 2-point tries is a further advantage, because it often forces the opposition to match the score, or possibly to settle for a field goal when they might be in good position to go for the TD. My advice to coaches: Spend more time on 2-point conversions. I was very pleased to see Lake Erie College's first college game last weekend, a 33-3 win over Ohio Wesleyan's JV, and the Storm's head coach, Mark McNelly, went for two successfully with a "swinging gate" formation early in the game. I would love to see more teams follow his lead and take control of the game's scoring patterns at the outset.
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RED ZONE

2007-09-13T08:12:00.000-05:00

THE RED ZONE By Craig Burroughs

The University of Alabama's January hiring of Nick Saban away from the NFL's Miami Dolphins has brought to the fore some pressing questions about the direction in which major college football is heading. Coaching salaries at school's in BCS-automatic-qualifying conferences have soared out of sight with all the dollars that are now at stake, thanks to television money. Mosthead coaches at large State universities now make more than their schools' Presidents and the Governor of their respective States (combined!). Saban's $4 million deal at 'Bama, where football is apparently a lot more important than State Government, puts his base salary at more than 35 times the Governor's, and that could well be 45 times if his incentives are met! Not surprisingly, while Saban has set a new gold standard, most States with BCS schools have a large imbalance between coaches' pay and public servants' pay. For example, California's "Governator" earns a $175,000 annual salary, which is in the Top 5 of all State Governors, compared to the $1.5 million paid to Cal's Jeff Tedford and the $1.25 million collected by Fresno State's Pat Hill. Even UCLA's Karl Dorrell, whose yearly $881,000 paycheck isn't even in the Top 50 of today's major college head coaches', is still more than 4 times Governor Schwartzenegger's. The "new" coaches at California's other big schools, Chuck Long at San Diego State ($701,500) and Dick Tomey at San Jose State ($342,100), have less gaudy salaries, but still make much more than their famous movie star boss. The differences are most apparent in less populous States, like Iowa, where Hawkeye
Head Coach Kirk Ferentz pulls down more than $2.8 million, while Governor Chet Culver earns less than $110,000, not even 4% of his fellow State employee's paycheck in Iowa City! West Virginia's Rich Rodriguez, at $1,750,000, is compensated more than 18 times the $95,000 salary of Joe Manchin, the Governor of the Mountain State. Because of the plethora of TV money, and the perceived threat of coaches being hired away by the NFL, big-time college coaches have become the latest rock stars of our generation. Saban used the reverse psychology of being "bought back" into the college fraternity by Alabama after leaving LSU for a $5,000,000-plus income with the NFL's Miami Dolphins just 2 years earlier. His somewhat unusual situation has had an unfortunate effect on college football economics, by setting the salary bar unrealistically high compared to the reality of the NFL "threat." There are 119 1-A (Bowl Championship Division) football programs, but only 32 NFL franchises. Most NFL teams prefer to hire coaches who have already been in the league for years, primarily, I believe, because there are major differences between the college and pro games. Very few top college coaches, perhaps no more than 10-15%, would even be offered the chance to jump to the NFL, and if the opportunity did present itself, many of them would be loath to leave something they love, and with which they are comfortable, to enter the dog-eat-dog world of professional football. To a large number of the college coaches I know, money is not the determining factor in their choice of livelihood...it is their passion for the game and their love of the young men they mentor. As an example of this observation, I can offer a few names who have never been paid over $400,000 for a year of coaching a major college football team: 1) Joe Novak, Northern Illinois University, annual salary today of $212,496...Novak's Huskies have beaten Alabama, Maryland and Iowa State in the same season, all of whom went to bowl games, and he has coached the nation's leading rusher as well as coaching NIU to two bowl games and to winning seasons that should have led to bowl game invitations if NIU had been given the respect it deserves. 2) Then there's Chris Ault ($360,000) at Nevada, currently entering his 23rd year of coaching in three different stints at his alma mater;
Ault has a 185-78-1 record and has already been enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame;
3) Jeff Bower ($349,983) at Southern Miss, has led his alma mater and Conference USA "Team of the Decade" to seven bowl games in the past eight years, and his 96-67-1 record over his 14-year head coaching career has included a 47-17 CUSA record, a 52-13 home record and road wins over such heavyweights as Alabama and Nebraska; 4) Toledo's Tom Amstutz ($376,400), whose record in his first five years at his alma mater is 45-18, including four division titles, two outright MAC championships and 3 bowl games. I'd rather have any one of these men coaching for me if I were a major college AD, instead of chasing the superstar multimillion dollar men! * * * * *If unbeaten Boise State's not-to-be-forgotten 43-42 overtime win over heavy favorite Oklahoma in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl wasn't resounding proof of the desperate need for a playoff in major college football, I can't imagine what would be. The lightly-regarded Broncos, who led 28-10 late in the 3rd Quarter, saw the Sooners tie the game with just 86 seconds to play, with a 2-point conversion no less, then had their first subsequent snap result in an Oklahoma interception and TD return to put them in a 35-28 hole with just 64 seconds to play. The haughty Big XII champions thought they had dodged a bullet, but the Broncos delighted the largely BSU crowd and a rapt national TV audience by firing three more shots at OU, each more damaging than the last. The first, of course, was the 50-yard "hook-and-ladder" play with 7 seconds on the clock to send the game into OT. Then it was the first pass ever thrown by a 2nd-team wide receiver to score an answering TD in overtime after OU's star RB Adrian Peterson had ripped off a 25-yard scoring run to open the OT. And finally, it was the underhand "Statue of Liberty" run by Ian Johnson for the winning 2-point conversion to top off a game in which 37 points were scored in the final 19 snaps, beginning at the 1:30 mark of the 4th Quarter. I heard many veteran reporters in the pressbox remark that this game had to be the best bowl game in history, and some even said it was the best football game they'd ever seen, period! Since Boise State represented the first-ever appearance in a BCS bowl game by a Western Athletic Conference team, it's awfully hard for the BCS bigwigs to argue that games like this one can happen every year, or that only teams from the top six "power" conferences deserve to play for the national title. Remember that Oklahoma is a team that played for three BCS titles in the past six years, winning one of them. Remember also that Boise State manhandled a very good Oregon State team, 42-14, early in the season, and the Beavers went on to give USC its first PAC-10 loss in four years and end the season by beating three other bowl teams in a row. USC, of course, played for three of the last four BCS titles, so maybe the have-nots from the WAC can play with the big boys after all! And if the WAC has teams that can beat perennial BCS title contenders, then it only follows that the Mountain West, Conference USA and the Mid-American have teams that can just as well. TCU showed that when they opened the 2005 season in Norman, beating the Sooners by a 17-10 margin on their way to an 11-1 season in which they beat four other bowl teams, including another Big XII team in the EV1.net Bowl.
Sports Illustrated responded to the Boise State-Oklahoma game with an imaginative proposal for an 8-team playoff using campus sites in mid-December for the first round, 2 of the current BCS bowls on a rotating basis for the semi-finals, then a championship bowl one week into January just as was done this year for the "chosen" Top 2. SI's idea would be a major step forward, but doesn't go far enough, in my mind. I've seen enough college football (990 games to date, and many more ahead, I hope) to know that the only way to know who's going to win on a particular day is to play the game. Did you think you'd watch a one-loss Florida team manhandle the Big Ten's supposedly unbeatable Buckeyes by the largest margin of victory ever by a #2 team over a #1? Nor did I, and it points up the fact that nothing beats playing head-to-head games. No poll or computer analysis or power ranking or strength-of-schedule rating will ever replace the actual playing of games, and there are, beyond the slightest doubt, more than eight teams capable of winning three straight at the end of a given season. The only way I can imagine ever seeing a real "National Champion" in most major college seasons is to have a 16-team FBS (nee 1-A) playoff, maybe by expanding the SI proposal to eight on-campus games in mid-December, with four bowl game quarterfinals, two bowl game semi's, and the Big Kahuna in early January. We've already seen that two college teams can play 8 days into the New Year, so why not let 16 teams vie for the privilege. The SI piece neatly debunks all the specious arguments against a playoff in the only division of any NCAA sport that doesn't have one, so here's hoping that before long the folks in the BCS cabal will realize that they're short-changing not only the people who buy tickets to their bowl games, but also the people who make those games possible...the college students on whose backs they're making untold millions! * * * * *After the exciting football travel year I had in 2005, I didn't think it would be possible to have an even better year in 2006. But, as they say, that's why they play the games...you never know what's going to happen on a given day at the ol' ballpark, and 2006 was littered with unexpectedly good games, and some surprising records as well. Not only did I get to see the aforementioned Boise State-Oklahoma thriller (the second-best football game I've ever seen), I got to see another game in Arizona just three nights earlier that was the third-best game in my years of football travels. It was Texas Tech's unbelievable 31-point comeback in the final 20 minutes of the Insight Bowl game against Minnesota. After the Gophers upped their lead to 38-7 halfway through the 3rd, the Red Raiders outscored them 37-3, including an improbable 51-yard field goal to tie the game as time expired. I had been kicking myself for several years about missing the second GMAC Bowl in Mobile back in 2001, the highest-scoring game in bowl history. In that game, Marshall wiped out a 38-8 halftime deficit against East Carolina to win 64-61 in double OT, thus establishing the all-time bowl-game record for largest deficit overcome to win. I would have been at that game if it had not conflicted with the New York holiday trip I take with my darling Sandy every year. We got back from theatre that night in time for me to watch the game's last quarter and OT's, all the while wishing secretly that I were in Mobile instead. Texas Tech's comeback let me come clean with Sandy about my 2001 regrets, and she actually apologized to me for "making" me miss such a thriller in 2001. I told her that there was no way to know in advance, and that now all I need is to see a bowl game that has a combined score of more than 125! And it looks as though we can expect more of the same in 2007. My college season begins on Thursday night, August 23rd, at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks, ND, as the hometown Fighting Sioux entertain Humboldt State. That will be the first of what I hope will be a personal-best 82 college games this season, ending in New Orleans at the BCS Title Game on January 7th. But technically speaking, my football season has already begun...I am sending this column in from Canada in late July, where I've already seen the unbeaten and league-leading British Columbia Lions of the CFL outlast the winless Hamilton Tiger-Cats by a 22-18 score. I've also taken in a Canadian Juniors game, the first home contest in the history of the Kamloops Broncos, a disheartening 57-2 pasting at the hands of this year's BC Football Conference favorites, the Victoria Rebels. This season will also bring in ten more new college football programs, including eight 4-year schools and 2 playing JuCo schedules. The latter include Arkansas Baptist, which will play a schedule loaded with strong Texas JuCo teams, while Manhattan's Globe Institute of Technology will play mostly New York-area JV teams. The four-year schools, in alphabetical order, are: Birmingham-Southern(AL), Dordt College(IA), Faulkner University(AL), Kentucky Christian University, Lake Erie College(OH), Marian College(IN), North Carolina-Pembroke and Saint Vincent University(PA). I will have game stories and more details about each of these new programs as I cover them, with the final two planned to be seen against each other on October 27th, when Faulkner visits UNC-Pembroke. During the year we'll also have more news about the four new programs scheduled to kick off in 2008 and the three we know about so far due to start in 2009. Details on those programs, as well as my updated schedule, will appear in later columns, but you can go to the Football Gazette website to see my currently planned schedule, which will be updated in a few days. Happy Football!

- 30 -

One last cheer from proud dad on the sidelines

2006-11-15T14:43:00.000-06:00

Rob Kasper/Baltimore Sun
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED NOV 11, 2006
Today I wrap up my career as a football dad, a guy who sits in the stands on Saturdays cheering for his offspring. Our younger son, a senior at Johns Hopkins, straps on his helmet for the last time as the Blue Jays take on the McDaniel Green Terror in the final game of the year this afternoon at Homewood Field.

In some ways, the experiences of being a sideline parent are the same regardless of the sport being played. Over the years of watching my two sons play various sports, the four horsemen of emotion - pride, elation, frustration and worry - have often kept me company.

When your kid plays football, however, you have to come to grips with the fact that collisions, planned and unplanned, are central to the game. "They all go down in a pile," I recall one middle school mother saying years ago as we watched our sons play their first football game. "But as long as they all get up, I am OK."

It is a mantra I have silently repeated to myself a few times this year as my son's body disappeared from view under some 300-plus-pound opposing lineman. But my kid would emerge from the pile seemingly unscathed, sometimes getting credit for a tackle, which in the world of defensive linemen, is a prize.

Today's game is Division III football, where there are no athletic scholarships, where there are always plenty of free seats on game day, and where the members of the spirited John Hopkins Pep Band are volunteers.

It is not big-time college football, but it is big enough. The players are skilled, serious and far from tiny, a fact that was reinforced when I wandered onto the practice field a few weeks ago. There, in the deepening dusk, I looked around for my "little boy" and all I could see were square-shouldered giants. Eventually I found him. But as I was standing next to him, with the sweat pouring off him, I had a hard time believing that not so long ago, when he was a toddler, I used to carry him up three flights of stairs. Now I couldn't lift his leg.

After several highly successful seasons, the Blue Jays have struggled this fall. They need a win today to finish at 5-5. All of the games have been tight; the outcome was often determined late in the fourth quarter. This tightrope walk has made for a series of drama-filled, if sometimes disappointing, Saturday afternoons.

Beyond the wins and losses, playing college football has been good for my kid. It is hard work, requiring discipline and time management skills. Even with all the work, there is no guarantee of playing time. The level of competition is high. My son did not see much action until he was a senior. Now he is one of a series of players rotated in the middle of the defensive line.

Still he stuck with it and liked it. Many of his friends are on the team. Several of them live in a Charles Village rowhouse. They help each other out. A few weeks back when my son had a job interview, one of his housemates, tight end Kevin Smith, lent him a suit. When my son wanted to move a large box spring and mattress up several flights of stairs, Chris Whitehorn, another defensive lineman who has been knocked out of football action with knee problems, lent my son his truck and a hand with the move.

In the academically demanding and sometimes-frosty environment of college, the football boys have found fellowship. High school rivalries, which loom large in Baltimore, lose much of their edge in college. For instance, back when my son was playing high school ball for St. Paul's, wide receiver Anthony Triplin was playing for Gilman and was regarded as "the enemy." But in college, the two have become teammates and friends.

After looking at colleges up and down the East Coast and spending his freshman year at Dickinson in Carlisle, Pa., my kid ended up at a campus so close to our home that I sometimes ride a bike to the home games. Parents of other players, however, travel considerable distances. Brian Cook's family is one of many clans that drive down from Pennsylvania, Zach Rupert's parents fly in from Ohio, Anthony Woodard's dad motors in from Virginia. It's what football dads, and some moms, do on game day.

My wife is not a fervent football fan. Last weekend, for instance, she worked a crossword puzzle while sitting next to me as Hopkins beat Hampden-Sydney. She was concentrating so hard on completing the puzzle, the difficult Saturday New York Times version, that she missed Mark Nesbitt's game-clinching touchdown. She did ride along with me in mid-October to Gettysburg, Pa. For her, the highlight of that outing was the halftime performance by the Gettysburg College marching band.

For me, the Gettysburg game was frustrating. In the fourth quarter, the Blue Jays were moving toward the end zone and it looked as if they were either going to score a touchdown or rely on kicker Ben Scott's foot to knock through yet another field goal. But there was a fumble, Gettysburg pounced on it and to its credit marched down the field and put the game away.

I was bummed. But I often take the outcome of a game too seriously. It is, after all, an extracurricular activity, a part of the college experience, a pleasant way to spend an autumn afternoon.

James and Will Margraff seem to have the right perspective. They are the young sons of the Hopkins head football coach. At every game, they get their hands on a football and play catch. At halftime of the Gettysburg game, for instance, their mom, Alice, was throwing them passes. Those boys and their dad have a lot of football adventures ahead of them. But for me and the other parents of senior players, today is our last chance to hurrah. (Editor's Note: Johns Hopkins defeated McDaniel, 48-7) rob.kasper@baltsun.com

Colleges benefit from student athletes

2006-10-20T11:07:00.000-05:00

President's Message

10/20/2006

In high school I was a confirmed pencil neck. At 6 feet 2, I was more than painfully thin and called "Stretch" by a few friends. Naturally, I was picked on by the usual group of males, some of whom were athletes and all of whom were much stronger than me. By the time I was in college, I had developed a healthy skepticism of everything athletic, if not a downright bias.

Once I completed a graduate degree, I took my first teaching job at small university in the Midwest and started teaching college students. Much to my surprise, I grudgingly found that some of my best students were also athletes. They attended class regularly, asked me to sign progress reports for their coaches, and were mostly A to B students. There were a few bad apples, but I found young men and women athletes generally more motivated and engaged in their education. They tended to graduate at a higher rate than their non-athlete peers.

After a few years, it became clear to me that I needed to pursue a Ph.D. if I wanted to continue to teach at the university level. I requested a leave of absence and was fortunate to land a fellowship at Northwestern University. My assignments included teaching some introductory courses in communication theory and serving as a teaching assistant and grader for a senior professor. During my two years at N.U., I encountered many student athletes and was again impressed at their level of academic engagement. One of the finest final essays I read in an advanced argumentation course - which included some very tough readings - was written by a starting offensive lineman for the Northwestern football team (who later became an M.D.). Although in those days the N.U. football team was locked in the throes of one of the longest losing streaks in Division I history, many of those players were fine students who went on to succeed in life, in spite of losing seasons.

After Northwestern I taught at two other institutions - one a large state institution, the other a small college in the South. My experience continued to be that, for the most part, college athletes persisted and succeeded more than students not engaged in athletics. But it was only after my arrival at Adams State College that I fully came to understand the importance of athletics on a small college campus.

Adams State has a tradition of excellence in intercollegiate athletics. A recent athletic Hall of Fame banquet drew one of the largest audiences I have seen at ASC outside of spring graduation. The inductees represented nearly every generation of ASC students since the 1950s, when ASC athletic programs grew as enrollments increased. But what most impressed me is that the inductees, to a person, cited their professors as the individuals who made a difference in the lives. Certainly, coaches like Dr. Joe Vigil and Dick Drangmeister and "Doc" Cotton provided inspiration and were role models for these athletes. But athletics was the vehicle that allowed them to experience their wonderful professors and attain the college education that transformed their lives. Over the years, only a handful of ASC athletes have "gone pro." But thousands of ASC athletic graduates have gone on to lead successful lives and careers.

Student athletes account for nearly 25 percent of Adams State's on-campus undergraduate enrollment. Last year, 372 ASC students engaged in at least one of our intercollegiate sports teams. We currently have 14 athletic programs, 6 men's and 8 women's. Like their predecessors, most of these young people are only able to pursue a college degree because of an athletic scholarship.
When I look at the academic success rates of our athletes and compare them to other ASC students, I am again impressed. Athletes have nearly double the graduation rate of non-athletes, and in some years, particular sports boast a 100 percent graduation rate.

Of course, athletes do more than play ball, or run, or whatever. It is important for other former pencil necks like me to understand that these 372 young people are also biology majors, history majors, art majors, English majors, etc. Almost every measure of academic success shows athletes as a group succeeding at a higher rate than non-athletes.

NCAA Division II statistics show that an athlete brings at least one additional student with them when they choose an institution. It's clear that athletes have a big impact on enrollment.

Adams State College owes a significant thanks to former and current ASC athletes who have started their "Great Story" at ASC and helped to make the campus a vibrant and interesting place for all of us. Even reformed "pencil necks."

Webmaster's Note: This column, written by ASC President, Dr. David Svaldi, appeared in Friday's Valley Courier.

Visit ASCGrizzlies.com for the latest news and info on Adams State College Athletics.

Record-setting Antwan Harris – Mount Ida College Football Captain

2006-10-17T19:41:00.000-05:00

Contact: Mike Raposo
Sports Information Director
( 617) 928-7202

Antwan Harris – Mount Ida College Football Captain

NEWTON, Mass. (Oct. 17, 2006) – Every time he bursts for another gain on the football field, Mount Ida College senior running back Antwan Harris of Hartford, Conn. adds to his school rushing record. At mid-season, Harris was on track to become just the ninth Division III college player in New England to gain at least 4,000 yards.

But it is the strides he has made off the field that have transformed Harris from an initially uninvolved freshman just trying to adapt to a new position on the football team into the consummate student-athlete, an individual who strives to make the most of his potential.

``Antwan is an exceptional young man who takes pride in everything he does,’’ said Mount Ida head football coach Ed Sweeney. ``Antwan’s work ethic is what sets him apart. He embraces challenge both in the classroom and on the field. He cares about his teammates and works extremely hard not to let them down. I have coached for 36 years and Antwan prepares himself on a daily basis as thoroughly as any player I have ever been around.’’

A defensive end/lineman in high school, Harris didn’t mind hitting and getting hit in that role. But he relished the opportunity to carry the football once Sweeney and his staff converted him to offense early in his freshman season. Now, as the team’s premier ball-carrier, he prides himself as being as fresh in the final quarter and he was in the first.

``It’s not the records that are important,’’ said Harris, ``it’s how you leave your mark on the game through your presence and the key plays you make. Numbers don’t describe character. Pushing myself to the limit is a big part of me.’’

Harris’ efforts to improve on and off the field were in evidence last summer when he stayed on campus and put himself through a grueling self-designed training program to improve his conditioning and quickness. He also met weekly with Mount Ida professor Ronald Greenwald to hone his language and communication skills.

``I’d like to go for a Masters Degree once football is over for me,’’ said Harris, who was captain of the football and indoor and outdoor track teams at Weaver High School in Hartford, Conn. and who has a special interest in history and American Studies. A student-teacher at West Roxbury High School, Harris would like to be a teacher-coach someday and he has invited some of the West Roxbury students and staff to attend Mount Ida’s home football games.

``It’s a lot of fun listening to what high school students have on their minds,’’ said Harris.

Aside from delivering on the football field, Harris works five days a week in the mail room delivering packages. He is also vice president of the Black Student Achievement Coalition, is active on the Student Government Committee and is a member of the college’s Learning Circle Program that provides resources and services through academic coaches.

``I take the same approach whether it’s for football or school work – that prior preparation is crucial,’’ said Harris, the first 3,000 yard rusher in Mount Ida football history whose 377 yards against Becker College in the 2005 season set a New England Division III single game record and were the most yards gained in a single game the entire season by any player in the nation.

This season, his 243 rushing yards versus Becker ranked second amongst DIII players for a single game at the time, a feat that earned Harris recognition on the D3Football.com Team of the Week and selection to the Football Gazette’s National Player of the Week list for his division.

In addition, Harris’ 99-yard touchdown run at the Norwich Academy tied an NCAA record and his 31-yard scoring rush late in the Homecoming Day Game on September 30 enabled the Mustangs to come back and defeat Husson College, the tenth-ranked team in New England.

``He’s everything you could want in a football player,’’ said Mount Ida athletic director Jackie Palmer, ``and as a citizen of the Mount Ida community. Wherever he goes on campus, Antwan Harris is a contributor.’’

Antwan Harris Career Highlights

*676 yards and 5 TD’s on 129 carries in 2006

*First 3,000 yard rusher in Mount Ida College football program history

*3,875 career rushing yards – 12th best in New England Division III history

(Note: There are only eight players in the history of New England DIII with 4,000 career rushing yards)

*Rushed for 377 yards versus Becker College on September 24, 2005

-Most in the history of New England Division III

-Most in all of NCAA Division III in 2005

-10th Most in the history of Division III

-25th Most in history of NCAA (all divisions)

-Boston Globe Gold Helmet Award Winner

-ECAC Northeast Offensive Player of the Week

-D3Football.com Team of the Week

*Rushed for 243 yards versus Becker College on September 23, 2006

-2nd Most in all of NCAA Division III this season

- D3Football.com Team of the Week

-Don Hansen’s Football Gazette Players of the Week

*Broke off a 99-yard touchdown run at Norwich University on September 2, 2006

-Best in NCAA Division III history

*1,370 rushing yards in 2005 were 23rd best single-season total in New England Division III History

*2005 Final NCAA Rankings

-178.6 all purpose yards per game ranked fifth nationally

-137.0 rushing yards per contest were tenth best

*1,128 rushing yards in 2004 were 69th best single-season total in New England Division III history.

*2004 Final NCAA Rankings

-146.6 all purpose yards per game ranked 37th nationally

-141.0 rushing yards per contest were 15th best

-8.5 points per game were 35th best

Mike Raposo
Sports Information Director/Assistant Athletic Director
Mount Ida College
777 Dedham Street
Newton, MA 02459
Phone: 617-928-7202
FAX: 617-928-7299

News and Notes From Around College Football

2006-10-17T00:41:00.000-05:00

Monday’s Chalktalk

for October 16, 2006

Four On-Campus Salutes Slated for This Weekend

Coach Bobby Bowden, Thomas Everett, Mike Rozier and Charlie Ward will celebrate their 2006 induction into the College Football Hall of Fame with an On-Campus Salute this Saturday, Oct. 21.

Coach Bowden and his former quarterback Charlie Ward will be honored together this Saturday at Doak Campbell Stadium on the FSU campus. Bowden, the winningest I-A coach in history, has led the ‘Noles to 12 ACC conference championships and two national titles. Ward, perhaps the most highly decorated player of all-time, set seven ACC records and 19 school records en route to winning the 1993 Heisman Trophy.

Baylor will honor its 1986 Jim Thorpe Award recipient, Thomas Everett, during the Bears’ Homecoming game against Kansas. Everett was a two-time Southwest Conference MVP and ranks in the top 10 for several Baylor records, including interceptions, tackles, punt returns and punt return yardage.

Nebraska’s Mike Rozier returns to Norman on Saturday as the Huskers take on conference rival Texas. Rozier won the 1983 Heisman Trophy and led Nebraska to a perfect 21-0 conference record. He ranks fifth in NCAA history in single-season rushing yardage.

Two-Minute Drill

Tulsa's 5-1 start is the team’s best since 1982... Williams (Mass.) received its eighth consecutive Division III U.S. Sports Academy Directors Cup for overall excellence on Saturday during halftime of their game against Middlebury (Vt.). The football team moved to 4-0 Saturday... Wisconsin won “Paul Bunyan’s Axe” with its win over Minnesota... Louisville is 6-0 for the first time since 1972 when Lee Corso was the coach. Corso and the rest of the College GameDay crew will be honored with the NFF’s Outstanding Contribution to Amateur Football award, Dec. 5 in New York City... Pittsburg State RB Germaine Race (school-record 6,011 yards – ninth in NCAA Division II history) set an NCAA Division II career scoring record with 580 points... Of the top five NCAA Division I-A teams in total blocked kicks since the 2000 season, two are from the Atlantic Coast Conference. The five best at blocked kicks over the last seven seasons include Texas (46), N.C. State (41), Virginia Tech (36), Air Force (31), and Syracuse (30)... Pittsburgh (6-1) is off to their best start since 1982... West Texas A&M claimed the coveted Wagon Wheel Trophy with their win over Eastern New Mexico... Virginia Tech is now 12-2 on Thursday nights after losing to Boston College... Miami’s win over Florida International featured Hurricane defensive coordinator Randy Shannon coaching against his son, FIU center Xavier Shannon... Alabama wore commemorative jerseys versus Ole Miss to honor the 25th anniversary of Hall of Fame coach Bear Bryant’s 315th win and his final SEC championship team... Nebraska won their 800th game on Saturday, joining Michigan, Notre Dame and Texas... Rutgers, now 6-0, is ranked in the top 20 for the first time since 1977.

Minnesota will launch a grassroots fundraising program this spring to help raise the school's portion of the cost for its new football stadium. The campaign will include the sale of personalized bricks for the stadium. The school has already raised nearly half of the necessary funding... Western Kentucky's Smith Stadium is currently undergoing a $37 million renovation which will increase capacity form 17,500 to 24,000 by March 2008... Appalachian State is considering an expansion of its 18,000-seat Kidd- Brewer Stadium. The Mountaineers are averaging a standing-room-only 24,927, highest in Division I-AA... The official website for UCF now offers a web-cam that allows fans to follow the progress of the construction of the Knights’ new stadium on-line.

Texas-San Antonio has begun an aggressive marketing campaign in hopes of adding a football program to the university... The Buc Football and Friends Foundation has been established to support the reinstatement of college football at East Tennessee State University.

Penn State football will be part of the breaking news feature that sports fans will be able to receive via the Philadelphia Inquirer's recently launched information service for mobile phones... Ohio State's scarlet and gray colors are The Home Depot's No. 1 selling collegiate paint scheme in its Team Colors Program. Forty- four schools are involved in the program, and the rest of Top Five includes: Georgia, Michigan, Florida, and Notre Dame... First-year Bethany College (W.Va.) head coach Tim Weaver and three of his student-athletes recently traveled to a nearby preschool recently to kick off their new “Boomer and Books” program... The Western Athletic Conference recently unveiled a 479-page document entitled Strategic Plan 2006, outlining the conference's plan to become a premiere Division I-A conference... Arizona State just hosted the Fitbones Festival to raise funds and in recognition of the Arizona Osteoporosis Coalition... Georgia Tech athletics director Dan Radakovich was the guest speaker at a recent Columbus (Ga.) Quarterback Club gathering... Oklahoma and Hall of Fame coach Barry Switzer will deliver the keynote address at the upcoming Inside Self- Storage Las Vegas Expo at the Mandalay Bay Resort on February 21, 2007... Michigan State placekicker Morton Anderson became the second-oldest player in NFL history when the Atlanta Falcons signed him for the remainder of the season... Former Tennessee QB Heath Shuler, a Heisman Trophy runner-up in 1993, is running as a Democrat for North Carolina's 11th District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives... Princeton announced that it will be working with Nike on a collaborative sponsorship effort to outfit all of the Tigers varsity sports... South Carolina will have a pep rally in Nashville’s entertainment district the night prior to the Gamecocks’ game versus Vanderbilt this weekend... New England Patriot head coach Bill Belichick moved his family’s historic football book collection to Navy’s Ricketts Hall. Bill’s late father Steve was part of the Naval Academy family for 33 years as an assistant football coach and associate professor in the P.E. Department... Pittsburgh and Duquesne Light are asking fans to donate a bag of groceries to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. In return, contributors will receive $10 off their ticket for the Panthers game versus Rutgers on Saturday... East Carolina has announced the Tickets for Troops campaign which encourages fans to purchase specially priced tickets to be donated directly to active service members and their families.

2006 College Football Hall of Fame inductee Bobby Anderson was inducted into the Colorado University Athletic Hall of Fame on Saturday, alongside former sports information director Fred “The Count” Casotti, former CU coach Bill McCartney and former Buff athletics director Bill Marolt. CU painted the number “11” on the field, and commemorative postcards with Anderson’s picture and stats were also passed out to fans. A parade was also held in his honor.

College Football Hall of Famer and former Nebraska NG Rich Glover was inducted into the Jersey City Recreation Foundation Hall of Fame... Washington LB Dan Howell is the latest nominee for the FedEx Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award to be announced at the end of the 2006 season... Louisville Vice President and Director of Athletics Tom Jurich was inducted into the Kentucky Hall of Fame... Former Baylor All-America quarterback Don Trull was named to his school's Hall of Fame recently. Trull, who also was a quarterback for the Houston Oilers, is on the Board of Directors for the NFF Touchdown Club of Houston Chapter... The Davey O'Brien Foundation has named football great and College Hall of Fame member Paul Hornung of Notre Dame as the recipient of its 2006 Davey O’Brien Legends Award.

The Orange Bowl named Jeff Purinton director of media relations and communications... The Columbus Destoyers of the Arena Football League named former Ohio State lineman Jim Lachey senior vice president of football operations.

The 26th Annual Orlando Citrus Parade presented by Delta Air Lines will be held on Saturday, Dec. 30, 2006, at 11 a.m. (EST) in downtown Orlando and will be seen on syndicated television in 149 markets... The Texas vs. the Nation All-Star Bowl announced that former Philadelphia Eagles head coach Buddy Ryan will coach the National squad in the inaugural game set to take place Feb. 2 in El Paso, Texas. UTEP coach Mike Price will lead the Texas squad. Ryan is 1-1 as a head coach in college all-star games, leading Team USA's efforts in the 2000-01 Gridiron Classics in Orlando. The bowl also announced that CSTV will provide live television coverage... The Hula Bowl announced that Georgia’s Mark Richt will be one of four co-head coaches for the Jan. 14 game in Honolulu. He joins West Virginia’s Rich Rodriguez, Houston’s Art Briles, and Fresno State’s Pat Hill... Don Shula and Dan Reeves were named head coaches for the 2007 East-West Shrine Game Jan. 20 in Houston, Texas.

The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) recently announced a new marketing agreement with Host Communications Inc. of Lexington, Ky. that will allow Host to expand and manage the NFF’s corporate sponsorship program... Fox College Sports signed a one year agreement with the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference to carry games on a tape- delayed basis this season... Notre Dame head football coach Charlie Weis recently appeared on ESPN2’s “Quite Frankly” with Stephen A. Smith... “Tillman’s Final Mission,” the story of the Pat Tillman tragedy as told by soldiers who were there, aired for the first time on ESPN’s “Outside the Lines,” Sunday, Oct 15. Tillman will be honored posthumously with the NFF’s Distinguished American award, Dec. 5 in New York City... A recent Street and Smith's Sports Business Journal poll found that most people would rather see a game at Notre Dame Stadium over Lambeau Field in Green Bay... AT&T plans to announce that it will carry the Big Ten Channel when it launches its U- Verse Digital Video Service next August... The Boston Globe has begun a new feature called "One Fall Day,” which captures the scene and pageantry around college football at nationwide venues. Last week’s offerings were at Georgia, Howard, Abilene Christian, Williams, and San Mateo College. For additional coverage, please visit www.Boston.com.

The new book Career in Crisis: Paul "Bear" Bryant and the 1971 Season of Change by John David Briley delves into Alabama’s switch to the Wishbone offense, social change and the rejuvenation of the UA program... The Missing Ring by Keith Dunnavant covers the close race for the 1966 mythical national championship, the Crimson Tide’s near-miss for the college crown and the social climate of the mid-1960s in America... Author Gene Duffey has released 60 Years of the Outland Trophy, a 320-page book covering the winners of the coveted lineman trophy back to 1946.

The NFF announced that Jonathan Jackson, a senior RB-DB at Dunbar Vocational Academy in Chicago, Ill., has been selected as the September Student-Athlete of the Month for Play It Smart - the NFF’s highly successful mentoring program targeted at student-athletes in underserved communities. Jackson was selected from the more than 12,000 participants and 20 finalists from across the country.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Pittsburgh mayor Luke Ravenstahl served as honorary co-captains for Washington & Jefferson's homecoming game versus Westminster. Goodell was recruited to play defensive back for the Presidents but suffered a knee injury before his freshman year. Ravenstahl, 26, was the Presidents' starting placekicker for three years and still holds school records for career field goals and consecutive extra points made.

Former Arizona State athletics director Donn Kinzie has died... Former Purdue athletics director George King passed away at age 78... Former McNeese State All-American running back Darrell Lester passed away at age 65... Sam Mrvos, a former Georgia football player and coach, died at age 76.

Bevo XIII, mascot for the Texas Longhorns for a school-record 16 seasons, died Oct. 11 at an Austin ranch. He was 22.

With 120 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, a non-profit educational organization, runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. The NFF presents the MacArthur Trophy, the Draddy Trophy presented by HealthSouth and releases the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Standings. NFF programs include the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., Play It Smart, the NFF Center for Youth Development Through Sport at Springfield College (Mass.), the NFL-NFF Coaching Academy, and scholarships of over $1 million for college and high school scholar-athletes.

For more information, please visit us on the web at www.foot ballfoundation.com

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

phone: 973-829-1933
web: http://www.footballfoundation.com/

This Week in College Football History: Oct. 2 - Oct. 8

2006-10-04T02:54:00.000-05:00

The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, Inc.

http://www.footballfoundation.com/news.php?id=962

MORRISTOWN, N.J., Sept. 26, 2006 – As part of an on-going series throughout the fall, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame circulates in advance This Week in College Football History, which takes a look back at some of college football’s landmark moments over the last 138 years. During the season, many of these events are featured in a changing exhibit at the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind.

*If you choose to use this content in whole or in part, as a courtesy, please credit The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame.

Featured Moment:

October 4, 1997: Kentucky beats Alabama 40-34 in overtime, defeating the Crimson Tide for first time in 75 years (2-31-1).

Bama’s 30-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter sent the game into overtime, tying the game at 34. But, a Tide fumble in OT forced a change in possession, and UK scored on a 26-yard touchdown pass for the game-winner. Kentucky QB Tim Couch passed for 355 yards and four touchdowns en route to the overtime victory.

Other Notable Dates:

October 2, 1970: A chartered plane carrying the Wichita State football team to a game at Utah State crashes in Clear Creek Canyon, Colo., killing 31 of the 40 people on board. Another chartered Martin 404 arrives safely in Logan, Utah.

October 3, 1998: Texas RB Ricky Williams states his case for the Heisman Trophy with a school-record 350 net rushing yards on 37 attempts in the Longhorns’ 54-33 victory over Iowa State in Austin.

October 5, 1968: Arkansas’ Bill Burnett starts a 23-game scoring streak in a 17-7 victory over TCU. The streak ends on Oct. 31, 1970, a record that stood for 32 years.

October 5, 1985: Legendary Grambling head football coach and 1997 College Football Hall of Fame inductee Eddie Robinson surpasses fellow Hall of Famer Paul “Bear” Bryant’s career win mark (324) with a 27-7 win over Prairie View A&M.

October 6, 1923: 1951 College Football Hall of Famer Red Grange of Illinois debuts against Nebraska and rushes for touchdowns of 50, 35, and 12 yards.

October 7, 1916: Georgia Tech wins by the largest margin in college football history, beating Cumberland 222-0 in Atlanta.

October 8, 1955: Oklahoma becomes the first team in 282 games to shut out Texas, defeating the Longhorns 12-0 at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.

ABOUT The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame

With 120 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, a non-profit educational organization, runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. The NFF presents the MacArthur Trophy, the Draddy Trophy, presented by HealthSouth, and releases the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Standings. NFF programs include the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., Play It Smart, the NFF Center for Youth Development Through Sport at Springfield College (Mass.), the NFL-NFF Coaching Academy, and scholarships of over $1 million for college and high school scholar-athletes. Learn more at www.footballfoundation.org.

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NFF Contacts:

Phil Marwill, director of communications

1-800-486-1865, ext. 118

Hillary Jeffries, special projects assistant

1-800-486-1865, ext. 123

Bo Carter, correspondent

Mobile: 214-418-6132

This Week in College Football History: Oct. 9 - Oct. 15

2006-10-04T01:37:00.000-05:00

MORRISTOWN, N.J., Oct. 3, 2006 – As part of an on-going series throughout the fall, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame circulates in advance This Week in College Football History, which takes a look back at some of college football’s landmark moments over the last 138 years. During the season, many of these events are featured in a changing exhibit at the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind.

*If you choose to use this content in whole or in part, as a courtesy, please credit The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame.

Featured Moment:

October 14, 1950: The late Francis “Reds” Bagnell, longtime National Football Foundation benefactor and College Hall of Fame member, rushes for 214 yards and passes for 276 yards for a then-national-record 490 yards of total offense in a 42-26 Penn victory over Dartmouth.

Bagnell, who was recipient of the 1950 Maxwell Trophy, was listed as a 160-pound tailback and was eulogized in the U.S. Senate for his contributions to society and sports after his death in 1995. He still is listed in several categories in the Quakers’ record book – 56 years after his illustrious college career ended in ’50.

Other Notable Dates:

October 9, 1943: In the first- ever meeting of Associated Press poll Nos. 1 and 2-ranked teams, No. 1 Notre Dame outlasts Michigan 35-12 in Ann Arbor. The AP national polls began in 1936, and the United Press International coaches’ polls started in 1950.

October 9, 2004: California QB Aaron Rodgers ties an NCAA record with 23 straight completions in a 23- 17 loss to eventual national champion USC.

October 11, 1984: Mark Ryahcych of Concord (W.Va.) intercepted 10 passes against Shepherd (W.Va.), a record among all divisions.

October 11, 1997: LSU upsets four-time defending SEC champion Florida 28-21 in Baton Rouge. The Tigers snap the Gators’ 25-game SEC win streak.

October 12, 1968: Missouri sets an NCAA record with 99 rushing attempts in a 27-14 victory over Colorado. The Tigers rush for 421 yards, turning back the Buffaloes led by 2006 Hall of Fame inductee Bobby Anderson.

October 14, 1889: Christy Mathewson of Bucknell kicked a field goal (worth five points at the time) from 40 yards to help the Bison edge Lehigh 5-0. Mathewson later won 373 games in 17 seasons (1900- 16) with baseball’s New York Giants and Cincinnati Reds.

October 15, 1960: Baylor defeats Texas Tech 14-7 in the Red Raiders first-ever Southwest Conference home game.

Click here to download the PDF and view the photo

With 120 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, a non-profit educational organization, runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. The NFF presents the MacArthur Trophy, the Draddy Trophy presented by HealthSouth and releases the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Standings. NFF programs include the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., Play It Smart, the NFF Center for Youth Development Through Sport at Springfield College (Mass.), the NFL-NFF Coaching Academy, and scholarships of over $1 million for college and high school scholar-athletes.

For more information, please visit us on the web at www.foot ballfoundation.com

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Herb Jeffries
phone: 973-829-1933
web: http://www.footballfoundation.com/ NFF Contacts:

Phil Marwill, director of communications
1-800-486-1865, ext. 118

Hillary Jeffries, special projects assistant
1-800-486-1865, ext. 123

Bo Carter, correspondent

EAST COAST BOWL 2006

2006-09-21T06:11:00.000-05:00

Petersburg, VA - The East Coast Bowl game is an annual small college All-Star football game that is played the first Saturday following Thanksgiving in Petersburg, VA. East Coast Bowl VI will be played this year on November 25, 2006 at Historic Cameron Field with kickoff scheduled to be around 12:00 noon.

The East Coast Bowl game has quickly become the Thanksgiving tradition in Petersburg. The game last year, won by the South 27-14, featured top seniors from 22 different states. The East Coast Bowl Committee will gather more than 250 nominations for this year’s game, which will be narrowed down to the top 70 Division I-AA, II, III and NAIA athletes. Players will report to Petersburg the day before Thanksgiving and spend the holiday with community members that are less fortunate, including visits to community centers, convalescent homes, and children’s hospitals. The game itself is set-up as a scholarship event, with all of the revenue generated going into a fund for a local high school senior who plans on attending a Division I-AA, II or III college.

We look to build on that success and make this year’s event more memorable. The East Coast Bowl committee would like to invite all Virginia High School Football teams to the game free of charge. To get tickets in advance or free tickets for football teams please email EastCoastBowl@aol.com or go to www.petersburgsports.com for more information.

News and Notes From Around College Football for September 18, 2006

2006-09-21T06:06:00.000-05:00

National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, Inc.

Monday’s Chalktalk

http://www.footballfoundation.com/news.php?id=948

First On-Campus Salute for Class of 2006 Announced

Former Jackson State All-American defensive back Kevin Dent will be honored this Saturday by the National Football Foundation for his induction into the College Football Hall of Fame this past summer. The On-Campus Salute will take place at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium in Jackson prior to the Tigers’ game versus Mississippi Valley State. Dent was enshrined August 13 in South Bend, Ind., at the NFF's College Football Hall of Fame. The three-time All-American will be the first member of 2006 class to have his On-Campus Salute.

Two-Minute Drill

Indiana head coach Terry Heoppner is “resting comfortably” after brain surgery on Sept. 13, according to the Indiana University website… TCU ran the nation’s longest winning streak to 13 games after defeating Texas Tech on Saturday. TCU QB Jeff Ballard is now 11-0 as a starter, breaking the record for wins to start a career set by College Football Hall of Fame member Davey O'Brien … USC’s Pac-10 record home winning streak now stands at 28 games. USC has scored 20 points or more in 54 straight games. Play It Smart graduate Dwayne Jarrett became USC's career touchdown receptions leader with 31… Oregon is 24-1 in non-conference home games under head coach Mike Bellotti. The Ducks are 5-0 at home versus Top 25 non-conference opponents under Bellotti… North Texas WR Johnny Quinn has caught a pass in 39 straight games… Boston College's Tom O'Brien became the school's all-time leader in wins with 69... Georgia has posted back-back shut-outs for the first time since 1980. That year, Hall of Fame coach Vince Dooley led the Bulldogs to the national title… Southern Illinois became the fifth I-AA school to knock off a I-A school, beating Indiana last Saturday… Tulane recorded its first road win over an SEC opponent since 1989… Florida coach Urban Meyer is the first Gator coach since Galen Hall in 1984-85 to record back-back wins over Tennessee in his first two tries… Auburn's 7-3 win over LSU was the lowest scoring game at Jordan-Hare Stadium since 1973… The Ivy League kicked off its 50th season last Saturday… Michigan was named Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week… Rutgers is 3-0 for first time since 1981… Wake Forest is 3-0 for first time since 1987… Florida QB Chris Leak became Florida's career yardage leader, surpassing the record established by former Draddy Trophy winner Danny Wuerffel… Iowa LB Mike Klinkenborg (eight tackles) was named the Walter Camp Football Foundation Defensive Player of the Week after leading UI past Iowa State… Alabama starting QB John Parker Wilson’s younger brother, senior QB Ross Wilson of Hoover (Ala.) HS near Birmingham, has been featured on MTV’s “Two-A-Days” documentary as well as the cover of SPORTS ILLUSTRATED… Northwestern State won their 100th game in 31 seasons at Turpin Stadium, defeating Delaware State.

Army coaches and staff members visited the Brooke Army Medical Center and three elementary schools in advance of Saturday's game versus Texas A&M in San Antonio, and the city was treated to a 90-minute parade downtown featuring the bands from both schools and more than 2,000 West Point and Texas A&M cadets. Five hundred tickets were distributed to local service members, with 100 earmarked for burn victims at Brooke Army Medical Center. Six hundred Army cadets made the trip to San Antonio for the game with Texas A&M, half of them were quartered at Lackland AFB, with the other half on their own.

West Virginia might have the most comprehensive walk-on program in the nation: there are 34 non-scholarship youngsters on the 2006 roster, and 26 walk-on student-athletes have been awarded grants-in-aid since 2001… USF is negotiating a home-and-home deal with Illinois… Colorado has agreed to home-and-home series with LSU, Oregon and Utah… Freshman Ray Ray McElrathbey of Clemson was granted a waiver by NCAA to receive assistance from the school in order to take care of his youngest brother, whom he has temporary custody… NCAA President Myles Brand announced an ultimate goal of 80 percent annual graduation rates for all student-athletes after an improvement from 62 to 76 percent in NCAA Division I from 2004-05 to 2005-06… Tennessee’s Volunteer Athletics and Scholarship Fund (VSAF) had a record $13.86 million in donations for the 2006 fiscal year ending June 30, 2006, from over 10,000 contributors… Former letterman and current Shaw University president Clarence Newsome joined Duke athletic administrators and former Blue Devils in a closed door pep talk to Duke athletic teams… Oregon has 384 game-day uniform choices according to an article in USA Today. The Ducks can choose from the following: four colors of jerseys and pants, two helmet options, four colors of socks and two colors of shoes.

Lafayette debuted Fisher Field at Fisher Stadium against Penn… Duke is designing architectural plans for a structural upgrade of Wallace Wade Stadium, including additional restrooms, concession stands and cosmetic improvements… Atlanta-based Gameday Centers announced that they will build a 212 suite luxury complex near the campus of the University of Tennessee… Miami City Commission has selected HNTB and Bermello Ajamil & Partners to provide architectural and engineering services and specifications to redevelop the Orange Bowl.

The 1982 and ’83 Air Force football teams, coached by Ken Hatfield, will be honored at the seventh annual Colorado Springs World Arena Hall of Fame ceremonies on Oct. 25… Former North Carolina coach Bill Dooley’s 1971 Atlantic Coast Conference championship team was honored on its 35th anniversary during the UNC-Furman contest… 1990-93 Memphis teammates Danton Barto and Russell Copeland were inducted into the University of Memphis M Club Hall of Fame… Finalists for the President Gerald R. Ford Legends of Center Award have been named by the Dave Rimington Trophy Committee. They are Bob Johnson of Michigan State, NFF board member and Hall of Famer Alex Kroll of Rutgers, Jim Otto of Miami (Fla.) and 1998 Hall of Famer Jim Richter of N.C. State… The University of South Carolina Hall of Fame inducted Gamecock greats TE Willie Scott and QB Steve Taneyhill on September 14… Play It Smart National Advisory Committee chairman and Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott taught a class and spoke to the football team at Northern Illinois last Thursday… Former Arkansas Razorback and current Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was on hand for the dedication of the Gene and Jerry Jones Family Stadium at the Episcopal School of Dallas last Friday. A donation from the Jones Family helped fund the project.

The Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year winner will be decided through online voting as well as judging by a selection committee composed of College Football Hall of Fame players and coaches, media and Liberty Mutual representatives. The winner will be announced during a one-hour ABC special on Dec. 16, hosted by Keith Jackson… Former Colorado head coach Gary Barnett has joined Sports USA Radio Network as a commentator for pro and college games… Wheaties announced that three special edition packages out this week will feature Georgia, Michigan and Notre Dame… The Ohio State-Texas game drew an 8.2 rating, the highest-rated regular season college football game since 2000… Former Iowa State, Pittsburgh, Texas A&M and Mississippi State coach Jackie Sherrill will speak to the Tallahassee Quarterback Club on Tuesday night.
The Ray Guy Award, sponsored by the Touchdown Club of Augusta, has released its latest watch list of 31 candidates… Dell Computer Corp. will sponsor the 2007 Dell East-West Shrine Game at Houston’s Reliant Stadium… Fresno State head football coach Pat Hill was selected to coach in this year’s Hula Bowl… The Gator Bowl Association and Southeast Toyota Distributors, Inc., have extended Toyota’s sponsorship through the 2007 postseason game… Fans can cast votes online (capitalonebowl.com) for the Capital One National Mascot of the Year by selecting one of the 12 featured in the 5th Annual Capital One All-America Mascot Team.

The NCAA promoted Damani Leech to director of football issues…Syracuse promoted Scott Sidwell to senior associate athletics director for development…Travis Furbee was named assistant athletics director of ticket operations at Clemson… Montana hired Jared Nessland as its director of athletic performance… Western Carolina head coach Kent Briggs was given a three year contract extension…The University of Alabama extended the contract and increased the salary of athletics director Mal Moore… Collie Nicholson, the legendary former sports information director at Grambling died last Wednesday. He was 82.

With 120 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, a non-profit educational organization, runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. The NFF presents the MacArthur Trophy, the Draddy Trophy presented by HealthSouth and releases the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Standings. NFF programs include the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., Play It Smart, the NFF Center for Youth Development Through Sport at Springfield College (Mass.), the NFL-NFF Coaching Academy, and scholarships of over $1 million for college and high school scholar-athletes. For more information, please visit www.footballfoundation.org

- NFF -

Contacts:

Phil Marwill, director of communications

1-800-486-1865, ext. 118

Hillary Jeffries, special projects assistant

1-800-486-1865, ext. 123

Bo Carter, correspondent

Peterson to Be Recognized at Halftime of Football Game

2006-09-14T13:34:00.000-05:00

Senior to Be Honored for Act of Heroism

ANNVILLE, Pa. – Lebanon Valley College football team member Jake Peterson (Birdsboro, Pa./Daniel Boone), who helped save the life of a young child earlier this summer, will be recognized for his act of heroism at halftime of Saturday’s home game versus Juniata.

In July, Peterson, a senior safety for the Dutchmen, and his sister, Allison, were working as lifeguards at a pool when 6-year-old Seth Boyce went under the surface. He was removed from the pool by other swimmers, but had stopped breathing after water had filled his lungs. But after Jake and Allison administered CPR, Boyce began breathing on his own.

Boyce and his mother, Jennifer, will join Jake and Allison for the halftime ceremony.

Saturday’s game is a 1 p.m. kickoff.

Peterson to Be Recognized at Halftime of Football Game

2006-09-14T13:33:00.000-05:00

News and Notes From Around College Football for September 11, 2006

2006-09-14T12:32:00.000-05:00

The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame News Release www.footballfoundation.com Monday’s Chalktalk

Bowden Bowl VIII

The Bowden Bowl between Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden, a 2006 College Football Hall of Fame inductee, and his son, Clemson head coach Tommy Bowden, is set for its eighth bout this Saturday in Tallahassee, Fla.
The eighth meeting between father and son - the first series of its type in Division I-A football history between a patriarch and his offspring - finds the elder Bowden with a 5-2 edge. Bobby Bowden currently touts a 288-75-4 record in his 31st season at FSU and 361-107-4 overall record during his 41st college campaign, which also includes stints at Samford (then Howard
College) and West Virginia before his tenure began at FSU in 1976. Tommy Bowden has amassed a 71-38 record as of his 10th year as a head coach after starting at Tulane before arriving at Clemson. The first game between the father-son duo also was the closest - a 17-14 win by the ‘Noles at Clemson in 1999. At least one of the two teams has been ranked nationally in each of the eight Bowden Bowls, including the No. 10 ranked 2006 Seminoles.

Aftermath of Ohio State-Texas Battle for No. 1

Ohio State is now 3-0 in No.1 versus No. 2 match-ups…The Buckeyes win gives No. 1 ranked teams a 22-13-2 all-time record in No 1 vs. No. 2 match-ups…A number of Texas streaks ended on Saturday night, including their 21 game winning streak, 16 game home-win streak, Mack Brown’ s 72 game win streak when the Longhorns out rush their opponent, and defensive coordinator Gene Chizik’s personal 29-game win streak…The game drew a Memorial Stadium record crowd of 89,422…Among the celebrities in attendance were Lance Armstrong,
2006 College Football Hall of Fame inductee Emmitt Smith, Lebron James, former Buckeye great Eddie George, and actors Matthew McConaghey and Jake Gyllenhaal. Armstrong participated in pre-game ceremonies, acting as an honorary captain during the coin toss…Ohio State LB James Laurinaitis is the son of Joseph Laurinaitis, better known as professional wrestler “Animal,”
one-half of the “Road Warriors” legendary tag team… United States Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, owes fellow Sen. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, Blue Bell ice cream after losing a friendly wager on the outcome of Saturday night’s game… The Buckeyes are the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week…Ohio State’s win ties them with West Virginia for the nation’s second longest winning streak at nine. The nation’s longest streak belongs to TCU with 12 wins a row.

Two-Minute Drill

Erk Russell, who led Georgia's "Junkyard Dawg" defense under Vince Dooley and then built a small-college powerhouse of his own at Georgia Southern, died Sept. 8, in Statesboro, Ga. He was 80. Russell came to prominence during 17 years as Georgia's defensive coordinator from 1964-80 under College Football Hall of Fame coach Vince Dooley. Over 2,000 friends and fans attended a special memorial service at Statesboro’s Paulson Stadium for the late coach on Sept. 9.

Seven games this weekend will feature match-ups between ranked teams. They
include: No. 19 Nebraska at No. 2 USC; No. 13 Michigan at No. 3 Notre Dame; No. 7 LSU at No. 4 Auburn; No.6 Florida at No. 17 Tennessee; No. 11 Oklahoma at No. 18 Oregon; No. 15 Miami at No. 12 Louisville; and No. 22 Texas Tech at No. 20 TCU…. NCAA Division I-A football opening games in 2006 ran 17 minutes shorter than the 2005 season lid lifters, averaging 3:20 compared to their 2006 counterparts, which ran 3:03…. OL Baker Steinkuhler, son of former Nebraska All-American Dean Steinkuhler, has committed to the Cornhuskers…

New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine addressed the Rutgers team following their victory over Illinois, the governor’s alma mater… Texas A&M saw a return of the all walk-on kickoff team late in their win vs. Louisiana-Lafayette… New Hampshire gave Division I-AA its’ 4th victory over an I-A opponent, when they upset Northwestern… Houston Quarterback Kevin Kolb became the school’s all-time leading passer… A commemorative coin, featuring Notre Dame’s seven Heisman trophy winners, was used for the coin flip prior to the Irish-Penn State game… The LSU Tigers have a nine-game winning streak against Pacific-10 Conference teams after downing Arizona… Tennessee retired the uniform numbers of four student-athletes who died in service during World War II prior to the Sept. 9 UT-Air Force game. The honored veterans were Bill Nowling, Willis Tucker, Rudy Klarer, and Clyde Fuson… Super Freshmen
Quarterbacks: Arkansas's Mitch Mustain was 9-17-111 yards passing in his first start, while Georgia's Matthew Stafford was 8-19-171-3 INT in the Bulldogs win over South Carolina…. Mustain’s first start versus Utah State drew 69,491, or 7,000 more than the average Razorback home non-conference game with exceptions for Texas and USC… The Penn sprint football team beat the Alumni team 13-8 at Franklin Field on Sept. 9…

Michigan extended its record against MAC opponents to 21-0 all-time… Virginia Tech has gone 9-0 in ACC road games since joining the conference in 2004… Oklahoma State has won 13 straight non-conference regular season games… Appalachian State has a 19-game home winning streak… For the first time in 30 years, Georgia Tech returned two interceptions for touchdowns in a single game during their bout with Samford… Lightning and weather delays effected games at BYU, Kentucky, and Michigan… Texas Tech wore red pants for the first time since 1991… Texas State Senator Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso, will have to visit Lubbock and dine on Rocky Mountain oysters, thanks to losing a friendly wager with fellow State Senator Robert Duncan, R-Lubbock as the Red Raiders beat the Miners in El Paso… North Texas’s home win over SMU produced the third largest crowd in school history, 25,231… Washington coach Tyrone Willingham invited former Oklahoma Sooner and College Football Hall of Famer Jim Owens to be a “guest coach” for the Sept. 9 Oklahoma-Washington game in Norman, but Owens declined for health reasons.
Owens, 79, starred for the 1946-49 Sooners and coached the Huskies from
1957-74 and guided them to three Rose Bowl appearances.

Georgetown DE Alex Buzbee will wear No. 35 for the Hoyas this season.
Former Hoya Joe Eacobacci, who died during the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center while working for the investment firm Cantor Fitzgerald, wore the number from 1993 -1995. Each season the Eacobacci Family selects a member of the squad to wear the number in honor of Joe.

Stanford will open the new Stanford Stadium this week against Navy. Pre-game ceremonies will include a U.S. Navy jet flyover, special entrance by Navy Leap Frog Teams and a ribbon-cutting ceremony by former Cardinal greats… Boise State celebrates the 20th Anniversary of its Blue Turf, aka Smurf Turf, on Sept. 13… The first phase of improvements for the Cotton Bowl in Dallas include a $5 million Daktronics scoreboard that will be ready for the October 7 Texas-Oklahoma game… HNTB will design renovations for the Orange Bowl in Miami and Iowa State's Jack Trice Stadium. With a targeted-2010 completion, the $35 million Jack Trice Stadium renovation includes 24 suites, enclosing and adding seats to the south end zone, and an expansion of the club suite section… Minnesota will break ground on their $248 million TCF Bank Stadium on Sept. 30… Texas State has erected a memorial to former Coach David Miller, who passed away last February… California-Davis will move into a new on-campus stadium in 2007 - the first year it is eligible for the I-AA playoffs.

Florida State's 13-10 victory over Miami on Sept. 4 earned honors as ESPN's most-viewed college football game ever. The Labor Day game, carried on ESPN and ESPN2, drew an average of 6.33 million households… Former USC and UNLV head coach John Robinson will be a spotter for John Madden during NBC's 2006 NFL coverage…The Sept. 9 Georgia-South Carolina game was one of 25 games that ESPN will simulcast on ESPN cell phones… Fox Sports Net Arizona and Arizona State extended their partnership with a new long-term agreement, which includes exclusive rights to all event and ancillary programming for Sun Devil Football… CBS is considering streaming its SEC national game of the week as part of CSTV's online football packages… 2006 College Football Hall of Fame inductee Joe Paterno of Penn State was featured on the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric on Sept. 7 as part of Couric's debut week… Fox Sports Net Bay Area’s coverage of Navy-Stanford will feature former Stanford greats coach Bill Walsh and Jim Plunkett, a 1990 inductee into the College Football Hall of Fame, as color analysts… Florida head coach Urban Meyer spent two days shooting tape and photos for Nike ads in Los Angeles and quipped that he said two words during his 20-plus hours in front of the camera.

College Sporting News and I-AA.org announced a new poll for coaches, the CSN Coaches Poll…Walt Disney World extended the title sponsorship of the Florida Classic, featuring Bethune-Cookman and Florida A&M. The game played annually in Orlando is hosted by Florida Citrus Sports… Hofstra unveiled new home uniforms produced and manufactured by Riddell Corp… Florida and Georgia administrators are taking extra steps to guarantee safety and security at the annual UF-UGA tussle in Jacksonville, Fla., Oct. 28. The measures include a “Student Safe Zone” to prevent incidents before and after the contest… Minnesota has established new criteria to allow more Golden Gopher fans to attend the Nov. 18 game against Iowa in Minneapolis. In recent years Iowa fans have purchased large blocks of tickets for the Floyd of Rosedale Trophy game when it was played at Minnesota… Coaches at Idaho and Washington State favor discontinuing the long-standing series… Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delaney, former Kansas All-American quarterback Bobby Douglass, former Tennessee State and Chicago Bear Richard Dent and retired Big Ten official Tom Quinn will be inducted into the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame on September 14.

Old Dominion has hired former Navy and Virginia coach George Welsh, a 2004 inductee into the College Football Hall of Fame, and former North Carolina State coach Dick Sheridan, to serve as consultants as the Monarchs prepare to reinstate a football program for the 2009 season…Texas State named Ingrid Sobrino Bobcat Athletic Foundation Coordinator… Miami (Ohio) announced that Anthony Azama, who spent eight years with Florida Citrus Sports, will serve as the athletics department’s director of marketing.

Editors’ Notes

With this release, Bo Carter, a veteran of over 35 years in college media relations, becomes the first official correspondent for the NFF's Chalktalk, which was launched this past February. Carter will also assist with the NFF's "This Week in College Football", which is released each week during the season. Carter currently serves as the director of public relations for the Texas Collegiate League. Previously, he served as the sports information director/historian for the Big 12 Conference from 1996-2006. A native of Sheffield, Ala., he graduated from Vanderbilt in 1974 and earned induction into College Sports Information Directors (CoSIDA) Hall of Fame in July 2005 after an illustrious career in media relations. His other jobs include reporter for the Tennessean, sports information director at Mississippi State, and assistant commissioner for media relations with the Southwest Conference.

Please email news@footballfoundation.com to submit an item for the NFF’s “Monday Chalk talk”. Thanks!

With 120 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, a non-profit educational organization, runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. The NFF presents the MacArthur Trophy; the Draddy Trophy presented by HealthSouth and releases the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Standings. NFF programs include the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., Play It Smart, and the NFF Center for Youth Development Through Sport at Springfield College (Mass.), the NFL-NFF Coaching Academy, and scholarships of over $1 million for college and high school scholar-athletes.

For more information, please visit www.footballfoundation.com

NFF Contacts:

Phil Marwill, director of communications 1-800-486-1865, ext. 118

Bo Carter, correspondent

Chadron State will face the University of Mary in the Marauders’ NCAA Division II debu

2006-08-31T12:33:00.000-05:00

Two football teams that are approaching the season with cautious optimism will collide Saturday afternoon when the Chadron State Eagles are the guests of the University of Mary in Bismarck. Kickoff will be at 1 p.m. CDT.

With all but a handful of starters returning from a year ago, the Eagles figure to be improved while Mary is venturing into new territory. After being an NAIA power for years, the Marauders have joined the Northern Sun Conference and will be playing their first NCAA Division II game.

Both teams will be relying heavily on veterans. The Eagles have more returning starters; but Mary has more seniors, particularly on offense. The Marauders also have added several junior college transfers while the Eagles have none this fall.

“We’re really looking forward to opening the season,” CSC Head Coach Bill O’Boyle told the Eagles Booster Club on Monday. “We’ve had a long camp and the kids are anxious to get going. We’ve had a good camp with almost no injuries and a lot of enthusiasm.”

O’Boyle said from what he and his assistants can determine by watching films of last year and scoping out the Marauders from afar, Mary is at least as talented as most of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference teams.

“They’re big and well-coached,” O’Boyle said. “We think defense is their strength, but they’ve got all juniors and seniors on offense. They’re big, bigger than we are. We hope we’re a little faster in places.”

The Marauders’ head coach is Myron Schulz, who has a 62-14 record after seven years at the helm. He was an assistant eight years before he took over the head job. Prior to last year when Mary was beginning the transition to NCAA II and was not eligible for the postseason, the Marauders had gone to the NAIA playoffs seven years in a row.

Mary was 7-2 last year, losing only to Minot State 14-10 and Black Hills State 8-6.

Schulz is quoted as saying, “We have a very talented team. We are going into a higher level of play and this year is going to be a proving ground for us.”

All five of Mary’s starters in the offensive line are seniors. So are tailback Justin Fleck and wide receiver Rod Samuel. Fleck is expected to share playing time with Bayland Rippenkroeger, a transfer from American River College in Sacramento, where he had four consecutive 100-yard games rushing last fall before he was injured. Both Fleck and Rippenkroeger are about 5-10, 190.

Junior Blair Sandy, who became a starter late last year, will open at quarterback although transfer Jesse Kozak, once a CSC recruit, is also in the picture, it is believed.

The defensive bellwether is expected to be safety Jai Shaun White, a 6-0, 210-pound Las Vegas native who ran 40 yards in 4.42 seconds and demonstrated a 38-inch vertical jump for a Green Bay Packers’ scout last spring. He reportedly spent 75 percent of the off-season on football-related activities.

The only CSC offensive player starting for the first time Saturday will be center Chance Galey, who is believed to be the Eagles’ first starter from Crawford since Bill Bruer, who also was a basketball star, in the early 1940s. At 6-2, 250, Galey is the smallest of the Eagles’ starters in the offensive line, but is aggressive and has good technique, O’Boyle said.

The coach noted that in telephone conversations with Schulz he knows Mary is concerned about tailback Danny Woodhead, who has rushed for more than 3,600 yards the past two seasons.

“Like everybody else, they’ll be trying to stop Danny. We’ll have to throw the ball,” O’Boyle noted.

Last week it was announced that Joe McLain, a sophomore from Chadron, will start at quarterback with strong-armed senior Tyler Hidrogo on deck if the Eagles need to give special emphasis to the passing game.

Defensively, Coordinator Todd Auer plans to use numerous lineups. Five sophomores and a redshirt freshman are on the probable starting lineup.

Auer believes the latter player, defensive tackle Josh Knouse of Gering, will be a standout. “He’s the best we’ve had in a while at running the line of scrimmage. I’m excited to see what he can do.”

Also making their first start on defense will be sophomores Byron Korf at the other tackle spot, Eric Roth at outside linebacker, Zach Wheeler at inside linebacker and junior Beau Wendling of Rock Springs, Wyo., at cornerback.

Auer said of all the defensive players, Wendling has probably had the best preseason camp.

Mary’s probable starters:

Mary Offense

Wide receivers—Matt Wall, 5-10, 175, Jr., and Rodney Samuel, 6-0, 180, Sr.

Tight ends—Mandel Robinson, 6-1, 226, Jr. and Kyle Taylor, 6-2, 260, Sr.

Tackles—David Ukestad, 6-6, 285, Sr., and Abe Storms, 6-4, 290, Sr.

Guards—Tyson Roe, 6-2, 260, Sr., and Tom Goodwin, 6-3, 280, Sr.

Center—Daniel Hanson, 6-2, 275, Jr.

Quarterback—Blair Sandy, 6-1, 190, Jr.

Tailback—Bayland Rippenkroeger, 5-10, 180, Jr.-Justin Fleck, 5-10, 190, Sr.

Placekicker—Rhett Thibodeaux, 5-9, 170, Fr.

Mary Defense

Ends—Pierre Atkinson, 6-0, 245, So., and Jesse Laber, 6-1, 230, Sr.

Tackles—Keith McCleary, 6-1, 270, Jr., and Kelly McCleary, 6-2, 260, Sr.-Nathan Todd, 6-1, 285, Fr.

Outside linebackers—Shawn Melland, 6-4, 215, So., and Clint Schilke, 6-3, 235, Sr.

Inside linebackers—Brandon Lewis, 5-11, 205, Jr., and Brian Finnigan, 5-11, 230, Sr.

Cornerbacks—James Miles, 5-11, 180, Jr., and Nick Wagner, 6-0, 175, Jr.

Safetys—Jai Shaun White, 6-0, 195, Sr., and Tyler Ashton, 5-11, 175, Jr.

Punter—Saul Helgeson, 6-0, 180, Jr.

The Eagles are members of NCAA Division II and
the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference

Chadron State College 1-800-CHADRON

News and Notes From Around College Football for August 28, 2006

2006-08-30T09:16:00.000-05:00

The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, Inc.
www.footballfoundation.com
Monday’s Chalktalk

Ticket Demand Greater Than Ever for NFF Annual Awards Dinner

Never before have more tickets been sold by the end of August for the National Football Foundation’s Annual Awards Dinner, which takes place this year on December 5. The unprecedented interest in the 49th annual gathering stems from a star-studded class of College Football Hall of Fame inductees, who will be honored at the event and includes coaches Joe Paterno (Penn
State) and Bobby Bowden (Florida State, West Virginia, Howard College-Ala.) and players Bobby Anderson (Colorado); Bennie Blades (Miami, Fla.); Carl Eller (Minnesota); Steve Emtman (Washington); Thomas Everett (Baylor); Chad Hennings (Air Force); Chip Kell (Tennessee); Mike Phipps (Purdue); Mike Rozier (Nebraska); Jeff Siemon (Stanford); Bruce Smith (Virginia Tech); Emmitt Smith (Florida); and Charlie Ward (Florida State).

Two-Minute Drill

Kansas State Quarterback Dylan Meier will start his first game in almost two years against Illinois State in the season opener. Dylan’s brother Kerry Meier, a redshirt freshman at Kansas, will also be starting at quarterback this weekend against Northwestern State. The Jayhawks and the Wildcats will meet Nov. 18 in Lawrence… Quarterback Colt McCoy will start for Texas in the season opener, becoming the fourth freshman to start at quarterback for coach Mack Brown… USC quarterback John David Booty has been elected by his teammates as one of the Trojan’s four team captains…Coach Kyle Wittingham has named Brett Ratliff as Utah’s starting quarterback… Sophomore Graham Harrell has been named the Texas Tech starting quarterback for the season opener against SMU.

The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) and Harris Interactive agreed to a four-year contract extension through the 2010 BCS bowls. This year’s BCS Standings, released each week by the National Football Foundation, will include the Harris Interactive College Football Poll, the USA Today’s Coaches Poll and six computer standings - Anderson & Hester, Richard Billingsley, Colley Matrix, Kenneth Massey, Jeff Sagarin, and Dr. Peter Wolfe… According to Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC), the University of Texas set an all-time record for collegiate licensing, taking in $8.2 million in the 2005-06 school year. It breaks the mark set by Michigan in
1993-94 season, when the Wolverines brought in $6.2 million…The Independence Bowl announced PetroSun Inc. as a new title sponsor through 2008. Rayfield Wright, a recent inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a former Dallas Cowboy-great, serves as president of PetroSun… Iowa Athletics has sent e-mails out to student season ticket holders, requiring them to print out their own passes from www.hawkeyesports.com… The NCAA has hired Sports Media Challenge to monitor the Internet, research, and analyze Fan-Generated Media.

Terry Bradshaw, a 1996 inductee into the College Football Hall of Fame from Louisiana Tech, will star in Relative Chaos, a made-for-TV movie, which will appear on ABC’s Family Channel… 2005 National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete Award Winner and Draddy Trophy Finalist Reed Doughty is being profiled in an ongoing series by the Washington Times as he attempts to make the Washington Redskins. Doughty, a sixth round NFL draft pick, played defensive back at Northern Colorado… Hands on Miami will collect flashlights, radios, batteries, first aid kits, and cash donations at the Miami vs. Florida State game on September 4 to distribute to seniors, the disabled and disadvantaged populations in Miami-Dade County.

Pittsburgh head football coach Dave Wannstedt and his wife Jan have provided a lead gift of $250,000 to a new fundraising initiative called the “Pitt Football Endowed Position and Scholarship Program” that will raise $2.1 million to fully fund the 85 football scholarships permitted by NCAA rules… Oklahoma State Athletics Director Mike Holder and his wife Robbie are donating $500,000 to endow a schools first football scholarship in the name of the late Vernon Grant… The Ohio State band received a $225,000 donation from Walter E. Dennis to finance their trip to Austin for the Texas game… South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier and his wife Jerri have pledged $250,000 over the next five years to the athletics department’s capital campaign. Texas Southern University alumnus Pastor Manson B. Johnson made a donation of $5,000 to the football program.

The Stanford football stadium has undergone a speedy 40-week renovation, which will be completed in 2 weeks for the Cardinal’s home opener against Navy on September 16… Maryland has become the country's first college program to sell field-naming rights, which were sold to Chevy Chase Bank for $20 million. The facility will remain Byrd Stadium, named for former Maryland president, football coach and multi-sport athlete H.C. “Curley”
Byrd… Kansas State will officially dedicate its facility as the Bill Snyder Family Stadium during the Wildcats’ 2006 season opener against Illinois State on Sept. 2… UConn has completed construction of The Burton Family Football Complex as well as The Mark R. Shenkman Training Center, which includes an indoor turf football field…

Oklahoma will unveil a statue of Steve Owens, the 1969 Heisman Trophy winner and a 1991 inductee into the College Football Hall of Fame, before this week ’s home opener versus Alabama-Birmingham… Marshall and West Virginia will now vie for the “Governor’s Trophy” each year. Crafted from materials by artisans throughout the state, the Friends of the Coal Bowl created the trophy, and Governor Joe Manchin will make the first presentation following the series opener on September 2 in Morgantown…

Florida will launch its celebration of 100 years of Gator football by commemorating the 10th anniversary of its national championship by honoring its 1996 National Championship Team during its Sept. 2 season opener against Southern Miss… South Carolina President Andrew Sorensen has urged fans to wear their Gamecock colors on Sept. 1 as part of National College Colors Day 2006… UCF will host “Lunch with George” for fans the day before every home game, giving them the opportunity to have lunch with Coach George O’Leary… Texas has a new slogan: “Texas Fans Make Us Proud” that is designed to reinforce good sportsmanship among fans… Florida Citrus Sports is sponsoring a full-day tailgate trip to Gainesville for the Florida Sept. 9 game against UCF.

The Davey O'Brien Foundation announced its preseason watch list of 34 candidates for the 2006 Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, which includes 19 seniors, 12 juniors and three sophomores… The Sugar Bowl Committee announced its preseason watch list of the 2006 Manning Award, which honors college football accomplishments of Archie, Peyton, and Eli Manning, and is the only quarterback award that takes into account a candidates bowl performance… Five quarterbacks and 16 players earned a spot on the Sports Network’s watch list for the Walter Payton Award, which will be presented Dec. 14 to the Division I-AA top offensive player, while 16 players made the organization’s watch list for the Buchanan Award, which goes to the division’s top defensive player.

TCU has sold out of season tickets for the upcoming season with a record-breaking total of 13,867 season tickets. Arkansas announced that they sold out of all 72,000 tickets for their season opener against USC, this is just the third sold out game since a stadium expansion in 2001… Louisville has sold out of all 2006 tickets, creating a waitlist for 2007 season… Iowa has sold out student tickets for the second straight year, and only 300 regular tickets remain for the season opener against Montana, all other games are sold out… Georgia Tech has sold out their 2,150 club seats in the Bobby Dodd Stadium, and the season opener against Notre Dame and homecoming game against Miami are both completely sold out… Alabama has sold out all of its eight home games except for 1,000 tickets for the Sept. 16 Louisiana-Monroe game… Kansas has sold an all-time record of 28,100 season tickets for the 2006 season, eclipsing the previous record of 27,700 in 1969.

Texas Tech athletics director Gerald Myers and Texas A&M AD Bill Byrne have discussed moving the schools’ annual football game to Dallas…A new college football all-star game will take place in late January or early February in El Paso, Texas. The yet-to-be-named game will feature seniors from the state of Texas versus the players from the rest of the country. UTEP Head Coach Mike Price will coach the Texas squad… If Army goes at least 6-6 this season, they will play in the Poinsettia Bowl on December 19 against a team from the Mountain West Conference…

BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall cancelled last Thursday’s practice, deciding instead to take his team tubing down the Provo River… Current Texas Ranger outfielder Mark DeRosa was the starting quarterback at the University of Pennsylvania from 1994-95… Tulane’s Sept. 30 home opener against SMU ends a run of 14 consecutive road games… Sam Keller, the former Arizona State quarterback, transferred to Nebraska, where he’ll be eligible in 2007.

Fox Sports announced that former Wisconsin head coach and current athletics director Barry Alvarez and Charles Davis, an analysts with TBS college football and former Tennessee Volunteer, will work as analysts for the Jan.
1 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl and the Jan. 8 Tostitos BCS National Championship game along side Thom Brennaman, who will work as the play-by-play announcer.
Chris Rose has been announced as the Fox host for the BCS pregame, halftime and postgame shows. Alvarez will also make appearances throughout the season on Sunday after Fox’s NFL show to offer his opinion on the college rankings… The Big East Conference and ESPN have agreed to a pair of six-year contracts that will significantly enhance the league's exposure in football through the 2013 season… Maryland has signed a three-year agreement with Comcast Sports Net to broadcast new programs.

For the fourth consecutive year, Fresno State football games will be carried live in Spanish, but this year the Bulldogs have a new radio partner with ESPN Deportes (KGST-1600 AM) Radio, which will carry all of their 12 regular season games… Forty-five radio stations in four states will carry the weekly Penn State Sports Network's AIG Nittany Lion Hotline Show in 2006-07 with coach Joe Paterno… NCAA Football is launching an official blog Web site, which will target college football fans for their participation and insights. Guest celebrity bloggers will include Charlie Weis, Philip Fulmer and Mack Brown… College Football News has partnered with Scout.com… Former Cincinnati QB Deontey Kenner will join Dan Hoard and Jim Kelly for the Bearcats’ 14th season of radio broadcasts on 700-WLW… XM Satellite Radio is the official radio network of the Big East Conference, Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten Conference, and the Pacific-10 conference during the
2006 season, and will carry ESPN Radio’s coverage of the BCS. Nationwide coverage during the first week of the season on XM includes Boston College vs. Central Michigan, Notre Dame vs. Georgia Tech, Stanford vs. Oregon, and Indiana State vs. Purdue… XOS Technologies has added Princeton University, The Citadel, and the University of Akron to its more than 100 Network Partners.

Florida Citrus Sports, which produces more than 60 annual events, announced that Steve Hogan, a staff member since 1995, will serve as its new executive director… Eastern Illinois coach Bob Spoo will have surgery and will miss at least the first four to six weeks of the season during his recovery… Chuck Pool has been named assistant athletic director for sports information at Rice… East Stroudsburg University has announced that former NFL defensive back Kenny Stills will serve as an assistant coach.

September 3 marks the death of Vince Lombardi, who succumbed to cancer at 57 in 1970. A member of the legendary “Seven Blocks of Granite” Fordham teams in the mid-1930s, Lombardi carved out a reputation as one of the greatest coaches of all-time, including five championships with the Green Bay Packers in the NFL. The Eastern Washington football team is dedicating this week’s game against Oregon State in the memory of OSU football player Tom Oswald, who played at the school from 1970-71 and died August 4 after a legendary 25-year coaching career at long-time Cheney High School… Former Ole Miss football player Majure Blanks “Bill” Stribling passed away Aug. 22 at the age of 78.

Editors’ Notes

As a result of numerous requests, Chalktalk will continue this fall during the college football season. Technical reasons prevented yesterday’s release, which is being distributed today, Tuesday, August 29.

With 120 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, a non-profit educational organization, runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. The NFF presents the MacArthur Trophy, the Draddy Trophy presented by HealthSouth and releases the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Standings. NFF programs include the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., Play It Smart, the NFF Center for Youth Development Through Sport at Springfield College (Mass.), the NFL-NFF Coaching Academy, and scholarships of over $1 million for college and high school scholar-athletes.
For more information, please visit www.footballfoundation.org

National Football Foundation Contacts:

Phil Marwill, director of communications 1-800-486-1865, ext. 118
Mobile: 917-579-4256

Hillary Jeffries, project assistant
1-800-486-1865, ext. 123

This Week in College Football History Sept. 4 – Sept. 10

2006-08-28T20:19:00.000-05:00

The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, Inc.

MORRISTOWN, N.J., Aug. 28, 2006 – As part of an on-going series throughout the fall, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame circulates in advance This Week in College Football History, which takes a look back at some of college football’s landmark moments over the last 138 years. During the season, many of these events are featured in a changing exhibit at the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind.

September 4, 1932: Georgia Coach Vince Dooley was born in Mobile, Alabama. Dooley would go on to play at Auburn as a team captain before his Hall of Fame coaching career for the Bulldogs, which included the 1980 national championship.

September 5, 1981: Mark Richt, current Georgia head coach, steps in as the backup QB for Miami’s injured starter Jim Kelly, leading the Canes to a 21-20 victory over the Florida Gators.

September 5, 1998: Shaun Alexander sets the Alabama record for points per game (30) by scoring five touchdowns against BYU. The Crimson Tides’ Santonio Beard equals the mark against Mississippi on Oct. 19, 2002.

September 6, 1975: Grambling and Alcorn State play the first ever college game in the New Orleans Superdome with Grambling QB Doug Williams completing four TD passes (two to WR Sammie White) for a 27-3 victory.

September 6, 1980: Freshman Herschel Walker makes his debut as a Georgia player, trampling Tennessee’s Bill Bates during a 16-yard TD run in the second quarter and then adding a second 9-yard TD in the fourth quarter that secures a 16-15 Bulldog victory en route to a national title.

September 6, 1997: Florida QB Doug Johnson ties the record for touchdown passes in a half with seven against Central Michigan.

September 7, 1974: During Tennessee and UCLA’s 17-17 tie, Jim Lampley appears as the first TV sideline reporter for ABC.

September 7, 1985: Bo Jackson of Auburn rushes for 230 yards in 23 carries against Southwestern Louisiana, now known as Louisiana at Lafayette.

September 7, 1989: BYU’s Ty Detmer starts a streak of throwing TD passes in 35 consecutive games during a loss to Washington State.

September 8, 1979: SMU debuts its Pony Express with TB Eric Dickerson, who rushed for 123 yards and 3 TDs, and FB Craig James, who scored the game winning TD in the Mustangs’ 35-17 victory over the Rice Owls.

September 8, 2001: James King of Central Michigan blocks four punts against Michigan State.

September 9, 2001: Syracuse’s streak of 262 consecutive successful PATs comes to an end with a miss against Temple.

September 10, 1988: For the second consecutive year, Oklahoma State’s Barry Sanders returns the opening kickoff of the season for a touchdown. His 100-yard dash against Miami of Ohio mirrored his previous year’s return against Tulsa.

September 10, 1994: Steve McNair of Alcorn State produces 646 yards of total offense against Chattanooga.

With 120 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, a non-profit educational organization, runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. The NFF presents the MacArthur Trophy, the Draddy Trophy presented by HealthSouth and releases the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Standings. NFF programs include the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., Play It Smart, the NFF Center for Youth Development Through Sport at Springfield College (Mass.), the NFL-NFF Coaching Academy, and scholarships of over $1 million for college and high school scholar-athletes.

For more information, please visit www.footballfoundation.org

Contacts:

Phil Marwill, director of communications

1-800-486-1865, ext. 118

Hillary Jeffries, project assistant

1-800-486-1865, ext. 123

22 Maple Avenue

Morristown, NJ 07960

Thiel Tomcats Picked To Repeat as PAC Titlist

2006-08-24T16:24:00.000-05:00

By William Albright

Team: Bethany

Nickname: Bison

Stadium: Bethany Field (1,000)

Head Coach: Tim Weaver (1st year)

2005 Record: 1-9 overall, 0-6 in PAC

Returning Starters: Offense (7), Defense (7), Special Teams (2).

Key Returnees: Wide Receiver T. J. Parker, Linebacker Cliff Anderson, center Stefan Bernacki, tight end/punter Mike Wlias, linebacker/defensive end Chance Kildow.

Coaches Comments: "We are excited to be a part of this league. We are proud at Bethany to have won four championships, but the last one has been too long ago. We are going to show up and play hard. We have proven skilled position players returning and that should be the strong part of our offense. Our defensive strength should be at linebacker, while our biggest concern right now is the lack of depth up front."

Team: Grove City

Nickname: Wolverines

Stadium: Robert E. Thorn (3,500)

Head Coach: Chris Smith (23rd season, 85-123-2)

2005 Record: 3-7 overall, 2-4 in PAC

Returning Starters: Offense (9), Defense (5), Special Teams (5).

Key Returnees: Split end/kick returner Scott Fichter, tight end Dan Jeltes, guard Matt Rice, tackle Bob Perri, fullback Matt Weil, linebacker Garret Choby and cornerback Chris Schwamberger.

Coaches Comments: "We had a great off-season and the kids are dedicated to make things happen. We return four seniors on the offensive line and we also return a number of outstanding skilled people as well as tight end Dan Jeltes. On defense, (Garret) Choby will lead the way, while (Chris)Schwamberger is very versatile and could wind up playing a number of positions. We have a lot of great things going on around the campus that has generated a lot of excitement and we are anxious to get things going."

Team: Thiel

Nickname: Tomcats

Stadium: Alumni Stadium (1,400)

Head Coach: Jack Leipheimer (6th year, overall record 26-26).

2005 Record: 11-1 overall, 6-0 in PAC

Returning Starters: Offense (8), Defense (7), Special Teams (2).

Key Returnees: Defensive back Darius Thompson, tailback Steve Minton, offensive lineman Rock Davis, linebacker Jeff Wagner and offensive lineman Ricky Gable.

Coaches Comments: "It is very humbling when we win some type of award and I always look at awards as staff awards. At Thiel, we are excited and optimistic about out future. We have been very fortunate to be able to recruit the right kind of young man to turn our program around. We have a tough road to travel from the start as we play four of our first five games on the road. As for having a bullseye on our back after winning the championship last season, that is OK with us. We are not going to change a whole lot, but rather, we are going to just be who we are. We lost some great athletes from last year’s team, but we also have a great group of athletes coming back. One of our strengths will be on the offensive line where we have a pair of 3-year starters coming back. Steve Minton is back and healthy at running back and his backup, Dan Hess, is also back after doing an outstanding job last year when Minton was injured. Defensively, our strength should be at linebacker with Logan Malie and Jef Wagner leading the way. Last year generated a lot of excitement on campus and that has carried over to this year. As always, our focus is to be a little better today than we were yesteday and a little better tomorrow than we are today."

Team: Thomas More

Nickname: Saints

Stadium: Thomas More Stadium

Head Coach: Mike Hallett

2005 Record: 6-4 overall, 4-2 in PAC

Returning Starters: Offense (X), Defense (X), Special Teams (X).

Key Returnees: Linebacker Mark Carlisle, cornerback Chris Willis, center Brandon Lee and linebacker Rashawn West.

Coaches Comments: "This is an exciting time for Thomas More to be a part of this outstanding conference. Coming out of spring drills, it was refreshing to see how out kids came of last year’s 5-5 season. We have a nucleus of players to build this year’s team around. One of the biggest things we have going into the season will be the offensive line where we have five kids returning. Defensively, we are hoping to build around our two inside guys. We are going to be young and inexperienced in the kicking game and the development in that area could be crucial to our success, especially early in the season."

Team: Washington & Jefferson

Nickname: Presidents

Stadium: Cameron Stadium

Head Coach: Mike Sirianni

2005 Record: 9-2 overall, 5-1 in PAC

Returning Starters: Offense (7), Defense (8).

Key Returnees: Offensive guard Chris

Hickey, Offensive tackle Chris Teter, placekicker Kyle Sidebotham, cornerback Cory Walsh, strong safety Gabe McKee.

Coaches Comments: "We are glad for the expectations placed on us by ranking us 7th in the nation, but at this point in the season, I think that ranking is a little far-fetched. As always, our two main goals are to win the PAC championship and be able to compete for a national championship. Our offense will be a little different because we won’t have the ball flying through the air as much as we have in the past. We have two quarterbacks and I have no problem operating with two quarterbacks. Last year, we started anywhere from 7 to 8 linemen on offense and all of them are returning. Many times we learn more from losses than wins, and we are going to have to win some games with our defense. I am anxious to begin the season because the biggest reason I coach is the relationships I am able to develop with the athletes."

Team: Waynesburg

Nickname: Yellow Jackets

Stadium: Wiley Stadium

Head Coach: Rick Shepas

2005 Record: 4-6 overall, 2-4 in PAC

Returning Starters: Offense (6), Defense (5), Special Teams (1).

Key Returnees: Running back Ryan Abels, quarterback Tres Cobb, defensive tackle LaDrekus Burford, placekicker Ben Popson, defensive end Mike Czerwien

Coaches Comments: "I guess we have been the benefactor of being in the right place at the right time. We will have field turf at Wiley Stadium this year and it will now be an even better place to play a football game. Last year, it was just challenging to get to know the players and it took us about half of the season for them to make the transition into our program. Going into the season, our two most important things appear to be strength & conditioning along with rest & recovery. We left last season with our kids wanting more and hopefully that will carry over to this season. We return one of the best players in the conference in tailback Ryan Abels. He is a very special player who is exciting to watch. When he is running the ball, I become more of a fan than a coach."

Team: Westminster

Nickname: Titans

Stadium: Harold Burry Stadium

Head Coach: Jeff Hand

2005 Record: 4-6 overall, 2-4 in PAC

Returning Starters: Offense (7), Defense (3), Special Teams (1).

Key Returnees: Quarterback J. R. Barley, wide receiver Jake Buzard, defensive lineman Chris Dulovich, defensive back Joey Tissler and placekicker/punter Dusty Rhodes.

Coaches Comments: "We have the similar feeling every year, and it is a feeling of anxiety to begin the season. Offensively, our strengths should be on the line where we return three of five starters, while we also have a nice group of skilled players returning as well. Defensively, we only return three starters so we are hoping a number of newcomers step up and play well. We have had a lot of continuity on the staff and I think that has shown in the development of the program. As a coaching staff, we are anxious to see the fruits of our first off-season program. As always, we are going to cintinue to stress things we feel are important to any program and those are strength & conditioning along with academics. We believe in doing things the right way."

New Face On Top Of PSAC-West Polls

2006-08-24T16:04:00.000-05:00

By BILL ALBRIGHT

CRANBERRY TWP. -- You can now officially consider the collegiate football season under way.
Tuesday afternoon, August 1, the Pennsylvania State Athletic Association held its annual kickoff luncheon for the 2006 season at the Regional Learning Center located in Cranberry Woods.
While the seven teams comprising the division remain the same, one major difference evolved during the get-together.
One of the big attractions of the luncheon is the announcing of the coaches pre-season poll. In many of the recent years, the team expected to be at the top of the standings when the season concluded was either IUP or Edinboro and sometimes either Slippery Rock or Shippensburg.
However, this year, a different program will be wearing the target on its back as the California Vulcans were tabbed as the "team to beat" in the PSAC-West.
"Being named as the top-ranked team in the conference is such a different perspective for California than it has been in the past," pointed out Cal head coach John "Lucky" Luckhardt. "Our goal each year is to be in that one or two mix and we want to be a competitor wherever we are picked. This is a very, very good league and I truly believe there are five teams that all have a chance to win and we just want to be one of those five. Our goal when we came here (to California) was to be in that mix so I guess we have reached that goal."
So what does it mean to Luckhardt and his Vulcans?
"We aren't going to out and change our practice schedule because of the ranking," quipped Luckhardt. "We are just going to go out and work real hard and if we perform well, we'll have a chance to be competitive. Frank's (former IUP coach Cignetti) teams always seemed to dominate things with Edinboro, Shippensburg and Slippery Rock finding their way in there from time to time. Five years ago, we weren't competitive in this league, but right now, we are a competitor and really, that is all you can ask for."
While the Vulcans are the top choice in the polls, the Lock Haven Bald Eagles are perched on the other end in the seventh spot. Having been there numerous times before, LHU head coach John Klacik hopes his kids are tired of hearing about that and go out and prove the pollsters wrong.
"I don't put much stock in them (the polls) and I never have," said Klacik. "What I hope is that sooner or later our team starts looking at it and says, hey we are tired of being picked last and we have to do something about it. Some guys might look at the rankings and say, hey, we are ranked number one so we must be pretty good, while on the other hand, the guys on the team picked to place last might say, hey, we are picked last so we must stink. I don't know if our team is in that mode any more. Maybe three or four years ago, but not now."
With California (8-2, 5-1) and Lock Haven (2-9, 0-6) located at either end of the spectrum, the other five teams that provide the filling for the sandwich in spots two through six are Edinboro (8-2, 5-1), Slippery Rock (5-5, 4-2), IUP (5-5, 4-2), Shippensburg (4-7, 2-4) and Clarion (3-7, 1-5) respectively.
While Luckhardt, Dr. George Mihalik (Slippery Rock), Rocky Rees (Shippensburg) and Klacik all return with their same programs, three other coaches have either different roles or positions heading into the 2006 campaign.
At Edinboro, Scott Browning, an assistant in the Fighting Scot program for 20 years, takes over for the departed Lou Tepper. On the other hand, Tepper remains in the conference by moving to Indiana County where he takes over the reins of the Indians with the resignation of Frank Cignetti. Completing the trio of "new" faces is Jay Foster who takes over at Clarion after serving as Mihalik's defensive coordinator for the past 17 seasons at SRU.
In addition to the six conference games on each team's schedule, the new format of the PSAC will feature four "crossover" games for each team against teams from the Eastern Division of the PSAC on a rotating basis.
The Bald Eagles will waste no time getting the season untracked as they travel to Southern Illinois to face the Salukis on August 31. Following a week off, the Bald Eagles will face three crossover teams in East Stroudsburg, Millersville and Mansfield before tackling the six tough divisional foes with Kutztown tossed into the mix in week 11.

NFF Announces $5 Million Play It Smart Campaign

2006-08-24T08:55:00.000-05:00

The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame

Initiative will provide critical support for the NFF’s highly successful mentoring program

MORRISTOWN, N.J., August 23, 2006 – The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) announced today that it has launched a national $5 million fundraising campaign in 2006-07 to fund its highly successful “Play It Smart” initiative.

“Over the past eight years we have developed one of the most comprehensive and effective youth development programs in the country for helping at-risk student-athletes,” said NFF President Steve Hatchell. “We would love to be in a thousand schools because we know our model works, and this campaign will play a key role in our ability to support the program.”

Introduced in 1998 and currently in 136 high schools (listed at www.playitsmart.org) in 35 states and reaching 12,000 at-risk student-athletes, Play It Smart trains “academic” coaches to work with high school football teams in underserved areas during the entire school year, taking the transferable life skills learned on the field and applying them in the classroom and the community.

“Because of the Play It Smart program, I took school more seriously and (developed) my study habits,” said Southern California wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett in a May 22 USA Today article, which said Jarrett wouldn’t have made it to USC without Play It Smart. “Going into my first year of college it would have been much tougher without the organization and management skills I learned.”

With major financial support from the NFL and the NFL Players Association, corporations, communities and individuals, the program has achieved dramatic results, including:

98% of participants graduating high school, compared to a national rate of 86%;

80% of seniors enrolling in college compared to 64% of their peers;

Participants completing more than 60,000 hours of community service annually;

Rosters increasing by 35% for teams with fewer than 40 players; and

71 seniors earning spots on Division I-A rosters in 2006 as incoming freshman, bringing the number of participants in the elite collegiate ranks to more than 150 student-athletes.

The fundraising campaign is being headed by USC’s Ronnie Lott, a 2002 inductee into the College Football Hall of Fame who recently agreed to serve as the chairman of the program’s National Advisory Board, which is comprised of leaders in the fields of education, business and community affairs.

“When you think about life, one of the things you have to learn is how to compete,” Lott said. “Most of these kids know how to compete in athletics, yet when it comes to learning how to compete outside of athletics, they need to have the right tools. Play It Smart is teaching them those types of skills as they move forward.”

The campaign will solicit funds from individual philanthropists, foundations and corporations in the form of grants, donations and sponsorships. The objective of the campaign is to solidify support for the current schools in the program and identify new schools for inclusion.

ABOUT The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame

With 120 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, a non-profit educational organization, runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. The NFF presents the MacArthur Trophy, the Draddy Trophy, presented by HealthSouth, and releases the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Standings. NFF programs include the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., Play It Smart, the NFF Center for Youth Development Through Sport at Springfield College (Mass.), the NFL-NFF Coaching Academy, and scholarships of over $1 million for college and high school scholar-athletes. Learn more at www.footballfoundation.org.

ABOUT PLAY IT SMART

Established in 1998 by The National Football Foundation as an educational program, Play It Smart works to turn football teams from tough inner city environments into learning teams. Designed to take a student-athlete’s passion and dedication to football, Play It Smart leverages the positive peer pressure of a team to make academic achievement the norm. At the heart of the program is a year-round academic coach, an official member of a team’s staff, who serves as a direct link to the classroom by helping players and the team achieve their academic and personal development goals during the entire school year. With significant financial support from the NFL and NFL Players Association, Play It Smart currently reaches over 12,000 participants at 136 high schools in 85 cities and 35 states. www.PlayItSmart.org.

Contacts:

Hillary Jeffries, National Football Foundation

Phone: 1-800-486-1865, ext. 123

Steve Griffith, Pyramid Public Relations

Phone: 212-643-1068, ext. 250

News and Notes From Around College Football for August 21, 2006

2006-08-22T12:03:00.000-05:00

The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, Inc.

Monday’s Chalktalk

http://www.footballfoundation.com/news.php?id=932

Miami of Ohio and Northwestern Honor Walker’s Memory

Miami University will pay tribute to the memory of Randy Walker prior to the kickoff of their Aug. 31 game against Northwestern. Walker, who coached at both schools, passed away suddenly on June 29 of a heart attack at the age of 52.

Widely-respected as one of the most energetic and intelligent coaches in the elite college ranks, Walker’s loss continues to be felt throughout the greater football community, and prior to the 7:30 p.m. game, a ceremony will take place at Miami’s Cradle of Coaches Plaza. During the game, players from both teams will wear a decal with the number “41” in red, the number that Walker wore as a standout tailback for the Miami teams that went 32-1-1 from 1973-75. The decal will also bear his Northwestern nickname, “Walk,” in purple. At halftime, a video presentation will be shown, highlighting his life as a coach and a player.

Featured speakers at the ceremony will be former Miami head coaches Bill Mallory, who coached Walker for two seasons before directing programs at Colorado and Indiana, and Dick Crum, who also coached Walker for two seasons before hiring him as an assistant at both Miami and North Carolina. During the ceremony, the school will dedicate a plaque in Walker’s memory. Walker’s plaque will be the first to adorn the plaza, which was constructed to honor the many legendary coaches who have passed through Miami, including Hall of Fame coaches Sid Gillman, Woody Hayes, George Little, Ara Parseghian, and Bo Schembechler.

Campbell Larger Than Life Forever

Prior to its key Sept. 9 match-up against Ohio State, Texas will unveil a nine-foot bronze statue of Earl Campbell, its first Heisman Trophy winner and a 1990 inductee into the College Football Hall of Fame. The 1,500-pound likeness of “The Tyler Rose” will be placed near the southwest entrance of Royal-Memorial Stadium, and a special halftime tribute to the All-America running back will take place during the game. Campbell, who rushed for 4,443 yards, the fifth highest total at the time of his retirement, followed his collegiate career as one of the NFL’s most dominating players, having stints with the Houston Oilers and New Orleans Saints en route to his 1991 the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction. Campbell’s son Tyler, currently a sophomore for Chuck Long’s Aztecs at San Diego State, has earned a reputation as one of the team’s toughest players.

Two-Minute Drill

The Oklahoma Sooners plan to honor the late Prentice Gautt and his historic first year in Norman by “sitting out” his jersey number, as 2006 marks the 50th anniversary of Gautt breaking the color barrier at Oklahoma. His family and the 1956 national championship team will be honored at the Oct. 21 game versus Colorado, and players will have a number “38” decal affixed to their helmets. Gautt’s wife, Sandra, accepted the NFF’s Outstanding Contribution to Amateur Football on his behalf last December in New York City. Gautt passed away in March 2005 at the age of 67.

The Associated Press released its 2006 preseason Top 25 poll on Friday, Aug. 18. Ohio State garnered the top spot followed by Notre Dame and the 2005 National Champion Texas Longhorns. Auburn and West Virginia rounded out the top five. As motivation for the upcoming season, Arkansas Head Coach Houston Nutt arranged a meeting between this year’s team and seniors from the 1979 team that went 10-2 and tied for the Southwest Conference Championship under Coach Lou Holtz. Penn State will honor its 1986 national championship squad during ceremonies at the Nittany Lions’ home opener versus Akron on Sept. 2. The 1966 team, Joe Paterno’s first as head coach, will be honored during the Sept. 16 contest with Youngstown State. Louisville received a commitment from quarterback Matt Simms, son of former Super Bowl MVP Phil Simms. Nebraska Coach Bill Callahan invited Huskers fan and comedian Dan Whitney, better known as Larry the Cable Guy, to address the team Aug. 16. SMU center Ben Poynter was recently highlighted on local Dallas television for his work with Heart House, where he tutors and mentors children. Texas Defensive Coordinator Gene Chizik, Connecticut Head Coach Randy Edsall and Tulsa Head Coach Steve Kragthorpe were dubbed “coaches on the rise” in Sports Illustrated’s 2006 College Football Preview.

Roger Goodell, the NFL’s new commissioner, was recruited to play defensive back by Washington & Jefferson, his alma mater, but a knee injury ended his playing days. The Aug. 14 issue of Sports Illustrated profiled 2008 Olympic hopeful Chloe Sutton, the daughter of David Sutton, a defensive tackle on the 1985 Air Force team that beat Texas in the Bluebonnet Bowl and finished No. 8 in the nation. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, a member of the 1991 Miami Hurricane National Championship team, is starring in Gridiron Gang, a movie about a group of teenagers at juvenile detention center who gain their self-esteem on the football field. The movie opens Sept. 15. Current National Football Foundation Board Member Willie Lanier was recently named the greatest player in the history of the Kansas City Chiefs in a ranking of all-time Chiefs conducted by the Dallas Morning News. The former Morgan State great was selected to the NFF’s College Football Hall of Fame in 2000.

The Dallas branch of the University of Texas Alumni Association will honor fabled Longhorn wide receiver Johnny “Lam” Jones at its 19th annual golf outing, which will be held at Firewheel Golf Club on Oct. 6. Jones, an All-America and member of the 1976 Gold Medal U.S. Olympic 400-meter relay team, was recently diagnosed with an incurable form of blood and bone cancer. Former head coaches Ken Hatfield and Barry Switzer are among those scheduled to speak to the Little Rock Touchdown Club this fall. Kansas will hold its annual Fan Appreciation and Kid’s Day on Aug. 23, where Jayhawk fans can watch the team practice, take pictures, get autographs and hear Head Coach Mark Mangino speak. The Walter Camp Football Foundation recently announced its Player of the Year “watch list,” which includes 35 of the nation’s top players.

The University of Illinois will begin construction on its $160 million stadium renovation, which is projected to be finished for the Fighting Illini 2008 football season. Syracuse and Steiner Sports have announced a multi-faceted marketing partnership of “Syracuse Steiner Collectibles,” consisting of memorabilia called “Orange Nation” and fantasy experiences such as meeting coaches or participating in opening coin tosses. The Houston Bowl has been renamed the Texas Bowl, which will match up a Big 12 team against a team from either Conference USA, the Big East, or TCU from the Mountain West Conference.

Georgia Athletic Association will distribute "I'm Georgia" towels to the first 25,000 fans at the season home opener. No. 21 TCU has sold out their Sept. 16 home game against No. 25 Texas Tech. With 67,800 season tickets sold, Louisiana State University has broken the school record of season ticket sales for the Tigers’ eight home football games this year, and it is the third consecutive season that season tickets have sold out. The College of William & Mary has sold over 2,870 season tickets, which already surpasses their sales last year of 2,819. Iowa State reached their 2006 goal of selling over 30,000 season tickets. Iowa fans previewed the newly renovated Kinnick Stadium on Aug. 19 during an open practice with half-priced concessions.

Temple and Villanova have agreed to schedule four future games against one other. Florida Atlantic and South Florida agreed to play a three-game football series beginning in 2007. A six- to eight-game deal is in sight for Boston College and Syracuse. Boston College Athletics Director Gene DeFilippo announced that he is committed to play at least one New England Division I-AA opponent each season. Georgia Tech will play at least two Southeastern Conference teams per year for seven years beginning in 2008.

SECsports.com, the official athletics web site of the Southeastern Conference will be re-branded as SECsports.com powered by Cingular, which became the exclusive telecommunications sponsor of the conference. The NFL Network has added the All-American Classic College All-Star Game to its existing coverage of the Insight Bowl, Texas Bowl, and Senior Bowl. The Western Athletic Conference has announced the addition of XOS Technologies as a Network Partner. Boston College football fans will have the opportunity to submit questions on the Tom O’Brien Show, presented by AceTicket.com, which begins Aug. 21 and continues throughout the 2006 season. Tulsa University’s Head Coach Steve Kragthorpe has signed a four-year contract to continue his radio call-in show on Newstalk 740 AM KRMG Radio. North Carolina announced that former player and assistant coach Ken Mack will serve as lead analyst for the Tar Heels’ football broadcasts. Ivy League teams, and those in other small conferences, will start airing their games via team websites.

Marshall gave Head Coach Mark Synder a three-year contract extension. The University of Louisiana at Monroe Athletic Foundation awarded Charles “Chuck” McMullen with the J.H. “Slim” Scogin Exemplary Services Award. Central Florida named Joe Hornstein assistant athletics director for communications and Ryan Powell as associate director for athletics communications. Purdue hired Joe Muller as senior associate athletics director for external relations. Herb Yamanaka returns to Oregon as a full-time associate athletics director. The University of North Carolina announced former Tar Heel football captain and director of operations Rick Steinbacher as its new associate athletic director for marketing and promotions. Oregon promoted Gary Gray to senior associate athletics director for the Ducks.

Piero (Pete) Harris, a 1978 All-America safety at Penn State, died Aug. 9 at the age of 49. After growing up in Mount Holly, N.J., Harris and his brothers Franco (1969) and Giueseppe (1979-81), started for the Nittany Lions and Coach Joe Paterno. Tom Cronan, husband of Tennessee Women's Athletics Director Joan Cronan and a professor at Carson-Newman College, passed away Aug. 18.

Editors’ Note

This will be the last edition of Chalktalk until after the conclusion of the college football season. The NFF thanks you for your continued support of this publication. Please look for the NFF’s This Week in College Football, which will be released every Monday during the college football season.

With 120 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, a non-profit educational organization, runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. The NFF presents the MacArthur Trophy, the Draddy Trophy presented by HealthSouth and releases the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Standings. NFF programs include the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., Play It Smart, the NFF Center for Youth Development Through Sport at Springfield College (Mass.), the NFL-NFF Coaching Academy, and scholarships of over $1 million for college and high school scholar-athletes.

For more information, please visit www.footballfoundation.org

NFF Contacts

Phil Marwill…………… Director of Communications

Hillary Jeffries………… Special Projects Assistant

22 Maple Avenue

Morristown, NJ 07960

973-829-1933 (phone)

Ronnie Lott, NFF Conference Call To Unveil Multi-Million Dollar Fundraising Initiative

2006-08-18T05:42:00.000-05:00

The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame

Contacts:
John Tataro, Alan Taylor Communications
Phone: 212-714-1280, ext. 258

Hillary Jeffries, National Football Foundation
Phone: 800-486-1865, ext. 123

Ronnie Lott, NFF Conference Call To Unveil Multi-Million Dollar Fundraising Initiative

PLAY IT SMART, NFF’S UNIQUE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE MENTORING PROGRAM, NOW HAS NATIONAL FOOTPRINT WITH OVER 136 HIGH SCHOOLS IN 35 STATES

WHO:

* Play It Smart National Advisory Board Chairman Ronnie Lott (college and pro Hall of Famer)
* National Football Foundation President Steve Hatchell
* National Football Foundation Chairman Ron Johnson
* Play It Smart National Director Charles Gomes

WHAT: Announcement of a new, multi-million dollar fundraising campaign for
Play It Smart, which helps at-risk high school players score touchdowns in the classroom with football coaching staff-embedded “academic” coaches emphasizing schoolwork every day from September through June.

WHERE: Audio conference, contact John Tataro to obtain 800 conference call number at 212-714-1280, ext. 258 or via email at johnt@alantaylor.com

WHEN: Wednesday, August 23, 2006 at 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT/Noon MT/11 a.m. PT

WHY: Lott, chairman of the National Advisory Board for the NFF’s highly-
successful Play It Smart program and honorary chairman of the Play It Smart Fundraising Committee, along with Hatchell, Johnson and Gomes, will review the progress of the unprecedented program and release details of the organization’s most ambitious-ever campaign.

MORE: Play It Smart was introduced in 1998 and is currently in over 136 high
schools (listed at www.playitsmart.org) in 35 states, reaching 12,000 at-risk student-athletes. Play It Smart pays and trains “academic” coaches who become full-fledged members of the high school football coaching staff to work with players during the entire school year, emphasizing the importance of schoolwork and taking the transferable life skills learned on the field and applying them in the classroom and the community.

* 98% of participants graduate from high school;
* 80% of seniors enroll in college;
* Participants complete more than 60,000 hours of community service annually;
* Roster sizes increase by 35% for teams with fewer than 40 players.
* 71 seniors earned spots on Division I-A rosters in 2006 as incoming freshman, bringing the number of participants in the elite collegiate ranks to over 150.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL FOUNDATION & COLLEGE HALL OF FAME With 119 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, a non-profit educational organization, runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. The NFF presents the MacArthur Trophy, the Draddy Trophy and releases the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Standings. NFF programs include the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., Play It Smart, the NFF Center for Youth Development Through Sport at Springfield College (Mass.), the NFL-NFF Coaching Academy, and scholarships of over $1 million for college and high school scholar-athletes. Learn more at www.footballfoundation.org

News and Notes From Around College Football for August 14, 2006

2006-08-14T18:59:00.000-05:00

The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, Inc.

Monday's Chalktalk

www.footballfoundation.org
Monday’s Chalktalk

Red Raiders Dedicate Season to the Late Dave Brown

Texas Tech players are dedicating their 2006 season to Dave Brown, the Red Raiders cornerbacks coach who died in January of a heart attack at the age of 52. The school has also established two scholarships in his name. Brown, a 2006 candidate for the College Football Hall of Fame from Michigan, twice earned First Team All-America honors in ‘73 and unanimously in ‘74 while leading the Wolverines to three BIG TEN Championships as a defensive back.
After Michigan, Brown began a 16-year professional career with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1975, participating in the Steelers' Super Bowl X win against the Dallas Cowboys and spending 11 seasons with the Seattle Seahawks. A 1984 All-Pro selection, Brown holds the all-time record in Seattle with 50 interceptions and is enshrined in their Ring of Honor. He finished his final four seasons in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers. A five-year veteran on the Red Raider coaching staff, Brown coached the cornerbacks since his arrival in 2001. Previously, he had spent seven years as a cornerbacks coach with the Seahawks.

20 Legends Enshrined at the College Football Hall of Fame

The 2006 College Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival proved to be another crowd pleaser this past weekend in South Bend, Ind. Thousands of fans from across the country gathered August 11-12, witnessing festivities that included an enshrinement parade, fan festival, youth football clinic, outdoor rock concert, celebrity golf tournament, and a spectacular dinner & show. In a heated battle, the East edged the West during the flag football game. Penn State offensive tackle Keith Dorney (1975-78), who caught two touchdown passes, claimed the day’s MVP honors. The evening show featured ESPN’s Rece Davis, who captured the majesty of the moment with the unique history behind each Hall of Famers march to enshrinement. At a reception held the night before, the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl and the Football Writers Association of America honored Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis with the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award. Coach Weis paid tribute to the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl while mentioning that he hopes to strengthen his ties with the organization on January 8, 2007 in Glendale, Arizona.

Established in 1951 by the National Football Foundation, the current hall of fame was built in 1995 in South Bend, Ind. This year’s Division I-A enshrines included: Cornelius Bennett (Alabama); Tom Curtis (Michigan); Anthony Davis (Southern California); Keith Dorney (Penn State); Jim Houston (Ohio State); John Huarte (Notre Dame); Roosevelt Leaks (Texas); Mark May (Pittsburgh); Joe Washington (Oklahoma) Paul Wiggin (Stanford); David Williams (Illinois), Coach Pat Dye (East Carolina, Wyoming, Auburn); and Coach Don Nehlen (Bowling Green, West Virginia). Players and coaches from the divisional ranks include: Kevin Dent (Jackson State); John Friesz (Idaho); Ronnie Mallett (Central Arkansas); Jerry Rice (Miss. Valley State); Coach Dick Farley (Williams - Mass.); Coach John Gagliardi (Carroll College (Mont.), St. John's (Minn.); and Coach Vernon "Skip" McCain (Maryland State College).

Two-Minute Drill

The Associated Press Poll Top 25 will be released this Friday, August 18.
Texas Tech coach Mike Leach received a one-year contract extension, which will keep him at the helm of the Red Raiders through the 2009 season.
Terrell Suggs and Shaun McDonald, both playing in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens and St. Louis Rams, respectively, returned to Arizona State this summer to earn credits towards their bachelor degrees.

Texas coach Mack Brown accepted the National Football Foundation Touchdown Club of Houston Chapter’s Touchdowner of the Year Award on August 3. Over 700 people attended the event including, College Football Hall of Famers Bill Yeoman (Houston), Earl Campbell (Texas) and Darrell Royal (Texas).
Scott Spurrier, the son of South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier, has transferred from Division I-AA Charleston Southern to South Carolina. He will sit out this season as walk-on wide receiver.

Georgia Tech had 18 football standouts named to the Atlantic Coast Conference Academic Honor for 2005-06. Troy University had five football players named to the Sun Belt Commissioner's List and 16 players to Academic Honor Roll. Lake Erie College in Painesville, Pa., announced that the school will launch a Division III football program in 2008, naming Mark McNellie as the coach. The 1981 Drake football team, which posted a school-record 10-1 mark under Coach Chuck Shelton, will hold a 25-year reunion Sept. 30 in conjunction with the Bulldogs' homecoming game against Morehead State. Fort Worth Cats will hold a Southwest Conference show your colors night on August 18.

ABC Sports will become “ESPN on ABC” with ESPN becoming the overarching brand for all sports programming carried on the ABC Television Network beginning Sept. 2, according to an announcement made by George Bodenheimer, president, ESPN, Inc. and ABC Sports and Co-Chairman, Disney Media Networks.
Disney owns both ESPN and ABC. Dick Vermeil will be a game analyst for the NFL Network during its college football coverage, including the network’s telecasts of the Insight Bowl on December 29 and the Senior Bowl on January 27. Middle Tennessee Director Chris Massaro and Cumulus Broadcasting announced that WFN 106.7 FM - The Fan will be Nashville’s flagship radio affiliate for the Blue Raider Network this season. Conference USA’s final composite schedule reveals three Tuesday games, a Wednesday game, four Friday games and even two Sunday games on the 2006 lineup. Georgia Southern will play at the Naval Academy on September 12, 2009, the first meeting between the two schools. Marshall and Ohio State will open the 2010 football season in Columbus, Ohio on September 12, 2010.

The Sun Bowl extended its contract with Helen of Troy, the game’s primary sponsor, for four more years, renaming the game the Burt Sun Bowl. Burt cologne was made famous by legendary Crimson Tide quarterback Joe Namath during his days with the New York Jets in the late ‘60s and ‘70s. XOS Technologies announced that the Mid-American Conference has been selected to implement the XOS Replay solution for in-game instant replay used by conference football officials. Bright House Networks has acquired naming rights for $15 millions over the next 15 years to the University of Central Florida’s new football stadium slated to open next year.

The University of Utah has already set a school record for season ticket sales. The 22,050 season tickets sold as of Aug. 9 broke the old school mark of 21,540 set last year. The Duke football program will hold its annual "Meet The Blue Devils" day on Sunday, August 20. SMU will hold its second-annual Football Kickoff Luncheon Aug. 16 with former SMU player and coach Forrest Gregg as the keynote speaker and head coach Phil Bennett and new Director of Athletics Steve Orsini in attendance.

Peyton Manning has pledged $1 million to the Tennessee athletics department, which will be used to update the Neyland-Thompson Sports Center and toward the master plan renovations at Neyland Stadium. Central Michigan University continues with its fundraiser program, “Light Up The Night,” which seeks donations of $650,000 to pay for a lighting project at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.
University of Colorado’s fundraising project, the Buff Club Cabinet, now has
47 members, who each have committed annual gifts of $25,000 for a three-year period.

San Diego State has reported record donations of $1.6 million since the hiring of its new head coach Chuck Long, a 1999 College Football Hall of Fame inductee from Iowa, in December. The Aztec’s ticket sales are also up 8 percent from this time last year. Canfield High School received a $100,000 donation from Merrill Lynch stockbroker Tony Lariccia to name its stadium after Bob Dove, who passed away on April 19 at the age of 85. Dove, a prominent Canfield resident, earned induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000 for his exploits as a Notre Dame player from 1940-42.

Bowling Green announced that Brian Delehoy has been named promotion and sales manager for the Falcons. Butler University has named Barry Collier as its new athletics director. Delaware State University Athletics Director Chuck Bell hired Mike Wilson to oversee the program’s sports marketing and public relations office. Northwestern University Director of Athletics Mark Murphy announced the addition of John Mack as associate athletics director for external affairs. Temple University announced the hiring of Peter D’
Alonzo as student services/learning specialist; and Nick Plack and Jaison Freeman as academic coordinators. University of Colorado Athletic Directors Mike Bohn announced the naming of Miguel Rueda to the position of head athletic trainer. University of Louisiana named John Dugas as event management coordinator; he will also assist with the development of the athletic department’s website.

Atlantic Coast Conference has named Kristie Le as assistant director of media relations and Mike Finn has been promoted to associate commissioner for football operations.
Donyale Canada has accepted the position of director of sports services at Conference USA in Irving, Texas. University of Akron named Mauro Monz, formerly offensive coordinator at Duquesne University, its director of football operations.

Schedule Spotlight: Bowl Championship Series Games

Bowl - Date - Television Partner

Rose - Jan. 1 - ESPN on ABC
Tostitos Fiesta - Jan. 1 - Fox
FedEx Orange - Jan. 2 - Fox
Allstate Sugar - Jan. 3 - Fox
BCS National Championship - Jan. 8 - Fox

With 120 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, a non-profit educational organization, runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. The NFF presents the MacArthur Trophy, the Draddy Trophy presented by HealthSouth and releases the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Standings. NFF programs include the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., Play It Smart, the NFF Center for Youth Development Through Sport at Springfield College (Mass.), the NFL-NFF Coaching Academy, and scholarships of over $1 million for college and high school scholar-athletes.
For more information, please visit www.footballfoundation.org

NFF Contacts
Phil Marwill.......................Director of Communications Hillary Jeffries...................Special Projects Assistant
22 Maple Avenue
Morristown, NJ 07960
800.486.1865 (phone)

2006 College Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement

2006-08-12T06:46:00.000-05:00

NEWS RELEASE w/ pdf, satellite coordinates, bios, quotes and event times The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame

20 legends to be immortalized this weekend in South Bend, Ind.

MORRISTOWN, N.J., August 10, 2006 - College football fans from across the country will join the National Football Foundation August 11-12 by gathering at the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., to pay tribute to the storied careers of 20 of the game’s greatest stars at the organization’s annual Enshrinement Festival.

SATELLITE FEED COORDINATES AND TIMES

30-second interviews with each member of the 2006 Hall of Fame Class and b-roll at the following times:

* Friday, August 11 between 3:30 pm - 3:45 pm, EDT (All but Rice and Friesz)
* Saturday, August 12 between 9:00 pm - 9:15 pm, EDT (All Hall of Famers)

AMC 5 Transponder 12B.
Uplink Frequency: 14329.625 Vertical
Downlink Frequency: 12029 Horizontal
Data rate: 5500000 bps or 5.5
FEC rate: 3/4
Symbal rate: 3978723 bps
lo Freq: 10750

2006 DIVISION I-A ENSHRINEMENT CLASS

PLAYERS
Cornelius Bennett – LB, Alabama, 1983-86 Tom Curtis – DB, Michigan, 1967-69 Anthony Davis – RB, Southern California, 1972-74 Keith Dorney – OT, Penn State, 1975-78 Jim Houston – E, Ohio State, 1957-59 John Huarte – QB, Notre Dame, 1962-64 Roosevelt Leaks – FB, Texas, 1972-74 Mark May – OT, Pittsburgh, 1977-80 Joe Washington – RB, Oklahoma, 1972-75 Paul Wiggin – DT, Stanford, 1954-56 David Williams – WR, Illinois, 1983-85

COACHES
Pat Dye – East Carolina (1974-79), Wyoming (1980), Auburn (1981-92),
153-62-5
Don Nehlen – Bowling Green (1968-76), West Virginia, (1980-2000), 202-128-8

2006 DIVISIONAL ENSHRINEMENT CLASS

PLAYERS
Kevin Dent – DB, Jackson State, 1985-88
John Friesz – QB, Idaho, 1986-89
Ronnie Mallett – End, Central Arkansas, 1978-81 Jerry Rice – WR, Mississippi Valley State, 1981-84

COACHES
Dick Farley – Williams (Mass.) (1987-2003), 114-19-3 John Gagliardi – Carroll College (Mont.) (1949-52), Saint John’s Univ.
(Minn.) (1952-present), 432-118-11
Vernon “Skip” McCain – Maryland State (1948-63), 102-21-5

2006 ENSHRINEMENT FESTIVAL AWARD HONOREES

CHRIS SCHENKEL AWARD
Johnny Holliday, broadcaster, University of Maryland

BERT McGRANE AWARD, presented by the Football Writers Association of America John Junker, president/CEO, Tostitos Fiesta Bowl

Founded in 1947, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame inducted its first class of inductees in 1951. The first class included 32 players and 19 coaches, including Illinois' Red Grange, Notre Dame's Knute Rockne, Amos Alonzo Stagg and Carlisle's Jim Thorpe. Out of the more than
4.5 million individuals who have played college football over the past 138 years, only 800 players and 173 coaches have been immortalized with a place in the sport’s most hallowed institution.

“We are very pleased to have the opportunity to enshrine another exceptional class of college football hall legends,” said NFF President Steven J.
Hatchell. “Each year our hard-working Honors Court, chaired by Gene Corrigan, does an outstanding job in ensuring the game’s legends are duly recognized.”

268 schools are represented with at least one College Football Hall of Famer. The current building in South Bend, Ind. was built in 1995 as a $17 million state-of-the-art interactive facility for fans of all ages. This year the Enshrinement Festival will include a celebrity golf tournament and concert on Friday, the Enshrinement Parade and Fan Fest on Saturday and the Enshrinement Dinner that evening.

The next class of College Football Hall of Famers will be inducted at the 49h NFF Annual Awards Dinner on December 5, 2006, at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City. They will be officially enshrined at the Hall in South Bend during ceremonies in August of 2007.

CRITERIA

1. First and Foremost, a player must have received First Team All-America recognition by a selector organization that is recognized by the NCAA and utilized to comprise their consensus All-America teams.

2. A player becomes eligible for consideration by the Foundation's Honors Courts ten years after his final year of intercollegiate football played.

3. While each nominee's football achievements in college are of prime consideration, his post football record as a citizen is also weighed. He must have proven himself worthy as a citizen, carrying the ideals of football forward into his relations with his community and his fellow man with love of his country. Consideration may also be given for academic honors and whether or not the candidate earned a college degree.

4. Players must have played their last year of intercollegiate football within the last 50 years*. For example, to be eligible for the 2006 ballot,
the player must have played his last year in 1956 or thereafter. In
addition, players who are playing professionally and coaches who are coaching on the professional level are not eligible until after they retire.

5. A coach becomes eligible three years after retirement or immediately following retirement provided he is at least 70 years of age. Active coaches become eligible at 75 years of age. He must have been a head coach for a minimum of 10 years and coached at least 100 games with a .600 winning percentage*.
(*Those players that do not comply with the 50-year rule and coaches that have not won 60% of their games may still be eligible for consideration by the Division I-A and Divisional Honors Review Committees, which examine unique cases.)

DIVISION I-A ENSHRINEE BIOGRAPHIES and QUOTES

Cornelius Bennett
University of Alabama
Linebacker, 1983-86

A devastating hitter and dynamic defender, Cornelius Bennett dominated in four seasons as the undisputed defensive leader of the Alabama Crimson Tide.
At 6 feet 4 inches tall and 215 pounds, Bennett twice earned First Team All-America honors, a unanimous choice in 1986. That year, he finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy voting, received the Lombardi Award as the nation’s top lineman and was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year. A three-time First Team All-Conference pick, Bennett was voted Defensive Player of the Game in victories at the 1985 Aloha Bowl and the 1986 Sun Bowl.

A member of Alabama’s Team of the Century, Bennett was named the school’s Player of the Decade for the 1980’s. A team captain in 1986, he amassed 287 career tackles and 15 sacks, 10 of which came in 1986. Selected second overall in the 1987 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts, Bennett played 14 years in the NFL and made five appearances in the Super Bowl, four as a part of the Buffalo Bills’ memorable run in the 1990s. Currently, Bennett resides in Golden Beach, Florida.

On his memories from his college playing days… “Signing my letter of intent to play at the University of Alabama, and then playing against the University of Washington in the Sun Bowl my last game senior year, those two things really stand out more than anything else. The first part was becoming part of a great tradition and the last was finishing off a career where I tried my best to continue that tradition.”

On comparisons to his college and pro football careers… “They were very similar. My legacy in college football prepared me for my legacy in pro football. I had great coaches in college, Ray Perkins, and in the pros, Marv Levy among them, and they just went hand in hand with each other.”

Tom Curtis
University of Michigan
Defensive Back, 1967-69

Opposing quarterbacks beware! Lurking deep within the defensive secondary stands one of the greatest interception threats in NCAA history, Michigan’s Tom Curtis. A consensus First Team All-America selection in 1969, Curtis set an NCAA career record with 431 interception return yards and led the nation with 10 picks in 1968. With 25 career interceptions, he is the all-time leader at Michigan, ranks second all-time in BIG TEN Conference history and is tied for fourth in NCAA history. A two-time First Team All-Conference selection, Curtis led the Wolverines in interceptions for three straight seasons and helped guide them to a share of the BIG TEN title in 1969.

A recipient of the academic Frederic Matthaei Award in 1968, Curtis went on to graduate with a degree in Economics in 1970. Following graduation, he was drafted by the Baltimore Colts, played two seasons in the NFL, and appeared in Super Bowl V. Owner and publisher of the Football News and three NFL team publications, Curtis remains active in the community with the Haileah/Miami Springs Rotary and the NFL Alumni Association in Miami, Florida.

On what this induction day means to him… “It’s like a moment frozen in time. I’m not going to have many days like I have today. My grandkids and great grandkids will be proud and I’m really happy to provide that as a family legacy.”

On one particular moment that stands out among the rest from his playing days… “My last regular season game against Ohio State, they had won 23 or so games in a row, and I had two interceptions, the last one being the 25th of my career, and 25 was my number. Now I look back and find that to be quite ironic.”

Anthony Davis
University of Southern California
Running Back, 1972-74

Continuing in a long line of legendary USC Hall of Fame running backs, Anthony Davis has cemented himself as one of the greatest rushers in PAC-8 and NCAA history. He becomes the sixth Trojan in six consecutive years to enter college football’s national shrine.

A unanimous First Team All-America selection, Davis finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1974. A two-time First Team All-Conference pick, he became the first player in PAC-8 history to rush for at least 1,000 yards in three individual seasons. A two-time recipient of the Voit Trophy as the Most Outstanding Player on the West Coast, Davis led USC in rushing, scoring and kick return yardage for three consecutive seasons.

A proven winner, Davis guided the Trojans to a 31-3-2 record, three conference titles, three Rose Bowl victories and two national championships in three years. Upon the completion of his career, he accumulated 24 school, conference and NCAA records, including over 5,400 all-purpose yards
and 52 touchdowns. Following a brief NFL career, Davis became a successful
real estate developer and continues to serve as a motivational speaker for youth in Irvine, California where he currently resides.

On what his induction means to his career… “It means I’m inducted with some great athletes both from my school and from college football. If you had told me 30 years ago I’d be in the College Football Hall of Fame, I would’ve thought you were crazy because I really wanted to play baseball. I never thought I’d play college football, let alone play well enough to be a Hall of Famer.”

On the tradition of USC…
“Southern California is a hotbed of football talent, and generations of people have gone to USC from those areas to make it what it is. People still talk to me about our 1974 come from behind win over ND, 55-24, and our
1972 victory over them to catapult us to the national championship. It’s a tradition that many people have contributed to and I’m happy to be a part of.”

Keith Dorney
Pennsylvania State University
Offensive Tackle, 1975-78

An immovable force and staple on the Penn State offensive line, Keith Dorney proved his prowess on the athletic field and in the classroom. A two-time First Team All-America selection, unanimous in 1978, Dorney saw action in the Senior Bowl and East-West Shrine Game his senior year. Named National Lineman of the Year by the Columbus Touchdown Club, he helped lead the Nittany Lions to a 38-10 record and four straight bowl appearances.

Dedicated to his studies, Dorney was named to the Penn State Dean’s List numerous times and was named to the Academic All-America First Team in 1978.
Named to Penn State’s All-Century First Team, Dorney was selected 19th overall by the Detroit Lions in the 1979 NFL Draft. In a nine-year NFL career, he made one Pro Bowl and earned the Ed Block Courage Award in 1987.
Following his playing days, Dorney has worked with children and young adults as a full-time special education teacher for True to Life Children’s Services and also coaches the defensive line at a local high school in Santa Rosa, California.

On the things he’ll remember most about his induction into the College Football Hall of Fame… “That it’s just a tremendous honor, to be here with guys like Dave Williams, Cornelius Bennett, Anthony Davis, to be associated with all the people that came before us, I’m just happy to be a part of it.”

On his experiences with a younger Joe Paterno… “Joe is a stern task master. He demands a lot from his players and coaches.
It was a real swift kick in the butt to go up there as a 17-year old freshman, but I wouldn’t be the man I am today without him.”

Jim Houston
The Ohio State University
End, 1957-59

A fierce competitor and team leader, Jim Houston guided the Ohio State Buckeyes to great heights and solidified himself as one of his era’s legendary athletes.

A First Team All-America selection in 1958, Houston was invited to participate in the East-West Shrine Game and Hula Bowl. A two-time First Team All-Conference pick, he was named team MVP twice and led the Buckeyes to a 9-1 record, the BIG TEN title and a National Championship in 1957.

Following graduation in 1960, Houston was selected fifth overall by the Cleveland Browns in the NFL Draft. Dominating on the professional level, he made four Pro Bowl appearances and served as team captain seven times in his 13-year career.

Off the field, Houston continues to work with Canada Life Insurance Company, where he has been for more than 40 years. A native of Sagamore Hills, Ohio, he is a former president of the NFL Alumni Cleveland Chapter and continues
to assist at various local hospitals and children’s
organizations.

On the best thing about being inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame… “Just to be recognized and excited that I’m joining a lot of great Ohio State people that are already here, it’s just overwhelming.”

On the things he remembers most about Coach Woody Hayes… “There was nobody like Coach Hayes. Woody was a guy that prepared for absolutely everything. He would even plan out his tirades in practice to get the most out of us. Just a great guy to play for and a great man.”

John Huarte
University of Notre Dame
Quarterback, 1962-64

One of the great quarterbacks of his day, Notre Dame’s John Huarte assembled one of the finest single-season performances in school history in 1964.
Claiming national awards and setting records, he guided the Fighting Irish to a share of the national championship and firmly stamped his place in college football lore.

In 1964, Huarte became the 30th recipient of the Heisman Trophy, was named Back of the Year by the UPI and Football News and ranked third nationally in total offense. In a season where he earned MVP honors in the North-South Shrine Game and College All-Star Game, he set 12 school records, including single-season passing yards (2,062) and touchdown passes (16).

Following graduation, Huarte was selected by the New York Jets in the second round of the 1965 AFL Draft and spent 12 seasons in professional football in the AFL, NFL and WFL. The owner of Arizona Tile Company, Huarte has proven to be a highly successful businessman, expanding the company to six branches. He currently lives in Pacific Palisades, California.

On his inclusion among the greats at the College Football Hall of Fame… “The main thing is when you run your eyes over the list of all the great players over the years who have gotten in, to be part of that company, is really special. My name is associated with the history of the game and all the great players.”

On going from backup to Heisman Trophy winner in one season… “It was a gritty experience to not play and then going in as a starter my last year. I had done a lot of scrimmaging on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, but to not have that opportunity my first few years and then the last, to set a lot of new records, it changed my life.”

Roosevelt Leaks
University of Texas
Fullback, 1972-74

A tremendous running back and fearless pioneer, Roosevelt Leaks became the first black athlete to earn All-America and All-Conference honors for the Texas Longhorns, forever changing the complexion of football at Texas and the Southwest Conference.

Prior to suffering a serious knee injury that hampered his senior season, Leaks earned consensus First Team All-America honors in 1973 and finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting. A two-time First Team All-Conference selection, he was named Southwest Conference MVP in 1973, while setting the conference record for rushing yards (1,415). A team captain and MVP, Leaks guided the Longhorns to two conference titles. Drafted in the fifth round of the 1974 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Colts, Leaks enjoyed a nine-year professional career with the Colts and Buffalo Bills.

A community minded individual, Leaks hosts an annual charity golf tournament for children in East Austin, Texas. In 2003, he became the first recipient of the Living Legends Award presented by the Ministry of Challenge.

On playing for Coach Darrell Royal…
“Coach Royal was very disciplined, he had players who could make plays for him, but he had great people, he never expected less than your best and never tolerated anything otherwise as well.

On how his Texas teams would stack up against today’s unit… “We would’ve been a little bit small. We could play with anybody back then, but today, they are very gifted talented team right now, very quick and very big. It sure would be fun.”

Mark May
University of Pittsburgh
Offensive Tackle, 1977-80

A massive specimen at 6 feet 6 inches tall and 280 pounds, Mark May was the anchor of the Pittsburgh offensive line and the leader of a historic Panther team. In 1980, he captained the team that went 11-1 and finished #2 in the AP final rankings, a squad that featured three other College Football Hall of Fame teammates, Jimbo Covert, Hugh Green and Dan Marino.

A First Team All-America selection in 1980, May became the 35th recipient of the Outland Trophy, which goes to the nation’s top interior lineman. A participant in the 1981 Hula and Japan Bowls, May helped guide the Panthers to four bowl game appearances and three AP Top 10 finishes.

Following graduation in 1981, May was selected in the first round of the NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins. In all, he enjoyed a 13-year NFL career, which included two Super Bowl championships. A current studio analyst for ESPN, May maintains a dedicated philanthropic schedule. A member of Nancy Reagan’s “Team Up Against Drugs” program, he is the honorary chairman of the Washington, D.C. Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Association and a United Way spokesperson. May currently resides in Mesa, Arizona.

On what it means to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame….
“It’s an extreme honor, very humbling, to look at these players who I’m going in with, to be inducted with those guys, it’s just incredible.

On what made his Pitt teams so successful… “We all came from parts unknown, Mississippi, Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, we banded together as a group and wouldn’t let anybody stand in our way. We still keep in contact today, and I think that says a lot about how closely knit we were.”
Joe Washington
University of Oklahoma
Running Back, 1972-75

“Like smoke through a keyhole” is how legendary Oklahoma running back Joe Washington described his running style during the days he ruled the BIG-8 Conference. Upon the completion of his remarkable Sooner career, Washington stood atop the school’s all-time career rushing list with over 4,000 yards.

For two extraordinary seasons, Washington dominated the national scene. In 1974, he earned unanimous First Team All-America status as a running back, was named National Player of the Year and finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting. In 1975, Washington was named First Team All-America as a kick returner and placed fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting. Both seasons, Washington’s offensive brilliance led to Sooner national championships. A three-time First Team All-Conference pick, Washington’s teams lost only twice in 46 career games.

Selected in the first round of the 1976 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers, Washington played 10 seasons in the NFL and was named MVP of the Redskins in 1981. He is currently the owner of a marketing and advertising company and lives in Lutherville, Maryland.

On his reaction to learning the news of his induction… “I just was really shocked. I had a good friend, Clendon Thomas, who I thought should get in, and the fact that I’m before him, it’s just disbelief.”

On his place in college football history… “Just to be inducted with these guys with all the greats, it says it all.
It’s such an honor, I think it just speaks for itself.”

Paul Wiggin
Stanford University
Defensive Tackle, 1954-56

A dominating defensive tackle, Stanford’s Paul Wiggin owned the line of scrimmage for three punishing years. A two-time First Team All-America selection, Wiggin was invited to participate in the East-West Shrine Game in
1956 and the Hula Bowl in 1957. A two-time All-Pacific Conference pick, he is one of only two players in Stanford history to return as head coach. A three-year starter and letterwinner, Wiggin was named the school’s Defensive Player of the Century in fan voting.

Also a Rugby player and noted scholar, Wiggin earned his bachelor’s degree in 1956 and a master’s degree in 1959. Drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the sixth round of the 1957 NFL Draft, Wiggin enjoyed an 11-year professional career. During his off-seasons, he taught high school and college classes, and coached defensive tackles at spring practice for Stanford. When his playing days finally ended, Wiggin coached the Kansas City Chiefs and Stanford University for three years each. Currently, he serves as the Director of Pro Scouting for the Minnesota Vikings and resides in Edina, Minnesota.

On his reaction to learning of his induction… “More than anyone else, I think I was surprised, since I last played college football 49 years ago. For this to happen at this stage of my life, you don’t expect something like that to happen. What I really realized was how much it has meant to my family to get in. That as much as anything else. They were so excited about this, they’re just absolutely rejoicing in this.”

On what means the most to him about his college playing days… “As I look back in college, if I had anything that meant something to me, it was probably the fact that I had the respect of my teammates, more than any other honor. I can go back and talk about the way we played, how hard we played, as your life unfolds, I’ve really come to appreciate the fact that some of things I remember is respect. “I think that’s the great thing about college football, my greatest memories are that.
David Williams
University of Illinois
Wide Receiver, 1983-85

One of the greatest wide receivers of all-time, Illinois’ David Williams finished his collegiate career as the second-leading receiver in NCAA history with 245 receptions and 3,195 receiving yards in only 33 games.
Collecting numerous records and awards, Williams was the only two-time unanimous First Team All-America on the 2005 College Football Hall of Fame ballot. In 1984, he led the nation with a BIG TEN record 101 receptions, becoming only the second player in NCAA history to surpass the 100-reception mark in a single-season. In 1986, Williams was named Illinois Athlete of the Year and participated in the Japan Bowl.

The holder of every Illinois receiving record, Williams twice earned First Team All-Conference recognition and team MVP honors. In 1983, he led the Fighting Illini to their first BIG TEN title in 20 years. Following two seasons in the NFL, Williams flourished in the Canadian Football League where he earned All-Star status five times and was named league MVP in 1988.
He currently works in sales and lives in Cardena, California.

On what it means to join the greats in the College Football Hall of Fame… ‘It shows that my parents did a good job, my school did a good job, my brother did a good job, all my influences in life did a good job in helping me achieve what I wanted and hoped for.”

On helping Illinois reach the Rose Bowl for the first time in 20 years… “Seeing how the city came together that season was special. We went 9-0 in the Big Ten that year, beat everybody after being picked to finish last. It ’s something that stays with you more so than other personal accomplishments.”
Pat Dye
Head Coach - East Carolina University (1974-79), University of Wyoming (1980), Auburn University (1981-92)

A coaching legend, Pat Dye’s career began with success at East Carolina and peaked at Auburn University, where he led the Tigers to their first SEC title in 26 years. In 1974, Dye began his head coaching career with East Carolina. In six years, his East Carolina teams never won fewer than seven games in a season, and in 1978 he guided the Pirates to an Independence Bowl victory, the program’s first bowl appearance in 13 years.

Following one year at Wyoming, Dye found a home with the Auburn Tigers.
Prior to his arrival, Auburn had won only one SEC title in 48 years. During Dye’s 12 seasons with the Tigers, they took home four SEC titles, including three straight from 1987-89. Named National Coach of the Year in 1983, he is one of only seven coaches in college football history to have coached a winner of the Heisman Trophy, Outland Trophy and Lombardi Award.

A three-time SEC Coach of the Year, Dye coached the Tigers to six bowl victories in nine appearances and 99 victories overall. Upon retirement, his total coaching record includes 153 victories against only 62 losses and five ties for a win percentage of .707. Dye currently resides in Notasulga, Alabama.

On what he remembers most about coaching college football… “I started back as a player in Georgia in 1957, coached under Bear Bryant at Alabama for 9 years, became a head coach. Looking back on your life and thinking about all the people who contributed to where I am, it’s a humbling experience, a ride I never could’ve dreamed I would have.”

On one special moment throughout his long coaching career….
To me the highlight was getting the job at Auburn University in 1981.
Everything I’ve done to that point, everything just falls into place. That truly was a special moment for me and one I’ll never forget.”

Don Nehlen
Head Coach - Bowling Green State University (1968-76), West Virginia University (1980-2000)

The greatest coach ever at West Virginia University, Don Nehlen became the 17th coach in NCAA Division I-A history to record 200 career victories.
After winning 53 games in nine seasons at Bowling Green, Nehlen firmly planted himself on the college football landscape at West Virginia. Named National Coach of the Year in 1988, he coached more seasons (21) and won more games (149) than any other coach in Mountaineer history. Selected to coach in numerous Blue-Gray, East-West Shrine and Hula Bowl all-star games, Nehlen coached 15 First Team All-Americas and 82 First Team All-Conference performers.

Helping the Mountaineers to two undefeated regular seasons in 1988 and 1993, Nehlen guided the team to 13 bowl game appearances, 17 winning seasons and the 1993 BIG EAST Conference title. His career record included 202 wins,
128 losses and eight ties.

The 1997 president and a current trustee of the American Football Coaches Association, Nehlen received the 2002 Distinguished West Virginian Award from the WV Broadcasters Association. An all-time great, he is a member of the Mid-American Conference, Bowling Green State University, Gator Bowl and West Virginia University Halls of Fame. Nehlen continues to reside in Morgantown, West Virginia.

On how his life experiences led him to the College Football Hall of Fame… “I grew up in Canton, Ohio, a hotbed for high school sports and football in particular, and I knew I always wanted to coach, I just didn’t know what. I mean I liked football, basketball, and baseball. I wanted to do everything.
I just started at the bottom of high school, started at the bottom, got into college coaching, went to West Virginia, most of our kids hadn’t ever played on a winning team. But they were a good bunch of guys, they wanted to win, and the school built new facilities, and things just took off from there.”

On dealing with increased expectations after years of success… “Expectations are good. When you coach at a school that expects to win, they normally do, you get what you expect and demand. Later on, when we had kids come to West Virginia, they expected to win, and I think that’s good.”

DIVISIONAL ENSHRINEE BIOGRAPHIES

Kevin Dent
Jackson State University (Miss.)
Defensive Back, 1985-88

A fierce defensive talent, Jackson State’s Kevin Dent will become the first defensive player and third overall in school history to enter the College Football Hall of Fame, joining legends Walter Payton and Willie Richardson.

A constant interception threat, Dent is the school’s only three-time First Team All-America selection (1986-88). A three-time Sheridan Black College National Defensive Player of the Year, he led the nation in interceptions in
1986 and currently ranks among the Top 25 in NCAA Division I-AA history with
21 career picks.

At 6-foot-2, 196 pounds, Dent was the leader of a defense that vaulted the Tigers to three consecutive Southwest Athletic Conference championships and a remarkable 27-1 conference record. A three-time First Team All-Conference selection, he was twice named SWAC Defensive Player of the Year.
A two-time Mississippi Sports Writers All-Mississippi Team selection, Dent currently ranks fourth all-time at Jackson State in single-season interceptions (11 in 1988). A community minded individual, he continues to reside in Jackson, Mississippi.

John Friesz
University of Idaho
Quarterback, 1986-89

Arguably the greatest player in the 109-year history of the University of Idaho, quarterback John Friesz will become the school’s first-ever inductee into the College Football Hall of Fame.

A two-time First Team All-America selection, Friesz twice led the nation in passing and received the 1989 Walter Payton Award as Division I-AA’s National Player of the Year. With over 10,000 career passing yards, he ranks among the Top 20 in Division I-AA history.

A Big Sky Conference legend, Friesz was named conference Player of the Year and First Team All-Conference three times while leading the Vandals to three straight conference championships. An eight-time conference Player of the Week mention, he broke virtually every school single-season and career passing record. For all of his prowess, the team’s Most Valuable Player Award was renamed the John Friesz Award.

Drafted in 1990 NFL Draft, Friesz went on to enjoy a 10-year professional career with four teams. An active member in his community, he has hosted a golf tournament benefiting the American Diabetes Association. A member of Big Brothers & Big Sisters, Friesz also participates in numerous charity events for the Specials Olympics.

Ronnie Mallett
University of Central Arkansas
End, 1978-81

A talented wide receiver with impeccable hands and a nose for the ball, Ronnie Mallett will become the University of Central Arkansas’ first-ever inductee into the College Football Hall of Fame.

An offensive force, Mallett earned First Team NAIA All-America honors from 1979-81, the first in school history to achieve the distinction three times.
A team leader and motivational source, he helped guide Central Arkansas to a
33-8-2 record and three conference championships in four seasons.

A three-time All-Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference selection, Mallett shattered numerous receiving records, many of which he still holds
including: single game receiving yards (242), career touchdown receptions
(30) and career receiving yards (2,649). To date, Mallet ranks in UCA’s Top 10 in 20 record categories for receiving.

Despite UCA only averaging 20 pass attempts per game during Mallet’s four-year tenure, he is tied for the school record with nine 100-yard receiving games and has three of UCA’s four 200-yard receiving game performances.

Jerry Rice
Mississippi Valley State University
Wide Receiver, 1981-84

Widely regarded as one of the greatest wide receivers in football history on any level, Mississippi Valley State’s Jerry Rice will join his teammate Willie Totten as both ends of the famed Delta Devil “Satellite Express” will now be members of the College Football Hall of Fame.

A two-time First Team All-America selection, Rice finished ninth in the 1984 Heisman Trophy voting as he set numerous Division I-AA records including single-season receptions (103) and receiving yards (1,450). A three-time First Team All-Conference pick, Rice was named the 1984 SWAC Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year for the State of Mississippi. A member of the Super South 11, he shattered school records with 310 career receptions, 4,856 receiving yards and 51 touchdowns.

Drafted in the first round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers, Rice became arguably the greatest player in NFL history. In 20 seasons, he was named to the Pro Bowl 13 times, won three Super Bowls and broke virtually every receiving record. His NFL totals exceed 1,500 receptions, 22,000 receiving yards and 200 touchdowns.

In the community, Rice volunteers with the March of the Dimes, Packard Children’s Hospital, Nike PLAY program, Team Up for Healthy Kids, United Way and The Jerry Rice “127” Foundation.

Coach Dick Farley
Williams College (Mass.) (1987-2003)
Head Coach, 114-19-3, .849

A fixture at Williams College for 17 years, Dick Farley brought the Ephs to great heights and established himself as one of the greatest Division III coaches of all-time.

The only coach in Williams history to post a perfect season – a feat he accomplished five times, Farley was named Gridiron Club of Greater Boston New England Coach of the Year four times, NESCAC Coach of the Year twice and Division III Regional Coach of the Year in 1996 by AFCA. The recipient of the Johnny Vaught Lifetime Achievement Award, he recorded New England’s longest Division III win streak (23 games).

In 17 years, Williams did not have a losing season on Farley’s watch. He recorded 128 consecutive games without back-to-back losses, amassed 11 seasons with at least seven wins and had 12 seasons with one or zero losses.
A masterful leader, he coached nine First Team All-Americas.

Williams’ all-time winningest coach, Farley retired with an overall record of 114-19-3 for a win percentage of .849, which currently ranks him sixth among coaches in all divisions in college football history.

Coach John Gagliardi
Carroll College (Mont.) (1949-52), Saint John’s University (Minn.)
(1953-present)
Head Coach, 432-118-11, .780

In 2003, John Gagliardi won his 409th game to pass Eddie Robinson as the winningest coach in the history of college football. Few people have influenced the game of football more on the small college level, and he isn’
t done.

Last season, Gagliardi’s 57th, tied him with fellow Hall of Famer Amos Alonzo Staggs for most seasons coached in college football history. His teams have won four national championships, 27 conference titles and have appeared in 51 national playoff games. Despite his long tenure, Gagliardi has had only two teams with losing records and none since 1967.

To date, Gagliardi has a remarkable record of 432-118-11 for a winning percentage of .780. In 1993, the trophy that has annually been given to the Player of the Year on the Division III level was renamed the Gagliardi Trophy in recognition of the coach’s career and influence.

A leader on the gridiron and off, Gagliardi has served as athletics director at both Carroll College and Saint John’s. In addition to football, he has coached and won championships in track and ice hockey at SJU. His insights and strategy have been documented in four books written about the coach.

Coach Vernon “Skip” McCain
(Posthumously)
Maryland State College (1948-63)
Head Coach, 102-21-5, .810

For more than a quarter of a century Maryland State College was regarded as a football powerhouse among historically black colleges. The architect of
16 of these teams was head coach Vernon “Skip” McCain.

Named Coach of the Year by the Pigskin Club of Washington in 1950, McCain led his teams to four Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles and never recorded a single losing season in 16 years at the helm.

With a career record of 102-21-5, McCain is one of only 28 coaches in the history of college football to have a winning percentage greater than .800 among those whom have coached at least nine seasons. A leader of men, he guided MSC to three undefeated seasons and seven seasons of seven wins or more. For all of his accomplishments, he was named to the MSC and Langston University Halls of Fame.

In the community, McCain served as the school’s athletics director, head baseball coach and head basketball coach during his career. An active member of the Metropolitan United Church, he was a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and the Langston University Alumni Association.

2006 ENSHRINEMENT FESTIVAL AWARD HONOREES

CHRIS SCHENKEL AWARD
Honoring a college football broadcaster who has had a long and distinguished career Johnny Holliday University of Maryland

Since 1979, Holliday’s distinctive voice has been synonymous with Terrapin football and basketball, serving as the school’s play-by-play announcer for more than 1,075 games as well as the host of the school’s coaches’ shows.
Considered Washington, D.C.’s most versatile broadcaster, he has announced for nine bowl games, five Olympics, the Washington Redskins, and the Masters. A 25-year veteran with ABC sports, his sports reports are heard mornings coast-to-coast on the ABC Radio Network.

A 2003 inductee into the Radio-Television Broadcasters Hall of Fame, Holliday penned a 2002 autobiography entitled “Johnny Holliday, from Rock to Jock,” highlighting his transition from the nation’s No. 1 Top 40 disc jockey in the 1960s to his current position as a renowned sports broadcaster.

Holliday is also heavily involved in charity work, having raised over $1.5 million for various causes, and he has had a flourishing acting career with more than 30 leading roles in Summer Stock productions. Career highlights include playing the last record on 1010 WINS before the New York station went all news in 1965, emceeing the Beatles last concert, at Candlestick Park, in 1966 and spotting for Chris Schenkel during the Cleveland Browns – New York Giants’ games in the early ‘60s.

THE BERT MCGRANE AWARD
Presented by the Football Writers Association of America for distinguished service to the organization and in the promotion of college football John Junker President/CEO, Tostitos Fiesta Bowl President/CEO

During his 17-year tenure with the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, first as executive director and now as president and chief executive officer, John Junker has presided over three national championship games and will oversee a fourth in January 2007.

Junker played a pivotal role in the Fiesta Bowl’s entry into the Bowl Championship Series, and helped expand the events hosted by the Bowl’s volunteer-based committee to more than 50 a year, including three bowl games (Insight Bowl, Tostitos Fiesta Bowl and BCS National Championship Game) in the 2006-07 bowl season.

In 2003, Sports Illustrated named him the seventh most powerful person in college football. Junker recently joined tournament of Roses director Dave Davis as representatives from BCS bowl games on the NFF board.

His vision has played a key role in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl’s expansion into one of the nation's leading civic celebration, and he has worked to see the organization dramatically increase its popularity as a community-based and volunteer-driven year-round entity.

2006 Enshrinement Festival Schedule

FRIDAY, AUGUST 11

Enshrinement Celebrity Golf Scramble
Registration - 7:30 a.m., Shotgun Start - 9:00 a.m. (Blackthorn Golf Club, South Bend, Ind.)

Enshrinement Gathering on the Gridiron
5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. (Outdoor concert on the Hall of Fame’s Gridiron
Plaza)
Autograph Session “A”
5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. (Hall of Fame Gridiron Plaza – Autograph Tent)

SATURDAY, AUGUST 12

Enshrinement FanFest
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (Hall of Fame and surrounding area)

Enshrinement Parade
9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. (Downtown South Bend) Autograph Session “B”
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (Hall of Fame Gridiron Plaza – Autograph Tent)

Enshrinee Flag Football Game
12:45 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. (Hall of Fame Gridiron Plaza)

Enshrinee Youth Football Clinic
1:45 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. (Hall of Fame Gridiron Plaza) Enshrinee Autograph Session “C”
3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. (Hall of Fame Gridiron Plaza – Autograph Tent)

Enshrinement Reception, Silent Auction, & Dinner and Show Reception and Silent Auction: 6:00 p.m., Dinner and Show: 7:30 p.m.
(Century Center)
Event features the official enshrinement of the 2006 Hall of Fame Class as well as the presentation of the Chris Schenkel Award to University of Maryland broadcaster Johnny Holliday and the Bert McGrane Award to Tostitos Fiesta Bowl President/CEO John Junker.

** Visit www.collegefootball.org for detailed information on each event **

ABOUT THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL FOUNDATION & COLLEGE HALL OF FAME With 120 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, a non-profit educational organization, runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. The NFF presents the MacArthur Trophy, the Draddy Trophy, presented by HealthSouth, and releases the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Standings. NFF programs include the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., Play It Smart, the NFF Center for Youth Development Through Sport at Springfield College (Mass.), the NFL-NFF Coaching Academy, and scholarships of over $1 million for college and high school scholar-athletes. Learn more at www.footballfoundation.org.

ABOUT THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME
The College Football Hall of Fame, an initiative of The National Football Foundation, stands as one of the nation’s premier sports shrines, preserving and dramatizing the history of the game to an ever broadening audience of fans while holding up the greatest players and coaches as role models who highlight the game’s positive values. For more information on the College Football Hall of Fame and its 2006 Enshrinement Festival, visit www.collegefootball.org.

Contacts:
Phil Marwill, director of communications
Phone: 1-800-486-1865, ext. 118

David Saba, public relations coordinator College Football Hall of Fame
Phone: 574-235-5717

College Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Class Headed for Immortality

2006-08-09T09:37:00.000-05:00

The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame

20 Hall of Famers forever enshrined August 11-12 at Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind.

SOUTH BEND, Ind., August 8, 2006 – Fifteen players and five coaches will receive college football’s highest honor when they are officially enshrined into The National Football Foundation’s (NFF) College Football Hall of Fame on August 11-12 in South Bend, Ind.

The 2006 College Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Class

2006 College Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Class

Division I-A Class:

PLAYERS
Cornelius Bennett - LB, Alabama, 1983-86 Tom Curtis - DB, Michigan, 1967-69 Anthony Davis - RB, Southern California, 1972-74 Keith Dorney - OT, Penn State, 1975-78 Jim Houston - E, Ohio State, 1957-59 John Huarte - QB, Notre Dame, 1962-64 Roosevelt Leaks - FB, Texas, 1972-74 Mark May - OT, Pittsburgh, 1977-80 Joe Washington - RB, Oklahoma, 1972-75 Paul Wiggin - DT, Stanford, 1954-56 David Williams - WR, Illinois, 1983-85

COACHES
Pat Dye - East Carolina (1974-79), Wyoming (1980), Auburn (1981-92),
153-62-5
Don Nehlen - Bowling Green (1968-76), West Virginia (1980-2000), 202-128-8

Divisional Class:

PLAYERS
Kevin Dent – DB, Jackson State, 1985-88
John Friesz - QB, Idaho, 1986-89
Ronnie Mallett - E, Central Arkansas, 1979-81 Jerry Rice - WR, Mississippi Valley State, 1981-84

COACHES
Dick Farley – Williams (Mass.) (1987 – 2003), 114-19-3 John Gagliardi – Carroll (Mont.) (1949-52), St. John’s (Minn.) (1953-Present), 432-118-11 Skip McCain – Maryland State (1948-63), 102-21-5 (posthumously)

2006 Enshrinement Festival Award Honorees

CHRIS SCHENKEL AWARD
A distinguished career in college football broadcasting Johnny Holliday, University of Maryland broadcaster

THE BERT McGRANE AWARD
Distinguished service to the college football writing profession and the Football Writers Association of America John Junker, Tostitos Fiesta Bowl President/CEO

** Visit www.collegefootball.org for biographies **.

INTERVIEW TIMES

Media access, in person at the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind. or over the phone, for all members of the 2006 College Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Class will be available on:

* Friday, August 11 between 7:30 am - 9:00 am (EDT)
* Saturday, August 12 between 11:30 am - 12:30 pm and 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm.

SATELLITE FEED COORDINATES AND TIMES

A satellite feed that includes 30-second interviews with each member of the
2006 Hall of Fame Class, event highlights and b-roll of the Hall’s interior and exterior will be available at digital space coordinates AMC5, transponder 12B on both days with new footage added at:

* Friday, August 11 between 3:30 pm - 3:45 pm (EDT); and
* Saturday, August 12 between 9:00 pm - 9:15 pm

Please contact Public Relations Coordinator David Saba for interview requests and an advance copy of your media packet(s) and press credential(s). Saba can be contacted at 574-235-5717

2006 Enshrinement Festival Schedule

FRIDAY, AUGUST 11

Enshrinement Celebrity Golf Scramble
Registration - 7:30 a.m., Shotgun Start - 9:00 a.m. (Blackthorn Golf Club, South Bend, Ind.)

Enshrinement Gathering on the Gridiron
5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. (Outdoor concert on the Hall of Fame’s Gridiron
Plaza)

Autograph Session “A”
5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. (Hall of Fame Gridiron Plaza – Autograph Tent)

SATURDAY, AUGUST 12

Enshrinement FanFest
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (Hall of Fame and surrounding area)

Enshrinement Parade
9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. (Downtown South Bend)

Autograph Session “B”
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (Hall of Fame Gridiron Plaza – Autograph Tent)

Enshrinee Flag Football Game
12:45 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. (Hall of Fame Gridiron Plaza)

Enshrinee Youth Football Clinic
1:45 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. (Hall of Fame Gridiron Plaza)

Enshrinee Autograph Session “C”
3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. (Hall of Fame Gridiron Plaza – Autograph Tent)

Enshrinement Reception, Silent Auction, & Dinner and Show Reception and Silent Auction: 6:00 p.m., Dinner and Show: 7:30 p.m.
(Century Center)
Event features the official enshrinement of the 2006 Hall of Fame Class as well as the presentation of the Chris Schenkel Award to University of Maryland broadcaster Johnny Holliday and the Bert McGrane Award to Tostitos Fiesta Bowl President/CEO John Junker.

** Visit www.collegefootball.org for more details on the schedule**

The College Football Hall of Fame, an initiative of The National Football Foundation, stands as one of the nation’s premier sports shrines, preserving and dramatizing the history of the game to an ever broadening audience of fans while holding up the greatest players and coaches as role models who highlight the game’s positive values. For more information on the College Football Hall of Fame and its 2006 Enshrinement Festival, visit www.collegefootball.org.

With 119 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, a non-profit educational organization, runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. Learn more at www.footballfoundation.org.

Contacts:
Phil Marwill, NFF director of communications
Phone: 800-486-1865, ext. 118

David Saba, public relations coordinator College Football Hall of Fame
Phone: 574-235-5717

News and Notes From Around College Football for August 7, 2006

2006-08-07T19:13:00.000-05:00

The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, Inc.

Monday's Chalktalk

http://www.footballfoundation.com/news.php?id=922

Editor’s Note

Chris Caputo, National Football Foundation communications assistant who helped launch Chalktalk earlier this year, has enrolled at George Washington Law School in Washington, D.C. A scholar-athlete from the NFF’s Morris County Chapter (N.J.), Caputo went on to attend the University of Pennsylvania where he played sprint football as a defensive back and graduated with honors in 2004. We wish Chris the best of luck in law school, and we thank him for his dedication, professionalism and passion for the game and the NFF’s mission.

College Football Hall of Fame to Enshrine 20 Legends Aug. 11-12

On August 11-12, college football fans across the country will gather at the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., for a series of events that will pay tribute to the storied careers of 20 of the game’s greatest stars. Out of the more than 4.5 million individuals who have played college football, only 800 players and 173 coaches have been immortalized with a place in the sport’s most hallowed institution. Established in 1951 by the National Football Foundation, the College Football Hall of Fame will recognize a Division I-A Class this week that includes:
Cornelius Bennett (Alabama); Tom Curtis (Michigan); Anthony Davis (Southern California); Keith Dorney (Penn State); Jim Houston (Ohio State); John Huarte (Notre Dame); Roosevelt Leaks (Texas); Mark May (Pittsburgh); Joe Washington (Oklahoma) Paul Wiggin (Stanford); David Williams (Illinois), Coach Pat Dye (East Carolina, Wyoming, Auburn); and Coach Don Nehlen (Bowling Green, West Virginia). Players and coaches from the divisional ranks include: Kevin Dent (Jackson State); John Friesz (Idaho); Ronnie Mallett (Central Arkansas); Jerry Rice (Miss. Valley State); Coach Dick Farley (Williams - Mass.); Coach John Gagliardi (Carroll College (Mont.), St. John's (Minn.); and Coach Vernon "Skip" McCain (Maryland State College).

College Football Hall of Famers Highlight Pro Hall of Fame Class

Harry Carson, a divisional 2002 inductee into the College Football Hall of Fame, and the late Reggie White, also a 2002 inductee into the College Football Hall of Fame, earned induction this past weekend into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Carson, a 1975 First Team All-America, led South Carolina State to back-to-back conference championships. White, a 1983 unanimous All-America, struck fear into quarterbacks, setting countless records for sacks and tackles at Tennessee.
Troy Aikman, a 2006 ballot candidate for the College Hall of Fame, was also part of this year’s Pro Hall of Fame class. Aikman earned consensus First Team All-America honors in 1988 while leading UCLA to consecutive bowl games. Other members of the Pro Hall’s 2006 class include: Warren Moon, the
1977 Pac-10 Co-Player of the Year and 1978 Rose Bowl MVP from Washington; Rayfield Wright, an All-America at Fort Valley State (Ga.); and Coach John Madden, who played two-ways as an All-Conference player for California Polytechnic College at San Luis Obispo in 1957 and 1958.

Two-Minute Drill

The USA Today Coaches’ Poll was released last week with Ohio State, Texas, Notre Dame, Southern California and Oklahoma, claiming the top five spots, respectively. The Coaches’ Poll serves as one of the key components in the BCS Standings, which is tabulated and released by the National Football Foundation and determines who plays for the national championship… The Division I board of directors decided to change the names of Division I-A and Division I-AA to reflect their post-season formats to “Football Bowl Subdivision” and “NCAA Football Championship Subdivision,” respectively, starting in December…

America Football Monthly released its annual list of “Hot Coaches.” The list includes West Virginia’s Rich Rodriquez, Colorado’s Dan Hawkins, San Diego State’s Chuck Long (a 1999 College Football Hall of Fame inductee as a player from Iowa), Navy’s Paul Johnson, Louisville’s Bobby Petrino, UCLA’s Karl Dorrell, and Mississippi Valley State’s Willie Totten (a 2005 College Football Hall of Fame inductee as a player from Mississippi Valley State)… Thirty-three candidates made the Jim Thorpe Award watch list Aug. 3. The winner of the award, annually presented to the nation's best college defensive back, will be announced December 7 on ESPN's College Football Awards Show… Jimmy Harper, the 2002 recipient of the National Football Foundation’s Outstanding Official Award, has retired from the SEC officiating crew after 43 years of service… Trev Alberts, a 1993 unanimous First Team All-America and a 2006 candidate on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot from Nebraska, will join broadcasters Tom Hart, Carter Blackburn, Brian Jones and Jonathan Coachman as part of the CSTV team responsible for the network’s college football coverage.

Florida coach Urban Meyer handed his freshmen, touted by some as the Gators’
best class ever, a photo of the five rings earned by the school’s class of ’
93, which claimed four Southeastern Conference championship rings and a national title ring…Buffalo has signed an agreement to play Penn State on Sept. 15, 2007. In 2006, the Bulls’ schedule includes Auburn, Boston College and Wisconsin… Texas A&M is resisting the Big 12 Conference’s call to move team bands from behind a visitor’s bench. Associate Athletics Director Alan Cannon said the band would not move for the upcoming season… Wake Forest announced details for the third phase of its Groves Stadium renovation project, including plans for club seats, premium club tables and box suites, a new press box and ground level restrooms and concessions.

Florida State will hold its annual Fan Day on Sunday, August 13… ASU Athletics has launched a “Lay Down the Law!” initiative for Sun Devil Fans where individuals can suggest laws, which will be displayed on billboards, that can be applied to ASU sports… Western Michigan will host its Inaugural Bronco Football Women's Clinic Aug. 13… Akron will play host to its annual "Meet the Team" Day event on Aug. 13 with head coach J.D. Brookhart and the entire Zips squad signing autographs and posing for pictures with fans… Notre Dame revamped its Web site www.und.com to provide free audio/coverage for the 2006-07 with a New Fighting Irish All-Access Package… During its Sept. 9 home game against Air Force, Tennessee will recognize the retired numbers of four former Volunteer football players who died during World War II : Bill Nowling, Rudy Klarer, Willis Tucker, Clyde "Ig" Fuson. To commemorate the 30th anniversary of its 1976 national championship, Pittsburgh will honor the team during the Panthers’
season-opening contest with Virginia Sept. 2…

Mid-American Conference Commissioner Rick Chryst announced 50 of the 69 home games will be televised commercially and the conference has partnered with XOS Technologies Inc. to provide Internet broadcasting of 19 games this season... Florida International Athletics Director Rick Mello announced that the Golden Panthers will expand their radio partnerships to include three radio stations with signals that will cover from Palm Beach to Key West. Oregon State announced that Fox Sport Network NW will carry all local Beaver telecasts that were previously aired on the “Beaver Sports Television Network”… Sun Sports is broadcasting “Under The Lights: George O'Leary,” a profile of the Central Florida head coach and the Golden Knights’ historic
2005 season and first bowl berth… Middle Tennessee State Athletics Director Chris Massaro and Cumulus Broadcasting announced that WFN 106.7 FM - The Fan will be Nashville’s flagship radio affiliate for the Blue Raider Network this season.

Tulsa Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham announced that head coach Steve Kragthorpe signed a new six-year contract through the 2011 season… Former Zips standout offensive linemen Mike Grzeskowiak was named offensive graduate assistant at Akron… The Ivy League announced the addition of three staff members for the 2006-07 season: Wesley Harris and Bethany Karantonis, as public information coordinators, and Megan McHugo as a compliance coordinator.

Former Baylor football assistant Tom Adams, 48, died Aug. 2… Former Florida State quarterback Gary Pajcic died Aug. 2 at the age of 58… Paul Eells, the “Voice of the Razorbacks”, died in an automobile accident July 31. Known for his trademark phrase “Touchdown, Arkansas”, Eells, 70, earned the affection of the entire state and Gov. Mike Huckabee called for state flags to fly at half-staff.

Schedule Spotlight: Post New Years Day Non-BCS Games

Bowl - Date - Television Partner

Outback - Jan. 1 - ESPN
AT&T Cotton - Jan. 1 - Fox
Toyota Gator - Jan. 1 - NBC
Capital One - Jan. 1 - ABC
International - Jan. 6 - ESPN2
GMAC - Jan. 7 - ESPN

With 120 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, a non-profit educational organization, runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. The NFF presents the MacArthur Trophy, the Draddy Trophy presented by HealthSouth and releases the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Standings. NFF programs include the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., Play It Smart, the NFF Center for Youth Development Through Sport at Springfield College (Mass.), the NFL-NFF Coaching Academy, and scholarships of over $1 million for college and high school scholar-athletes.

For more information, please visit www.footballfoundation.org

NFF Contacts
Phil Marwill.......................Director of Communications Hillary Jeffries...................Special Projects Assistant
22 Maple Avenue
Morristown, NJ 07960
800.486.1865 (phone)

Brevard College Conducts First Football Practice

2006-08-06T20:53:00.000-05:00

The Brevard College football team held its first practice session in more than 50 years Saturday morning with 97 players participating. “We got great effort out of our players today, from the first whistle to the last sprint,” said head coach Bobby Poss at the conclusion the three-hour session that included a physical fitness test. “It was a tremendous effort. They are quick learners and followed instructions well, this enabled us to have an organized practice. In our terminology, they are ‘very coach-able,’ a solid group.”

Poss, who was hired as Head Coach in early January, pointed out that the whole effort of establishing football at Brevard College has been on an accelerated schedule and team preparation for the first game against UVA Wise on August 26 is no exception. “Effort and attitude was fantastic. As much as we were pleased with the attitude and effort today, the reality is that we have a long way to go, physically, in order to be ready to play college football against the teams on our schedule.”

According to Poss, the two major challenges faced by the coaching staff are 1) determining starting positions from among the nearly 100 new football players who reported for pre-season practice and 2) installing as much of the offensive and packages as possible in just 21 practice opportunities. “It is really too early to talk about individual players. The only thing we knew about these players coming in is what we had seen on film, and I don’t think we will be able to say much until we have body-to-body contact on Thursday. Our first full-scale scrimmage, with officials, is scheduled for Saturday morning (August 12). There is a lot of competition for position on the depth chart, but we are a long way from determining our starters.”

The morning practice session include a physical fitness test that challenged the team’s conditioning. “The fitness test this morning allows us to assess that we arrived in decent physical shape but not really where our team conditioning needs to be. But, if they work every drill and every practice like we did today, we will be ok.”

Brevard College boasts a distinguished and successful history in intercollegiate athletics, winning nine national team championships as a junior college (1934-2000). During this period, more than 200 Brevard College student athletes received All American honors. Brevard College competed in football from 1934 to 1953. After the post-war boom in college attendance and athletics participation, some of Brevard’s rivals became four-year institutions while BC and several of remaining junior college institutions made the decision to drop their football programs.

Since completing the transition to a four-year institution in 2000, the College has been an active member of the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Over the past five years, Brevard athletic teams have earned 10 conference titles and made 9 national tournament appearances.

2006 marks a pivotal year for the athletics program at Brevard College as the Tornados transition from the NAIA to NCAA Division II and add football, cycling and cheerleading as varsity sports. Last week, the NCAA notified Brevard College that it has been accepted as a provisional member. [BC began operating under NCAA Division II recruiting regulations, effective January 2006]. Participating as an independent during the provisional period, Brevard has worked out a cooperative scheduling agreement with the South Atlantic Conference and will use SAC officials for all sports.

Athletics director Tom Collins observed, “I thought today’s practice session was a very positive reflection on the outstanding job that Coach Poss and his staff have done in bringing this team from concept to reality in just eight months. It is really quite amazing what they have accomplished in recruiting this team and I am not sure anyone has ever achieved such results in such a short period. The practice was obviously well-planned organized. I am excited and believe this whole community is excited about this team and the upcoming season.”

The Brevard College Tornado Club will host a “Pigskin Pig-out Party” at 6:30 p.m. on Friday August 11. Former University of Georgia head football coach and athletic director Vince Dooley will be the special guest speaker at this festive event which will feature Brevard College coach Bobby Poss and the new Tornados football team. Attendees will be able to purchase Brevard College athletic game tickets and athletic apparel as they enjoy live music and barbeque alongside King’s Creek. WSQL 1240 AM, the official radio station of Brevard College athletics, will broadcast the event live. Tickets to the “Pigskin Pig-out Party,” which includes the barbeque dinner, are $15 for adults and $5 each for children. Tickets may be purchased from Tornado Club members or through the Brevard College Athletics Department at (828)884-8276.

General admission tickets for home football games cost $10 for adults, $5 for students, and may be purchased at the gate. Tickets may also be purchased in advance from the Brevard College Athletics Department; the Brevard College Institutional Advancement Office and the Brevard Chamber of Commerce. Tickets will be available for public distribution after August 11, 2006. All-Sports passes are distributed as a benefit to members of the Brevard College Tornado Club, based on giving level. The All-Sports Pass provides single admission to all regular season home athletic events, including home football games. A separate VIP seating area is reserved for Tornado Club members. Members may purchase additional All-Sports passes for $50 each.

The first scrimmage, scheduled for 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, and other scheduled practices are open to the public. Spectators are asked to refrain from entering the practice area and to avoid interrupting the practice session in any manner.

The Bottom Line -- 2006 Season Preview Part Two/Page 1

2006-08-04T09:25:00.000-05:00

Columnist Chris Kelly provides an inside look on the upcoming Great West Football Conference season

Aug. 3, 2006

What are they saying? The last two years the GWFC roundtable helped out on a weekly basis by contributing some thoughts on each game of the week. The contributors all cover Great West teams and know these teams as well as anyone. They're back and will continue to offer their insights and perspective throughout the course of the season. First off they'll start with some overall thoughts on this season's Great West race.

Kent Schmidt, I-AA West Columnist, I-AA.org: "Cal Poly and UC Davis appear to be the top two schools again this year as they have been the prior two seasons and the GWFC title may be decided when the two meet October 7th in San Luis Obispo. The two will have to fend off opposition from North Dakota State but I think Cal Poly will wind up winning the title this year and again making the post season."

Jeff Kolpack, North Dakota State beat writer, Fargo Forum: "It's been hot and sunny all summer in the Upper Midwest, so it's kind of tough to start thinking football. But here it goes. Cal Poly lost some key players from last year starting with Chris Gocong. But in watching all five teams last season, my gut feeling tells me the Mustangs had the best overall talent. I'm not going to pick against a team that has James Noble in the backfield. And I thought receiver Ramses Barden was the most talented receiver in the league.

Davis has Jon Grant back at quarterback, but I'm a little suspect of the Aggies' defense with graduations and defections. SDSU returns solid running backs in Watson and Koenig. Like Davis, I'm not convinced its defense is good enough to win a league title.

Southern Utah needed some work from last year and how are we to know how good the new players are. But the fact a team has to depend on new faces is not a promising sign for this year.

That brings me to the team in my backyard. The Bison have a few question marks: How healthy is Steve Walker's knee? With Cinque Chapman academically ineligible, can Kyle Steffes carry the load all season? Is there any depth on the defensive line? NDSU overall keeps getting better in I-AA football, but at the same time, its schedule keeps getting tougher. The Bison play two I-A games and are on the road six weeks in seven games in one stretch.

By the time the GWFC season rolls around, the Bison stand a good chance of being either too beat up or too road weary.

So, the picks: 1. Cal Poly 2. UC Davis 3. NDSU 4. SDSU 5. SUU

Michael Mirer, U.C. Davis beat writer, Davis Enterprise: "My favorite thing about Cal Poly is its predictability.

I know that the Mustangs will struggle to score points consistently, but win games with their defense. They'll play a classic game with UC Davis that will come down to the final possession. And they'll have a Buck Buchanan winner/finalist that will go on to sign a pro contract. You can write those in with pen every year.

Does that sound cynical? Fear not because there will be something new this season. This is the year we start to list Cal Poly among the perennial playoff favorites in I-AA. And that's great for the league, which, despite its size and cohort of transitional teams, is one of the best in I-AA.

In fact: the top three teams in the GWFC (Cal Poly, North Dakota State and UC Davis) are as good as any comparable list you could make from any other I-AA conference. I'm taking the Mustangs this year because everything lines up perfectly for them in those two key match-ups. UC Davis has a young front seven, which will struggle to stand up to the option for 60 minutes. NDSU has a brutal schedule and some uncertainty offensively, which isn't good news, given that the Bison haven't done much offensively against the Mustangs in two years.

But it should be fun.

GWFC Projections (Listed in projected order of finish)

1. CAL POLY - Cal Poly's most successful season at the I-AA level last season saw them capture a share of the Great West conference title, beat Montana in Missoula, win a second Buck Buchanan award, and advance into the quarterfinals of the national playoffs. Couple a young, athletic offense with the best defense of the Rich Ellerson era and it not only makes the Mustangs the team to beat in the Great West, but a national championship contender.

Defense - If there is one thing we've learned over the past few seasons it's that head coach Rich Ellerson knows defense. Every time the Mustangs appear to be in a situation where the defense will need to be rebuilt the Mustangs coach is able to reload without problems. I've talked about the complication of defending the Mustangs Double Eagle Flex defense, but Cal Poly's ability to plug in players who contribute immediately can't be understated either. The great news for Mustang fans is the defense doesn't need to be rebuilt in 2006 and stands to be better than any they've had over the past few years. This group has eight starters returning, a handful of all-American candidates, and a couple of guys who could win the Buchanan. Perhaps the one area of concern is along the line where the Mustangs lost both ends in Buchanan winner, Chris Gocong (23.5 sacks) and Matt Cachere (10.0 sacks). The foursome that will attempt to replace the losses at end are expected starters Adam Torosian (DE), and Carlton Gillespie (Quick end) along with backups Louis Sheppard and Ryan Shotwell. The starter jobs haven't been awarded yet and these battles will be hotly contested during fall camp. Still, the four have combined for 29 tackles at the college level. As untested as the ends are Chris White brings back a wealth of athletic ability coupled with great size at 6'3, 273. The senior defensive tackle, a first team Sports Network All-American, had 42 tackles along with 10.5 sacks last season. The final starter along the line is nose guard Sean Lawyer who notched seven tackles last season. While the line is the question mark heading into the season the rest of the defense is as solid as it gets. The secondary returns four starters, but not in the traditional sense. Randy Samuel, (54 tackles, 5 pd) a starting corner last season, moves over to strong safety this season to replace departed Aaron Williams. He's joined by free safety Kenny Chicoine, who has 15 career interceptions and is one of the best at his position nationally. The two starting corners are standout All-American Courtney Brown and Anthony Randolph. Brown, the Mustangs lock down corner with 4.5 speed returns this season after a strong '05 campaign which saw him nab seven picks and breakup 12 passes. He is considered by some to be one of the top two corners in I-AA and will probably play corner or free safety at the next level. Randolph (mentioned in Part I of the preview) moves over from his starting wide receiver position. Finally, the linebackers return virtually in tact. The loss of Tom Curiel doesn't hurt much when you have starters Kyle Shotwell (158, 13.5 for loss, 5 sacks) and Justin Peek (47 tackles, 6 fl, 2 sacks) returning as well as sophomore Mark Restelli. (83 tackles, 3 sacks) While Chris White is more of the lesser known potential Buchanan candidate, Shotwell is the big name most fans recognize from a huge season in 2005. The linebackers and secondary as a group could be the best in the nation, which should speak to their tremendous athletic ability. In fact, in Brown, Chicoine, Shotwell, and White you have players who are all among the top 5 at their position across the nation. This defense will get its accolades throughout the year, but the difference between a very, very good defense and a great, dominating defense rests in the play of the inexperience along the line.

Offense - The biggest difference in this years Mustang team should be the explosive capability of the offense. This group held its own last season but started a handful of freshman who return a year wiser. Now this group has aspirations of taking the program to the next level. In fact, Cal Poly is expected to start seven sophomores this season, all whom saw plenty of playing time a year ago so it's not a question of inexperience. One of those sophomores is James Noble, the key around which the offense is built. Last season Cal Poly averaged over 200 yards rushing per game (21st) the number will probably remain about the same this season if Noble has his say. The Mustangs are sure to feed their nearly 1600 yard back the ball at least the 18 carries he averaged last season. If he can repeat the successes of a year ago Noble is sure to find himself a Walter Payton candidate by year's end. To begin the season there's no doubt the opposition will game plan around stopping Noble and force quarterback Matt Brennan to beat them. Brennan came on last season when Anthony Garnett was injured during a game in Montana. After a brutal game at Davis, his football play was efficient enough to help his team win three key games which helped the Mustangs earn he school's first ever playoff birth. Brennan is a mobile quarterback with a big arm whose ability to run the option and improvise is a huge asset, but he must improve his passing this season. He finished under 50% completion rate throwing seven picks to just four touchdowns. Let's not forget, though, that Brennan was just a freshman last year forced into action. Expect that Brennan's comfort level has increased over the spring as well as his ability to lead this team. And feeling more comfortable surely goes hand in hand with the return of four starters along the offensive line, highlighted by (of course) sophomore center Stephen Field. Field stepped into a starting role as a freshman last season and hasn't looked back earning first team All-GWFC. He's already getting looks from pro scouts and could be a national All-American by years end, the kid is that good. Back are tackles Josh Mayfield and Dylan Roddick, as well as guard Julai Tuua. Another sophomore, Mike Porter, takes over at quick guard for Beau Finato. Cal Poly is known to generally have smaller offensive lines than their opponents which will be the case again in most instances this season. But the Mustangs prefer the smaller, quicker, more athletic lineman which has consistently been successful for them and their option. If fans enjoyed watching Noble last season, they should be very excited to watch the Mustangs sophomore receiving duo, Ramses Barden and Tredale Tolver. Barden led the team in receiving last season with 655 yards and nine touchdowns. His 6'6 220 frame and physical ability to go get the ball makes a difficult matchup for opposing cornerbacks. Barden, like Field, is also drawing some early interest from NFL scouts. He and Tolver (20 catches, 315 yards) will be the face of Cal Poly wide receivers for three years to come. Cal Poly is loaded offensively with dynamic talents at the skill positions along with a very good line. This group could be the ultimate compliment to a talented defense but it all rests on Matt Brennan's maturity as a quarterback.

Schedule - While the Mustangs schedule is loaded, it's probably as favorable as a team can get considering the difficult competition. Cal Poly opens with three games that should put them at 3-0. Then San Jose State, U.C. Davis, and South Dakota State are cushioned by a game with Southern Utah and a bye making the first eight weeks of the season pretty bearable. It's not until the stretch run that the Mustangs will see a monster test with three consecutive road games: San Diego State, Montana, and North Dakota State. A playoff birth could be hinging on the outcomes of all of those final three games.

Key Game - @ Montana, 11/4. Yes, the Davis game is important but this game is the benchmark against which all I-AA teams are measured. Last season when the Mustangs beat the Grizzlies for the first time in 11 tries it removed the monkey from the Mustangs back, and picked up the school's first ever playoff win in one swoop. Montana is I-AA football and any team aspiring to win a national championship has to go through the Griz. Cal Poly has those aspirations so they need to prove last year's result wasn't a fluke.

2. UC DAVIS - The Aggies had a Jekyll and Hyde season of sorts, losing games they should have won yet winning tough games against Cal Poly, at North Dakota State and Stanford. UCD was still able to preserve their winning streak, which now stands at 36 years. Another tough schedule awaits, but with almost the entire offense returning and key components of the defense also back, the Aggies are my pick to finish 2nd in the Great West.

Offense - Over the years the Aggies have been known for their offense and this year appears to be one of those years where this Aggie fans should be very excited about the prospects of a huge 2006 season. After all, the UC Davis returns nine starters on offense including their quarterback, top receiver, and running back. The quarterback, Jon Grant, is back for his senior season and his experience in the offense will be a huge benefit. He leads an offense that averaged nearly 270 yards passing a game last season, good enough for 17th nationally. Grant has shown signs of brilliance and an ability to win the big game over the course of his first two seasons at quarterback so expect those numbers to shoot even higher in 2006. That's especially true because Grant is surrounded by big talent, specifically his All-American wide receiver Tony Kays. Both Grant and Kays were profiled in part I of the preview and that will be the first of many, many times these two will be talked about together. Grant will look to his star receiver more often as Kays touchdowns numbers improve this season as the most experienced receiver on the team. While Kays is one of the top wide receivers in the nation, the receivers behind him are young. Brandon Rice started every game a season ago, but only managed 10 grabs with one score. He came in with big expectations and as only a sophomore this year it will be the year the Aggies need him to contribute more. Expect Rice to clear 40 catches this season as he could easily be the breakout player of the year this season with his ability. Other receivers Chris Miller, Chris Carter, and Kale Turner will all make contributions, with Carter grabbing the third starter spot. Carter could be one of the conference's big surprises in 2006. His combination of strength and speed should open up the vertical game for the Aggies, something that hasn't been available in a couple seasons. This starting receiving core could be as good as the Ags have had in a few years, which says something considering the positions history. Grant should have the time to throw the deep ball more often as well thanks to a line that returns all five starters. Across the line (left to right) Kyle Skierski, Jonathan Compas, Tim Keane, Greg Belasis, and Eliot Vallejo are all back in 2006. Sophomore Mario Gonzales, who filled in at guard when Compas went down with injury last season, provides experienced depth. The leader of the unit is Eliot Vallejo, who is making a lot of noise with scouts heading into the season. The UCLA transfer struggled two seasons ago with a bad hand injury which he gutted out and played through. He came back to dominate last season and is now projected as the highest Great West player to be drafted in next seasons NFL Draft. Josh Buchanan, small school scout for the Magnolia Gridiron Classic and Las Vegas All American Classic, says Vallejo grades as a 5th-7th round pick next April. Currently, Buchanan ranks Vallejo as the best non I-A tackle. The final piece of the offense is the running game, something which continues to dog the Aggies. Last season UCD averaged an anemic 99.5 yards per game 113th (out of 121) among I-AA leaders. Despite the lack of running success, the Aggies do return their top four runners in Nelson Doris, Demario Warren, Alex Garfio, and Marcus Nolan. The Aggies will attempt to red-shirt Garfio, who will only be pressed into duty if injuries once again stack up. That means it comes down to Doris, Nolan, and Warren to spark the rush attack, and in that order. Doris will start and see the most carries with Nolan and Warren to follow. The newly installed fullback in the Davis offense will be used occasionally with Grant Ayvazan, Justin Bonetto, and Bryan Harrison in the mix. This offense is loaded with talent but it will all come down to the Aggies ability to effectively run the ball that will be the difference in this team hanging some eye-popping numbers on the board as well as surviving a brutal opening month on the road.

Defense - It will be hard to repeat the successes of last season's defense which posted some astounding numbers. Last year's unit finished 7th in the nation in yards allowed per game (282) as well as 2nd nationally against the run allowing a meager 87.5 a contest. Considering the competition that's pretty impressive! The defense has a solid core of talent coming back but the questions remain at linebacker where the Aggies lost all three starters to graduation. To boot, Josh Edwards, who started a few games at backer last season, transferred. The good news is the Aggies are loaded with terrific athletes at linebacker, but surely they'll be some growing pains as inexperience is at all three positions. Slated to start at Sam, Middle, and Will are Jesse Kailahi, Dave Heckman, and Chris Buck, respectively. These three have combined for just 16 tackles in the short collegiate careers. Chris Carter, Tyler Pringle, and spring transfer Alex Cook will provide depth at the each position but experience is a major the concern at linebacker. These guys will have to mature quickly considering the teams second game is against a powerful Texas Christian rushing attack. Along the line the Aggies are in great shape, despite losing Thomas Blake (5.5 sacks) who transferred to UCLA. Back is Mike Ng (8 tfl, 3 sacks) as well as James Amos (11 tfl, 6.0 sacks) holding down the end spots. The interior also has both starters back with Naveen Daftari and John Faletoese both returning. Faletoese had a big impact last season as a freshman 11 tackles for loss and four sacks. His natural physical ability and impact on the line last season has some around the program mentioning he could be one of the best ever at his position by the time he leaves Davis. While the starting four pack tremendous talent fans won't know much about the 2nd group. Andy Rice (DE, RS Fr.), Mason Thomas (DE, RS Fr.), Pat Michelier (DT/DE, RS Fr.) and spring transfer Travis Dulli (DT, Jr.) all should figure prominently in the rotation. The depth along the line is untested but the starting four is as good as any in the conference. The secondary is also an area of strength as the three starters return along with another player who saw a lot of time last season. They rank as the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th tacklers on the team. The cornerbacks are led by Nevan Bergan, who picked off seven passed and had 10 breakups last season. Heading into the 2006 season he's ranked as the 8th best at his position by The Sports Network. The other starter will be Adam Cook, who didn't start last season but played significant minutes with strong contributions. (4 picks, 7 breakups) The depth at corner will come from junior Brandon Brown, who will be the top backup to both Bergan and Cook. Brown, whom the coaches think can be very good and a significant contributor this season will also be the starting nickelback. Kenny Brown, a sophomore, will also see some time at the position. The safeties will be led by Jonathan Barsi and Luis Amaral. Amaral was in on 44 stops last season from his strong safety spot, while Barsi had 38 tackles at free. These two are a solid duo whose experience will make the defensive backfield a major strength in 2006. Providing the depth at Free Safety will be Nero Evero, younger brother to former Aggie star Ejiro. Brady McClendon, a juco transfer who sat our last season with a red-shirt, will spell Amaral. The Aggie defense returns a significant core of talented individuals, but the difference in an 8-3 or 5-6 season could very well lie in maturity of the new faces at linebackers.

Schedule - The Aggies will certainty rack up the miles over the first five weeks of the season as they begin with five road games. And none of the games are gimme's either as UCD opens with their "easiest" game in Northern Colorado. That statement right there should tell you how tough the next four are - D1-A Texas Christian, Montana State, Youngstown State, and Cal Poly. All four of those teams will start the season ranked in their respective polls. The back half of the schedule lets up a bit considering five of six are at home with games against Southern Utah, Sacramento State and San Diego.

Key Game - @ Cal Poly 10/7. Two years in a row and the most important game on the Aggies schedule has not been Sacramento State. The Aggies will continue to hate their rivals up highway 80, but until the Hornets prove they can stay within 20 points the Cal Poly game is far and away the key game on the schedule. Four of the last five years the game has been decided by seven points or less and that is likely to continue this season. Plus the Mustangs are the biggest competition to the Aggies winning the conference championship. The only shame is that the game is being played in early October instead of late November.

The Bottom Line -- 2006 Season Preview Part Two/Page 2

2006-08-04T09:23:00.000-05:00

3. NORTH DAKOTA STATE - The Bison finished last season 7-4, with three of their four losses coming to teams that finished the season ranked in the top 25. North Dakota State also spent 10 of 12 weeks ranked among the top 25. This season NDSU is still loaded with talent at key spots on the field, especially on offense. In fact, the Bison could easily rank as 1C in the Great West, which explains just how close these top three teams are in terms of talent. However, due to a couple key questions on defense and a brutal schedule they're my #3 in 2006.

Defense - The Cal Poly defense brought home the Buck Buchanan winner and boasts a ton of individuals who are prospects at the next level. The UC Davis defense was dominant against the run all season. But the little known fact - North Dakota State had the best defense, at least statistically, in the Great West last season. The Bison finished 7th overall nationally allowing just 272 yards per contest. The area the Bison dominated most was their pass defense which ranked 7th allowing just 150 through the air per game. Half of the secondary that made the Bison so strong last season is back as both safeties, Craig Dahl and Nick Schommer, return. Dahl a mainstay in the Bison secondary at free safety finished second on the team in tackles last season with 72 tackles and added an interception. Schommer (3 picks) returns at strong safety and Barry Quickstad, who played in 10 games adds depth to the area. The corners are where some questions remain as Bobby Babich and Scott Walter are gone. Richard Bowman (Soph.) and David Earl (Jr.) are the two expected to replace them, whom between them have zero starts and 14 tackles. The Bison don't face team that is really a threat to throw the ball a lot until they meet Ball State in their third game which allows for a couple games for this defensive backfield to gel. One area that won't need anytime is at linebacker where the Bison return a load of talent. The group is led by Joe Mays who came into last season with great expectations on his shoulders and did not disappoint. The junior led the team in tackles with 83, including finishing tied for the team lead in tackles for loss (10.5) and interceptions (3). He also led the team in sacks - from his line backing position. Mays possesses great speed and brings the hat to every tackle. This season his numbers will only increase as he is now one of the veteran leaders of this group. Don't be surprised if he has a huge season that puts him in All-American and Buck Buchanan consideration by November. Because of Kyle Shotwell, Mays is still kind of flying under the radar as the conference's premier middle backer, but that won't be for much longer. At the will spot Mike Maresh is back along with his 50 tackles and two sacks. Brett Itterman (21 tackles, 2 sacks) will back Maresh and see plenty of time which only adds to the quality of depth and experience at linebacker. Ramon Huber, who played in every game but one last season, will start at the Sam linebacker position. Just like the corners were hit hard, so was the defensive line, which lost three big names. But if you're going to return one player, it might as well be someone whose is as big a force as Justin Frick. The 6'2 nearly 300 pound tackle is another one of a solid list of prospects who we may see playing at the next level one day. In fact, CollegeFootballNews.com listed Frick as one of 25 players "worth the price of admission" in I-AA. Last season Frick ended up fourth on the team in tackles with 54, including 10.5 for loss. His massive size and ability to clog holes will likely draw many double teams, which should allow for some of his other line mates to excel. Those new faces at defensive end will be Joe Lardinois and Brian Dahl. Lardinois has the most experience but both will need time to get into a nice comfort level at their positions. The final starting spot will go to either red-shirt freshman Michael Fairbairn or JC transfer Thomas Campbell. Two other transfers, Christon Dallas and Michael Brown will be expected to provide the depth along the line. This defense still has major stars in Dahl, Mays, and Frick but inexperience at corner and lack of proven depth along defensive line could translate into some early growing pains. Don't be fooled though, this Bison defense can still flat out bring it and will likely be among the statistical leader once again in 2006.

Offense - The Bison offense has a chance to be very good this season if only for the talent they return at the skill positions. But add a very good offensive line and this group has explosive capabilities. All that skill starts with Kyle Steffes, a name Great West fans have become accustomed to hearing throughout the fall. Steffes returns after rushing for 2100 yards and 27 touchdowns over the past two seasons and should be expected to surpass 1000 yards once again on his way to another big season. With backup Cinque Chapman academically ineligible, and Mark Moore gone it really leaves Steffes as the most experienced tailback. If there's one person though that can carry the weight of the offense on their shoulders it's Steffes, who is sure to thrive even up against a tough schedule. The concern is the depth behind Steffes - Junior Symeon Cabell (13 carries in '05) lacks experience and Shamen Washington, although extremely quick and dangerous, would likely not hold up as an every down back. Washington, however, when given the ball in space is extremely dangerous so look for the Bison to find way to get their special teams star the rock in any number of different ways. The good news is that bruiser Tyler Roehl returns to pave the way for the backs as a lead blocker, as well as eat up a few carries. He may not carry the ball a ton but the change of pace Roehl provides could gouge defenses for some big gains. He has All-American potential as a fullback. His injury last season allowed Tyler Jangula some great experience which leaves the Bison loaded at fullback. NDSU is also loaded at receiver where both starters return, kinda. Back is Kole Heckendorf, who last season led the team in catches and netted nearly 500 yards. After a year of maturing as a freshman, this season could be the year fans start to see Heckendorf put up some big numbers. That's especially true in that no defense can focus on the young receiver especially with the return of speedster Travis White, who led the Bison in receiving two seasons ago. Neither of these receivers are quite the caliber of a Tony Kays or Ramses Barden but because of the lack of proven experience behind those guys, White and Heckendorf form the top receiving duo in the league. Nick Jackson, who started two games last season, as well as Alex Belquist and John Majeski will provide depth at the position. In order to capitalize on their talents though quarterback Steve Walker has to return to form. Walker could do no wrong when he came on his freshman year and was nearly perfect in everything he did that year. While Walker was still solid last season, he did prove he was human, with some less than stellar performances. Those sub-par showings towards the end of the year coupled with an ACL knee injury (that required off-season surgery) has Bison fans wondering what to expect from Walker in 2006. Now to step back for a second let's remember that Walker completed over 55% of his passes, had an efficiency of 130 last season, and a touchdown to interception ratio of 2 to 1. Walker brings a lot to the table and is absolutely the leader of this offense. The biggest concern is how he'll return from this injury. All signs thus far are positive and Walker is on track to lead the Bison offense to big things once again. Aside from a couple tough outings, this kid can play and with the tools around him should be as dangerous as ever. Certainly his line will be big part of this group's success, and that unit returns three starters. Nate Safe is the leader of the group and the Bison's most talented lineman. His 6'4 314 lb pound imposing frame will allow him to be a rock at left tackle, which the Bison will gladly run the ball behind. He's joined by returning starters (started 27 games at right guard) and Adam Tadisch, who moves from left guard to right tackle this season. That spot is more of a natural position for Tadisch and should only benefit this line which averages over 300 lbs per man. The open spots are slated to be filled by Jake Erickson and Zach Harrington. Harrington is the new kid to keep an eye on - Bison coaches have been impressed with his play and have high expectations for the sophomore. The 2006 Bison are loaded with talent and depth in key areas but the health of Steve Walker, defensive line questions, as well as a brutal schedule stand in the way of a conference title. Solve those issues and this team has the nucleus to rise to the top ten.

Schedule - The Bison's schedule was ranked by Matt Dougherty as the 8th toughest in I-AA, highest among Great West teams. And I'm sure a case could be made for them to be even higher because their schedule is tough top to bottom. They open with a relatively easy game against Concordia-St Paul then have a bye before the difficulty starts. Northeastern, Ball State, Stephen F. Austin, and Georgia Southern are the next four games with the latter three all on the road. Trips to Davis and Minnesota as well as a home date against Cal Poly highlight the back half of the season. There are no breaks for the Bison in '06.

Key Game - @ Ball State, 9/23. This game is eerily similar to the situation the Aggies faced when playing I-A Stanford last season. Just like UCD, this is the first game against a major college opponent in years, it's the third game of the season, and the opponent is lower tier I-A. Each team was also two years away from being playoff eligible at the time of the game - thus beyond playing for the conference title, the excitement of a I-A game makes a teams/program/fans season. It's not that far fetched to say the Bison could pull off a similar result as the Aggies, is it?

4. SOUTH DAKOTA STATE - After the first three teams in the Great West it's widely considered by much of the media that there is a drop off when it comes to South Dakota State. And, yes, maybe the Jacks aren't quite at the level of the top three (from a full season's perspective) but they're also not far behind. Last season, SDSU finished 6-5 and outside of a Texas State blowout the Jacks were impressive against some very good teams. They posted 42 against Georgia Southern, beat UC Davis, and lost to Montana and Cal Poly by seven and eight points respectively. The offensive core is back to lead the way this season, but defensive questions heading into the season have the Jacks picked 4th heading into fall.

Offense - Last season the Jacks offense was explosive averaging 33 points a game (18th nationally) and leading the Great West in offense at 386 yards per game. (40th nationally). And those numbers were all driven by a tremendous rushing game, which put up 227 yards per game, which was 16th in the nation. The great news for Jacks fans is both backs which helped to provide that explosiveness are back in Anthony Watson and Cory Koenig. Each guy averaged over 80 yards per games. While James Noble, and Kyle Steffes may get most of the Great West running headlines it's because these guys split carries. Both backs are capable of leading the Great West in rushing, but Jacks head coach John Stiegelemeier's job is to make sure both backs get plenty of touches. Last season Watson returned as the starter having surpassed the 1000 yard mark as a sophomore. After a slow start last season, however, Watson lost his starting job to Koenig. Watson is more of the speed guy, while Koenig offers more hit the hole power and their combination in the backfield makes them one of the best running duo's nationally. While Watson should have regained his starting role come week one, both will see plenty of time and need to put up big numbers for this team to rack up wins. The area that needs to see improvement is the passing game, something which fans have already started debating as to who will start this season at quarterback. Last year's starter Andy Kardoes returns but is coming back from surgery in the off-season. Kardoes (73-158, 851 yards, 6 td's) had a 2005 season he'd like to put behind him. The senior struggled with nagging injuries, completed less than 50% of his passes, and threw more interceptions (8) than touchdowns. Ending the year with surgery was less than ideal as well, but it did give the Jacks the chance to develop some of their youth, namely Ryan Berry. Berry started two games last season and performed well throwing 7 touchdowns in 89 attempts while completing nearly 60% of his passes. Controversy heading into the season? Sure, there is some debate in Brookings who the guy will be under center. But for now, Kardoes, who took some reps in spring, is 100% healthy and ready to lead the Jacks into battle. Without a doubt the mobile, strong armed senior is Coach Stig's guy come September 2nd. Berry will be #2 but has to be ready because if Kardoes continues to struggle with his accuracy, he'll be pressed into duty. This battle will be one closely followed by Jacks fans as the season gets underway. The guys that the quarterbacks will be looking to throw the ball are less experienced than the Jacks have seen in three seasons mainly because of the graduation of Josh Davis and Chris Molitor. This area is fairly untested as the top returning receiver, Dusty Snyder, has 17 career catches. While Snyder will start at one spot, Micah Johnson (13 catches, 117 yds) will grab another. Chris Doblar will grab the third starting spot, but keep an eye on Mike Steffen, and JarRon Harris who will both play significant roles as the Jacks spread the ball around to compensate for big losses from a season ago. Both are extremely athletic and Harris' hands and tremendous speed will be huge assets to this area of the offense. Three tight ends, Chris Wagner, Luke Greving, and Dan Dykehouse, return having all played in 10 games last season and provide solid blocking skills to help boost the line play as well as big targets in the red-zone. As for the rest of the blockers, the question along the line is at the guard spots, which both saw graduations. Center Mark Oeklers and left tackle Preston Crumly return, but the group is led by all-conference performer Mitch Erickson, who will likely play at the next level. He and UCD's Eliot Vallejo are not only two of the best tackles in the Great West but all of college football. Interesting piece is Erickson is likely shifting to guard this fall, a move which should strengthen the line. This way the Jacks can get their five best talents along the line as Scott Gillen will start at Erickson's right tackle spot. The Jacks coaches are awfully high on Gillen and expect big things from him this fall. A final mention needs to be made of the Jacks kicker, Parker Douglass, who with another strong season should be considered for All-American honors. Douglass has a huge leg and can hit from 50+ with consistency. I see Douglass as I-AA's equivalent to Mason Crosby at Colorado - he's that good. The offense is powerful, the special teams are dangerous, but the losses at wide receiver can't be underestimated. Answer those questions early and this offense can put up some seriously aggressive numbers.

Defense - The Jacks lost a number of key contributors on defense last year and return just five full time starters from '05. And considering that South Dakota State gave up nearly 350 yards per game a year ago replacing that many starters is concerning. However, with every downside there is upside. And while some of the kids stepping in will be new and somewhat inexperienced, the defense that steps on the field this season should be much more athletic and quicker than the 2005 version. That group starts with the defensive line. Gabe Koenigsfeld is the biggest loss along the line but the Jacks have enough experience to combat that with returning starters Mitch Pontrelli (NT) and Jason Nobling (DE). Those two combined for 95 tackles and 8.5 for loss and their production should only increase this season with another year under their belts. That's true especially because both were freshman last season. The other end spot will be nabbed by senior Marcus Suhn, who returns after an injury plagued season a year ago. Still, he was able to play in eight games and rack up 14 tackles. Jason Bonwell, a junior college all-American last season, will provide solid depth at end behind Suhn. Eric Schroeder will start at the defensive tackle spot after contributing 34 tackles, including seven for loss. At linebackers, just one starter returns but in terms of experience that's somewhat misleading. Marty Kranz, who will step in mike linebacker for Billy Ray Kirch, has been a major contributor his entire career. He's started 11 games as a freshman and has contributed 152 tackles over the past three seasons. Kranz may not be a returning starter but his experience has to be comforting to the Jacks coaching staff in solidifying the line-backing spots. Along with Kranz, Andre Hoogeveen returns as a starter at outside linebacker. The junior made a great transition from defensive back to linebacker last season in finishing second on the team in tackles with 63 along with two interceptions. The final spot at will linebacker will go to Justin Kubesh, who played in 10 games last season and finished with 29 tackles. I like the Jacks starting group who should gel nicely once Kubesh get a couple starts under his belt, but there are certainly still questions about the depth at backer as the 2nd group is composed entirely of red-shirt freshman. And while the depth at linebacker is a concern, the defensive backfield is the biggest area of worry for the Jacks heading into the season. SDSU lost a lot of talent from that group and looks to guys who don't carry a ton of experience to step in and take over. Gone is lockdown corner Hank McCall, as well Mitch Klein, James Epps, and John Perry who accounted for the majority of playing time at safety. The only starter back is corner Jeff Hegge (54 tackles), who does return as a three year starter but also moves to free safety. But replacing McCall is no easy task, especially considering the two main backups are graduated as well. The guys with the tall task of stepping in are Brock Gentile and Tyler Koch, who combined for 25 tackles last season. Joseph Blackman (RS Fr.) and Justin Horn (Soph.) are also in the mix for playing time at corner. At safety, Scott Breyfogle (strong safety) will join Hegge, and does so with just 20 tackles and one interception under his belt. The depth in secondary will come from two players, Nash Simet (RB, now #2 at Strong) and Brock Campbell (WR, now #2 at Free), who moved over from offense in the spring. Teams will certainly challenge this group early to try to exploit the inexperience and the Jacks can't afford much time for to mature as Montana comes knocking in week two. Just like last season, the Jacks are the X-factor in the Great West - they are boasting impressive talent in key spots on offense but also have more questions than some of the other conference teams. Unless the defense matures (specifically the secondary) with rapid speed and a much stronger passing game develops, they aren't likely to steal the conference title. But this team has enough talent to slide up the conference race into the 2nd or 3rd spot and they'll probably knock one of the top three teams off just like they did last season.

Schedule - The Jacks get one game to work out the kinks against Wisconsin-La Crosse before a brutal four game road stretch. South Dakota State will be tested right away with games at Montana, Northern Iowa, Nicholls State, and McNeese State, whom could all be ranked when they play them. Home games against Central Arkansas and William Penn help balance out the back half of the schedule that includes all four conference games, including a big finale against the Bison.

Key Game - North Dakota State, 11/18. No matter whether this game turns into a bigger rivalry down the road or not, no one likes to be thumped by a neighbor the way the Bison handled the Jacks last season, 41-17. Now the Jacks get the Bison outside the friendly confines of the Fargo Dome and on the last week of the season. You better believe the Jacks have this game circled to return the favor. And ending the season on a high note is important for a team still trying to prove it belongs with the top three of the conference.

5. SOUTHERN UTAH - After a rough stretch of play in the early part of this decade, Southern Utah finished the 2004 season with a record over the .500 mark and was competitive in nearly every game. But that team was a veteran led group that graduated key players all over the field, which led to a major rebuilding project a season ago. The T-Birds, in fact, finished last season with a 1-9 record and a lot of lopsided losses. They enter 2006 still picked to finish in the cellar, but the core of that young group, for the most part, returns, which should translate into a much improved Thunderbird team. And with that a much more competitive team.

Defense - The defense returns less experienced players when compared to the offense but that's a relative terms because the T-Birds return in decent shape alone the line and secondary. Where they will focus their efforts will be at linebacker where the graduation of all-everything Steve Smith leaves a gaping hole. When coupled with the loss the second leading tackler at linebacker (Andrew Taeoalii) and starter Alex Richardson, who left school, and all eyes will be on this group in the early part of the season. The issue is especially magnified considering that the T-Birds were 100th defending the run last season allowing 190 yards per game. Potentially, the T-Birds have someone who could step in have a huge impact in La'Var Porter, who finished last season with 17 tackles. The key is that Porter was a starter last season but suffered a season ending injury in just his third game of the year. Porter is one of the most athletic guys on the defensive side of the ball and extremely quick when healthy, but questions still remain if he is fully recovered. If Porter is fully healthy he will be a great anchor to the linebackers, which will be needed as two sophomores, Robert Taneko and Jim Cheney, step into starting roles. While the linebackers are still looking to answer questions about starting experience and depth, the defensive line will provide stability to the front seven. SUU returns three starters and another who played significant minutes last season, which should be huge in helping improve on just 14 sacks last season (96th nationally). The three starters, Derek Hood, Jimmy Judd, and Levi Erickson, finished with 124 tackles and 30 tackles for loss. Coach Meyer referred to Erickson as the best athlete on the defensive front, while noting that Hood is the quickest of the group. With these three returning along with new starter, Austin Curtis (13 tackles, 1 sack), the line will definitely be the strongest unit on defense. They'll need to improve the efforts against the run especially early as the linebackers gel into their new roles. The final piece of the defense is the secondary, which returns two corners who have logged quite a few starts between the two of them. Brian Kofoed (43 tackles, 9 breakups) and Dave Zelasko (returning from injury) both have starting experience. Perhaps the most exciting players could be JC transfer Derrick Brown, who impressed so much in spring that he is expected to start at one corner opposite Zelasko. Brown, Zelasko, and Kofoed, who will appear mainly in nickel situations, leave the corners in good hands. The safety spot is an area where both starters are departed leaving some experience but not much proven depth. D.J. Senter (played in seven games) and Spencer Meier (23 tackles) are set to step in at strong and free safety, respectively. As was mentioned the depth is a big questions but the T-Birds like what they saw from another JC transfer, Jovan Jackson, during spring and expect him to contribute immediately this fall. The base of the defense is in place to steady this group in 2006 but certainly some bumps in the road are likely to occur. The T-Birds can't afford any key injuries due to the fact that beyond their starting 11 the 2nd group is still fairly inexperienced.

Offense - While the defense will still be working early in the season to develop chemistry, the offense has many pieces in place to be much more potent. And that's a good thing considering this group managed only 13 points per game, which left them 116th out of 120 I-AA teams last season. They also turned the ball over 29 times last season a stat which put them at the bottom of I-AA pack. The offensive opportunity starts at the quarterback spot where Wes Marshall returns, along with transfer Royal Gill. Marshall holds a slight lead heading into fall practice as the returning starter but Gill is right behind the senior. Marshall is better suited to the T-Birds offense as the more elusive running threat and ability to make smart decisions within the option. He is also one of those guys that have an ability to make things happen when a play breaks down. However, as Wes Meyer continues to look for balance in the passing game it can't be forgotten that Gill brings great size, a strong and accurate arm, as well as D-I starting experience, to the position. What he doesn't have though, unlike Marshall, is time in the T-Birds system. Whoever starts, be assured that the stats at that position will be better than the numbers from a year ago. (46.5% completion rate, 18 int's, 8 td's, 90% efficiency) And with expected improvement at quarterback it should allow a pretty talented group of wide receivers to fully excel, namely Joey Lew Hen and Larue Burley. Lew Hen led the Thunderbirds in receiving yards (474), yards per catch (14.8) and yards per game (52.7). His 6'3 size gives him a big frame that allows him to go up and bring down the ball in traffic, which compliments his speed nicely. The T-Birds look to Lew Hen as their big play guy and with more accuracy from the passing game this season, he could push for all-conference honors. Burley (24 catches, 235 yards) is the other guy that SUU wants to have a much bigger role in the offense this season. He doubles at the return specialist and the Thunderbird coaching staff wants to get him the ball more often this season because of his ability to make things happen post catch. This combo at wide receiver has a ton of potential to explode in `06. Bobby Pond and Craig Gritton are the primary names at the slotback position as they combined for 28 catches last season. SUU uses Pond not only as a pass catcher but also loves create opportunities for the sophomore by handing the ball off. Gritton, a sophomore, may not have the size and speeds of a Lew Hen but makes up for it with his precise route running which Coach Meyer believes is the best on the team. Brett Johansen and Ryan Larson are also important members of the receiving crew from their tight end spot. Johansen, who is the bigger receiving threat, finished '05 with 255 yards on 19 receptions. The final piece in terms of skill positions is at running back where the top three rushers are back as well a new face Southern Utah believes can contribute right away. Even though Jamar Lee (228 yds, 1 td, 3.5 per carry) led the team in rushing a year ago he's third on the depth chart heading into fall. That should speak to the depth at running back where sophomore Kyle Coop and transfer Johnny Sanchez are listed as the top two heading into fall camp. Coop missed the early part of last season with an injury but did impress in his limited roll averaging 4.4 yards per carry and chipping in 561 yards (20 per) in kick returns. Coop is a big back at 210 lbs, has great vision, and hits the hole hard, something coaches love about him. He had a great spring and expectations are that he will breakout this season be the guy when it comes to the rushing attack. Finally, the offensive line has some questions having lost a couple starters to graduation and injuries as well some of the returnees shifting positions. The line is anchored by the group's best overall lineman in left tackle Mike Knight, a pre-season first team all conference pick. At the other tackle position is slated to be the versatile Tim Husselbee. The junior has worked out at center, spent most of last season at guard, and now moves over to handle right tackle duties. Husselbee has great feet and is very athletic, a big reason he can play all positions along the line. The other returner, Matt Roan, who spent most of 2005 at tackle, moves to center. The former tight end put on 60 pounds in the off-season and impressed during spring drills. The guard spots will go to a couple of junior college transfer, Ricki Tuuamalo and Brandon Guzman. Southern Utah will see some struggles with a defense still coming together. They also need better play at quarterback to improve their offensive woes. But be sure this team will win more than one game this season and be much more competitive than last year. (avg margin of loss was 20 pts) The T-Birds are still young and even though '06 will still have some rocky points head Coach Wes Meyer is building the foundation with a young, but promising group that should be solid over the next couple seasons.

Schedule - It's conceivable the T-Birds could start out 3-0 but from that point on there are no easy games on the schedule. After Texas State, Southern Utah hits the road for a tough quartet against Cal Poly, McNeese, Florida Atlantic, and UC Davis. The final three games are against the Dakota's with a finale against at Southern Illinois.

Key Game - Texas State, 9/23. The first two games for the Thunderbirds should be wins followed by a toss up at Weber State. Whether SUU comes into the 4th week 3-0 or 2-1 this is an important table setter game. Last year Texas State hammered the T-Birds early and never looked back cruising to a 34-0 win. Now the T-Birds get a Texas State team, which is partly rebuilding, at home with a chance to put an early stamp on their season. A win here would be a huge confidence builder for the Thunderbirds as they head into a difficult stretch.

Top 25 Poll - I turned in my first top 25 ballot this week for the Sports Network's pre-season poll. Here is where I ranked the Great West teams: #2 Cal Poly, #12 UC Davis, #15 North Dakota State. I ranked Appalachian State #1.

The Bottom Line: 2006 stacks up nicely for the Great West to continue to make its mark upon the rest of I-AA. The conference should rank as one of the top two or three in GPI when the season is over as the schedules are stacked with marquee names that will allow the Great West to post significant wins in the I-AA spotlight. And as we've learned the past couple seasons the conference games are some of the most competitive games across the nation, which makes for a great league race and speaks to the always present parity theme. In the end, though, one team will stand above the rest this year: Cal Poly. Last year, it was good enough to make the playoffs, but how far can they actually advance this season? The way I see it to make a run deep into the playoffs a team needs four things: talent, coaching, some luck, and a favorable schedule. The Mustangs, without a doubt, have the first two on their side. As for luck, well two seasons ago the playoff committee snubbed them and last season they lost their leader and quarterback late in the year to injury. So odds would seem to suggest the Mustangs are due a little luck to roll their way. The final piece, the schedule, is where things get a little dicey. Can the Mustangs lose four and get in to the playoffs if two losses are to I-A teams? Does Cal Poly have to beat San Jose State? Can the `Stangs afford two I-AA losses? Forget it, it doesn't matters. The Mustangs won't lose more than three - and they won't lose in the playoffs. One of the best defenses in the nation that now has a flashy offense to compliment will lead the Mustangs to their first ever I-AA national championship.

Questions. Comments. Email Chris @ gwfcfootball@hotmail.com

Columnist Chris Kelly provides an inside look on the upcoming Great West Football Conference season

2006-08-02T09:38:00.000-05:00

The Bottom Line -- 2006 Season Preview Part One
ly 31, 2006

The Bottom Line
By Chris Kelly

No one can blame the Great West for lacking off-season excitement as each of the last two years has provided significant changes to the conference makeup. And this year doesn't appear to differ either. Before the conference even came together for it's first season St. Mary's, the league's 7th member, dropped football. Last off-season, Northern Colorado announced it would bolt for the Big Sky at the end of the '05 season. But maybe the third time is a charm, right? That's because the news in 2006 appears to be positive for future of the Great West.

North Dakota State and South Dakota State are still looking for a conference affiliation for all sports, and the Mid-Con conference may fill that need. The conference has been in existence at the I-A level for 25 years and currently houses schools located primarily in Midwest Urban locations. It was announced back on June 28th that representatives from the Mid-Con would visit both Fargo and Brookings to decide whether to add the respective schools to the league. A school visit typically is a precursor to formal invitation. While nothing is in the bag yet, things look rosier for the Great West to continue with five members. The Mid-Con does not support football leaving the Great West as a perfect fit for all teams currently comprising the league.

The league, that at one time appeared to be only a band-aid, now looks like it could be one of the best conferences in I-AA for years to come. We'll continue to track developments throughout the 2006 season but in the meantime....here's a look into everything you need to know to get ready for kickoff....

Scouting the Players
The All-Stars
1.James Noble, RB, Cal Poly. It's not often that a sophomore headlines as the top player in a conference loaded with talent, but it's also not often a freshman rolls up nearly 1600 yards rushing over 12 games. What Noble did last season bursting out of obscurity (was anyone else talking about him heading into the start of the '05 season?) was nothing short of amazing. Perhaps because Noble's efforts, in part, carried his team into the second round of the playoffs as an injury forced the Mustangs to play a freshman under center. What can Noble do for an encore? It will be challenging considering he finished 4th nationally rushing and 2nd in yards per carry. But there is no denying he is a huge part of the Mustang offense and there is no reason to expect he won't be one of the national rushing leaders once again. Noble will be expected to carry the ball 20+ times a game again this year, which means he should rack up yards and with it have a legitimate shot at the Walter Payton award. It's scary to think he has three years of eligibility remaining.
2. Tony Kays, WR, UC Davis. Most media will consider Noble the conference's top offensive talent. And if that truly is the case, then the Aggies star receiver, Tony Kays, is nipping at his heels. Kays exploded last season breaking the single season reception mark by posting 93 in his junior campaign and finding his way onto a couple of national All-American teams. The near 8.5 catches per game was good enough to lead the nation. His 1215 yards were the most by an Aggie in a regular season. Kays racked up at least 125 yards eight times and had five games with at least 10 catches. He averaged 110 yards per game, 7th nationally. He regularly saw double and even triple teams last season but always found a way to get open. Kays relies on great hands, tremendous route running, and ability to understand holes in the coverage pre-snap to excel against the opposition. Josh Buchanan, who covers college football for a variety of sources, rates Kays as a potential 7th round pick at this point, but most likely a free agent at the next level. The only area the senior receiver didn't dominate the stats was touchdowns. He had just three, but expect that number to soar this season as his veteran quarterback looks for him often in key situations.
3. Jon Grant, QB, UC Davis. Jon Grant returns for his third season as the starting quarterback for the Aggies and expectations for the senior will be high. Grant comes off a season where he threw for nearly 2900 yards (265 per game) and 13 touchdowns. However, Grant's one downfall was the propensity to throw the interception of which he tallied 14. Six of those came in the first two games though, and 12 of them in the Aggies five losses. Over his first two seasons Grant has shown an ability to win the big game notably leading the biggest drive in school history in the Aggies defeat of Stanford a year ago. It's been in those biggest games that Grant has shown why Matt Dougherty, executive director of I-AA football, ranked Grant as the the #4 returning quarterback in I-AA this season. Grant has played as well as anyone at times, but it's been the untimely interceptions that kept him from the upper echelon of quarterbacks to this point. This year, however, everything is lining up nicely for the Aggie offense, which will translate into a big season for the to-be senior along with some broken records. In his third year as a starter Grant returns in complete control of the Aggies complex offensive scheme, (which means more than one can imagine) which blends nicely with an experienced offensive line and big time receiver. If Grant can minimize poor decisions at key moments this season, a national first team All-American honor is not out of the question, especially considering the competition he'll be facing.
4. Kyle Shotwell, LB, Cal Poly. Maybe it's fitting that Kyle Shotwell's profile follows that of a UC Davis quarterback. The Aggies have long made a living of cranking out intelligent, polished quarterbacks who moved onto play professionally. Cal Poly is now making a name for itself by dishing out dominant defensive studs who not only go onto to play professionally but also win the Buck Buchanan award, given to the nation's top defensive player. First it was Jordan Beck, then Chris Gocong, and this season it could be Shotwell. The senior took a backseat to Gocong's headlines last season by posting a monster season: 158 tackles, 13.5 for loss, 5 sacks, and 2 int's. In fact, according to Josh Buchanan, Shotwell is one of the top two pro prospects in the Great West Conference. Buchanan thinks Shotwell grades out as a 5-6th rounder currently, which means the Mustangs will likely keep their streak alive of seeing a defensive player drafted in April. The questions that then remain is not whether Shotwell will put up statistics worthy of winning the "Buchanan", but whether the voters pull the trigger on a Mustang for a third season in a row? 3-peat anyone?
5. Kyle Steffes, RB, North Dakota State. Kyle Steffes returns for his senior season and will be an instrumental part of what should be an explosive Bison offense. Entering 2005 Steffes was expected to be #1 back but with Cinque Chapman and Shamen Washington in the mix; his numbers could have fallen off. However, Steffes asserted himself early in the season putting a clamp down on the primary halfback role garnering a majority of the carries. In fact, he improved all his rushing numbers from 2004 rushing for 1,071 yards and 14td's at nearly 100 yards per game. His hands out of the backfield make him even more dangerous which is something scouts like about Steffes. He'll once again be the guy in the backfield for North Dakota State and the Bison will rely on him heavily to be successful this season.

Impact Players (Key transfers, position changes, return from injury)
1. Royal Gill, QB, Southern Utah. From Stephen F. Austin to Pima Community College to New Mexico State to Southern Utah. That is the road that Royal Gill has traveled for a shot to start this season for the T-Birds. Gill started at quarterback last season for NMSU throwing for 1930 yards and 11 touchdowns. Now he's in Cedar City and battling for a starting spot for SUU. Gill is not guaranteed to start in the T-Birds offense. In fact, Wes Marshall, who returns as the starter from a season ago, is back for SUU. His mobility and the fact he returns as the incumbent makes him #1 at this point. But Gill is a more accurate passer with a stronger arm and could really help open up the aerial attack. Worst case scenario this competition will really push Marshall. Either way, Gill will play and could have a big impact on this offense which should see significant improvement this season.
2. Travis White, WR, North Dakota State. The worst part of an injury that causes a starter to miss an entire season is the devastating affect it has on the team. The best part is a season later when the Bison realize that Travis White is back and will provide a major weapon to the offense. A season ago, White went down with an ACL tear and now he returns to solidify the receiving core for the Bison. In 2004, White, a second team all GWFC performer, racked up 776 yards and nine touchdowns. He should get to those numbers with ease this season.
3. Anthony Randolph, CB, Cal Poly. In his first two seasons as a Mustang Anthony Randolph has a solid start to his career as a pass catcher. The to-be senior had over 800 yards receiving and nine touchdowns. Last season, however, his numbers fell off drastically in part due to the arrival to super freshman Ramses Barden and Tredale Tolver. Guys like Randolph, however, don't sit quietly as they see their production diminish. Randolph switched positions this spring to corner and went out and won the starting job. Team players like Randolph who just find a way to contribute are guys you love to root for and no doubt he'll be a big piece of a great Mustang defense in '06.
4. Tyler Roehl, FB, North Dakota State. Travis White wasn't the only starter lost a year ago as Tyler Roehl missed the entire season with a broken leg. The hard hitting fullback is back now which will bring smiles to the face of Kyle Steffes, the Bison star runner. Along with Tyler Jangula, these two fullbacks provide a whole lot of muscle to make the running game that much more of a threat. Roehl is one of those guys that won't get many carries and won't get his name called much - he'll just deliver results.

Top GWFC Non-Conference Games
1. Cal Poly at Montana, Nov 4th. These two teams met twice last season and both proved to be epic battles, with each team winning once. This late season battle may give one of these teams a leg up on home field in the playoffs and the make them a favorite to win it all.
2. UC Davis at Youngstown State, Sept 23rd. The Penguins will get all they can handle in an important non-conference battle early in the season. Both teams should be ranked in the top 15 making this the top game of the week on Sept 23rd. Pay special attention to Aggies wide receiver Tony Kays when he's manned up by Penguin corner Codera Jackson. Both rank as two of the best at their respective position.
3. North Dakota State at Georgia Southern, Oct 7th. First year head coach Brian Van Gordor took over this spring as head coach of the Eagles and promptly pulled the option in favor of a multiple style offense. The switch in offense has returning players switching positions all over the field, notably quarterback Jayson Foster, who moves to wide receiver. Van Gordor better hope his offense, led by a young quarterback, gets in sync quickly before linebacker Joe Mays and company schedule a regular meeting in the Eagle backfield.
4. UC Davis at Montana State, Sept 16th. Before traveling to Youngstown State, the Aggies visit Montana State in their third of five road games to start the year. The Bobcats could enter the game as a home dog sporting a young defense and looking for quarterback Cody Carpenter to step in and replace departed Travis Lulay. This game has all the makings of a dogfight.
5. South Dakota State at Northern Iowa, Sept 16th. The Jacks face national champion contender Northern Iowa in the first ever game between the two schools. The Jacks running game should keep them in this one for a while, but the defense, which needs to replace seven lost starters, must have a stellar game. Panther quarterback Eric Sanders could be the best in the nation.
6. South Dakota State at Montana, Sept 9th. Yeah, it looked like a mismatch on paper last season until the Jacks hung in the full 60 minutes losing just 7-0. This year SDSU hopes the 1-2 punch of Watson/Koenig can out-duel Grizzly star Lex Hilliard on the ground.
7. Texas State at Southern Utah, Sept 23rd. It isn't until our 7th ranked non conference game that we have a Great West team as the host as the Bobcats travel to Cedar City. The Bobcats find themselves in a bit of a rebuilding mode after substantial losses including star quarterback Barrack Nealy. The Thunderbirds, a year more experienced, should provide a much better challenge than a season ago when they lost 42-12.
8. Southern Utah at Southern Illinois, Nov 18th. The great news is that the Saluki's are rebuilding their defense and lost a lot at the skill positions on offense. The bad news is that SIU returns Arkee Whitlock, (1513, 14 td's) whom Matt Dougherty ranks as the top running back in I-AA. He also has almost his entire line back, which should provide a stiff challenge for the T-Birds run defense.
9. North Dakota State at Stephen F. Austin, Sept 30th. The Bison own the Southland going 4-0 over the past two seasons and will look to run it to 5-0 against the `Jacks. SFA enters 2006 following a 5-6 campaign and should be improved this season but face a tough challenge when the Bison come to town in September. Keep an eye on safety Kendric Holman, one of the best safeties in all of I-AA. He'll be needed to make a few big plays to contain the Bison's big run game.
10. South Dakota State at McNeese State, Sept 30th. McNeese State has experienced a couple down seasons by their standards but this could be the season they bounce back. The Cowboys are loaded with experience on defense and should be better on offense. However, if the Jacks get some strong quarterback play, they'll have a better than average shot to walk away winners.

I-A, eh?
Typically I-A vs. I-AA amounts to nothing more than a blowout win for the team with more prestige, scholarships, and money. But the game is a great chance for fans to dream about playing with the big boys and maybe, just maybe, pulling off the upset of a lifetime. Last season UC Davis did just that sending shock waves across all of college football by defeating Stanford on their home turf, 20-17. The win was the biggest in school history and the biggest I-AA win by any team in recent years. This season Great West schools have gone from two I-A games to five. Is it someone else's chance this year? It's always nice to dream. (Ranked by "win-ability")

1. Cal Poly at San Jose State, Sept 23rd. Spartan head coach Dick Tomey reunites with his former University of Arizona defensive coordinator and now Mustang head coach, Rich Ellerson. Tomey may not be happy that the same "swarm" type defense that led his `Cats to prominence in the late 90's could be the same one that hangs an L on his new team. This game should go down to the wire.
2. North Dakota State at Ball State, Sept 23rd. The Bison and Redbirds meet for the first time in the two programs history in late September. Ball State is expected to be a middle, but more likely, bottom feeder of MAC conference. Even though BSU returns 10 starts offensively, including quarterback Joey Lynch (1993 yds, 18 td's), if the Bison defense plays flawlessly they could be in the game until deep into the 2nd half.
3. Southern Utah @ Florida Atlantic, Oct 12th. The final piece of the T-Birds schedule wasn't in place until late June and it was the addition of I-A Florida Atlantic. FAU, who enters their second full season in I-A, are picked to finish 7th in the Sun Belt. The Owls 15 returning starters should allow them to be more competitive at the next level this season, especially led by standout defensive lineman Jervonte Jackson. Still, the Owls probably couldn't beat most of the top I-AA programs which means Southern Utah, with a stout defensive effort, could hang in this game for a while.
4. Cal Poly at San Diego State, Oct 28th. Running backs Lynell Hamilton (890 yds, 9 tds) and James Noble. Lineman Antwan Applewhite (8.5 for loss, 5.5 sacks) and Chris White. Already some great battles to start thinking about in this game. The Aztecs probably have too much athleticism for the Mustangs but the one thing we've learned over the years: don't count this Cal Poly defense out. That's especially true as the Aztecs will feature an inexperienced offensive line this season. Can the offense generate enough points to actually keep them in the game though?
5. North Dakota State at Minnesota, Oct 21st. The Bison will have their hands full with a physical Golden Gophers team as Great West meets Big 10. Even though Minnesota appears to be in a bit of a rebuilding season, quarterback Brian Cupito and running back Gary Russell (if he can get eligible) will pose big problems for the Bison defense. A great experience for the Bison to be on the same field, but this one should be over fairly early.
6. UC Davis at TCU, Sept 9th. Of all the I-A teams listed above this Horned Frog team is the most talented. They return 10 offensive starters from an 11-1 team and one of most dangerous group of runners in Robert Merrill (943 yards), Aaron Brown (779 yards), and Jeff Ballard (314 yards). Be sure former Aggie linebacker coach (1986) and current TCU coach Gary Patterson won't let his team go without reminding them of what happened to Stanford. But also be sure he won't run up the score either. This won't be a Stanford repeat, not even close.

Honor Roll
Pre-Season All Great West Conference Team
Offense
WR Tony Kays, UC Davis, Sr.
WR Ramses Barden, Cal Poly, So.
TE Brett Johansen, Southern Utah, Sr.
OT Elliott Vallejo, UC Davis, Sr.
OG Mitch Erickson, South Dakota State, Jr.
OT Nate Safe, North Dakota State, Jr.
OT Mike Knight, Southern Utah, Jr.
C Stephen Field, Cal Poly, So.
QB Jon Grant, UC Davis, Sr.
RB James Noble, Cal Poly, So.
RB Kyle Steffes, North Dakota State, Sr.
FB Tyler Roehl, North Dakota State, So.

Defense
DL James Amos, UC Davis, Jr.
DL Justin Frick, North Dakota State, Sr.
DL Chris White, Cal Poly, Sr.
DL John Faletoese, UC Davis, So.
LB Kyle Shotwell, Cal Poly, Sr.
LB Joe Mays, North Dakota State, Jr.
LB Andrew Hoogeveen, South Dakota State, Jr.
DB Craig Dahl, North Dakota State, Sr.
DB Courtney Brown, Cal Poly, Jr.
DB Kenny Chicoine, Cal Poly, Sr.
DB Nevan Bergan, UC Davis, Sr.

Special Teams
K Parker Douglass, South Dakota State, So.
P Mike Dragosavich, North Dakota State, Jr.
RS Shamen Washington, North Dakota State, Jr.

Players of the Year
Offensive P.O.Y. - James Noble, Cal Poly
Defensive P.O.Y. - Kyle Shotwell, Cal Poly
Special Teams P.O.Y. - Shamen Washington, RS, NDSU
Super Sophomore - Stephen Field, C, Cal Poly

Racking up `Tackles' - For the first time since I have done an All-Conference team the offensive line was not made up of the traditional two tackles, two guard, one center format. I instead went with three tackles, a guard, and a center mainly because of the unbelievable depth of talent at the tackle position relative to guard in 2006. And the one guard on the team (Erickson) is moving over from tackle this spring. In no way does this suggest weakness at the guard spot, but the tackles are so much heavier in overall talent and have 4 or 5 guys that could be first team, including Kyle Skierski (UCD), and Adam Tadisch (NDSU) who were not included. I felt necessary to place the top talent on the line than try to fit into a tackle, guard, center breakout.

Up Next: Check back Wednesday/Thursday, August 2nd/3rd for Part 2 of the Great West pre-season preview - the Great West Roundtable will share their thoughts on the conference race, and I'll break down the conference race as well as provide team by team analysis.
Questions. Comments. Email: Chris at gwfcfootball@hotmail.com

VERIZON WIRELESS “PUMP UP THE PURPLE” FURMAN FAN DAY SET FOR SATURDAY, AUGUST 19

2006-08-02T07:20:00.000-05:00

GREENVILLE, S.C. -- The Southern Conference preseason No. 1 pick Furman Paladins will hold their annual “Verizon Wireless/Pump Up The Purple” Fan Day on Saturday, August 19 prior to the Paladins’ scrimmage in Paladin Stadium. Admission is free.

An autograph/photo session featuring players, coaches, and team mascot “Sir Paladin” is scheduled to begin at 12:30 p.m., and the first 300 fans through the gates will receive “Pump Up The Purple” t-shirts. Fans can secure free 2006 Furman football “Unfinished Business” posters and magnetic schedules, and Furman football media guides can be purchased for $20 each. In addition, merchandise from Awards and Sports, the official apparel distributor of the Furman Paladins, will also be on sale.

Wild Wings Cafe will offer a buffet lunch for $8 per person just outside Paladin Stadium.

Head football coach Bobby Lamb will welcome fans and introduce the 2006 Paladin co-captains. In addition, squad members from Furman’s women’s soccer and volleyball teams will be introduced.

The Purple and White scrimmage is slated to begin at approximately 2:30 p.m.

Pump Up The Purple special prizes will be given away all afternoon to holders of numbered football scrimmage rosters available in the stadium.

Representatives from Verizon Wireless Membership Team will also be on hand with free prizes.

Led by preseason All-America fullback Jerome Felton, Furman returns 15 starters off a 2005 squad that posted an 11-3 record and No. 3 final national ranking.

The Paladins open the 2006 campaign on Saturday, Sept. 2 against Jacksonville State in Paladin Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m. ET.
for the contest, which will be televised nationally by CSTV.

News and Notes From Around College Football for July 31, 2006

2006-07-31T20:39:00.000-05:00

The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, Inc.
Monday's Chalktalk

http://www.footballfoundation.com/news.php?id=922

BCS Standings to Release on Sundays; Formula Remains Same for 2006

The Bowl Championship Series Standings, tabulated each season to select the entrants into college football's national championship game, will be released on Sundays this year rather than on Mondays, BCS and Southeastern Conference commissioner Mike Slive announced last week. The move comes as the BCS enters into a new agreement this year with Fox Sports to be the television home of three BCS bowls (Allstate Sugar, FedEx Orange and Tostitos Fiesta) as well as the BCS National Championship Game beginning in 2007. Fox will broadcast the standings to the public on Sunday nights just after the conclusion of their NFL Sunday doubleheader, usually around 7:30 p.m. EST. The BCS will maintain the same formula this year that produced the thrilling Rose Bowl match-up between Texas and Southern California in 2005. The standings will average the USA Today Coaches Poll, the Harris Interactive Poll and the sum total of the middle four of six computer rankings together to determine the weekly Top 25. The top two teams in the final standings, released this year on Sunday, December 3, will square off in the newly created BCS National Championship Game in Glendale, Ariz., on January 8. The addition of a fifth BCS game this year also allows greater access to a spot in a BCS game from one of the Division I-A conferences whose champions do not earn automatic berths (Conference USA, Mid-American, Mountain West, Sun Belt and Western Athletic). The National Football Foundation will continue to serve as the impartial arbiter of the standings, tabulating and releasing them to the public this year for the seventh consecutive season.

ACC Enacts Hurricane Policy, Bowl Selection Changes During Annual Media Meetings

The ACC formally implemented a football rescheduling policy for games postponed by hurricanes or other factors as well as reworked their bowl lineup for the 2006 season in changes announced during their media days last week. The conference also agreed to four-year deal with the Orange Bowl to continue sending their conference champion to the BCS game unless it qualifies for the National Championship Game. The league's hurricane policy, enacted in response to more than a dozen games rescheduled due to hurricanes throughout college football each of the last two years, allows for the game to be replayed at the original site on any date throughout the season provided it gives each team a sufficient amount of days off between games. Any postponed games may also be played at a neutral site or at the visiting school, with proceeds going to the original host team, or may be played on the date of the ACC Championship Game if it does not affect who qualifies to play in the title contest. The new bowl policy states that any bowl affiliated with the ACC must choose the team with a higher conference standing or a team within one game of the higher ranked team. Last season, the Meineke Car Care Bowl passed over Boston College, who finished with five conference victories, in favor of local North Carolina State, who finished with three.

Two-Minute Drill

The Division I board of directors will meet next week to decide whether to change the names of Division I-A and Division I-AA to "Football Bowl Subdivision" and "NCAA Football Championship Subdivision", respectively... The Nassau County Sports Commission named 30 players to the 2006 watch list for the John Mackey Award, annually presented since 2000 to the nation's top tight end... Former Ole Miss footballer Chucky Mullins, who was paralyzed in 1989 while making a tackle in a game against Vanderbilt and died two years later from complications resulting from a blood clot, will have his #38 jersey retired by the team during the Rebels opener on September 3 against Memphis. Mullins joins 1989 College Football Hall of Fame inductee Archie Manning as the only two Rebels with their jerseys retired...

Training will take place this week for academic coaches involved in the National Football Foundation's Play It Smart program at the NFF Center for Youth Development Through Sport at Springfield College in Massachusetts. More than 150 graduates of the program are expected to play Division I-A college football this year... Arkansas Baptist announced plans to add football in time for the 2007 season, as announced by school president and former San Jose State head coach Fitz Hill... Kirk Tuck, a former walk-on and All-Conference center at UAB, died last week after battling leukemia at the age of 27. The school will host an annual golf tournament in his honor, beginning with one this Saturday... The cover of the 2006 Texas Longhorns media guide features 3-D images on both the front and back cover... Sports Byline Radio Network and Sirius Satellite Radio will broadcast a Division I-AA game of the week each week throughout 2006, the first ever nationally syndicated series for I-AA football... Former Texas All-Conference defensive tackle Ray Dowdy died of a heart attack last week at age 56... Special Spectators, an organization that creates opportunities for seriously ill children at college football games throughout the season, will hold a fundraiser on August 15 in Chicago. More information on the event, emceed by ESPN.com senior college football writer Ivan Maisel, can be found at www.specialspectators.org...

WAC commissioner Karl Benson announced last week that the league has no expansion plans for the foreseeable future... Conference USA sent a contingent of eight league football coaches to New Orleans last week to tour areas affected by last August's Hurricane Katrina... SEC media days in Birmingham, Ala., last week drew over 600 members of the media to the Wynfrey Hotel... The new network formed through an agreement with the Mountain West Conference and CSTV, called The mtn., will initially launch in Utah, Colorado and New Mexico and will be available throughout the nation on numerous cable and satellite providers...

Coaches from the Western Athletic Conference as well as media covering the league chose Boise State as the favorite to win the conference title this season during the WAC's annual football media days last week... The 12 Conference USA head coaches predicted Central Florida and Tulsa will successfully defend their division titles and meet in the conference championship game for the second consecutive season in a poll compiled last week... Louisiana-Lafayette edged out defending champion Arkansas State as the Sun Belt Conference's coaches' favorite to win the 2006 conference title in a poll taken last week during the league's media days. The coaches also tabbed Ragin' Cajuns QB Jerry Babb as preseason offensive player of the year and Florida International senior linebacker Keyonvis Bouie as the preseason defensive player of the year... Media covering teams in the SEC selected Auburn and Florida as the West and East Division favorites, respectively, for 2006...

Texas head coach Mack Brown talked about the Longhorns run to the national title last year and his plans to defend it this year during his speech as part of the KeyBank Gridiron Legends Luncheon Series last week at the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind. NCAA President Myles Brand will serve as the final guest of the summer speaker series on August 29... Tennessee head coach Phillip Fulmer and Vanderbilt head coach Bobby Johnson served as guest speakers for the Nashville Sports Council's Comcast College Football Kickoff Luncheon last week... Florida Citrus Sports, in partnership with Cingular Wireless, will host a roundtable discussion featuring ACC Commissioner John Swofford, Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delaney and SEC Commissioner Mike Slive on August 29 in Orlando...

Virginia sold out their season-ticket allotment in record time this year, the third year in which they've sold all 39,000-plus season ticket packages... Washington extended their agreement with FSN Northwest for six years to locally televise all Huskies football games not broadcast through a national carrier... Arkansas State installed a new drainage system in Indian Stadium this offseason to coincide with their new artificial ProGreen turf that will cover the playing field this year...

The FedEx Orange Bowl will officially be branded as the "Home of the ACC Champions" at each conference school through an agreement with the league and ISP Sports marketing firm... San Diego County Credit Union extended their title sponsorship agreement with the Poinsettia Bowl, which has seen 70% of last year's ticket sales already renewed for this year... The New Orleans Bowl will return to the Superdome this year after playing the 2005 edition in Lafayette, La., due to damage caused from Hurricane Katrina...

Florida State and Miami will meet for the final time on Labor Day this year as the two teams will explore their options of moving the game back later in the season after this year... Colorado and Miami (OH) will play a home-and-home series in 2007 and 2009... NC State and South Carolina agreed to a home-and-home series beginning in 2008... Nebraska will play Washington in a home-and-home series in 2010 and 2011... The September 1 game between Fresno State and Nevada will be the inaugural College Colors Day Classic, a nationwide promotion created by The Collegiate Licensing Company to encourage alumni, students and fans to wear apparel of their favorite college team on designated days throughout the season...

Georgia Tech will sport 1970s-era throwback jerseys during their September 21 game against Virginia... Georgetown hosted more than 100 potential football prospects for their annual "Prospect Day" last weekend... Players and coaches from South Carolina hosted their ninth annual Pigskin Poets event last Thursday that emphasizes the importance of summer reading to community youngsters... Middle Tennessee will hold their annual Football Fan Day on August 19 on campus... The annual "Meet the Team Day" at Virginia will take place on August 17 in Charlottesville... SMU's Football Kickoff Luncheon on August 16 will feature former player and coach Forrest Gregg as keynote speaker...

Purdue reached a 10-year marketing agreement with Action Sports Media, Inc., to construct and manage new video boards and sideline advertising panels inside Ross-Ade Stadium... The AT&T Cotton Bowl hired Colvin Sports Network to explore future marketing opportunities and a potential move from their current site at Fair Park in Dallas, Texas... Akron agreed to a partnership with Premiere Sports Travel to be the team's preferred travel provider...

Longtime Big 12 sports information director Bo Carter, who held a similar position with the Southwest Conference for many years, will be leaving his post to pursue other interests... Campbell University, which will be adding football for the 2008 season, named Dale Steele as their head coach... LSU head coach Les Miles received a five-year contract extension last week that runs through the 2010 season and pays him $1.65 million this year and $1.8 million beginning in 2007... Steve Kragthorpe, the head coach at Tulsa, received a six-year contract extension through 2011... New Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald hired Randy Bates as linebackers coach... Virginia added Devin Crosby and Corbin Hunt to their athletics administration staff... The Big 12 Conference named Nebraska Chancellor Harvey Perlman as the 2006-07 Chairman of its Board of Directors... Rice hired David Sayler as senior executive athletic director and Russ Dean as associate athletic director...Fred Jacoby, former Southwest Conference commissioner and the National Football Foundation's 1995 Outstanding Contribution to Amateur Football Award winner, retired from his position as commissioner of the Lone Star Conference and the American Southwest Conference... Tim Cass accepted a position as senior associate athletics director at New Mexico... Northern Illinois hired former Tulane administrator Donna Turner as their new associate athletics director for communications... Mark Meadows left his marketing position at Middle Tennessee State to take a similar post with the newly formed Birmingham Bowl.

Schedule Spotlight: Pre-New Year's Day Bowl Games

Bowl - Date - Television Partner

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia - December 19 - ESPN2

Pioneer PureVision Las Vegas - December 21 - ESPN

New Orleans - December 22 - ESPN2

Alltel Wireless (formerly Fort Worth) - December 23 - ESPN

Birmingham - December 23 - ESPN2

New Mexico - December 23 - ESPN

Sheraton Hawaii - December 24 - ESPN

Motor City - December 26 - ESPN

Emerald - December 27 - ESPN

Independence - December 27 - ESPN

Pacific Life Holiday - December 28 - ESPN

AutoZone Liberty - December 29 - ESPN

Champs Sports - December 29 - ESPN

Gaylord Hotels Music City - December 29 - ESPN

Insight - December 29 - NFL Network

Vitalis Sun - December 29 - CBS

Chick-Fil-A - December 30 - ESPN

MasterCard Alamo - December 30 - ESPN

Meineke Car Care - December 30 - ESPN

MPC Computers - December 31 - ESPN

* Unnamed bowl game in Houston, to be televised this year by the NFL Network, will take place at a yet-to-be-determined date in December

With 120 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, a non-profit educational organization, runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. The NFF presents the MacArthur Trophy, the Draddy Trophy presented by HealthSouth and releases the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Standings. NFF programs include the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., Play It Smart, the NFF Center for Youth Development Through Sport at Springfield College (Mass.), the NFL-NFF Coaching Academy, and scholarships of over $1 million for college and high school scholar-athletes.

For more information, please visit www.footballfoundation.org

NFF Contacts

Phil Marwill.......................Director of Communications

Chris Caputo.....................Communications Assistant

22 Maple Avenue

Morristown, NJ 07960

973.829.1933 (phone)

2006 ATLANTIC 10 FOOTBALL MEDIA DAY TO BE BROADCAST LIVE

2006-07-26T11:33:00.000-05:00

Event to be Held Aug. 2 at The Philadelphia Renaissance Hotel

PHILADELPHIA, PA - For the fifth consecutive year, WRHU (88.7 FM) in Hempstead, NY, will broadcast live from Atlantic 10 Football Media on Aug. 2 at The Philadelphia Renaissance Hotel.

WRHU is Long Island's oldest non-commercial radio station and reaches most of Long Island and New York City, as well as parts of Connecticut and New Jersey. The station broadcasts a wide assortment of Hofstra sports, as well as minor league baseball. Sports director Greg Rice, A.J. Hall, Diana Ingles and Matt Shortis will serve as hosts.

The broadcast, which will run from 10am-12:30pm, will include interviews with A-10 head coaches and student-athletes, along with opening remarks from Atlantic 10 commissioner Linda Bruno. Among the numerous student-athletes scheduled to attend the event are 2006 preseason All-Americans David Ball of New Hampshire and Delaware’s Omar Cuff.

You can listen to A-10 Football Media Day at www.atlantic10.org

--------------------------------------------------------
Stephen Haug
Associate Director of Communications
Atlantic 10 Conference
230 South Broad Street - Suite 1700
Philadelphia, PA 19102
215.545.6678 (phone)
www.atlantic10.org

News and notes from around college football for July 24, 2006

2006-07-24T12:30:00.000-05:00

The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, Inc.

Monday's Chalktalk

News and notes from around college football for July 24, 2006

http://www.footballfoundation.com/news.php?id=919

Media Days Focus Spotlight on Familiar Faces

Division I-A conference media days kicked off last week with the press picking a few familiar faces to finish atop the year-end conference standings. On Tuesday, the Big East writers picked West Virginia, fresh off their 2006 Nokia Sugar Bowl victory over Georgia, to defend their conference championship and earn an automatic BCS Bowl berth. The Mountaineers received 18 out of a possible 24 first-place votes, with Louisville garnering the other six. At the Mountain West Conference media days in Coronado, Calif., last week, writers chose Texas Christian to pick up their second consecutive conference crown. The Horned Frogs ran the table last season in their inaugural year in the conference and return 10 starters on offense. With the Big 12 media days starting today, the conference media picked Nebraska and Oklahoma to capture the North and South divisions, respectively, with the defending national champion Texas Longhorns selected to finish second to the Sooners. The two division winners will square off in Kansas City, Mo., on December 2 for the Big 12 Championship and an automatic BCS berth. In addition to the Big 12, conference media days will also be held this week for the ACC, Pac-10, SEC, Sun Belt and the WAC. The Big Ten, Conference USA and MAC will conclude the media days schedule next week.

Fox, ESPN Radio Agreement Brings BCS Games to the Airwaves

Fox Sports, the new media distribution home of the Bowl Championship Series, announced a four-year agreement last week with ESPN Radio that grants the sports radio network the terrestrial radio rights to broadcast all FOX-televised BCS games. The deal does not include satellite rights, nor does it provide ESPN Radio with exclusivity in the home markets of schools participating in the games. The contract does, however, grant ESPN Radio the right to air the Allstate Sugar Bowl, FedEx Orange Bowl, Tostitos Fiesta Bowl and the newly created BCS National Championship Game beginning in January 2007. ESPN Radio, which began broadcasting all four BCS games in 2000, already had a deal in place to air the Rose Bowl. 2006 marks the first year Fox will televise three BCS games and the BCS National Championship Game after agreeing on an exclusive deal back in November 2004. The National Football Foundation will tabulate and release this year's BCS Standings for the seventh consecutive year.

Two-Minute Drill

The second annual Mid-Michigan Kickoff Luncheon, sponsored by the Mid-Michigan Chapter of The National Football Foundation, will bring together Central Michigan head coach Brian Kelly, Eastern Michigan head coach Jeff Genyk, Michigan State head coach John L. Smith and Western Michigan head coach Bill Cubit on August 3 for a preview of the upcoming season... The annual Bayou Bucket Luncheon previewing the rivalry game between Houston and Rice will feature Cougars head man Art Briles and Owls coach Todd Graham on August 31 as the teams prepare for their September 2 showdown... Florida International head coach Don Strock will join Miami head coach Larry Coker in South Miami on July 27 to promote the schools' match-up on October 14 in Miami...

More than 120 people attended the 14th annual Coach Davey Maurer golf outing, named after the 1991 College Football Hall of Fame inductee from Wittenberg, on July 12 to benefit the scholarship fund of The National Football Foundation's Springfield, Ohio chapter... Former Syracuse halfback Jim Brown, a 1995 inductee into the College Football Hall of Fame, will host his Celebrity Golf Classic on January 30-31, 2007, to benefit the Amer-I-Can Foundation... California launched a new website to hype the Heisman campaign of junior running back Marshawn Lynch...

Former Kansas two-way standout Galen Fiss, the captain of the Cleveland Browns last NFL championship team in 1964, died last week at age 75... According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the Fort Worth Bowl has reached a agreement in principle with Alltel to be the bowl's new title sponsor... The NFL Network signed a multiyear deal with the Houston Bowl to broadcast the December game and market its naming rights... Central Florida's Golden Knights Club, the school's athletics scholarship fundraising club, received a school-record $2.1 million in donations in the fiscal year 2005-05... Leland Melvin, a record-breaking receiver at Richmond University in the mid-1980's, is scheduled to take part in next year's NASA space shuttle mission to deliver the European Space Agency's Columbus Laboratory to the International Space Station...

Memphis University's annual Football FanFest will take place on August 26 at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium... The third annual "Penn State Football Eve presented by Sheetz", a carnival-like party and pep rally around Beaver Stadium, will take place on September 1, the night before the Nittany Lions open at home against Akron... Fan Appreciation Day at South Carolina is set for August 13... BankUnited CanesFest, an official party celebrating a new season of Miami Hurricanes football, will take place this Saturday in Broward and Sunday in Palm Beach... Fan appreciation day at Navy's Marine Corps Memorial Stadium will take place on August 2... North Texas will host a tailgate-themed "Mean Green Night" in Grand Prairie, Texas, this Thursday...

Notre Dame players hosted the fifth annual "Tackle The Arts" program last Friday on campus to give area inner-city kids the opportunity to interact with players while learning more about music, writing and arts appreciation... The Navy football program sponsored a table at the Kent Island Fireman's Carnival this past weekend that included a special ticket promotion for firefighters to show appreciation for their service... Eight members from the Auburn Tigers football team visited Camp ASCCA last week to speak with and sign autographs for campers with special needs...

Fresno announced plans to construct a new electronic entertainment center, including a larger video screen, inside Bulldog Stadium to be completed by their home game with Colorado State on September 30... Louisiana-Lafayette and Tennessee agreed to play in each other in Knoxville on November 3, 2007... Last Saturday, Aaron's Football Saturdays in the South, a summer mini-series now in its third season, profiled the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the response of people in the college football community as part of its six-episode 2006 series running through the rest of the summer...

National Football Foundation board member and Dorchester Capital president Clay Bennett reached an agreement to purchase the NBA's Seattle Supersonics... Bill Callahan, head coach at Nebraska, and his Coach Callahan Charities will lace up their sneakers for the third annual Coach Callahan Fun Run/Walk on August 19 to benefit the UNL Libraries and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation... New San Diego State head coach Chuck Long served as the featured speaker at The San Diego Hall of Champions Lunch Series event on July 19... The Tennessee Sports Writers Association Hall of Fame inducted longtime University of Tennessee information directors Haywood Harris and Gus Manning and former Vanderbilt and SEC publicist Elmore (Scoop) Hudgens as part of their inaugural class last week...

South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier's media golf outing will take place on July 31... UCLA head coach Karl Dorrell, fresh off a 10-win season, received a contract extension and raise that runs through the 2010 season and guarantees him at least $850,000 a year.

Schedule Spotlight: Conference Championship Games

Conference - Date - Location

Atlantic Coast - December 2 - Jacksonville, Fla.

Big 12 - December 2 - Kansas City, Mo.

Conference USA - December 2 - Team with highest conference winning percentage

Mid-American - November 30 - Detroit, Mich.

Southeastern - December 2 - Atlanta, Ga.

With 120 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, a non-profit educational organization, runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. The NFF presents the MacArthur Trophy, the Draddy Trophy presented by HealthSouth and releases the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Standings. NFF programs include the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., Play It Smart, the NFF Center for Youth Development Through Sport at Springfield College (Mass.), the NFL-NFF Coaching Academy, and scholarships of over $1 million for college and high school scholar-athletes.

For more information, please visit www.footballfoundation.org

NFF Contacts

Phil Marwill.......................Director of Communications

Chris Caputo.....................Communications Assistant

22 Maple Avenue

Morristown, NJ 07960

973.829.1933 (phone)

www.footballfoundation.org

News and notes from around college football for July 17, 2006

2006-07-17T12:06:00.000-05:00

The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, Inc.

Monday's Chalktalk

News and notes from around college football for July 17, 2006

http://www.footballfoundation.com/news.php?id=915

Coaches Connect with the Community as Offseason Draws to a Close

Despite preseason camp opening in just three short weeks, coaching staffs from across college football are taking time away from their last minute preparations to connect with members of their local communities. Coach John L. Smith and his staff from Michigan State will host a youth football clinic on campus on August 12, while Miami (OH) head coach Shane Montgomery and numerous other RedHawks coaches are set to do the same this coming Sunday. Vanderbilt's annual "Commodores in the Community", where fans have the opportunity to meet Coach Bobby Johnson and several players from the Commodore football team, will kickoff with a meet-and-greet in Nashville this Friday. Ladies Football Clinics are scheduled at California, Clemson and Baylor, while Tulsa opened their annual Football 101 Clinic to both men and women this year. Annual Fan Day festivities at Auburn, taking place on August 5 this year, provide fans the opportunity to meet head coach Tommy Tuberville and receive autographs from members of the Tigers football team. Baylor head coach Guy Morriss will speak to a group of Bears supporters in Austin, Texas, on July 31 as part of a three-city tour during which the coach will preview the upcoming season. Mark Richt's summer-long, eight-city "Dawg Days" speaking circuit positioned him in front of hundreds of University of Georgia supporters across Georgia and north Florida. And at the Triangle Pigskin Preview in Durham this Thursday, coaches Chuck Amato (North Carolina State), Rod Broadway (North Carolina Central), John Bunting (UNC) and Ted Roof (Duke) will talk football along Tobacco Road to hundreds of guests at an event annually hosted by the National Football Foundation's Triangle Chapter.

Arizona State QB Pays Tribute to Teammate with Jersey Switch

This past March, a bullet pierced Arizona State recruit Angelo Richardson's lungs and ribs, paralyzing him and ending his major college football career before it could ever begin. Richardson had planned to join Sun Devil quarterback and former high school teammate Sam Keller in Tempe for the 2006 season. But the bullet left Richardson with no feeling below his waist, and as Keller prepared for his senior year atop the Sun Devils preseason depth chart in competition with redshirt sophomore Rudy Carpenter for the starting job, he decided to honor the request of his fallen tammate and switch from his familiar #9 jersey number to #2 this year. Keller jumped at the opportunity to wear #2 when Richardson asked him to sport his old jersey number. "I thought about what I could do for him, because he wasn't going to have much done for him," said Keller, who threw for 2,165 yards and 20 touchdowns in just seven games last season. "I thought about what I could do for him, for my friend, that would mean something." The Sun Devils open preseason camp on August 4 and begin their season on August 31 with a home game against Northern Arizona.

Two-Minute Drill

DeAngelo Williams, the star senior tailback from Memphis last season, picked up co-Male Athlete of the Year honors from Conference USA last week... Texas quarterback Vince Young captured the Big 12 Conference Male Athlete of the Year Award last week... Brown's Nick Hartigan, a finalist for the 2005 Draddy Trophy presented by HealthSouth, received the Fritz Pollard Award as the Ivy League male varsity athlete of the year...

Eighty-eight players from the Penn State football team raised more than $53,000 in contributions to benefit the Kidney Cancer Association through their fourth annual "Penn State Lift for Life" event last week... Forty-two freshmen varsity football players, including seven each from Florida, LSU, Tennessee and Vanderbilt, earned a spot on the Southeast Conference's 2005-06 Freshman Honor Roll for achieving at least a 3.0 GPA while completing a minimum of 24 credit hours... Georgia Tech wide receiver James Johnson joined a group of other Yellow Jacket student-athletes to volunteer with children afflicted by cancer at Camp Sunshine...

Temple and UConn agreed to a four-game series to start in 2007... Miami (OH) and Northern Illinois moved their midseason matchup this year back one day from October 7 to October 8... The GMAC Bowl rescheduled their annual postseason game from December 21 to January 7...

1977 College Football Hall of Fame inductee Gale Sayers talked football and life experiences with a group of National Football Foundation Chicago Metro Chapter scholar-athletes during a question-and-answer session on July 10... Houston established a Heisman Trophy promotional website for quarterback Kevin Kolb, the I-A active leader in completions, passing yards and total offense... The July 18 episode of NBC's "Fear Factor" reality show will feature former Naval Academy football team captain Lt. Gervy Alota, who played for the Midshipman from 1995-1998... Clemson will honor their fans on August 13 in Memorial Stadium with their annual Fan Appreciation Day...

Kansas State's ongoing construction projects on the Vanier Football Complex, which includes the installation of a new 23-foot by 61-foot video board, are scheduled to be completed in time for their season opener against Illinois State on September 2... Hughes Stadium, on the campus of Colorado State University, received a new FieldTurf artificial playing surface last week as part of minor renovations being made to the 39-year-old stadium this offseason... Now through August 1, fans can vote for the greatest game ever played at NC State's Carter-Finley Stadium, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this season, by logging on to gopack.com...

Former Stanford fullback Ernie Nevers, a 1951 inductee into the College Football Hall of Fame, will posthumously receive induction into the U.S. Marine Corps Sports Hall of Fame on July 28 in Quantico... Bruce Smith, the former Virginia Tech star who is one of 15 members set for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame this December 5, will be honored as part of the 2006 class of inductees into the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame on October 26... Former Nebraska standout Rich Glover, a 1995 inductee into the College Football Hall of Fame, will be part of the inaugural class inducted into the Jersey City (N.J.) Hall of Fame on September 28...

Rice University reached an agreement with new radio partner KKDL 1160 AM to expand the broadcast of Owl football games into the Dallas market this season... Army athletics partnered with XOS Technologies to launch a new website to cover and promote Black Knights athletics last week... The University of Tennessee athletics department awarded a ten-year multimedia contract to Host Communications that includes enhancements to the operational video board at Neyland Stadium...

Louisville signed head coach Bobby Petrino to a ten-year contract that locks the Cardinals coach up through the 2015 season... Rice added longtime Kansas State assistant coach Michael Smith as their new running backs coach... Purdue named Joe Muller their new senior associate athletics director for external relations... Brian Hardin accepted a position with Notre Dame as their new director of football media relations... Former Cincinnati associate AD Brian Teter was named the new athletics director at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi... Delaware added Sandy Iverson and Charles "Chip" Armbruster to their athletics administration staff.

Schedule Spotlight: Independents

Team - Date - First Opponent (Home/Away)

Army - September 2 - Arkansas State (A)

Navy - September 2 - East Carolina (H)

Notre Dame - September 2 - Georgia Tech (A)

With 120 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, a non-profit educational organization, runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. The NFF presents the MacArthur Trophy, the Draddy Trophy presented by HealthSouth and releases the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Standings. NFF programs include the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., Play It Smart, the NFF Center for Youth Development Through Sport at Springfield College (Mass.), the NFL-NFF Coaching Academy, and scholarships of over $1 million for college and high school scholar-athletes.

For more information, please visit www.footballfoundation.org

NFF Contacts

Phil Marwill.......................Director of Communications

Chris Caputo.....................Communications Assistant

22 Maple Avenue

Morristown, NJ 07960

973.829.1933 (phone)

www.footballfoundation.org

LSC ANNOUNCES 2006 MEDIA AWARDS

2006-07-13T07:41:00.001-05:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Contact: Stan Wagnon, (972) 234-0033

LSC ANNOUNCES 2006 MEDIA AWARDS
Russell honored for third time as league’s top writer; Bryant bags broadcasting award

RICHARDSON, Texas -- Wichita Falls sportswriter J. Scott Russell was honored for the third time in nine years while San Angelo broadcaster Jeremy Bryant was recognized for a first time as the annual Lone Star Conference media awards were announced Thursday by league officials.

Russell, an employee of the Times Record News since 1990, took the Kirk Hill Award as the league’s most outstanding sportswriter, while Bryant, the voice of Angelo State University broadcasts on KIXY 94.7 FM and KKSA 1260 AM in San Angelo, Texas, claimed the Jake Trussell Award as best broadcaster of the year.

The awards, which recognize those who best promote the LSC and its members through their work in the media, are selected annually by sports information directors at the LSC’s 15 member institutions.

Russell serves as the beat writer for Midwestern State University’s football and women’s basketball teams. He becomes one of only five writers to win the Hill Award three times, having claimed the honor in 1998 and 2003.

Russell is the only writer to win the award more than once since 1998. Only Mike Lee, then of the San Angelo Standard Times, has won the award more times (5).

Russell’s work this past season featured expanded preseason football coverage, extensive weekly LSC football notes, regular feature stories about MSU players and coverage for all of the Mustangs’ games.

Bryant, who just completed his 10th year of sportscasting, has been the play-by-play voice of ASU athletics since October 2001. In his five years with the Rams and Rambelles, Bryant has announced football, basketball, baseball, and softball games.

Bryant has provided play-by-play at the NCAA playoffs for Angelo State football, basketball, and softball, including last fall when he called the action for the Rams’ first football playoff appearance in 10 seasons.

A native of Yuma, Colo., Bryant earned his telecommunications degree at Wayland Baptist University, where he played on the basketball team.

Stan Wagnon
Assistant Commissioner/Media Relations
Lone Star Conference
1221 W. Campbell, Suite 245
Richardson, TX 75080
Office (972) 234-0033
Website www.lonestarconference.org

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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LSC ANNOUNCES 2006 MEDIA AWARDS

2006-07-13T07:41:00.000-05:00

Griffin, Junker, Martin, Neinas Join National Football Foundation Board of Directors

2006-07-12T16:12:00.000-05:00

The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, Inc.

Griffin, Junker, Martin, Neinas Join National Football Foundation Board of Directors

Four esteemed individuals join 38 other active members on prestigious board

MORRISTOWN, N.J., July 12, 2006 - The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) added four new members to its national board of directors, Chairman Ron Johnson announced today. Tostitos Fiesta Bowl president and CEO John Junker, Michigan athletics director Bill Martin, former College Football Association executive director Chuck Neinas, and Archie Griffin, president and CEO of the Ohio State University Alumni Association, agreed to join 38 other active members on the NFF’s Board.

“Adding men of this caliber to our national board reinforces our relationships with the key constituents and administrators involved in all facets of college football,” Johnson said. “Their participation comes at a critical time for our organization, as we remain committed to strengthening the game of amateur football in continuing to develop leaders in the classroom and the community.”

Archie Griffin: At the beginning of 2004, Archie Griffin became president and chief operating officer of the Ohio State University Alumni Association, where he presides over an active association network of 130,000 members. Along with his wife Bonita, Griffin created both the Archie Griffin Scholarship Fund to benefit OSU’s Olympic sports programs as well as the Archie and Bonita Griffin Foundation Fund for the development of sports programs for youth in central Ohio. The only two-time winner of the Heisman Trophy, Griffin earned induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1986. A three-time All-America tailback while at Ohio State, Griffin led the Buckeyes to four Rose Bowls and set an NCAA-record by rushing for 100 yards or more in 31 consecutive games. Following a professional career with the Cincinnati Bengals, Griffin returned to OSU in 1984 and worked his way to Associate Director of Athletics in 1994.

John Junker: During his 17-year tenure with the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, first as executive director and now as president and chief executive officer, John Junker has presided over three national championship games and will oversee a fourth in January 2007. Junker played a pivotal role in the Fiesta Bowl’s entry into the Bowl Championship Series, and helped expand the events hosted by the Bowl’s volunteer-based committee to more than 50 a year, including three bowl games (Insight Bowl, Tostitos Fiesta Bowl and BCS National Championship
Game) in the 2006-07 bowl season. In 2003, Sports Illustrated named him the seventh most powerful person in college football. Junker, who will receive the Football Writers Association of America’s Bert McGrane Award during the College Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival this August in South Bend, Ind., joins Tournament of Roses director Dave Davis as representatives from BCS bowl games on the NFF board.

Bill Martin: Bill Martin took over as interim athletics director for the University of Michigan in March of 2000 and was named the permanent director five months later. He currently oversees an athletic department with 26 varsity sports and a budget that tops $60 million. In the recently concluded 2005-06 academic year, the Wolverines captured Big Ten regular season or tournament titles in baseball, wrestling, women’s cross country, field hockey, softball and women’s indoor track & field. During Martin’s six years as athletics director, the Michigan football team has captured at least a share of three Big Ten titles and appeared in two Rose Bowls. He earned an MBA from Michigan in 1965 and has served as president of both the United State Olympic Committee and the United States Sailing Association.

Chuck Neinas: Chuck Neinas currently serves as president of Neinas Sports Services, a company he founded in 1997, which assists intercollegiate athletics departments and other sports organizations with management, organization and personnel placement. He became the first and only executive director of the College Football Association in 1980, and in 18 years with the organization helped negotiate television contracts and provided a forum for 69 NCAA Division I-A institutions to improve and promote the game of football as an integral part of the collegiate athletics landscape. As commissioner of the Big Eight Conference from 1971-1980, Neinas inaugurated league postseason tournaments for both basketball and baseball and helped the conference become a foremost sponsor of championship programs for women’s athletics. Neinas also served as assistant executive director of the NCAA for 11 years and is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin.

With 120 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, a non-profit educational organization, runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. NFF programs include the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., Play It Smart, the NFF Center for Youth Development Through Sport at Springfield College (Mass.), the NFL-NFF Coaching Academy, and scholarships of nearly $1 million for college and high school scholar-athletes. The NFF also presents the MacArthur Trophy, the Draddy Trophy and releases the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Standings. Learn more at www.footballfoundation.org.

NFF Contacts
Phil Marwill.......Director of Communications Chris Caputo.......Communications Assistant
22 Maple Ave.
Morristown, NJ 07960
973.829.1933
973.829.1737 (fax)
www.footballfoundation.com

Former President Gerald Ford Receives Enberg Award for Distinguished Service

2006-07-10T21:50:00.000-05:00

The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, Inc.

Monday's Chalktalk

News and notes from around college football for July 10, 2006

http://www.footballfoundation.com/news.php?id=911

Former President Gerald Ford Receives Enberg Award for Distinguished Service

The College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) last weekend named former U.S. President Gerald Ford as the 2006 recipient of its Dick Enberg Award. The award, presented by the group since 1997 and named after the longtime television sportscaster, annually recognizes one individual committed to promoting the values of education and academics while furthering the meaning of the student-athlete. As a football star at the University of Michigan in the 1930s, Ford earned three varsity letters from 1932-1934 and participated on back-to-back undefeated and Big Ten title teams in '32 and '33. In 1934, Ford was named team MVP as starting center, and played in both the East-West Shrine Game and an All-Star game against the NFL champions Chicago Bears following the season. Ford also served as an assistant coach at Yale University before embarking on a three-decade stint in national politics, culminating with his term as President of the United States from 1974-1977. Ford received the NCAA's Theodore Roosevelt Award in 1975 and the National Football Foundation's Gold Medal in 1972.

Northwestern Names Former LB Pat Fitzgerald as Head Coach

Former two-time Nagurski Award winner Pat Fitzgerald, who helped lead Northwestern to the 1996 Rose Bowl as a standout junior linebacker, was the named the Wildcats 29th head football coach on Friday. Fitzgerald replaces Randy Walker, the seven-year NU head coach who died suddenly of a heart attack on June 29. At 31 years old, Fitzgerald becomes the youngest head coach in Division I-A and takes over a team that finished 7-5 in 2005 and secured a spot in the Vitalis Sun Bowl against UCLA, a game they lost 50-38. He joined the Wildcats staff under Walker in 2001 as the defensive secondary coach, became the linebackers coach in 2002 and later added the title of recruiting coordinator. Fitzgerald previously spent time as an assistant at Colorado, Idaho and Maryland. In addition to the Nagurski Award, Fitzgerald twice captured the Bednarik Award as the nation's top defensive player and was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in both 1995 and 1996. He helped Northwestern capture at least a share of the conference title in both seasons, while the school's 1996 Rose Bowl appearance was their first berth in the annual classic in 47 years. Fitzgerald joins a trend of 30-something coaches receiving head coaching jobs on the I-A level this offseason, a list that includes Wisconsin's Bret Bielema (36), Kansas State's Ron Prince (36) and Temple's Al Golden (37).

Two-Minute Drill

The 2006 Blue Ribbon College Football Yearbook, the publications' sixth edition covering all things college football, began shipping last week. Orders can be placed at www.blueribbonyearbook.com ... Wake Forest tight end Zac Selmon returned to the U.S. after two weeks in Liberia spent building a school for children who survived the country's civil war... Georgia Southern wide receiver Teddy Craft died last week from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident... Former Utah State football letterman and assistant coach Ralph Maughan died last week at age 83... Northwestern will endow a scholarship in memory of the recently deceased Randy Walker, who coached the Wildcats from 1999-2005...

ESPNU will feature six of the nation's top incoming freshman in a new reality series called "ESPNU Summer House" set for debut on July 25. The show, hosted by former Ohio State linebacker and current college football analyst Chris Spielman, will film freshmen Terrence Austin (UCLA), London Crawford (Arkansas), Jarred Fayson (Florida), Cody Hawkins (Colorado), Cart Kelly (Princeton) and Taylor Potts (Texas Tech) as they live together for a week and compete in various challenges... Sports Illustrated On Campus profiled their 15 Greatest College Athletes of All-Time last week, which included only players who excelled in more than one sport while in college. Among the greats that made the top 15 were Jim Brown (#1 overall) and nine other former college gridders as well as current Notre Dame wide receiver Jeff Samardzija (#14)...

More than a dozen former Georgia football players will host the "Countdown to Kickoff" this Saturday, an event organized by former linemen Matt Stinchcomb (1998 Draddy Trophy recipient) and Jon Stinchcomb (2002 Draddy Trophy finalist) to provide fans an opportunity to interact with players while enjoying carnival rides and games... The Illinois football team held a supply drive at Cunningham Children's home last month that collected more than $9,000 in goods and supplies for the children housed there... Former Miami (Fla.) linebacker Jonathan Vilma joined USC great Ronnie Lott on the National Football Foundation's Play It Smart National Advisory Board, as announced last week...

The 12th Man Foundation at Texas A&M received $1 million contributions from both Jerry and Cindy Holditch and Glenn and Lauren Hart to help finance a multi-purpose indoor athletic complex... The Wall of Fame at the recently constructed press box by the University of Iowa will feature legendary journalist Bert McGrane and 2002 Chris Schenkel Award recipient Bob Brooks among 18 other members of the media... University of Wisconsin season ticket renewal packages reached an all-time high for the Badgers upcoming 2006 season...

The 51 members of the U.S. Naval Academy's 2006 football recruiting class include 19 from the state of Texas... Army's 2006 football recruiting class features 32 incoming freshmen from 23 different states, as announced by the school last week... The UNLV football team produced the second highest cumulative team GPA in team history this year with a 2.649... Louisville launched two websites last week to help promote the Heisman campaigns of junior quarterback Brian Brohm and senior running back Michael Bush... The Blue-Gold flag game wrapped up camp last week for 50 players and 10 coaches participating in the fourth annual Notre Dame Monogram Club's Football Fantasy Camp... The October 12 game between Clemson and Temple, originally scheduled to be played in Philadelphia, will now take place at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte... Florida mascot Albert the Alligator performed during the 14th annual Celebrity Mascot Games last week in Orlando to benefit New Hope for Kids...

Administrators from East Tennessee State University are contemplating bringing back its football program... Louisiana-Monroe replaced their Indian mascot with a new Warhawk logo that the school unveiled last month... All eleven Florida A&M football games will be carried live on the internet this year thanks to a new agreement with Jericho Broadcasting Company... Illinois will honor members of the U.S. armed forces with Military Day during their season opener against Eastern Illinois on September 2... Fresno State will host popular music artists and well-know music groups along Bulldog Boulevard this year prior to each home football game this year...

Recently retired Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder completed his autobiography, "Bill Snyder: They Said It Couldn't Be Done", which is set for release this Wednesday... Former Tennessee head coach and 1987 College Football Hall of Fame inductee Johnny Majors served as the honorary chairman for a recent golf tournament to benefit the Center for Living and Learning in Franklin, Tenn... 2000 College Football Hall of Fame inductee Johnny Rodgers is leading a push in the Nebraska Supreme Court to get former NU coach Tom Osborne's name listed as a write-in candidate on the November gubernatorial ballot...

Construction in and around Nebraska's Memorial Stadium, which includes new sod for the full-length football practice fields at the Ed and Joyanne Gass Practice Facility as well as the installation of LED modules for the north HuskerVision screen, is nearing completion... Improvements taking place at Baylor's Floyd Casey Stadium this offseason include the construction of a new Recruiting Center near the stadium's north endzone... Texas Tech is auctioning off parts of the AstroTurf they are replacing at Jones AT&T Stadium... Kyle Field, on the campus of Texas A&M University, will sport a new 53-by-73 foot video board this season... Iowa buried a time capsule outside Kinnick Stadium last week slated to be opened in 75 years...

Baylor running back Phil Tran, OL Seth Zehr of Iowa State, Texas DB Karim Meijer and defensive back Matthew LaFon of Texas A&M were among 24 recipients of 2005-06 Dr. Prentice Gautt Postgraduate Scholarships as announced by the Big 12 last week... Missouri quarterback and 2005 Draddy Trophy Finalist Brad Smith and Texas Tech quarterback Cody Hodges were recognized with Community of Champions awards by the Big 12 Conference in conjunction with Chick-fil-A for the 2005-06 academic year...

The Nebraska Football Hall of Fame added former Cornhuskers Chris Dishman, Bob Lingenfelter, Mike Minter, Christian Peter, Jared Tomich, Kerry Weinmaster and Tyrone Williams as 2006 inductees last week... Former Syracuse standout Tim Green, a 2002 inductee into the College Football Hall of Fame and an NFF National Scholar-Athlete, and former Notre Dame guard Robert Burger earned induction into the CoSIDA Academic All-America Hall of Fame last weekend... Former offensive lineman Kent Hill and football manager Gus Georgeton were among eight former Yellow Jackets announced as the 2006 Class of inductees into the Georgia Tech Sports Hall of Fame last week... Buckeye legends Eddie George and Ted Provost are among 12 members who will earn induction into the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame on September 15...

Texas athletics director DeLoss Dodds, the 2006 winner of the National Football Foundation's John L. Toner Award, is scheduled to receive a raise and a contract extension following a year in which every Texas team finished either first or second in Big 12 regular-season or tournament competition... New Colorado chancellor George "Bud" Peterson played wide receiver at Kansas State from 1972-1974... Jim Bartko was named the new senior associate athletics director for development at the University of California... Tom Deahn left his position as director of football operations at Maryland to assume the same role at Temple... Southern Illinois named Mario Moccia their new director of athletics... North Texas hired T.J. Leon as an athletics development associate... The Big Ten Conference hired Andrea Williams as their new associate commissioner for branding... Indiana named Frank Cuervo as their new assistant athletics director for external operations... Arizona State named Dawn Rogers their new senior associate athletic director.

Schedule Spotlight: Western Athletic Conference

Team - Date - First Opponent (Home/Away)

Boise State - August 31 - Sacramento State (H)

Fresno State - September 1 - Nevada (H)

Hawaii - September 2 - Alabama (A)

Idaho - September 2 - Michigan State (A)

Louisiana Tech - September 2 - Nebraska (A)

Nevada - September 1 - Fresno State (A)

New Mexico State - August 31 - SE Louisiana (H)

San Jose State - September 2 - Washington (A)

Utah State - September 2 - Wyoming (A)

With 120 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, a non-profit educational organization, runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. The NFF presents the MacArthur Trophy, the Draddy Trophy presented by HealthSouth and releases the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Standings. NFF programs include the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., Play It Smart, the NFF Center for Youth Development Through Sport at Springfield College (Mass.), the NFL-NFF Coaching Academy, and scholarships of over $1 million for college and high school scholar-athletes.

For more information, please visit www.footballfoundation.org

The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame Play It Smart Program

2006-07-07T10:56:00.000-05:00

MEDIA COVERAGE ALERT
The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame Play It Smart Program

Where: ESPNEWS

When: Today, July 7 at 4:10 p.m. EDT

Who: Jonathan Vilma and Parker Cantey will appear today on ESPNEWS at 4:10 p.m. EDT to talk about the National Football Foundation’s Play It Smart program.

Vilma, a New York Jets Pro Bowl Linebacker, recently joined the Play It Smart National Advisory Board.

Cantey, a 2006 graduate of the Play It Smart program, will enroll this fall at Syracuse University with a full football scholarship.

What: Cantey and Vilma will talk about the program’s impact nationwide on the more than 12,000 participants in 35 states with ESPN’s Steve Bunin.

“Without Play It Smart’s guidance, I never would have been in a position to accept this opportunity. For real, Play It Smart changed the course of my life," said Parker Cantey, who played linebacker and wide receiver at South Shore High School in Brooklyn, NY this past year.

ABOUT PLAY IT SMART
Established in 1998 by The National Football Foundation as an educational program, Play It Smart works to turn football teams from tough inner city environments into learning teams. Designed to take a student-athlete’s passion and dedication to football, Play It Smart leverages the positive peer pressure of a team to make academic achievement the norm. At the heart of the program is a year-round academic coach, an official member of a team’
s staff, who serves as a direct link to the classroom by helping players and the team achieve their academic and personal development goals during the entire school year. With significant financial support from the NFL and NFL Players Association, Play It Smart currently reaches over 12,000 participants at 136 high schools in 85 cities and 35 states.
www.PlayItSmart.org

ABOUT THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL FOUNDATION & COLLEGE HALL OF FAME With 120 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, a non-profit educational organization, runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. The NFF presents the MacArthur Trophy, the Draddy Trophy, presented by HealthSouth, and releases the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Standings. NFF programs include the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., Play It Smart, the NFF Center for Youth Development Through Sport at Springfield College (Mass.), the NFL-NFF Coaching Academy, and scholarships of over $1 million for college and high school scholar-athletes. Learn more at www.footballfoundation.org.

Contact:
Philip Marwill
Director of Communications
The National Football Foundation &
College Hall of Fame, Inc.
22 Maple Avenue
Morristown, NJ 07960-5215
Work: 800-486-1865, ext. 118
www.footballfoundation.org

Lou Holtz and LSU Coach Les Miles Visit Troops in Iraq

2006-07-03T13:01:00.000-05:00

The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, Inc.

Monday's Chalktalk

News and notes from around college football for July 3, 2006

http://www.footballfoundation.com/news.php?id=905

Lou Holtz and LSU Coach Les Miles Visit Troops in Iraq

Louisiana State head coach Les Miles joined longtime college head coach Lou Holtz and Vince Naimoli, the former general managing partner of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, on a United Service Organization Tour in the Middle East last month. The group visited U.S. troops at three bases in Kuwait before embarking on a two-day visit to troops in Iraq, including a stop in Baghdad. Miles, entering his second year as coach of the Tigers after a stint as the head coach at Oklahoma State, even met a few soldiers from Louisiana and talked and played football with some of the troops. The group departed for the weeklong trip on Sunday, June 18th, and returned to the States the following Saturday. Holtz will resume his duties as college football analyst on ESPN after spending 33 years as head coach at Arkansas, Minnesota, NC State, Notre Dame, South Carolina and William & Mary.

Terrapins Announcer Johnny Holliday Named 2006 Chris Schenkel Award Winner

Johnny Holliday, a 27-veteran of the airwaves as the voice of University of Maryland football, was named the 2006 recipient of the National Football Foundation's Chris Schenkel award last week. Annually presented since 1996, the award recognizes longtime college football broadcasters who primarily have direct ties to colleges and universities. As the Terrapins play-by-play announcer since 1979, Holliday has called more than 1,075 football and basketball games for the school. "My tenure with the University of Maryland has been the highlight of my broadcasting career and being associated with the sports teams and the great Terrapin fans has been an honor," Holliday said. He will receive his award during the College Football Hall of Fame's 2006 Enshrinement Festival August 11-12 in South Bend, Ind.

Northwestern Coach Randy Walker Dies at 52

Randy Walker, who was set to enter his eighth year as the head coach at Northwestern this year, died suddenly last Thursday after suffering an apparent heart attack. He was 52 years old. Walker became the first coach in school history to lead three different NU teams to the postseason when he led the 2005 squad to a berth in the Sun Bowl. Back in 2000, in just his second season in Evanston, Walker earned Big Ten Coach of the Year honors after Northwestern captured a share of the Big Ten title and a berth in the Alamo Bowl. His 37 wins with the Wildcats rank him second all-time in school history. Walker previously served as head coach at Miami (Ohio), his alma mater, and accumulated 59 wins in his nine seasons there, including a 10-1 in his final year in 1998. His career record of 96-81-5 placed him 27th among active Division I-A coaches for career victories. Walker played for Miami (Ohio) from 1973-1975, helping the school to a 32-1-1 record and three Tangerine Bowl victories during that time. Among his teammates in Oxford was current Illinois head coach Ron Zook.

Two-Minute Drill

Memphis deep snapper Rusty Clayton and Marshall tight end Jeff Mullins both received $4,000 postgraduate scholarships from Conference USA... Central Arkansas defensive back Cory Cangelosi, a 2005 Draddy Trophy presented by HealthSouth finalist, won the Gulf South Conference's 2005-06 Commissioner's Trophy last Thursday for excellence in athletics and academics... Vanderbilt quarterback Jay Cutler was selected as the school's Male Athlete of the Year... Thirty-nine members of the Tennessee football team earned a spot on the university's spring semester honor roll for receiving a GPA of 3.0 or better...

The 12th edition of Phil Steele's College Football Preview have hit the newsstands, while his five college regional preview magazines will be available July 19. Visit www.philsteele.com for more information... College football columnist Ivan Maisel profiled the best college player ever to wear each jersey number in a feature appearing on ESPN's college football website this past week... Now through July 16, fans of 66 of the top college football programs have the opportunity to vote on their school's all-time greatest player by logging onto Rivals.com...

North Carolina State coach Chuck Amato will host his 6th Annual Football Clinic for Women on July 15... Georgia coach Mark Richt and Bulldog quarterback D.J. Shockley presented a check for $25,000 to the Fragile X Foundation last month to help fight Fragile X Syndrome, a genetic mental disorder which afflicts Shockley's two brothers. The money was raised through a tribute dinner held in Shockley's honor back in March, when Florida State coach Bobby Bowden served as the banquet's keynote speaker...

The NCAA approved a new bowl game to take place in Houston this December, which will feature two participants pulled from the Big 12, the Big East, Conference USA or the Mountain West. The game, the fifth new bowl approved by the NCAA this year, replaces the former Houston Bowl... The Sun Belt Conference, which approved instant replay for all of its games this season, is currently installing five replay cameras in each stadium with the help of XOS Technologies: a camera on each goal line, cameras in the back of each end zone to shoot from behind the offense and defense, and one on the 50-yard line... Players and coaches from Penn and Princeton traveled to Japan last month to hold football clinics and seminars before participating in the third annual Samurai Bowl, where Penn players join Japanese players to square off against a contingent of Princeton and Japanese gridders...

The honorees appearing on the Sun Belt Conference's list of 30th Anniversary Distinguished Alumni released last week include former gridiron standouts Tim Langford (Arkansas State); Doug Pederson (Louisiana-Monroe); Kelly Holcomb and Emmett Kennon, Jr. (Louisiana-Lafayette); Joe Greene and James McIngvale (North Texas); Sim Byrd (Troy); and Romeo Crennel (Western Kentucky)... Reggie Bush's punt return against Washington and Tyrone Prothro's catch behind a Southern Miss defender are two of the moments nominated for a 2006 ESPY Award in the Top Play category. Nominees for other awards include Bush (Best Male College Athlete), Texas QB Vince Young (Best Male Athlete, Best Championship Performance, Best Male College Athlete), USC QB Matt Leinart (Best Male College Athlete, Undeniable Performance Award), the Texas Longhorns football team (Best Team) and the 2006 Rose Bowl (Best Game)...

SEC Commissioner Mike Slive announced the league is contemplating starting its own television channel once their current television agreements expire in 2009... San Diego State signed a five-year, $1.2 million deal with Nike to be the school's official shoe and apparel provider... Arizona State will honor their 1986 and 1996 Pac-10 Championship teams this season during the school's "Champions Weekend" on November 10-11... Stan Torgerson, the longtime radio announcer for Ole Miss football, died last week at the age of 82...

The second annual Ladies Football Clinic hosted by Steve Spurrier and his staff at South Carolina will take place on July 29... Players from the Western Michigan football team took part in a youth Rocket Football Camp last month in Kalamazoo... Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis sung "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the seventh-inning stretch of a recent game between the Cubs and the Houston Astros at Chicago's Wrigley Field...

Former Texas fullback Byron Townsend and 2003 College Football Hall of Fame inductee Jerry LeVias from SMU earned induction into the Oil Bowl Hall of Fame last month. The game, which celebrated its 69th anniversary this year, annually pits All-Star high school football teams from Oklahoma and Texas against one another... John Frank, a former Ohio State tight end who starred for the Buckeyes from 1980-1983, was inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame this past spring... Former Northeastern guard/defensive tackle George Makris earned election into the Athletic Hellenic Hall of Fame last week...

Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Journal named Florida athletics director Jeremy Foley the 2006 National Athletic Director of the Year... Former Wisconsin head coach and current AD Barry Alvarez is in the mix for a television game analyst position with Fox Sports, which takes over the broadcast of the Bowl Championship Series this year... Albany athletics director Lee McElroy was appointed the president of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics...

The University of Maryland Board of Regents approved a $35 million loan from the state last week to help offset expenses for the planned renovation of Byrd Stadium. The stadium makeover, which includes new luxury suites and an expanded press box, is scheduled to be completed just prior to the 2008 football season... TCU plans to construct an indoor practice facility thanks to $7 million in donations the school received from the Jane and John Justin Foundation and another anonymous donor... Worsham Field at Virginia Tech will switch to Patriot Bermuda Grass in time for the beginning of this season... $15 million renovations set for next spring on Florida's Ben Hill Griffin Stadium will include work on the stadium's southwest corner as well as expanding the weight room and the football coaches' offices... Buffalo received a $500,000 gift from Robert and Carol Morris to construct a new sports performance training facility for its student-athletes...

Penn State sold out their 21,000-seat student season ticket allotment in a school-record 13 days... LSU introduced a new "Priority Point System" this year to distribute tickets for both home and road games to those who donate to the school's Tradition Fund... Auburn has already sold out their season ticket allotment for the 2006 season... Iowa named Gary Barta their new director of athletics... Central Florida named David Kelly the director of high school relations for football.

Schedule Spotlight: Sun Belt Conference

Team - Date - First Opponent (Home/Away)

Arkansas State - September 2 - Army (H)

Florida Atlantic - September 2 - Clemson (A)

Florida International - August 31 - Middle Tennessee (A)

Louisiana-Lafayette - September 2 - Louisiana State (A)

Louisiana-Monroe - September 2 - Alcorn State (H)

Middle Tennessee - August 31 - Florida International (H)

North Texas - September 2 - Texas (A)

Troy - September 2 - Alabama State (H)

With 120 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, a non-profit educational organization, runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. The NFF presents the MacArthur Trophy, the Draddy Trophy and releases the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Standings. NFF programs include the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., Play It Smart, the NFF Center for Youth Development Through Sport at Springfield College (Mass.), the NFL-NFF Coaching Academy, and scholarships of over $1 million for college and high school scholar-athletes.

For more information, please visit www.footballfoundation.org

NFF Contacts

Phil Marwill.......................Director of Communications

Chris Caputo.....................Communications Assistant

22 Maple Avenue

Morristown, NJ 07960

973.829.1933 (phone)

www.footballfoundation.org

JOHNNY HOLLIDAY NAMED 2006 CHRIS SCHENKEL AWARDEE

2006-06-29T15:46:00.000-05:00

The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame NEWS RELEASE w/ pdf

'Voice of the Terps' will receive the National Football Foundation's prestigious broadcasting award

MORRISTOWN, N.J., June 29, 2006 - The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) announced today that 27-year University of Maryland announcer Johnny Holliday will receive the organization's 2006 Chris Schenkel Award.

"I am honored to be among the recipients of this very prestigious award; its namesake is one of America's truly great broadcasters," said Holliday.
"To
be mentioned in the same breath with some of the past recipients of this award is humbling. My tenure with the University of Maryland has been the highlight of my broadcasting career and being associated with the sports teams and the great Terrapin fans has been an honor."

The award, named for legendary college football announcer Chris Schenkel and presented since 1996, is given annually to a college football broadcaster who has had a long and distinguished career broadcasting college football.
The award seeks to recognize broadcasters with direct ties to colleges and universities rather than strictly national broadcasters. Holliday will accept his award on Saturday, August 12, at the Enshrinement Dinner and Show during the College Football Hall of Fame's Enshrinement Festival in South Bend, Ind.

"Johnny's remarkable career with the Terrapins makes him the perfect recipient of this award," said NFF President Steven J. Hatchell. "His level of passion, integrity and commitment to his profession is exceptionally rare, and I'm sure Chris [Schenkel] would be very proud if he were still with us today."

Since 1979, Holliday's distinctive voice has been synonymous with Terrapin football and basketball, serving as the school's play-by-play announcer for more than 1,075 games as well as the host of the school's coaches'
shows.
Considered Washington, D.C.'s most versatile broadcaster, he has announced for nine bowl games, five Olympics, the Washington Redskins, and the Masters. A 25-year veteran with ABC sports, his sports reports are heard mornings coast-to-coast on the ABC Radio Network.

"For any of us who cover this game, it's a privilege to do college football," Holliday said. "When you're working with one program, you get to know the program. You have tremendous joy and pride when they go to a bowl game. And when it goes the other way, you feel the hurt that they feel.
It's a job that everybody would love to have, and I feel privileged to do what I am doing and to be the voice of one institution for 27 years."

A 2003 inductee into the Radio-Television Broadcasters Hall of Fame, Holliday penned a 2002 autobiography entitled "Johnny Holliday, from Rock to Jock," highlighting his transition from the nation's No. 1 Top 40 disc jockey in the 1960s to his current position as a renowned sports broadcaster. Holliday is also heavily involved in charity work, having raised over $1.5 million for various causes, and he has had a flourishing acting career with more than 30 leading roles in Summer Stock productions.
Career highlights include playing the last record on 1010 WINS before the New York station went all news in 1965, emceeing the Beatles last concert, at Candlestick Park, in 1966 and spotting for Chris Schenkel during the Cleveland Browns - New York Giants' games in the early '60s.

Past Chris Schenkel Award winners include Chris Schenkel (ABC Sports), Jack Cristil (Mississippi State), Max Falkenstein (Kansas), Jack Fleming (West Virginia), Ray Christensen (Minnesota), Frank Fallon (Baylor), Bob Brooks (Iowa), Larry Munson (Georgia), Bob Robertson (Washington State) and Tony Roberts (Notre Dame).

Holliday will be honored during the College Football Hall of Fame's 2006 Enshrinement Festival on August 11-12. This year's Enshrinement Class includes Cornelius Bennett (Alabama), Coach Pat Dye (Auburn), Coach John Gagliardi (Saint John's, Minn.), and Jerry Rice (Mississippi Valley
State)
among others. For more information on the 2006 College Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival, including event descriptions and ticket pricing, please call 800-440-FAME.

Contacts:

Matt Sweeney, director of special projects 1-800-486-1865, ext. 116

Hillary Jeffries, special projects assistant 1-800-486-1865, ext. 123

With 120 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, a non-profit educational organization, runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. The NFF presents the MacArthur Trophy, the Draddy Trophy and releases the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Standings. NFF programs include the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., Play It Smart, the NFF Center for Youth Development Through Sport at Springfield College (Mass.), the NFL-NFF Coaching Academy, and scholarships of over $1 million for college and high school scholar-athletes. Learn more at www.footballfoundation.org.

###

News and notes from around college football for June 26, 2006

2006-06-27T07:18:00.000-05:00

The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, Inc.

Monday's Chalktalk

http://www.footballfoundation.com/news.php?id=899

Big Ten Reaches Landmark Deals for Television Coverage

The Big Ten Conference secured two new agreements last week that will redefine future television coverage for their 11 member institutions. On the same day the league reached a new 10-year rights contract with ABC/ESPN that will allow the networks to broadcast up to 41 football games a year, the conference announced it will partner with Fox Cable Networks to create a Big Ten Channel that plans to showcase conference programming 24 hours a day year-round. The new channel, scheduled to launch in August 2007, will air a minimum of 35 football games a year, at least two games of each team, in addition to hundreds of other Big Ten athletic events. The channel also gives each school the opportunity to annually produce 60 hours of content to be shown on the new station. The conference plans to make the new channel available through DIRECTV, satellite and cable television distribution as well as through emerging technology platforms such as iPods, cell phones and the Internet. Both Fox Cable Networks and the Big Ten entered into a 20-year partnership.

Watch List Released for 61st Annual Outland Trophy

Fifty-four players from across Division I-A comprise the watch list for the 2006 Outland Trophy, given each year by the Football Writers Association of America to the nation's top interior lineman. Eight schools (Boise State, Colorado, Louisville, Maryland, Ohio State, Southern Cal, Utah and West Virginia) placed multiple nominees on the 2006 watch list, which includes 45 seniors and 44 offensive players. Greg Eslinger, a 2005 Draddy Trophy presented by HealthSouth finalist from Minnesota, received the trophy last year. Presented since 1946, the award bears the name of former Kansas and Pennsylvania All-America John Outland, who starred as a tackle and halfback in the last decade of the 19th century and who earned induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2001. Thirty former Outland winners also are members of the College Football Hall of Fame, while three others, Washington's Steve Emtman, Virginia Tech's Bruce Smith, and Chad Hennings of Air Force, will be inducted this December at the National Football Foundation's 49th Annual Awards Dinner in New York City.

Two-Minute Drill

The Blue Ribbon College Football Yearbook, entering its sixth year of publication, will begin shipping on Monday, July 3. More information about ordering the book can be found at www.blueribbonyearbook.com... A section of Interstate 68 in West Virginia will be renamed after longtime WVU broadcaster Jack Fleming, the 1999 Chris Schenkel Award winner who passed away in 2001... Theopolis Bell, a former Arizona Wildcat standout and member of the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame, died at age 52 following a long battle with kidney disease... Texas A&M head coach Dennis Franchione and his Coach Fran Charities, which focus on after-school programs for children with special needs, have awarded over $43,000 to 13 different charities this year... Grambling renamed the press box at Robinson Stadium after former longtime SID Collie Nicholson...

Nittany Lions linebacker Paul Posluszny, the 2005 Bednarik and Butkus Award winner, was named the 2005-06 Penn State male student-athlete of the year... A.J. Hawk, the 2005 Lombardi Award recipient, was named Ohio State's 2006 Men's Athlete of the Year, the eighth such football player honored by the school in the award's 25-year history... Trey Waldrep, the son of former TCU tailback Kent Waldrep, became the first child of a player who competed against the Crimson Tide to receive a Paul Bryant Scholarship. Kent suffered a broken neck and paralysis during a game against Alabama in 1974... LSU wide receiver Xavier Carter was named SEC male athlete of the year... Among the 11 male student-athletes recognized as 2006 Medal of Honor winners by the Big Ten for proficiency in scholarship and athletics include Michigan State's Drew Stanton, Northwestern's Brett Basanez and Minnesota's Greg Eslinger, a 2005 Draddy Trophy Finalist...

Tennessee and Nebraska agreed to a two-game series for the 2016 and 2017 seasons... Miami (Fla.) and Kansas State will play a two-game series beginning in 2011... Nebraska and UCLA will play a home-and-home series against one another in 2012 and 2013... Iowa exhausted their 2006 season-ticket sales to the general public following a fifth consecutive year of increasing ticket sales... The cover of the Colorado football media guide will feature current coach Dan Hawkins with CU coaching legends Eddie Crowder and Bill McCartney...

The University at Buffalo's 2006 Football Kickoff Luncheon, featuring new head coach Turner Gill, will take place on August 4, with longtime play-by-play announcer Don Criqui as the keynote speaker... Players from the Naval Academy football team manned an informational table about their upcoming season at Camden Yards during the Baltimore Orioles-Washington Nationals three-game series this past weekend... Michigan will reach a record number of fans over the radio this year thanks to a new agreement signed with CBS Radio, the Chum Radio Group of Canada and Radio One... Central Florida has already added 2,600 new season-ticket holders for this season... Oregon will sport four different jerseys this year as a result of a two-year redesign effort by the school and Nike...

Florida Citrus Sports raised over $3,000 for their Foundation during their annual Member-Guest Golf Tournament last Friday... The West Virginia Coal Association will sponsor the upcoming seven-year series between Marshall and West Virginia, which will begin this September 2 in Morgantown... Nike signed a five-year agreement with East Carolina to be the Pirates' exclusive athletic apparel and footwear partner...

Former Red Raider All-Americas Zach Thomas and Don Rives will join five others as members of Texas Tech's athletic Hall of Honor class of 2006 during ceremonies in late October... The University of Minnesota's 2006 "M" Club Hall of Fame class includes former gridiron greats Sheldon Beise, Williams Arnold Bevan and Bob Fitch, all of whom starred for the Golden Gophers in the 1930s and 1940s...

Washington head coach Tyrone Willingham threw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to a recent Seattle Mariners home game against the San Francisco Giants... Colorado head coach Dan Hawkins, Air Force coach Fisher DeBerry and Colorado College coach Bob Bodor all spoke at the 2006 Sports Corp Football Kickoff Luncheon in Colorado Springs last week... Former Penn State legend Franco Harris will be the Guest of Honor at the 2006 Directed Electronics Charity Golf Tournament in August... Former Texas coach Darrell Royal joined UT associate athletics director for football operations Cleve Bryant as guest speakers at the San Antonio Quarterback Club luncheon last Monday... Pat Dye, the former Auburn head coach who received induction into the College Football Hall of Fame last December, is the keynote speaker for the University of West Alabama's 2006-07 Athletic Kickoff Dinner in August...

Athletics Directors Laing Kennedy (Kent State), Jim Livengood (Arizona), Terry Don Phillips (Clemson) and Kevin White (Notre Dame) were honored as Division I-A regional Athletics Directors of the Year by NACDA at their annual meetings last week... South Carolina strength and conditioning coach Pat Moorer received Master certification from the Collegiate Strength & Conditioning Coaches Association...

Dirk Koetter and the rest of his staff at Arizona State recently participated in the Future for KIDS All-Star Football Camp on campus... Former Princeton quarterback Jason Garrett and his Starfish Charities hosted their fourth annual Play It Smart clinic on Saturday for 200 kids in the National Football Foundation's academic-mentoring program... Indiana head coach Terry Hoeppner hosted a Youth Football Camp last week, which ran children of all ages through basic drills on both offense and defense... Penn State's 32nd annual summer football camps are expected to draw close to 3,000 high school players...

Phase I of the renovations taking place on Tennessee's Neyland Stadium, which include the addition of an East Club and infrastructure improvements, are scheduled to be completed in time for the Vols season opener against California... Alabama will partner with Action Sports Media to manage new video boards and LED signage equipment to be installed at Bryant-Denny Stadium this season... Renovations at Western Kentucky's L.T. Smith Stadium will begin this month after more than a year of planning... FieldTurf will be installed at Washington State's Martin Stadium well in advance of the Cougars home opener against Idaho this year... Iowa State's Board of Regents approved a renovation plan of Jack Trice Stadium that includes a bowled in south end zone and additional seating and concession stands... Jones AT&T Stadium, on the campus of Texas Tech University, will sport FieldTurf this year, the first time Red Raiders home games will not be played on AstroTurf in more than 35 years... The Marshall athletics department hosted a "Choose a Seat" day at Joan Edwards Stadium last Saturday to assist with sales for tickets to the general public... Texas is auctioning off the set of burnt orange Longhorn lights that appeared atop their north end zone scoreboard for the last 20 years...

Rice hired Chris Del Conte as the school's new director of athletics... West Virginia extended the contract of head coach Rich Rodriguez through the 2012 season... Iowa State football coach Dan McCarney received a salary increase this past week that boosts his salary $175,000 a season to $1.1 million through 2010... South Carolina hired former Gamecock offensive lineman Cedric Williams as a graduate assistant... Paul Troth will return to his alma mater East Carolina this year to serve as an offensive assistant... Arizona State hired Lyla Clery as their assistant athletic director for compliance... Ohio State hired Eric Lichter as their new director of football performance.

Schedule Spotlight: The SEC

Team - Date - First Opponent (Home/Away)

Alabama - September 2 - Hawaii (H)

Arkansas - September 2 - Southern California (H)

Auburn - September 2 - Washington State (H)

Florida - September 2 - Southern Miss (H)

Georgia - September 2 - Western Kentucky (H)

Kentucky - September 3 - Louisville (A)

LSU - September 2 - Louisiana-Lafayette (H)

Mississippi - September 3 - Memphis (H)

Mississippi State - August 31 - South Carolina (H)

South Carolina - August 31 - Mississippi State (A)

Tennessee - September 2 - California (H)

Vanderbilt - September 2 - Michigan (A)

With 120 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, a non-profit educational organization, runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. The NFF presents the MacArthur Trophy, the Draddy Trophy and releases the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Standings. NFF programs include the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., Play It Smart, the NFF Center for Youth Development Through Sport at Springfield College (Mass.), the NFL-NFF Coaching Academy, and scholarships of over $1 million for college and high school scholar-athletes.

For more information, please visit www.footballfoundation.org

NFF Contacts

Phil Marwill.......................Director of Communications

Chris Caputo.....................Communications Assistant

22 Maple Avenue

Morristown, NJ 07960

973.829.1933 (phone)

www.footballfoundation.org

BULLDOG FOOTBALL CAMPS

2006-06-22T07:04:00.000-05:00

DILLON, MT - The University of Montana Western Bulldog Football program is sponsoring two football camps for the summer.
The first is a Youth Camp July 17-19. The camp is open to any boy entering through grade six in the fall of 2006. The camp features individual coaching by staff and current Western players. Camp features include fundamentals and practice drill training, speed training, a passing league, and a skills competition.
Cost of the camp is $65 per player. Campers are responsible for their own lodging and meals. This will be a non-contact camp, players need not bring helmets, shoulder pads etc. Registration is on site and begins at 7 a.m. on Monday July 17. Each camper receives a free camp t-shirt.
The Advanced Camp is July 20-22, 2006. The camp is open to any boy entering grade seven and over in the fall of 2006. The camp features individual coaching by staff and current Western players. Camp features include fundamentals and practice drill training, speed training, a passing league, and a skills competition.
Cost of the camp is $65 per player. Campers are responsible for their own lodging and meals. This will be a non-contact camp, players need not bring helmets, shoulder pads etc. Registration is on site and begins at 7 a.m. on Monday July 20.
For any additional information or to request a hard copy brochure, call Rich Ferris at 683-7421.

Wally Feldt

Director of Media Relations

The University of Montana Western

710 South Atlantic Street

Campus Box 74

Dillon, Montana 59725

(406) 683-7201