Alabama State Small-school NT 'would fit well in Los Angeles,' calls Chargers a 'great organization'

SAN DIEGO, California -- A former All-SWAC selection with Alabama State, Roderick Henderson is a small-school stud eager to make the jump to a much bigger stage in the NFL, one he would love to see set in Los Angeles.

“The Chargers are a great organization,” Henderson said in an interview with Chargers Wire’s lead contributor Austin Gayle Monday. “I think I would fit well in Los Angeles. I already played in the stadium they’ll be playing in (StubHub Center), and I’d love to play there,” Henderson opined.



The 6-foot-1, 352-pound monster totaled 35 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, six quarterback hurries and one sack in his senior season with the Hornets, leading to an invite to the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl.

Having suited up with legendary coach Mike Martz’s National Team at the sixth annual all-star event, Henderson already had an opportunity to impress NFL personnel and draw a significant following at StubHub Center in late January.

Since then, Henderson has worked to refine his craft and continued to drive up his draft stock with a strong performance at his Pro Day in early March.

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UAPB coach sees improvements in football program

PINE BLUFF, Arkansas -- Last weekend, the University of Pine Bluff Golden Lions held the first scrimmage of their spring football practices. According to UAPB head football coach Monte Coleman, the effort he is seeing from his guys is pleasing. Along with Coleman, former NFL official Walt Anderson had good things to say about the team as well. Anderson was in town with a Big 12 officiating clinic that participated in the scrimmage.

“Guys played hard, smart, and they were aggressive,” Coleman said “We moved around well, and they’re working toward what we want to accomplish this spring. That’s being a smarter football team, and a more aggressive football team. One of the officials, Mr. Walt Anderson, who officiates for the NFL, commented that out of all the years that he’s been coming here, things look more promising just by the effort he has seen. His words were greatly appreciated, and I agree with him.”

The Golden Lions’ offense is steadily progressing under second-year offensive coordinator Ted White. With the guys fully locked in and engaged in his system, things have been moving more fluidly on that side of the ball.

“I’m pleased with the direction of our offense under our offensive coordinator Coach White,” Coleman said. “There’s a transition that we had to go through, and that’s anytime when you have a new coordinator. We’ve been playing hard, and we’re working through the mistakes. I expect us to be more productive this year, and I believe we’ll put up more points.”

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Roberts signs to run track at Prairie View A&M

PLAINVIEW, Texas -- Last summer Kaizha Roberts sat down and wrote down her goals for her upcoming senior year at Plainview High School.

Some had to do with academics, some had to do with athletics. One was to earn a track scholarship at a Division I school.

Roberts accomplished that goal Wednesday when she signed a letter of intent to attend Division I Prairie View A&M University on a full track scholarship. She will compete in the long and triple jumps and the sprints, events for which she has qualified for the UIL state meet the past three years. Roberts went in the long and triple jumps her freshman and sophomore seasons and in the 100-meter dash last year.

Roberts had offers from a number of colleges, including Troy University in Alabama and Ivy League school Cornell University in upstate New York. Not wanting to be that far from home, she decided to remain in Texas.

Roberts went to Prairie View for a campus visit in October for homecoming weekend. She took in a football game and toured the campus and talked with track head coach Angela Williams and assistant coach Phillip Butler, who is the jumps coach as well as the recruiting coordinator.

The Plainview High senior took a liking to the coaches.

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Former NSU Spartans Deon King and Lynden Trail are paving their NFL paths

NORFOLK, Virginia -- For players at smaller schools, the journey to the NFL isn't always pretty. From going undrafted, to waiting for training camp invites, the process can take a toll. "You have two options when facing obstacles, you can run from them and hide, or you can face them head on," said Redskins linebacker Lynden Trail.

Trail spent three seasons at Norfolk State after transferring from Florida. During his time with the Spartans, he garnered multiple All-MEAC selections, and was a finalist for the top FCS defensive player in the nation. After leaving NSU, Trail went undrafted, and spent a season injured with the Houston Texans before landing with the Redskins.

In the course of his time with the 'Skins, Trail has been cut twice from the practice squad, but that never stopped him. In Week 16 of the NFL season, he made his NFL debut against the Chicago Bears. "It's kind of a roller coaster, that's what I compare it to more than anything," said Trail. "You have your ups, you have your downs, but God's going to put certain things in your way to actually become stronger from it."

With the suspension of 'Skins linebacker Trent Murphy, Trail has an opportunity to be the next man up. "If you continue to grind, continue to work, eventually someone will see it."

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FAMU Rattlers will be receiving a NEW Bragg Stadium

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Bragg Memorial Stadium opened its doors to the public in 1957. It is known to be the groundbreaking of the strategic success and achievement of the Rattlers over the years and is now up for new renovations.

The stadium was first named after two of its most prominent figures to the football program, Jubie Bragg and Eugene Bragg; or better known to the Tallahassee area as the “First Family of Rattler Football.” Jubie Bragg served as the first head football coach and athletic director for Florida A&M University in 1907 through 1931. He gathered a record of 4-18-1 as head coach.

Bragg’s son, Eugene, took over the program and became head coach in 1934. Unfortunately, his coaching career was cut short after being killed in an automobile accident in 1935.

Before the nice seating, freshly paved grass and polished skybox, the football program started its first game without a stadium, playing on an all grass field behind Gaither Gymnasium. This area was previously known as “Bragg Field,” which now currently holds the athletic track and field. Thanks to fundraisers, the Rattlers finally had something to brag about in 1957. Bragg Memorial Stadium was finally built and showcased 10,500 permanent seats and bleachers, and held 13, 200 fans.



But as quickly as the rattler fans had something exciting to look forward to every Saturday evening, it seemed as though the thrill began to slowly fade away by the mid-80s. The stadium needed major repairs and grew too small for the football team and its fans, as FAMU enrollment began to spike.

In 1982, expansions to the stadium finally commenced. The $4 million renovation allowed bleachers to seat over 25,000 fans. A press box, concession stand, renovated restrooms and a $125,000 scoreboard with a message center implemented, but the stadium was still in need of desperate repairs and needed to raise $622,000 for structural repair and stair replacements before the start of the 2017-2018 season or else FAMU would be forced to play its home games elsewhere.

Director of Athletics Milton Overton Jr. recently voiced his opinions about repairs to the stadium.
“We’re going to play home games next season, there is no doubt about that, Rattlers always show up,” Overton said.

Even though now the athletic department has raised all the money needed to repair the stadium FAMU students still believe that it has been long overdue for a new stadium.
Nigel Lawrence, a sophomore School of Business and Industry student voiced how he feels about Bragg Stadium needing further repairs.



“Well first I think it’s long overdue, the stadium itself looks old, and just by looking at it you can tell it needs to be renovated.”

Jacques Bryant a senior majoring in healthcare management who has had success with the football program ending his college career with 4 interceptions, 71 tackles, MVP, and recently being named to the ALL-MEAC first team also added his thoughts.

“It’s important that the program has now raised the money for the stadium, because now-a-days players want to play at the best looking facilities and use the most updated equipment,” said Bryant.
According to recent documents released by facility services the stadium will include lots of upgrades such as new coaches offices, meeting rooms, class rooms and a new team meeting room all totaling up to 10,000 square feet. The Offense, and Defense meeting classroom will hold up to 45-seat capacity with theatre style seating also being included.

The program will also include a new weight room at 30,000 square feet, a new athletic training room with hydrotherapy equipment, players and coaches locker room, a lobby full of Rattler Alumni in the NFL along with trophies. Academic space is also being included in this project as two large tutor rooms and 1 large computer lab will be provided for the players.



The fans will also be comfortable as improvements of new benches/seating for 35,000 are sought in this proposal. Additional support space for home and visitor locker rooms, 25 luxury suites, club level, loge boxes, food service, concession stands, retail sales, restaurants, press box, media support, restrooms and other stadium area support space will total 140,136 square feet.

The start of this new project has not been disclosed but Rattler fans can expect to have something new to bragg about next year.

COURTESY THE FAMUAN, Avery Jacobs

Alumni ready to fight for SSU to stay in Division I

SAVANNAH, Georgia -- When Willie Walker started the 300 Club last year, he had a vision of giving Savannah State University better locker rooms for its student-athletes and better offices for its coaches.

Now he’s committed to raising every dollar possible to keep Tiger athletics from taking a step down one level.

SSU baseball player Turner Davis told the Savannah Morning News on Wednesday that he and other student-athletes were informed by athletic director Sterling Steward about a possible move to NCAA Division II starting in 2019. The Tigers currently compete in Division I-AA (FCS) in football and Division I in all other sports. Steward declined a request for comment.

That news has reached the ears of SSU alumni like Walker, a 1981 graduate who is now an attorney in Jacksonville, Fla., and many are willing to stand up and prevent it from happening, Walker said.

“Everyone in the alumni community is dead-set against returning to Division II,” Walker said Friday.

Walker is the CEO of the 300 Club, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that raises money for Savannah State athletics.

“We’re making sure that the resources are there so that it doesn’t happen,” Walker said about the proposed plan for SSU to drop to Division II. “Our mission has been repurposed toward raising funds toward the erasing of the deficit so our student-athletes can have a good Division I experience.”

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QB battle continues into Saturday's S.C. State spring game

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- In some spring games, college football coaches just want to see returning starters run plays in sequence and get their timing and accuracy down.

In Saturday’s Garnet and Blue Spring Game at 2 p.m. on Willie E. Jeffries Field at South Carolina State University, head coach Buddy Pough and his staff will be looking to see quite a bit more.

A young defensive secondary is the only area that needs to show some signs of promise on the defensive side of the ball, as the linebacking corps and defensive line are the most established position groups on the team.

S.C. State returns 14 starters from last year’s squad, including All-American linebacker Darius Leonard and All-MEAC linebacker Dayshawn Taylor.

But the offense has several question marks and areas that need to show signs of improvement.

There will be a new starting quarterback and it just might be one of the three starting wide receivers from 2016, even though all three missed considerable playing time due to various injuries last season.

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