FOUR TSU TIGERS ON OVC TEAM:
Four Tennessee State football players, three on offense and one on defense, were named to the Ohio Valley Conference preseason football team and football team was selected fourth in the predicted order of finish.

The OVC preseason team and predicted order of finish, selected in a vote of the league's coaches and sports information directors was announced on Tuesday, July 22nd at the OVC Football Media day held in Nashville at LP Field.

All four TSU selectees are seniors and are headed by running back Javarris Williams, along with wide receiver Chris Johnson and lineman Cornelius Lewis. On defense, linebacker Ramond Willis is the lone Tiger selected.

Williams (5-11, 215, Richmond, TX), returns in 2008 as the OVC's leader in rushing (1,287), all-purpose yardage (1,427 / 129.7 ypg) and TDs (12). Williams averaged 107.9 ypg last year and is an OVC preseason selection for the second year in a row. He ranks second on the TSU Career Rushing list (3,292) and ranks third nationally among all active FCS running backs (3,292 career yards). He has been tabbed as a preseason OVC Offensive Player of the year by The Sporting News and Phil Steele's Football Preseason Magazines Chris Johnson, (6-2, 180, Nashville, TN).

Johnson (6-2, 180, Nashville, TN) is the OVC's top returning receiver (740 yds, 41 rec.). Last season, he gained 991 yds in total offense (90.1 ypg) adding 251 yards in kick return yardage to his receiving yardage.

Cornelius Lewis (6-5, 310, Jacksonville, FL) an offensive lineman, a 2007 transfer from Florida State, was one of the leaders of the TSU offensive line that returns as the OVC's top rushing offense (210.8 ypg) and third in total offense (400.5 ypg). Lewis has already been named to several preseason All-American teams.

On defense, linebacker Ramond Willis (6-2, 245, New Madrid, IL), a 2007 transfer from the University of Illinois, led the Tigers in tackles in 2007 with 84 total stops (50 solo). He had 9 TFLs (31), two QB hurries, one sack (13) and one interception.

The Tigers were tabbed to finish fourth in the OVC preseason behind Jacksonville State, Eastern Kentucky and Eastern Illinois.

HALL SIGNS WITH BROWNS:
Former Saint Augustine's star Alex Hall signed a four-year contract with the NFL's Cleveland Browns before reporting to training camp this week in Berea, Ohio.

Hall, the Browns' seventh-round choice in 2008, is the third Saint Aug's player drafted in school history and the first since the school re-instituted football in 2002. He was the only player from the CIAA conference selected in the 2008 NFL Draft.

A Division II All-American and All-CIAA player at defensive end, Hall (6-5, 250 pounds) set school records for career sacks (25.5), season sacks (13) and game sacks (4.5). He is a promising outside linebacker prospect who has a good chance of making the final roster as a pass-rush specialist and on special teams.

SIAC FB ATTENDANCE WINNER:
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has announced that the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference has won the Division II football attendance title for the fifth consecutive year. The Conference also had seven (7) teams finish in the top 25 in team attendance out of a total of 144 total teams in Division II. Miles and Tuskegee finished 1st and 2nd respectively as the individual team leaders of attendance in Division II.

Miles, Tuskegee, Morehouse (7th), Albany State (13th), Clark Atlanta (23rd), Fort Valley State (24th) and Benedict (25th) led the way for the conference to achieve its fifth consecutive football attendance title and ninth out of the last ten years. Undefeated HBCU National Champion Tuskegee fell just short of winning its fifth attendance title ('98, '99, '01, '02) to Miles who averaged 13,225 fans per game while Tuskegee managed to average 13,118.

© 2008 Azeez Communications, Inc.

Return to Front Page