Southern University slugger Michael
Woods inked a threee-year contract with the Detroit Lions last
week. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Detroit made Woods the 32nd overall pick of
the Major League amateur draft last month. He had
been drafted in the 32nd round out of Broadmoor High
School and was Southern's first first-rounder since pitcher
Danny Goodwin was the overall No. 1 pick in the 1975 draft.
The Tigers immediately assigned Woods to their
Class A farm team in Oneonta, N.Y., of the New
York-Penn League. Woods' contract also guarantees that he will
be invited to Detroit's major league spring training camp
in 2002. Woods was the first Southwestern Athletic
Conference player drafted in the first round since Jackson
State's Earl Sanders in 1986.
Former NFL great Gene Washington, now the
Director of Football Development for league, visited
Hampton University on Monday, July 9 to meet with Pirate
head coach Joe Taylor and Director of Athletics,
Dr. Dennis Thomas. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss
the initiation of a program between Hampton University,
the Hampton Roads Community and the NFL that will
help repair the infrastructure supporting youth football by
establishing a year-round program among area coaches,
student-athletes and parents.
Intended for area youth between the ages of 7-17,
the program plans to utilize a combination of academic
and athletic involvement to provide children with various
opportunities to enter the game of football.
Academically, classes will be taught in both English and Math while a
SAT Prep course will also be given.
On the field, Hampton University will host a
two-week football camp during the month of June to
assist players with their skill development. A Drug
Awareness Program will also be included in the football camp.
The primary purpose of the program will be to help
the young student-athletes. It is also designed to enhance
the relationship between youth coaches, the Hampton
University coaching staff and the National Football League.
Youth coaches participating in the program will have the
opportunity to spend a great amount of time within the
Pirate football program in the form of practices, staff
meetings and film sessions.
