UNDER THE BANNER
What's Going On In and Around Black College Sports
NEW I-AA ALL-STAR GAME: Black colleges and black college legends will play a prominent
role in a newly created I-AA all-star football game to debut in December.
The event has been created and will be televised by The Football
Network (TFN) a 24/7 year-round cable network which is to begin operations
this fall. The game is to be played Dec. 30 at Lockhart Stadium in Fort
Lauderdale, Fl., and will include senior players that have
renounced their eligibility from 11 I-AA conferences including
the Southwestern Athletic Conference. There was no word
at press time about the participation of the Mid Eastern
Athletic Conference. The teams will compete as two
squads named for Eddie Robinson, the legendary coach of
I-AA powerhouse Grambling State University, and the late
Walter Payton, a product of SWAC-member Jackson
State who went on to star for the Chicago Bears. "We will be
televising a full slate of I-AA conference games every season,"
said TFN President and CEO Jerry Solomon. "Concluding
that coverage each year with an all-star game that highlights
the talent in I-AA should make for a great event." Solomon
noted that Division I-AA has produced the likes of Payton,
Jerry Rice of Mississippi Valley State University
and Rich Gannon and these players have not had this type of platform in
the past. Other I-AA players in the NFL today mentioned in
the company's release include Terrell Owens, Jay Fiedler,
Randy Moss, Kurt Warner, Steve McNair of
Alcorn State, Wayne Chrebet, and Dexter Coakley. Former NFL stars who
played at the I-AA level include Calvin Hill, Buck Buchanan
of Grambling, Willie Lanier of Morgan
State, Jan Stenerud, Doug Williams of Grambling and Ron Jaworski.
SOUTHERN DOWN TO THREE: According to a story in the Baton Rouge (La.) Advocate Tuesday , Southern University Chancellor Edward Jackson will be choosing between Southern assistant Dale Valdery, Grambling State women's coach David "Rusty" Ponton and Central State head coach Michael Grant as the Jaguars' new men's head coach. The three names were interviewed by Athletic Director Floyd Kerr and the seach committee on Tuesday. It's Jackson's decision now which one will get the job to replace Ben Jobe who retired last month. Valdery was Jobe's assistant this year after 12 years as head coach at Xavier of New Orleans. Ponton, a Southern grad, is 129-49 in six seasons at Grambling while Grant is 126-94 in seven season at CSU.
© 2003 Azeez Communications, Inc.