HBCU Sports Blog

Latest Updates: Florida A&M University RSS

• Winston-Salem State's Newkirk Transfers to Florida A&M

  JC 12:41 pm on January 7, 2010 | 0 Permalink | Log in to leave a Comment
  Tags: Florida A&M University, Josh Newkirk, Winston-Salem State University (24)

  Could this be the beginning of the defections for Winston-Salem State football?

  Defensive lineman Josh Newkirk, who was third in tackles at Winston-Salem State this past season, has transferred to Florida A&M.

  Newkirk, who will be a junior this fall, was a two-year starter for the Rams on the defensive line. He started classes at Florida A&M on Wednesday.

  “I wanted to play Division I and that’s why I signed with Winston,” said Newkirk, who is 6-2 and 240 pounds and was a star at Wallace-Rose Hill High School. “I’ll miss my teammates, especially the ones that were on the D-line with me, but I needed to do this.”

  I always wonder when I hear athletes say “I want to play Division I ball,” does that really mean that they wanted to compete at the highest level, or do they want the best opportunity to be scouted for a professional career? Because if we’re being honest, the CIAA has more than held its own in sending talent to the NFL over the last few years, for those that can truly play.

  Still, if this sentiment is shared by more Newkirk’s teammates, new head coach Connell Maynor could have a personnel crisis on his hands come this Fall.

  Technorati Tags: Florida A&M University, Josh Newkirk, Winston-Salem State University

   

  Reply Click here to cancel reply.

  You must be logged in to post a comment.

• Former Rattler Andre Dawson Named to Baseball Hall of Fame

  JC 9:13 pm on January 6, 2010 | 2 Permalink | Log in to leave a Comment
  Tags: Andre Dawson, Florida A&M University

  Andre Dawson, the Florida A&M baseball legend and longtime Major League standout has been named to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Dawson, who starred for the Montreal Expos, New York Yankees Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs and Florida Marlins, is one of only three players in Major League history with more than 400 home runs and 300 stolen bases.

  It was Dawson’s ninth time appearing on the Hall of Fame ballot.

  Technorati Tags: Andre Dawson, Florida A&M University

   

• Joe Taylor Wants to Save Your Life

  JC 11:01 am on December 30, 2009 | 0 Permalink | Log in to leave a Comment
  Tags: Florida A&M University, Joe Taylor (11)

  Don’t smoke. Monitor your heart health. Thus sayeth FAMU head coach Joe Taylor.

  Technorati Tags: Florida A&M University, Joe Taylor

   

• Black College Basketball Highlights

  JC 10:00 am on December 28, 2009 | 2 Permalink | Log in to leave a Comment
  Tags: Clark-Atlanta University (10), Florida A&M University, Johnson C. Smith University (12), Morgan State University (66), Reggie Holmes (2), Southern University (60), Virginia State University (16), Xavier University(La.)

  Just because black colleges are getting their brains beat in by power conference opponents (just the men, at least) doesn’t mean that there aren’t good things happening for the hardest working squads in the mid-majors.

  Here are a few highlights you may have missed this season.

  The Brilliance of Morgan State’s Reggie Holmes – Did you know that Reggie Holmes was the fourth-leading scorer in NCAA Division I? At 24.6 points per game, the senior guard is shooting 34.5 percent from the three point line and is averaging careers highs in free throw shooting (85.6 percent) and steals at 2.1 per contest.

  The Giant-Killing FAMU Lady Rattlers – With wins over in-state rivals and power conference opponents South Florida and the University of Florida, the Lady Rattlers are the standard bearers in the MEAC thus far – men’s or women’s.

  The Upstart Lady Jaguars of Southern University – The Lady Jags are 6-4 on the year, with out -of-conference wins over mid major counterparts Louisiana Lafayette, IUPUI and Nicholls State.

  Xavier University(La.) Among the Greatest NAIA Basketball Programs - The NAIA released a list of its winningest basketball programs, and the Gold Rush and Nuggets were both ranked sixteenth all-time in victories.

  Johnson C. Smith, Virginia State Climb in National Division II Rankings - The Golden Bulls and the Trojans are ranked 18th and 19th respectively in the last USA Today/ESPN women’s basketball national rankings.

  Clark-Atlanta’s Stifling Defense - The Panthers are the second-ranked defense in the nation, limiting opponents to 48.5 points per game, and just 22 percent on three-point shooting.

  Technorati Tags: Clark-Atlanta University, Florida A&M University, Johnson C. Smith University, Morgan State University, Reggie Holmes, Southern University, Virginia State University, Xavier University(La.)

   

• Black Colleges in Final FCS Rankings

  JC 5:06 pm on December 24, 2009 | 0 Permalink | Log in to leave a Comment
  Tags: Florida A&M University, Prairie View A&M University (18), South Carolina State University (43)

  South Carolina State, Prairie View A&M and Florida A&M have finished the year ranked in the Sports Network’s final Top 25 FCS poll.

  We good with the rankings? Because I think I don’t have a problem with them.

  (More …)

  Technorati Tags: Florida A&M University, Prairie View A&M University, South Carolina State University

   

• Lady Rattlers Defeat Alabama, .500 Against SEC

  JC 10:56 am on December 17, 2009 | 2 Permalink | Log in to leave a Comment
  Tags: Florida A&M University

  As great as it is that the Florida A&M Rattlers women’s basketball team continues to scourge power conference teams throughout the southeast, they better be careful. Last night’s 61-52 upset win against Alabama may earn the Lady Rattlers significant RPI swag for the NCAA basketball tournament, but it certainly won’t win them any friends in scheduling out-of-conference guaranteed games next season.

  Of course I’m kidding. Who wouldn’t want to claim their school as having a .500 record against the SEC and three Division I-A wins on the year? If they don’t win another game, it’s still official for the Lady Rattlers; short of an NCAA tournament win in 2010, they are the best black college basketball story since Coppin State in 1997.

  Technorati Tags: Florida A&M University

   

• Black College Basketball - Flirting With Famous

  JC 11:53 am on December 16, 2009 | 0 Permalink | Log in to leave a Comment
  Tags: Florida A&M University, John Wall, LeVelle Moton (5), North Carolina Central University (22), O.J. Mayo

  A couple of seasons ago, O.J. Mayo toyed with the idea of taking his world class talent to FAMU. This past summer, now-freshman phenom John Wall was rumored to have interest in the North Carolina Central basketball program.

  The common thread between the two was the possibility of showing NBA scouts an ability to be a single-handed program savior, and since most basketball circles orbit well out of the black college basketball galaxy, what better realm in which to serve the most egotistical of hardwood stars.

  We know how both turned out, but the moral of the story is that they were interested. Maybe for selfish reasons, maybe just as passing fancy. But for these programs, to be named on a watch list for a high school Player of the Year candidate is a big deal.

  And it should be leveraged into something more.

  (More …)

  Technorati Tags: Florida A&M University, John Wall, LeVelle Moton, North Carolina Central University, O.J. Mayo

   

• How Good is Lady Rattler Basketball?

  JC 9:00 am on December 2, 2009 | 0 Permalink | Log in to leave a Comment
  Tags: Florida A&M University, Ledawn Gibson (2)

  Two Division I-A opponents in three weeks, and two wins for the Florida A&M Lady Rattlers, including last night’s upset victory over the University of Florida.

  So how good are the Lady Rattlers? Clearly, they are physically on par with notable Division I programs, as their two victories have been in jumping out to leads and holding off late charges from their opponents. But they aren’t without flaws or difficulty. Point guard Deidra Jones, the MEAC’s third leading scorer, was injured in the late stages of the game against the Gators.

  Additionally, the same Rattlers squad that holds an overtime win against South Florida and a close win against Florida, also won by just three points on the road against Savannah State. From the looks of stats alone, you could argue that the Rattlers, while super talented, may play up or down to their competition.

  But forget all of that. Through this young season, the Lady Rattlers have proven themselves the most formidable black college basketball team nationwide, men’s or women’s. And if head coach LeDawn Gibson can get the team playing to a consistent level of performance against competition large and small, there’s a big chance the Lady Rattlers could be the talk of the basketball nation in March.

  Technorati Tags: Florida A&M University, Ledawn Gibson

   

• Florida A&M Wins Ninth-Consecutive MEAC Volleyball Championship

  JC 9:10 am on November 23, 2009 | 0 Permalink | Log in to leave a Comment
  Tags: Florida A&M University

  Maybe the Florida A&M University volleyball team will get one of those ‘top ten’ slots on SportsCenter this week, because you’d be hard pressed to find a team in any sport that can claim nine straight conference championships.

  (More …)

  Technorati Tags: Florida A&M University

   

• A Classic Beatdown in the Florida Classic

  JC 7:18 pm on November 21, 2009 | 0 Permalink | Log in to leave a Comment
  Tags: Bethune-Cookman University (30), Florida A&M University, Florida Classic (8)

  What was supposed to be a competitive game between a surging Wildcat squad and an injury-riddle Rattler unit soon turned into little more than padded distortion for the Marching 100 and the Marching Wildcats’ halftime show. By the time Bethune-Cookman looked around, the Florida A&M Rattlers had hung 28 points on the Wildcats and had predictably assumed control of the annual Florida Classic.

  (More …)

  Technorati Tags: Bethune-Cookman University, Florida A&M University, Florida Classic