For the Week of April 30 - May 6, 2013

Paltry numbers (2) again in NFL Draft

Arkansas-Pine Bluff's Terron Armstead goes early, Florida A&M's Brandon Hepburn late in NFL Draft
LUT WILLIAMS
BCSP Editor

Penn Relays Photo

WINNERS ALL AROUND

RELAYS CHAMP: St. Aug hurdler Elhadji Mbow shows off watch for winning 400 meter hurdles at 119th Penn Relatys.

NEW COACHES AT LINCOLN, TEXAS SOUTHERN; TWO DRAFTED, 20 FREE AGENTS IN NFL

UNDER THE BANNER

WHAT'S GOING ON IN AND AROUND BLACK COLLEGE SPORTS

LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, PA Lincoln officially introduced Ramon Flanigan, the former Division I offensive coordinator for Mississippi Valley State, as the new Lincoln Lions head football coach at a Monday press conference at the Student Union Building Theater. Flanigan comes to Lincoln Flanigan from a highly-decorated coaching career in NCAA Division I with Mississippi Valley State and the University of North Texas as an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Prior to coming to Lincoln, Flanigan, who also assisted with academic and other administrative duties, worked three years for the Mississippi Valley State football program under head coach Karl Morgan. Flanigan, who replaces Olabaniji (O.J.) Abanishe after five seasons, is the second Lion head coach in its NCAA Division II era.

NEW LINCOLN FOOTBALL COACH:

Terron Armstead was projected as the only surefire selection from a black college to go in last week's three-day National Football League Draft. That projection turned out to be true as the 6-5, 306-pound offensive tackle out of Arkansas-Pine Bluff was snatched up by the New Orleans Saints with the 13th pick in Friday's third round, the 75th overall selection. No other black college prospect went off the boards until the Detroit Lions selected Florida A&M linebacker Brandon Hepburn Saturday with the 39th pick in the seventh and final round, a compensatory pick, 245th overall. The two selections this year match the second lowest all-time haul of black college players in the NFL draft, mirroring the 2010 and 2004 tallies. Only last year's draft when South Carolina State safety Christian Thompson was the only black college selection going to Baltimore in the fourth round had a lower number. The two selections also continues a trend that has seen the number of black college players taken in the draft only rise above five twice in the last 13 years. From 1994 to 2000, black college selectees reached double digits in five of seven years with a high of 17 selections in 1996.

Terron Armstead

Brandon Hepburn

NUMBER OF BLACK COLLEGE PLAYERS TAKEN IN NFL DRAFT SINCE 1994

"So, we've been pretty disciplined and have had good fortune with finding offensive linemen at the right spot in the draft and hopefully this is another instance of that." Armstead will be looking to follow in the footsteps of another former Saint with Pine Bluff, Arkansas connections. Willie Roaf played at Pine Bluff High School before a standout career at Louisiana Tech. Roaf, taken in the first round of the 1993 draft, played nine years with the Saints and four years with the Kansas City Chiefs and was selected to 11 Pro Bowls. He was inducted last year into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Armstead told the Times-Picayune newspaper in New Orleans that he and Roaf have become acquainted in recent weeks. He said he's studied tape of Roaf dominating NFL defensive linemen and hopes to emulate the Hall of Famer's career, on and off the field. "He's a great guy," Armstead said. "He's been watching me and has been steering me in the right direction, letting me know what to expect." Armstead said Roaf texted him five minutes after his selection on Friday with a simple message: 'Stay humble and hungry. It's time to go to work.' Hepburn was somewhat of a surprise selection but impressed Lions' GM Martin Mayhew with his physical and mental abilities. "He just maybe the smartest person we've ever drafted," Mayhew said of Hep-

2013 2 '12 1 '11 4 '10 2 '09 4 '08 5 '07 5 '06 3 '05 6 '04 2 '03 8 '02 5 '01 4 2000 13 '99 7 '98 8 '97 13 '96 17 '95 13 '94 13

BLACK COLLEGE PLAYERS IN 2013 NFL DRAFT

NEW ORLEANS Terron Armstead 6-5, 306, OT Arkansas-Pine Bluff 13th pick - 3rd Round 75th overall DETROIT Brandon Hepburn 6-2, 240, ILB Florida A&M 39th pick - 7th Round 245th overall In a draft dominated by players at his position Armstead placed himself among the elite prospects with outstanding performances at the East-West Shrine game and Senior Bowl and an eye-opening workout at the Combine. Offensive tackles went 1-2-4 at the top of this year's draft with a total of five selected in the first round. Armstead was the seventh of nine offensive tackles taken in the first three rounds. He is expected to compete with veterans Charles Brown and Jason Smith for the starting left tackle job with the Saints protecting quarterback Drew Brees' blind side. "To say he's going to come in here and right away be at the position as a starter, I just know he's going to be able to come in here and compete for that opportunity," said Saints head coach Sean Payton of Armstead. "But I think we've got some players ahead of him that are going to be doing the same thing.

TSU WOMEN'S HOOPS COACH:

HOUSTON-Texas Southern Director of Athletics Dr. Charles McClelland has announced that current TSU associate head coach Johnetta Hayes-Perry has been named the next head women's basketball coach at the school. Hayes-Perry arrived to Texas Southern after a two year stint at UNC-Wilmington, where she spent two seasons as an assistant coach on former TSU head women's basketball Hayes-Perry coach Cynthia Cooper-Dykes' staff. At UNCW Hayes-Perry was a part of a staff that led the program to two 20-win seasons and two postseason appearances. This past season Hayes-Perry was instrumental in the Lady Tigers historic success as Texas Southern participated in the WNIT postseason for the first time in school history. Prior to coaching at UNC-Wilmington, Hayes-Perry spent two seasons as an assistant coach at North Texas. Before her stint at North Texas, Hayes-Perry served as head coach at Wiley College in Marshall, Texas, where she guided the NAIA program to 42 victories in her two seasons. She was named the 2007-08 Red River Athletic Conference Coach-of-the-Year. Hayes-Perry got her initial start in coaching serving as a graduate assistant at Prairie View A&M under Cooper-Dyke.

burn who graduated from FAMU last May with a degree in biochemistry and is working on his Master's. He recently contributed to a research project that used Nano particles as a delivery method for cancer-fighting medicine. 'I get that a lot," Hepburn said of Mayhew's statement. "But football is my No. 1 love and Ive always wanted to be in the position I am now. To be able to live out my dream of playing in the NFL." Mayhew said speaking to new FAMU head coach Earl Holmes, a former FAMU standout who played for the Lions during a nine-year NFL career, convinced him to draft Hepburn. "Earl was talking about the player he is and talking about how the kid could help us," said Mayhew. Hepburn, 6-foot-2, 240 pounds, walked onto the Florida A&M football team as a blocking tight end in 2008, but made the move to linebacker the following season. He was very productive as a senior, tallying 86 tackles (9.5 for loss), 5.5 sacks, seven pass breakups and a forced fumble. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.68 seconds at the Combine and showed some explosiveness in drills. Hepburn has experience playing both inside and outside, though the Lions have more of a need on the outside after losing starter Justin Durant, a Hampton product via free agency to Denver. Hepburn will compete with Ashlee Palmer, Tahir Whitehead and Travis Lewis for that vacant spot

THE STAT CORNER

Spring Sports Round-Up

Alabama State sweeps SWAC golf ALEXANDRIA, La. -- The Alabama State men's golf team repeated as Southwestern Athletic Conference champion, holding off Jackson State at Oak Wing Golf Club last week. The Hornets finished the three-day, 54-hole event with a score of 881, pulling away from second place Jackson State in the final round. JSU, who had closed to within eight strokes after a strong second round, finished 17 strokes off the lead at 898. Branson Ferrier led Alabama State and was awarded the tournament's Most Valuable Player, Tournament Low Medalist, and Freshman Low Medalist awards shooting a tournament low 215 at the par 72-7043 yard course. Janelle Kraakman led the Alabama State women to their second SWAC golf title in three years shooting a tournament low 160 (81-79). Kraakman was awarded Most Valuable Player, Freshman Low Medalist, and Top Medalist for the tournament. The Lady Hornets finished the tournament with a total score of 327-330 -- 657, outdistancing Jackson State by 25 strokes. The Lady Tigers shot a two-day score of 344-338 -- 682. Stillman takes SIAC baseball title OZARK, Alabama Stillman won the 2013 SIAC Baseball Tournament for the sixth time in seven years after defeating Tuskegee 12-6 Sunday at the Historic Eagle Stadium. The Tigers from Tuscaloosa (30-14) scored six runs in the fourth inning and negated a comeback attempt by Tuskegee by adding another six runs in the final innings. Fernando Tanaka finished with three hits, three RBI's, including a solo home run to lead Stillman and was named Most Valuable Player of the Tournament

WHO ARE THE BEST PERFORMERS IN BLACK COLLEGE SPORTS

Undrafted Rookie Free Agents from Black Colleges

Arizona Cardinals Jamaal Johnson-Webb, OL, Alabama A&M Padric Scott, DT, Florida A&M Atlanta Falcons Brandon Thurmond, OLB, Arkansas Pine-Bluff Terren Jones, OT, Alabama State Saeed Lee, DB, Alabama State Kejuan Riley, DB, Alabama State Baltimore Ravens Roger Gaines, OT, Tennessee State Andre Kates, DB, Virginia Union Buffalo Bills Vernon Kearney, CB, Lane Keith Pough, LB, Howard Dallas Cowboys Jakar Hamilton, FS, South Carolina State Detroit Lions Travis Tarpley, WR, Delaware State Kansas City Chiefs Kaderius Lacey, RB, Alabama A&M Rico Richardson, WR, Jackson State New York Jets K. J. Stroud, WR, Bethune-Cookman Brian Smith, DB, VIrginia Union Oakland Raiders Kentrell Harris, DE, Virginia Union Greg Jenkins, QB, Alabama State San Francisco 49ers Sherman Carter, OL, Tennessee State Seattle Seahawks Jajuan Harley, S, Tennessee State
AZEEZ Communications, Inc. Vol. XIX, No. 39

2013 RESULTS

The 119th Penn Relays culminated Saturday before a crowd of over 48,000 fans at Philadelphia's Franklin Field. Here are some of the black college highlights from the week-long historic event. - Gerkenz Senesca of Saint Augustine's won the Olympic Development men's 110 hurdles in 13.84 and teammate Ramon Gittens was second in the Olympic Development men's 100 dash in 10.37. - Elhadji Mbow of St. Aug's won the men's 400 meter hurdles in the championship division Friday. Mbow, the top-ranked 400 hurdler in Division II, ran a time of 51.19 seconds. - St. Augustine's men (Ramaan Ansley, Taffawee Johnson, Burkheart Ellis, Jr, Jermaine Jones) finished second to UTech (Jamaica) in the 4x100 meter relay Championship of America event. - St. Aug's (Josh Edmonds, Daniel Jamelson, Johnson and Jones) also finished second in the men's 4x200 (Texas A&M) with Savannah State (Darrius Baker, Chazwyn Price, Cameron Hall, Gregory Terrell) fourth. - St. Aug's (Edmonds, James Quarles, Ellis, Dane Hyat) also finished second in the College Men's 4x400 (Texas A&M). - Former St. Aug's hurdler Bershawn Jackson (45.7) ran the third leg of the USA Red's win in the USA vs. the World's 4x400. - St. Aug's women (Kelly Shaw, Akeisha Dumont, Cherrisse Lynch and Nicketa Bernard) were fifth in the 4x400 (Oregon). - Norfolk State's women (Torie Cunningham, Rayiana Johnson,

(Above) St. Augustine's Jermaine Jones (C) is nipped by UTech's Julian Forte ((A) in the College Men's 4x100 Championship of America relay. (Right) Elhadji Mbow of St. Aug's wins the 400 meter hudles championship with a time of 51.19.

Champagne Bell of Norfolk State takes the baton from Rayiana Johnson en route to sixth-place finish in 4x200 relay.

Champagne Bell, Brittan McCants) were sixth in the 4x200 (Texas A&M). - Johnson C. Smith (Samantah Elliott, Danielle Williams, Trudy-Ann Richards, Naffene Briscoe) finished seventh and Norfolk State (Cunningham, Qua'Nesha Wallace, Bell, McCants) eighth in the 4x100.