Post by Bornthrilla on Dec 8, 2010 8:55:06 GMT -5
www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/college/7329106.html
'Second Chance U' appropriate nickname for TSU
By RONNIE TURNER
Copyright 2010 Houston Chronicle
Dec. 7, 2010, 10:13PM
Joseph Warren remembers receiving recruitment letters from Texas Southern during his days as a standout running back at Madison.
He also remembers the trash cans those letters ended up in.
"Back in the day, nobody wanted to come to TSU, even me," Warren said. "When I was in high school, I would get a letter from TSU and throw it away. I wasn't even trying to hear (about) TSU."
Given the atmosphere surrounding the TSU program at the time, Warren's indifference was understandable. When Warren graduated from Madison in 2005, TSU had just come off a disastrous 0-11 finish.
Warren took three years off from football after leaving Madison, working a number of jobs to help support his mother. When the 5-10, 175-pounder returned to football in the spring of 2009, he found a home as a walk-on at TSU.
At the time, coach Johnnie Cole, in his second year of running the program, was in the process of changing the culture. He had cleaned house in the wake of Steve Wilson's disastrous tenure (4-40 record from 2004-07). That opened the door for a lot of new faces to come on board, including those looking for a chance to revive their careers.
Warren, who first introduced himself to Cole while installing cable in the coach's office, represents one of the more unique stories. But there's also starting quarterback Arvell Nelson, who was dismissed from Iowa in March 2008 and played primarily safety at Kansas' Fort Scott Community College before Cole gave him another shot to play quarterback. And then there's linebacker Shomari Clemons, who left LSU in May 2009, a little more than a year after being put on indefinite suspension.
Warren, Nelson, Clemons and other players with unique backgrounds have all found a home at TSU. As the Tigers prepare to face Alabama State in Saturday's SWAC Championship Game in Birmingham, Ala., they're more than happy to be in their current circumstances.
"(The media) has tried to give this university the nickname of 'Second Chance U,' and some guys did have a second chance," said Clemons, who joined the program before the 2009 season. "Some things happened with those guys, and they had to be removed from where they were. Some guys didn't have that situation; they left on their own will.
"But it doesn't matter how you got here. At the end of the day, we're all here now, and we're all bonding. That's all that matters."
Cole said sometimes all that's needed for many players is a second chance.
"The object of the game is to go out and get the best student-athletes you can get, and a lot of times these guys just need to mature up in different areas," said Cole, who is 18-16 in three seasons at TSU. "To be able to get those quality athletes, sometimes you have to take a chance on them. ...
"In reality, it's a win-win situation for them to come into a strict program and prove they are who they are and for us because we're getting top quality athletes. … And in our system, not only are we playing winning football, we have developed young people."
Cole's efforts to revitalize the program paid immediate dividends. The Tigers were 4-8 during his first season in 2008 but improved to 6-5 in 2009 before surging to an 8-3 record this year. They closed the regular season with seven straight victories.
They were presented with a prize for their efforts Tuesday — the SWAC Western Division championship trophy.
"Everybody bought into coach Cole's system, and everything's changed," Warren said. "And now we're playing for a championship.
"We never thought we'd see the day."
ronnie.turner@chron.com
'Second Chance U' appropriate nickname for TSU
By RONNIE TURNER
Copyright 2010 Houston Chronicle
Dec. 7, 2010, 10:13PM
Joseph Warren remembers receiving recruitment letters from Texas Southern during his days as a standout running back at Madison.
He also remembers the trash cans those letters ended up in.
"Back in the day, nobody wanted to come to TSU, even me," Warren said. "When I was in high school, I would get a letter from TSU and throw it away. I wasn't even trying to hear (about) TSU."
Given the atmosphere surrounding the TSU program at the time, Warren's indifference was understandable. When Warren graduated from Madison in 2005, TSU had just come off a disastrous 0-11 finish.
Warren took three years off from football after leaving Madison, working a number of jobs to help support his mother. When the 5-10, 175-pounder returned to football in the spring of 2009, he found a home as a walk-on at TSU.
At the time, coach Johnnie Cole, in his second year of running the program, was in the process of changing the culture. He had cleaned house in the wake of Steve Wilson's disastrous tenure (4-40 record from 2004-07). That opened the door for a lot of new faces to come on board, including those looking for a chance to revive their careers.
Warren, who first introduced himself to Cole while installing cable in the coach's office, represents one of the more unique stories. But there's also starting quarterback Arvell Nelson, who was dismissed from Iowa in March 2008 and played primarily safety at Kansas' Fort Scott Community College before Cole gave him another shot to play quarterback. And then there's linebacker Shomari Clemons, who left LSU in May 2009, a little more than a year after being put on indefinite suspension.
Warren, Nelson, Clemons and other players with unique backgrounds have all found a home at TSU. As the Tigers prepare to face Alabama State in Saturday's SWAC Championship Game in Birmingham, Ala., they're more than happy to be in their current circumstances.
"(The media) has tried to give this university the nickname of 'Second Chance U,' and some guys did have a second chance," said Clemons, who joined the program before the 2009 season. "Some things happened with those guys, and they had to be removed from where they were. Some guys didn't have that situation; they left on their own will.
"But it doesn't matter how you got here. At the end of the day, we're all here now, and we're all bonding. That's all that matters."
Cole said sometimes all that's needed for many players is a second chance.
"The object of the game is to go out and get the best student-athletes you can get, and a lot of times these guys just need to mature up in different areas," said Cole, who is 18-16 in three seasons at TSU. "To be able to get those quality athletes, sometimes you have to take a chance on them. ...
"In reality, it's a win-win situation for them to come into a strict program and prove they are who they are and for us because we're getting top quality athletes. … And in our system, not only are we playing winning football, we have developed young people."
Cole's efforts to revitalize the program paid immediate dividends. The Tigers were 4-8 during his first season in 2008 but improved to 6-5 in 2009 before surging to an 8-3 record this year. They closed the regular season with seven straight victories.
They were presented with a prize for their efforts Tuesday — the SWAC Western Division championship trophy.
"Everybody bought into coach Cole's system, and everything's changed," Warren said. "And now we're playing for a championship.
"We never thought we'd see the day."
ronnie.turner@chron.com
