Just got back from a very long day out at the stadium.
The team held it's annual photo session and me and Kev were out there getting your exclusive pictures and interviews. Kev should have his photos ready later on this afternoon. I'm cutting up some of the video right now.
All in all, I was pretty impressed by what I saw out there. We have a number of high-character guys on this roster. The players are all excited and ready to prove something to the fans this year. To a man, everyone said they've been on this website and really appreciate the support you clowns have been giving them.
Like I said, we'll be posting a ton of more stuff later on, but here are a few quick comments:
The Return of Blue DeathThis year's version of the Blue Death Defense is mean and confident. They may all be some nice guys and good citizens off the field, but once the whistle sounds they will crack yo mama if she came across the middle with a football. Thor is still a beast and he probably gained about 10 more pounds of solid muscle. That new Nigerian dude at linebacker is not playing around either. He had a real nice hit in practice this morning. I asked around and everybody verified that safety Nick Clement was the hardest hitter on the defense. The said his nickname is "Hit Stick". Overall, we seem to have a lot of depth at linebacker and in the secondary - however the DBs are still kinda unproven. I have no idea who will be the starting cornerbacks by time the WSSU game gets here, but those young guys sound like there definitely will be some new faces. And oh yeah, you already know about the D-line. The Motown Connection is as steady as they come. Those are three mean looking dudes who will be dishing out a lot of pain this season. Like General Lee said, if they stay healthy we will be alright.
Embarrassment of Riches In The BackfieldRunning back is a major area of strength this season. The new JUCO transfer Tony Coles is a man-child. I swear he looks like Brandon Jacobs from the Giants when he has his pads on. Night Train was held out most of the morning practice due to a hammy, but he said he should be back in a couple of days. Cosby got a lot of run today, but he still looks too small to be a legitimate every-down back. BTW: Me and Kev put our beautiful minds together and came up with a new nickname for the running back corps. We'll unveil that to you later. But Night Train guaranteed that A&T will have at least one 1,000 yard back this season.
Lots of Talented Wide Outs TooThe top three wide receivers on this team are "The Present"(formerly known as "the Future"), Terrence Whitaker and of course Wallace Miles. Regardless of what you may read or hear from the coaches, those will be your starting 3 wide-outs come September. Write that down. I saw a little bit of Larry Raper but not enough to form a true opinion. He said his fastest 40 time ever was a 4.2 during his junior year in high school. If I ran that fast I wouldn't know what to do. I would probably just run up and down my cul de sac to impress the neighbors. That is just sick.
Have No Fear, Carlton Is HereCarlton Fears is the clear cut No. 1 starter and he is probably the undeniable team leader. Dude has a quiet confidence and just a high level of maturity. You have to talk to him one-on-one to know what I mean. There is just something about him that makes you feel like everything is going to be alright. Lewis Kindle is definitely the heir apparent. I kinda wish I hadn't already nicknamed Derek Gould "The Future" because that name probably better suits Kindle right now. He has the best touch of anybody in camp. Best deep ball, best overall arm. Shelton Morgan is still Shelton Morgan. He is the heartbreak kid. Every once in a while he will throw a beautiful pass out of nowhere .... but then on the next play he will fumble the snap or throw a tight spiral to a linebacker or something like that to just break your heart. Think back to the second half of the 2007 NCCU game and you will remember what I'm talking about.
Welcome Back, ChennisI really like Chennis Berry as our OL coach. I'm not sure how successful he will be as a offensive coordinator, but there's not many coaches in 1-AA football who can coach a O-line better than Berry. He is great teacher of technique and fundamentals. Maybe, just maybe, our O-line this season will be better than that band of misfits we had last year now that he is on the sideline. BTW: Here's a fun fact. His son, my son and former defensive end Rickie Lewis' daughter were all born on the exact same day at Greensboro Women's Hospital, back in 2007.
