Webb ready to show NFL scouts his game
Nicholls State's All-Southland Conference and first-team All-American defensive back and return specialist Lardarius Webb has been invited to workout for all 32 NFL teams at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis on Feb. 18-24.
Webb, who accumulated 37 individual awards at Nicholls State and totaled 55 tackles, seven pass break-ups, three sacks, two forced fumbles and two interceptions in nine games in 2008, will be just one of 23 players to workout for NFL coaches, scouts, general managers and player personnel chiefs at the cornerback position.
NFL scouts are intrigued by Webb's big-play skills as a defensive back and also his explosive skills as a return man. The Opelika, Ala., native averaged 29.5 yards per return on kickoffs and 15.2 yards per return on punts as a senior.
He brought a punt and a kickoff back for scores in 2008.
Webb is projected as a fourth-round selection in the April draft, but before he works out for the NFL hierarchy in February, the most dynamic football player to wear a Nicholls uniform since wide receiver Mark Carrier in the late 1980s, will play in the Texas versus The Nation All-Star Classic in El Paso, Texas.
Without the Blue-Gray game and the Hula Bowl Classic being played, the Texas vs. The Nation All-Star game takes on greater prominence in the eyes of NFL scouts.
The Sun Bowl in El Paso plays host to the all-star classic on Jan. 31, and Webb will be joined in the all-star game by two other Louisiana products in Ole Miss wide receiver Mike Wallace and Northwestern State guard Tim Henderson.
Wallace, who played his prep football at O.P. Walker High School in New Orleans, developed into a top-flight receiver at Ole Miss.
He caught 39 passes for 784 yards and seven touchdowns as a senior. Wallace also averaged 24.6 yards per return on kickoffs and brought one back for a touchdown in 2008.
Henderson, a 6-foot-2, 310-pound guard, originally signed with Ole Miss after an excellent high school career at Evangel Christian Academy and later earned All-Southland Conference honors in 2008.
Two other Louisiana products, McNeese State wide receiver Quinten Lawrence and left tackle Kyle Link also had been invited to play in the Texas vs. The Nation All-Star game, but declined because they are rehabbing injuries.
Lawrence, who played at Carencro High School and Link, a former tight end at Barbe High School in Lake Charles who was converted to left tackle at McNeese, will also join Wallace and Webb at the combine workout in Indianapolis.
TAYLOR, GAY, RICHARD HEADED TO HOUSTON
Three Louisiana products have been invited to play in the East-West Shrine All-Star Classic in Houston on Saturday.
LSU safety Curtis Taylor, Baylor offensive tackle Dan Gary and Georgia Tech defensive tackle Darryl Richard will participate in the game.
Taylor, a very gifted athlete who suffered through a sub-par senior season at LSU has also been invited to work out for the NFL scouts at the combine, along with former Destrehan Wildcats defensive tackle Darryl Richard.
Richard, a second team All-ACC performer in 2008, was a standout defensive lineman for the Wildcats in high school and totaled 34 tackles, 10 tackles for losses and four sacks in 2008 for the Yellow Jackets.
Gay, a former defensive tackle and basketball standout at St. Thomas More High School in Lafayette, has been a three-year starter at both offensive guard and tackle at Baylor and he also has been invited to the combine.
LSU TO BE WELL REPRESENTED
Eight LSU players have been invited to participate at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
Along with safety Taylor, fullback Quinn Johnson, wide receiver Demetrius Byrd, center Brett Helms, guard Herman Johnson, defensive end Tyson Jackson, defensive tackle Charles Alexander and middle linebacker Darry Beckwith are headed to the NFL Combine.
Quinn Johnson, Herman Johnson, Demetrius Byrd, Tyson Jackson and Darry Beckwith will participate in the Senior Bowl game in Mobile, Ala., on Jan. 24.
OTHER LOUISIANA PLAYERS INVITED
Tulane offensive lineman Troy Kropog, who started three seasons for the Green Wave at left tackle, and Southern Miss tight end Shawn Nelson, who prepped at East Ascension High School will also play in the Senior Bowl and have been invited to the NFL Combine.
Nelson, a 6-4, 235-pound tight end caught 53 passes for 557 yards and three touchdowns as a senior for USM.
Two other Louisiana products, Oregon State cornerback Keenan Lewis and Oklahoma strong safety Nic Harris have been invited to play in the 2009 Senior Bowl and they have also been invited to the combine.
Lewis, a standout defensive back from O. P. Walker High School in New Orleans, intercepted three passes and had eight pass break-ups as a senior.
Harris, a rugged 6-3, 230-pound strong safety prospect from Alexandria High School, earned first-team All-Big 12 honors after recording 64 tackles and six pass breaks-ups in 2008.
FENROY LOOKS TO MAKE MARK
There's a lot of football talent from the state of Louisiana, but I am very surprised that at the present time, Louisiana-Lafayette record-breaking running back Tyrell Fenroy has yet to be invited to any of the all-star games nor has he been invited to participate at the NFL Combine.
Fenroy, a former standout at St. Charles Catholic High School, was the 2008 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year and became one of only seven players in NCAA history to rush for more than 1,000 yards in four straight seasons
The NFL is missing the boat if it thinks he can't play at the next level.
GIBBS HAD TO GO
The Saints decision to cut loose defensive coordinator Gary Gibbs should have come as no surprise. Gibbs is a gentleman and a good coach, but I questioned that his laid-back approach was not the best remedy for the Saints, and he was a better position coach than a coordinator.
Time after time over the past two seasons, Saints defensive backs gave up too many big-plays in the passing game, had costly interference calls late in games and failed to get a consistent pass rush from their high-priced defensive ends Will Smith and Charles Grant.
That is not all the fault of the coaching philosophy of Gibbs, but it also points to the lack of quality talent on defense.
While the Saints front-office and coaches have tried to downplay their lack of talent on defense, just ask yourself if you watched the Carolina Panthers, New York Giants, Tennessee Titans or Pittsburgh Steelers how many starters would you trade one on one for a Saints defensive starter.
Maybe three at best. That tells you that for all the talk about tweaking the defensive talent, it better be an overhaul on defense in the 2009 offseason.
One individual who might be the right fit for the Saints as a defensive coordinator is former Washington Redskins and Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator Gregg Williams.
One NFC offensive coordinator who has gone up against Williams' defenses the past few years said he will be an excellent fit for the Saints if he can get the proper talent.
"Gregg is a really talented coach," the NFC offensive coordinator said. "But (Mickey) Loomis and Sean Payton need to get him better people. Williams likes his defensive ends to speed up the field and put pressure on the quarterback. He uses a host of multiple stunts up front to try and confuse the quarterback and throw him off rhythm. You can see he values speed over size at linebacker and he loves to mix up his defensive coverages. In his schemes he likes to man-up with his cornerbacks and allow his safeties room to roam. In going up against him it is a chess match to see which side he will blitz someone from and he likes to play a physical style. He is a quality coach, very smart and he mixes up the man coverages and cover-2 schemes very well. Like Sean, he is a bit arrogant as a playcaller, but the guy is very effective.
Honesty I don't think that other than Smith, defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis, linebacker Jonathan Vilma and maybe the rookie cornerback Tracy Porter, no other player on that defense could be in our starting lineup. That doesn't mean that guys like Scott Fujita and maybe Charles Grant couldn't play and start for others, but the talent level on the Saints defensive team is limited."
COFFEE TURNING PRO
An interesting player who decided to give up his senior season of college football is Alabama running back Glen Coffee.
Coffee, whose mother Doris grew up in Montegut, has a host of relatives in the Houma area.
He is a middle-round projection by the NFL Advisory Board.
I agree that Coffee, a 6-0, 205-pound runner, will probably be drafted in the fourth round of the 2009 draft, and I like his hard-charging running style, his quickness to hit the hole and his ability to get extra yardage after first contact.
The Fort Walton Beach High School in Florida standout is also a pretty good receiver coming out of the backfield, but he needs to do a better job of protecting the football in traffic.
I am convinced that Coffee will be a solid running back in the NFL, and like many others, he has some major roots right here on the Bayou.
Copyright (c) 2009 HoumaToday.com
Taafe takes over the Knights' offense
For the first time in five years, UCF has a new offensive coordinator.
Charlie Taaffe, a veteran of the college and professional ranks, has been tapped by head coach George O'Leary to take over an offense that saw its share of struggles this past season. The former Maryland offensive coordinator and two-time Canadian Football League Coach of the Year will also tutor the Knights' quarterbacks.
O'Leary confirmed the hire and other offensive staff changes to the Florida Today, which reported the moves in their Saturday edition.
Tim Salem, who had served as offensive coordinator since O'Leary's arrival in 2004, will now oversee the tight ends and move into the role of special teams coordinator.
George Godsey, formerly the quarterbacks coach, takes over Salem's previous assignment as running backs coach.
Brent Key is now in charge of the offensive line after previously serving as tight ends coach and special teams coordinator. Former offensive line coach Tom Freeman is no longer with the program.
Taaffe, 58, helped Ralph Friedgen turn around the Maryland program as offensive coordinator from 2001-05. His most recent stint came as head coach of the CFL's Hamilton TigerCats where he was recently fired in his second year with the franchise. Before he went to Maryland, Taaffe had a highly successful run as head coach of the Montreal Allouettes from 1999-2000.
He is also the winningest coach in the history of The Citadel, spending 10 years at the school from 1987-96. He won the Eddie Robinson Award in 1992 after leading the Bulldogs to an 11-2 record.
Taaffe, who had been in the running for the head coaching position at Army, is expected to arrive on campus in time for the Jan. 9 recruiting weekend.
(c)2007 STATS LLC
Bomar To Play In Senior Bowl
HUNTSVILLE- Sam Houston State senior quarterback Rhett Bomar has accepted an invitation to play in the Under Armour Senior Bowl January 24, 2009 at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, AL.
The contest will be the second of two college all-star games in which the Bearkats' all-time total offense and passing leader will appear in January. Bomar earlier accepted an invitation to appear in the East-West Shrine All-Star Game on January 17, 2009, in Houston, Texas.
Bomar completed his college career as Sam Houston's all-time leader in passing with 5,564 yards in 19 games and career leader in total offense with 6,159 yards. He is a two-time All-Southland Conference selection and ended the 2008 season ranked No. 2 in NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision total offense (354.2 yards per game) and No. 4 in passing offense (335,5 yards per contest).
Bomar passed for more than 300 yards in nine games during his Bearkat career. He threw for passes of more than 50 yards 10 times including a long of 80 yards. He is one of only 11 players in NCAA FCS history to throw for more than 300 yards and rush for more than 100 yards in a single game (against North Dakota State in 2007).
The Senior Bowl annually attracts more than 800 general managers, coaches, scouts and other personnel to the game and practices. A total of 30 NFL Hall of Fame players have participated in the event.
"This is an exciting opportunity," Bomar said. "After our season is over, I can put on a Bearkat helmet two more times. It should be a good time for everyone and good for Sam Houston State. I've put in a lot of hard work and I'm ready to go out there and show what I can do."
Bomar will be the sixth Bearkat to appear in a post-season All-Star game.
Quarterback Dustin Long played in the 2005 Shrine and Hula Bowl All-Star games. Quarterback Josh McCown (2001) and defensive linemen Michael Bankston (1991) and Mike Ober (1989) played in the North-South Senior Bowl contest in Mobile, AL. McCown scored a touchdown in the 2001 Senior Bowl. D. D. Terry played in the 2007 Texas vs. the Nation All-Star game in Houston.
The East-West Shrine game is one of the most famous post-season college All Star contests. For most of its history, the game was played in the San Francisco Bay Area at San Francisco's Kezar Stadium or at Stanford Stadium. In recent years it has been played at SBC Park.
In 2006, the game was played in the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. The Shrine Game moved once again to Houston, Texas for its 2007 event.
Gray Television, Inc. - Copyright (c) 2002-2008
USM's Brown out for spring drills after surgery to repair leg
Southern Miss football coach Larry Fedora said DeAndre Brown had surgery early this morning to repair a broken leg suffered in the first quarter of a 30-27 overtime win against Troy in the New Orleans Bowl.
Brown, a freshman All-American wide receiver from Ocean Springs, was taken to the Tulane Medical Center after the injury to his left leg and was later flown to Hattiesburg.
"DeAndre had surgery at 2 a.m.," Fedora said. "The surgery went smooth. It went as well as possible. The doctors inserted a rod in the leg and we expect a full recovery.
"We will not push the injury. He will not be participating in spring drills. It will be pushing it to get ready for training camp in the fall. The good thing is DeAndre will be fine and make a full recovery."
Fedora said Brown, who set a single-season record with his 67th reception before the injury, was excited to hear his teammates rallied from a 10-point deficit to win the game and secure the schools 15th consecutive winning season.
"When I talked to him this morning, he was in good spirits," Fedora said. "He was with his mom and he was excited about the win. He was disappointed that he wasn't more involved, but very happy for his teammates.
"We had a lot of things in our game plan for DeAndre and he was pumped before the game started. He was disappointed that he wasn't a bigger part of it, but that is DeAndre."
Fedora said he has been inundated with calls of concern about Brown and he said he and Brown's family appreciate the calls of support and prayers.
sunherald.com
Tide commitment named MVP
Quarterback AJ McCarron put on a show for the home folks, but he had a little help from a cast of stars.
Playing his last game in his hometown, McCarron threw two touchdown passes, and the Alabama All-Stars downed Mississippi, 28-3, on Saturday at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.
McCarron, a St. Paul's senior and University of Alabama commitment, won the MVP award after completing 9 of 17 passes for 162 yards.
"They were talking trash the whole week, but that's just football," McCarron said. "It feels good to go out and get a big win for the state of Alabama and bring the trophy back. They won last year, and we were able to bring it back this year. That's what the state of Alabama is about. It's about pride in football. We played together as a team and got a big win."
McCarron threw touchdown passes of 9 and 39 yards to Raphael Poellnitz, a senior at Mobile's Murphy High School. McCarron's longest completion of 57 yards went to Kendall Kelly from Gadsden City.
"I never would have thought I'd come out here and win the MVP," McCarron said. "I was just trying to play good and put my teammates in the right position so we could all make plays. I couldn't do it if it wasn't for my wide receivers and my line and everybody on my team, keeping me up and keeping hope in me. I'm very happy about the win. I couldn't ask for anything better."
Tuscaloosa County High School senior Caleb Lewis hasn't made a verbal commitment yet, but he expects an increase in phone calls. Lewis (6-2, 212) displayed his skills as a wide receiver by catching four passes for 55 yards Saturday.
"It was big," Lewis said. "I just want to thank God for blessing me with the talent that I have. I want to thank all my fans and the people that were behind me.
"We had fun all week. I got to meet a lot of people. It was a good experience for me. It can only help me."
His older brother, Josh Lewis, is a college prospect who played two seasons at a junior college in Mississippi.
Josh Lewis, a defensive end at TCHS, played for the Alabama All-Stars in a 51-14 victory in June of 2007.
Melvin Pete, head coach at Tuscaloosa's Central High School, directed the wide receivers as a member of the Alabama staff.
"We found out during the week of practice that Caleb was something to be reckoned with," Pete said. "Once we got a little more comfortable with him, we figured out more things that he can do."
D.J. Fluker, another Alabama commitment, provided protection for McCarron at left offensive tackle.
"D.J.'s like a big brother to me," McCarron said. "We've had a good relationship ever since we both committed. We just have a lot of fun with each other and just go out and play hard."
Fluker, who stands 6-foot-7 and weighs 317 pounds, is a senior at Foley High School. He is a former teammate of Julio Jones, who starred this season as a freshman receiver at Alabama.
"This is a step forward for playing in the SEC against college competition," Fluker said. "We prepared hard all week long. When you step on this field, you're playing with the best of the best from Mississippi and Alabama. It's a pleasure.
"I enjoyed it a lot, having fun, bulldogging people and pancaking. It's incredible. I can't explain it."
The Alabama offense ran plays to Fluker's side for its first two touchdowns. Florence City's Shawn Southward scored the first one on an 11-yard run and the second on a 2-yard run.
Southward gained 57 yards on 16 carries. Orwin Smith from Central of Phenix City led Alabama with 62 yards on eight carries. Cordova's Tim Simon, an Ole Miss commitment, gained 25 yards on seven carries.
Alabama rushed for 158 yards on 45 carries. Mississippi, which turned the ball over on three fumbles and two interceptions, gained 18 rushing yards on 21 attempts and 161 passing yards.
Mississippi got its only points on a 39-yard field goal by Travis Bradley in the second quarter.
Jonathan Evans, a linebacker from Mobile's Blount High School, led the Alabama defense with nine tackles. Defensive back Dennis Thames led the Mississippi defense with eight tackles. Defensive back David Conner, who had four tackles and a blocked punt, was named the Mississippi MVP.
Copyright (c) 2008 TuscaloosaNews.com
OSU gives Gundy raise, contract extension
MIAMI, Okla. (AP) Mike Gundy was rewarded by the regents who oversee Oklahoma State on Friday with a new seven-year contract that will pay him $15.7 million.
The OSU/A&M Board of Regents, meeting at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College, agreed to a contract with Gundy that will take effect Jan. 1 and run through December 2015. Gundy's annual salary will go from about $1 million to an average of more than $2.2 million.
Gundy is 27-22 in four seasons at his alma mater. His first contract at Oklahoma State paid him $700,000 in 2005, and his current six-year contract would have taken him through 2013.
Details of the new deal weren't immediately disclosed by Oklahoma State.
The No. 14 Cowboys (9-3, 5-3 Big 12) would finish with 10 wins in a season for only the fourth time in school history with a bowl win. All their losses this season came against teams that were ranked in the top three at the time of the game.
''The OSU Board and administration are extremely pleased with the job Coach Gundy has done in moving our football program forward,'' university president Burns Hargis said in a statement. ''With the caliber of student-athletes he and his staff are recruiting, and with our new facilities, the future is very bright.''
Athletic director Mike Holder said Gundy ''has earned this increase'' based on the Cowboys' success on and off the field.
''I have always appreciated the opportunity to coach at my alma mater,'' Gundy said. ''This is the best job in the country. We have great fans, we are building tremendous facilities, we have great support from the administration and I have a terrific staff.''
(c) MMVIII, CBS Corporation. All rights reserved.
Cal U hosting semifinal game
Thanks to the biggest tackle of Darren Burns' four-year career, California University's football team is still in the running for a national championship.
Burns' hit came with 1:51 remaining and forced a fumble by Bloomsburg quarterback Dan Latorre following a 28-yard run. Brandon Gordon recovered for the Vulcans at the Cal six-yard line to preserve a nail-biting 27-24 Vulcan victory in the Super One final.
As a result, Cal (12-1) will be hosting the NCAA Division II national semifinals at noon Saturday against Minnesota-Duluth (13-0), which outlasted No. 1 Grand Valley State, 19-13, in double overtime. The contest will be televised nationally on ESPN Classic.
In the other semifinal game, No. 3 Northwest Missouri State (12-1) will host No. 5 North Alabama (12-1) at 4 p.m.
The two winners will meet in the championship game Dec. 13 at North Alabama's Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence.
At Bloomsburg, California had to come from behind in the third quarter to avenge its lone defeat of the season in the second week on the same field.
Trailing 17-13, Kevin McCabe threw touchdown passes of 16 yards to Marcel Pestano and six yards to Josh Gumbert to put the Vulcans ahead to stay.
Bloomsburg (11-2) trimmed the lead to 27-24 with 12:46 left in the game when Latorre went over from the one to end a seven-play, 60-yard drive.
The Huskies ate up 5:20 of the clock late in the fourth quarter, driving from their own 10 before losing the ball when Burns' hit knocked out Latorre.
"We had a chance at the end but we had two turnovers that ended up costing us," said Bloomsburg coach Danny Hale.
The other turnover came in the third quarter when Gordon stripped the ball away from Derrick Price and the Vulcans' Terrence Johnson recovered at the Bloomsburg 43.
Five plays later, Cal went ahead to stay on McCabe's 16-yard touchdown toss to Pestano.
McCabe completed 22 of 29 passes for 184 yards and also threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to A.J. Jackson in the second quarter to erase a 7-6 deficit.
With 3,043 yards, McCabe became Cal's first 3,000-yard passer in a season.
Pestano, who had seven receptions for 79 yards, set single-season marks with 76 catches for 1,119 yards.
Daine Williams, who scored Cal's first touchdown from one yard out in the opening 4:52, ran for a game-high 145 yards on 27 carries to give him 1,094 for the season.
Price, who ran for 112 yards, scored Bloomsburg's first half touchdowns on a 10-yard run and 12 yard pass from Latorre.
The Huskies' Jon Koenig kicked a 20-yard field goal with 2:30 gone in the second half to put Bloomsburg up 17-13. The Vulcans' Pat Swearinger saved a touchdown by tackling Bloomsburg's Jesse Cooper on an 81-yard return with the second half kickoff at the Cal eight-yard line.
CAL CLIPS: The Vulcans may have set a school record by not drawing a penalty. Cal had averaged seven penalties a game ... Willie Walker and Juan Butler led the Vulcans in tackles with eight and seven, respectively ... Cal has won 11 in a row .... Bloomsburg held a 383-382 advantage in total yards, including 242 on the ground.
Copyright (c) 2008 by The Tribune-Review Publishing Co
|
