Jackson Free Press

While no athletes from universities in our state won at the 2017 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, there were strong performances. The University of Mississippi, Mississippi State University and the University of Southern Mississippi all saw athletes qualify for the meet.

USM junior Cra’vorkian Carson finished 18th overall in the 100 meters, reaching the semifinals to earn Honorable Mention All-American. His teammate, senior Emron Gibbs, placed 20th in javelin to ensure Honorable Mention All-American honors, as well.

The MSU women placed two athletes on First Team All-American and one on Second Team All-American. Junior Logan Boss placed fourth in the high jump, and junior Tiffany Flynn finished eighth in the long jump for First Team honors. Junior Rhianwedd Price landed on the Second Team with a ninth-place finish in the 1,500-meters.

Two Bulldogs men earned First Team honors in the same event. Junior Nicolas Quijera finished second in the javelin, as teammate and defending national champion Curtis Thompson, who is a junior, finished seventh.

The MSU 4x400-meter relay team of Stephan James, Rasheed Tatham, Charles Taylor and Juston Waters finished 15th for Second Team All-American honors. Senior Leah Lott finished 18th in the women’s long jump, sophomore men’s long-jumper Willie Reed finished 19th overall, and the men’s 4x100-meter team of Charles Taylor, Philip Smith, Stephan James and Lawrence Crawford placed 19th overall to earn Honorable Mention All-American.

UM junior Janeah Stewart racked up the honors. She placed fifth in the women’s shot put for First Team All-American honors, and ninth in discus and 10th in hammer throw for Second Team All-American honors.

Teammate Raven Saunders, who is also a junior, finished ahead of Stewart in shot put in fourth place to earn First Team All-American for the Rebels. Shelby Brown finished 23rd in the steeplechase, and the women’s 4x100-meter relay team of Deanna Tate, Breanna Tate, Shannon Ray and Nicole Henderson finished 19th to earn Honorable Mention All-American.

Three UM men earned First Team All-American honors. Senior Craig Engels finished third in the 1,500-meters, senior MJ Erb finished fourth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, and junior Brian Williams finished fourth in the discus.

Junior Dempsey McGuigan finished in 10th place in the men’s hammer throw to become the only men’s athlete to earn Second Team All-American honors for the Rebels.

MSU men finished in 26th place overall, and the university’s women’s team finished 38th overall. The Rebels’ men finished in 19th place overall, and the UM women took 29th in the final standings. USM’s two participants didn’t earn points to place overall.

The National Football Foundation and the College Football Hall of Fame announced the candidates for the 2018 College Football Hall of Fame class. The ballot provides a lengthy list of players and coaches at various levels of college football.

Many names on the list went on to have long and NFL Hall of Fame-worthy professional careers. Some of the players were just stars at the college level and had short or no pro careers.

There are a few names on the list that have ties to our state. It is a prestigious honor if any of those players make into the hall, considering over 5.19 million people have played college football, but only 987 players are in the hall of fame.

One athlete from our state with a great chance of making into the hall is University of Mississippi linebacker Patrick Willis. The former Rebel great was a 2006 First Team All-American, 2006 Butkus Award winner, 2006 SEC Player of the Year and two-time First Team All-SEC. Willis went on to play for the San Francisco 49ers and was a star in the NFL. He abruptly retired after the 2014 season, thinking of his long-term health.

Four players from Mississippi Valley State University landed on the ballot. Younger fans will likely know former defensive back Ashley Ambrose the best. He was First Team All-American, First Team All-SWAC, and SWAC Defensive Back and Return Specialist in 1991. He went on to play in the NFL for several teams, including the New Orleans Saints.

Vincent Brown played linebacker for the Delta Devils, was a 1987 First Team All-American and led the nation in tackles in 1986 and 1987. He set an NCAA record at all levels for tackles with 570 and went on to have a successful career with the New England Patriots.

Former MVSU quarterback Parnell Dickerson was First Team All-American and Pittsburgh Courier National Player of the Year in 1975. He was a three-time All-SWAC selection and was the conference's all-time leader in total offense by the end of his college career. Dickerson played one season in the NFL for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The final Delta Devil to make the list is former wide receiver Bob Gaddis. He was a 1974 First Team All-American and Pittsburgh Courier National Player of the Year. He was the NAIA 1970 Freshman of the Year. He played in the NFL and CFL during his professional career.

One coach to make the ballot has ties to our state. Head coach Billy Jack Murphy has the most wins in school history at the University of Memphis, which was called Memphis State University during his tenure. He took Memphis to its first bowl game, earned the title of Detroit News’ 1963 Coach of the Year, led the Tigers to an undefeated season in 1963 and was the Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year multiple times.

Murphy played his college football at Mississippi State University. He …

This is the final guide to the bowl games that aren’t in the College Football Playoff or New Year’s Six games. These bowl games will mainly feature teams from Power Five conferences, but a few Group of Five teams are sprinkled in the mix.

This guide will take you from Thursday, Dec. 29, to Monday, Jan. 2. You can plan your New Year’s celebrations around the games you most want to see.

The Birmingham Bowl kicks off the games on Dec. 29 with the University of South Florida against the University of South Carolina. This game is a matchup between a Group of Five team and a Power Five team at 1 p.m. on ESPN.

South Carolina is rebuilding under first-year coach Will Muschamp, but the team still managed to reach a bowl game. South Florida won a school-record 10 games, but head coach Willie Taggart jumped ship to take over at the University of Oregon.

Both schools could be even better next season, and this game could set the tone for 2017. It would be a slight upset for a 6-6 SEC team to win against a 10-2 team from the AAC.

If you’re out getting after-Christmas sales and miss the Birmingham Bowl, make sure to be home in time to catch the Belk Bowl at 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 29 on ESPN. This game will feature the University of Arkansas from the SEC against Virginia Tech out of the ACC.

The Razorbacks started the season 5-2 before stumbling to a 7-5 finish. Virginia Tech comes in this game at 9-4 after the Hokies gave Clemson University a scare in the ACC title game. Arkansas features the most sacked quarterback in the SEC, Austin Allen, who was put down 28 times. The Hokies hired Justin Fuente away from the University of Memphis, and he has done a fine job replacing coaching legend Frank Beamer.

The Dec. 29 games end with an 8 p.m. kickoff on ESPN for the Alamo Bowl in a top-15 matchup between No. 12 Oklahoma State University and No. 10 University of Colorado.

Colorado should be motivated coming into this game. The Buffaloes haven’t been to a bowl game since 2007, and the team hasn’t won a bowl game since 2004.

Oklahoma State enters this game with a chance to get to 10 wins. Colorado already has 10 on the season and played in the Pac-12 championship game.

This game will probably have a ton of points. Defense will be optional, and both teams have solid quarterbacks. Plan to stay up late, as with all the potential scoring, the game could run long.

If you are going to watch all the Dec. 30 college football games, be sure to have plenty of snacks and drinks on hand. The day starts with an 11 a.m. kickoff of the Liberty Bowl between the University of Georgia and Texas Christian University on ESPN.

In the preseason this game would …

Jackson State University got off to a rough start at the beginning of the Tony Hughes era with three losses out of the gate.

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas pounded the Tigers 63-13 in the season opener. UNLV had the game well in hand at the half with a 42-7 lead, and JSU got outscored 21-3 in the second half.

The team looked to have righted the ship in the first half against Tennessee State University with a 23-19 lead at the break. The second half was another matter, as TSU outscored the Tigers 21-0 and won 40-23.

Entering SWAC play, Grambling State University jumped out to a huge 28-0 lead in the third quarter. JSU added a touchdown in the third and another in the fourth, but GSU’s lead was too large to overcome in the end.

The first win of the season came in the fourth game against the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff. JSU jumped out to a 25-10 lead at halftime with a 71-yard interception helping the Tigers build it.

UAPB began a comeback in the second half, as the team scored 10 points in the third quarter and cut the JSU lead down to 25-20. The Tigers added a late third-quarter touchdown, sealing the 32-20 victory.

JSU looked to begin a winning streak against Mississippi Valley State University. The Tigers fell behind 7-0 early in the first quarter against an inspired Delta Devils team. JSU added a field goal late in the quarter, cutting the deficit to 7-3.

MVSU made another touchdown in the middle of the second quarter, building the lead to 14-3. JSU scored 13 points in a furious rally before halftime, taking a 16-14 lead.

Neither team could score in the second, so the Tigers notched the second season win. JSU, which is currently at 2-1 in the conference, owns first place in the SWAC East, with Alcorn State University in second at 2-2.

The team comes off a bye week and looks to win its third straight game for first time since 2013, when the Tigers won six straight. During the winning streak, the Grambling State game ended up being cancelled after the GSU players began boycotting athletic department conditions.

In the SWAC East, it looks like a two-horse race between JSU and ASU. Alabama A&M University and Alabama State University are both 1-4 in SWAC play, and MVSU is 0-4 in conference play.

If you throw out the UNLV game, JSU has been outscored 45-24 in the second half. In SWAC play, the Tigers have been outscored 69-62.

The second-half struggles cost JSU wins against Tennessee State and nearly allowed UAPB’s comeback. Finishing games in the second half might be the difference from reaching the SWAC Championship game or watching Alcorn State play in it again.

JSU hosts Southern University this weekend as it looks for win number three. The Jaguars …

Jerry Rice not only has greatness but the type of personality that lights up a room. Even coming down the stairs with Gov. Phil Bryant, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves and several members of the Mississippi legislature including Sen. John Horhn, Rice commanded attention.

As the governor spoke at a press conference on Sept. 30, it was hard to keep your eyes off Rice as he stood waiting to receive a plaque that proclaimed that day as Jerry Rice Day. The former San Francisco 49ers receiver’s personality and greatness was worthy of his high standing.

Rice didn’t mind taking friendly jabs at both the governor and lieutenant governor. He took a good-natured jab at Bryant after he finished reading his list of accomplishments, telling Bryant that he got each one right.

He stopped Reeves twice, once to tell him how much he loved beating Reeves’ beloved Saints when both teams were in the same division and again to correct Reeves, saying that he wasn’t he just the greatest wide receiver in football but “the greatest football player of all-time.”

Rice can brag because he owns so many NFL records that the amount of records he owns is an NFL record in itself. But really, he was just joking with our state leaders and the fans and media in attendance.

Later that night, a crowd of people were waiting on Rice at the upper level of the Jackson Convention Center in a VIP room. People talked and visited as they waited the NFL Hall of Fame player to enter the room.

When he made his entrance, every person stopped their conversation, and all eyes fell on Rice as he strolled across the room. As he walked around, the fans looked like kids on Christmas morning, with wide eyes and surprise.

Those who wanted Rice’s picture, to shake his hand or just to talk with one of the best football players quickly mobbed him. Senator Horhn set up a line for everyone to get their picture taken with Rice, and he stood and talked with each person a bit before they took the picture.

Richard Schwartz, the title sponsor for the event said “it was a no-brainer when the opportunity arose to bring Rice back to Mississippi.”

“Jerry Rice is a hero and he inspires us with the way and the things he did as a football player,” Schwartz said.

Schwartz said he uses Rice as an example when speaking to high schools across the state. “I use Jerry Rice as a personal inspiration and to explain goal setting. (Rice) was the greatest natural athlete, but he worked hard and didn’t let anything stop him as he became the greatest athlete,” he said.

Rice signed jerseys, footballs, pictures and took more pictures as the night in the VIP lounge went along. He never stopped smiling or laughing with each person. It was amazing watching someone that famous so at ease with the throng of people …

The Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum announced the 2017 Hall of Fame class today. As usual, the class features some of the best athletes, coaches and people involved with sports in the state of Mississippi.

The 2017 class features arguably the greatest sports writer in Mississippi history, Rick Cleveland. The son of Ace Cleveland, who was a great sports writer in his own right, Rick Cleveland began writing in grade school and went on to become a seven-time Mississippi Sports Writer of the Year.

Cleveland covered sports in high school and college for the Hattiesburg American. After graduating from the University of Southern Mississippi, he went to work for The Clarion-Ledger until retiring in 2012.

Most recently, Cleveland was executive director of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum. He has recently returned to writing sports for Mississippi Today, and he has authored four books.

Joining Cleveland is one of the greatest football players in Mississippi history who never became one of the greatest football players ever. Marcus Dupree was a man among boys during his days at Philadelphia High School.

Dupree finished his high-school career with 5,284 yards and 87 touchdowns, which broke Herschel Walker’s national high-school record for touchdowns. He ended up choosing the University of Oklahoma over every other college in the nation.

While at Oklahoma, Dupree was Fiesta Bowl MVP and first-team All-Big Eight as a freshman. After butting heads with then-Sooners coach Barry Switzer, he decided to transfer to USM but left after being told he would have to sit out due to a NCAA transfer rule.

Dupree decided to leave college for the United States Football League and signed with the New Orleans Breakers.

The running back eventually found his way to the NFL, but injuries have robbed him of his physical gifts, and he never was the player he could have been. Dupree was the subject of ESPN’s “30 for 30” Series: “The Best That Never Was” and Willie Morris’ book “The Courting of Marcus Dupree.”

Jay Powell has been a winner at every level of baseball. He won a state championship at West Lauderdale High School, a starter and relief pitcher at Mississippi State University and won game seven of the 1997 World Series with the Florida Marlins.

When he left MSU, Powell was second on the school's all-time list with 17. The Baltimore Orioles drafted him in the first round of the 1993 MLB Draft, and he ended up playing for five different clubs during his 11-year career.

Since retiring from MLB, he returned home to become head coach at Jackson Academy. He has added a state championship as a coach to his collection.

The tiny town of Florence, Miss. produced the winningest baseball coach in SWAC history. Bob Braddy ended his career with an 824-546-3 record, as he guided Jackson State University from NAIA to Division I baseball.

Braddy won 12 SWAC championships, and …

The city of Cleveland had endured 52 years of sport agony. Sports defeats so gut-punching that they were given names, so most sports fans could recognize the moment of disappointment.

Red Right 88 was the play call that ended the Cleveland Browns' 1980-'81 season with an interception from the Oakland Raiders. The Drive was the Denver Broncos' 98-yard march to a win over the Browns in the 1986 AFC Championship Game.

The Fumble was the costly turnover from Browns running back Earnest Byner as the Broncos won the 1987 AFC Championship Game. But it wasn’t just football that broke Cleveland hearts.

Baseball moments include The Catch by Willie Mays in game one of the 1954 World Series between the New York Giants and the Cleveland Indians and Off Nagy’s Glove, a blown save from Indians closer Charles Nagy that gave the Atlanta Braves their only World Series win of the 1990s.

Basketball in Cleveland saw The Shot by Michael Jordan, beating the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the 1989 Eastern Conference Playoffs. The Shot ushered in the era of Jordan, as he victimized the Cavaliers including the 1993 Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Cleveland sports also suffered through The Move that saw the Browns move the Baltimore, Md. by owner Art Modell. The former Browns would become the Ravens and win two Super Bowls as the last Browns' title came in 1964 in the NFL Championship before the invention of the Super Bowl.

Of course there was also The Decision, when native son LeBron James left Cleveland for the Miami Heat. James won two titles with the Heat, as the Cavaliers became the worst franchise in the NBA after he left.

There were other moments in Cleveland history that didn’t earn names but left a mark—events like the 1994 MLB strike that ended one of the best Indians seasons in team history.

Even the NBA Finals last season saw the Cavaliers lose stars Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving before and during the finals. The Golden State Warriors ended up winning the NBA Championship.

Cleveland fans had to think that this finals would be just another moment of "almost," as the Cavaliers fell behind the Warriors 3-1 in the series. The Cavaliers got back in the series with Draymond Green being suspended in game five and a bit of a Warriors meltdown at the end of game six, as reigning MVP Steph Curry was ejected for the first time in his career.

Wins in game five and six allowed Cleveland to tie the series and force a game seven. Everything seemed in place for another sports moment that would rip the hearts out of Cleveland fans.

With the game tied 89-89 in the fourth quarter, every Cavaliers fan had to be thinking, "How would the sports gods gut-punch Cleveland?" But this time things were different, as what looked to be sure layup from Andre Iguodala turned into a game-changing block …

Months of preparation and work are over for NFL scouts as the 2016 NFL Draft wrapped up over the weekend. But that doesn’t mean the work ends for the players who are just beginning their professional careers.

To be honest, it is fun to make judgments about how well a team drafted, but in reality, it will be a couple of years before we really know how well a team did. That’s not going to stop me from trying to look to the future to see how this class shapes up for the New Orleans Saints and the other players drafted from Mississippi universities.

First, let’s take a look at the Saints draft.

New Orleans’ dreadful defense has been the biggest reason for lack of success. Last season, the Saints gave up an NFL worst of 29.8 points per game. It’s hard to win when every game becomes a shootout.

Part of the reason for that was the Saints gave up a NFL worst 4.9 yards per rush and 8.35 yards per pass. Again, it is hard for a defense to get off the field or win games when the opposing offense is in second and third down and short on every drive.

New Orleans had to use this draft to fix the team’s defensive ills if it wanted to make the most out of quarterback Drew Brees' final peak years. The Saints delivered on defense with first round and 12th overall pick draft pick, Sheldon Rankins out of the University of Louisville.

Rankins should be a run-stuffing interior lineman who can also become a stud pass rusher in sub packages.

A note on sub packages: You will hear that phrase a good bit in today’s NFL. It's when defenses get into their nickel-and-dime defenses.

This pick will be a success if Rankins helps improve a defense that gave up 129.8 yards per game, which was second worst in the NFL behind the Philadelphia Eagles. Winning on first and second down should help the Saints get off the field on third down.

The Saints selected wide receiver Michael Thomas out of Ohio State University in the second round with the 47th pick. This should be the replacement for Marques Colston.

Thomas is a big-body receiver, can make catches in traffic and should be a force in the red zone. He should help take some of the coverage from Brandin Cooks and help get Willie Snead open for more catches.

An extra note on Thomas: His uncle is former NFL wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson.

New Orleans went back to defense with its second of two second-round picks when the team traded with the New England Patriots to get Vonn Bell, also out of OSU, with the 61st pick. Bell has the abilities to cover like a corner, but he plays safety.

This pick will work in sub packages, as Bell can be used to cover a team’s slot receiver. …

Earlier today, the coaches and players were announced for the Mississippi roster of the 28th Annual Alabama/Mississippi All-Star Game. The Mississippi Association of Coaches made the announcement.

The game will be played on Saturday, December 13th in Montgomery, Alabama. The game will be televised on WLBT.

Local metro coach, managers, and players are in bold.

Team Mississippi

Head Coach

Jamie Mitchell (Starkville)

Assistant Coaches

Toby Collums (Itawamba)

Chad Cook (Ripley)

Trent Hammond (Tupelo)

Lance Mancuso (Bassfield)

John Perry (Pearl)

Tony Vance (Hattiesburg)

Scout Coach

Jeff Breland (Lake)

Roster

Armani Linton (Walnut) - DB

Cameron Myers (Oak Grove) - DB

Chris Stamps (Warren Central) - DB

Ephrain Kitchen (South Panola) - DB

Jarvis Wilson (Tupelo) - DB

Richaud Floyd (Gulfport) - DB

Fletcher Adams (Brandon) - DL

Jauan Collins (Pascagoula) - DL

Marshean Joseph (Pascagoula) - DL

D.J. Henderson (Clinton) - DL

Keontye Garner (Murrah) - DL

Michael Godley (Starkville) - K

Fred Walls (Olive Branch) - LB

Joseph Dillon (Tylertown) - LB

Jamal Peters (Bassfield) - LB

Justin Clifton (Tupelo) - LB

Johnathan Abram (East Marion) - LB

Tijan Jallow (Olive Branch) - LB

Leo Lewis (Brookhaven) - LB

Tommy Champion (Callaway) - OL

Jordan Bradford (St. Stanislaus) - OL

Jarien Barksdale (South Panola) - OL

Thad Roberts (Petal) - OL

Ryan Gibson (St. Stanislaus) - OL

Rishard Cook (Hattiesburg) - OL

Javon Patterson (Petal) - OL

Drake Dorbeck (St. Aloysius) - OL

Marquez Griffin (Lake Central) - OL

Austin Riley (DeSoto Central) - P

Brady Davis (Starkville) - QB

J'mar Smith (Meridian) - QB

Darrell Henderson (South Panola) - RB

Ladarious Galloway (Gentry) - RB

Jordan Wright (Pearl) - RB

Terrance Davis (Southaven) - WR

Keenan Barnes (Madison Central) - WR

Willie Hibbler (North Panola) - WR

Malik Dear (Murrah) - WR

Trey Smith (Madison Central) - WR

Raphael Leonard (Starkville) - WR

Managers

Dylan McCollom (South Panola)

Daniel Baxter (Brandon)

Before the NFL shifted teams around in the 2002 realignment, the New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers were in the same division. Many Saints fans remember the old NFC West that featured the Atlanta Falcons, Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams with Saints and 49ers.

Seventeen weeks of the regular season has reduced the NFL down to 12 teams. Only two of those 12 will play in the Super Bowl.