Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / Dec. 15, 1983, edition 2 / Page 22
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GLACT COLLEC ? PLAYER OF THE YU Mississippi With The 'R rv mu/apn un / id m 0 m r rr # mm*.M MM m tm t Stqff Writer A coach once told some members of the Mississippi Valley football team that wide receiver Jerry Rice "could catch a BB in the dark.*' As things turned out, it wasn't that much of an exaggeration. From the time Rice stepped on the football field MVS, he has been on a record-breaking course, catching 30 passes his freshman season and serving ? notice 4hat he would be something special. As a sophomore last year, Rice caught 66 passes for 1,129 yards and seven touchdowns. He highlighted his stellar season with a 17-catch, 279-yard effort against powerful Tennessee State, the latter statistic an NCAA record for most vards in a same But the best was yet to come. In 10 games this season, Rice grabbed 102 passes for 1,450 yards and 14 touchdowns. In the process, he set three new NCAA 1-AA records: most catches in a game (24 against Southern University), most receptions in a season (102) and most receptions in a career (198). Thus, it didn't take very long to determine that Rice is the Black College Sports Review's Player of the Amazingly, but perhaps fortunately for Mississippi Valley, larger schools, particularly those in the Southeastern Conference, did not recruit Rice seriously. That probably is another NCAA record: for most incredible recruiting blunder in a season. As a senior at B.L. Moor High School in Crawford, Miss., Rice grabbed 80 passes and scored 35 touchdowns. He also picked off 11 passes as a defensive back. "It's hard to explain why some of the larger schools did not recruit me," says the soft-spoken Rice. "Maybe it was because my high school was small and they felt we didn*t play against Quality competition." "He was a bit skinny (6-2, 180) when he was in high school," recalls MVS Coach Archie "Gunslinger" Coolcy. ______ left to take an assistant's post at New Orleans. Giles* story is a lucid case of what a difference a year can make. Giles brimmed with enthusiasm before the 1982-83 season, noting, "I think we're going to be in the thick of the T'ace." FAMU finished in sixth place in the MEAC with a 4-8 league record and a 7-21 overall ledger. Giles again was hopeful this year that his club would be among the MEAC's elite, but he won't be around Page 22-Dtctmbti. 1983SS55SS555S Mill# I I Ml iK Valley Wins ice Stuff ) "I think that's why the larger schools backed off. But their loss was our gain. | iFrom the first time I saw that greaf^j amicuc aomiy, i Knew ne had W J potential to become a gre J one in time." ' Meanwhile, Rice's older brother, | Tom, who had played at Jackson 1 State, encouraged him to attend MVS. | 4'My brother knew of Coach | Cooley*s philosophy and he recom* | mended that I go there," recalls Rice. 1 "He said he (Cooley) liked to throw | the ball and that it would be a good J place for me to develop my skills." After getting Rice in the fold, 1 Cooley went out and recruited a quarterback who would throw early f and often. What he got was Willie Tot- I ten, a 6-3, 195-pounder who came on | strong last year as a freshman and finished among the top quarterbacks in 1-AA. He and Rice developed a tandem that has proved to be unstop- 1 nahle in i?nim?#? fnnr-u/iHo. ^ - W - - - w v VMI IMV~ M receiver/one-back offense. But those who are most qualified to ? judge Rice's abilities are Those^ who~ "j must devise defenses to stop him. "He's very versatile," says Ten- < nessee State University Defensive < Coach Bill Thomas, who was recently 2 named TSU head coach for next < season. "He's very strong; he has large 1 hands and he's not afraid to go over the middle. And then if you're not < careful, he can go deep on you. It's a j coach's nightmare to defend against 2 him." j In two games against TSU, Rice has caught 28 passes for more than 400 s i - yaras. ) And he's only a junior. i "I've been coaching for 15 years in ] this conference and we have had some 1 of the best (receivers) in the country," says Alcorn State Defensive Coach J Willie McGowan. "This Rice ranks up < there among the very best." i Rice is the prototype receiver. He has the size (6-2, 205) and speed (4.45 < in the 40). Because he is such a threat, 1 Rice gives the Delta Devils more i balance on offense. In this year's con- 1 vincing 42-14 win over a tough Alcorn 1 State team, Rice was held to his lowest ] NG REPORTS ? to find out. i One of his former assistants, Tony s Fields, takes the helm in Giles' place s HOW THEY1 1) North Carolina A&T i 2) Howard < 3) Delaware State " 4) Maryland-Eastern Shore * 4 . . . . k ' ? ? ? tfississippt Valley's Jevry Rlcc: His output (four^ catches for 88 yards and :>ne touchdown) of the season. But the special attention the Braves gave him ;ost them dearly as the Delta Devils gained 3IS yards on the ground. "We did a great job of shutting Rice iown,_ but_ they killed us on the ground," says McGowan. "He is such i threat that he gives them great diversity on offense." Mississippi Valley finished the season with a 7-2-1 mark, its best in 27 rears. In the process, the offense iveraged 39.2 points and 464.3 yards per game to rank first and second in :he nation, respectively. While some skeptics may question Rice's statistics, citing the caliber of :ompetition, there is at least an expert *ho does not. "He is as good as any receiver in the xwntry," says Gil Brandt, chief scout Tor thf> Dflllac Pnu/hftvc MVI# ran nlav > W * AW VtiH |/l?ftj ivith anyone. He has everything you ook for: the speed, the size, the great lands, and the desire to go get it. And le's such a great athlete that he can -om Page 16 ind directs a cast that includes 6-9 ienior center Michael Toomer and 6-7 ;enior forward Larry Broner. LL FINISH: 5) South Carolina State 5) Florida A&M 7) Bethune-Cookman . .. T" ""v.liti r i m ??< i?i?n isiiSr 1| Vi w - .s m v : ;X ; ::^Bi|krv ' x . A . : x'-of^' . .. vSSjSS^^.'v! : : tC&s&^'v * ^^3?8 - s^HHMKT ^ ; -S; biggest eaten may M a pro contract. play several positions.'* With so many accomplishments already and a year of eligibility remaining, what additional goals has Rice set for himself? "I want to become one of the greatest receivers of all time/' he says. "I would also like to wfn a SWAC title and a champion ship/' There were several strong candidates f Ar DlaiMr fUa A ~ tv> ? wjvi vi ulb a mu ruuuii(j tllCIIl were defensive back Barney Bussey of South Carolina State, running backs ? JoJo White of Livingstone, Mark Richardson Corbm of Central State, Gene Lake of Delaware State and Mike Jones of NortlrNCarolina A&T (all 1,000-yard rushers), wide receivers Golden Tate of Tennessee State (58 catches, 1,150 yards) and Ray Alexander of Florida A&M (53 catches, 944 yards), and quarterbacks James Woody of Central State (30 touchdown passes) and Willie Totten of Mississippi Valley (2,410 yards passing and 28 touchdowns). MMMNNNIMMIIIIIIIIIIIIIINIIIiailHIIIIIINIINaiWHINIUmilll Bethnne-Cookman had a dismal season last year, managing just five victories in 26 games and winning a tight race between everybody but A&T and Howard for last place (only two games separated the No. 3 and No. 7 teams in the ME AC last year). Coach Cy McClairen has to wonder if things can get any worse after consecutive 10-18 and 5-21 campaigns. They might, since his best player, Jarvis Smith (19.2 ppg.) has graduated. " *r f rVm > mm* ; i m m i > f? m m >
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
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Dec. 15, 1983, edition 2
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