Smith finalist for Nagurski Trophy
Photo hv Charlie Ptart
Wake Forest senior cornerback Alphonso Smith is
one of the nation's best defensive players.
C HKONK U STAH REPORT
Wake Forest senior comerback
Alphonso Smith was recently
named as one of five finalists for
the coveted Bronko Nagurski
Trophy given annually to the
nation's top defensive football
player by the Charlotte Touchdown
Club
Smith is joined by TCU end
Jem Hughes, Southern California
linebacker Rey Maualuga, Texas
end Brian Orakpo and Florida line
backer Brandon Spikes.
Smith is a 5-9. 190-pound fifth
year senior from Pahokee, Fla.
The winner of the awai#will be
announced on Dec. 7 and presented
the Bronko Nagurski Trophy at a
gala banquet at the Westin Hotel in
Charlotte. N.C. The award is voted
on by the Football Writers
Association of America
The award is named after
Nagurski. who dominated college
football at Minnesota as a bruising
fullback and tackle from 1927-29.
He could have been an All-America
at any position, playing 60 minutes
and was the best player on the field
regardless of position.
Smith is a three-year starter for
the Deacons and leads the team
with five interceptions. His 19
career interceptions are a school
record and just one shy of the ACC
record of 20 Smith was the ACC
Defensive Back of the Week fol
lowing a 33-30 overtime w in over
Duke on Nov 1 . Smith had a
blocked punt for a safety and two
interceptions, including the game
w inner in overtime. Smith current
ly leads the nation in passes defend
ed with five interceptions and 13
pay. breakups
Note: Wake Forest senior line
backer Aaron Curry was recently
named a semi-finalist for the fifth
annual Lott Trophy.
The Lott Trophy is named after
Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott and is
given to college football's defen
sive IMPACT Player of the Year
The recipient best exhibits the same
characteristics that Lott embodied
during his career including integri
ty, maturity, performance, academ
ics. community and tenacity .Curry
is the team tackle leader for the
Demon Deacons who are 6-3 on the
season and tied for first place in the
Atlantic Coast Conference's
Atlantic Division. Curry has 77
tackles and a team-high 1 1 .5 tack
les for loss this season. He has also
been credited with three pass
breakups and one interception.
Norfolk State downs Rams in season finale
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
Norfolk State redshirt
sophomore running back
DeAngelo Bryant powered
the Spartans of Norfolk
State to a 17-14 victory over
the Rams of Winston-Salem
State last Saturday at
Bowman Gray Stadium as
he tallied a career-high 181
yards on 21 carries and
scored once as NSU earned
a come-from-behind victory
to close out WSSU's season
at 3-8 overall.
Branche, who has held to
only 27 yards in the first half
of play used a 154-yard per
formance in the game's final
two quarters of play as
Norfolk State recovered
from a four-point halftime
deficit to spoil the Rams'
senior .. day that saw 13
WSSU seniors play in the
final contest of their WSSU
Photo by Garrett Guns/ WSSU
WSSU's Nic Cooper looks for yards against Norfolk State.
football careers.
WSSU broke the scoring
drought less than three min
utes into the contest as Alex
Chandler recovered a
Norfolk State fumble and
sped his way 52 yards for
the game's first touchdown.
The Rams defense held
for the remainder of the half
as WSSU allowed only a
field goal to the Spartans
during the first 30 minutes
of play en route to a four
point advantage headed into
the locker room at halftime.
The two teams traded a
pair of touchdowns in the
third quarter as the Spartans
earned their first lead of the
game when Dennis Brown
found Darryl Dickerson
from 11 yards out as NSU
capped a 12-play, 74-yard
drive to move ahead 10-7.
Undaunted the Rams would
respond less than two min
utes later as Nicolas Cooper
burst out for a 30-yard score,
his fourth touchdown of the
season, as WSSU earned
seven points on a quick four
play drive that took only one
minute and 39 seconds as
the Rams regained the lead
at 14-10.
P.O.N.Y looking for players and coaches
SPECIAL TO THE" CHRONICLE
Twin City P.O.N .Y.
Baseball/Softball Association is
already taking steps toward the
2009 season by recruiting boys
and girls to play ? as well as
coaches.
The organization is looking
for boys and girls between the
ages of 4 and 18 to play in the
league. The organization is also
seeking coaches that are excited
and motivated to teach the fun
damentals of baseball and soft
ball. Coaches must also be a
leader and mentor to the youth
Coaches must also be eager and
willing to help as needed.
.Applications can be picked
up at the Tw in City Complex on
2801 New Walkertown Road.
League reps will be there on
Dec. 6, Jan. 10, Jan. 17, Jan. 24.
Jan. 31, Feb. 7, Feb. 14. Feb. 21
and 28.
League reps will be at 14th
Street Recreation Center on
Wednesdays (from Dec. 3
through Feb. 18) from 7 pjn.
until 8 p.m. Sign-ups will take
place on Thursdays at Hanes
Hosiery Recreation Center on
501 Reynolds Blvd from 6:30
pjn. until 7:30 pjn. (from Dec.
4 through Feb. 19).
The final day to sign up is
Feb. 28. For Additional
Information Contact: Vanessa
Westbury at (336) 749-8094 or
vvcoleOO I triad.rr.com or
Vincent Harris at 309-1708/
vinientharris @ li ve rom .
NCCU
from patt B1
The day was equally emo
tional for Brown, who said it
was "heartbreaking."
"On top of that. I won't
even be able to play in the last
game." added Brown, who
shared the moment with his
father, Stadford Whitlow, and
brother. Myron Brown.
Brown's college career
was cut short when his collar
bone was broken during the
second quarter of the Eagles'
win over rival North Carolina
A&T on Oct. 4. Still, in only
two-and-a-half seasons as an
Eagle. Brown has established
himself as one of the top quar
terbacks in NCCU history
Among the school's all
time career leaders. Brown
ranks third in pass completions
(399). third in passing touch
downs (46). fourth in passing
yards (5202) and fourth in
total offense (5.207).
Brown swooped onto the
scene in the fall of 2006. tak
ing the reins of the Eagle
offense amidst controversy
and uncertainty. As a rookie,
however, he demonstrated the
poise and confidence that
became his trademark, leading
NCCU to the school's first
ever undefeated regular-sea
son with a record of 11-0. a
second consecutive confer
ence championship and the
2006 Black College Football
National Championship.
That season . Brown threw
for 2511 yards, third most in
school history, and 26 touch
downs. a mark not even the
legendary Earl "Air" Harvey
reached as an Eagle. Brown
was voted as the CIAA
Offensive Player of the Year
and the SBN Sports Black
College Football Offensive
Player of the Year.
The close connection
Gilbert and Brown share
more than just football records
at N'CCL'. Through the years,
they have developed a solid
friendship.
"B.G. is probably one of
the closest friends I have made
since I've been here." Brown
said. "We used to play pool
almost every single day."
Gilbert, too. remembers
the countless hours of shooting
billiards, and says ttjere is
more to Brown than what peo
ple see on the field.
"Not only is Stadford a
great quarterback, a great ath
lete and a great leader, he is
also a great person to be
around." Gilbert said. "He
always does the right thing "
As for their college foot
ball careers, they will be forev
er documented in the Eagles'
record books and will one day
be framed with a picture to be
displayed in the NCCU
Athletic Hall of Fame.
Hill
from page Bl
good for the kids ? despite
some of the questionable
choices he made And. more
dirt Mas thrown on him after he
was arrested a couple years
ago.
I will never forget the
phone call I got from Pooh to
thank me for writing my col
umn about his troubles He
thanked me for going to bat for
him when I didn't have to. I
told him that I wasn't doing
him a favor. I simply knew
how good of a coach he was. I
told him that I thought he was
a good person as well. I knew
that a lot of us made bad choic
es sometime ? both past and
present. I knew that he cared
for the kids he coached. I told
him that I thought it was unfair
for some people to act like he's
a villain. 1 said a few other
things too. I don't recall all that
I wrote or said.
But I do remember some of
the things Pooh used to do for
the kffls he coached. He paid
for a lot of them to play base
ball and football. He picked
them up for practice and
games. He kept up with them
throughout the year. The
impact he had on so many kids
was tremendous, especially on
the baseball field. I know so
many kids that played baseball
simply because of him. It's
going to be weird to not see
him during my trips to the
Twin City Complex.
The last time I spoke to
Pooh was near the end of the
Pop Warner regular season
when I ran into him at N.W.
Middle School, during an
Indian and Pfafftown Packers
game. I told him^bout some
ideas that I had. and he was
with the things I was saying. I
remember being happy to see
him. though. I was always
happy to see him for some rea
son. Now I am sitting hear still
sad that he's gone.
Pooh, you'll be missed my
brother.
UNC-Wilmington's Darion
Jeralds returns
Former West Forsyth point
guard Darion Jeralds, who's a
junior point guard for the
UNC- Wilmington squad, was
in town . to play Wake last
week. His Seahawks lost to the
Fik photo
Darion J era Ids.
Deacs 120-88 m the Joel
Despite the loss, Jerald was
still happy to be back in
Winston. He even had more
than 20 people in the crowd
cheering for him. including his
old JV coaches Tommy Witt
and Cliff Owen, fnends and
family members ? and sever
al others.
"I was very excitea to
come back and play here,"
Jerald said after the game
"I've had many Frank Spencer
memories in here. It was great
to be back. I probably had
about 20-something people
here to watch me. That was a
good thing. I miss home dear
ly"
Wake wasn't too hospitable
towards Jeralds. though. The
former West Titan had the task
of guarding Jeff Teague, who
finished with a game-high 31
points points.
"It was pretty tough guard
ing Jeff," Jeralds said. "I knew
he was really good. He gave
me difficulties with his athleti
cism. We had a lot of trouble
tonight. As you can tell we're
small. But I thought we fought.
They're a really good team."
Jeralds finished the night
with 3 points, one rebound and
two turnovers in 1 1 minutes of
action. It was good to see
Darion again. He's still the
same well-mannered, clean cut
guy that plays like a coach on
the floor. He's still cool to talk
to after a game. And. he's still
got a bright future, either on or
off the court.
c
Anthony Hill is the sports
editor for The Chronicle. He
can be reached at 722-8624
(ext. Ill) or ahill@wschroni
cle.com.
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