Newspapers / The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, … / Aug. 25, 2005, edition 1 / Page 17
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http://www.thechar1ottepost.com c tElie Cliarlotte THURSDAY AUQUST S5, 206® SPORTS Business 8C Section Kids star, develop in football league It did not matter that some of them were fortunate enou^ to come from two-par ent homes. It did not matter that some of them only had a mother - or, in some cases, a grand mother — smiling widely as they ran onto the football field for introductions late last Saturday morning. All of the 300-plus children, football players and cheer leaders alike, were getting their day in the sim during Opening Ceiemonies for the new Youth Development Football League - a league with a greater purpose than creating the next great per son to perform in places hke Bank of America Stadium. And what made last Saturday especially cool, though, was the fact that the CHILDREN were out there in the spotlight getting the applause, thanks, in large part, to the efforts of men who have captured the public’s gaze a time or two themselves. The YDFL is believed to be the first youth C. Jemal Horton football league run almost exclusively by former and current National Football League players, and it soon could become a model for youth leagues across the country. Former Los Angeles Raiders tight end Ethan Horton serves as the league’s president and also coaches one of the league’s eight teams. Three current Carolina Panthers - Brentson Buckner, Mike Minter and Mike Rucker - also coach teams, while feUow Panther Steve Smith lends his hand with sponsorships. Among the other former NFL players coaching teams; Myron Bell, Larry Griffin, Andrew Jordan, Adrian MurreU and Anthony Pleasant. The league — which fea tures teams from West Charlotte, North Charlotte, Concord, Himtersville and East Charlotte — plays its inaugural games this Saturday at Martin Middle School. The teams have college- themed names: the Clemson Tigers, LSU Tigers, Miami Hurricanes, Michigan Wolverines, N ebr aska Comhuskers, Oklahoma Soon^, SMU, Mustangs and use TVojans. Ages 6 to 8 play flag football, while ages 8 to 13 play tackle. “My two sons (Jay 10, and Kjde, 8) used to play in anoth er league, but I just wanted to provide an opportunity for NFL players to make a differ- ^ce with youi^ people,” said Horton, who coaches the YDFL’s Miami Hurricanes, along with Griffin, who played defensive back for the Dolphins, Steelers and Oilers. ‘Tt’s actually really easy to just go on with your life and not get involved, but all these (NFL) guys want to be involved. They want to help these young people. And there’s more impact when there is a group of people doing something, as opposed to an individual. It’s about more than football.” The fact that most of the coaches are former or current football celebrities isn’t the only thing that makes this league unique. The coaches’ Overhauled ‘D’ key for Golden Bulls Speed and versatility necessary additions By Herbert L. White lierb.whUe&:thecharloftepostx:om PHOTO/CALVIN FERGUSON Sophomore defensive end Donald Haynesworth (right) adds size and quickness to J.C. Smith’s defensive line. « One look at Donald Haynesworth illustrates Johnson C. Smith’s defen sive overhaul to bigger, stronger and faster. Haynesworth, a 6-3, 260- pound sophomore defensive end, is one of the additions to a (Gulden Bulls defense that was statistically the CLAA’s worst last year. (G>ing into Saturday’s sea son opener against GlenviUe State, the changes are obvi ous. ‘We have improved in size. We’ve got some pretty good big fellas, and we have depth,” said Haynesworth, a transfer fix)m Livingstone.” I think that’s going to help us out a lot this year.” Smith recruited most heavily on defense, adding size and speed to a unit that gave up yards in chunks in a 0-10 campaign last year. The additions have created competition, which forces everyone to improve. ‘We feel like it’s coming along,” head coach Daiyd McNeill said. “It’s just a mattei’ of them getting on the same page with the calls and things like that. We have maybe 15 guys over there that can play It’s just a mattei* of us getting aU 15 on the field at the same time, which we know we can’t do. It’s a gcxxi situation over there right now.” Change has been good See REBUILT/2C PHOTO/WADE NASH Carolina Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers (90) is the most athletic, if not dominant defensive player in the NFL Teammates and coaches expect a breakout year in Peppers’ fourth season. Chillin’ Peppers Panthers end doesn’t buy into the breakout hype By C. Jemal Horton THE CHARLOTTE POST SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Julius Peppers walked into the Carolina Panthers’ training camp cafeteria late Monday morning, and the gath^:^ media began scribbling feverishly in their notepads. Instead of the agility he’s used to terrorize NFL offenses for the previous three seasons. Peppers entered the room with a cautious gait, thanks to the bulky protective waUdi^ boot he wore on his right ankle. Had Peppers, the Panthers’ All-Pro defensive end, gotten seriously injured? Was the career season ever3/one predicted in jeopardy? And, by default, were the Panthers’ Super Bowl chances injured, too? Peppers smiled and told reporters what Panthers fans definitely wanted to hear. His ankle’s not seri ously injured. Th.e boot was just a precaution, some thing to try and ease a little sor^ess, he said. ‘Tt’s just been building up See PEPPERS/2C Peppers End of and era Sting finale also last game at Coliseum By Herbert L. White herb.whUe^thediarlottepostjcom Tlie Charlotte Sting has been out of the WNBA playoff chase for weeks, but it’s play ing for more than the end of the season. ‘We’re still playing for next year,” Sting coach Mi^gsy Bogues said. “I’m still evaluating. We’re not going to quit until the last game is over, and they understand that.” That would be Saturday against Connecticut in the final basketball game at the Charlotte Coliseum. TTie Sting move to the new ai’ena uptown Bogues in 2006. The Sting, pulling up the rear in the Eastern Conference standings, beat Detroit 56-49 Tuesday to drop the Shock into a tie for the final playoff berth with Washington. The win was the Sting’s (5-27) second against Detroit this month, the first opponent Charlotte has beaten more than once. ‘Tt’s very important,” center Tbana Nfiller See STING/3C Football returns at Central State THE ASSOCIATED PRESS WILBERFORCn, Ohio — It’s a rebuilding year for Central State. Football kicks off this week after an eight-year absence at Central State, which won three NAIA national championships in the 1990s and sent such players as Hu^ Doi^as and Erik Williams to the NFL. ‘Tt’s finally here,” said coach Tlieo Lemon. ‘We’re excited because we’re practicing. We’re excited that we have some big guys running around campus right now.” Central State dropped its foot ball program following the 1996 season after the NAIA banned the team fium postseason play for two years for using academically ineli gible players. Later in 1997, the Ohio Legislature required the school - plagued by financial prob lems at the time - to drop football for two years as a condition of con tinued state flmding. In 2001, the school’s board of trustees voted to restore football ’ through private donations. School officials said a football program would boost school spirit and enrollment at the state’s only his torically black public university and increase financial contribu tions fium alumni. PHOTO/WYNE JERNIGAM Sting center Teana Miller (left) said the team plays hard despite a losing record. 78 SURE IS GREAT See YOUTH/3C PHOTO/WADE NASH Independence High mnning back DeQuann Leak rum bles past West Charlotte’s Garnet Taylor in the Patriots’ 28-0 win last week at Independence, their national-best 78th straight victory. Best in West? NCCU’s ready By Bonitta Best THE TRl.ASGLE TRIBUSE It’s been a long time since North Carolina Central has received this much preseason hype. The Eagles (8-2 overall, 6-1 CTAA) com pleted their best 2004 season since 1996 under then coach Larry Little, and became just the sixth team in school history to win ei^t games. But despite all the accolades, coach Rod Broadway and Co. just missed the CIAA foot ball championship game and were snubbed by the NCAA for a postseason berth. NCCU returns the No. 1 offense in the (7IAA in tact. Back is senior quarterback Adrian Warren, the top passer in the conference (1,746 yards, 20 touchdowns); back is power running back Greg Pruitt Jr, only the fourth back in Eagle history to rush for 1,000 yards (1,103 yards, five TDs); and back is deep-threat wide recover Tbrey Ross (53 catches for 639 yards and 11 TDs.) The ‘Triple threat” are among nine returning starters on offense. ‘Tt feels good, but since everybody is talking about us, everybexiy is expecting us to come out and perform,” said Warren, the 2004 ofifeisive player of the year. ‘We’re just trying to work hard so we don’t let ourselves down or people who are coming to watch us. We’re getting there.” What a difference a year makes. Last year this time, Warren was fighting for his starting job. Warren met the challenge, and then some. “Part of recruiting is that you want to find somebody better than what you have,” Broadway said We brought in two JUCO players that we thought would beat Adrian out, and he beat them both. Competition made him better. If we can get some of that in the other positions, we’d be in gcxxi shape.” Broadway has most of his woik to do on See N.C. CENTRAL/2C • i>oi
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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