Newspapers / The AC Phoenix News … / Dec. 1, 1987, edition 1 / Page 11
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4 If Given A Chance by Dennis Scbdv.iiwi Freedom Bowl Can Succeed In Winston-Salem WINSTON SALEM, NC- In the box overlooking the 31,000-seat Groves Stadium, nearly 150 NFL and Canadian League scouts, several reporters and dozens of ad ministrators, faculty and boosters from 56 historically Black colleges watched the North Squad beat the South 15-9 in the fifth annual Freedom Bowl, All-Star Football classic. So it seems. All week long, scouts representing all 28 NFL teams and some Canadian Football League squads were in town, according to Howard's coach Willie Jeffries, "timing these young men (in the 40-yard dash), weighing them and giving them intelligence tests". Most of these foot ball teams, Jeffries added, "they also sent three or four scouts apiece. So we've had about 150 scouts here to see these young men." History provides good reason for their interest. Several prize NFL catches have played in this game. Among them, Everson Walls (Crambling, Dallas Cowboys), Jerry Rice (Mississippi Valley State, 49ers) and Derrick Beasley (Winston-Salem State, New England Patriots). The game also means a lot for the athletes on display. "What Freedom - Bowl means (financially) is that the ball players who might ordinarily sign as free agents, - if they per form will (in the game) - will become draft picks," noted Ronald Davenport, chairman of the board of Sheridan Broadcasting Network which sponsors the Bowl game as well as rates teams each in its SBN Black College Foot ball Poll. "This affects their careers in terms of what they sign for and the bonuses they get. It also means these players who ordinarily would not be free agents will have the opportunity to become free agents after perform ing well here." But as Dr. FranJ srid earlier, the FreedoT bowl is also important to tnoM who think in terms -j tru time value of monev-ti)> conferences, the NCAA and the sponsors. Bowl games, like tm Cotton Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Rose Bowl, Hula Bowl and others, are Continued on page 25 By the way, 6,494 pay ing fans watched the 80 student-athletes and five high school and college bands strut their stuff at this post season event, too. "The Freedom Bowl has two important pur poses," SWAC Commis sioner James Frank, told a reporter. "Number one is to raise funds for the con ferences. Number two is to give exposure to the players from historically Black colleges and univer sities. There is no question that the second purpose has been fulfilled." Photos by M.A. Pharr On The Fourth Day of Christmas My True Love Gave To Me A... Dennis Schatzman and Nadine Green
The AC Phoenix News (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
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Dec. 1, 1987, edition 1
11
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