North Carolina Central University

FOOTBALL

     After repeating as conference champions, making consecutive NCAA playoff appearances and earning the school’s first Black College Football National Championship, the North Carolina Central University Eagles gridiron program soars into its first year of NCAA Division I-Championship Subdivision competition with plenty of momentum.
     When NCCU announced its intentions to reclassify to an NCAA Division I institution on Nov. 16, 2005, the Eagles were celebrating their first CIAA (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association) football title in 25 years, the school’s first-ever 10-win season and the team’s first trip to the NCAA postseason since 1988.
     A year later, the 2006 Eagles topped that effort by winning a second straight conference crown, posting a perfect regular-season record (11-0) for the first time in school history, advancing to the NCAA regional playoffs for the second year in-a-row, being ranked No. 4 in the nation (NCAA Division II) by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and capturing the Sheridan Broadcasting Network (SBN) Black College Football National Championship for the first time in school history.
     Now the Eagles begin a new chapter in NCCU’s football history book with a new level of competition and a new head coach, Mose Rison, at the helm. Rison, who engineered the highest-scoring offense in school history last season as offensive coordinator, brings 25 years of college and NFL coaching experience into his first head coaching job. 
     “A goal of our program is to bring competitive goals and knowledge to the table and mold it into a shape that is uniquely NCCU and then take the field every Saturday with the purpose of winning,” Rison said.
     Still, Rison understands the increased challenges that lie ahead. “I’ve been around enough football to know that the move from Division II to Division I (FCS) is a tough transition,” he said. “Winning the national title was no accident, and we will need to take care of it with an even greater veracity.
     “I’d love to win every football game and send our seniors out as graduating defenders of our national championship, and we start with the basics of protecting the football and forcing turnovers,” Rison added. 
     Rison frequently states his vision to the team in these words, “Play as hard as we can, as fast as we can, as long as we can, as smart as we can; don’t worry and have some fun.” 
     Helping Rison pursue those goals will be 30 returning letterwinners, including 13 starters with six on offense and seven on defense. 

NCCU Offense Has Explosive Potential
     Rison, who will continue to serve as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, says the Eagle offense “even with just six returning players has the potential to be explosive.”
In Rison’s first year at NCCU, the Eagles led the conference in total offense (345.1), scoring offense (30.9) and passing offense (218.3).
     Topping the list of six returning offensive starters is sophomore quarterback Stadford Brown (6-1, 201, Washington, D.C.), who was tagged as the top offensive weapon in Black College Football when he was voted SBN Sports Doug Williams Offensive Player of the Year. Brown, the 2006 CIAA Offensive Player of the Year and CIAA Rookie of the Year, topped the conference in passing yards per game (214.8), total passing yards (2,577), passing touchdowns (26), and passing efficiency (141.5). His 26 passing touchdowns set a new single-season school record and a new CIAA standard for freshmen.
     “I am tremendously pleased that Stadford is returning to this football program,” Rison said. “He has done everything I have asked of him both on and off the field. Last year, he was in learning mode. This year, he is in a leadership role. He knows that a lot of games will be won based on how he plays. I expect him to play outstanding football.”
     With the departure of Greg Pruitt, Jr., the school’s all-time leading rusher with 3,008 ground yards in the past three seasons, the top candidates to fill the vacancy in the backfield are senior Jeff Toliver (5-9, 207, Gaithersburg, Md.) and freshman Tim Shankle (5-10, 220, Gainesville, Fla.). Last season, Toliver was second on the team with 454 rushing yards, an average of 4.9 yards per carry, and equaled Pruitt’s six touchdowns as a team-high. Rison described Toliver as “a leader, hard worker and a real hard north-south runner.” Shankle has the tools to be an impact player in his first college season. He has “good size, speed and good hands,” according to Rison. 
     Plus, with the return of CIAA All-Rookie Team starting fullback Saeed Abdul-Azeez (So., 5-11, 238, Durham, N.C.) and the addition of freshman George Mobley (6-0, 255, Charlotte, N.C.) to help clear the way, the Eagles appear to be on a path to their fourth consecutive season with more than 1,500 rushing yards as a team.
     Of course, the success of any offense starts up front with the offensive line. “Of all positions,” Rison said, “that is where I have the most concern.” The Eagles lost a pair of All-Americans – tackle Sam Funches and center Robert Duncan – due to graduation. “Those guys are hard to replace,” Rison said.
     Easing his worries is the return of three-year starting tackle Azubike Alaribe (Sr., 6-5, 286, Raleigh, N.C.), two-year starting guard Carlos Hardy (Sr., 6-2, 278, Kinston, N.C.) and two-year starting tackle Gabriel Manns (Jr., 6-6, 300, Winston-Salem, N.C.). “These guys are our leaders up front,” Rison said. “Otherwise, we are going to be really young. Our freshmen offensive linemen are going to have to be key contributors as far as backups. We are going to have to grow and mature before our first ballgame.”
     Rison has moved junior lineman Jovan Olafioye (6-6, 325, Detroit, Mich.) from defense to offense to provide much needed depth, and likes the development of center Mack Ellis (Sr., 6-0, 259, East Spencer, N.C.) and tackle Kadrian Wynn (Sr., 6-5, 301, Kinston, N.C.).
     Youth is also a theme among the wide receiving corps. Junior Wayne Blackwell (6-2, 204, Reidsville, N.C.) is the lone proven commodity in a sea of inexperienced talent. Blackwell was quietly second on last year’s team with 33 receptions for 470 yards and five touchdowns, and he also hauled in a 38-yard pass in traffic to set up the game-winning field goal in the closing seconds of the 2006 CIAA Championship Game. 
     Among the contenders for starting roles at wide receiver are senior Brandon Alston (5-5, 150, Durham, N.C.), junior Will Scott (6-2, 169, Charlotte, N.C.), senior Lewis Hall (5-10, 195, Columbia, S.C.), sophomore Joseph Sanders (5-10, 180, Charlotte, N.C.), and freshmen Deshawn Spears (5-7, 145, Bunnlevel, N.C.), Corey Harris (6-4, 180, Chesapeake, Va.) and Robert White (6-3, 197, Raleigh, N.C.). “We are going to have to grow up and grow up fast,” Rison said. “Early on, we are going to have to get Blackwell the ball. I believe he will rise to the challenge.”
     At the tight end position, senior Christopher Edwards (6-2, 222, Jackson, N.C.) will look to emerge into the starting job. “He can be a viable candidate to catch the ball in the middle of the field,” Rison said. Newcomers Earthan Ward (Fr., 6-4, 212, Edenton, N.C.) and Herbert Law (Fr., 6-3, 212, Washington, D.C.) may also see action at tight end.

Seven Starters Return to NCCU Defense
     NCCU welcomes back a wealth of experience on the defensive side of the ball with seven returning starters, six of whom are seniors.  The casualties, however, are significant, losing the team’s leading tackler in linebacker Naim Abdul-Malik and an NFL draft pick in defensive lineman Greg Peterson. “We can’t replace those guys and they will be missed,” Rison said.
     He added, however, that he likes what he sees out of the defensive unit, led by new defensive coordinator John Morgan. “We can be a fast team,” Rison said of the defense. “We are not going to be huge, but we can be physical and use our hands to get off blocks. It will be up to the coaches to get them into positions to be able to make plays.”
     Like on offense, defense begins on the front line. The two returning starters to the defensive line are senior tackle Courtney Coard (6-0, 246, Charlotte, N.C.) and senior end Xavier Joe (6-2, 253, Fort Worth, Texas), who Rison tagged as “two of our leaders on defense.”
     Coard finished in a tie as the second-leading tackler last season with 57 takedowns, to go along with 4.5 hits for a loss, a sack, two interceptions and a recovered fumble. Joe tallied 42 tackles, was third on the squad with eight hits for a loss with three sacks, and two recovered fumbles.
     Rison mentioned that seniors Paul Johnson (5-11, 280, Philadelphia, Pa.) and Charles Edwards (6-3, 258, Jackson, N.C.) had outstanding spring performances, and he is closely watching the progress of senior Jerry Brown (6-4, 254, Winston-Salem, N.C.). “There is enough depth (on the defensive line) to have good competition in fall camp to earn a starting role,” Rison said.
     In each of the past three successful seasons (8-2 in 2004, 10-2 in 2005, 11-1 in 2006), the Eagles defense has been topped by a linebacker. “It has been a pretty good spot for us, and it has a chance to be a real strong position for us this year,” Rison said. Although losing Abdul-Malik’s team-high 85 tackles, the NCCU linebacker corps appears to be in pretty good hands again this season. 
     The unit will be sparked by the hard-hitting Ray brothers – seniors Derrick Ray (6-0, 215, Raleigh, N.C.) and Eric Ray (6-0, 235, Raleigh, N.C.), who accounted for 103 total tackles and several dizzy opponents last season. Derrick amassed 57 takedowns, including 12.5 hits for a loss with a sack, four pass break-ups, an interception, a recovered fumble, a forced fumble and a blocked kick. Eric, who missed six games with an injury, still managed 46 tackles, including 5.5 hits for a loss, along with four pass break-ups and two forced fumbles. 
     Sophomore Rashard Coleman (5-10, 219, Lakeland, Fla.), who made the CIAA All-Rookie Team after placing sixth on the squad with 43 tackles, is also known for his bone-crushing hits. With the return of senior D.J. Fretwell (6-1, 243, Canton, N.C.) and junior Alex Winters (5-10, 226, Burlington, N.C.), plus the addition of junior transfer Dean Whitter (6-0, 232, New York, N.Y.), the linebacker corps should have a wealth of both talent and depth. 
     Speaking of talent and depth, three-quarters of last season’s starting defensive backfield is back, and there are a number of Eagles anxious to take the place of departing safety Andre George, who finished his career by collecting 37 tackles, seven interceptions and five pass break-ups during his final campaign. “This secondary has a chance to be outstanding,” Rison said. “It is probably the most athletic position on the football team.” 
     The three returning starters are senior All-American corner back Craig Amos (5-10, 180, Winston-Salem, N.C.), senior corner back Tyrone Williams (5-8, 150, Washington, D.C.) and senior safety Darren Brothers (6-1, 183, Elizabeth City, N.C.). Amos, who claimed All-CIAA First Team and NCAA Division II All-America Second Team honors in 2006, tied for the conference lead with seven interceptions (9th in NCAA) and 16 passes defended (7th in NCAA). His seven picks resulted in 178 return yards (second-most in school history) and two touchdowns, including a 96-yard score at Southern University (Sept. 23, 2006). Brothers accounted for 38 tackles, two interceptions and four pass deflections, while Williams added 26 tackles, an interception, two recovered fumbles, a forced fumble and a team-high 12 pass break-ups.
     A pair of sophomores, Rasheed Muhammad (5-11, 213, Shaker Heights, Ohio) and All-CIAA Rookie Team pick Micguel Johnson (5-10, 171, Gainesville, Fla.), help solidify the secondary. As rookies, Muhammad recorded 25 tackles, while Johnson collected 23 takedowns, three interceptions and eight pass break-ups.

Significant Special Teams Boast Two of NCCU’s All-Time Greats
     Rison explained that special teams play accounts for 10-15 snaps every Saturday, “so it’s a big part of the game,” he said. “You can turn a game around, so we are placing a lot of emphasis on telling the kids to make a big play on special teams.”
     A pair of Brandons – place kicker Brandon Gilbert (5-10, 186, Graham, N.C.) and return specialist Brandon Alston (5-5, 150, Durham, N.C.) – have been making big plays for the Eagles for three seasons, becoming the two best in school history at their craft.
     Gilbert made a game-winning, career-long 51-yard field goal as time expired to provide NCCU with a 17-14 win in the 2006 CIAA Championship Game, marking the second straight year he nailed a field goal in the closing seconds to win the conference title. As a junior, Gilbert led the CIAA in scoring with 81 points (48-48 PATs, 11-16 FGs), set an NCCU single-season record with 48 extra-point kicks, was named to the NCAA Division II All-America Football Second Team, was a repeat selection on the All-CIAA First Team and All-Region First Team, and was chosen CIAA Special Teams Player of the Week four times. He ranks second in career-scoring at NCCU (225 points), needing just eight points to become the school’s all-time leading scorer, and has made more extra point kicks (123) in his three seasons than any other kicker in Eagles history, including 80 in-a-row. 
     “Brandon Gilbert has probably won more football games here at NCCU than anybody else,” Rison said. “Anytime we get inside the 25-yard line, I am thinking three points. With the return of Oliver Jenkins (Sr., 6-0, 187, Rocky Mount, N.C.) at long snapper, the kicking game is in good hands with those two guys.”
     Alston, an All-CIAA Second Team selection as a junior, returned 30 punts for 355 yards (11.8 avg.) in 2006 to become the school’s all-time career leader with 1,070 punt return yards in only three seasons, a career average of 12.3 yards per return. Always exciting, Alston has the potential to go the distance, as proven by his two trips to the end zone via the punt return during his sophomore campaign. “B.A. is our returner, whether it is punt return or kickoff return,” Rison said, “but we will have several skill guys with good speed and good hands that can also get the job done.”
     Rookie punter Taylor Gray (5-10, 145, Hillsborough, N.C.) will allow Gilbert to concentrate on place-kicking duties this season after temporarily filling the void in 2006. “I told Taylor that on August 25 when we call for the punt team, he is our punter,” Rison said. “I am confident that he will be ready for the challenge and will do a good job for us.”

‘Variety Is The Spice Of Life’
     When Rison, a long-time football veteran in his first head coaching position, was asked about his coaching philosophy, he emphasized graduating his student-athletes with high academic integrity, setting standards of value and discipline to build strong character, and establishing a consistent winning tradition on the gridiron. With specific regards to performance on the field, Rison answered in the following way:
     “Let’s strive to become the best offensive and defensive football team .… the most sound, the hardest playing. We have to play fast, instinctively, not hindered by the consequences of making a mistake.
     “This is an exciting moment in NCCU football history… grab it. We want an aggressive offense, while taking good care of the football. We want to create doubt for the opposition’s offense with our defense. Believe that variety is the spice of life, and insure it on both sides of the ball.
     “Let’s play four quarters of football and be sound in all phases of the game - offense, defense, and in the kicking game. We are no common, ordinary barnyard fowl. We are the Eagles… now soar.”