Edward G. Robinson III, Staff Writer

DURHAM - Tossing left-handed spirals to wide receivers on a sweltering Wednesday afternoon, N.C. Central coach Mose Rison joked about the difference between his arm and that of sophomore quarterback Stadford Brown, the 2006 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association offensive player of the year.

"Stadford wishes he could throw a spiral like that,"said Rison, releasing another tight 20-yard pass down field.

It was a light moment during an otherwise grinding first day of practice for the Eagles, who enter the season the reigning black college national champions, as voted in the Sheridan Broadcasting Network Black College Football Poll.

Winners of the 2006 CIAA crown, finishing 11-1 overall and 7-0 in conference play, the Eagles return proud of their accomplishments yet burdened by the high expectations that they bring.

N.C. Central also has moved from NCAA Division II play to Division I, and this fall marks the team's first season in the Football Championship Subdivision, formerly called Division I-AA. Last month, N.C. Central left the CIAA and now plays as an independent.

Rison, in his first season as head coach, said the expectations are no different than they were at this point last season when he was the offensive coordinator on coach Rod Broadway's staff.

The team, he said, now must be motivated by pride instead of defending its CIAA championship.

"I want to win more than we lose," Rison said. "I expect to win our share of football games. At the same time, I know it's going to be awfully hard to repeat what we did last year."

Rison said it will be hard considering NCCU has back just 13 starters from last season's team -- eight on defense and five on offense -- and he has brought in 30 freshmen. Including Rison, the Eagles have two coaches who were a part of last season's staff.

With such youth and turnover, Rison said Wednesday's opening day practice, replete with dropped passes and slow steps, held true to what he expected.

There definitely were moments where he cringed and then yelled.

He said the Eagles have a long way to go before their first game of the season on Aug. 25.

"I saw a young football team come to practice," Rison said. "... I expected us to make some mistakes. What we have to do is get ourselves in better condition."

Rison, who is in his 25th year as a coach, tried to remedy that on the first day, doling out end-of- practice sprints that made a few players double-over from exhaustion.

With its new status, N.C. Central plays five Division I teams this season, although coaches and players said little else has changed.

Senior linebacker Derrick Ray said the team has operated with a Division I-AA attitude for the past two seasons as it has collected CIAA championships. He expects the transition to go smoothly.

"The only thing that's changing is the schedule," Ray said. "The program has been somewhat at that level. Since I've been here, we've been getting more and more closer to that Division I-AA style."

Meanwhile, Brown had to disagree with his coach about whose arm produces the prettiest spirals. After throwing for 2,577 yards and 26 touchdowns and earning CIAA rookie of the year honors, he felt safe to voice his opinion.

"False," Brown said. "Don't believe Coach. Coach played running back in his day." 
 

Staff writer Edward G. Robinson III can be reached at 829-4781 or edward.robinson@newsobserver.com.