Troy University Athletics
Summer Is Still a Busy Time
6/4/2009 10:45:00 PM | General
Even though the calendar says June and almost all of Troy University's athletic events are over for the year things never seem to slow down.
Granted, there are no events to work, which means nights and weekends are free, but there is still plenty to keep everyone busy. In fact, I will be in Birmingham again this weekend for the Alabama Sports Writers Association annual convention, and then next weekend I'll be in Ft. Walton Beach to play in the annual Emerald Coast Alumni Association Golf Tournament.
In three weeks I'll be going to San Antonio for the annual College Sports Information Director's Association (CoSIDA) convention. I am looking forward to that because I have never been to San Antonio and have heard great things about it.
The big thing going on in the Athletics Media Relations office is work on the 2009 Football Media Guide. Assistant Director Travis Jarome has been working diligently on the guide for weeks and our staff of students has been plugging away as well.
In all likelihood, this may be the last year our office produces printed media guides for the various sports. The movement across the country is away from costly printing and toward more cost-effective ways of providing the same information ? primarily via the internet.
Just last week three Big Ten schools ? Michigan, Wisconsin and Ohio State ? announced they would no longer print media guides for their sports. They estimate a cost savings of between $200,000 and $250,000 annually by eliminating their printing.
We don't spend near that amount of money on printing here, but we do spend a lot, and every dime that can be saved in these economic times is important.
Just today, our Sun Belt Conference cousin Florida International announced they will no longer print media guides. Others in the league and around the nation are taking a hard look at doing the same.
For now, we are still going to print, at least for this year, but it may be the last.
TWITTERING AWAY
Part of the new technology that will help ease the transition from printed materials to online information are emerging technologies like Twitter. I'll admit that I am a rookie Twitterer and you can follow me (TroySID) as well as several others associated with Troy athletics.
The list of Troy Twitterers includes Assistant Media Relations Director Travis Jarome (Tjarome_SID), student assistants Taylor Bryan (tabryan) and Ben Stanfield (BenMStanfield), former Media Relations assistants Andy Seiler (rodeoandy) and Jason Wright (jawright49), former Trojan football player Terence Moore (tmoe20), Troy compliance coordinator Justin Kume (jpkume) and Trojans offensive coordinator Neal Brown (CoachNealBrown). There is also a general Twitter page for the Troy Athletics Department (TroyAthletics).
I am sure there are plenty more who are Twittering. It will be interesting to see what everyone has to say during the coming weeks and months.
SUMMER CAMPS
Of course, June and July on college campuses around the country mean camps, lots of camps. Troy University is no different. The Troy football coaching staff got a jump on camp season today, hosting their annual youth camp at Rip Hewes Stadium in Dothan today.
Camps will get rolling hot and heavy over the next few weeks. Information on all of the Troy University Athletics camps can be found here.
In addition to football camps, there will be summer camps for baseball, men's and women's basketball, softball, soccer and volleyball that will run throughout the summer.
FOOTBALL TALK
Of course, football is a year-round obsession with many, and there is never a shortage of football related topics to discuss. I know all Troy fans are looking forward to the start of the 2009 season, which is just three months from today.
Most of the Trojans are on campus this summer and are working extremely hard in the weight room with coach Richard Shaughnessy and his staff, as well as on their own. This team seems to understand that with high expectations comes a high level of responsibility to get ready, and they are taking that responsibility seriously.
Speaking of expectations, I have already seen three preseason articles picking the Trojans to win their fourth consecutive Sun Belt title and return to the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl for the third time in four years. There is no doubt that the Trojans will wear a bulls-eye on their backs this fall.
I received my copy of Phil Steele's 2009 College Football Preview in the mail over the weekend. His publication, which is annually the most accurate of all preseason mags, is always interesting to look at. They don't often let emotion get in the way of their picks.
Troy is picked the win the Sun Belt and 15 Trojans (one at three positions) were named to his preseason All-Sun Belt teams. Interestingly, Troy leads the league with 17 total selections, but did not have a single player named to the third team. The Trojans had seven players named to both the first and second teams and three to the fourth team.
Middle Tennessee and ULM tied for second with 14 total selections, followed by FIU (13) and the quartet of FAU, Arkansas State, ULL and North Texas with 12 each. League newcomer, at least in football, Western Kentucky, had five players named to the four teams.
For Troy, first team honors went to juniors DuJuan Harris (RB) and Jerrel Jernigan (WR) on offense and seniors Brandon Lang (DE), Boris Lee (LB), Bear Woods (LB) and Jorrick Calvin (CB) on defense. Senior Sam Glusman (K) was also tabbed to the first team.
The second team offense included senior Danny Franks (OL) and junior Tyler Clark (OL) along with freshman Josh Jarboe (WR). Senior Cameron Sheffield (DE) was the only defender on the second team while sophomore Will Goggans (P) and Calvin (KR/PR) were on special teams.
On the fourth team offense were a pair of seniors, Levi Brown (QB) and Maurice Greer (RB), while senior Kevin Dixon (DT) was named to the defense.
Just a few observations from my part on the teams. First, I don't like including freshmen who have never played on any preseason All-Conference teams. Nothing against the kids, but that is a lot of pressure to put on unproven players.
By the same token, I am baffled by Brown, the Sun Belt's Newcomer of the Year last fall, being named fourth team behind a player, Riley Dodge of North Texas, who played receiver last year. Apparently the folks at Phil Steele didn't see Levi complete 35 passes against the Mean Green in the first half last year.
I'll also make a prediction for this fall. After the season is over, don't be surprised if all four positions on the All-Conference defensive line are Trojans. That group ? with Lang, Sheffield and Dixon joined by 2008 junior college national defensive player of the year Eugene Kinlaw ? is going to make life miserable for opposing quarterbacks this fall.
I am still amazed by the fact that the 2005 Clinch County HS football team set a national record by allowing negative rushing yards for the season on its way to a perfect season and state title. Two of the anchors of that defense will be reunited this year when Kinlaw joins with Boris Lee for the Trojans.
I have not seen the full preseason Lindy's Magazine yet, but I did read a preseason feature on the Trojans by Lindy's columnist Matt Lowe. He does a nice job of previewing the 2009 squad.
Two Troy players have already been listed among players to watch for this season. Franks has once again been named to the Rimington Award watch list for the top center in the country and Glusman has been named as one of the favorites for the Groza Award, which goes to the top kicker. I expect to see Levi Brown named to the Manning Award watch list, among others, before the summer is over and I am sure there will be plenty more Trojans on watch lists by the time the season starts.
For those of you interested, I am working to get the 2009 Troy roster ready for the web site. It should be ready to go in the next few days. In the meantime, I have updated the depth chart going into the 2009 season. You can see that here.
SPRING WRAPUP
While everyone is excited about looking ahead to the fall, there are still a few odds and ends to wrap up from this spring.
First of all, what a great night it was last Saturday at the Sheraton Hotel in Birmingham for the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame induction banquet. Trojans coach Larry Blakeney was one of eight inductees and Troy University was very well represented. Hands down, Coach Blakeney received the loudest and longest ovation from the crown.
If you have not been to the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, it is well worth the trip. I have been to two of the three big professional sports Halls of Fame ? Cooperstown and Canton ? and the ASHOF can hold its own with either.
Coach Blakeney's display will be in the main rotunda of the ASHOF all year. He is the fourth Trojan to be enshrined, joining Billy Atkins, Chase Riddle and Sim Byrd.
Mentioning Byrd, who went into the ASHOF in 2008, reminds me that congratulations are in order for both he and his favorite receiver, Danny Grant, from the 1968 National Championship team. Both will be inducted into the Wiregrass Sports Hall of Fame later this summer.
There are other honors that have come down the line recently that should not be overlooked. Will Chambliss, who was a senior last fall for the Trojans football team, was named to the Hampshire Honor Society by the National Football Foundation. To be named, a player must have completed his eligibility and maintained a 3.2 or better GPA.
Senior tennis player Rawia Elsisi was nominated by the Sun Belt Conference for the NCAA Woman of the Year award. That is one of the top honors a female student athlete can receive and is something Elsisi is certainly deserving of.
Also, Troy University's Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR) to the NCAA, Dr. Fred Green, was named to the Executive Committee of the NCAA's FARs. He will represent both Troy University and the Sun Belt Conference on the committee of other FARs from around the nation.
Finally, with the Major League Baseball draft looming next week, I want to send out one final round of thank you's to all of the people that helped make the 2009 Sun Belt Conference Baseball Tournament at Troy's Riddle-Pace Field such a great success.
I think that we set the standard that all future tournaments will have to live up to, and that is a direct result of the hard work and efforts of the many volunteers and other workers who made the tournament a success.
The only thing that I know got overlooked at the end of the long week of tournament play was the fact that senior outfielder Charley Williams was named to the All-Tournament team. Charley was a great guy to have on the team for the last two years and will be missed next year.
Until next time, Go Trojans!
Ricky
