Jackson Free Press

Coming to Jackson in late January is becoming a tradition for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The Canadian Football League franchise has held a tryout in the capital city for the last three years.

Scouts for the Blue Bombers trekked to Jackson on the Friday before the Senior Bowl (Jan. 27) after spending the week there scouting players. Winnipeg spends a week in Mobile, Ala., looking for talent that the NFL might not take in its spring draft.

The Blue Bombers also hold free agent tryouts across the country for talent that has slipped through the cracks. Winnipeg has held a tryout for the last three years at Smith-Wills Stadium.

The team is returning to Smith-Wills for a fourth year on Friday, Jan. 27, for another free agent tryout. This marks the second year in a row the tryout will take place at night under the lights of the stadium.

Last year the tryout had a high-school feel as players ran, jumped and went through drills under the setting sun. The temperature slowly began to fall as the sun dropped, but it was nowhere near as cold as Canadian winters.

Over the last three years, players from Mississippi State University, Alcorn State University, Jackson State University, Mississippi Valley State University, the University of Mississippi, the University of Southern Mississippi and Mississippi College attended the tryout. Players from conferences such as the SEC, Sun Belt, Conference USA and the SWAC at the FBS and FCS levels have made the trip to Jackson to show their skills.

Each year the tryout brings 75 to 100 players to Jackson in hopes of continuing their football careers. Kickers, punters, quarterbacks, offensive and defensive linemen, defensive backs and wide receivers have all tried to impress the Blue Bomber coaches.

The Winnipeg coaches run drills such as the 40-yard dash and broad jump to give players’ times and lengths of their best efforts. After the speed drills, the coaches run the players through football-related drills.

Afterwards, those coaches have told players to start working on getting a passport. Players have to have a passport to enter Canada, and coaches tell stories of guys who have missed out at a job because they didn’t have a passport.

The Blue Bomber coaches ask each player to send or email game tape for them to watch. They tell the players they will pass the tape along to arena teams if they feel like a player could get more development at that level.

Winnipeg coaches stay after the tryout to give players an honest assessment of their abilities. They talk to players about what areas they need to work on and if the CFL would be a fit for their skills.

Seven players from free agent tryouts have become starters for the Blue Bombers the over last two years. During the last two years, Another nine players have contributed to on game day after catching the coach's eye during a …

Players that didn’t receive an invite to the NFL Combine or didn’t like their performance at the Combine still have a chance to catch the eyes of NFL scouts. Across the country, schools are holding what are known as Pro Days.

Draft-eligible players will workout in front of scouts at their respective universities. There are sometimes Canadian Football League scouts at these Pro Days, as well, looking for players that the NFL might not draft or sign as undrafted free agents.

This is one of the final chances for most players to showcase their skills to the NFL, and it might be the only chance for players at smaller schools to work out in front of scouts. A good Pro Day could get a player’s name called in the later stages of the draft or a phone call to join a team as an undrafted free agent. This is a day that can make or break players’ futures in football.

Four schools in this state have set up Pro Days, according to a schedule released on NFL.com. Universities have been holding Pro Days since March 7, but none of the schools in our state have held their mini-scouting combine.

The first school to hold a Pro Day is Mississippi State University on Wednesday, March 22, at 8:30 a.m. Any MSU players that are eligible for the draft can participate, including wide receiver Fred Ross, who will want to run faster than his 4.51 seconds in the 40-yard dash.

Jackson State University will hold its Pro Day on Thursday, March 23, at 10 a.m. JSU didn’t have any players get an invite to the Combine, so this will be their chance to show out for the first time in front of scouts.

The next Pro Day is for the University of Mississippi on Monday, April 3, at 9:45 a.m. Quarterback Chad Kelly didn’t get an invite to the Combine but will still have a chance to prove to NFL teams that he’s worth a shot.

Tight end Evan Engram might not run after a sensational Combine performance but could choose to show of his ability to catch passes to help move him up draft boards. Wide receiver Quincy Adeboyejo could do the same with pass catching and route-running drills.

The University of Southern Mississippi is the last school to hold a Pro Day, with the Golden Eagles getting in front of scouts on Tuesday, April 4, at 2 p.m. in the lone afternoon workout in our state.

Like JSU, none of the Golden Eagles received invites to the NFL Combine. This will be a chance for quarterback Nick Mullens to showcase his skills. Several other Golden Eagles could work their way into the draft with a good day, including offensive lineman Cameron Tom.

Players who attend a school that doesn’t hold a Pro Day are allowed to travel to one of these four universities. Most of the time, players attend a …

The National Football Foundation and the College Football Hall of Fame announced the candidates for the 2018 College Football Hall of Fame class. The ballot provides a lengthy list of players and coaches at various levels of college football.

Many names on the list went on to have long and NFL Hall of Fame-worthy professional careers. Some of the players were just stars at the college level and had short or no pro careers.

There are a few names on the list that have ties to our state. It is a prestigious honor if any of those players make into the hall, considering over 5.19 million people have played college football, but only 987 players are in the hall of fame.

One athlete from our state with a great chance of making into the hall is University of Mississippi linebacker Patrick Willis. The former Rebel great was a 2006 First Team All-American, 2006 Butkus Award winner, 2006 SEC Player of the Year and two-time First Team All-SEC. Willis went on to play for the San Francisco 49ers and was a star in the NFL. He abruptly retired after the 2014 season, thinking of his long-term health.

Four players from Mississippi Valley State University landed on the ballot. Younger fans will likely know former defensive back Ashley Ambrose the best. He was First Team All-American, First Team All-SWAC, and SWAC Defensive Back and Return Specialist in 1991. He went on to play in the NFL for several teams, including the New Orleans Saints.

Vincent Brown played linebacker for the Delta Devils, was a 1987 First Team All-American and led the nation in tackles in 1986 and 1987. He set an NCAA record at all levels for tackles with 570 and went on to have a successful career with the New England Patriots.

Former MVSU quarterback Parnell Dickerson was First Team All-American and Pittsburgh Courier National Player of the Year in 1975. He was a three-time All-SWAC selection and was the conference's all-time leader in total offense by the end of his college career. Dickerson played one season in the NFL for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The final Delta Devil to make the list is former wide receiver Bob Gaddis. He was a 1974 First Team All-American and Pittsburgh Courier National Player of the Year. He was the NAIA 1970 Freshman of the Year. He played in the NFL and CFL during his professional career.

One coach to make the ballot has ties to our state. Head coach Billy Jack Murphy has the most wins in school history at the University of Memphis, which was called Memphis State University during his tenure. He took Memphis to its first bowl game, earned the title of Detroit News’ 1963 Coach of the Year, led the Tigers to an undefeated season in 1963 and was the Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year multiple times.

Murphy played his college football at Mississippi State University. He …

It was an exciting start to the NFL season last week. The first week of the season started with Dallas upsetting the New York Giants and ended the Raiders special teams handing a win to San Diego.

Right now, the most dominant team in sports is the University of Connecticut women’s basketball team. The Huskies are on a 74-game winning streak, and with a win tonight in the national championship game, they will claim their fourth straight title.

A fourth consecutive championship would be a record in women’s basketball and would only trail the University of California, Los Angeles men’s seven titles from 1967 to 1973. Those great John Wooden-led Bruins teams won 10 titles in 12 seasons overall.

The Huskies’ dominance doesn’t sit well with some people. Dan Shaughnessy of The Boston Globe thinks Connecticut’s program is bad for women’s basketball.

Shaughnessy tweeted: “UConn Women beat Miss St 98-38 in NCAA Tourney. Hate to punish them for being great, but they are killing women’s game. Watch? No Thanks.”

The Boston Globe scribe doesn’t want to punish the Huskies for being great but then goes on to say he doesn’t want to watch said greatness? How is that not punishing UConn for being great?

Did UCLA men’s basketball dominance kill the men’s game? Did Pennsylvania State University women’s volleyball team, who won four straight titles from 2007 to 2010, kill women’s volleyball?

Did Penn State men’s wrestling winning five of the last six national titles ruin men’s wrestling? Did the Green Bay Packers ruin professional football by winning three straight titles, including the first two Super Bowls?

Has the New York Yankees’ dominance of baseball killed the sport following their five of six title wins from 1936 to 1943, their five titles from 1949 to 1953, or their four of five titles from 1996 to 2000?

The Boston Celtics didn’t ruin the NBA when they won eight championships in a row from 1959 to 1966. Even the WNBA is still standing after the Houston Comets captured four straight titles from 1997 to 2000.

Every sport at some time or another has seen a single team dominate the sport. Other teams had winning streaks and championship streaks like UConn .

They Huskies aren’t different from any of those. UConn might be winning by a larger margin, but in the end, winning is winning.

If it is boring or “killing” a sport to see the same team win over and over again, then at some point, everyone should have stopped watching sports. But we still watch.

Fans hold UCLA’s streak of titles in high esteem now, and when history looks back at the Huskies, their streak will be equally revered. There are only so many times in your life when you get to see greatness, and it should be enjoyed, not put down.

If Syracuse University defeats UConn tonight, the Orange should be celebrated as champions, and the Huskies should be celebrated for what they accomplished, as well. But it won’t end the sport if the Huskies win.

Connecticut’s level is what every team should strive to reach in men’s and women’s sports. The very idea that greatness …

One thing that has changed over the last few years is the way we watch television. The days of must-see TV are becoming a thing of the past.

There are more ways than ever to watch the shows we love, though a few programs, such as “Game of Thrones” or “The Walking Dead,” still command a large viewership when they first air.

Now, with DVR, on-demand, streaming and other TV watching options, we have changed our viewing habits. One area where live TV still has going for it these days are sports.

Sure, you can re-watch or record a game, but you also have to worry about someone spoiling the score in person or on social media. The same can be said for most TV shows, but after knowing who won, it really makes it hard to watch a game. This is especially true if the team you were going to root for is the one who came up short on the scoreboard.

It is no secret that one of the top-rated TV programs is “Sunday Night Football” on NBC. Live sports has been a key factor that has kept a majority of people from “cutting the cord” from cable.

That has started to change as more people are still giving up cable and sports, due to the price or changes in viewing habits. The lure of live sports isn’t enough to keep people on cable packages.

Also helping cut the cord is Sling, which offers live streaming of ESPN, among other channels, for $20 a month. There is an add-on package for sports for $5 dollars a month.

As more cities get fiber-optic services, the drop in cable might be even more extreme. It could also force sports to cater more to streaming audiences who have gotten rid of their cable.

The NFL may be the first major sports entity to look to the future with its new deal with Twitter. Bloomberg first reported on the $10-million deal, which will allow Twitter to stream all 10 Thursday night NFL games.

The arrangement may be a win-win for the NFL and Twitter.

Twitter has struggled to attract and keep new users as their stock price has fallen, and the NFL gets a chance to try out streaming games while still offering the same programming on CBS, NBC and NFL Network.

The games will also be streamed on Twitter for free, which could be a way for the NFL to reach those cord-cutters and younger audiences that watch TV differently from their parents. This deal gives the NFL a way to test the streaming market before the company’s broadcast-rights agreement comes to an end in 2021.

Twitter won the right to the Thursday night games over streaming companies such as Amazon, Verizon Communications and Yahoo, which are better known for streaming shows and events than Twitter.

That $10-million bargain that Twitter signed is also important considering that Yahoo paid …

Kicking field goals and extra points seems easy for every NFL team but the New Orleans Saints. In a major surprise, the Saints saw a place kick blocked for the second week in a row.

The Denver Broncos blocked a potential game-winning extra-point attempt and returned it for two points to beat New Orleans on Sunday, Nov. 13. Less than a week later on Thursday Night Football, the Saints saw the Carolina Panthers block a field-goal attempt.

Thanks to a penalty, the Panthers’ return of the block for a touchdown came off the scoreboard, but that didn’t stop wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. from making a spectacular catch for a touchdown shortly after.

Instead of cutting the Panthers’ lead to 13-6 at the half, New Orleans watched as the Panthers ballooned to 20-3. That big lead helped Carolina hold on for the 23-20 win.

The first team to block a Saints kick wasn’t the Broncos but the New York Giants in week two of the season. New York returned that block kick for a touchdown in the Giants’ 16-13 win over New Orleans.

Special teams haven’t been very special for the Saints. In addition that blocked field goal, New Orleans kick returner Marcus Murphy fumbled a kickoff out of bounds at the one-yard line.

The kickoff looked to be heading out of bounds, which would have given the Saints great field position from a penalty. Murphy’s mistake came after Carolina scored its only points of the second half from a field goal, and it kept the Saints in bad field position for most of the third quarter.

Back in week three, New Orleans had two punt-return men crash into each other during a game against the Atlanta Falcons. The Saints players’ miscue allowed the Falcons to recover the ball.

While it might be easy to pour all the blame on the Saints’ special teams for the losses of the last two weeks, quarterback Drew Brees hasn’t helped matters. Against Carolina, he had two turnovers, a fumble from a sack and wobbly interception, and during the previous week’s loss with the Broncos, he threw two interceptions.

The New Orleans defense has improved as the season progressed and has played well enough to win the last two games. But turnovers from the offense, poor special-teams play, including a running into the kicker penalty in the Carolina game, and poor coaching have betrayed the defense.

Some of the blame on last night’s win certainly falls on the coaching. Head coach Sean Payton didn’t get the offense moving fast enough on its last touchdown drive. Instead, the Saints huddled up and took their time going down the field.

That slow play helped the Panthers to eat up the clock while the Saints methodically moved down the field needing two scores down 10 points. The offense should have played with more urgency, and that has to come from the head coach.

Unless the place-kicking …

The winner of the 143rd Kentucky Derby will need to navigate a full field of 20 this Saturday, May 6. Officially, 22 horses are eligible for the race, with Royal Mo and Master Plan as alternates, but they need two horses to withdraw by early Friday morning to be in the field.

Ben Huffman, Churchill Downs Racing Secretary, and Dan Bork, Churchill Downs Assistant Racing Secretary, pulled the post numbers at the event held at the Churchill Downs. The post-draw and early-line odds for the first leg of the Triple Crown of horse racing this morning, Wednesday, May 3 sets the stage for the one and one-quarter mile race.

Classic Empire drew the No. 14 post, and the horse is the early 4-1 favorite. Only two have won from the No. 14 post, with the last happening in 1961 when Carry Black won.

Good news for Classic Empire is that the betting favorite has won the derby the past four years, which is the longest winning streak for the favorite since the 1970s.

The co-second favorites at 5-1 odds are Always Dreaming, who drew the No. 5 post, and McCraken, who drew the No. 15 post. The last winner from the No. 5 post was California Chrome in 2014, and the last winner from the No. 15 post was Triple Crown winner American Pharoah in 2015.

Irish War Cry will break from the No. 17 post at 6-1 odds. No horse has won the derby from that position. At 6-1, Irish War Cry is the last of the four horses listed with single-digit odds.

No. 7 post Girvin is the first of four horses at 15-1 odds, with Hence next to him in the No. 8 post. Gunnevera out of the No. 10 post and Gormley from the No. 18 post are the other two horses at 15-1 odds.

Six horses are at 20-1 odds, with Lookin At Lee in the No. 1 post. Lookin at Lucky, the sire to Looking At Lee, also drew the No. 1 post in 2010 and was the favorite at 6-1 before the race, but he finished sixth.

Thunder Snow drew the No. 2 post, Irap drew the No. 9 post, J Boys Echo drew the No. 13 post Tapwrit drew the No. 16 post, and Practical Joke round all the horse at 20-1 odds. The rest of the field is full of extremely long shots.

Untrapped in post No. 4, State of Honor in post No. 6, Battle of Midway in post No. 11 and Patch in post No. 20 are at early 30-1 odds. Patch is an interesting horse in this race, as he is missing his left eye.

Fast and Accurate, which Olympic skier Bode Miller partially owns, will break from the No. 3 post. That horse and Sonneteer out of the No. 12 post are listed at 50-1 odds. Sonneteer hasn’t won a race in his career, and if he …

As the USA Track and Field Olympic Trials continue, more athletes with ties to our state have made the team. Earlier this week, the Jackson Free Press posted a story on athletes who made the team, as the track and field trials started last week.

Four more athletes either from Mississippi or with ties to our state have punched their ticket to Rio. So far, field events have been where the majority of athletes have made the team.

It seems fitting that that men’s pole vaulter Sam Kendricks punched his ticket to the Olympics on the Fourth of July. The current Army reservist, who was once a star at Oxford High School, won the event with a height of 5.91 meters, or 19 feet and 4 1/2 inches.

The second lieutenant starred at the University of Mississippi, where he was a two-time NCAA champion before becoming a professional. Cale Simmons who cleared a height of 5.65 meters, or 18 feet and 6 1/4 inches, for second and Logan Cunningham 5.60 meters, or 18 feet and 4 1/4 inches, for third will join him on the team.

Kendricks broke a meet record that Tim Mack set in 2004. Mack was on hand to root on Kendricks to break his mark.

Four years ago, Kendricks came to the trials to jump before he was scratched for jumpers who were ranked higher than him. Now, the 23-year-old is heading to the Olympics after disappointment four years ago.

In the men’s long jump, former Hinds Community College star Jeffery Henderson won the event, earning his place on the team. Henderson started at Hinds before going on to standout at Stillman College.

His jump of 8.59 meters, or 28 feet and two inches, was barely enough to take first place. Henderson will be joined in Rio with Jarrion Lawson, who jumped 8.58 meters, or 28 feet and 1 3/4 inches, for second and Marquis Dendy 8.42 meters, or 27 feet, 7 1/4 inches for third.

The Rebels will be well represented in Rio, as volunteer assistant Gwen Berry took second place in the women’s hammer throw. She just missed out on first place with a throw of 73.09 meters, or 239 feet and 9 1/2 inches.

Amber Campbell took first place in the hammer throw with a toss of 74.03 meters, or 242 feet and 10 1/2 inches, and Deanna Price took third with a throw of 73.09 meters, or 239 feet and 9 1/2 inches. None of the men threw far enough to meet the Olympic standard and must wait to see if they get an invite from the International Association of Athletics Federation, who may invite up to three athletes.

A perfect summer continues for Rebels star Raven Saunders. She already became a NCAA champion earlier this summer as a sophomore.

The 20-year-old is now heading to Rio after finishing second in the women’s shot put. Saunders made a throw of 19.24 …

Oh my gosh, it is like my dreams have come true. In a recent interview with GQ, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson told the magazine he might consider one day running for president. He says “it’s a real possibility” that he will run one day.

This shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone who has followed Johnson’s career since his time in the WWE. Well, then it was the WWF, until the World Wildlife Fund did to Vince McMahon what the federal government couldn’t do: beat him in court.

Johnson came into wrestling after playing football at the University of Miami in Florida and a brief professional career. McMahon had huge dreams for the third-generation Superstar.

His grandfather happened to be Peter Maivia, and his father is Rocky Johnson. Originally given the nickname of “Blue Chipper” and his in-ring name was Rocky Maivia so the WWE could play up his family’s history with the company.

And you know what? The fans hated him. In the early part of his career, it wasn’t unheard of to hear fans chant, “Die Rocky, die,” and “Rocky sucks,” during his early run as a baby face (a good guy in wrestling terminology).

Slowly, he dropped the Maivia part of his name, becoming just Rocky, and eventually he dropped Rocky, becoming The Rock. Along the way he became one of the best talkers in professional wrestling.

Seriously, go to YouTube and check out some of his best work during the WWE Attitude Era. He is known for such great lines as “a jabroni-beating, la-la-la-la pie eating, trailblazing, eyebrow raising, heart stopping, elbow dropping, people’s champion: The Rock

,” or “know your role, and shut your hole,” or “it doesn’t matter what you think,” among a million others. In his time with the WWE, Johnson was a catchphrase-making machine who made the crowd eat out of his hands.

If you need any more proof, watch “This is your Life Rock,” which was one of the highest rated moments in WWE history. Johnson was must-see TV each Monday night, and when he came to ring, you couldn’t wait to see what he would say.

Even after he left for Hollywood, crowds still go nuts when his music hits, and as he makes his way down to the ring. Johnson has the ability and charisma to captivate the crowd even though he is more than 40 years old now.

When Johnson left the WWE to work in film, most figured he would end up like Hulk Hogan. He would do OK at the movies but never become a mega star in film, but instead his career was like 1980s Arnold Schwarzenegger, as he has become one of the biggest action stars in the world.

But Johnson isn’t just an action star. He has excelled at comedy. If you haven’t see, “Be Cool,” the sequel to “Get Shorty,” you need to because Johnson is gold. Check out the video of him …

College football is less than 100 days from kickoff at the Division I level. As we head into June, it won’t be long before teams in the FBS and FCS begin practicing for season openers.

This year’s opening weekend doesn’t have quite the same jam-packed schedule as last season, but it isn’t terrible. There will be plenty of juicy matchups for fans to feast on.

Before looking at games from across the country, let’s look at those involving teams from our state on the first weekend of the season.

Jackson State University will hit the road to face a tough test in Texas Christian University. The Tigers will have to find away to slow down TCU’s high-powered offense. A JSU upset would be one of the biggest early-season stories.

Alcorn State University will have a much easier opening game against Miles College out of Division II. This game will start the Braves’ quest to play in a fourth straight SWAC Championship Game.

Mississippi Valley State University will go on the road to face one of the top teams at the FCS level, North Dakota State University. The Delta Devils will face a major test in week one, as the Bison have been racking up national titles lately.

The University of Mississippi Rebels will open the season knowing two things: They aren’t going to a bowl game, and their first foe has won at an SEC school before. The University of South Alabama pulled off a major upset against Mississippi State University last season. Things in Oxford would go from bad to worse in football if the Jaguars can trip up the Rebels.

Mississippi State opens the season against FCS foe Charleston Southern University. If the Bulldogs are going to prove that they are better than the 2016 team, they need to put this game away quickly.

One of the best opening-weekend games last season was the University of Kentucky hosting the University of Southern Mississippi. The Wildcats jumped out to a huge lead before the Golden Eagles stormed back for the victory. This year, the game is in Hattiesburg, and for neutral fans, a copy of the 2016 game would be a treat.

There are also some games that won’t involve teams from our state that should be enjoyable viewing. These games are in no particular order.

The University of Texas will host the University of Maryland in a Big 12-Big Ten matchup. This game means more to the Longhorns, who want to get back to being national-title contenders.

My opening-weekend bet for an FCS member to upset an FBS member is Eastern Washington University over Texas Tech University. If only this game were being played on the red field of Eastern Washington, all the black and red wore by both teams would murder the eyes.

Last year’s Heisman Trophy winner, Lamar Jackson, will begin his bid to become the second man to win the award twice …

College football hasn't been bad to Mississippi for the most part this season. There is hope everywhere, unless you're a USM fan, and you can check out last week's games in the JFP print edition or [follow this link][1]. The big winner last week was Mississippi State. The Bulldogs took care of everything in front of them to setup a showdown this week against Alabama.

The Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum announced the 2017 Hall of Fame class today. As usual, the class features some of the best athletes, coaches and people involved with sports in the state of Mississippi.

The 2017 class features arguably the greatest sports writer in Mississippi history, Rick Cleveland. The son of Ace Cleveland, who was a great sports writer in his own right, Rick Cleveland began writing in grade school and went on to become a seven-time Mississippi Sports Writer of the Year.

Cleveland covered sports in high school and college for the Hattiesburg American. After graduating from the University of Southern Mississippi, he went to work for The Clarion-Ledger until retiring in 2012.

Most recently, Cleveland was executive director of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum. He has recently returned to writing sports for Mississippi Today, and he has authored four books.

Joining Cleveland is one of the greatest football players in Mississippi history who never became one of the greatest football players ever. Marcus Dupree was a man among boys during his days at Philadelphia High School.

Dupree finished his high-school career with 5,284 yards and 87 touchdowns, which broke Herschel Walker’s national high-school record for touchdowns. He ended up choosing the University of Oklahoma over every other college in the nation.

While at Oklahoma, Dupree was Fiesta Bowl MVP and first-team All-Big Eight as a freshman. After butting heads with then-Sooners coach Barry Switzer, he decided to transfer to USM but left after being told he would have to sit out due to a NCAA transfer rule.

Dupree decided to leave college for the United States Football League and signed with the New Orleans Breakers.

The running back eventually found his way to the NFL, but injuries have robbed him of his physical gifts, and he never was the player he could have been. Dupree was the subject of ESPN’s “30 for 30” Series: “The Best That Never Was” and Willie Morris’ book “The Courting of Marcus Dupree.”

Jay Powell has been a winner at every level of baseball. He won a state championship at West Lauderdale High School, a starter and relief pitcher at Mississippi State University and won game seven of the 1997 World Series with the Florida Marlins.

When he left MSU, Powell was second on the school's all-time list with 17. The Baltimore Orioles drafted him in the first round of the 1993 MLB Draft, and he ended up playing for five different clubs during his 11-year career.

Since retiring from MLB, he returned home to become head coach at Jackson Academy. He has added a state championship as a coach to his collection.

The tiny town of Florence, Miss. produced the winningest baseball coach in SWAC history. Bob Braddy ended his career with an 824-546-3 record, as he guided Jackson State University from NAIA to Division I baseball.

Braddy won 12 SWAC championships, and …

There is plenty of high-school basketball talent in the state of Mississippi, but it doesn’t always receive attention. The major focus of Marc Rowe’s Adidas Crossroads of the South Basketball Camp is highlighting those players in our state that teams might overlook. The camp took place this past Saturday, Sept. 24, at Ridgeland High School and featured some great basketball talent from seventh through 12th grade.

“We have wide areas of our state that are really rural areas and a lot of small towns,” Rowe said. “Sometimes those kids get lost in the recruiting shuffle, or the press overlooks kids because they don’t have a chance at some exposure.”

Rowe was quick to note that a major part of college recruiting is the press that a player receives. Now, with websites such as Scout.com and Rivials.com, there are more opportunity to get noticed, but players still need a place to get that exposure.

“I traveled the country to see other camps like this one, but we didn’t have one for our state,” Rowe said. “That’s when I started this. I came back in 2008 to help kids across the state. We have kids from near Memphis from the north and all the way to the Gulf Coast from the south.”

This is the eighth camp that Rowe has held, and it might have been the biggest, as well. Rowe said 40 young athletes had preregistered, and another 60 athletes showed up that morning to take part in the camp.

The morning session consisted of tests for physical numbers and drills to help improve skills.

Players were tested in the vertical jump, shuttle speed, full-court dribble and burst. Each player did all four tests twice. Knowing these times can give upperclassmen numbers to show scouts and college coaches, and it gives younger athletes an idea of where they need to improve.

Watching the children go through the four tests, Rowe’s coaches did their best to make sure each child had the chance to put up the best numbers that he could achieve. That sometimes meant restarting a drill or a receiving a little coaching before the second run.

After the tests, coaches worked the athletes out in drills designed to help ball handling, shooting, defense, footwork and other areas.

Each coach worked his drill repeatedly until the athletes learned how to correctly perform the task. The coaches gave praise and pointers as needed as they ran the drills.

There was plenty to be gleaned from watching the drills. Nearly every young athlete struggled at following through on his shoot.

Most of the players short-armed their follow-through, which meant their shots hit the front of the rim. There were other follow-through problems, as well, such as the athletes not holding form until their shot hit the rim.

Mid-range jump shots stood out as a positive trait if you watched the drills for any length of time. Watching basketball at nearly …

This college-football season has been underwhelming for most of the teams in our state, with close losses, injuries, mistakes and countless other struggles.

That doesn’t mean there aren’t players who are worthy of recognition, and we now know the 10 finalists for the 2016 C Spire Conerly Trophy.

Every four-year college and university nominates one player for this award. This year, the Conerly Trophy will be awarded to its 21st recipient. The ceremony will take place at the Clarksdale Country Club instead of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum as it has in the past.

Here are the finalists in the order that I think they will finish.

Hunter McEachern is the freshman quarterback for Belhaven University and nominee for the Conerly. Despite being in his first season, he served as the team captain for the 2-8 Blazers, and he set a school record for passing attempts with 76, completions with 48 and touchdowns with six. He threw for 3,722 yards on 337 completions with 31 touchdowns and 22 interceptions.

Mississippi Valley State University quarterback Austin Bray is the 1-10 Delta Devils’ pick for the award. He passed for 1,462 yards after completing 129 passes out of 239 attempts and finished the season with eight touchdowns and 11 interceptions, as MVSU struggled nearly every week on offense. He also rushed for 163 yards with four touchdowns.

Millsaps College went with defense for its Conerly nominee. Defensive lineman Alex Foust finished his senior season with 42 total tackles. He was a three-year starter for the Majors and finished second the Southern Athletic Association in tackles for a loss with 15.5 this season. He also finished second in the conference in sacks with 9.5 for the Majors, who ended the season with a 3-7 record.

Jackson State University named highly touted defensive lineman Javancy Jones for the Conerly. The senior missed time this season due to an injury and his mother’s illness, but he was still a force on the field when he was healthy.

Jones led the 3-8 Tigers with 17.5 tackles for a loss and four sacks, and he saw action at tight end, as he caught two passes with one ending in a touchdown. He was also JSU’s finalist for the Conerly last season.

Mississippi College also nominated a familiar name for the Conerly, as well, with wide receiver and kick returner Marcel Newsom tapped as the Choctaws' finalist for a second consecutive year.

He finished this season with 57 catches for 853 yards and five touchdowns for the 3-7 Choctaws, leading the Gulf South Conference in all-purpose yards with 180.6 per game and receiving yards with 94.8 yards per game.

Alcorn State went with linebacker Darian Anderson, who led the 5-5 Braves in tackles with 80 total.

He tops the Southwestern Athletic Conference in sacks with 10 and is one of the finalists for the Buck Buchanan Award, which the best defensive player at the …

In just three weeks, the dreams of 253 college football stars will come true. They'll will be lucky enough to hear their name called during the 2016 NFL Draft.

The NFL released the names of the 25 prospects that will be in attendance at Roosevelt University’s Auditorium Theatre in Chicago for the draft April 28-30. Ohio State University ties the 2012 University of Alabama record for the college with the most invites, but plenty of prospects from our state will be there, as well.

Highlighting the list is University of Mississippi offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil, who is projected to go in the top few picks. Tunsil could be the No. 1 overall pick if the Tennessee Titans don’t choose cornerback Jalen Ramsey out of Florida State University.

Tunsil has all the skill you want in a left tackle to protect your quarterback for the next decade in the league. He won’t last long, and,I believe he will be gone in the first five picks of the draft.

Rebels fans might not have to wait long to hear the next UM player off the board. Wide receiver Laquon Treadwell is expected to be off the board quickly. He might be picked as high as sixth by the Baltimore Ravens, but he shouldn’t last any longer than the 15th pick of the Los Angeles Rams.

Treadwell is considered to be one of the two top receiver picks. If he isn’t the first receiver off the board, it will more than likely be Will Fuller out of the University of Notre Dame.

While much has been made about his lack of speed, the fact that he doesn’t have sprinter speed didn’t stop Treadwell from coming back from a broken leg, which he suffered last year, to be one of the most productive receivers in the nation. He has a big body; he knows how to use it to shield defenders, and he has strong hands. He competes for the ball, and when it is in the air, he goes and gets it.

The final Rebel to get an invite is defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche. A ton of speculation surrounds Nkemdiche as he heads into the draft.

There are questions about off the field issues, disappearing at times during games, his conditioning and so forth. What is not in question, though, is when he plays at his peak, he is a top five pick.

Will a team take him on his potential over his production or will his red flags force him to slide down the draft board? It seems highly unlikely that Nkemdiche will slide out of the first round, but stranger things have happened in the draft.

One lone Bulldog out of Mississippi State University will be in attendance for the draft. Defensive tackle Chris Jones will represent MSU, and where he could land is a mystery.

Seven other defensive line prospects were invited to the draft besides Jones such as …

College football finishes rounding the midway point this weekend. Last week was great for some and painful to watch for others. If you missed anything, check out the recap in this week's JFP or [with this link][1].

If you aren’t suffering from college-football bowl fatigue, you can still watch plenty of games. The quality of football might be questionable at times, but drink it all in because when it is gone, it will be gone until next fall.

Since so many games are coming up, here is a brief schedule from Monday, Dec. 26, to Wednesday, Dec. 28.

The first game to feast on is the St. Petersburg Bowl, which kicks off at 10 a.m. on ESPN. Check out my recent preview of the game between Mississippi State University and Miami University in Ohio.

After the St. Petersburg Bowl, check out the Quick Lane Bowl at 1:30 p.m. on ESPN. This game is the first to feature teams from Power Five conferences.

Boston College and the University of Maryland enter the game with identical 6-6 records. The Eagles and Terrapins were once conference foes in the ACC, but Maryland is now a member of the Big Ten.

The final game on Dec. 26 is the Independence Bowl at 4 p.m. on ESPN2 between North Carolina State University and Vanderbilt University. This is an ACC against SEC matchup with two more 6-6 teams.

In fact, no team that plays on Dec. 26 enters the game with a winning record, and Mississippi State has a losing record. Both the Wolfpack and Commodores beat in-state rivals, which made them become bowl eligible.

College football on Dec. 27 begins with the Heart of Dallas Bowl between the United States Military Academy and the University of North Texas at 11 a.m. on ESPN. No one will say this is the sexiest bowl matchup of the season.

The Army is playing in a bowl game for the first time since 2010 and just the second time since 1997. That should lead to a highly motivated Black Knights squad.

North Texas beat the Army earlier this season at 35-18 but enters this game with a 5-7 record. The Army comes into this bowl game with a 7-5 record, which makes it the first team with a winning record to play this week.

Continue watching bowl games with the Military Bowl at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN. The game features Wake Forest University battling Temple University and may focus more on off-the-field issues than action on the field.

Wake Forest just fired Tommy Elrod, who was the color analyst on the team’s radio broadcast. Elrod was giving the Demon Deacons’ game play to opposing teams, and he was a former player and coach at the university.

Temple, on the other hand, just lost head coach Matt Rhule, who is taking over the dumpster fire that is Baylor University football. The Owls shocked the Navy to win the AAC Championship Game, but with their coach bolting, are they mentally going to be in this game?

Two normally cold-weather teams clash in the Holiday Bowl from San Diego at 6 p.m. on ESPN. Washington State …

Football recruiting is as competitive as the game played on the field. Recruiting has become bigger and bigger in the digital age with sports sites building pages to follow top prospects.

Things got very interesting quickly in college football last week. The near upsets from week one turned into upsets in week two. Several national championship contenders went down before we even reach the end of September. Biggest winner of week two has to be the Pac-12 (sans Colorado and Utah) from the pre-expansion teams. That means the Big Ten is the biggest looser this week and the conference laid an egg before their normal New Year's Day implosion.