Seven more Southern players ineligible

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EPJr
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Seven more Southern players ineligible

Post by EPJr »

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN
Advocate sportswriter
Published: Jul 10, 2007

Southern University football coach Pete Richardson on Monday said seven players won’t be with the program this fall, bringing to nine the number of players who are no longer on the team since the spring semester concluded.

Plus, at least two other players are in summer school trying to secure their eligibility.

Senior linebacker D.J. Brooks, senior defensive tackle Isaiah Thomas, junior offensive guard Adrian Banks, junior defensive end Jimmy Hollins and sophomore tight end Joshua Nixon are academically ineligible, Richardson said.

Also, defensive tackle Alston Smith, a transfer from Temple, and sophomore defensive end Jowelle Bullock have left the program to go elsewhere, though Richardson said he was unsure where.

Last month, Richardson said senior running back Larry Nichols and junior cornerback Marcus Wilkerson were academically ineligible.

Losing so many key players on defense — with Brooks and Thomas starters and Smith expected to add depth to the interior of the defensive line — saps the depth that was considered a strength in spring practices.

“It hurts the depth, which is going to be crucial the first two or three games,” Richardson said.

Southern will be on the road for its first two games, against Florida A&M in Birmingham, Ala., on Sept. 1 and against Mississippi Valley State on Sept. 8 in Chicago.

“You have to be concerned when you have guys who just didn’t perform academically and you were counting on them, at least for added depth. The first part of the year, because of the weather factor, it’s going to be crucial conditioning-wise,” Richardson said.

Brooks, a former nonqualifier who was attempting to earn a fourth season of eligibility, was second on the team in tackles in both 2006 (64) and 2005 (63).

Thomas, a former North Carolina transfer, had 37 tackles and one sack last season.

Wilkerson, a promising talent, had 32 tackles and two interceptions.

Nichols entered last season as the team’s No. 1 running back but rushed for only 51 yards and no touchdowns.

Banks, who emerged last season and started as a freshman and a sophomore, had missed much of spring practice after injuring a knee and subsequently having surgery.

Hollins had 11 tackles in five games last season, while Bullock had seven tackles in six games last season.

“It’s going to be interesting,” Richardson said.

Lewis not in school

Quarterback J.C. Lewis, a fifth-year senior who was one of two co-captains last season, is not in summer school and not participating in voluntary summer conditioning.

However, Richardson said he expects Lewis, who graduated in May, to report with the team on July 31.

“He is coming back,” Richardson said. “He’ll be in grad school, but he’ll have to compete. That’s the situation now.”

Lewis, the team’s No. 1 quarterback in 2005 as he threw for 2,496 yards and 19 touchdowns, began last season as the starter but was never the same after suffering concussions in mid-September. He threw for 1,110 yards and 10 TDs last year.

The competitors to be Southern’s No. 1 quarterback — sophomore Bryant Lee, who ended last season as the starter; junior C.J. Byrd and sophomore Warren Matthews — are all participating in the voluntary conditioning.

Because Lewis took coursework that limited him in spring practice, that opened the door for competition to commence. Matthews, the only one of the four quarterbacks not to start, in particular made great strides during the spring.

Richardson finished spring practice saying he’d decide who his No. 1 would be in August workouts.

“It’s going to be a long season, and we’re going to need all the quarterbacks, because he’s going to be involved more in the running aspect of the game, too,” Richardson said. “When you have that, you have injuries
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ASU Kep
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Re: Seven more Southern players ineligible

Post by ASU Kep »

Ouch. That'll eventually hurt with scholarships, too, per the new (I think) NCAA academic rules.
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GreenDay17
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Re: Seven more Southern players ineligible

Post by GreenDay17 »

That is a lot of people to lose between spring ball and fall practice. Looks like they better revisit their academic accountability system. Wow.
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