The time that ... Grambling lobbied for the Heisman

On the campaign trail
Grambling hopes Eugene earns Heisman consideration

Nick's note: A sad conclusion came to this effort when Eugene went down in the third quarter of the 2004 opener with a season-ending knee injury. He would return for a record-smashing final campaign in 2005, however, leading Grambling to its 21st SWAC title.

By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
July 7, 2004
GRAMBLING — Supporters from Grambling State are mounting a Heisman Trophy campaign for record-breaking senior quarterback Bruce Eugene.

It won't be easy.

"He's got an outstanding story," said interim GSU coach Melvin Spears, who recruited Eugene to Grambling. "You're talking about a guy who came out of the St. Thomas housing project (in New Orleans). It's a major feat if he's even considered in that company right now."

Eugene says making the list would be a great moment not only for himself, but for Grambling State.

"Being mentioned for an award like that lets me know that I'm doing what's being asked - and we're getting recognized," said Eugene, who has set GSU's single-season marks for yards, completions and TDs. "In the process, that helps other Grambling players get recognized and helps my school gets its name out there."

But, like all Division I-AA performers, Eugene will face an uphill battle for recognition by Heisman voters.

"I certainly feel that his accomplishments, his numbers, are worthy of the accolade," said former GSU quarterback James "Shack" Harris, vice president of player personnel for the Jacksonville Jaguars. "But realistically, the Heisman is not something he can win. It's not Bruce. It's the system."

Alcorn State standout Steve McNair remains the highest recent vote-getter from I-AA. He finished third in 1994 - only to go on to league MVP honors while the top two choices, Rashaan Salaam and Ki-Jana Carter, have struggled in the NFL. Doug Williams finished fourth in the 1977 Heisman voting behind eventual winner Earl Campbell.

"But the Heisman Trophy, when you think about it, honors the best player in college football - whatever the division," Spears said. "Does that mean the best guy in his conference, the best guy on his team or just the best guy? The question I pose is this: What if the best college football player does not play in Division I-A?"

Grambling State supporters will use technology to present that message.

Kenn Rashad - a 1990 GSU graduate best known for launching the SWACPage.com site - has offered to help design a separate Heisman Web site for GSU. It's something that could quickly raise Eugene's profile among potential voters who don't closely follow Division I-AA football.

"Instead of trying to get the media to see Bruce Eugene, I thought we could bring Bruce Eugene to the media," Rashad said. "I'd like to see some flash components that illustrated what he did week by week on the field, with perhaps some video highlights that could be downloaded."

The Web site is still in the earliest planning stages, Rashad added.

E-mails were sent out a couple of weeks ago by Peter Forest, GSU's director of athletic media relations, that asked selected people to participate in a Heisman steering committee.

"We are in the process of putting together a group of supporters," Spears said. "When all the students get back, in August, we will also have a introductory party."

The hope isn't that Eugene wins so much as gets some measure of recognition for what he's already accomplished at Grambling State.

"He may not win the award," Rashad said, "but he most certainly should be on the list."

Eugene, who wowed observers even as a redshirt freshman out of New Orleans' Cohen High School, was a part-time starter during GSU's 2001 SWAC title season - then led the Tigers to another championship in 2002.

He is the school's record-holder in passing completions, attempts, yards and total offense, and is ranked second in passing touchdowns.

That dominance led to two consecutive top-three finishes in voting in the Walter Payton Award, which recognizes Division I-AA's offensive player of the year. He was third in 2002, then second last season.

Harris, who won or shared the conference title in every season he played at GSU in the 1960s, thinks Eugene will return to the Payton Watch List as a senior. "He should be a top candidate for the best player in Division I-AA," Harris said.

Eugene was also named a first-team All-America quarterback by The Sports Network in 2003, then a second-team quarterback on The Associated Press' All-America football team.

"I guess the only thing I can say about Eugene and the Heisman list is: How can you not have him on that list?" Rashad said. "He has been a finalist for the Walter Payton Award the last two years and I am certain he will be a finalist again this year. Being a finalist among the best football players on the I-AA level automatically makes Eugene better than many of the players on the I-A level."

Too, as more people hear about Eugene, they also reacquaint themselves with a Grambling State football program that was reborn under former coach Doug Williams.

"My outlook, my vision, is more institutional - rather than winning the award," said former offensive coordinator Spears, who took over as interim when Williams resigned in February. "It's about having the opportunity to have a guy that's talked about all over the country. That's good for Grambling. If you can have one kid say Bruce Eugene is a Heisman Trophy candidate, and look twice at Grambling, then we've done what we need to do from a marketing standpoint.”

Remembering: Grambling's Brandon Landers

Carroll's Landers picks Grambling
· Playing for Super Bowl quarterback Doug Williams played an important part in the decision. December 11, 2003

By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
Carroll High quarterback Brandon Landers, the area's top local offensive recruit, confirms that he has verbally committed to play for Doug Williams at Grambling State.

"To be coached by the first black quarterback to win the Super Bowl had something to do with it," Landers said. "He knows the game. I'd like to follow in his footsteps and do some of the things he's done at Grambling State University."

Williams has said that any prep signings this off-season would redshirt in 2004 behind senior Bruce Eugene, the top quarterback in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. Coach Jesse Smith has installed a similar spread offense at Carroll High.

"Whatever move he made, I'd support," Smith said of Landers' commitment. "But we do a lot of the same things that Grambling does. He will be in a system where he will throw the football. I believe, with the experience that he has gotten over the years, that this is as fine a program as he could be going to."

Landers also recognized the opportunity to quickly integrate into the SWAC's best passing offense the past two seasons.

"I feel like Grambling would treat me better," Landers said. "The offense they run is basically the same offense that we run."

Landers, who led Carroll to a second straight District 2-3A crown this season, finished his prep career with 2,302 yards on 140-for-245 passes, along with 16 TD passes and five interceptions. He was The News-Star/Glenwood SportsCare player of the week for Week 5 this season - after passing for 300 yards and a score against Ferriday, while also returning an interception for a touchdown.

"In my opinion, he had an outstanding year," said Smith. "He pretty much led the team. He was able to run the football and pass it too. He did everything we expected."

In his last high school game, the multi-talented Landers passed for 204 yards and ran for a score in a third-round playoff loss.. He also had 48 career tackles and three interceptions for Carroll.

Landers says he was recruited by McNeese State, Northwestern State, Louisiana-Monroe and Louisiana Tech. Others like Texas A&M were reportedly interested as well.

"But I never really considered anywhere else," Landers said. "I felt like Grambling fit me."

Landers follows in the footsteps of Grambling State legend James "Shack" Harris, who is also a Carroll High alum. Harris was the first black quarterback to be drafted into the NFL, playing for Buffalo, Los Angeles and San Diego.

Cooper's departure could shift QB status

Carroll High quarterback Brandon Landers could immediately move into the No. 2 slot at Grambling State. Coach Doug Williams granted two-year backup quarterback Gary Cooper a release on Monday.

"I'm not a guy who believes in a two-quarterback system," Williams said. "Somebody has to take the bull by the horns. It's unfortunate for Cooper, because he wants to play. But as long as Bruce is healthy, he's our starter."

Cooper had career numbers of 14-for-36 at GSU, with three interceptions and two scores.

Further back in the quarterback rotation are Texas freshmen Brandon Logan from San Antonio and Arnel Rolfe of Dallas. Neither has taken a game-day snap.

"They've got to step it up in the spring," Williams said.


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Landers learns another lesson the hard way
September 12, 2004

By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
NORMAL Ala. - The grounds crew at Louis Crews Stadium can thank Grambling State quarterback Brandon Landers for all the work facing them this morning.

I expect there are several freshman-shaped holes out there today.

Perhaps that was expected for Landers, who got his first collegiate start a year early when senior All-American Bruce Eugene was injured last week.

Still, the timing couldn't have been worse, as GSU arrived in Alabama to face one of the Southwestern Athletic Conference's most inventive and aggressive defenses.

Alabama A&M relentlessly harassed Landers. It threw everything at him - linebackers, safeties, the kitchen sink, other appliances. That ensured Landers wouldn't win the game, yet his fiery determination would again win over the coaches.

"We have believed that Brandon Landers could handle the things we do," said interim GSU coach Melvin Spears, who fell to 0-2 with the loss to Alabama A&M. "Brandon and Bruce worked closely together all summer. He has grasped the information at a very fast pace."

There were moments of shimmering promise, followed by thudding despair.

That's a freshman quarterback for you.

For instance, Landers took advantage of a blocked punt by Winnfield junior Donald Alexander on A&M's first possession of the third quarter, firing a brilliant pass to Mangham senior Chad White over the middle for a critical completion at midfield.

But the inevitable sack ended that drive. Landers ran right into the rush on that play, a rookie error.

He kept his head up.

"My athleticism will always help me," Landers said. "As I get more familiar with the offensive scheme, I will only get better."

As soon as Landers got going on Saturday, he would get leveled.

A sack - no surprise, that - by A&M's Cedric Harris killed the first promising drive of Landers' night in Alabama. After starting 0-of-4, Landers had finally completed an underneath pass to junior Henry Tolbert that turned into a 15-yard gain.

GSU didn't score, but Landers kept going. He kept getting hit, but he kept going.

With 6:03 left in the game, Grambling State had used all of its timeouts. This was how this tough night would end, in real time - a slow wait.

Somebody forgot to tell Landers.

With 54 seconds left, he was still flinging it. GSU's first 0-2 start since 1996 - when former coach Eddie Robinson lost his initial three contests on the way to a 3-8 record - would have to wait. Landers hit Tolbert for a 25-yard touchdown pass to bring the score to 21-9.

But, too often, even when Landers could get a throw off, a very young receiving group again dropped it. GSU was also without its top target from last year's A&M game, as Moses Harris joined Eugene with a season-ending injury during Week 1.

"It hasn't been roses for them. They've faced some challenges," said third-year Alabama A&M coach Anthony Jones, who had never before won against GSU - a streak that included the 2002 SWAC title game. "Grambling has enough guys on that team that are used to winning. One thing I know about winning, once you get that taste in your mouth, you don't roll over for anybody."

So A&M kept coming.

Sacks count against a team's rushing yardage on the official stat sheet, so it's no surprise that the Tigers ended up with a staggering minus-two yards in the first half. Junior Ab Kuaan's first-down yardage was leaking out with each defensive play on his quarterback.

Yet, Landers was always out there under center when the whistle blew, lined up again and ready to go. He prides himself on that.

"I lead by action," said Landers, The News-Star/Glenwood SportsCare Offensive Player of the Year as a senior at Carroll. "I've never been a very vocal person. So, I lead by what I do."

A big, tough unit, GSU's offensive line was simply outnumbered by A&M's zone-blitz scheme. It often had seven hats on eight defenders.

That's why Landers could have been confined to bed rest by a doctor and not spent as much time on his back. Adding insult to injury, Grambling State wore white - meaning those grass stains may never come out.

But Spears takes solace in that flickering passion from his first-year signal-caller. You won't find many players still gunning for the end zone with under a minute left in an already-decided game.

"He's very athletic, very versatile, with an outstanding arm," enthused the ever-upbeat Spears. "When the lights come on, he's a different kind of player. He has a flair as a leader. I think we are in good hands."


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Saving the day has been child's play for Grambling freshmen
September 20, 2004

By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
CINCINNATI- Remember when they used to make freshmen carry the older players' shoulder pads back in after practice?

Now, they're carrying the team.

Witness Grambling State's first win of the 2004 season. Quarterback Brandon Landers hands off to Landry Carter, who runs it in from four yards in the third quarter on Saturday against Bethune-Cookman, GSU's first points on the day.

Defensive end Jason Banks also notches two sacks for 14 yards in losses.

Landers tosses a 46-yard scoring strike to Clyde Edwards to get GSU to within two points.

Every one of the playmakers mentioned is a freshman. GSU would beat Bethune-Cookman 24-23 on Saturday in the Ohio Classic.

"I couldn't ask for anything better," said Landers, a Carroll High product named offensive player of the year just last spring by The News-Star. The ... high school ... offensive player of the year.

"To be on the Cincinnati Bengals field, being a young player," Landers marvelled from inside Paul Brown Stadium. "I've waited for this my whole life."

His whole life. Landers was born on Groundhog Day, Feb. 2, 1985.

But we've never seen anything like this before: Kid's stuff is now the stuff of legend. Landers has led GSU to 32 fourth-quarter points in three games.

"Leaders," Landers mused, and he couldn't be more right, "are born."

Born in the second Reagan administration.

And not just Brandon Landers, who replaced All-American Bruce Eugene after the senior suffered a season-ending knee injury in the first game of 2004.

First-year Georgia running back Danny Ware exploded for three scores against Georgia Southern. Tennessee's Brent Schaeffer became the first true freshman to start an SEC opener since 1945. A youngster named Darius Walker might have turned Notre Dame's season around with 115 rushing yards and two touchdowns in a second-week win over Michigan.

Landers' first start was somewhat less glamorous. But playing through it made him a better quarterback in Cincinnati.

"They were sending six or seven people at me last week (against Alabama A&M)," said Landers. "So (interim GSU) Coach (Melvin) Spears told me that we were going to the shotgun (against BCC), and that I should be patient and stay with it. He put the ball in my hands."

That Alabama A&M nightmare included just 11 completions on 40 tries. GSU didn't convert a single third-down - putting freshman punter Tim Manuel just one punt away from the school record for attempts in a game.

"Bouncing back from a performance like that," said Eugene, "is all about character."

Alabama A&M was credited with a five sacks, but Landers was hurried and pushed around all night.

"He's taken so many licks," said offensive coordinator Sammy White. "To keep getting up, that says a lot about him."

Landers would flourish Saturday in the shotgun, a scheme that made all the more sense when senior center Lance Wright left the game with an injury.

"What we were trying to do was to take some of the pressure off of Brandon," said Spears. "When you get down a couple of touchdowns, you've got to keep passing. But we wanted to give him a better opportunity. At halftime, we told him: `It's your show. Show us what you've got.' "

But just in case the freshmen get too comfortable, however, note that Landers' first collegiate win came with some veteran help.

Junior Henry Tolbert made a key scoring grab to narrow BCC's lead to two points in the third quarter. And Eugene attended Saturday's game, encouraging the team during warmups and helping out with playcalling upstairs with running backs coach Vyron Brown.

"We're going to keep him around," Spears said of Eugene, laughing. "He'll basically be our cheerleader - and he'll also help us with Brandon."

Saturday's game was Eugene's first since undergoing knee surgery a week ago on Thursday.

"I can help him, because I've been there," said Eugene, who was given wide latitude last season to audible from the line based on what he saw on the field. "That hands-on experience will make a difference."

A Landers scramble for a quick 53 yards seemed to loosen up this offense in the third quarter. The team's biggest second-half adjustment had to do with confidence.

"Those are the intangibles that Brandon brings to the table," said Spears. "He had great poise. In the end, he looked like Bruce Eugene back there - and that's a good comparison."

The move into the booth will also ensure that Eugene can stay for the entirety of the game, without enduring whatever pain comes from standing on the sidelines. Eugene, who moved around on crutches, is applying for another year of eligibility on a medical waiver.

"Everything is progressing very well for Bruce," said Spears, who is also taking a more prominent role in the offense, after concentrating on the defense early in the season. "As he heals, we'd like to give him an opportunity to look at the game from a different perspective. Hopefully, when he gets back, he will have a better understanding - and be a better player."

You could criticize GSU's hard-headed focus on making Landers pass. After all, he had attempted 62 throws in five quarters of play before arriving in Cincinnati. But whether they ran or he threw, there was going to be a learning curve.

"When you lose your trigger guy, it makes you a little stagnated - until you get the new trigger guy in place and working," said Spears. "I knew you would start seeing an outstanding quarterback soon - one who happens to be a freshman - in Brandon Landers."

NICK DERISO, named columnist of the year this summer by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association, is sports editor at The News-Star, 411 N. Fourth St., Monroe, 71201. Contact him at (318) 362-0233 or at nderiso@thenewsstar.com.


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Landers' stellar freshman season may not yield sophomore one
December 14, 2004

By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
GRAMBLING - Another week brings another freshman of the year honor for Carroll High product Brandon Landers. Yet, he still doesn't know whether he will get to start again next season at Grambling State.

Landers, who was honored Saturday night by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association, took over when senior GSU quarterback Bruce Eugene went down in the third quarter of the 2004 season opener. Landers was also named freshman of the year by the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

"It never ran across my mind to win both awards," said Landers, who broke the school's single-season passing yards record for a freshman - set by Doug Williams in 1974. "You always set goals for a season - you know, once I got the starting job, I decided I wanted to win. But awards like this are a great feeling. I didn't even think I was going to play."

GSU defender Kenneth Pettway and place-kicker Brian Morgan, both seniors, also received first-team All-Louisiana honors from the LSWA, while sophomore offensive tackle Andre' Bennett was given an honorable mention.

The awards come as GSU awaits word on a medical exemption for Eugene. If the NCAA grants Eugene an extra year of eligibility, coaches have said Landers would be redshirted.

"We talked with the NCAA, and it's still under review," said interim GSU coach Melvin Spears. "If Bruce comes back, Landers will redshirt. He will get an opportunity to watch more, and to learn. But if Bruce doesn't come back, then Landers will be the incumbent in camp."

GSU signed LaMarque High product Larry Kerlegan out of Houston last season - who was ranked No. 11 nationally among dual-threat quarterbacks by Rivals.com - but grades kept him off the roster. Kerlegan is expected to be in camp this spring.

"I talked to Bruce the other day, and he still doesn't know whether he will be back or not. We'll wait and see," said Landers, who posted a 6-4 mark as a starter while completing 132-of-316 passes for 2,283 yards, along with 18 touchdowns against 15 interceptions. "In the meantime, I know we're going to start back up in January. I am going to work on getting stronger, on my technique. Redshirting, if that happens, could make me better - just sitting back and watching and learning. I could get more of the experience I need."


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GSU's quarterbacks battle as friends
Camp competition at Grambling is far from combative
August 17, 2005

By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
GRAMBLING - There's a sure sign that Bruce Eugene is feeling it again.

Grambling State's former All American quarterback is trash talking once more during the team's stretching exercises before practice.

"This offense," Eugene was saying the other day, "has speed for sale."

GSU coach Melvin Spears has consistently hedged on how that return impacts his depth chart. After all, Brandon Landers rocketed to conference freshman of the year honors once Eugene lost his senior season to a knee injury in the 2004.

"Brandon did a wonderful job for us last year down the stretch," Spears said. "But when you talk about experience, Bruce Eugene knows the system. We will let the best guy play."

Landers has a different answer.

"I know what the situation is," he said. "Bruce is getting his old position back."

Even so, the expected creative tension hasn't followed.

In fact, these two remain friends. As they enter the practice field, one will say to the other: "Be perfect today."

"That way," Landers said, "we know we are pushing each other to do better. At the same time, I am trying to learn from him."

Eugene also says that competition hasn't gotten in the way of their relationship: "The whole thing of `let's be perfect' is that we are trying to make each other better. We get along just fine."

Eugene still wears a knee brace - though Spears says that's simply as a precaution.

"He's the only guy I've ever seen go through an ACL injury and not lose any flexibility," said Spears. "Bruce is better than he was before. First off, his rehab was extensive, but also he's a fast healer."

Questions about the knee haven't trumped Eugene's past performances, which likely pushed Grambling to the top of the Southwestern Athletic Conference's Western division in more than one preseason poll so far.

Grambling's career total offense leader with 10,172 yards, he was last seen as a junior in 2003 passing for 3,805 yards and 34 touchdowns. Eugene also ran for 412 yards - second most on the team - and another six touchdowns on the ground.

That makes Eugene, despite the fact that he spent the last season earning his degree, the most productive returning quarterback in Division I-AA.

Yet Landers never stopped working, even as a move to the No. 2 spot became clear.

The Carroll product paid particular attention to his upper-body strength this offseason, focusing on bench pressing on an incline and lifting by shoulder shrug. The result has been a sharper release, and better ball speed.

Spears, wary after an injury-marred 2004, said he won't consider redshirting Landers.

"The nature of the beast is that you never know how the game goes, and how it may fall," said Spears, who lost Eugene in the third quarter of the season opener last year.

Landers isn't interested either.

"A quarterback who redshirted might relax," said Landers, who threw for almost 2,300 yards as a freshman. "It's a mind thing. I'm not thinking about next year. I'm thinking about right now. That will help me stay ready, as always."

The No. 3 quarterback is a celebrated prep prospect, Larry Kerlegan of Houston's LaMarque High.

"You always have to think in terms of two or three years down the road," said Spears. "You've got to be prepared. Bruce Eugene won't be back - one way or another. Those other guys have to be ready to play."

Still, as even Landers admits, it's clear the team belongs to the likeable Eugene right now.

Eugene has always been gregarious, knowledgeable and well regarded, even if he is only just now completely inhabiting the leadership role.

"The kids really rally around Bruce," said GSU offensive line coach Carl Roberts. "He not only knows his own assignment, but also the linemen's assignment. He has that leadership quality."

Eugene earned a lot of credibility when he led Grambling to the 2002 championship, after a season behind Randy Hymes - quarterback on those 2000-01 title teams.

But Eugene gained real authority as a team captain when he wrestled down a more common nemesis: His weight.

"I know within the circle of this team, they believe in me," Eugene said. "That's what I go on."

Spears sent Eugene to the Duke University diet and fitness center over the summer, where he lost 25 pounds in just four weeks on a diet of 1,800 calories a day.

Eugene was just getting started. He's now dropped more than 40 pounds.

"In rehab, and while I'm lifting weights or walking, every time I get ready to eat something I shouldn't be eating, I think about the naysayers," said Eugene, who at one point ballooned up to a startling 308 pounds. "Everybody said I couldn't lose weight. Let them talk. I know in the end I will be standing on top."


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For Grambling State quarterback Brandon Landers ...
Waiting was the hardest part
March 15, 2006

By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
GRAMBLING - Brandon Landers was brought in to be the Next Big Thing at Grambling State.

The Carroll High product expected to apprentice during the 2004 season behind record-smashing quarterback Bruce Eugene, then assume the spotlight.

Something happened on the way to his debut.

Eugene went down with a knee injury, and suddenly Landers - just months after playing Class 4A ball in high school - was under center.

It took time and adjustment for both Landers and the staff, but he eventually claimed conference freshman of the year honors after leading a newly run-oriented GSU to a winning season.

"My freshman year, they wanted give the ball to the veteran backs," Landers said. "Having guys like that, it took some pressure off of me."

Landers then got his belated redshirt, gaining more valuable experience, when Eugene was given a medical exemption before the 2005 campaign.

So, there's little drama in this: Landers is penciled in at starter as GSU's spring sessions get underway today.

The plot thickens, however, when examining how Landers' return could affect the playbook.

"We might put in a few wrinkles here or there to play up to Brandon's strengths," GSU coach Melvin Spears said. "But a year behind Bruce has given Brandon a much better grasp of the offense, both in terms of being able to make all the different adjustments and running the team more efficiently."

Landers, always gritty and confidant, says the days of running the ball to mask immaturity are over. He's ready to fit into a passing system that has established itself as the Southwestern Athletic Conference's most dangerous and entertaining.

"I don't know about any changes (to the scheme); I hope they keep it the same so we can keep rolling," Landers said.

Then, after some thought, he adds: "Playing behind a guy like Bruce, everyone will be expecting a whole lot of things. I'm just going to go out and play the game that I know how to play."

Questions about the offensive focus can be forgiven, even by some of the players, after the way Landers' presence in 2004 so radically altered Grambling's look.

His freshman campaign ended with redemptive win over Southern, but Landers had just 13 passing attempts on the day. (To put that into perspective, Eugene had as many tries by the first GSU possession of the second quarter in the 2005 Bayou Classic.)

Ab "Killer" Kuuan was the tip of the sword in this reworked ground attack, averaging 131 rushing yards a game over the final month of the season. The last time he and Landers shared the field, Kuuan was receiving his Bayou Classic MVP trophy after running for 126 punishing yards against Southern.

"That was my first question: Are we still going to have the same offense? Or are we going to run it?" said senior Henry Tolbert, who just set a new school record for receiving touchdowns in a season.

"The coaches feel like it's on him," Tolbert said. "If Brandon can show this spring that he can run the offense the way Bruce did, everything will be the same."

Spears said he has always known that Landers was physically gifted. He just felt Landers needed more time to adjust to the speed of decision-making in the college game.

He got that chance when Eugene returned for a rare sixth season of eligibility - though the bench wasn't always a comfy spot for a competitor like Landers.

"It was tough; that was my first time ever sitting out an entire season, but I learned a whole lot," said Landers, who earned offensive player of the year honors from The News-Star and Glenwood SportsCare in 2003.

"I paid attention to the game, learning about what was called on the field," he said. "I knew my role. I did what was asked."

In the end, Landers had a front-row seat as Eugene marched through the record books. A capstone came when Eugene smashed a 20-year-old Division I-AA mark for touchdown passes in a season during the SWAC championship win last December.

Landers found that, in the end, he had made a friend.

"We bonded together; we developed a really good friendship," Landers said. "I hope to be a leader and do the same things Bruce did. It was honor playing behind him."

Landers also grew closer to Tolbert, sure to be one of his primary targets in `06, over the past two seasons. That chemistry translates off the field too, where the two are roommates.

"I feel really good about Brandon taking over," Tolbert said. "I don't think I could feel any better about anybody. I was here when he first got here, so I've seen a lot of progress. Sitting behind Bruce was great for him. My expectations are really high coming in."

Look for a strong push for starting time from second-year passer Larry Kerlegan, a celebrated former Texas recruit. Grambling was also still in the market for another quarterback signee as late as last weekend.

But in the end, the stage is set. It's Landers' job to lose.

"Brandon Landers showed a lot of maturity last year in the way he handled things," Spears said. "It allowed him to learn a lot from Bruce Eugene. What we will do this spring is polish that. We're eager to see what he learned from the whole process."


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Landers lays down the law
Grambling QB interned as local marshal this summer
August 7, 2006

By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
GRAMBLING — When Grambling State holds its first fall practice this afternoon, quarterback Brandon Landers will be the new sheriff in town.

Well, marshal, actually.

The Carroll product, a criminal justice major, spent the summer interning with Ouachita Parish marshal Wince Highshaw Jr. — a stint that included serving warrants and working court security.

Landers said that real-world experience uniquely prepared him to take over a leadership role as GSU quarterback.

And to continue in that role in his impoverished neighborhood when football is over.

"I'm the first person in my family to go to college," Landers said. "Doing something like this, going to school and working hard, it's a way to show younger people that success is not about drugs. I want to be a role model in the neighborhood."

Landers — friends have already taken to calling him "Officer Landers" — is by far the most experienced returning quarterback at Grambling.

Pushed into duty after an injury to the now-departed Bruce Eugene, a two-time Walter Payton Award finalist, Landers would eventually earn conference freshman of the year honors.

He struggled with the assignment early on, but showed flashes of the talent that only months before helped lead Carroll to a second straight District 2-3A crown.

Landers now stands 309 attempts, 131 completions and 17 touchdowns further along than sophomore Larry Kerlegan, GSU's backup when Eugene returned and Landers redshirted a year later.

In fact, Kerlegan has just one college completion on seven attempts — a touchdown pass late in that blowout win over Concordia, an over-matched NAIA team. Presumptive No. 3 Desmond Brentley is a true freshman out of Pittsburgh's Perry High.

Still, GSU coach Melvin Spears has stressed that this will be a competitive camp for Landers, with Kerlegan and Brentley getting their share of reps.

"Our goal was to bring in enough competition so that we could make certain that Brandon doesn't get complacent," Spears said. "We've got a couple of guys who can do that. We want to be competitive everywhere, at every position."

Later, Spears reiterates one of this off-season's early mantras: "Leadership has no seniority."

A visibly more mature Landers welcomes the challenge.

Time spent in local courtrooms, where he's gotten an up-close examination of how life can turn on a bad decision, along with a year behind Eugene helped reshape this flinty former high school star. Landers is focused, energetic, and a bit humbled.

"Some people from my neighborhood have asked me, how can you be a police officer with where you come from?" Landers said. "I want to show them you can make it out. You don't have to do illegal things to get there."

Landers was already something of a neighborhood hero, finishing his prep career with 2,302 yards and 16 touchdown passes to go with 48 career tackles and three interceptions as a defensive back for Carroll.

His senior season in 2003 included a 300-yard, one-touchdown passing day against Ferriday. He also returned an interception for a touchdown that night, on the way to <I>News-Star</I>/Glenwood SportsCare player of the week honors. Landers' final prep game was a third-round playoff loss, but he passed for 204 yards and ran for a score.

"He was able to run the football and pass it too," said Carroll coach Jesse Smith when Landers committed to Grambling. "He did everything we expected."

That led to offensive player of the year recognition at the All-Northeast banquet — though Landers couldn't attend because he was also a crucial contributor on the Bulldogs' basketball team, which was playing that night.

Recruiters, Landers said, came calling from ULM, Louisiana Tech, McNeese State, Northwestern State and Texas A&M. But he chose to stay close to home, hoping to play one day for former Grambling coach Doug Williams.

Landers figured to have some time to gather himself, since he arrived as Eugene entered what promised to be a heralded senior season. But in short order, Williams left for an executive job in the NFL — turning the reins over to Spears, his former offensive coordinator — and then Eugene blew out his knee in the season opener.

"Brandon did an outstanding job in 2004 when Bruce went down," Spears said. "He has a great feel for the game when the lights come on."

Still, the life lesson was clear: Be prepared.

Landers started contemplating on a longer timeline.

"You gotta think about life after football," he said. "The air might go out of the ball one day."

Landers said Highshaw, a family friend, helped him get the internship — and it's been something that helped Landers frame everything that's important right now, not just football.

"When I got into criminal justice, and found out the type of things that they do, I got really interested," Landers said. "Marshal Highshaw gave me the opportunity to get some hands-on training, and I've learned so much that will help me."

Landers took the summer to get in shape, and not just physically. That's something that will bolster a maturation process his coach thinks is critical for Grambling's success on the field this year.

"He's learned the system; he has the tangibles," Spears said of Landers. "It's just going to be a matter of how quickly he can show that on the field."


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Landers handled it all on and off the field
September 4, 2006

By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The context surrounding Grambling State quarterback Brandon Landers' numbers on Saturday makes them all the more impressive.

While attempting to mediate an argument, Landers saw his brother murdered and his cousin critically wounded in his hometown of Monroe just two Fridays ago. Yet, he still threw for 273 yards and four touchdowns against Hampton at legendary Legion Field.

"I tried to go on with my everyday life," said Landers, a former Carroll High standout. "I tried to stay close to my team and my coaches, really just to take my mind off of things. Coach kept telling me that everything happens for a reason. I just looked at is as motivation."

Perhaps accordingly, Landers had his struggles, from a one-pass possession stopped on an interception to several attempts that badly overshot receivers.

But in the end, he was efficient enough to put the team in position to win — even if it didn't work out that way — and he did a good job of distributing the ball, hitting four different receivers for touchdown passes.

"He's had some ups and downs the week, certainly," GSU coach Melvin Spears said. "But he worked hard, and he executed for the most part. It's a whole lot for a young man to have on his shoulders. I'm ready proud of him."

The funeral for Frank Landers, 18, of Monroe, is set for Tuesday, Brandon Landers said.

Tallying it up: Hampton got big numbers courtesy of its big stars against Grambling, from NFL prospect Justin Durant — who led the team with eight tackles and 2½ for a loss — to running back Alonzo Coleman.

Coleman, the MEAC's preseason offensive player of the year, amassed 78 yards on 12 carries, despite missing the latter part of the game to injury. Van Morgan took over and added another 83 yards on 14 carries.

Princeton Shepherd left the game as well, but still passed for a team-best 120 yards, along with a touchdown. T.J. Mitchell spelled Shepherd and connected on 6-for-16 attempts for 89 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

Marquay McDaniels was stellar, with 113 yards and a score at wideout, 48 yards on punt returns, and 8 yards rushing on three tries.

Shepherd (passing), Coleman (rushing), McDaniels (receiving) and Durant (tackles and sacks) were the team leaders last year, as well.

Sweet home, Alabama: Six Grambling teammates played for linebackers coach Andre Robinson during a previous tenure at Birmingham's Parker High School.

They include: linebackers Brandon Arnold and Josh Bester; center Tavarus Cockrell; wide receivers Reginald Jackson; Xavier Jackson and Henry Tolbert; and defensive lineman Donald Williams.

Senior running back Ab Kuuan is also from nearby Sylacauga, Ala.

They'll be headed right back this week, as Grambling returns for a rematch of last December's SWAC Championship Game against Alabama A&M.

"We've got to come out and take care of A&M," said safety Bryan Langford. "We've got to be ready, even if it goes to overtime, to go the distance."

Tolbert had four catches for 78 yards and a touchdown at Legion Field. Kuuan had 37 yards on 17 carries and a special-teams tackle.

Bester had six tackles, including an assist for a loss; Williams had four, with one for a loss.

Kuuan and Tolbert were pregame team captains, as well.

Gave them five: Hampton and Grambling shared the Sheridan Broadcasting Network's black college national title in 2005. But the Pirates have owned Grambling as of late.

GSU actually has a 57-25 overall record against Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, but it has fallen to 2-6 all time against Hampton — including five losses in a row.

But GSU didn't go easy, fighting until the last play of the game as it went to overtime.

"It's what you expected," Landers said. "It was a hard-fought battle to the end. Hopefully, we gave the people what they came out to see, two great teams trying to be victorious."

You have to go all the way back to former GSU coach Eddie Robinson's 1994 team to find a win — and it was a squeaker, too: Grambling won 32-29.

Spears has lost to HU three times, twice as a offensive coordinator in 1998-99 and then this year as head coach. GSU, under Doug Williams, lost by scores of 28-15 and 27-7.

Grambling is now 2-2 on ESPN affiliates since 2003, beating Alabama State and Alabama A&M last year and falling to San Jose State in '03 and Hampton over the weekend.


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Landers back as GSU's starting QB
October 11, 2006

By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
GRAMBLING — Three games into Grambling State's two-quarterback experiment, the race is a dead heat.

Larry Kerlegan and Brandon Landers, both redshirt sophomores, have each shown the ability to take charge — and to take a leave of absence.

Kerlegan was the dynamo at Houston, winning a weekly Southwestern Athletic Conference award while Landers posted negligible stats. The roles were reversed at Mississippi Valley State, where the opposing coaches clearly schemed to stop Kerlegan and Kerlegan alone.

The two passers also shared duties, though they had more similar success, in a rout against Prairie View in between.

"I think they are getting there," GSU coach Melvin Spears said. "We're still looking for a little more continuity."

Landers will get the start this week against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, as first reported at www. thenewsstar.com on Tuesday morning. But Spears said that Kerlegan will again spell him at quarterback.

Situations, Spears said, will dictate who plays and when.

"It's a studying process," he said, "and I think Brandon is a little further along. That's why he's getting a few more reps."

Landers, who won SWAC freshman of the year honors while subbing for the injured Bruce Eugene at Grambling in 2004, has played with renewed vigor since Kerlegan hit the field. The competition seems to have emboldened both to work harder.

Still, add in the bye week, and it's been a month since these two began splitting duties and the numbers still don't provide an easy answer as to who should start.

The efficiency ratings are lopsided in Kerlegan's direction, with a 68 percent completion rate compared with 53 percent. But Landers has piled up nearly twice as much passing production. Through this week, he has 882 yards and nine passing touchdowns while Kerlegan has 418 yards and 4 scores.

That means they'll continue to share time, Spears said.

"We're not asking them to win the game, just to manage it and get the ball to our receivers and running backs," Spears said.

Kerlegan got 285 of those passing yards against Houston, while Landers went 0-for-3. Landers then had 213 yards in the air last week at Valley, while Kerlegan had minus-2.

In Dallas against Prairie View, they almost perfectly split 297 total passing yards, as Kerlegan sparked the offense with 172 yards.

Again, no clear frontrunner.

Kerlegan is the team's second-leading rusher with 180 yards, but Landers is the only one of the two with a score on the ground.

And so it goes.

"Larry Kerlegan throws the ball just as well," Spears said, "He just needs to continue to learn the system. Brandon can run too, though he's not as a fast as Kerlegan. They both have things we like. That's why we'll continue to use both."



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AGENT OF CHANGE: Monroe's Landers settles in with new Grambling staff, playbook
August 5, 2007

By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
GRAMBLING — Brandon Landers, now a redshirt junior, has seen it all during his time at Grambling State.

He's been the green freshman, unexpectedly inserted in 2004 when GSU's record-smashing passer Bruce Eugene blew out a knee.

He's been the camp underdog, fighting to get that same job back, when Eugene returned.

Once relied upon, in 2005 Landers was eventually redshirted.

He's been the presumptive No. 1 himself, struggling in 2006 to fight off a flinty backup.

Today, the Monroe native is, simply, the starter.

"I always live by the idea of being ready for anything," said Landers, a criminal justice major and volunteer with the Marshal's Office. "Things will come at you. I am making the necessary adjustments, but I don't think of it as a difficult thing. Football is football."

Landers' career has been the definition of things coming right at you. He is, in fact, the first quarterback to start consecutive seasons at Grambling since '04.

Then coming off All-Northeast offensive player of the year honors at Carroll, Landers was recruited in 2003 by Doug Williams, played in 2004 and '06 under Melvin Spears and will finish his career under new Grambling coach Rod Broadway.

"Brandon has something about him that you can't help but like," Broadway said. "He has shown some leadership skills. The guys have taken to him, and he's a nice guy to be around."

The first transition was largely seamless, since Spears had run Williams' offensive for six seasons before succeeding him as head coach.

Broadway, however, is installing a completely new look — one that will test both Landers' decision making and his ability to manage the playcalling in a variety of offensive situations.

Landers, bolstered by the new coaches' confidence in him, remains steadfastly optimistic as he faces perhaps his most rigorous challenge yet.

"We're excited about being back at it," Landers said. "We're bonding as a team, trying to get better. You can sense the change, and the excitement about the coaching staff. I feel a difference already in the team."

Landers was productive last season, averaging 194.4 yards per game. A highpoint was his 350-yard passing performance at home against Jackson State, which earned Landers Southwestern Athletic Conference player of the week honors. He also passed for 17 scores, which ranked second in the league.

The offense's troubles at closing out games contributed to Grambling's disastrous 3-8 record, but it still would finish with a SWAC-best average of 348.3 yards per game.

New offensive coordinator James Spady loses six starters from that group, but can find some solace in the return of Landers and senior receiver Clyde Edwards, his favorite target.

Both have been meeting three to four times a day, Landers said, as a new playbook has been installed. Gone is the flashy go-for-broke style associated with Spears' tenure.

This offense will certainly take its shots, but it's more in keeping with the pro-style offense that Williams always favored.

"It's different from last year, when we were wide open," Landers said. "This is more of a set-up type offense. We won't be stuck on the approach of just getting the big play."

That puts Landers in a place he's never been, having been asked to pass upwards of 50 times in games against Alabama A&M (his first start) and Jackson State in 2004. Landers never stopped competing, and eventually rose to Southwestern Athletic Conference and Louisiana Sports Writers Association freshman of the year honors.

He finished with a school-record 2,283 passing yards, besting a freshman mark that had stood since Williams's debut in 1974 under Eddie Robinson.

A highlight of that initial campaign came during the season-ending Bayou Classic when, in a style that could become familiar under Broadway, Landers attempted fewer than 20 passes as GSU slowly suffocated Southern.

"We're not asking him to win the game for us," Broadway said. "We want him to learn how to manage a game. Once he understands that, along with his continued growth as a player, he should be in pretty good shape — because if you have a triggerman, on all levels of football, then you have a chance to compete."

Landers, matured in a crucible of change, is taking it all in stride.

"I like the new look," Landers said, though he bristles at any suggestion that this offense might lack the implicit danger of GSU's old attack. "If you sleep on us, we'll hit you big."

BEHIND BRANDON
Senior Larry Kerlegan, an athlete of uncommon playmaking ability, is listed as the backup on Grambling State's fall depth chart.

Over seven games last season, Kerlegan passed for 633 yards and seven scores, while running for another 215 yards to rank second on the team in rushing. That led to a move by the staff to work Kerlegan into the wideout rotation.

"He plays the way you want kids to play, and that's fast," first-year Grambling coach Rod Broadway said. "We're going to use him in a variety of offensive situations."

Sophomore Al Hawkins, the former minor-league baseball player, is the only other quarterback on the roster. He didn't attempt a pass in the Black and Gold game.

"The guys who were backups in the spring will have to step up in the fall and get better," Broadway said. "They'll have to perform well or get out of the way for some of the freshmen we're going to give a chance to play."

Grambling's remaining quarterbacks from the 2006 roster included Desmond Brentley, who has apparently transferred; and Zak Latif, who's now listed at tight end. --Nick Deriso, nderiso@thenewsstar.com.


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Academics could sideline Grambling's senior quarterback
July 26, 2008

By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
GRAMBLING — Monroe product Brandon Landers, a three-year letterman at Grambling State, will likely miss next season over an academic issue.

"I'm trying to see what I can do," the quarterback said. "I didn't get the grade I needed (in a history class), so it's up in the air right now if I will even play."

Landers, a fifth-year senior after redshirting in 2005 at Grambling, most recently posted career highs for completions, yards and touchdowns in the inaugural season under GSU coach Rod Broadway. That helped the Tigers advance to their fifth Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship Game since 2000, before falling to Jackson State last December.

Landers' absence opens the door to a spirited competition at the position just weeks before the year's much-anticipated opening kick. Grambling was again picked to win the SWAC's Western crown in preseason polling at the league's media day.

Greg Dillon, a 6-0, 200-pound sophomore, is listed as Landers' backup in the 2008 season prospectus. The academic status of Larry Kerlegan, the No. 2 Grambling passer in 2005-07, is also unclear.

GSU signed three prep athletes with quarterbacking experience, including Rayville product Justin Higgins. The 6-2, 185-pounder passed for more than 6,000 yards, rushed for nearly 2,000 yards and scored 60 touchdowns in high school.

El Paso, Texas, product Brendon Crawford (2,207 passing yards and 20 scores as a senior) and South Boston, Va., product Rodale Pippen (who split time at wideout, recording nearly 5,000 yards of total offense last year) were announced in GSU's most recent signing day.

The most intriguing option might be J.P. Tillman, a redshirt freshman transfer from the University of Missouri who has been participating during informal summer 7-on-7 drills at Grambling. The 6-3, 250-pound prospect was a three-sport high school athlete, and ranked No. 22 in the nation among dual-threat quarterbacks by Rivals.com as a senior.

Landers said it was unclear if an appeal could be made on his behalf. He is pursuing a degree in criminal justice.

"They are trying to do all they can do," Landers said. "I hope to know more by Tuesday (when Grambling football players report for fall practice sessions)."

Grambling coaches were unavailable for comment on Friday afternoon. The team opens this season Aug. 30 in Reno at the University of Nevada.

Landers, who was named prep offensive player of the year by The News-Star after his senior season at Carroll High in 2003, ranks third all-time among Grambling passers with 7,024. He needs 1,388 to pass Doug Williams for second place.


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Final narrative for Grambling's Landers hasn't been written
August 1, 2008

By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
Brandon Landers' time at Grambling, as impressive as it is statistically, will always be one of lost promise. But his narrative is far from finished.

Landers initially signed as a prep quarterback with Doug Williams, only to see his would-be mentor leave for an NFL job. Then he was pushed too early, and with too little instruction, into the starting position as a true freshman in 2004 when Bruce Eugene went down. Then pushed back into a redshirt, and largely ignored, a season later when Eugene returned. Then pushed around as a redshirt sophomore in 2006, having belatedly retaken the starting position without ever having been properly prepared for it.

He remained erratic, able to gut out terrific wins (Bethune-Cookman in Cincinnati, Bayou Classic XXXI) on the one-hand but still subject to deflating breakdowns (memorable OT losses to Alabama A&M and Hampton, last year's Southwestern Athletic Conference title match).

Landers finally caught a decent break with the hiring of yet another new staff before his junior season. He was on his third head coach, but seemed to finally connect.

That's when the interior of his line fell apart. Landers withstood the kind of blows that would bring down buildings, and occasionally fell into old habits.

Grambling ended up one win shy of a championship. But Landers had become a vastly improved passer, a stronger locker room presence and, most importantly, an emerging leader off the field: He planned a successful offseason mentoring camp, volunteered as a marshal at the courthouse.

"He wants to become an inspiration for kids in this area by becoming a mentor," said Esther Gallow, who has done so much important outreach work in the economically depressed Booker T. community that Landers was raised in. "He's saying, even if I don't go pro, I still want to show young people that they can get out of the neighborhood, get a college education and do something great with their lives."

Sports fans don't like to hear it, but that's the important stuff.

Just like that, though, and just 1,400 yards shy of Doug Williams' No. 2 all-time passing marks at Grambling, Landers came up short on a summer course — and a football career that never reached its full potential is apparently over.

Yet what Landers accomplished, despite so much adversity (both the crushing poverty of his childhood environment and then at GSU), shouldn't be defined in total by the number of Bayou Classics or SWAC titles won or lost.

Landers is one credit away from doing something more notable than winning that last game on the gridiron. He has dreams of becoming a law enforcement officer, and then a community leader of enduring substance — and that's more urgently needed than another shiny item for the program's trophy case.

When he does all of that, and I think he will, football will perhaps finally be put in perspective as just one part of Brandon Landers' still-evolving story.

Recruiting: Grambling State's 2004 football signing class

Here are Grambling State University's announced football signees, with same-day analysis, from National Signing Day in February 2004:

Grambling State's 2004 haul
By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
QUARTERBACK

· Brandon Gultrey, 5-10, 160, McCall (Tallulah, La.) HS: McCall's only senior, finished year with 2,218 yards, completing 64.1 percent of passes.

· Larry Kerlegan, 5-11, 180, La Marque (Texas) HS: Ranked No. 11 nationally among dual-threat quarterbacks by Rivals.com.

· Brandon Landers, 5-11, 190, Carroll (La.) HS: The News-Star's Offensive Player of the Year on 2003 All-Northeast Louisiana team.

· Mike Nichols, 6-5, 220, Westbury (Houston, Texas) HS: SuperPrep listed Nichols as 90th out of Top 100 prospects in the entire Big 12 region.

The Skinny: GSU did a good job of preparing for the future, as All-America quarterback Bruce Eugene enters his senior season. Landers was an early target, but the coaches kept working to sign more top-notch talent - including the two Texas quarterbacks. Kerlegan's academic status is uncertain, which probably means the race is between Nichols and Landers. Gultrey, who excelled as a safety at McCall, will likely be moved to another position.

RUNNING BACK

·Michael Rainey, 6-1, 185, Vicksburg (Miss.) HS: Rushed for 359 yards and also caught 22 passes for 207 yards last season.

The Skinny: While Grambling State has decided to use Ab Kuuan as its everyday rusher, he'll need someone to work in relief next season. That had been Henry Tolbert, but the coaches are moving him to the slot. Rainey is a similar runner, rangy and elusive.

WIDE RECEIVERS

· Clyde Edwards, 5-11, 170, Westbury (Houston, Texas) HS: Good academic performer; received first-team District 18-5A honors this season.

· Xavier Jackson, 6-3, 195, Parker (Birmingham, Ala.) HS: Had more than 900 yards and 14 touchdowns this season.

· Kenneth Miller, 6-2, 180, Winnsboro (La.) HS: Honorable mention on 2002 Class 3A All-State team. Also played basketball and ran track.

· Albert Rogers, 6-3, 180, Northeast (Zachary, La.) HS: Two-way player, received second-team All District 8-2A honors. All-around athlete, excelled at safety as well.

· Frank Green, 6-1, 185, Moncks Corner, SC/East Tennessee Univ.: Had 16 receptions for 242 yards and touchdown; also returned kick for another score last season.

The Skinny: Miller gives GSU the speed it so clearly craves, while Green brings valuable experience. Still, wide receiver wasn't a point of great need for the Tigers - despite the graduation of senior All-American Tramon Douglas, who broke Jerry Rice's record for receptions in a Southwestern Athletic Conference game. Freshman Tim Abney proved he was ready to audition for the No. 1 spot after tying for second in total touchdowns scored last season. Moses Harris and Paul Hardiman are also locks for playing time.

TIGHT ENDS

· Antonio Shannon, 6-4, 220, Mansfield (La.) HS: Member of Class 3A All-State football team.

· Travis Singleton, 6-3, 245, O. Perry Walker (New Orleans, La.) HS: Louisiana's No. 10 tight end prospect on the Zems Gems recruiting Web page. Impressive athlete, also plays basketball for Walker.

The Skinny: Shannon is the day's steal, a center on his school's basketball team who goes for passes like an aggressive rebounder. Singleton is listed at 4.8 in the 40-yard dash. Both of last year's tight ends are gone, meaning there will be a wide-open race to replace them. Gershone Jessie, an All-America candidate, has graduated. Jason Hatcher has been moved to defensive end.

OFFENSIVE LINE

· Mike Smith, 6-5, 315, Vicksburg (Miss.) HS: Smith joins former VHS linemen Andre Bennett and Charles Wilson, sophomores who both started at GSU last season. Wilson is Smith's brother.

· Quentin Smith, 6-2, 295, Centennial (Roswell, Ga.) HS: Son of former New York Giants OG Lance Smith, was part of group that gave CHS coach Mike Cloy his 100th career victory in 2003.

· Tavarus Cockrell, 6-3, 295, Parker (Birmingham, Ala.) HS: All-State as offensive tackle and defensive tackle, also played basketball.

The Skinny: GSU coaches feel that they have the type of runner in Kuuan who can return some balance to the Tigers' offensive attack. The problem last season seemed to be the lack of athleticism up front, especially with the reintroduction of the Wing-T formation in the scheme - one that calls for lots of pulling linemen. Cockrell in particular is a signing aimed directly at correcting that.

DEFENSE

· Guy Henderson, DB/WR, 6-0, 190, Karr (New Orleans, La.) HS: Superior athlete, also played quarterback for Karr as junior.

· Deshon Pennie, DB, 6-0, 195, Nimitz (Houston, Texas) HS: First-team all-district as senior. Runs a legitimate 4.4, according to his prep coach.

· Robby Smith, DB, 5-11, 170, Ruston (La.) HS: First-team pick on 2003 All-Northeast Football Team. Adept at both man-to-man coverage or stopping run.

· Dee White, DT, 6-2, 260, Richwood (La.) HS: All-district pick as senior and honorable mention for 2-3A in 2002.

The Skinny: The defensive line and linebacker corps went largely unaddressed since GSU coaches are happy with the development of several players there. But a pair of new defensive backs were desperately needed with the graduation of both starters. That means Smith, Henderson and Pennie - perhaps the most accomplished of these backs coming out of high school - will get immediate reps and, possibly, playing time.

SPECIALISTS

· William Mathis, KR/WR, 5-6, 155, Shades Valley (Pleasant Grove, Ala.) HS: Solid academic performer but also track star. Coaches say he is low 4.4 40-yard dasher.

· Larry Anderson, P, 6-4, 215, Redemptorist (Baton Rouge, La.) HS: Received second-team all-District 7-4A honors last season. Also played forward on school's basketball team.

The Skinny: Grambling State didn't have a reliable kickoff returner last season, often using starters from the defensive back and wide receiver units. So, Mathis will get an immediate look. Meanwhile, Anderson was badly needed at punter. Darien Morgan wasn't consistent enough in 2003 to be relied upon on an every-game basis.

Remembering: The 2004 season

A happy ending
GSU overcame series of setbacks to finish on high note
Thursday, December 2, 2004

By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
GRAMBLING - One collision in the north endzone of the Grambling State practice field, on the Tuesday before the season opener, summed up this year.

Texas Tech transfer Ivory McCann came down on the leg of projected No. 1 receiver Moses Harris. His ankle would be broken, and McCann's paperwork didn't clear. Neither played a down of football for GSU.

A season of lost promise for the Southwestern Athletic Conference's top passing attack would follow, as GSU finished 6-5 and out of title contention for the first time since 1999.

No. 2 receiver Tim Abney also missed the year with a nagging groin injury. Senior All-American quarterback Bruce Eugene then tore his ACL in Week 1. Center Lance Wright, a senior team captain, also suffered a season-ending injury.

The Tigers' offense never recovered from those personnel losses: After averaging 465 yards per game last season, GSU averaged 374. The Tigers converted on third down 45 percent of the time last year, but fell to 32 percent in 2004.

Scoring dropped by 10 points per contest. After totaling 57 touchdowns in 2003, GSU finished with 36 - three fewer than its opponents - this season.

But, in the end, GSU overcame its inexperience, both among its players and coaches, to fashion a winning season.

"All you can do is play with the hand that's dealt," said Melvin Spears, named interim coach in February after the sudden departure of sixth-year coach Doug Williams to the NFL. "Nobody knows going in that my quarterback is going to get hurt in the very first game. Or that two or three of the receivers weren't going to play. You've just got to play. And we've come out every week and done that."

With a hole now in his well-known vertical scheme, Spears struggled to adapt. Not until Week 9 did GSU settle into a pounding run game that would win its final two contests - including the emotional in-state rivalry game against Southern.

Perhaps that was expected.

"Over the past five or six years, this team might have had a good running game, but what we've done best is making receiving plays," said offensive coordinator Sammy White. "That got us on the scoreboard. That got us to championships."

PASSING CONCERNS

GSU stumbled badly in its first two games with true freshman Brandon Landers under center. There were also problems on defense, which had worked under four coordinators in less than one calendar year.

Before he left, Williams hired Tom Lavigne to run the defense and Luther Palmer to work with the defensive line. Lavigne replaced Heishma Northern, who had filled in for Michael Roach when Roach abruptly quit early last season.

But Spears almost immediately fired Lavigne and moved Palmer, with whom he had a better working relationship, into the coordinator spot.

"When we came in this fall, it would have been nice to have spring to work," said Palmer. "But we'd only had seven or eight weeks to put in this new terminology. We were still teaching them how to do their jobs, and let every thing flow to them."

Former Grambling State great Calvin Spears then returned to coach the secondary - which vastly improved in technique, if not in big-play potential. That unit didn't make many glaring errors, but finished with eight interceptions for a conference-worst 1 yard - yes, 1 single yard - in returns.

But the year turned on offensive turnovers, anyway.

Despite Week 3's thrilling come-from-behind victory over Bethune-Cookman, Landers was, after all, a freshman - gutsy, but inexperienced and prone to fatal errors. He would lead the conference in yards per completion, but also interceptions.

So, the Cincinnati game may best be remembered as the moment when Spears began to trust in Landers' nascent promise a bit too much. Those mishaps would cost GSU some games - including Jackson State, when coaches called a staggering 46 passing plays.

It was easy to get lost in the upside, though: Landers was named the SWAC's co-newcomer of the week after accounting for 293 of Grambling State's 360 yards in total offense in the 24-23 win against Bethune-Cookman.

"The one thing that Brandon brings to the game is such poise," Spears said. "He took over that ball game - and I think the guys were starting to rally around Brandon Landers."

Northern was given the task of quarterbacks coach as Landers tried to make his way - and did an admirable job. By Week 11, Landers had settled down into quiet efficiency.

"I just want to thank the coaches for the opportunity," said Landers, The News-Star/Glenwood SportsCare prep offensive player of the year at Carroll High in 2003. "I've just got to keep studying film, keep studying every kind of defense that they can throw at me. I just want to keep improving."

REDIRECTING THE FOCUS

The season quietly began to improve with stellar play by the special teams, where Northern did his best work as a coach. Not only were the Tigers second in the SWAC for kick coverage, Tallulah freshman Landry Carter shot to national recognition as he helped GSU to the top spot in all of Division I-AA for kick returns in early November.

Sophomore Keantwon Gray ripped off two returns of more than 90 yards in consecutive games against Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Jackson State.

Carter was named SWAC specialist of the week after he gained 240 yards in returns in the Tigers' win over Prairie View. But that contest would be marred by an on-field fight, which brought suspensions from the conference and fines for Spears from President Judson. In all, nine members of the GSU team and eight from Prairie View - along with an assistant from each school - were suspended. That made the Tigers' game at Mississippi Valley a more competitive affair.

Upon returning home , GSU continued to rely on its traditional pass-first mentality, even as the losses piled up.

Freshman wide receiver Clyde would earn co-newcomer of the week honors in late October after catching seven passes for 160 yards and two touchdowns against Jackson State. Yet, GSU fell in that game, part of an 0-4 year at Robinson Stadium.

"We were trying to figure out their motivation - whether that be playing in front of a national crowd, or just having pride in Grambling," said Calvin Spears. "It's not soul searching for talent. It's soul searching for effort. That's all we were missing."

Some of the blame for the offensive struggles could have been an over-reliance on the pass. The freshman quarterback was game, even in the face of so much adversity.

"Brandon has a lot of character about himself," said White. "When he fumbled the ball, or threw an interception, he kept his head in the game."

If Spears stayed with the vertical attack too long, he said it was the best option against the defensive looks that opponents were giving GSU. "We got everything that we wanted," said Spears. "But when you're in the red zone, your guys have to beat their guys. We just didn't cash in."

But no one could argue with the late-season success of this team's rushers. GSU's Ab Kuuan and Rueben Mayes grinded out 159 yards - and a startling combined average of eight years per carry - in a loss to Alabama State that was keyed on passing errors.

The coaches took notice. When the Tigers committed to the run, their season finally got on track. On the strength of that late surge in rushing yardage, GSU rushed for six more touchdowns this year than it had in 2003.

"We had to get 60 minutes of play out of this young team," said Spears. "Some of it was doing the little bitty things; it was execution. They had to buy into what we were doing. You saw that in the last game."

THEN FINISHING STRONG

The capstone on the season was that Nov. 27 victory over Southern, putting GSU one game over .500. The Tigers averaged 5 yards per attempt and 279 total yards rushing in New Orleans.

"That is such an emotional game. There are reunions, the spectacle, the bands. But in the end, it's about football," said Spears, who will now become part of a national search to permanently replace Williams. "It comes down to guts, to heart - to the players who really want it."

The win was so transformative, as GSU teetered on a losing campaign, that the school sponsored a Wednesday victory parade then a party at Men's Memorial Gym on campus. Cheers of "Keep Coach Spears" broke out.

GSU's defense - which limited Southern to 300 fewer total offensive yards this year - slowly rounded into shape, as well. Opponents were held to 1,031 fewer yards passing, and five fewer touchdown tosses. Though the defense gave up a scant 51 more total rushing yards, there were actually 9 fewer rushing scores.

"Eventually, we are going to be very, very good in this secondary," said Spears. "Our team stuck together, no matter what was said. They may have been rattled sometimes, but they endured."

Grambling State, perhaps fittingly, scored 105 of its 294 points this season during the fourth quarter. The last quarter of play in this 11-game season was also the Tigers' best. GSU would win three of the final five games, notching its 51st non-losing season since 1945.

"I think it finished up in a way that showed how much we had progressed," said Spears, who is awaiting word on Eugene's application for a medical exemption. "We're going to look at it as building momentum. The seasoning of these freshmen makes our future look very bright - and we're getting some people back."

THE 2004 SEASON
Final record: 6-5 overall, 3-4 in the SWAC.

Best game: GSU finally put together four quarters of football in the Nov. 27 Bayou Classic, rushing with consistency and making stops when needed. The coaching staff also showed the needed patience, sticking with the run-first game plan - even when Southern pulled ahead.

Worst game: Having lost, in quick succession, three of its best playmakers on offense, GSU stumbled badly at Alabama A&M on Sept. 11 - the only game this year where the Tigers weren't competitive. How bad was it? GSU, while its freshman fill-in quarterback was sacked six times for 54 yards in losses, was 0-for-18 on third down in the 21-9 drubbing.

Turning point: Falling to Alabama State on Nov. 6 ensured an unprecedented losing season at Robinson Stadium, but it also convinced the coaching staff that junior Ab Kuuan was ready to run. GSU would account for 735 of its 1,656 rushing yards on the season in the final three games - and go 2-1, including an emotional Bayou Classic victory.

Most telling stat: Senior quarterback Bruce Eugene's season-ending injury forever altered Spears' interim campaign. He played less than three quarters of football in 2004, yet still ended up at No. 4 for total offense on the GSU roster.

Most valuable player: Walk-on freshman sensation Landry Carter, a McCall-Tallulah product, did it all. Not only was he the top punt and kick returner, Carter was also GSU's third-leading receiver with 177 yards and third leading rusher with 211 yards. That helped him notch a team-best 1,046 all-purpose yards.

Top offensive player: Freshman Carroll product Brandon Landers, despite problems with ball placement that had the young quarterback leading the conference in picks, was a rallying point for the offense. His passing average per game was fourth in the SWAC - and his yards per completion, 17.3, was tops.

Top defensive player: The biggest loss on defense is senior Kenneth Pettway, a player of uncommon drive and intensity who would perform well both end and outside linebacker. He was second in the SWAC in 2004 for both sacks and tackles for a loss.

Top special teams player: Carter led Division I-AA nationally for several weeks on kick returns. He helped GSU finish the year atop the conference standings with an average of 23.9 yards per attempt - despite being kicked away from late in the season, notably by Southern.

Unsung hero: Senior kicker Brian Morgan quietly put together one of his best seasons, finishing 29-of-30 on extra points, 13-of-20 on field goals and second among SWAC kickers with 68 points. He also ably filled in on punting duties, averaging 36.3 yards per attempt.

Top newcomer: True freshman receiver Clyde Edwards, given the same jersey number of the departed record-smashing Tramon Douglas, displayed flashy big-play brilliance - and quickly earned a starting position. He finished the season as GSU's leading receiver in receptions, total yards and yards per game.

Emerging star: Junior running back Ab Kuuan, who coaches hoped would become an every-down runner in the offseason, exploded for consecutive 100-yard games in the final three weeks of the year - including a MVP performance on national television at the Bayou Classic.

Key injury: Senior quarterback Bruce Eugene - who led the SWAC in passing yards and total offense a season ago - went down in the season opener against Alcorn State. GSU would go from scoring 36.6 per game last year to 26.7, from passing for 3,853 yards a season ago to 2,452.

Returning starters, offense: (9) QB Brandon Landers, WR Clyde Edwards, TB Ab Kuuan, FB Rueben Mayes, LT Jonathan Banks, LG Charles Wilson, RT Andre Bennett, TE Matt Duhe and WR Zerrick Haymon.

Returning starters, defense: (7) DT Jimmy Zachary, DT Joshua Kador, DE Jason Banks, LB Dimitri Carr, CB Greg Fassitt, CB Lewis Carter and FS Zaire Wilborn.

Returning specialists: (2) P Tim Manuel, KR Landry Carter
- By Nick Deriso

Grambling greats: Ab Kuuan

Kuuan in it for long run
· GSU runner has become a factor in the Tigers' offensive game plan.
October 22, 2003

By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
A running back for the Grambling State Tigers is, at best, seldom used. At worst, he's completely forgotten.

That's understandable for a unit that leads the Southwestern Athletic Conference in passing offense.

You can be forgiven, then, for missing the arrival of Ab Kuuan - a 5-11, 195-pound sophomore from Sylacauga, Ala. One of several players vying for this thankless position last spring, Kuuan didn't run for a single yard in the season opener.

But by the next game, against Alcorn State, he was Grambling State's second-leading rusher on the day - just four yards back from Bruce Eugene, the Tigers' always-running quarterback.

Now, with five games left on the year, Kuuan has rocketed to the top of GSU's rushing list - averaging 45 yards a game.

"I kept working hard - knowing that my day would come and all the hard work would pay off," Kuuan says. "Once I got my chance, I showed them what I could do."

Kuuan became the first person besides Eugene to score a rushing touchdown. He now has three scores on the year.

"I like to keep them off balance," Kuuan says. "We spread them out throughout the game - and once we run the ball, it's so easy. It seems that way, anyway."

Last Saturday, Kuuan finished with 14 rushes for 95 yards against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, averaging a stinging 6.8 yards per carry. His longest dash was for 36 yards, as Grambling State won 41-16.

Kuuan was honored for that breakout performance with the SWAC Newcomer of the Week award on Monday.

"He has really matured as a runner," Tigers' coach Doug Williams says. "I think the more we run him, the better he is going to be."

Kuuan has been blessed, in part, by good timing: His coming of age coincided on the schedule with a trio of weaker SWAC opponents. As Grambling State put games away by the third quarter, offensive coordinator Melvin Spears increased the number of running plays.

"He's tough, extremely tough," Spears says. "He cuts back, and they can't tackle him. He keeps his feet moving. I really like him."

Kuuan has gained 241 of his 320 yards on the year in the last three weeks alone.

But his story is not predicated on luck: Kuuan is one of the hardest working guys on the team - as evidenced by his superior play when asked to help with special teams.

"He's run the football well," Williams says. "And watching him go down like that on special teams, running full out. You've got to love that."

Kuuan, who played both running back and linebacker in Sylacauga High School, immediately delivered two crushing blows on special teams.

"When I went down to scout him, I couldn't believe it," Spears says. "He was playing both ways, playing linebacker - and running all over the place. He's been everything we'd hoped."

Williams appreciates Kuuan for his versatility - and for his drive. "He's contributing not only as a runner, but also on the kickoffs," Williams says. "Ab Kuuan has proven to be a very, very tough football player. I tell you what, he's got a fan in his football coach."

Kuuan, for his part, says he's just doing his job: "I love to hit, so it's kind of second nature to me. I've still got that linebacker in me."

He is a serious player - but also a serious person.

GSU's 2003 Media Guide gives the players a chance to talk about some of their pastimes - with questions about favorite actors and books. The computer information systems major said he has none.

"I play sports," Kuuan says, "to express myself." He says he'd like to work at Microsoft after college.

But, in the meantime, Kuuan could very well change the focus of GSU's perennial pass-first offense.

"It will give us more of a balanced attack," Kuuan says. "It's going to keep everybody honest."

His quick maturation means Grambling State can unfurl an important new wrinkle against more complete teams like Jackson State, Alabama State and Southern - each of whom remain on the 2003 schedule.

"I can't do anything but get better," Kuuan says. "There's nowhere to go but up for us. The future holds nothing but good things."

And, yeah, Kuuan says he's prepared to play both ways again in the future, if needed.

"If coach puts me over there, I'll be happy to go over there," he says. "Whatever will help the team."

That commitment, as much as anything, has keyed his rapid rise on this Grambling State offense.

"When you've got a guy with a big heart like that," Spears says, "you can go a long way with him."

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Ab-fabulous
GSU runs away with this one
November 28, 2004

By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
NEW ORLEANS - What a rush.

A bruising ground game earned Grambling State a winning season - and redeemed an awful 1-12 run against Southern - at Saturday's 31st Bayou Classic.

Four rushers combined for 292 yards as GSU beat the Jaguars 24-13. The Tigers finished 6-5 on the year, and altered Southern's postseason plans.

At 8-3, the Jaguars now must await the outcome of Arkansas-Pine Bluff's Dec. 4 contest against Alabama State, which will determine if the Jaguars advance to the Southwestern Athletic Conference title game.

"We wanted that winning season," said interim GSU coach Melvin Spears, "and it came down to the Bayou Classic. I thought that was outstanding."

Grambling State used an effective running game to keep the contest just out of reach, as top rusher Ab Kuuan had an average of seven yards per carry.

"I knew if our guys put forth the effort, and stayed focused," said Spears, "we could run the ball on Southern."

And how.

Kuuan finished with 126 yards on 18 carries before a crowd of 68,911 at the Louisiana Superdome - and many more on NBC's national television broadcast. Three rushing touchdowns gave Kuaan back-to-back 10 touchdown seasons and tied his single-game best.

The brilliance of that ground game from Kuuan, along with sophomore fullback Ruben Mayes, meant GSU freshman quarterback Brandon Landers would attempt just 13 passes.

"I've just got to tip my hat to the offensive line," said Kuuan, who was named player of the game. "They knew we were going to come in and run the ball. We had two weeks to prepare and that meant we all had fresh legs coming in. Thinking about this win sends chills down my spine."

But that run-oriented approach led to a low-scoring first half. One season after these two teams combined for 32 first-half points - and 85 at the end - GSU and Southern put up just nine at the break. Only 21 second-half points kept this from becoming the lowest scoring Bayou Classic ever. The record is Southern's 10-3 victory in 1988.

That was just what Spears wanted.

But the Tigers gave up a disputed 48-yard touchdown reception as time expired on the half to push Southern ahead for the first time on Saturday. Spears was still arguing with the officials after the teams had gone to the locker rooms.

Replays seemed to indicate that junior Emile Bryant's knee hit the ground at the GSU 1, but the play stood. The extra-point kick failed, leaving the score at 6-3 at the half.

That was not what Spears wanted - because the Southern touchdown signaled a return to the usual momentum-shifting mood swings so closely associated with this 53-year-old rivalry.

GSU retook the lead on a seven-play, 68-yard drive to open the second half, scoring on a fourth-and-one with a 10-yard rush by Kuuan. Senior Brian Morgan's kick made it 10-6.

But as the third quarter drew to a close, Southern running back Devin Herbert's 2-yard TD run capped an eight-play, 41-yard drive. The Jaguars led again, 13-10.

Kuuan answered with a 1-yard scoring blast at the top of the fourth quarter. Morgan's kick brought the score to 17-13.

GSU then made a critical stop, as senior defender Kenneth Pettway blocked a long field-goal attempt that was then recovered on the Southern 40-yard-line by GSU sophomore Greg Fassitt.

The Tigers' ensuing scoring drive, again without a single pass, ended on a diving run by Kuuan to seal the win.

"I knew I had to come in and stick with the game plan," said Landers - who, after leading the SWAC in picks this season, was unblemished on Saturday. "I used to watch this game on TV. To be on the field for such a great win for this institution is a great feeling."

Landers wasn't alone. The Tigers completed their first game of the season without a turnover.

"We felt like if we didn't turn the ball over," said GSU offensive coordinator Sammy White, "we'd have a great chance to win. Then, we'd just keep running the ball to keep them off balance."

Southern quarterback Thomas Ricks, who was chosen SWAC offensive player of the week five times this season, did his best to spark Southern - passing for 176 yards and a touchdown and leading Jaguar rushers with 93 yards.

But with GSU holding onto the ball for more than 36 minutes, it wasn't enough.

"They had two big backs, and a huge line. They just kept beating on us," said Southern coach Pete Richardson, whose team entered the game at No. 20 in Division I-AA by ESPN/USA Today. "They really beat us up."

Grambling State revealed its all-run motives in its first drive, relying on Kuuan and Mayes to get to the Southern 29-yard line. But GSU had to settle for a field goal try after Landers was sacked on third down, and Morgan missed.

"I don't know if it was a mess-up with the hold or what, but it just didn't come out right," said Morgan, who later connected on another 39-yarder in the second quarter. "I didn't have the greatest game. But today, it didn't matter."

GSU defensive end Jason Hatcher, a Jena product, blocked a 47-yard attempt by Breck Ackley with 20 seconds left in the first quarter, to keep the game scoreless.

On a fourth-and-nine, Kuaan gained 32 yards to the Southern 25 on a fake punt early in the second quarter. Morgan then scored the game's first points.

There were moments when the game looked like it might turn in Southern's favor.

As returner Gabe Wallace moved into GSU territory on a second-quarter punt return, junior Matt Duhe knocked the ball loose. Kuaan recovered at the GSU 39.

But then a delay-of-game penalty pushed the Tigers back to midfield. GSU went for it consecutive fourth downs after an off-side penalty, but came away with no points.

Flags, in fact, fell like rainstorms - with 13 for 79 yards in the first half alone. Both teams - ranked No. 1 and 2 in the conference for penalties - would eventually combine for 121 yards on fouls.

But GSU continued its relentless, slow assault.

"It feels so, so good," said Farmerville sophomore linebacker Dimitri Carr, as players attempted to douse defensive coordinator Luther Palmer with a cooler of ice water. "I can't believe I've got two more!"

photo caption Michael Dunlap/The News-Star GSU running back Ab Kuuan flies into the end zone for one of his three touchdowns Saturday against Southern. The junior was named Player of the Game forhis scores and 126 rushing yards.

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GSU's running game is set
Kuuan returns to Tigers after rigorous work
August 9, 2005

By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
GRAMBLING - Fans might expect something to change in Grambling State's running game, no matter who wins the starting quarterback spot.

Reigning conference freshman of the year Brandon Landers, the Carroll High product, is sure to be more comfortable in the system after starting all but three quarters last season.

Bruce Eugene, the one-time All-America perennial, is also back after suffering that knee injury in the 2004 season-opener. Should he regain the starting spot, Eugene would rank as the most prolific passer returning in Division I-AA.

So, where does that leave running back Ab Kuuan, last seen hoisting the MVP trophy at the season-ending Bayou Classic? After all, coaches at Grambling presumably turned to the run as a way to mask youth in the passing game during this past injury-plagued campaign.

Kuuan is hopeful.

"I have been anticipating the first day of practice for a long time," said Kuuan, as Grambling convened for its first fall sessions. "Over the break (after summer school), I didn't even go home."

Instead, he continued an already-legendary workout regimen. And his coaches worked on a new-look game plan.

"Ab Kuuan," GSU coach Melvin Spears reminds, "is 228 pounds now - and that's just 2 percent body fat. He's getting better every week."

Which means Spears won't be giving up on the run, even if the team returns this season to its successful downfield-oriented roots from the Doug Williams era.

Kuuan, who led the team in rushing last season, notched three consecutive games of more than 100 yards in the final three contests of 2004 - his only times past the century mark all year. Kuuan also scored six of his 10 rushing touchdowns in that trio of Saturdays, as well.

Meanwhile, Grambling surged to a winning record of 6-5 over that span, after standing at 3-4 on Oct. 23.

The Bayou Classic trophy now sits in a place of honor upstairs in the Stadium Support Facility, situated so that it's visible during Spears' weekly news conferences this fall.

Many credit Kuuan's dominance in the Big Easy for the win.

Which leaves Carl Roberts, Grambling's offensive line coach, prepping for more of those running plays, even while re-installing schemes to protect during the expected revival of aerial pyrotechnics.

"Hopefully, it will be an incentive for us to work that much harder," said Roberts, in his second season at GSU after a long tenure at Jackson State.

Kuuan finished as the Southwestern Athletic Conference's ninth rusher in total yards, and 2005 was the second straight year he led GSU in rushing. His 637 total yards on the ground for the season has only been bested twice in the eight seasons since 1997 at Grambling.

Kuuan is joined in the backfield by change-of-pace backs Keantwon Gray and Landry "Blue" Carter.

"Bruce's return just provides us with another weapon," said Kuuan. "Teams won't be able to key on the run, because they know we can pass as well."

Which means that whoever is named to start under center, opposing teams will be forced to honor the play-action fake - a tip of the hat to Kuuan's recent dominance.

"Our opponents will have to be on their toes at all times," Kuuan said. "They won't know whether we are going to run it or pass it."

The Tigers completed their first full day of the 2005 football training camp on campus. The team worked out in shorts and helmets on Monday afternoon while earlier in the morning, the team attended meetings and lifted weights.

Spears said he was pleased with the team's performance during the first day of actual drills. The team worked on basic fundamentals throughout the course of Monday's workout.

"I thought that they moved around real well with a lot of enthusiasm," he said. "You can tell that we had an outstanding off-season with all of the guys here in camp. Condition-wise, they look great. The main thing is that we brought in some guys who can bring some competition. We saw some guys who were not hustling a whole lot before are now all of a sudden getting it done."

The team will hit the field at 2:30 p.m. today. Grambling State's Media Day is scheduled from 1 to 5 p.m. Aug. 20 at the Robinson Stadium Support Facility.

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A thousand reasons to run the ball
Grambling's Kuuan looks to be key component in '06 offense
August 10, 2006

By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
GRAMBLING — Is Grambling on the verge of producing its first 1,000-yard rusher in five years — and just the second since 1993?

Not surprisingly, the ever-talkative tailback Ab Kuuan says yes. (In fact, he wants 1,500.) Turns out, that's a goal shared by the coaching staff and offensive line, as well.

Not just because Kuuan, a gym rat beyond compare, has earned it. But also because it will likely smooth the way for redshirt Brandon Landers as he steps in for departed quarterback Bruce Eugene.

"We look to do that, get Kuuan to 1,000," said versatile senior lineman Jamar Dorsey. "That opens up the passing game for Brandon. We can pound them early, then take them deep late. Last year, we showed we could run the ball and still be Grambling."

He means the Grambling that's led Division I-AA in passing offense three out of the last four years.

Kuuan's best season yet at GSU didn't start that way.

He was hampered by an ankle problem and only saw spot duty over two games beginning with Washington State last year. Robbed of his explosiveness, he ran just one time against that I-A opponent, and a suddenly one-dimensional Grambling was blown out.

But Kuuan would then streak to 891 yards on the year, finishing fourth in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. Even missing nearly all of two games, he averaged 74 yards per contest — fifth in the SWAC. His 5-yards-per-carry average and nine rushing touchdowns ranked third among all other rushers in the Top 10.

Kuuan, in fact, has gotten steadily more productive since running 92 times for 423 yards in 2003, though that still was a team-leading mark. He ran for 637 yards in 2004 (leading the team again), and his 10 touchdowns were third among Top 10 SWAC rushers.

Slowly, but surely, Kuuan's presence has meant rewriting a few pages in the playbook.

"We look for our running back to get 1,000 yards this year," confirmed GSU offensive coordinator Sammy White. "He got 800 last year and that was after he didn't get going for several games because of an injury. Imagine him playing in every game."

That's why the dreadlocked Kuuan stands near the middle of the spotlight this preseason, even with the change at quarterback.

Landers isn't being asked to mimic the eye-popping passing heroics of the past few years, as Eugene rewrote school and Division I-AA passing record books. His Alabama-born running back is the reason.

Kuuan may not get as many touches as he did in 2004, when Landers was pushed into duty as a true freshman. But he'll clearly be a big part of this offense.

"I think 1,500 is a very reachable goal," Kuuan said. "The coaches will get us prepared. It's up to us."

Ruben runs again: Fullback Ruben Mayes, a ferocious blocker and rusher, has returned to practice after off-season knee surgery.

He also missed the Washington State game, and parts of several others — including the SWAC Championship Game.

A sign of how eager he was to get back on the field: Mayes got sent out of a drill by GSU coach Melvin Spears because he'd emerged without his knee brace.

Mayes chuckled about it later, acknowledging his over-eagerness.

"I feel good, a lot better," said Mayes. "Better than I thought I would at this point."

Mayes averaged a startling 21-yards-per-carry in limited action over eight games in 2005. He also made a clutch, check-down scoring catch that proved to be an emotional turning point in the Bayou Classic.

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Will GSU return to run in Classic?
2004 game in New Orleans deviated from usual high-scoring shootouts
November 22, 2006

By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
Forgive the poor soul who came in thinking the 2004 Bayou Classic was going to be a pass-happy scoring bonanza.

After all, that's nearly become the template for this game. Just a season before, Grambling and Southern had combined for a staggering 1,136 yards of total offense, with 961 of it coming in the air.

Not in 2004, the last time the Classic was played in New Orleans.

Grambling, with true freshman Brandon Landers subbing for the injured quarterback Bruce Eugene, instead unleashed a brutal ground attack — chewing up yards, the clock and, finally, Southern. GSU won 24-13, in one of the lowest scoring Classics ever.

How much that resembles this year's Bayou Classic, with Landers again under center and the game making a triumphal return to New Orleans, remains to be seen.

But it certainly worked last time.

Back in 2004, Landers only attempted 13 passes — with his longest, a 19-yarder, going to fellow freshman Clyde Edwards — but beamed with open-hearted joy while running back Ab Kuaan hoisted the MVP trophy.

"Getting a chance to go to the Dome in 2004 and play was a dream come true," Landers says these days. "That was the biggest game of my career."

Southern quarterback Thomas Ricks, chosen SWAC offensive player of the week five times that season, did his best to spark his team — passing for 176 yards and a touchdown and leading all Jaguar rushers with 93 yards.

But GSU held onto the ball for more than 36 minutes while four rushers combined for 292 yards.

Kuuan accounted for 126 of those yards on 18 carries. His three rushing touchdowns gave Kuaan back-to-back 10 touchdown seasons and tied his single-game best.

That, Southern coach Pete Richardson insists, was a long time ago.

Now 0-2 against Spears in the Classic, Richardson has no doubt noted Kuuan, who averaged more than 100 yards rushing for the final month of 2004, is gaining just 53 a night this season.

Grambling enters this year's game looking more like the 2005 edition, leading the conference in passing and scoring just as it did after Eugene returned with a medical redshirt.

"I'm concerned about Brandon Landers," Richardson insists. "They spread the ball around."

But sticking with the familiar downfield approach hasn't led to the same success without Eugene.

Last year, GSU went undefeated in league play, including a 50-35 win over Southern in Houston. Using a quarterbacking tandem of Landers and fellow redshirt sophomore Larry Kerlegan, Grambling has stumbled to 3-6 - with no hope even for a winning season.

That's got some fans hoping this homecoming to New Orleans will mean a return to a run-first look.

It worked, they remind, last time.

"This year, it will be more of a combination, a more balanced attack," Spears said. "Our offense is one that is based on what they give us. Certainly, we'd like to run the ball — but if they put nine men in the box, trying to stop Ab Kuuan, we will have recognize that formation and adjust."

As he did in 2004, Edwards remains Landers' favorite target. He leads Grambling in catches, yards and touchdowns.

"Brandon and I have worked well together from the beginning," Edwards said. "We certainly would like to continue doing that. The Bayou Classic is always a big game. Whether we pass it or run it, we just need the win."

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Measure of a team
Another close game turns into another close loss for Grambling
November 26, 2006

By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
NEW ORLEANS — Of course.

Of course, Grambling State jumped out to the lead, then gave it away. Of course, they played sloppy, even ugly, then charged back to the arm-waving precipice of a stirring win — only to fall just short.

Of course.

After all, the Tigers lost their first game this season by one point. And their second game by three. And three more now by 5 points each.

This Grambling squad is the embodiment of a football cliché. Theirs is a life of inches.

They've existed in space between here and . . .

here.

So, of course, they lose 21-17 to Southern in the Bayou Classic, but only after failing to gain a first down on fourth-and-one from the SU 2 in the game's waning minutes.

There were 19 points, all of them an inch away, between this underachieving GSU team and an 8-2 record. Between them and a return trip to the SWAC Championship Game.

"We had our opportunities," said Henry Tolbert, who led all Grambling receivers with 67 yards on four catches. "We just didn't capitalize."

There has been, from the beginning of 2006, an inch or two separating this team from what it would like to be, from what perhaps it should be.

Still, there was nothing to suggest the disquieting prospect of this game's nearly unwatchable first half.

We saw two deposed SWAC powers underscoring why they had but six wins between them, after each has averaged eight a season over the last 10.

Unlike so many recent Bayou Classics, these 1,000-yard passing nights that seem so very far away now, this contest didn't look to be one where the team that scored last would win.

It would be the team that scored at all.

Grambling and Southern split their first-quarter time of possession almost exactly in half, with similar results: Tigers 0, Jaguars 0.

Grambling finally found the end zone in the second period, followed by a chorus of touchdowns from both teams late in the game, but even then there was little music to this game's backbeat of mistakes on both sides — from questionable coaching to untimely penalties and messy execution.

Southern had a tremendous 25-yard third-quarter touchdown by Bryant Lee on a designed quarterback run called back on a holding penalty. Jaguars kicker Breck Ackley, who'd only whiffed three times all year, had a 26-yarder blocked and then missed from 41 yards out.

The deciding points from Southern followed a badly mishandled punt return by Landry Carter that gave the Jaguars the ball inside GSU's red zone.

That score, a 2-yard outside run by running back Kendall Addison, was actually keyed by a fumble from Southern quarterback C.J. Byrd — who briefly replaced an injured Lee. The fumble rolled forward, however, and Byrd recovered for a first and goal.

It was that kind of afternoon.

I don't even want to think about Grambling punting on third down. Or Southern taking three points off the board in a failed attempt to score a touchdown after a GSU penalty.

Somebody had to win. They just had to.

Ultimately, it became clear that it would be Southern, which eventually began getting out of Lee what GSU had hoped to get out of starting the athletic Larry Kerlegan — tough-to-figure scrambles mixed in with a timely pass.

But Kerlegan had been ineffective in the early going, so he was replaced by fellow redshirt sophomore Brandon Landers.

He then joined in what has become a familiar refrain: Southern tied it, then went ahead, then Grambling answered back, then the Jaguars scored again, leaving GSU in the same position it occupied so many other times all year.

That is, with time short — and a very long field.

Landers methodically moved Grambling along, even as the fourth quarter drained away, handing off to senior running back Ab Kuuan at the Southern 25, the 11, the 4, then the 2.

That's where it stood, with less than three minutes remaining. GSU was left with a fourth down, and the Bayou Classic to go.

Get a yard, and there are four more downs to negotiate the remaining yard. Get two yards, and Grambling is ahead by two. Follow that with the extra point, and Southern must score a touchdown to win.

Instead, GSU lost two yards.

GSU coach Melvin Spears called "Power I, Right, 43 Lead," with Kuuan — the MVP of this game in 2004, the last time it was played at the Superdome — going over tackle.

When the senior reached the hole, it had collapsed. Just that quickly, two Southern defenders were on top of him.

Kuuan tried to bounce outside in an effort to free himself, but that's where he met Southern defensive back Jarmaul George.

A senior who, because of injury and ineligibility, had never played in a Bayou Classic before.

Of course.

"You don't know how much that hurts," said senior Grambling offensive lineman Jamar Dorsey. "To come up a yard short?"

He paused, then said: "It hurts."

The resulting tackle, which pushed Kuuan back to the SU 4, sent Southern fans into a frenzy.

See, they'd lost two Bayou Classics in a row, but these Jaguars have a knack for winning the close ones. Going back 15 years, Grambling has fallen to Southern by 3 points in 2003, by 4 in 2000, by 5 in 1996 and by 1 point in 1991.

Of course, they would win another nail-biter.

"You've got to finish that run," said Spears, shaking his head. "You've got to finish it. As a result, we lost."

He knows the words by heart, like a song that once played in heavy rotation.

There have been other details, but the results? They lost.

"It's the story," senior Henry Tolbert repeated, "of our season."

We should have known it would come down to something so mundane as an inch for the 2006 edition of the Grambling State Tigers. To something as obvious as a play here, or a player there.

Of course. It has all year.

NICK DERISO is sports editor at The News-Star, 411 N. Fourth St., Monroe, La., 71201. His weblog is at http://www.thenewsstar.com/news/blogs/blog3/index.html. Contact him at 318-362-0234 or at nderiso@thenewsstar.com.

g g g

Weekend could be quiet time at GSU
Kuuan, teammates not too high on draft lists
April 27, 2007

By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
Grambling State's graduated seniors can take solace if they go unselected in the NFL Draft.

Two of the program's most famous football products, Willie Brown and Everson Walls, went undrafted — and both found their way to multiple Pro Bowls. Brown even made the Hall of Fame.

Players like GSU running back Ab Kuuan understand that they might be following the same uphill path.

"I've talked to a few scouts, but it's hard to tell if there is any real interest," said Kuuan. "All I can do is sit back and wait."

If Kuuan and the other Grambling seniors don't hear their names this weekend, it will be the first time that's happened since 2004. Last year, defender Jason Hatcher was a third-round selection by the Dallas Cowboys; Kenneth Pettway was taken on the second day of the 2005 draft by the Houston Texans.

Kuuan and record-breaking receiver Henry Tolbert both received one-star ratings from Scouts.com, but are unranked in their respective draft categories on the site.

Tony McClean of the Black Athlete Sports Network, listed Kuuan and Tolbert as one of black college football's Top 8 pre-season draft prospects, while NFL.com's Gil Brandt also included Tolbert as one of just 14 non-Division I-A players in his pre-season watch list.

But both had off years as Grambling slipped to 3-8 in 2006.

Tolbert had 48 catches and 730 yards (with just four touchdowns) last season, after a career-best 74 receptions, 1,391 yards and 19 scores as a junior.

By the end of a disappointing season, NFL.com had dropped the converted running back to a "camp prospect." Sports Illustrated predicts that he will become an undrafted free agent, but said Tolbert "has the skills necessary to be a fifth receiver at the next level."

Louisiana football analyst Mike Detillier of Raceland has Tolbert ranked as the No. 61 available receiver in the draft.

Through he perhaps lacks an ideal burst, Tolbert had tirelessly worked to improve, nearly doubling his receiving production every successive year — logging 391 yards in 2003 and then 563 in 2004 before his breakout '05 campaign. As a junior, Tolbert set a new school record for receiving touchdowns in a season with 20 — surpassing Eric Gant's 19 scores, a mark which had stood for 13 years.

"He has only been playing the receiver position for three years and he has yet to reach his full potential," according to the Louisiana-based OnTheClockDraft.com. "Tolbert is a versatile player who could project as a running back or receiver at the next level. He has a good deal of upside and should be a second day pick."

Kuuan, meanwhile, led Grambling in rushing for four consecutive seasons, but similarly slipped from 891 yards as a junior to 551 last year.

NFL.com reported Kuuan's time in the 40-yard dash at 4.77 seconds and then 4.71 seconds. A solid performance in the North-South All-Star Classic postseason showcase, where Kuuan ran five times for 26 yards, helped him to recognition as a sleeper pick on several draft sites.

"Kuuan runs hard and strong, however he's more of an inside runner who struggles at times to turn the corner and pick up speed," McClean said. "He has the size to play at the pro level, but must work hard to improve on his blocking."

Pro Football Weekly has Kuuan listed as the No. 46 available running back. Detillier has him at No. 33.

Allen Trieu of Football.com lists Tolbert as the No. 21 small-school draft sleeper, with GSU offensive lineman Andre Bennett at No. 27 and Kuuan at No. 35. Cornerback Greg Fassitt, linebacker David Hicks and fullback Ruben Mayes may also have performed well enough for scouts to warrant some attention.

In fact, Fassitt's 4.36 40-time was ranked as the 11th fastest in the nation by NFLDraftScout.com.

"I'm hoping to get drafted," said Mayes, a former Tennessee transfer who ranked No. 42 among available fullbacks on NFLDraftNews.com. "If not, then I'll get into someone's camp."