- Created on 26 April 2013
Falcons Choose Desmond Trufant as First Pick in 2013 NFL Draft
Originally slated to pick at 30, the Atlanta Falcons traded up with the St. Louis Rams to select University of Washington cornerback Desmond Trufant as the 22nd overall in the 2013 NFL Draft.
Atlanta swapped their third- and six-round pick in order to land the deal Thursday evening.
The 6-foot, 190-pound Trufant will be one of the major replacements on the defensive side of the ball after Atlanta lost three cornerbacks during the offseason. Dunta Robinson was released earlier this year while Brent Grimes and Christopher Owens signed with other teams in free agency.
Trufant is also the younger sibling of two brothers already in the league. Marcus Trufant has been the starting cornerback for the Seattle Seahawks over the past decade, while Isaiah Trufant plays corner for the New York Jets.
"They're here with me watching the draft," Desmond said during a conference call late Thursday after being selected. "Now, I'm going to try to make a name, make an impact in the league. I'm ready to come in and work hard from day one."
(Photo: Falcons' departed cornerback Dunta Robinson)
- Created on 26 April 2013
WNBA’s Skylar Diggins Signs with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Sports
Rapper Jay-Z recently launched Roc Nation Sports, a sports management company with the goal of signing the best and the brightest future athletes. The rapper even went as far as selling off his portion of the Brooklyn Nets, as to avoid any potential conflicts with his management role.
After signing New York Yankees 2nd Basemen Robinson Cano a few weeks ago, today, via LifeandTimes.com, Jay-Z welcomed the number 3rd pick in the WNBA draft, Skylar Diggins toRoc Nation.
The WNBA’s Tulsa Shock player posed in a photo making the “Roc-A-Fella Diamond” on the same page as the announcement.
No financial details have been revealed about the signing.
Read more http://www.blackenterprise.com/lifestyle/skylar-diggins-signs-jay-z-roc-nation-sports/
- Created on 24 April 2013
SIAC Baseball All-Conference Team Announced
The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) released its 2013 All-Conference Baseball Team as voted by the SIAC Baseball Coaches Association.
The list featuring 20 first and second team players is led by Tuskegee University junior Cash Oliver, who was voted as SIAC Baseball Player of the Year.
The native of Lancaster, Calif., was a major impact player for the Golden Tigers during the regular season, which advanced to the SIAC Baseball Championship Tournament as the #4 seed out of the SIAC West Division. As the team's third baseman, Oliver had a .932 fielding percentage, while being a force behind the place with his .357 batting average. For the regular season, Oliver had 35 hits, 22 RBIs, five doubles and three home runs, while stealing 13-out-of-16 bases.
Stillman College junior Joey Falletta was named the SIAC Starting Pitcher of the Year. As the team's ace, Falletta starred for the Tigers and posted a perfect 5-0 record, which included Stillman's first recorded no-hitter in school history. The Franklin, TN native had one of the lowest ERA in the conference for starting pitchers with 1.86 and won several big games for Stillman, while leading the team to the West Division title and top-seed for the SIAC Baseball Tournament.
Relief Pitcher of the Year was awarded to Stillman College junior Tyler Vails, who posted a 3.14 ERA this season, while averaging 4.3 strikeouts on every appearance this season. Claflin University's Sixto Guerrero was named SIAC Freshman of the year after averaging .372 from behind the plate with 42 hits, 23 RBIs, eight doubles, and three triples for the year.
SIAC Coach of the Year was awarded to Albany State's Kenyan Conner, who guided Albany State to the top record in the SIAC East Division
SIAC Baseball First Team
Name School Class Position Hometown
Allen Hardy Albany State Sophomore Shortstop Atlanta, GA
Kevin Davis Benedict Sophomore Second Base Columbia, SC
David Webber Benedict Senior First Base Los Angeles, CA
Doren Blake Benedict Freshman Third Base Lombard, IL
Jocquese Brinson Benedict Sophomore Outfield
Columbia, SC
Lydell Moseby Benedict Senior Short Stop Sacramento, CA
Tyler Vails Stillman Junior Pitcher Gordo, AL
Joey Falletta Stillman Junior Pitcher Franklin, TN
Kyle Smith Stillman Junior Third Base McCalla, AL
Cash Oliver Tuskegee Junior Third Base Lancaster, CA
SIAC Baseball Second Team
Name School Class Position Hometown
Robert Latner Albany State Junior Outfielder Melrose, FL
Dexter Moody Albany State Junior Outfield Twin Cities, GA
Sixto Guerrero Claflin Freshman Outfield Sarasota, FL
Marshall Howard Kentucky State Sophomore Catcher Novi, MI
Kameron McCreless Stillman Junior Infielder Haleyville,
AL
Trent Posey Stillman Junior Outfield Calera, AL
Dustin Dunn Stillman Junior Second Base Gadsden, AL
John Bryant Tuskegee Sophomore Pitcher Lithonia, GA
Cameron Duncan Tuskegee Junior First Base Alpine, AL
Nick Baldeli-Boggs Stillman Junior First Base Ocean Springs, MS
Player of the Year: Cash Oliver, Tuskegee
Freshman of the Year: Sixto Guerrero, Claflin
Starting Pitcher of the Year: Joey Falleta, Stillman
Relief Pitcher of the Year: Tyler Vails, Stillman
Coach of the Year: Kenyan Conner, Albany State
SIAC All-Academic Team
Name Class School Major GPA
Theodore Woodard Sophomore Kentucky State Psychology 3.94
Reginald Grimes Sophomore Kentucky State Social/Political Science 3.71
Jonathan Malone Sophomore Tuskegee Mechanical Engineering 3.69
Lashante Grimes Sophomore Benedict Recreation3.69
Alexander Davie Sophomore Kentucky State Biology
3.60
Austin Freeman Junior Miles Criminal Justice
3.60
Gregory Pollet, Jr Junior Miles English
3.60
Kelvin Tanner Junior Clark Atlanta Computer Information Syste
3.55
Sean Melton Junior Claflin Sports Management
3.54
Vincent Hambrick Sophomore Clark Atlanta Biology
3.51
All-Academic Team Champions: Kentucky State University, 3.52
- Created on 25 April 2013
Atlanta Dream Signs Former Buford Graduate Blanche Alverson to Training Camp Contract
The Atlanta Dream announced Thursday that it has signed former Auburn guard/forward Blanche Alverson to a training camp contract. Per team policy, contract terms were not disclosed.
Alverson, a 2009 graduate of Buford High School in Buford, Ga., recently completed her senior season at Auburn, averaging 12.6 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists while starting every game for the Tigers. She became just the fourth player in Auburn history to tally career totals of at least 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 100 assists, 100 steals and 50 blocks.
"I am really excited about this opportunity with the Atlanta Dream," said Alverson. "It was a goal of mine to get invited to a training camp and to be able to do it in a place so close to home and Auburn is really exciting. I'm ready to get over there, work hard through camp and see what I can do."
The six-foot, three-inch Alverson, who ranks second in Auburn history with 213 career 3-pointers, was invited to participate in the State Farm College 3-Point Championship during the men's Final Four in Atlanta earlier this month, where she finished fourth. She was also named the Southeastern Conference's Scholar-Athlete of the Year for women's basketball each of the past two seasons.
"Blanche has excellent shooting range and has a high-percentage 3-point shot, so we wanted to bring her in and give her a good look in training camp," said Dream Head Coach and General Manager Fred Williams. "She's also a player that will go to the boards and mix it up inside for rebounds, and who can run the floor very well."
The two-time Eastern Conference Champion Atlanta Dream will tip off its sixth season in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) on May 25 at Philips Arena against Tulsa. The Dream qualified for the playoffs in each of the past four seasons, including back-to-back conference titles in 2010 and 2011.
- Created on 24 April 2013
Atlanta Will Host Newly Created College Football Playoff Game
Atlanta will be the host of one of college football’s new playoff games to determine a national champion.
The college football playoff will replace the much-maligned Bowl Championship Series (BCS) and will be called simply “College Football Playoff.” The playoff games will begin in 2015, following the 2014 NCAA college football season.
"We decided to call the playoff what it is -- the College Football Playoff," BCS executive director Bill Hancock told the network's Bretty McMurphy. "We think the new playoff will be the most dynamic improvement to college football in a generation. Certainly, it's what the fans want. We also invite everyone to vote online to select the logo and help us kick off the new College Football Playoff."
The Chick-fil-A Bowl, which has been played at Atlanta’s Georgia Dome, will join the Fiesta, Cotton, Rose, Sugar and Orange bowls in the six-bowl semi-final rotation for the new “College Football Playoff” that replaces the Bowl Championship Series (BCS), according to a report from ESPN.
Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, will be the host of the College Football Playoff's first national championship on Jan. 12, 2015.
The six sites will rotate in hosting the two playoff games every year. During the 12-year college football playoff contract, the semi-final games will be held at:
• Rose and Sugar bowls: Jan. 1, 2015; Jan. 1, 2018; Jan. 1, 2021; and Jan. 1, 2024.
• Orange and Cotton bowls: Jan. 1, 2016; Jan. 1, 2019; Jan. 1, 2022; and Jan. 1, 2025.
• Fiesta and Chick-fil-A bowls: Jan. 2, 2017; Jan. 1, 2020; Jan. 2, 2023; and Jan. 1, 2026.
Atlanta will also have a chance to host the national championship game in the future. This summer, the College Football Playoff will start accepting bids for the Jan. 11, 2016, and Jan. 9, 2017, championship games.
