After losing all but two games last season to injury, UTEP linebacker Jeremy Jones had to wonder if people still knew about him.
The answer is becoming more obvious each week.
The senior linebacker is one of 65 players on the watch list for the 13th Chuck Bednarik Award, which is presented annually to the defensive collegiate football player judged by the Maxwell Football Club to be the best in the United States.
So you're a big-time college recruiter and you need to get your hands on a big, fast, studly linebacker to plug up some holes in the center of that defense.
Better book a flight to Memphis -- if you haven't already.
"If you had to put your finger on a particular position of strength in Memphis, it would have to be linebacker," Rivals.com Southern analyst J.C. Shurburtt said of a 2008 Memphis-area recruiting class stacked with top-level prospects at the position.
Professional sports are flourishing in New Orleans, and they are often cited as examples of civic pride and recovery from Hurricane Katrina. But college teams are struggling on the field or at the box office, and in many cases both.
The Tulane football program probably bottomed out in the final home game last season, when no more than 3,000 people were at the Superdome for a victory against Central Florida.
The University of New Orleans had a record-low average attendance for mens basketball.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. The Tennessee Sports Writers Association today announces its 2006-07 collegiate all-state mens and womens basketball teams.
The teams were selected in a vote by TSWA members.
On the mens team, a pair of University of Memphis Tigers headlines the team.
It's a numbers game at the University of Memphis this year, in more ways than one.
When Jeremy Hunt and Clyde Wade graduated from the program, two highly sought-after jersey numbers became available: No. 5 and No. 0, respectively.
It didn't take long for the remaining Tigers to jump on them as former No. 12 Antonio Anderson immediately claimed Hunt's No. 5 and Shawn Taggart took No. 0.
Andy Kehe column: 'Nays' have it as CSUB's schedule takes shape (original) - 6/24/2007
Rice hopes wins keep on coming (original) - 6/23/2007
SMU has designs on basketball past (original) - 6/22/2007
A&M names McCombs new women's golf coach (original) - 6/21/2007
SMU backup QB Slater leaves program (original) - 6/21/2007
Twins look to challenge for Appy title Elizabethton's quest for tenth crown begins tonight at Kingsport (original) - 6/20/2007
Gonzalez will compete for the Pirates (original) - 6/19/2007
UH's Floyd named C-USA's top female track athlete (original) - 6/19/2007
A&M-Commerce to name new athletic director (original) - 6/19/2007
El Paso Times - Miners reaping rewards of academic center (original) - 6/19/2007
Blogs related to Conference USA:
East Carolina, Memphis, Big East, Big 12, Tulane, Mountain West, Tulsa, Rice, Southeastern Conference, Sports, Southern Mississippi, Louisville, Central Florida, Baylor, Georgetown
