DEFENDING SWAC CHAMPIONS SET TO BEGIN WORKOUTS
by GSU SID Office

GRAMBLING, La. - Third-year head coach Melvin Spears will welcome 90 players to campus on Sunday evening as Grambling State University prepares to begin its 80th season of football.

        The team’s opening practice is set for Monday, Aug. 7 at 2:30 p.m. at the Robinson Stadium Support Facility practice field. The Tigers will practice once daily from Aug. 7 through Aug. 11 and will begin two-a-day workouts every other day starting on Saturday, Aug. 12 at 8:45 a.m. On Saturday, Aug. 19, the Tigers will host their annual Fan Day at 4 p.m. The day will provide fans and media an opportunity to interact with members of the coaching staff, football team and department of athletics staff.

        The Tigers have a tough slate ahead of them as they open the 2006 season with a nationally televised contest on ESPN2 against the Sheridan Broadcasting Network Co-Champion and MEAC champion Hampton University. The contest, dubbed the Ford MEAC-SWAC Challenge, is scheduled for an 11 a.m. kickoff on Sept. 2 at Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala.  The following weekend, Grambling State will return to the state of Alabama and square off against Alabama A&M, last season’s SWAC Title game opponent and preseason favorite to capture the SWAC East.

        On Sept. 16, the Tigers will travel to Houston for the first of two trips to the city to face the University of Houston, which marks the second consecutive season and fourth time this decade the Tigers will battle a Division I opponent. After a bye weekend on Sept. 23, the Tigers will venture back to Texas on Sept. 30 for the annual State Fair Classic in Dallas at the Cotton Bowl against the Panthers of Prairie View A&M.

        Even though the Tigers lost record-setting quarterback Bruce Eugene and defensive end Jason Hatcher, who was selected in the third round of the NFL Draft, the Tigers will feature nine players on the 2006 roster whom received preseason honors,

        The offense, which returns eight starters, is headlined by senior wide receiver Henry Tolbert, rated the No. 4 receiver in Division I-AA by The Sports Network. In addition to the ranking, the 5-11, 205 pound senior from Birmingham, Ala. was recently named to Don Hansen’s Football Gazette I-AA Preseason All-American First Team. The owner of the single-season school record for touchdown catches (19), Tolbert also earned second team preseason All-American honors by The Sports Network and Lindy’s Magazine. 

        Also earning preseason honors on offense are fellow receiver Clyde Edwards (First-Team All-SWAC), running back Ab Kuuan (Second-Team All-SWAC) and the offensive line trio of Andre’ Bennett (First-Team All-SWAC), Tavarous Cockrell (Second-Team All-SWAC) and Derrek Governor (Second-Team All-SWAC). In addition, quarterback Brandon Landers, the SWAC’s Freshman of the Year in 2004, will also return to the field after redshirting last season.

        Grambling State returns six starters on the defensive side of the ball from a unit that ranked second in the SWAC and 24th among I-AA teams. The Tigers are led on defense by All-SWAC Preseason First-Team honorees Dimitri Carr, Greg Fassitt and Melvin Matthews. Last season, Carr led the Tigers with 99 tackles at linebacker (16 tackles for loss) while Fassitt recorded 15 pass breakups and three interceptions at the cornerback spot. As a true freshman on the defensive line, Matthews accumulated 27 tackles and 4.5 sacks.

        Along with the return of safety DeMichael Dizer, the Tigers are also expecting an influx of talented newcomers at both the defensive line and defensive back positions to add depth and provide quality competition during fall drills.