After the 2009 MEAC/SWAC Challenge is over these are the players who are a lock to show up in the post-game highlight reel
By Donald Hunt
Grambling State Tigers
Greg Dillon, QB
Grambling State’s versatile quarterback took home Most Valuable Player honors in the 2008 SWAC championship game, an impressive 41-9 beating of Jackson State. Dillon put on quite the show—completing 13 of 17 passes for 117 yards and three touchdowns. (He also ran for a score.) The 6-foot, 200-pound junior threw for 1,359 yards with 18 TDs last season (with only eight picks). Dillon, the SWAC Newcomer of the Year, also collected 676 yards on the ground en route to scoring four TDs.
Cornelius Walker, RB
Walker finished as the third leading rusher in the SWAC last season, rushing for 719 yards on 165 carries and four TDs. The 6-foot, 200-pound junior—who averaged 4.4 yards a rush—has great moves and speed in the open field. The second-team All-SWAC selection should give the Tigers a solid ground attack in 2009, and has a good chance to break the 1,000-yard mark.
Kiare Thompson, WR/PR
Thompson, one of the most explosive players in the SWAC, is a big part of Grambling State’s passing game. He should be Dillon’s major target this season; a year ago, the 6-foot, 185-pound junior had 25 catches, 310 yards and seven TDs. Moreover, he’s a sensational punt returner. He averaged 14.9 yards per return, which was second in the conference last year, and was a major threat to score whenever he touched the ball.
TJ McCord, DB
McCord, who had five interceptions last year, is a tremendous cover guy. Two of his INTs were returned for touchdowns, and the 6-foot-1, 185-pound senior has the speed to cover any receiver in the league. McCord also plays extremely well against the run; last season, he posted 28 solo tackles, fourth best on the team.
Will Ford, RB
The 2008 MEAC Offensive Player of the Year led the conference in rushing (1,499 yards) and was tied for third in the league in scoring with 78 points. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound senior—who averaged 115.3 yards a game and scored 13 TDs—is just 1,009 yards away from becoming the MEAC’s all-time leading rusher. (Hampton’s Alonzo Coleman is the record-holder with 4,648 yards.) As one of the league’s best players over the last three years, Ford was named MEAC Rookie of the Year (in 2006) and was a finalist for the Walter Payton Award, given to the most outstanding offensive player in the Division I football championship subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) last season.
Oliver “Tre” Young, WR
South Carolina State’s second leading receiver last year (48 catches, 605 yards, 4 TDs) was a second-team All-MEAC selection. The 6-foot, 180-pound senior can stretch the defense with his speed, and has a knack for finding the open space in the defense.
Malcolm Long, QB
Long played a major role in leading South Carolina State to the MEAC championship, and should be one of the top quarterbacks in the league this year. The 6-foot-3, 257-pound junior completed 172 of 304 passes for 1,988 yards, 14 TDs and 10 interceptions. Long also has great feet, rushing for 140 yards on 34 attempts (good for an impressive 4.1 yards a carry).
Markee Hamlin, DB
Hamlin was the third leading tackler for the Bulldogs last year, collecting 42 solo tackles. But the 6-foot, 170-pound senior is not only a good hitter; he plays well in pass coverage, too. A first-team All-MEAC selection in 2008, Hamlin is the team’s leading returning player on defense has lost linebackers Tony White and Marshall McFadden and defensive linemen Cedric Lloyd and Keyon Brooks, who all received all-conference honors.
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Donald Hunt is a columnist for The Philadelphia Tribune. You can reach him at dhunt37261@aol.com.
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