March Pirates' Chest by ECU Pirate Club

March 2011

Recruiting Report Ruff Restocks Defensive Front

Jeff Charles: Sizing Up More Than Two Decades of Coaches

Morrow Revs Up Engine # Extreme Makeover Underway # Challenging Grid Slate Omaha Quest Endures # |Swimmers Gain Stature # |Pirate Club News & More

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2011 East Carolina Baseball Schedule

Date Opponent / Event Location Time / Result 02/18/11 vs. Youngstown St. Greenville, N.C. 3:00 p.m. ET 02/19/11 vs. Youngstown St. Greenville, N.C. 2:00 p.m. ET 02/20/11 vs. Youngstown St. Greenville, N.C. 1:00 p.m. ET 02/25/11 at Virginia Charlottesville, Va. 3:00 p.m. ET 02/26/11 at Virginia Charlottesville, Va. 2:00 p.m. ET 02/27/11 at Virginia Charlottesville, Va. 1:00 p.m. ET 03/01/11 vs. Campbell Greenville, N.C. 5:00 p.m. ET 03/04/11 vs. Pepperdine Greenville, N.C. 5:00 p.m. ET 03/05/11 vs. Pepperdine Greenville, N.C. 2:00 p.m. ET 03/06/11 vs. Pepperdine Greenville, N.C. 12:00 p.m. ET 03/08/11 at Campbell Buies Creek, N.C. 6:00 p.m. ET 03/09/11 vs. High Point Greenville, N.C. 5:00 p.m. ET Keith LeClair Classic 03/11/11 vs. Monmouth N.J. Greenville, N.C. 5:00 p.m. ET 03/12/11 vs. Rutgers Greenville, N.C. 3:00 p.m. ET 03/13/11 vs. Liberty Greenville, N.C. 2:00 p.m. ET 03/15/11 at Elon Elon, N.C. 6:00 p.m. ET 03/16/11 vs. Buffalo Greenville, N.C. 6:00 p.m. ET 03/18/11 vs. Rutgers Greenville, N.C. 6:00 p.m. ET 03/19/11 vs. Rutgers Greenville, N.C. 3:00 p.m. ET 03/20/11 vs. Rutgers Greenville, N.C. 1:00 p.m. ET 03/25/11 vs. Memphis * Greenville, N.C. 6:00 p.m. ET 03/26/11 vs. Memphis * Greenville, N.C. 3:00 p.m. ET 03/27/11 vs. Memphis * Greenville, N.C. 12:00 p.m. ET 03/29/11 at UNC Wilmington Wilmington, N.C. 6:00 p.m. ET 03/30/11 vs. Elon Greenville, N.C. 6:00 p.m. ET 04/01/11 at UAB * Birmingham, Ala. 7:30 p.m. ET 04/02/11 at UAB * Birmingham, Ala. 3:00 p.m. ET 04/03/11 at UAB Birmingham, Ala. 2:00 p.m. ET 04/05/11 at N.C. State Raleigh, N.C. 6:00 p.m. ET 04/08/11 vs. Rice * Greenville, N.C. 6:00 p.m. ET

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Date Opponent / Event Location Time / Result 04/09/11 vs. Rice * Greenville, N.C. 3:00 p.m. ET 04/10/11 vs. Rice * Greenville, N.C. 11:00 a.m. ET 04/12/11 at North Carolina Chapel Hill, N.C. 6:00 p.m. ET 04/15/11 vs. UCF * Greenville, N.C. 6:00 p.m. ET 04/16/11 vs. UCF * Greenville, N.C. 3:00 p.m. ET 04/17/11 vs. UCF * Greenville, N.C. 11:00 a.m. ET 04/19/11 vs. UNC Wilmington Greenville, N.C. 6:00 p.m. ET 04/21/11 at Houston * Houston, Texas 7:30 p.m. ET 04/22/11 at Houston * Houston, Texas 7:30 p.m. ET 04/23/11 at Houston * Houston, Texas 2:00 p.m. ET 04/26/11 at Old Dominion Norfolk, Va 6:00 p.m. ET 04/27/11 vs. North Carolina Greenville, N.C. 6:00 p.m. ET 04/29/11 vs. Southern Miss * Greenville, N.C. 6:00 p.m. ET 04/30/11 vs. Southern Miss * Greenville, N.C. 3:00 p.m. ET 05/01/11 vs. Southern Miss * Greenville, N.C. 1:00 p.m. ET 05/06/11 at Marshall * Charleston, W.Va. 7:00 p.m. ET 05/07/11 at Marshall * Charleston, W.Va. 7:00 p.m. ET 05/08/11 at Marshall * Charleston, W.Va. 1:00 p.m. ET 05/11/11 vs. Wake Forest Zebulon, N.C. 7:00 p.m. ET 05/13/11 vs. Delaware State Greenville, N.C. 6:00 p.m. ET 05/14/11 vs. Delaware State Greenville, N.C. 3:00 p.m. ET 05/15/11 vs. Delaware State Greenville, N.C. 1:00 p.m. ET 05/17/11 vs. Old Dominion Greenville, N.C. 6:00 p.m. ET 05/19/11 at Tulane * New Orleans, La. 7:30 p.m. ET 05/20/11 at Tulane * New Orleans, La. 7:30 p.m. ET 05/21/11 at Tulane * New Orleans, La. 2:00 p.m. ET 05/25/11 - 05/29/11 C-USA Tournament - Pearl, Miss. 06/03/11 - 06/05/11 NCAA Regional 06/10/11 - 06/12/11 NCAA Super Regional 06/18/11 - 06/29/11 College World Series * - denotes Conference Event Purple - denotes home game

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Executive Committee Executive President Mr. Jim Creech Executive Vice President Dr. Emmett Floyd Immediate Past President Mr. Jerry L. Wilkins Board of Directors Mr. Donnie Bunn Mr. Douglas L. Gomes Mr. Harvey Lewis Mr. Rhett A. Raynor Mr. Henry Williamson Mr. Edwin L. Clark Mrs. Clara Darden Mr. Tyre H. Moore Mr. Jim Post Mr. Phillip Waugh Mr. Thomas A. Bennett Mr. Mike Rogers Mrs. Linda Tripp Mr. George C. Turner Mr. Carl Rogers ECU Chancellor Dr. Steven Ballard Director of Athletics Mr. Terry Holland Executive Treasurer Dr. Rick Niswander Faculty Athletics Representative Dr. David A. Dosser, Jr. Financial Director Mrs. Sherrilyn R. Johnson Director Emeritus Mr. Walter L. Williams

A Letter from Mark Wharton

March 2011

Dear Pirate Club Member: 2011 is shaping into another successful year. Our Pirate basketball programs are completing a successful year under first-year head coaches Heather Macy and Jeff Lebo. It is hard to believe that by the time you receive this edition of the Pirates Chest that Pirate Baseball and Softball will be well under way with their respective seasons as well. Additionally, you should have also received your Pirate Club and football season ticket renewal for the 2011 year. Please review all of the information on the renewal form, make any corrections, indicate your pledge, and return the renewal notice with payment for at least 50% of the pledge BEFORE the April 1 deadline to secure the same seating and parking that you enjoyed in 2010. Please visit ecupirateclub. com for additional information and convenient online payment options, or contact the Pirate Club Office at (252) 737-4540. The Trade-Wilco Hess Pirate Armada will soon set sail on another exciting voyage with our head coaches, Athletics Director Terry Holland, and many of our assistant coaches and administrators. Join us at a nearby port to hear the “State of the Pirate Nation”. I appreciate our coaching staff and administrators taking time out of their busy schedules to make these road trips, and I challenge all Pirate Club members to show up in force and bring a potential new Pirate Club member. Please visit ecupirateclub.com for complete details on when the Armada will be visiting a port near you. March 14 March 17 March 22 March 23 March 29 April 5

Outer Banks Pitt County SE Virginia New Bern Richmond Lee/Chatham/Moore

April 11 April 12 April 13 April 21 April 26 April 28

Fayetteville Morehead City Onslow/Jones Lenoir/Greene Charlotte Raleigh

Please mark your calendars for April 14– 17, and make plans to attend the 28th annual Trade-Wilco Hess Pigskin Pig-Out. The family-oriented event features the Pirate Golf Classic, a number of live bands and local entertainment, BBQ plates, kids’ games, the Purple/Gold Spring Football Game, Pirate Baseball and much more! Proceeds from this annual Pirate Club event help to fund scholarships for our student-athletes. Please visit ecupirateclub.com for additional information and scheduling. In the coming weeks, Pirate Club members will receive information regarding the “Step Up to the Highest Level” campaign in support of the construction of a state of the art practice facility for men’s and women’s basketball. A dedicated practice facility is critical to the recruitment and development of top-notch studentathletes and competition at the highest levels. The goal of the campaign is to raise $15 million to complete the project. As with our previous campaigns, we hope that Pirate Club members will take advantage of the bonus priority points and naming opportunities. For additional information or questions, please contact Dennis Young or Matt Maloney at 252-737-4540. 2011 is a critical year as we continue the climb to fully funding all athletic scholarships at East Carolina University. We are beginning to reap the benefits of our hard work, but we still have a long way to go! I ask that you join us as we continue to outpace our opposition with increased membership and season tickets sales. Thank you for continued loyal support to East Carolina University and the Pirate Club! GO Pirates! Sincerely,

Executive Director Mr. Mark T. Wharton Counsel Mr. Walter Hinson

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Mark T. Wharton ‘93 Executive Director

2/16/2011 4:50:46 PM

2011 Pirate Softball Schedule Date Opponent / Event Location Time / Result 02/11/11 vs. Lipscomb Athens, Ga. 9:00 a.m. ET vs. Illinois State Athens, Ga. 1:00 p.m. ET 02/12/11 vs. Iowa Athens, Ga. 9:00 a.m. ET at Georgia Athens, Ga. 1:00 p.m. ET 02/13/11 vs. Maryland Athens, Ga. 11:00 a.m. ET 02/16/11 vs. UNC Wilmington Greenville, N.C. 4:00 p.m. ET Pirate Classic 02/18/11 vs. Virginia Greenville, N.C. 2:00 p.m. ET vs. St. John’s Greenville, N.C. 4:00 p.m. ET 02/19/11 vs. Hofstra Greenville, N.C. 3:00 p.m. ET vs. Kent State Greenville, N.C. 5:00 p.m. ET 02/20/11 vs. St. John’s Greenville, N.C. 11:00 a.m. ET 02/21/11 vs. Hofstra Greenville, N.C. 4:00 p.m. ET Pirate Clash 02/25/11 vs. Towson Greenville, N.C. 4:00 p.m. ET 02/26/11 vs. Fairfield Greenville, N.C. 2:00 p.m. ET vs. Lehigh Greenville, N.C. 4:00 p.m. ET 02/27/11 vs. Campbell Greenville, N.C. 3:00 p.m. ET Wilson/DeMarini Invitational 03/04/11 vs. New Mexico State Tempe, Ariz. 3:00 p.m. ET at Arizona State Tempe, Ariz. 7:30 p.m. ET 03/05/11 vs. Creighton Tempe, Ariz. 11:00 a.m. ET vs. Northern Iowa Tempe, Ariz. 1:00 p.m. ET 03/06/11 vs. Northern Col. Tempe, Ariz. 11:00 a.m. ET 03/09/11 at Maryland College Park, Md. 5:00 p.m. ET at Maryland College Park, Md. 7:00 p.m. ET 03/10/11 vs. Maine Greenville, N.C. 5:00 p.m. ET 03/12/11 vs. Memphis * Greenville, N.C. 1:00 p.m. ET vs. Memphis * Greenville, N.C. 3:00 p.m. ET 03/13/11 vs. Memphis * Greenville, N.C. 12:00 p.m. ET 03/15/11 vs. Charleston South. Greenville, N.C. 3:00 p.m. ET vs. Charleston South. Greenville, N.C. 5:00 p.m. ET 03/19/11 at Marshall * Huntington, W.Va. 1:00 p.m. ET at Marshall * Huntington, W.Va. 3:00 p.m. ET 03/20/11 at Marshall * Huntington, W.Va. 12:00 p.m. ET 1:00 p.m. ET Greenville, N.C. 03/26/11 vs. Tulsa * vs. Tulsa * Greenville, N.C. 3:00 p.m. ET 03/27/11 vs. Tulsa * Greenville, N.C. 12:00 p.m. ET 03/30/11 vs. N.C. State Greenville, N.C. 4:00 p.m. ET vs. N.C. State Greenville, N.C. 6:00 p.m. ET 04/02/11 at Southern Miss * Hattiesburg, Miss. 2:00 p.m. ET at Southern Miss * Hattiesburg, Miss. 4:00 p.m. ET 04/03/11 at Southern Miss * Hattiesburg, Miss. 12:00 p.m. ET 04/06/11 at UNC Wilmington Wilmington, N.C. 5:00 p.m. ET 04/09/11 vs. UCF * Greenville, N.C. 1:00 p.m. ET vs. UCF * Greenville, N.C. 3:00 p.m. ET 04/10/11 vs. UCF * Greenville, N.C. 12:00 p.m. ET 04/16/11 at UAB Birmingham, Ala. 2:00 p.m. ET at UAB Birmingham, Ala. 4:00 p.m. ET 04/17/11 at UAB Birmingham, Ala. 2:00 p.m. ET 04/22/11 at UTEP * El Paso, Texas 5:00 p.m. ET at UTEP * El Paso, Texas 7:00 p.m. ET 04/23/11 at UTEP * El Paso, Texas 3:00 p.m. ET 04/30/11 vs. Houston * Greenville, N.C. 1:00 p.m. ET vs. Houston * Greenville, N.C. 3:00 p.m. ET 05/01/11 vs. Houston * Greenville, N.C. 11:00 a.m. ET 05/07/11 at Longwood Farmville, Va. 12:00 p.m. ET vs. UMBC Farmville, Va. 2:00 p.m. ET 05/08/11 at Longwood Farmville, Va. 1:00 p.m. ET 05/12/11 - 05/14/11 C-USA Tournament - Greenville, N.C. * - denotes Conference Event Purple - denotes home game

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M A R C H Produced for the ECU Pirate Club by Bonesville Media 675 Beasley Lane Havelock, NC 28532 www.bonesvillemedia.com (252) 354-2215

Top Stories RECRUITING REPORT: Restocking the Defensive Front — Denny O’Brien

Pirate Club Executive Director Mark Wharton Pirate Club Assistant Jeanne LeBlanc-Lecce WRITERS Bethany Bradsher Brian Bailey Jeff Charles Al Myatt Denny O’Brien

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NOTES, QUOTES & ANECDOTES: Extreme Makeover Pirate-Style — Al Myatt

BASEBALL: Veteran Cast Buoys Expections — Brian Bailey

PIRATE HOOPS: Darrius Morrow “Get Your Motor Running” — Al Myatt

On the cover: Head football coach Rufﬁn McNeill (ECU Media Relations photo)

News & Features

GRAPHICS ASSISTANT Samuel Morris MANAGING EDITOR Sara Whitford ADVERTISING SALES EXECUTIVE Rich Goldstein (252) 567-5533 PUBLISHER Danny Whitford

©2011 Bonesville Media. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Bonesville Media is a Carolina Data Systems company. For more information, visit www.bonesvillemedia.com.

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2011 Football Schedule Relased

THE BRADSHER BEAT: Swimmers Making a Splash — Bethany Bradsher

VISIT WITH THE VOICE: 23 Years of Pirate Coaches — Jeff Charles

OLYMPIC SPORTS ROUNDUP — Bethany Bradsher

PIRATE CLUB NEWS

Right: Junior forward Darrius Morrow (ECU Media Relations photo)

A N O T E O F A P P R E C I A T I O N : As always, we would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the East Carolina University Media Relations Office, in particular, media relations director Tom McClellan. The lightning speed with which Mr. McClellan and his entire staff always work in response to our numerous requests for specific images makes working with ECU Media Relations a true pleasure in producing this publication. Thank you.

2/16/2011 4:54:16 PM

Pirates Address Needs with Big Recruiting Haul

From the Crow’s Nest by Denny O’Brien

East Carolina head coach Ruffin McNeill focused on meeting immediate needs with his second recruiting class. And it’s pretty obvious that he and his staff met them well. With the Pirates’ struggles across the defensive front seven last season, along with the departure of several offensive linemen, ECU desperately needed to replenish itself within the trenches. They successfully did so, as much of the class was comprised of athletes who will play along the offensive and defensive fronts. “Offensive and defensive lines will always be key recruiting targets for us,” McNeill said. “You win championships here with great offensive and defensive line play.” “On defense we signed seven linemen and four linebackers. In this league, the two best front sevens played for the Conference USA championship. UCF and SMU had the best front sevens. Think about the East Carolina Pirates. They won back-toback championships with the best front sevens in C-USA.” Defensively, the Pirates added size and speed on the edge and girth in the middle. Among the notables are junior college defensive ends Leroy Vick and Chris Baker, both of whom should factor into the Pirates’ defensive plans next season. Expect both to immediately contend for starting roles on the edge.

Coach Ruff discusses the recruiting class of 2011 with Pirate Club members at Harvey Hall. (ECU Media Relations photo)

On offense, the Pirates’ staff focused on corralling offensive linemen with length. Overall, ECU signed four offensive linemen, and each of them measures 6’5” or better. East Carolina signed 17 players from the state of North Carolina, and McNeill says that targeting local prospects will always be an emphasis. The Pirates also will emphasize the Tidewater region, which has been an area of recruiting success in the past. “John Wiley and I have a lot of connections in the Virginia Beach area,” McNeill said. “We know many of our former players from Appalachian State and guys who I played with who are in that region now. Those connections come in handy at a time like this. “When the recruits come down and visit the campus, city and Pirate Nation, that makes our job much easier. Virginia Beach is important to us. It’s right up the road. Those young men felt the same way. We’ll still recruit and attack that area, even as far up as Washington, D.C.” Here’s a look at the Pirates’ class: CHRIS BAKER (6-3, 230) DE, Greenville, MS (Hinds Community College) ... Incoming junior ... Helped the Eagles to a 5-4 record as a sophomore, tallying 47 tackles, 8.5 sacks and forced five fumbles … Posted a double-digit tackle total against Pearl River in the 2010 campaign … An integral part of a defensive unit that allowed 173.6 rushing yards per game, 230.2 passing yards per contest and forced 15 turnovers in 2010 ... Prepped at Greenville Weston High School.

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JETON BEAVERS (6-5, 249) DE, Bayside High, Virginia Beach, Va. ... Committed to the Pirates on Nov. 2 after being favorably impressed with the program’s family atmosphere during his visit for ECU’s 37-10 win over Marshall on Oct. 23. ... Also received recruiting interest from Clemson, Louisville, Marshall, North Carolina, N.C. State and Old Dominion. ... Coached by Darnell Moore, who had the Marlins off to an 8-0 start in 2010. ... Beavers saw limited playing time on the junior varsity level as a freshman before being sidelined for academic reasons as a sophomore and junior. ... Moore said Beavers has improved his classroom performance and now has four As and two Bs. ... “He’s realized the things he can do for himself by taking the right path,” said the Bayside coach. ... runs 40 yards in 4.7 seconds. ... Had seven sacks and forced two fumbles in first eight games of his senior season. EZEKIEL “ZEEK” BIGGER (6-3, 205) LB, Gastonia (NC) Ashbrook ... Reportedly committed to Duke in July but cast his lot with the Pirates in mid-January. ... Also received offers from Arkansas, Maryland, South Carolina and Virginia. ... Bigger liked the opportunity for early playing time in ECU’s 3-4 alignment at either middle or outside linebacker. ... Coached by Greg Hill. ... Bigger also played fullback at Ashbrook, carrying 70 times for 359 yards and three touchdowns as a senior. ... Ashbrook was 4-8 in 2010 but 4-2 in league play. ... The Green Wave lost 29-26 at Shelby Crest in the first round of the state 3-AA playoffs. ... The Chargers went on to reach the state final, losing 21-20 on a missed conversion kick to a Northern Guilford team that featured ECU-bound Rocco Scarfone, who went 10-for-10 for 127 yards and three touchdowns in the championship game at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh. JOSEPH “JOJO” BLANKS (6-2, 230) LB, ASA College, Brooklyn, NY ... Blanks played on the high school level at Purnell Swett in Pembroke, NC and was coached by Mark Heil. ... He joined a junior college program in Brooklyn, ASA College, that was starting up in 2009. ... Blanks helped the Avengers go 5-3 in their first season under coach Dennis Orlando. ... Accepted an offer from East Carolina on Jan. 20, choosing the Pirates over Indiana State and Maine. ... Former Shrine Bowl selection. ... Blanks was second in tackles at ASA in 2010 with 49. ... He also had four sacks and 14 tackles for loss, according to scout.com. ... Blanks’ eligibility is contigent on his successful completion of a 10-week academic program at Robeson Community College, which he is scheduled to complete in April. ... Should have an opportunity for immediate playing time with ECU’s personnel losses. ... His 2008 Swett team ended its season 10-4 with a 25-14 loss at Watauga. Blanks had 163 tackles for the season and had forced five fumbles going into that game. CHEVELLE BUIE (5-9, 170) RB, Cocoa (FL) High School ... Played for a three-time Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) state championship team and four-time state playoff participant … Helped lead the Tigers to back-toback 14-0 seasons following a 14-1 campaign as a sophomore … Part of a CHS program that competed on the 3A level in 2007 and 2008 before dropping down to 2A status the last two seasons … As a senior, named to the All-District 11 Team and earned district MVP honors (as voted on by area coaches) … Gained 1,338 yards

on the ground on 161 carries and added 15 rushing scores during final season … Turned in six multi-touchdown and 100-yard rushing games as a senior … Had 12 receptions for 284 yards and four scores during final campaign … Contributed four total touchdowns (2 rushing/2 receiving) in a 35-0 victory over Cocoa Beach … Rushed for 1,678 yards and 17 touchdowns as a junior … First-Team Florida Sports Writers Association All-State selection and All-District 11 Team member in 2009 … Gained 1,697 ground yards on 173 carries and tallied 16 touchdowns as a sophomore … Florida Sports Writers Association 3A Second Team All-State honoree following sophomore campaign … Played for head coach John Wilkinson … Selected to participate in the December Schuman’s National Underclassmen Combine All-World Gridiron Classic … Listed as a four-star prospect and the No. 7 all-purpose back nationally by Rivals.com … A three-star recruit and 70th-best running back in the country according to ESPN. com … MaxPreps.com rates him as the 21st-best running back and a four-star prospect … A MaxPreps.com National Player-ofthe-Year candidate during final season … Credited by scouting service as possessing great speed and vision. REGGIE BULLOCK (5-9, 180) RB, Arizona Western College ... Out of Las Vegas (NV) High School ... Twice earned offensive player of the year honors at powerhouse Arizona Western in the Western States Football League, leading the Matadors to two bowl games. ... Was named national offensive player of the year in 2010 by the NJCAA Coaches Association after rushing for 1,830 yards and 20 touchdowns. He also caught 16 passes for 170 yards and two TDs. ... First-Team NJCAA All-American selection in 2010 after making second team in 2009. ... Matadors, coached by Tom Minnick, were 10-2 in 2010, 9-2 in 2009. ... Bullock ran for 3,247 yards in his junior college career with 43 total touchdowns and 40 rushing touchdowns. ... He rushed for over 100 yards in 21 out of 22 games he played in and gained over 200 yards in a game three times. ... Bullock ran for 1,701 yards and 22 TDs at Las Vegas High as his team reached the state semifinals of the playoffs in 2008. ... His 40-yard time is 4.4 seconds. ... Bullock accumulated 232 yards on a season-high 36 carries and scored a touchdown in a 34-14 win over Scottsdale (AZ) on Nov. 13, 2010. ... Received recruiting interest from Illinois, Kansas State, New Mexico State, North Texas, Oregon State, San Diego State and Utah State according to JC Football.com. ANTONIO CANNON (6-2, 175) WR, Daniel (SC) Central High School ... Two-time Class AAA all-region and Daily Journal/Daily Messenger All-Mountain Lakes honoree … Won a trio of regional championships with the Lions and enjoyed two state semifinal appearances … Recorded 40 receptions, totaling 730 yards and 15 touchdowns as a senior … Member of the 2010 High School Sports Report Class AAA All-State squad at wide receiver … Selected to play for the North squad in the South Carolina Automobile Dealers Association North-South All-Star Game following final season … Named to the SCVarsity.com AllState Second Team and Anderson Independent Mail All-Area unit at the end of 2010 … Helped Lions to a 7-5 mark during final campaign … Scored the game-winning touchdown with 1:35 remaining in a 14-7 victory over Pickens … Tallied 47 catches for 734 yards and three touchdowns as a junior … Helped team to a 13-1 record and the Class AAA South Carolina Upper State title 5

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game, falling 35-28 to Clinton, during junior year … Made three receptions for 42 yards in Upper State championship contest … Lions advanced to Upper State title contest as a sophomore (13-1 record) … Played for head coach Randy Robinson … Has been timed at 4.6 seconds in the 40-yard dash … Also played basketball and excelled on the perimeter for Daniel, averaging nearly 14 points and five assists while guiding the Lions to the South Carolina Upper State Championship as a junior … An all-conference and all-state basketball selection following junior campaign … Rated as the 28th-best prospect in the state of South Carolina according to Scout.com … Listed by ESPN.com among the top 210 top wide receivers in the country. Personal: Full name is Antonio Jacquinn Cannon … Son of Melissa Cannon … Undecided on collegiate major. TRESHAWN COUNCIL (6-1, 210) OLB, Durham (NC) Hillside High School ... Hornets head coach Antonio King brought a highlight film of Council to a “Junior Day” at ECU on March 27, the Pirate staff viewed it and offered a grant even though Council was unable to attend. ... Council accepted four days later on March 31, making him the first commitment for the February, 2011 signing class. ... Wears No. 8 at Hillside, which was previously worn by North Carolina receiver Greg Little. ... Moved up to varsity as a linebacker during his freshman season at Hillside. ... Council grew up as an East Carolina fan. ... Had 11.5 sacks as a junior and made All-PAC 6 Conference. ...Aspires to play as a true freshman for the Pirates. ... Received recruiting interest from Duke and Georgia Tech. ... Was impressed with new head coach Ruffin McNeill and the defensive coaches. ... Timed in 4.78 seconds for 40 yards and has a 25-inch vertical jump. WILLIAM FOXX (6-1, 285) DG, Oak Ridge Military Academy ... Transferred from Greensboro Page to Oak Ridge Military Academy, where his team had an 11-0 record in 2010. ... The record included two forfeits. ... Oak Ridge’s closest game was a 33-13 win at East Lincoln. ...The Cadets are coached by Otis Yelverton. ... Foxx played offense and defense. ... Sammy Batten of The Fayetteville Observer and Bonesville reported on Dec. 15 that Foxx played just one game in 2010 because of a broken leg. ... He is projected to play defense at East Carolina. ... Gardner-Webb, North Carolina A&T and Appalachian State had made offers to Foxx. ... Penn State and Georgia Tech had shown interest. ... The Nittany Lions were the only program other than ECU to recruit Foxx for his defensive potential. ... Foxx said he wants to play nose guard for ECU. ... Foxx said he liked the family atmosphere of the Pirates program and the excitement of game days. ... Recruited by Pirate defensive coordinator Brian Mitchell. Foxx made a commitment to Mitchell about two weeks before it was announced by Rivals.com on Dec. 12. ... Foxx wants to major in pre-dentistry. ... Time for 40 yards is 5.15 seconds. ... The addition of Foxx can only help a unit ranked last among 120 football bowl subdivision teams in total defense. CHRIS HAIRSTON (6-0, 200) RB, Winston-Salem Parkland ... rushed for over 1,000 yards in 2009 as Mustangs went 2-9. ... Parkland coach Dee Bell reportedly switched from spread to one back offense for 2010 season and expects more success. ... Hairston also excels in track with a 10.92-second clocking for 100 meters and 22.3 in 200. ... solid student with a 3.2 grade

point average. ... received offer from Wisconsin in March. ... also had offers from Coastal Carolina and hometown Winston-Salem State. ... Hairston visited Duke, North Carolina and Wake Forest. ... schools showing interest included Clemson, Delaware State, Richmond, Vanderbilt and Western Carolina. ... first running back to commit to ECU in 2011 recruiting class. ISAAC HARRIS (6-7, 270) OL, Irmo (SC) Dutch Fork High School ... Helped Silver Foxes to a 10-3 record, 4-A Region championship and an appearance in the second round of the South Carolina High School League Class AAAA, Division I playoffs as a senior after consecutive 2-9 campaigns the two previous years … Used as a blocking tight end and interior lineman at Dutch Fork … Named to the Midlands Football Nov. 3 Team-of-the-Week after making four knockdowns and grading out at 96 percent … Paved the way for the offense to average 30.1 points per contest during senior season … Played final year for legendary head coach Tom Knotts, who led Independence (Charlotte) High School to seven state titles and coached former Pirate Dominique Lindsay … Previous head coach was Bill Kimrey … Named the overall MVP of the Columbia, S.C., Schuman’s National Underclassmen Combine (NUC) after broad jumping 8-foot-1 and running a 4.79-second shuttle drill … Also made the Columbia NUC Outstanding Sophomore Performance List … Rated by Jim Baxter of SCVarsity.com as the 10th-best offensive lineman in the state of South Carolina heading into the 2010 season … Also played basketball for Dutch Fork … Noticed by the ECU staff at one of the program’s summer camps. Personal: Father, Ike Sr., played collegiate football at South Carolina while current ECU inside wide receivers coach Donnie Kirkpatrick was in Columbia serving as the quarterbacks coach … Ike Sr. was taken in the 12th round of the 1991 NFL draft by the Seattle Seahawks … An Honor Roll student at Dutch Fork … Intended major is computer science. GLEN HILLIARD (6-0, 173) CB, Anderson (SC) T.L. Hanna ... Coached by Kenya Fouch, a former Georgia Tech and Furman player. ... Stood out in a 7-on-7 setting in the Palmetto State Showdown. ... Opponents avoided throwing to receivers Hilliard was covering after he picked off multiple passes on the first day of the showdown event. ... Hilliard is capable of playing several coverage techniques and he appears to have already developed college-level defensive skills. ... Yellow Jackets went 6-6 in 2009. ... Hilliard’s vertical jump is listed at 29.5 inches, his 40-yard time is 4.82 seconds and his 20-yard shuttle clocking is 4.48 seconds, according to rivals.com. ... Has the makings of a lockdown college corner. STEWART HINSON (6-7, 268) OT, Monroe (NC) Piedmont High School ... Committed to the Pirates on July 2, according to rivals.com. ... Hinson is a versatile performer who has seen action at left offensive tackle, defensive end, kick return team and long snapper for the Panthers. ... Projects as an offensive lineman at East Carolina. ... According to reports, he is powerful, aggressive and likes to play physical. ... He also showed good stamina at the third annual VTO Elite 100 combine at Mallard Creek High School in Charlotte on April 3. ... His defensive stats as a junior included 22 tackles, seven tackles for loss and two sacks. ... Coached by Frank Ambrose. ... Has large frame with po-

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tential to add weight and strength as he works out and matures. DONTRILL HYMAN (6-6, 250) DE, Warsaw (NC) James Kenan High School ... Played both ways as a senior for the Tigers, spending time on offense as a running back … Selected to the NCPreps.com 1A All-State Team and Wilmington Star News All-Area squad as a senior … Tallied 151 total tackles (11.6 tackles per game), including 105 solo stops, during final campaign … Helped Tigers to a 7-6 record and second round of North Carolina High School Athletic Association 1AA playoffs … Scored a rushing touchdown and led the Tigers with seven tackles in one-point opening-round playoff victory over Union … Tied for team lead with seven stops in a 28-25 win against Clinton during the first week of the season … Scored a touchdown on a 65-yard fake punt during a 48-20 triumph over Hobbton … Played for head coach Ken Avent, Jr. … Also lettered in basketball at KHS … Is the Tigers’ first Division I signee since Sam Aiken inked with North Carolina in 1998 and went on to play in the NFL. CODY KEITH (6-3, 195) QB, Charlotte, NC ... Already enrolled at East Carolina for the Spring 2011 semester ... Played at South Mecklenburg in 2008, passing for almost 1,200 yards and 11 touchdowns with just two interceptions in a run-oriented offense. ... Family moved to California last year and Keith played for Maranatha, a private school in the Pasadena area. ... Keith plans to play at Cheshire Academy in Cheshire, Connecticut as a senior and enter ECU for the spring semester. ... The presence of offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley and the Pirates’ new

pass-oriented offense were influential factors for Keith’s commitment, which was announced on Tuesday, Aug. 3. ... Keith reportedly comes from an affluent, Christian family and has worked to develop his skills through private, individual coaching. ... His senior year reportedly will be filmed for a documentary entitled, “The Hopeful.” ... Clocked in 4.7 seconds for 40 yards. ... His 2009 numbers included 157 completions in 235 attempts for 2,212 yards with 21 touchdowns. Keith also rushed for 507 yards and 10 TDs. ... Recruiting analyst Tom Lemming rates him in the Top 10 nationally among quarterbacks. JOHN LATTIMORE (6-3, 250) DE, Ventura (CA) College ... Will enter ECU as a junior with the ability to help immediately on defense. ... Had 19 solo tackles, 24 assists, 16.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks in 2010. ... His 2009 numbers included 53 tackles, five sacks, four tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. ... Ventura is also nicknamed Pirates. ... Runs 40 yards in 4.6 seconds. ... A three-star prospect, Lattimore had offers from Iowa State, Florida International, Middle Tennessee, New Mexico and Texas-El Paso. ... Played on the prep level at Lexington (KY) High. ... Informed ECU of his commitment on Jan. 14. ... Ventura was 5-5 under Steve Mooshagian, former Cincinnati Bengals receivers coach, in 2010. DOMONIQUE LENNON (6-2, 189) DB/QB, Nansemond Suffolk (VA) Academy ... Led team to Virginia Independent School Division 2 state title as a junior. ... Coached by Kevin Allen. ... Accepted scholarship offer from Pirates on June 21, according to Sammy Batten of The Fayetteville Observer/

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Bonesville. ... Lennon got the attention of ECU associate head coach John Wiley with a tape of his highlights that was on YouTube. ... Participated in a summer camp session with the Pirates. ... Lennon was the starting quarterback at Landsdown High as a sophomore. ... Lennon is the nephew of former Virginia linebacker Skeet Jones, who facilitated Lennon’s transfer to play for Nansemond Suffolk. ... Made quick adjustment to also play safety as a junior and projects as a defensive back at ECU. ... Lennon produced 18 touchdowns as a quarterback. ... His defensive numbers included 85 tackles and six interceptions. ... Old Dominion, Hampton and Norfolk State had shown recruiting interest in Lennon before Wiley liked what he saw on YouTube. CHAZ LOWERY (6-5, 270) OL, Virginia Beach Ocean Lakes ... A three-year starter for the Dolphins, Lowery made the second team All-Beach unit despite missing a portion of his senior season due to injury. ... Ocean Lakes, coached by Chris Scott, went 8-3 in 2010. ... Lowery’s reasons for choosing ECU included “the mix of academics, as well as the team and people.” ... Officially visited ECU on Jan. 14 and committed on Jan. 16. ... He liked the possibility of playing time early in his career. ... Lowery also had offers from Marshall, Richmond and Old Dominion. ... Duke, Virginia Tech and Connecticut also showed recruiting interest. ... Lowery’s pass protection skills may be more advanced than his run-blocking ability at this point but he should improve in both facets with strength training and natural maturity that will add to his frame. MONTESE OVERTON (6-3, 210) LB, Winterville (NC) South Central ... A Pirate legacy whose dad, Darrell Over-

ton, lettered in basketball from 1988-91 at ECU. ... Received offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Duke, N.C. State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, South Carolina, South Florida, Tennessee and Texas Tech. Also showing interest were Clemson, Michigan and Virginia Tech. ... Coached by Walt Davis. ... 2010 team went 9-4. ... Overton had 200 tackles as a senior, including 12 for loss and five sacks. ... Was credited with 62 tackles and six sacks as a junior. ... Named area defensive player of the year for the 2010 season by The Daily Reflector of Greenville. ... Has a max of 315 pounds for the bench press, 505 for the squat, has a 30-inch vertical jump and a 4.52-second clocking for 40 yards. TRE ROBERTSON (6-5, 317) OL, Roxboro (NC) Person ... Committed to East Carolina over offers from Kansas, Miami of Ohio and Ohio University. ... Quick feet and power contribute to Robertson’s pass protection ability, a desired commodity in ECU’s new spread offense. ... Has started the past two seasons for the Rockets and earned All-PAC 6 4-A Conference honors in 2009 when Person was 6-5 overall. ... Rockets will have a new head coach in 2010, former Cedar Ridge head coach Jacob Geary, the father of incoming ECU freshman linebacker Jacob Geary. ROCCO SCARFONE (5-11, 170) DB, Northern Guilford ... Scarfone earned the starting nod at quarterback as a sophomore and was named first-team All-Mid-State 3-A Conference as a junior. ... Scarfone’s time for 40 yards is 4.73 seconds, according to rivals.com. ... Scarfone also received a scholarship offer from Coastal Carolina and had been getting recruiting interest from Duke. ... His recruiting was handled by ECU defensive

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coordinator Brian Mitchell. ... Scarfone had visited campus for a Pirates home game when Skip Holtz was coaching and said the ECU game atmosphere was the “most fun” he had experienced. ... Scarfone found Pirates head coach Ruffin McNeill to be “down to earth” and knowledgeable. ... Projects as a defensive back for the Pirates and will likely redshirt as freshman in order to add some weight. TERRELL STANLEY (6-1, 252) DT, South Brunswick ... Stanley picked the Pirates over Arkansas, Duke and N.C. State. ... Stanley also has played on the offensive line but projects as a defensive lineman at East Carolina. ... Coached by Roman Kelley, who referred to Stanley as “the heart and soul of the team.” ... Had 83 tackles, including 16 tackles for losses and eight sacks as a junior. ... Participated in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas combine on May 8 at South Central High School in Greenville, running 40 yards in 5.07 seconds, doing 22 repetitions on the bench press at 185 pounds and measuring 26.8 inches on his vertical jump. ... Credited with a time of 4.79 seconds on the shuttle run. ... Committed in late June. DONTE SUMPTER (6-0, 175) WR, Myrtle Beach (SC) High ... Sumpter became the third commitment to ECU’s 2011 recruiting class when he accepted a scholarship offer on May 18. ... Caught 78 passes for 1,103 yards and 14 touchdowns from quarterback Everett Golston, a North Carolina commitment, as a junior. ... Myrtle Beach went 13-2 in 2009 and reached the state 3-A championship game. ... Coached by Mickey Wilson, who credits Sumpter’s work ethic. ... Four of his uncles played major college football. ... Made a visit to the ECU campus on March 12 and was impressed by the coaching staff. ... Also likes the Pirates’ new spread offense, which is similar to the attack used by Myrtle Beach. ... Sumpter’s 40-yard time is 4.5 seconds. LEROY VICK (6-6, 275) DE, Georgia Military, Milledgeville, Ga. ... Comes from the same program that has produced Pirate players such as receiver Aundrae Allison, receiver Derrick Collier, defensive back Demetrius Hodges, defensive lineman Ronald Pou, H-back/returner Keith Stokes and linebacker Fred Wilson. ... Recruited by ECU defensive coordinator Brian Mitchell and will help address a lack of quality depth at the defensive end position. ... Committed to Pirates on Sept. 7. ... Had an offer from Washington State and received interest from South Carolina. ... played on the high school level at Wilson Fike. ... reportedly signed with N.C. Central out of high school. ... runs 40 yards in 4.9 seconds. ... Bench press max is 320 pounds. ... Vick is expected to graduate Georgia Military in December and enroll at ECU in January. ... His 2009 stats as a freshman at Georgia Military included 16 solo tackles and four assists with five tackles for losses. DANNY WEBSTER (5-11, 172) WR, Havelock (NC) High School ... Already enrolled at East Carolina for the Spring 2011 semester ... Played quarterback and safety on a 13-2 Rams team as a junior in 2010 but projects as a wide receiver for the Pirates. ... Averaged 181.4 yards per game passing on offense and 5.9 tackles per contest on defense. ... 40-yard time listed at 4.52 seconds. ... Sammy Batten of The Fayetteville Observer/Bonesville reported that Webster had offers from Georgia Tech, North

Carolina, N.C. State and South Carolina. ... After watching ECU’s new pass-oriented offense at an April 3, 2010, scrimmage, Webster knew he wanted to play in the Pirates’ system. ... The possibility of early playing time also was an incentive for Webster, who was recruited by the Yellow Jackets as a quarterback and by the Tar Heels, Wolfpack and Gamecocks as a defensive back. ... His dad, Danny, Sr., was a fullback and punter at Chowan. ... The younger Webster was a two-way starter for Havelock as a sophomore and junior. ... Threw for 25 touchdowns as a junior and ran for 21 more. ... Completed 174 of 302 passes for 2,722 yards as a junior and ran for 1,426 yards on 200 keepers. ... Had six interceptions on defense, returning two for touchdowns. ... Coastal 3-A Conference player of the year in 2009. ... Coached at Havelock by Jim Bob Bryant. JOHNATHON WHITE (6-4, 260) DE/TE, High Point (NC) Central. … Committed to the Pirates in early September after being impressed with the Pirates’ family atmosphere and feeling welcomed by the ECU coaching staff. ... White is confident with the potential guidance and mentoring of head coach Ruffin McNeill, defensive coordinator Brian Mitchell and defensive line coach Duane Price. ... White attracted recruiting attention from Duke, Marshall, N.C. State and Western Carolina. ... Coached by Wayne Jones at Central. ... Helped Bison to a 9-5 record in 2010 as the team reached the third round of the state playoffs. ... White credited with 33 solo tackles and 39 assists in 2010. ... Was in on a season-high 10 tackles in an 18-15 third round loss to Davie County. ... Central was 9-4 and made the second round of the playoffs his junior year. ... White made all-conference for three seasons. ... Team MVP on the defensive front as a senior. ... White plans to major in early childhood development with a minor in parks and recreation. ... Career goal is to become a social worker. INVITED WALK-ON — C.J. STRUYK (6-2, 285) OL/DS, Morehead City (NC) West Carteret High School ... Will join the East Carolina program in the fall as an “invited” walk-on (non-NLI/non-scholarship prospect) … Per NCAA release requirements, has officially declared his intent and commitment to attend ECU after completing admission procedures ... Started at center and as the long snapper as a senior at West Carteret, helping the Patriots to a 9-4 record and an appearance in the second round of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 3AA state playoffs, WCHS’s first post-season appearance since 2004 … Helped the team to a 5-2 mark and thirdplace showing in the Coastal Conference … Selected to play for the North Carolina squad in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas following senior season … Earned the starting nod at center for the Shrine Bowl and became just the fourth player from Carteret County to play in the game … A NCPreps.com 3A First-Team All-State and all-Coastal Conference selection following final campaign …Named the team’s best offensive lineman and strongest man as a senior … Helped the Patriot offense average 31.1 points per contest during 2010 … West Carteret went 5-6 during junior season and 3-8 as a sophomore … Wrestled for the Patriot program as a freshman and senior ... Father, Curtis, lettered as a defensive tackle for the Pirate football program in 1984 and was an assistant for the Patriot program.

Al Myatt and ECU Media Relations contributed to this report. 9

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Extreme Makeover ... Pirate-Style Health, coaching and on-the-ﬁeld changes will make for a tighter ship in 2011

Coach Ruffin McNeill (ECU Media Relations photo)

Notes, Quotes & Anecdotes by Al Myatt

Ruff’s goal is to lose — wHAT? (pounds) Ruffin McNeill’s before and after pictures are not the kind that would sell a diet plan or a workout regimen. A physical specimen in his playing days as an East Carolina defensive back, quite a few pounds slipped under his belt during a lengthy career as a college football coach. McNeill’s job as head man of the East Carolina football program is physically demanding. The long hours, travel and stress of competition are just a few of the factors that place a premium on fitness. Overweight and limping, Ruffin McNeill realized that he was at less than his best so the East Carolina football coach underwent weight loss surgery on Jan. 16. That procedure was in preparation for replacement of his right hip later on. Ultimately, Ruff wants to be able to work out again and have pain free mobility.

If McNeill feels better, that should translate into greater ease in his job performance and more effective leadership of ECU’s flagship program. Pirate fans have felt for McNeill personally, aware of the obstacles that extra weight has presented. The multitudes that fill Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium on fall Saturdays are understandably hoping to see a sleeker, healthier McNeill in the future both for his own good and that of the program. It’s a situation that has weighed on the soul of the man whose heart pumps purple and gold. A guy who spends most of his waking hours working to win football games is determined to lose unwanted pounds. His weight loss goal is triple digits. “I’m just going to keep my head down and look up in three months,” McNeill said. “Keep it down a little bit further and look up in six months. Then 12 months and then see where I am. I’m going to stay with it. I’m not going to get off of it. I’m going to get the hip done. I’m looking forward to it. It’s a challenge and it’s going to take some resolve but I’m looking forward to it.” McNeill will get encouragement from every corner of the Pirate Nation. He wants to be able to get back in an exercise routine. “I’ve always worked out,” he said. “I’ve always been in the weight room. I’ve always done treadmill or stepmaster or whatever. I’m just ready to get back to it. I’m excited about it and ready to get back to working out.”

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Hopefully, he’ll eventually have some before and after pictures that will light up his winning smile. He might even become a poster child for the medical services available in Greenville. Football and medicine. Now that’s a combination the late Dr. Leo Jenkins would love. For the younger generations, Jenkins was the chancellor at East Carolina in the 1960s and ‘70s who drove the Pirates’ move to major college status on the gridiron and fought the legislative powers in the state to get a medical school establised at ECU.

Military Bowl perspective McNeill has had some time to evaluate a 51-20 loss to Maryland in the Military Bowl. The tendency was to lay blame at the door of the defense but McNeill said the fault was broader based.

“It showed that we needed help the entire team wise,” McNeill said. “Everybody focused on the defense but we need help offensively. We need to go to another level offensively even though everybody was pleased with our offense. I think if you asked Lincoln (Riley, offensive coordinator), there are some things we could do a lot better. “I think we addressed those needs offensively and defensively. “The plan going in was to make sure we took our front seven especially to another talent level and ability level there. In Conference USA, the two teams with the best front sevens defensively, Central Florida and SMU, were in the championship game this year. They were by far the two best front sevens in the league, bar none. “The two years before, East Carolina had the best front seven.” No coincidence that the Pirates won back-to-back CUSA titles in 2008 and 2009. McNeill noted that former Pirate defensive end C.J. Wilson was on the active roster of the Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers and former ECU defensive tackle Jay Ross was on the Packers practice squad. “We had to make sure we upgraded the front seven,” McNeill said in regard to recruiting priorities. “Our coaches did a great, great job of pursuing and getting the right people in our program. I’m excited about those guys and I’m looking forward to getting them on campus.” McNeill doesn’t see particular incoming players having an edge in terms of potential playing time. “I’m expecting all of them to come in and help,” said the Pirates coach. “I’m expecting all those guys to come in here and compete for starting jobs and to play right away. I make no bones about that.”

Return of Connors

Strength and conditioning coach Jeff Connors returns to East Carolina. (ECU Media Relations archive photo)

There has been a lot of anticipation about the positive results that will result from Jeff Connors’ return as director of strength and conditioning. Connors returned to direct ECU’s strength and conditioning program after 10 years in a similar capacity at North Carolina. Connors trained ECU athletes from 1991 to 2000. During that time the Pirates went to five bowls and won three. There were 15 ECU players taken in the NFL draft and the Pirates were nationally-ranked in the final polls twice — ninth in 1991 and 23rd in 1995. ECU was usually a strong fourth quarter team in Connors’ previous tenure in Greenville, a testimony to the effectiveness of his conditioning. “The key to any football program is the strength and conditioning program,” said coach McNeill. “Jeff wanting to come back to East Carolina was big, big, big on my list. It was major. Jeff has always been a person that’s been at the top of his profession. The bottom line is the product that he puts on the field, which would be a great addition to any program. “I’m glad he wanted to come back and be a Pirate. To have Jeff back in the family is a blessing. I’m very excited and ecstatic to have Jeff back home in Greenville.” 11

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Connors will begin applying his training techniques during winter workouts.

Mark the dates Coach McNeill said spring practice will begin on March 21. The spring game is scheduled for April 16. East Carolina will open the 2011 season in Charlotte against South Carolina on Sept. 3. The Gamecocks won the Southeastern Conference’s East Division in 2010. Defending ACC champion Virginia Tech will come to Greenville the following week for the Pirates’ first home game. ECU will have an open date before initiating Conference USA play against UAB on Sept. 24. North Carolina visits Greenville the following week. East Carolina visits Houston on Oct. 8 and plays at Memphis on Oct. 15. The Pirates’ last nonconference game of the regular season is Oct. 22 at Navy. Tulane will be ECU’s opponent on homecoming on Oct. 29. Southern Miss comes to Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium on Nov. 5. A game at Texas-El Paso is scheduled for Nov. 12. Central Florida, the defending C-USA champions, comes to Greenville on Nov. 19. The regular season concludes at Marshall on Nov. 26. “I’ll put this schedule up against any that are out there,” McNeill said in an ECU release. “While the challenge is great, the opportunities that exist for our program certainly surpass those. We’ll have to be ready to play from day one, so there’s no easing into anything from our standpoint. I know the Pirate Nation is

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excited to make the short trip to Charlotte and have Virginia Tech and North Carolina at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. (Fan support), as always, will play such a key role in our success despite the tough task we face.”

Hoops program progressing East Carolina began competing in Conference USA in basketball in the 2001-02 season. The Pirates had never won back-to-back games on the road in league play until defeating Central Florida 74-62 on Jan. 19 and following that up with an 82-81 victory at Marshall on Jan. 22. “We played very well at Central Florida for the entire game,” said first-year ECU coach Jeff Lebo. “We executed and defended very well.” The Pirates had to overcome a 15-point deficit at Marshall. “We stayed around,” Lebo said. “They shot it really well the first half and we kind of hung around.” The Pirates are staying in games and giving themselves a chance to win at the end of games. ECU trailed at Marshall by seven points with 1:45 remaining but took the lead with five seconds left on a 3-point play by junior power forward Darrius Morrow. “I feel like we’re a lot better, not just a little bit,” said senior point guard Brock Young. “But we’re just taking it one step at a time, one day at a time, one practice at a time. “Since this summer, we’ve been preaching that we want

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12 Senior forward Jamar Abrams (ECU Media Relations photo) 2011-03-PC.indb 14

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to have a winning season. We haven’t had a winning season in 14 years. That’s like motivation for us every day in practice. We just try to go hard every day in practice and get better as a team.” Going into a rematch with Marshall at home on Feb. 12, ECU was 13-10 overall and 5-4 in C-USA. The Pirates had never won more than five league games in nine seasons in the league.

Homan wearing No. 23 East Carolina introduced the 2011 baseball team at a “Meet the Pirates” function on Feb. 5 at the Murphy Center. Amid the great anticipation for the season ahead, there was a moment to celebrate the past when coach Billy Godwin announced that Austin Homan would wear former coach Keith LeClair’s No. 23 jersey for the second straight year. Godwin, in his sixth season at the Pirate helm, said choosing the player to represent LeClair’s legacy can be a difficult decision. “It doesn’t get any easier and that just speaks volumes for what this award is about, what Keith meant to this program and this community,” said the ECU coach. “It doesn’t get any easier for me. I would think as times passes, it would get easier but it went to an outstanding recipient. “ ... There were some other good candidates but when it came down to it, he had worn that number with such grace last year that he was the best fit for it. It couldn’t have gone to a better person.” Homan, a versatile player, set career-highs in hits (40), doubles (7), RBI (28) during 2010 and belted his first collegiate home run against Tulane on April 3. He played in 43 games with 33 starts and ranked fifth on the team with a .313 batting average. Homan becomes the first to wear LeClair’s number and is the eighth Pirate to wear the honorary No. 23 jersey. The succession includes Ben Sanderson (2003), Jamie Paige (2004), Brian Cavanaugh (2005) ,Adam Witter (2006), Chris Powell (2007), Drew Schieber (2008) and Brandon Henderson (2009). “It’s awesome,” Homan said following the announcement. “It’s certainly exciting. There were a lot of guys who were worthy of this award. I’m certainly humbled and honored to wear it again. It’s amazing.” LeClair worked devotedly to get the Pirates to the College World Series in Omaha before his life was shortened by ALS. Godwin said although LeClair has passed on, his goal remains intact within the ECU program and its fan base. “That’s Pirate baseball,” Godwin said. “They believe. They believe the same vision that Keith had. It’s the same one I share and we will get this program to Omaha. It’s not easy but we’re going to keep grinding. We’re getting close and our guys believe. That’s all that matters.” #

Read more from Al Myatt at

Bonesville.net 17

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Swimmers Making a Splash

Head swim coach Rich Kobe (ECU Media Relations photo)

The Bradsher Beat by Bethany Bradsher

Success is nothing new for the East Carolina swimming and diving teams, but this season has brought something the teams have never experienced before – national attention for their accomplishments. The Pirates haven’t been ranked in the Top 25 yet, but both the men’s and women’s squads have received votes in the College Swimming Coaches Association of America weekly poll. Teams have only been ranked midseason for a couple of years, ECU head coach Rick Kobe said, but the poll means that swimming observers will have to notice the team that has compiled an overall record of 18-5 so far, with the Conference USA Championship Meet still ahead. “Up to this point, we are extremely satisfied with what we’ve done and where we are,” said Kobe, who is in his 29th season at the helm of the ECU program. “We’re getting closer and closer on the national level. Our goal has always been to get this program into the top 25.” On the men’s side, the only two Pirate losses during the

dual-meet season were against North Carolina and South Carolina, both top 20 teams. Senior captain Andrew Stoker, who was one of five ECU swimmers to compete in the U.S. Short Course Nationals in early December, said that the brighter spotlight on his team is well-deserved, especially with wins over programs like Old Dominion that have also received coaches’ poll votes. “I’m very happy with what we’ve done this year,” Stoker said. “We lost a lot of good team members last year, but we knew we had a good freshman class. We knew they were going to step up and give us a lot of good swimming, but they have really stepped up.” The swim team’s training routine involves heavy competition through the early winter, followed by a taper, or reduced intensity of training with no meets for several weeks leading up to the C-USA event. Finally, just before the meet, which is in Houston from Feb. 23-26, the swimmers will shave their bodies. This regimen, which is reserved for big meets, is known as “shave and taper,” and it has multiple benefits for the competitors. “Physically, you’re still training hard, but you’re not training as much yardage,” said Stoker, a senior who swam his last-ever early morning workout on Feb. 3 when the taper began. “Your muscles get a chance to recuperate a little bit. As far as shaving goes, it definitely helps, but a lot of that is mental. You feel a lot faster in the water.” Two ECU swimmers, Thiago Cavalcanti for the men and Jenna Stewart for the women, have finished fast enough at

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one of the dual meets to qualify for the NCAA Championships, and Kobe expects more Pirate swimmers to make the NCAA cut in Houston, which is one reason they prepare so intentionally for that meet. The other, obvious reason is the quest for C-USA bragging rights. Stoker thinks that the men’s team can easily place in the top 3, but they want a championship to finish what they started last year, when they placed fourth. The women’s team comes in with an even bigger target on its back after placing second at the C-USA championships in 2010. They finished behind only SMU, which won its fifth consecutive trophy last year in the streak that the Lady Pirates most want to interrupt. Stewart has shined for the Lady Pirates so far, even earning C-USA Swimmer of the Week honors in January for winning all four events she entered in a dual meet at Old Dominion, topping the field in the 200 medley, 400 freestyle relay, 50 free and 100 free. There’s plenty of good news to go around, with high hopes for the postseason version of the Pirates. But no matter what happens in Houston, Kobe will be assured of another successful season in ECU’s winningest program and, judging from his recruiting so far, good tidings for next year as well. “As good as we’ve been and always been, to just keep getting better and better, that’s all you can ask for,” he said. “And we’ve already signed, without a doubt, our most talented class ever coming in for next year.” Right: Senior Thiago Cavalcanti (ECU Media Relations photo)

Read more from Bethany Bradsher at Bonesville.net.

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23 Years of Coaches

A Visit with “The Voice” by Jeff Charles

As I complete my twenty-third year as the “Voice” of the Pirates, a quick tally shows a total of seventeen football, basketball and baseball coaches I’ve worked with at ECU. Seven basketball coaches, six football coaches and four baseball coaches. Today I have the best set of coaches I’ve ever worked with here. Ruffin McNeill in football, Jeff Lebo in basketball and Billy Godwin in baseball. Coaching today is not easy. My first year here in 1988 there was not the scrutiny we see today. The Internet has changed all of that, and as a society we’ve become more jaded. I’ve always tried to be as accommodating as possible when dealing with the leaders of the Pirate programs. For years I’ve seen the time demands and pressures these guys are under. Sometimes I have to ask the tough questions, but they all know I go more than halfway in my dealings with them. We all have different personalities, and some guys you just mesh with better than others. I’ve always approached these men as a professional first and foremost. Friendships develop, but

Offensive wizard Steve Logan became the football program’s winningest coach, leading the Pirates to major upsets, national rankings and more bowl games (5) than all of his predecessors combined. (Archive photo)

I’ve never tried to be a “buddy” to a coach. Let’s go back now to 1988, and some special thoughts about the coaches I first worked with and all the coaches I’ve dealt with including today. ART BAKER – you would be hard pressed to find a nicer man. His reputation was impeccable and he gave the program a clean image. Don’t forget he recruited two of the all time Pirate greats, Robert Jones and Jeff Blake. After leaving ECU, he served as the Director of the Gamecock Club at USC. Now living in retirement in Columbia. MIKE STEELE – When I came here in 1988, he really had people excited about the basketball program. He was a good promoter and salesman and he could coach. His teams played hard. The program lacked resources then and it was a tough job. He’s made Greenville his home and has been successful in private business. The Drew Steele Center, named in honor of his son, serves the needs of special populations folks. He’s worked tirelessly raising funds for that much needed facility. GARY OVERTON – The all time winningest coach in the history of Pirate Baseball and an ECU Hall of Famer. A “Pirate Lifer” from Ahoskie, he had some great teams that were nationally ranked. Following his coaching career, he obtained his doctorate from ECU and now serves as the Assistant Athletics Director of Internal Affairs.

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Bill Lewis – The consummate professional. He was a great organizer and a stickler for details. A “defensive guy” he knew football was changing and was smart enough to change his offensive philosophies. The architect of the greatest team in school history, the 1991 Pirates. He served as the head coach of Georgia Tech and was on the staff at Notre Dame. He now heads up the Community Relations Department for the Irish in South Bend. Eddie Payne – Yes he really was “Steady Eddie”. No flash, no sizzle, just a hard worker and really good guy who took the Pirates to the 1993 NCAA Tournament. He was here when Minges Coliseum was renovated. His teams played hard and he left to go to Oregon State. Now serves as the head coach at USC-Upstate in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Steve Logan – The all time winningest coach in Pirate football history. That says a mouthful. An innovative offensive mind, his teams pulled numerous upsets because of his play calling abilities and schemes. There was a real buzz around the program when he was here. A sometimes quirky personality kept people talking. If the personalities in the administration had been different, he might still be coaching here today. He’s now on the staff of the Tampa Bay Bucs. He should be in the ECU Hall of Fame. Joe Dooley – I still have heartburn over his dis-

missal. It should have never happened. He won thirty-four games his first two years with virtually no support from the administration. He became a head coach at just twenty-nine years old and left with a winning record. Now an assistant at Kansas, he’ll be a head coach again someday and that school will be getting a good one. John Thompson – He came into a tough spot taking over for Logan. A good guy, but it was apparent early on he was not ready for the job. He endured two tough years, the Pirates won just three games. He’s now an assistant on Bill Curry’s staff at Georgia State in Atlanta. Bill Herrion – The ultimate “gym rat”. He loves basketball more than any coach I’ve ever been around. His teams were outmanned and he had no chance when the program went into Conference USA. Upsets over Louisville and Marquette were the highlights of his career. Fans recognized his hard work and blue collar mentality and bought into the program. My only criticism was that he could have had better relationships with his players. He was tough to play for. Now the head coach at New Hampshire, we pull hard for him to be successful because he’s a good guy. Keith LeClair – He brought a vision of going to Omaha and fans took to that immediately. His life ended tragically, a victim of ALS. He was a good coach and an even better man.

The late Keith LeClair, ECU Hall of Fame baseball coach, inspired the Pirates to set their sights on the College World Series in Omaha, a vision that still drives the program. (ECU Media Relations photo) 21

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He taught us how live, and how to die. His courage was incredible and his spirit lives on today as a beacon that shines brighter than ever. His number 23 is awarded annually to a Pirate baseball player as a way to preserve his memory. A great man that left us way too early. Ricky Stokes – Served as basketball coach for just two years and it just didn’t work. Today he is employed by the Mid-American Conference based out of Cleveland. Randy Mazey – Personality wise he reminded me a lot of Logan. He was more than capable and was an outstanding recruiter. There’s more to coaching than the X’s and O’s and it was decided the program needed to move in a different direction. Now the pitching coach at TCU, he went to Omaha with the Horned Frogs last year. Mack McCarthy – Everyone likes “Coach Mac” and he had a great resume after suc-

Art Baker (right), pictured with then-WCTI-TV 12 sports director Lee Moore, was the head football coach when Jeff Charles first arrived at East Carolina. (ECU Media Relations photo)

cessful tenures at UTC and VCU. He was hamstrung here with APR issues with players. He did the best he could but after three years a change was made. He’s still on the staff at ECU, and to his credit has been very supportive of the entire program. Skip Holtz – Resurrected Pirate football and won two Conference USA titles. Obviously an outstanding job. A nuts and bolts football coach, he brought great energy to the program. Now the head coach at USF. Billy Godwin – A tireless worker and a real “baseball guy”, he loves the program and has done a superb job. He should be coming into his prime now as a coach at age 46. He’s very capable of taking the program to Omaha. ECU Baseball is in good hands. Ruffin McNeill – Ruff paid his dues and is getting his shot. A Pirate through and through, he deserves this opportunity. One of the best guys I’ve ever been around, we’ve always had a great chemistry. He has the best relationships with his players of any coach I’ve ever been around in any sport. He knows football and he knows people and he’ll be successful. You always pull for the “good guys” and he’s one of the best. So many are pulling for him for a variety of reasons. Jeff Lebo – He’s just getting started, but it’s obvious the man can coach. He has a great knowledge of the game and a terrific temperament with his players. He’s a quality guy too. He deserves your support and I’m convinced he can finally turn this basketball program around. If he does, he deserves a statue outside Williams Arena Minges Coliseum. Til next time, “Keep Painting ‘Em Purple”

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Olympic Sports Roundup By Bethany Bradsher

The indoor track season has been full of Pirate triumphs, but two of coach Curt Kraft’s most valuable players this winter are a distance runner at the tail end of his career and a sprinter just getting started with hers. Jordan Neil is originally from Northern Ireland, but he has spent the past three years at McNeese State in Louisiana where he ran track and cross country and earned his undergraduate degree. With one year of eligibility remaining and his sights set on graduate school, he came east to Greenville to get a master’s degree and to reach some new goals as an athlete. In his first season as a Pirate, Neil has already set and broken the ECU record for the 3,000-meter run, clocking a time of 8:14.34. Kraft expects big things from Neil in the short time he has left at ECU – one outdoor season this spring and the fall cross-country slate – but the coach has plenty of time to develop a talented young sprinter named Aiesha Goggins, who set a new indoor 400-meter record at Penn State in February, finishing the lap in 53.80. Two other long-time ECU stars, miler Britney Copeland and high jumper Tynita Butts, have also shined in indoor competition. Butts was ranked second nationally in the indoor high jump in early February after winning at Penn State with a jump of 1.81 meters.

Golf ECU junior golfer Harold Varner continued his success from a strong fall showing to place 10th overall at the JU Invitational in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL on Feb. 1. Varner entered the final round tied for 21st but dug deep to shoot four birdies for the afternoon and finish with a 3-under 69 (34-35). Two other Pirates, David Watkins and Zach Edmondson, also finished in the top 20 to propel their team to a seventh place finish out of 15 teams.

Men’s Tennis The Pirates defeated their first four opponents on the spring slate before losing a close matchup with George Washington on Feb. 6. In the road trip to GWU, the Pirates and the Colonials each won three singles matches to send the decision to the doubles competition, where GWU won two out of three matches for the overall win. Before the loss, ECU defeated Liberty, Bluefield State, Mount Olive and Chowan in two dual matches, with standout performances from Henrik Skalmerud and Joran Vliegen in both outings. Massimo Mannino, playing in the No. 2 spot, has also recorded two singles’ victories this season, against Liberty and Bluefield State and in the GWU loss.

Women’s Tennis The Lady Pirates swept every singles and doubles match for a decisive 7-0 tennis victory over Appalachian State. The Feb.

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Northern Ireland native Jordan Neil (ECU Media Relations photo)

5 match was scheduled as a home date for ECU, but it was moved to the Piedmont Racquet Club in Greensboro because of inclement weather in Greenville. The change had little effect on the Pirates, who were strong in every part of the lineup, with No. 1 Jessica Cook, No. 2 Petra Vogel, No. 3 Audrey LePottier and No. 4 Natalie Collins all winning in straight sets en route to the 7-0 sweep.

Softball She has won almost every other award in college softball, so it came as little surprise when ECU senior pitcher Toni Paisley was named to the watch list for the Amateur Softball Association of America National Collegiate Player of the Year Award. Paisley was also named the Conference USA Preseason Pitcher-of-the-Year for the second consecutive season, and she went 31-11 in 2010 and set a new ECU record for strikeouts in a season, with 356.#

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Pirate Club News High Water Mark Attained by the Educational Foundation’s Student-Athlete Scholarship Endowment Fund On December 31, 2010, the East Carolina University Educational Foundation reached a milestone in reporting the market value of endowment funds under investment of $10,137,940, the first time in the Endowment Fund’s history that invested assets exceeded $10 million. In reaching this milestone, the Educational Foundation under its written endowment investment policy statement, will be able to provide up to $500,000 in student-athlete scholarship and other restricted support to East Carolina University Athletics during the 2011-2012 school year. Such an accomplishment would not have been possible had it not been for the foresight of five Pirate Club members back in 1983, who saw the need to build a student-athlete scholarship endowment by pledging $50,000 each in unrestricted scholarship support to the Educational Foundation. Those five individuals were Alvin Hutzler, II of Richmond, Roddy Jones of Raleigh, James Maynard of Raleigh, Sam Wornom of Sanford, and the late Pat Draughon of Dunn. Since 1983, a number of Pirate Club members have likewise stepped forward in establishing endowments, led by a $500,000 endowment established by Bob and Margaret Ward of Burlington in support of ECU Athletics Student Development Program. Special recognition is also in line for those individuals who have spent countless hours to provide stewardship and investment oversight of endowment funds under investment, starting with Tom Bennett of Greenville and Naples, Florida, who from the Endowment Fund’s beginning until the mid-1990’s, handled the investment of said funds. In the mid-1990’s, an Investment Committee was formed to provide oversight of endowment funds under investment. Providing invaluable and gratis consulting services to the Investment Committee over the years, is long-time Pirate Club member and a Past President of the Educational Foundation, John P. Hudson of Durham, a Senior Vice President of Morgan Stanley. In recent year, John’s son Geoff of Chapel Hill, an Associate Vice President of Morgan Stanley, has joined John in providing consulting services to the Investment Committee. Current members of the Investment Committee are Bob Rippy, Chair of Wilmington, Tom Bennett, Jim Buckman of Washington, Jimmy Creech of Greenville, Diane Murphrey of Ayden, Bobby Vause of Fayetteville, Gary Warren of WinstonSalem, and Jerry L. Wilkins of Wilmington.

In operating within asset allocation guidelines adopted by the Educational Foundation for the Endowment Fund’s assets under management and in maintaining prudent risk tolerances in light of the Investment Committee’s fiduciary responsibilities, the Committee reported a weighted rate of return of 13.92% on endowment funds invested in 2010. Although the Educational Foundation has recently passed a “high water mark” for the Endowment Fund’s invested assets, the need to add to the Endowment Fund over time has not diminished. The future financial stability of Pirate Athletics and its ability to fund student-athlete scholarships, depends upon significant growth in the Endowment Fund’s assets over time. If you’d like to see how you can establish a student-athlete scholarship endowment through a five-year funding commitment, deferred gift or will bequest, please contact the Pirate Club Office. In establishing a student-athlete scholarship endowment, a donor makes an investment in the lives of Pirate student-athletes for generations to come. Please join a number of fellow Pirate Club Members, who have already made such an investment!

New Changes for 2011 1.

Football parking now offered at the SWASHBUCKLER ($200-$399) level in Zone 3 at the Carol Belk Lot. Price is $120.

Parking prices are now $120 for all members that qualify to park at Elmhurst School. RV parking at Elmhurst School will be $250 and RV parking at VIP Lot and Carol Belk Lot will be $200.

Basketball parking for 2011-12 season at the Skull and Crossbones ($600 - $1,199) level will cost $60.

Hard copy of The Pirates’ Chest magazine will be mailed to all Skull and Crossbones ($600 - $1,199) level and above members, while an electronic copy will be sent to all other members.

New incentives for increased giving and/or recruiting new members called 110% Pirate and 212° Passion. (See below for more information.)

110% PIRATE Every day — in the classroom, on the field, and in life — we ask our Pirate student-athletes to give 110% in all they do in the pursuit of “championship excellence”. From practice to games,

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classes to exams, freshman to senior, Orientation to Graduation, you can see to the commitment… to themselves, their coaches, professors, teammates, the University and our community. As scholarship and operating costs escalate each year, it is important that Pirate Club members respond with 110% effort again in 2011. Now is your opportunity to show you’re a “110% Pirate” and help the Pirate Club achieve its financial goal. This year, any donor, as outlined below, will receive a specially created DVD of the Pirate victory over NC State. And as an added bonus, if a member also recruits a new member at $110 or more, they will receive a limited edition Pirate Club hat embroidered with “110% Pirate”! Here’s how you qualify: For DVD: • •

Increase your 2011 gift by $110 or more; Join in 2011 at $110 or more.

For Hat: •

recruit one new member at $110 or more

212˚ PASSION At 211˚ water is hot. At 212˚, it boils. And with boiling water comes steam. And steam can power a locomotive. And sometimes, the one extra degree of passion makes difference. That passion is what makes the “Pirate Nation”, the greatest fans in college athletics. It’s that passion that can propel our Pirates to victory in Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium, as it did on October 16, 2010 versus NC State Wolfpack in front of a record breaking crowd of 50,410. Introducing a new degree of support for those Pirate Club members passionate about making a difference in 2011. This year, any donor who qualifies, as outlined below, will receive a one-of-a-kind aerial photo of the ECU vs. NC State, and a specially created DVD of the game. And as an added bonus, if a member also recruits two (2) new members at $212 or more, their name will be put in a drawing for a special travel and game package for the South Carolina game at Charlotte. So here’s how you qualify: For Aerial Photo/DVD: • •

Increase your 2011 gift by $212 or more; Join in 2011 at $212 or more.

For Bonus Drawing: •

Recruit two new members at $212 or more.

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Chapter Presidents, Pirate Reps Recognized Margaret Mead was once quoted about the Power of Teamwork – “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has!” This quote exemplifies the impact that our Chapter Presidents and Pirate Reps have had on the record breaking year the Pirate Club had this past year exceeding both 17,000 members and $6,000,000 in annual giving for the first time. Prior to the Houston game, an appreciation dinner was held to thank and recognize Chapter Presidents and award-winning Pirate Reps. Athletic Director Terry Holland, Head Basketball Coach Jeff Lebo and incoming Executive President Jimmy Creech each addressed the group to thank them for the tremendous time and effort made volunteering on behalf of ECU Athletics. The highlight of the evening was the winning of the Pirate Rep of the Year Award by Sue Francis of Beaufort County (pictured at right). This award is now named the Meltzer/Hudson Award in honor of Mark Meltzer and Perry Hudson, recognizing the impact their volunteerism has had on ECU Athletics. It is the highest volunteer award given by the ECU Pirate Club. Other notable highlights were the Washington DC Metro Chapter winning recognition as Chapter of the Year and John Kelly (Wake County) receiving the Chapter President of the Year Award. The following listing recognizes all the award-winning Pirate Reps, Chapter Presidents and Pirate Club Chapters in 2010. On behalf of our coaches, staff and student-athletes, we thank you for the outstanding effort in 2010 and look forward to a successful 2011.

2010 Award-Winning Pirate Representatives (Listed in Alphabetical Order)

Elite Pirate 3,500+ Andrews, Rita Balent, Peter Blackwell, Stephen Brown, Johnnie Brown, Wayne C. Cronin, Jim Davidson, Kevin Dorsey, Neil Driver, Neal Duber, Corey Dunn, Ronald Edgerton, Brian Edgerton, Norman L. Edwards, Phillip R. Evans, Randy N. Floyd, Emmett M. Francis, Sue Garner, Peggie L. Gould, Jeremy Greene, Billy Haines, Brandon Hendricks, David Hudson, Perry Jarman, Eric W. Johnson, David Joyner, Carl Kelly, John M. McRae, Brian L. Melton, Larry Meltzer, Mark

Pitt Pitt Washington Metro Wayne Roanoke Valley Wake Cape Fear Pitt Wake Pitt Lenior/Greene Pitt Wayne Beaufort Charlotte Area Pitt Beaufort Onlsow/Jones Wake Martin/Hertford/ Bertie Cape Fear Nash/Edgecombe Johnston/Harnett Pitt Pitt Pitt Wake Lee/Chatham/ Moore Pitt Pitt

Messer, Larry & Linda Miller, Kevin Mitchell, Margaret Perry, C. Derek Randall, Daniel Paul Raynor, Donna Riddick, Ike Freeman Sandlin, Michael J. Snypes, Luther J. Spivey, Leroy Taylor, Dallas Thompson, Mary & Jeff Tripp, Randy & Linda Tyndall, John A. & Cheryl Varner, Tom & Susie Wall, Jean Ward, Gregg & Amy Warren, Gary Wells, Jeff Williams, Walter

Pitt Pitt Wake Pitt Wake Pitt Wake Wake Charlotte Area Washington/ Tyrell/Hyde Pitt Pitt Pitt Cape Fear Wake Cape Fear Beaufort Western Piedmont Area Richmond, Va Pitt

Super Pirate 2,000-3,499 Adams, Jeff Allen, Tracey Asby, Steven Askew, Martin L. Averette, Kelley M Bennett, Tony Briney, Paul Buckman, Jim F. Burke, Melanie

Pitt Pitt Pitt Lenior/Greene Wake Nash/Edgecombe Pitt Beaufort Wake

Crawford, Michael T. Daniel, Douglas Darrow, Michael J. Davis, C. Randy Dilday, Brian Dishman, Brian Dudley, Garry Dunn, John Barnes Englert, David Epps, Troy T. Gminder, Nathan & Christina Greene, Gary Grubb, Michael W. Hale, Tim Hart, John S. Hendrix, Curt Hinton, Arthur Harris Hobbs, Scott Humphrey, John Curtis Jacobson, Michelle Johnson, Don Joyner Jr, Johnny Langston, Thomas Blake LaRoque, Walter D. Leggett, Joe Lineberry, Wayne Manning, Gary W. McAndrew, Scott McPhaul, John

Wake Western Piedmont Area Wake Pitt Pitt Pitt Richmond, VA Northeastern Southeast Va Carteret Pitt Martin/Hertford/ Bertie Pitt Wake Pitt Pitt Wilson Wake Bladen/Columbus/ Robeson Cape Fear Nash/Edgecombe Pitt Pitt Lenior/Greene Lee/Chatham/ Moore Pitt Martin/Hertford/ Bertie Wake Lee/Chatham/ Moore

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Miller, Kevin Ray Mitchell, Thomas C. Molinari, Peter Morgan, James Newby, Scott C. Newman, James B. Nichols, James Phil Northcutt, Chuck Payne, J. David Pearsall, James B. Perry, Carroll S. Poole, Robert Jason Reed, Jason Seymour, Si Shreve, William H. Smith, John B. Smith, Vincent Southern, John C. Strickland, Steve Suber, Paula Sumerlin, Wayland H. Symons, Dennis Taylor, Kevin Turnage, David Turnage, John Wainwright, Brady Walker, Rick Ward, Pamela Warren, Donnie & Jennifer Watson, Charles D. Williams, Robert Spencer Williamson, Daniel Jarrod & Cassie Williamson, Henry F. Wilson, Donnie C. Wise, Harold L.

Johnston/Harnett Wake Pitt Wake Wayne Wake Pitt Alamance Pitt Pitt Northeastern Cumberland Wake Craven/Pamilco Wilson Johnston/Harnett Washington Metro Pitt Craven/Pamilco Charlotte Area Pitt Pitt Charlotte Area Pitt Craven/Pamilco Pitt Pitt Beaufort Western Piedmont Area Pitt Wilson Cape Fear Pitt Western Piedmont Area Pitt

Iron Pirate 1,000-1,999 Allen, Robert L. Alston, Paul P. Askew, Joe Atkinson, Thomas Birch, Robert Bland, John Blizzard, Stephen M. Boykin, S. Earl Bradshaw, Lisa L. Brannon, William Ray Bright, Bruce Brothers, Andrew Browder, Skip Brown, Dennis M. Cashion, Tim Chick-Fil-A (Ben Dixon) Clark, Nicole Clayton, Gary W. Cline, H. Wayne Combs, Thomas Cooper, Evelyn P.

Cape Fear Pitt Pitt Greensboro Area Wake Durham/Orange Carteret Wilson Atlanta Area Wayne Durham/Orange Carteret Johnston/Harnett Coastal SC Beaufort Pitt Durham/Orange Wake Charlotte Area Quad County Area Columbia

Corbin, Leo Coyne, James J. Cuellar, Joey Curtis, Cheryl A. Daughtry, Ed & Lindy Davis, Robert & Anita Dill, James K. Dixon, Brooks Dover, Scott Dunstan, Gary Edge, Greg Edmondson, Henry C. Fleming, Leonard B. Flye, Catherine Frederick, Christopher Freeman Jr., Wayne E. Fuller, Steven Gaskins, Jonathan Gentry, Herman A. Gise, Jeff Groome, Doug Hamlett, Mitch Hardy, Ricky Hardy, W. A. Harley, Kathryn Harrell, Charles Rusty Harris, John H. Hawks, Allen Jackson Hines, Joey Hollingsworth, Ted L. Hooks, Ashley T. Hurdle, Derek Igoe, William H. Jackson, Russell Jeter, Andrew S. Johnson, Brian Johnson, Kristen Johnson, Perry Jones, Chris Jones, Christina Jones, James Earl Joyce, Tab Karen LaMonica Keeter, Shelly LeFevre, Hillary Leonard, Scott Lockamy, Alfred Lockamy, Bobby S. Lundie, Justin Mann, Brian Marks, Greg May, Donald & Shannon Mayer, Ian Miles, David Moody, Rex Morgan, Blair B. Morgan, Michael S. Morris, Cary ‘Skip’ & Nancy Nowak, Jeffrey O’Leary, Shawn Oliver, Kristen

Pitt Pitt Pitt Pitt Pitt Washington Metro Southwest VA Pitt Charlotte Area OBX Cumberland Nash/Edgecombe Pitt Nash/Edgecombe Washington Metro Lee/Chatham/ Moore Pitt Johnston/Harnett Person/Caswell Pitt Charlotte Area Pitt Lenoir/Greene Lenoir/Greene Pitt Craven/Pamilco Nash/Edgecombe Alamance Cape Fear Greensboro Area Wilson Pitt Pitt Nash/Edgecombe Charlotte Area Charlotte Area Cape Fear Onlsow/Jones Lee/Chatham/ Moore Southwest VA Onlsow/Jones Alamance Pitt Pitt OBX Lee/Chatham/ Moore Pitt Duplin/Sampson Richmond, Va Greensboro Area Washington Metro Wake Wake Richmond, Va Duplin/Sampson Durham/Orange Charlotte Area Lenior/Greene Pitt Nash/Edgecombe Greensboro Area

Oliver, Tommy Page, David T. Paramore, Kendall Parker, Diane Parker, Lloyd Parr, Donald W. Parrott, Billy Peele, Jonathan Scott Phelps, Alice Phillips, Michael Phillips, Michael W. Piland, Polly Pollock, Bryan Charles Potter, Georgia B. Powell, Ivey Rhodes, Joseph Bo Ricks, Billy R. Sawyer, Jeffrey & Norma Shaw, George Porter Shields, Daniel Hodgin Simpson, Philip & Stacy Smith, David Wesley Snider, Travis L. Snyder, Brad Staley, Steve Stokes, D. Calvin Strickland, Robert Stubbs, Harry Williams Swanner, Thomas C. Sykes, Jack Tatum, William Taylor III, Aubrey B. Taylor, Bryan & Cathy Taylor, Connie Taylor, Sarah Thomas, Les Tripp, Graydon & Melba Tucker, Thomas T. Tyndall, Kelley E. Warren, R. Mark Warren, Travis Weeks, Nathan Weston, Mike White, Brad White, Jeff Worrell, James M. Yakubowski, Richard Youngs, Kevin B. Zambardino, James

Atlanta Area Greensboro Area Cape Fear Charlotte Area Pitt Richmond, Va Lenoir/Greene Pitt Wilson Southwest VA Western Piedmont Area Pitt Wake Pitt Nash/Edgecombe OBX Richmond, Va Pitt Quad County Area Wake Greensboro Area Pitt Charlotte Area Wake Pitt Pitt Wake Washington Metro Beaufort Nash/Edgecombe Coastal SC Wake Wake Greensboro Area Pitt Pitt Pitt Pitt Nash/Edgecombe Northeastern Pitt Wake Wayne Pitt Greensboro Area Pitt Beaufort Pitt Pitt

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Awards Photo Gallery

Al Lockamy (right) accepts the Purple Pride Award from Mark Wharton. This special award recognizes a current or former Chapter President for their commitment, outstanding leadership, spirit, dedication and tireless efforts on behalf of the Pirate Club. Congratulations, Al!

The Coastal SC and Carteret County Chapters were recognized as Comeback Chapter of the Year for making significant improvements in both membership and donations in 2010. Pictured on left is Steve Blizzard, Chapter President of Carteret County and Mark Wharton.

Michael Phillips of the Western Piedmont Chapter and Pam Ward of the Beaufort county Pictured on right, John Kelly of the Wake County Chapter won the 2010 Chapter PresiChapter were recognized as Rookie Chapter President of the Year for their outstanding dent of the Year Award. John directed his Chapter to a 9% increase in its membership leadership. and 15% increase in donations from 2009. Congratulations John!

The Washington DC Metro Chapter was recognized as Chapter of the Year for 2010. Jim Cronin (left), Wayne Brown (center) and Kevin Davidson (right) were recognized It attained a 20% increase in members and donations versus 2009, and set an all-time with the All-American Pirate Rep Award, given to the top three (3) volunteers, excluding membership record by over 15%. Representing the Washington DC Metro Chapter the Pirate Rep of the Year. Congratulations! was Harry Stubbs (left). 28

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Awards Photo Gallery The Elite Pirate Award is the highest level of achievement and was earned by only 50 Pirate Reps in 2010. Pictured are those Reps who attended the Awards Banquet.

The Super Pirate Award is the second level of achievement and was earned by only 73 (or 17%) Pirate Reps in 2010. Pictured are those Reps who attended the Awards Banquet.

The Iron Pirate Award was earned by 131 of 425 Pirate Reps in 2010. Pictured are those Reps who earned this first level of achievement and attended the Awards Banquet.

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A Pirate Engagement NICK CRABTREE & LAUREN BOWERS — Eddie Crabtree Jr. (ECU class of ‘96) is pleased to announce the engagement of his brother, Nick Crabtree formerly of Dunn and now living in Greenville NC Lauren Bowers of Annapolis, Maryland. Nick earned three letters in ECU Football under Coach Steve Logan. He was a member of 1995 Liberty Bowl Championship Team and also played in the Mobile Bowl down in Alabama. Both Lauren and Nick graduated from East Carolina University and will be getting married in Annapolis, Maryland this summer. Nick is a partner with his older brother, Eddie, in their familyowned business. They have a younger sister, Molly Crabtree, currently a senior at East Carolina University. Their parents, Eddie, Sr. and Fonnie Crabtree, recently moved to Greenville after living in Dunn over 50 years. The Pirates are a huge part of the Crabtree family!

COMPLIANCE CORNER The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) enacts legislation governing the conduct on intercollegiate athletics which are designed to promote one or more basic principles to which the member institutions are committed. The Association’s prin-ciple of institutional control vests in the institution the responsibility for the conduct of its athletics program, including the actions of its staff members, representatives of its athletics interests, or any other individual/organization engaged in activities promoting the athletic interests of the institution. As Pirate Club members, fans, and /or alumni (representatives of athletic interests), you fall under East Carolina University’s scope of responsibility for assuring Pirate Athletics is operating within NCAA guidelines. Your loyal support for the athletics program has been demonstrated through generous donations to the ECU Educational Foundation. However, one must always be aware of what can and cannot be provided to both prospective student-athletes and enrolled student-athletes. Institutional employees and representatives of athletic interests are precluded from providing student-athletes or their relatives and friends extra game tickets is included in these regulations, as they are considered a “tangible item.” Specifically prohibited financial aid, benefits and arrangements include, but are not limited to, the following: •

Employment arrangement for a prospective studentathlete’s relatives or friends;

PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITIES INVOLVING STUDENT ATHLETES •

Giving gifts of clothing or equipment;

•

Signing or co-signing of loans;

•

Providing loans to a prospective student-athlete’s relatives or friends;

•

Providing cash or like items in any amount;

•

Providing any tangible items, including merchandise;

•

Free or reduced-cost services, rentals or purchases of any type;

•

Free or reduced-cost housing;

•

Paying for a prospect to attend summer camp;

•

Providing a meal other than in your home on special infrequent occasions;

•

Providing scholarship assistance other than through the ECU Educational Foundation.

East Carolina University and its Athletics Department are most appreciative of your continued adherence to NCAA rules and regulations. If you have any questions concerning extra benefits or other NCAA guidelines, please contact Tim Metcalf, Director of Compliance, at (252) 737-1522 or metcalft@ecu.edu, or Jamie Johnson, Assoc. AD of Compliance, at (252) 737-4533 or johnsonja@ecu.edu.

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2/16/2011 3:37:31 PM

March Kids Club Birthdays Brooke Adkins

Wesslen Liddle

Daniel Cooper

Jonathan Lee McLamb

Aâ&#x20AC;&#x203A;riana L. Crumpler

Jake Merritt

Camille Evelyn Deitz

Anna Brooks Murray

Holden Michael Deloatch

Andrew Kevin Ricks

Ashton Ellis

Blake Smith

Lanie Frazier

Lady Pirate Sullivan

Michael Garner

Seth Macy Swaim

Anna Lillie Johnson

Rayn Ward

Dylan Rollins Jones

Melanie T. Watson

Happy Birthday, Kids!

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2/16/2011 3:37:32 PM

ECU Pirate Club/ Pirates’ Chest Subscription Change of Address Form Name

Name

Old Address

New Address

City

State

Zip

Phone Please submit form to: East Carolina University Pirate Club 304 Ward Sports Medicine Bldg. Greenville, NC 27858-4353

Zip

Phone You may also e-mail your change-of-address information to leblancleccej@ecu.edu or send via fax to (252) 737-4664. Both your Pirate Club mailing information, as well as your Pirates’ Chest subscription information will be updated with this form.

Are you getting married? Have you had a baby? Do you have employment advancements, changes, honors, publications, or are you retiring? Do you have any information that you would like to share with your fellow Pirate Club Members? We want to know about you, your family and news in your life that we can share with other Pirate Club members. Please mail information to:

East Carolina University Pirate Club 304 Ward Sports Medicine Bldg. Greenville, NC 27858-4353 Attn: Member’s Corner Or Fax to: (252) 737-4664 You can also e-mail us at: leblancleccej@ecu.edu Subject Line: Member’s Corner

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2/16/2011 3:37:33 PM

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East Carolina University Educational Foundation, Inc. 304 Ward Sports Medicine Building East Carolina University Greenville, NC 27858

~Established in 1945 ~ hen we introduced the D  A P last year, we had no idea how popular it would become... or how fast. Now, because you asked, we have added three more brilliant pieces to our very own...

WP

E C

P

C Diamonds, Amethysts, and Gold in two tones make for a dazzling collection of exclusive East Carolina Pirate jewelry! T P C E 14kWhite Gold with 2/3 ct.total weight Diamonds & 1 ct. total weight Amethysts

T P S T P 14k Two-tone pendant on a 14k Gold chain.

T N D P P 1 ct. total weight Diamonds with your choice of 14k Yellow or White Gold chain

T ORIGINAL D  A P P 3/4 ct. total weight Diamonds and 3/4 ct. total weight Amethysts set in an elegant 14K two-tone gold mounting. 14K gold wheat chain

An ideal gift for your East Carolina Girl ! Introducing the newest treasures from the exclusive E C P1 C ...Only at Buddy’s Jewelry

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C    . A   L . W   P   .

(888) 658-3258 A portion from all Pirate Jewelry sales goes to the Pirate Club.

Three Convenient Locations: 903 North Breazeale Avenue • Mount Olive, NC 409 N. Spence Ave. • Goldsboro, NC 1307 W. Cumberland St. • Dunn, NC

2/16/2011 3:37:40 PM