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OCTOBER 2011
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The 2011
Premier Player of College Football Charitable Awards Dinner
Co-Hosted By News Channel 8 Morning Anchor Rod Carter& 10 News Sports Anchor Dave Wirth
6-9 p.m. Friday, January 13th, 2012 Embassy Suites Tampa - USF, 3705 Spectrum Blvd., Tampa, Florida, 33612
For More Information Or To Purchase Tickets Visit www.premierplayers.com Or Call 813-833-3495
Features & Departments
PUBLISHING CEO & PUBLISHER Carnell Moore CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Steve Wright Marc Jenkins Carnell Moore Barry Brudny, Players’ Jason Spray CONTRIBUTING DESIGNER Carnell Moore Clarisa Rosianu For advertising information e-mail: Advertise@premierplayers.com To submit editorials & ideas e-mail: editor@premierplayers.com or visit www.premierplayers.com Write to us at: P.O. Box 341064, Tampa, FL 33694-1064 Call us at: 800-470-0250 PHOTO CREDITS Bill Haber, Cover, Patrick Collard, p5 LM Otero, p6, Aaron Sprecher, p8 Associated Press, pp14, 15 Associated Press, pp 16, 17 Kim Stallknecht, p21 Ann Heisenfelt, p422 Jason Spray, p26 Al Goldis, Page 28
Content Disclaimer & Use The opinions expressed in Premier Players Magazine and on Premier Players Online do not necessarily reflect those of the editor, publishers and or their agents. For use of any material used in Premier Players Magazine or on Premier Players Online, please contact the publisher at 813-833-3495.
Clemson's sensational freshman Sammy Watkins, left, slips a tackle from Auburn's T'Sharvan Bell during an NCAA college football game in Clemson, S.C. Watkins’ consistent high performance has him breaking NCAA records and nominated for The 2011 Premier Player of College Football Trophy. See Page 16 .
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Early Upsets
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Teams Enroute To The National Title
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Sound Off
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Steve Nash Always There To Assist
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A Peek At The Best College Hockey Players
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Push-ups Best For Building Muscle
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Players’ Ink PREMIER PLAYERS 5
Early Upsets Sept. 2 Baylor 50, No. 14 TCU 48 Sept. 3 South Florida 23, No. 16 Notre Dame 20 No. 4 LSU 40, No. 3 Oregon 27 Sept. 9 Arizona State 37, No. 21 Missouri 30 (OT) Sept. 10 Auburn 41, No. 16 Mississippi State 34 Sept. 17 Clemson 38, No. 21 Auburn 24 Notre Dame 31, No. 15 Michigan State 13 Illinois 17, No. 22 Arizona State 14 Miami (FL) 24, No. 17 Ohio State 6 Sept. 24 No. 21 Clemson 35, No. 11 Florida State 30 Arizona State 43, No. 23 USC 22 Sept. 29 Pittsburgh 44, No. 16 South Florida 17 Oct. 1 No. 18 Arkansas 42, No. 14 Texas A&M 38 Auburn 16, No. 10 South Carolina 13 Kansas State 36, No. 15 Baylor 35 Southern Methodist 40, No. 20 TCU 33 (OT) No. 13 Clemson 23, No. 11 Virginia Tech 3 Oct. 8 Wake Forest 35, No. 23 Florida State 30 Oct. 15 No. 23 Michigan State 28, No. 11 Michigan 14 No. 21 Texas A&M 55, No. 20 Baylor 28 Virginia 24, No. 12 Georgia Tech 21 Ohio State 17, No. 16 Illinois 7
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Baylor may not be in the national title hunt, but the Bears kicked off the college football season with a shocking win over the TCU Horned Frogs who were ranked as high as 14 in the polls. QB Robert Griffin III continues to lead the Bears towards a great season with many talking Heisman for his accomplishments.
No. 23 Michigan State 28, No. 11 Michigan 14
Virginia 24, No. 12 Georgia Tech 21
Wake Forest 35, No. 23 Florida State 30
Arizona State 37, No. 21 Missouri 30 (OT)
South Florida 23, No. 16 Notre Dame 20
The Oklahoma Sooners are maintaining their place near the top of the polls with terrific play on both sides of the football.
The opening month of the 2011 NCAA Football season has presented a tremendous level of exciting action including tight close grudge matches, upsets and some teams even establishing early dominance en route to a potential national title. Some things have gone as expected so far while others have completely flipped upside down and there is no telling what will come of it besides yet another intriguing college football season. Lace up your cleats and get ready for a recap of the first month of action for the 2011 NCAA Football campaign. Let’s kick things off with a few of the upsets that have taken place so far during the season: For starters, the TCU Horned Frogs who were ranked as high as 14 in the polls were shocked in their first game of the season by the unranked Baylor Bears by a score of 50-48 on September 2nd. In that contest, the Horned Frog defense allowed 564 total yards including 414 of them through the air and found itself down early and often. TCU would make a dramatic comeback to take a one point lead at 48-47 with 4:27 left in the game but Baylor would answer back with a 37 -yard game winning field goal by Aaron Jones with just 1:04 remaining. Even though, technically, it’s not an upset, the game between then ranked #3 Oregon and then 4th ranked LSU can be included in this conversation. The game was a battle between two heavyweights but the team who was ranked higher entering the game wound up losing the game by 13 points as the Tigers of LSU came out victorious over the Oregon Ducks 40-27. The game was truly one of the better games so far this season and it left one team’s National Title hopes for this year all but gone (Oregon) and helped another realize that they can claim the title if they continue to play at the level which they are (LSU). In the fourth week of NCAA gridiron action, there was another major upset that took place when the then #21 Clemson Tigers knocked off the then #11 Florida State Seminoles by a score of 35-30. This loss for FSU came just one week following a tough loss at the hands of the then
ranked number one team in the land, The Oklahoma Sooners. In the Clemson/Florida State upset the Tigers took an early 14-3 lead and never looked back as they racked up 443 yards against a defense that many were considering one of the best in the nation at the beginning of the season. A few more upsets that took place that also deserve a quick mention are then #16 Notre Dame losing to South Florida 23-20 on September 3rd, then #21 Missouri losing to then unranked Arizona State 37-30 in overtime on September 9th, Notre Dame defeating then #15 Michigan State 31-13 on September 17th, then #17 Ohio State getting pummeled by unranked Miami (FL) 24-6 on September 17th and Arizona State defeating then #23 USC 43-22 on September 24th. Now let’s focus on the teams that have a legitimate chance at winning the 2012 BCS Championship. The LSU Tigers are currently ranked #1 in the AP poll and #2 in the Coaches poll. So far they have handled then #3 Oregon (40-27), Northwestern State (49-3), then #25 Mississippi State (19-6), then #16 West Virginia (47-21), Kentucky (35-7) and then #17 Florida (41-11). At the time of writing this article the Tigers had a 6-0 record and were sitting atop of the SEC West. Some of their major contributors include QB Jarrett Lee, RBs Spencer Ware and Michael Ford, and WR Rueben Randle. However, the Tigers will have a few more strenuous tests to pass before they can think about the National Title including the Alabama Crimson Tide on November 5th. The Oklahoma Sooners are maintaining their place near the top of the polls with terrific play on both sides of the football. They currently sit #3 in the AP poll and remain #1 in the Coaches poll. The Sooners average 36 points per game, only allow 18.3 points per game and 354.7 passing yards per game. So far the players who were expected to be playmakers this season for Oklahoma have stepped up such as QB Landry Jones, RB Dominique Whaley and WR Ryan Broyles. The one game that could make or break their continued on next page PREMIER PLAYERS 9
season will be held on December 3rd against cross-state rivals and fellow BCS title contender Oklahoma State. The Alabama Crimson Tide have had a great start to their 2011 season and are currently sitting at #2 in the AP poll and tied for #3 in the Coaches poll. The Tide average 38.5 points per game, only allow 8.0 points per game and rush for 230.8 yards per game. Currently, they share the SEC West lead with LSU. Their key playmakers include QB AJ McCarron, RBs Trent Richardson and RB Eddie lacy, and WR Marquis Maze. The Crimson Tide, undoubtedly, has the game between them and the LSU Tigers on November 5th circled on their schedules. The Boise State Broncos have begun the 2011 campaign continuing their tradition as the Blue Field Bullies. They are currently ranked #5 in the AP poll and #6 in the Coaches poll with an undefeated season. The Broncos are ranked 20th in the nation in points scored per game, 29th in points allowed per game and 8th in passing yards per game. Boise State’s big -time players such as QB Kellen Moore, RB Doug Martin and Tyler Shoemaker are the main reasons why they continue to win. The Broncos last major test of the season will come on November 12th when they square off against the TCU Horned Frogs. The Oklahoma State Cowboys have proven already that at this juncture of the season, they are one of the top teams in the country. The undefeated Cowboys sit at #6 in the AP poll
and #7 in the Coaches. They average 46.8 points and 415.5 passing yards per game while allowing 27.5 points per game. At the center of it all is QB Brandon Weeden, RB Joseph Randle and stud WR Justin Blackmon. The Cowboys have a make or break game for them on December 3rd when they will square off with the Oklahoma Sooners for bragging rights of the state, possibly first place in the conference, and a shot at the BCS National Title. The Stanford Cardinal are the final team that I feel can truly challenge for the 2012 BCS title. However, the Wisconsin Badgers are making a great case, too. Currently, the Cardinal are ranked #7 in the AP poll and #5 in the Coaches poll and have a 5-0 record. Stanford is currently ranked ninth in the nation in terms of points scored per game (46.0 PPG) and fourth in points allowed per game (9.0 PAG) which is why they seem like a tough team to knock off of their title hunt. All-world QB Andrew Luck is leading this team to where they want and need to be along with RB Stepfan Taylor and WR Chris Owusu. The Cardinal’s last difficult test will come at the hands of #9 Oregon on November 12th. If they can get past that one with a win then the BCS title could be within their sights. Just one month has gone by in the NCAA College Football season and it has already been a pretty memorable one. I can’t wait to see how the rest of the year plays out. Sit back, relax and enjoy the remainder of a great campaign.
Jarrett Lee (#12) is directing a very balanced and fast LSU offense supported by a very staunched defense. It will be a match for the ages Nov. 5 when LSU takes on another very balance but bruising offense in Alabama that also brings a talented defense. PREMIER PLAYERS 10
Pagani Zonda Clinque Roadster One of the most exotic cars out there is one of the most expensive at $1,850,000. It can go from 060 in 3.4 seconds with a top speed of 217 mph.
Sound Off
A Wisconsin Badgers fan.flashes the W at a game between the Badgers and the Indiana Hoosiers. Wisconsin won 59-7.
UCLA Bruins Fans at the game between the Washington State Cougars and the Bruins at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA.
Temple Owls fans having fun at the game between the Buffalo Bulls and the Owls. The Owls beat the Bulls.
Georgia Tech University fans in full color watch Tech defeat the Maryland Terrapins, 21-16.
Oklahoma State fans cheering for their team during the game between the Oklahoma State University Cowboys and the Texas A&M. PREMIER PLAYERS 14
Top 25 Candidates For The 2011 Premier Player of College Football Trophy Here are the 25 candidates for The 2011 Premier Player of College Football trophy. Can you name them all? Go to www.premierplayers.com to see the complete list of names, pictures and stats. Then vote for who you think is the best player. The award will be presented to the athlete fans voted as the best player in NCAA college football. Fans have until December 10th to cast their initial votes for deciding the five finalists. The five athletes with the most votes will be announced Dec. 12th and invited to The Premier Player of College Football charitable awards dinner. Simultaneous, another poll begins with just those five players on the ballot that remains open until a week before the awards dinner. The recipient of the trophy will be revealed at the charitable dinner set for 6 p.m. on January 13, 2012, at the Embassy Suites Tampa -University of South Florida.
Make Sure You Vote at www.premierplayers.com
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The most powerful and the most expensive Lamborghini ever built at $1,600.000. It takes 3.3 seconds to reach 60 mph and it has a top speed of 211 mph. Its rarity (limited to 20) and slick design are the reasons why it is so expensive and costly to own.
Community
Steve Nash Is Always There For The Assist By: Barry Brudny A power forward dashes through the lane and delivers a two handed slam. The crowd goes wild and the energy is palpable in the arena. All eyes are on the man who just electrified the arena. However, few are on the point guard that executed the perfect bounce pass through two defenders to enable the play to happen. Such is the life of a point guard, boosting his teammates instead of himself. Sports analysts, players, and coaches alike all state that basketball is a team game. That team play, however, almost always seems to start through its point guard. He gets the gears in motion; he gets the play running. It’s ironic that the player who most often empowers his team to succeed is usually given the least acclaim. With the exception of Derrick Rose, who controls games and scores often because of his superior speed and unprecedented athleticism, most successful point guards pass first and shoot second, giving their teammates opportunities while they are just the supporters. This is what makes Steve Nash such an amazing point guard, he commands the game enough to become a star while supporting. Nash is a Canadian, first round draft pick by the Phoenix Suns out of Santa Clara University and has long exceled in his passing and dribbling abilities. Two years after being drafted, the 15th overall pick was traded to Dallas to play with Dirk Nowitzki and Michael PREMIER PLAYERS 20
Finley. While many thought the power trio would win a championship, they consistently fell short of expectations. The playoff losses prompted owner Mark Cuban to trade Steve Nash back to the Suns in 2004. Expectations were very low for the Suns, having won just 29 games the season before Nash was traded. However, with Nash and the drafting of soon-to-be star Amare Stoudemire, the Suns won an NBA-best 62 games. Nash had found his perfect offense, where the offense was very fast-paced and he could be the floor general that everyone envisioned he could be. He led the league in assists and still managed to shoot over 50% from the field. He displayed how a point guard can be the supporter but still a star. He ran the helm of the most potent offense the league had seen in over a decade, dishing dimes to every teammate and yet still getting as much acclaim as them if not more. The NBA voters realized this and voted him to be only the third point guard in NBA history to win the MVP award. True to his nature as a point guard, Nash plays a supporting role off the court as well. He is the head of the Steve Nash Foundation, which he and his family established in 2001. The foundation, which gained US charitable status in 2004 and Canadian charitable status in 2007, has two headquarters; one is in Phoenix and the other in Nash’s hometown of Victoria, British Columbia. The foundation was created to support the children of Canada, the
US, Paraguay, and Uganda through methods like funding nonprofits, investigating new scientific research to aid in the recovery from child abuse, and giving teacher training on child sexual abuse. Outside of Canada and the US, Nash has taken a particular interest in helping the children in Paraguay and Uganda to overcome their struggles. In Paraguay, his foundation is taking more of a support role by donating to improve the cardiac care for children, institute more clinics for children to be examined in, and provide safe environments to better advance the health and education of children in the region. In Uganda, his foundation is taking more of a recovery role. Though in early development, the Support Hope Foundation aims to “create opportunities for reconciliation in waraffected communities in Uganda.” Through his multinational foundation, Steve Nash has impacted the lives of countless children and has brought about a significant amount of positive change in just the decade his foundation has existed. He is always giving. Whether, it’s a basketball on a fast break or charity funds to a Paraguayan school, Nash is always there for the assist.
Photo: Steve Nash and Mattie MacEwan, a liver transplant recipient, at Nash’s charity soccer match in Vancouver, BC.
The 2011 Premier Player of College Hockey
Fans Follow Top Players By Steve Wright The initial candidates for the 2012 Premier Player of College Hockey Trophy have been announced and voting is up and running on the Premier Players website. A total of 15 players have been announced so far, and five additional players will be added on the ballot in January. The five candidates with the most votes will be invited to The 2012 Premier Player of College Hockey charitable awards dinner where we will announce the overall winner, so be sure to go to the website and place your vote. Here is a sneak peak of some of the front runners for the award: Jaden Schwartz – W - Colorado College Schwartz will be looking to build on a freshman year that saw him total 47 points despite only playing in 30 of his team’s games. What really excites the coaching staff at Colorado College is that Schwartz ended his season with 14 points in his team’s last six games. IF, he can pick up that kind of form starting out his sophomore season then the sky is the limit for this wing forward as he embarks on what could be his last college campaign. Justin Schultz – D – Wisconsin Schultz is everything that an elite college hockey defensemen should be and a lot more. He quarterbacks the power play unit, kills penalties, shuts down offenses single handedly, and is a vocal leader both on and off the ice. Not only does Schultz prevent the opposition from scoring, he can also find the way to the net himself. As the leading scoring defensemen in the nation as a sophomore last year (18 goals, 29 assists), Schultz is especially effective on the power play where he scored half of his goals. Coming back to Wisconsin for one more year shows the commitment level of a guy who was a sure fire NHL pick. Aaron Dell – G – North Dakota Dell logged over 2300 minutes for the Fighting Sioux last year, despite coming into the season as the second goaltender on the depth chart. This year, there is no such controversy over the starting position and it would seem to be reasonable to expect that Dell at least repeat last year’s
outstanding campaign. Dell’s excellent vision and reaction time allow him to post a 1.79 goals against average in 201011, which was the best in the country. His save percentage of .924 also placed him in the top 10 in that category. If he can improve on his six shutouts from a year ago, then Dell will be a force to be reckoned with between the pipes all year long. Jack Connolly – C – UM-Duluth All eyes in Duluth will be on Connolly in the 2011-12 campaign as he tries to adjust to life with a new role, and perhaps just as importantly, without old friends. For the last two seasons Connolly has found himself on a line with Mike Connolly and Justin Fontaine and he reaped the rewards, scoring 108 points in just 82 games as part of that unit. With his namesake and Fontaine gone, Jack Connolly must find a way to inspire his team in a new way as their captain. Connolly is going to be a point scoring threat all season long, and depending on how he adapts to new line mates, he could be a legitimate contender for the Premier Players Trophy.
T.J. Tynan – C – Notre Dame T.J. Tynan had a stellar freshman campaign a year ago which saw him pick up 23 goals and 54 total points in his first 44 college games. Tynan is just the right mix of flash and control, and if he can avoid the dreaded sophomore slump, he has the potential to be right up amongst the scoring leaders at the end of the 2011-12 season. Ironically, one of his challengers for the scoring crown could well be fellow Notre Dame sophomore Anders Lee. Both Tynan and Lee score in bunches, and both push each other every day to get better on the ice. The result could be a special season, both individually and as part of a dynamic and exciting Fighting Irish squad. To learn more, visit www.premierplayers.com for a complete list of candidates for The 2012 Premier Player of College Hockey trophy. PREMIER PLAYERS 23
Koenigsegg Agera R
The Agera R can burn 0-60 in 2.8 seconds, reaching a maximum speed of 260 mph. It has the parts to reach 270 mph, but the supercar is electronically capped at 235 mph. With the completion of certain paperwork, the company will unlock the speed limit for one occasion. Priced at $1,600.000.
Five Variations of Push-Ups To Test Strength And
BUILD MUSCLE By Jason Spray Middle Tennessee State Want to build muscle? It’s easy—perform Push-Ups. Below, I describe five variations that will challenge your strength and build muscle.
pulling with your slideboard hand until you return to the top Push-Up position. Nice bonus: the pulling motion activates the lats. The key is to maintain Plank position [with a flat back] through the entire movement which you will perform on both sides.
Prior to performing any of these exercises, I recommend mastering isometric core exercises like Planks and Ab Wheel Rollouts. This way, you’ll have a strong core foundation to build on for the Push-Up variations. 1. Push-Up Ladder This is not only a chest and triceps killer, it has a great shoulder and core stability component as well. It can be used as a bodyweight exercise for younger athletes or loaded with a 100-pound weight vest for an NFL linebacker. How To Perform: Start on the right side of the ladder with your left hand inside the last rung and your right hand outside the ladder. Perform a Push-Up. Place your right hand in the same rung as your left hand, and move your left hand to the next rung. Perform a PushUp. Continue this pattern to the end of the ladder. Always move your trailing hand first. Perform two to four complete ladder cycles.
3. Chain Push-Up This might be my favorite of the five variations of Pushups. Since it requires teamwork, it’s great for group morale. To make it more challenging, perform the Push -Ups using 20-pound dumbbells as grips (I prefer 20s because they’re sturdy but not too bulky). The dumbbells add an extra proprioceptive component. Because the chains have to be removed after use, they can slow down your workout. How To Perform: Have a spotter load chains on your back while you are on all fours. Chains should be loaded in criss-cross fashion. Rep until you feel fatigue, then yell “pull!” Each time you yell “pull,” the spotter removes a chain. Younger or weaker athletes should use four chains. Stronger and more mature athletes can use six.
2. Slideboard Push-Up This is an advanced exercise. It requires tremendous core stability and strength. How To Perform: Start in top Push-Up position, with your right hand on a slideboard. Descend into a bottom Push-Up position while extending your slideboard hand forward. Coming up, push up with your left hand while PREMIER PLAYERS 26
4. Isometric Countdown Push-Up This may be the hardest of all—not only from a strength standpoint, but from a time-under-tension standpoint. This makes it a true mass builder!
5. Octagon Push-Up This is a cool variation, especially for defensive linemen. It requires superior shoulder and core strength. How To Perform: To set up, place cones at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock positions. Begin in a Push-Up position with your head at 12 o’clock. Perform a Push-Up, quickly rotate to 3 o’clock and perform another Push-Up. Keep rotating clockwise, then counterclockwise, performing Push-Ups at each stop as quickly as possible. End at 12 o’clock.
How To Perform: The set-up requires three boxes, one for each hand and one for both feet. You must be elevated so your chest won’t touch the floor at the bottom of the exercise. Descend to the bottom Push-Up position, dropping your chest between the two hand boxes. Hold for a fivesecond count. Perform five Push-Ups and return back to bottom position. Hold the bottom position for a fourcount and perform four Push-Ups. Count down to one.
A strength and conditioning coach at the collegiate level since 2002, Jason Spray is currently the director of strength and conditioning for men’s basketball and assistant director for football at Middle Tennessee State University, where he also aids in day-to-day physical and nutritional development. Spray earned his bachelor and master’s degrees from Middle Tennessee and is CSCS, SCCC, USAW, NSCA, NASE, FMS and CSCCa certified. He is also a USA Weightlifting Club coach and a certified physical therapy aide. Spray has trained athletes ranging from high school to the professional and Olympic levels. He has been featured in Premier Players Magazine and is the head sports performance adviser for RSP Nutrition.
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Player’s Ink
Michigan State defensive tackle Jerel Worthy listens to instructions at football practice. On his left arm is a tattoo of a Spartan slaying a Wolverine. The Michigan vs. Michigan State game is always one of the most highly anticipated football games of the season. According to Campus Den, the rivalry attracts more fans than any other rivalry in college football, except the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry. And no team, not even the OSU Buckeyes, have upset the Wolverines more often than the Spartans have. The 28-14 upset Saturday marked the four consecutive win for Michigan State over Michigan. PREMIER PLAYERS 42
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