Unlimiteddec2013final

CHRISTMAS WISH LIST

What is it that Golden Eagle student-athletes hope to see under their Christmas tree this year

THE OFFICIAL ONLINE

ON THE SIDELINES Roger Ealey calls the action from the sidelines in an historic first

HOLE LOTTA LOVE

Two top Golden Eagle golfers select their favorite holes of the fall season

MAGAZINE OF TENNESSEE TECH

unlimited

ATHLETICS

HE’S MY BROTHER Watson and Mack Brown are the winningest coaching brothers in NCAA Division I history

Plus...

* Fresh Faces * This Day in Tech History * Father & Son * Shelf Life * Lorenzo and Hoke...in memory ...and some great photos

November / December 2013

Volume 2, Issue 2

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Whoops-a-daisy Golden Eagle receiver Krys Cates went head-over-heels, but held onto the ball, after a reception against Austin Peay.

photos by Jim Dillon

IN FOCUS

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photo by Ben Corda

IN FOCUS

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Weathering the storm

Chelsea Ladd, a junior from Fairfield, California, races after the ball in the rain during Tech’s soccer match against Murray State.

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NOVEMBER / DECEMBER Volume 2, Issue 2

IN THIS ISSUE

7 Stuff you oughta know Upcoming events and happenings within Tech Athletics that we feel you should be aware of.

14 He’s My Brother

Our cover story: Watson and Mack Brown have become the most successful coachng brothers in history

20 Christmas Wish List Golden Eagle student-athletes tell us what they want for Christmas

26 Hole Lotta Love Tech’s top golfers tell us about

their favorite holes from the fall schedule

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THE ONLINE MAGAZINE OF TENNESSEE TECH ATHLETICS

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38 From the Sidelines Roger Ealey made history on Oct. 10 when he broadcast the entire first half from the sidelines

44 Father & Son Bryce Kendrick and his father

played in the World Father & Son championships in Spain

56 This Day in History Take a glimpse back at a couple of memorable days in Golden Eagle basketball history

62 Hall of Fame Class Meet the five new members of the

TTU Sports Hall of Fame who were inducted this fall.

82 In Memory

Tech athletics lost two members of our “family” with the recent passing of Lorenzo Coleman and log-time fan Hoke White

Departments From the Editor / 8 Family Matters Fresh Faces / 9 Meet 10 more newcomers Playlist / 25 Jeremiah Samarrippas Shelf Life / 31 What they’re reading Chatter / 45 T’Keyah Williams

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Connect with us online Twitter - @TTUGoldenEagles Facebook - TTU Sports Internet - www.TTUSports.com

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{ } Stuff You Oughta Know

CONTRIBUTORS IN THIS ISSUE

If you’re a Golden Eagle basketball season ticket holder, we hope you’re taking advantage of a special gift opportunity we’re offering this month — four additional tickets for free to three more home games during the holiday season. Bring your friends or family, and enjoy some Tech hoops action in Eblen Center. The offer is good for games on Saturday, Dec. 14 (women vs. Memphis at 7 p.m.), Monday, Dec. 16 (women vs. Florida International at 7 p.m.), and Thursday, Dec. 19 (men vs. Hillsdale College at 7 p.m.). Just contact the Athletics Ticket Office in Eblen Center to receive your bonus tickets. With 15 home games remaining on the schedule, fans can still purchase season tickets and receive this special holiday offer.

Residents of Putnam, Cumberland, White, Overton and Jackson Counties are also going to receive a special offer, giving them admission to certain games for just one dollar per person. Putnam County Night is actually going to be hosted on two separate nights, one a women’s OVC game and one for a men’s OVC game. The first is Saturday, Dec. 28, when coach Jim Davis’ women’s team opens conference play with a 7 p.m. tilt against Jacksonville State. The second Putnam County Night is on Thursday, Jan. 9, when coach Steve Payne’s men’s team hosts Eastern Illinois at 7 p.m.

Residents of Cumberland and White counties receive the special one dollar offer for a conference doubleheader against SIU Edwardsville on Saturday,

continued on page 9

Bryce Kendrick, is a sophomore mechanical engineering major from Knoxville, and in his second year as a member of the Tech men’s golf team. A two-sport letterwinner at Grace Christian Academy, he was named all-state as a prep golfer. For this issue of unlimited, we asked Bryce to give us his thoughts on playing in the Father & Son World Championship in Spain. And that’s what he did!

In between writing chapters for his upcoming how-to book “Overcoming the Fear of Flying,” Dylan Vazzano, wrote the piece on Roger Ealey’s historic night of broadcasting from the sidelines for this issue of unlimited magazine. Dylan can be heard this winter on the Golden Eagle Sports Network doing play-by-play of Tech’s home basketball games.

Gabriella Farley joined the Tech Sports Information staff in August via an internship and has been filling a variety of assignments, including working in the press box at all home football games. She contributed the “Wish List” section of this edition of unlimited. She has worked with the White Country sports teams for years, leading to her love of athletics.

Amber Martin is a Communications major who wrote “Shelf Life” for this edition of unlimited. She joined the SID staff In Septmeber on a “work study” assignment and absolutely loves journalism. She says working on this magazine was probably her favorite part of the entire year because it gave her an opportunity to practice magazine editorial communications.

Thomas Corhern is an outstanding trivia player and a darn good sportswriter. A former intern in the TTU Sports Information office,Thomas wrote our cover story about brothers Watson and Mack Brown setting an NCAA record.

He also has a birthday coming up on December 30. We’re not joking.

Eric Roth, the father of freshman Jordan Roth and seen here shooting from the bottom of a steeplechase pit, contributed several photos of the Golden Eagle cross country teams. He’s an amateur photographer for the past five years, and a Clinical Neuropsychologist in Johnson City for 16 years.

He is an avid Kansas Jayhawks fan the past 30 years...though he admitsTech has become a close second.

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family matters From the editor

As we snowshoe our way deeper into the holiday season, many of us are making plans to spend at least a little time with our families for Christmas, whether that’s right here in the Upper Cumberland or somewhere a little more distant. For the Sports Information staff alone, we’ll be logging approximately 9,400 miles (driving and/or flying) just to get home and back, including journeys to Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin, Kentucky, California and Overton County.

Add in all the trips that will be taken by Tech’s student-athletes, administration, coaching staff and support personnel, and the miles that will be logged would easily circle the earth.

The holiday season just drives home the point of how important it is for family time, and how much family matters.

This issue of unlimited magazine has a couple of articles that are centered on families. Our cover story, written by Thomas Corhern, looks at the succeess of brothers Watson and Mack Brown, the winningest coaching brothers in NCAA Division I football history. Elsewhere in the magazine is a piece about golfer Bryce Kendrick and his father and their experiences playing in the World Father & Son Tournament in Spain. Bryce wrote his thoughts about their travels and time together.

Another “family” tie is a brief story about each of the five people who made up the TTU Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2013— Kylie, Stephanie, Wes, Lupita and Damien. While they all participated in different sports during their days in Cookeville, they help make up a Tech athletics “family” that shares the special bonds of competition and achieveing the ultimate goal for their enrolling at Tech: Graduation.

In that regard, every Golden Eagle fan is also a member of the Tech Athletics Family. You all go through the emotions with Tech’s teams and players that all of us go through with the families who are related to us and living in our homes. That includes joy and frustration, anticipation, elation, apprehension, disappointment, tension, relief, and sorrow.

Two articles that appear on the final two pages of this edition of unlimited also bring it home about how everyone involved in Tech Athletics is in this special “family” circle. It was a sad few days in December when we learned of the passing, first of long-time loyal fan Hoke White (page 84) followed just a few days later by the death of Golden Eagle center Lorenzo Coleman. Hoke was 89. Lorenzo was 38. Both were still too young, and all will miss them — whether we saw them every day, or just once every few years.

They were family.

So during these next few weeks, as we celebrate the joy of Christmas and the excitement of New Year’s, please pay special attention to everyone who you call family. Whether they are near or far, keep them close in your heart.

As always, I hope you enjoy this edition of unlimited magazine. Please tell others about it, and please let us know your thoughts. Send your feedback to: sportsinfo@tntech.edu. See you at the game...and see you all next year.

Rob Schabert

Assistant Athletic Director / Editor

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/ December November

2013

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On the cover Golden Eagle football coach Watson Brown and his younger brother, Mack, broke the record in November for most combined Division I head coaching victories by brothers in NCAA history. The cover story was written by Thomas Corhern of the Cookeville Herald-Citizen. The cover photo is from the archives, and shows Watson (left) when he was coaching at Vanderbilt, and Mack (right) when he was at Tulane, from earlier in their careers. Amazing how much Watson looks today like he did back then!

{ } Stuff You Oughta Know

Jan. 11, with the women’s contest tipping off at 5:30 p.m.

A few weeks later, the same discount will be given to residents of Overton and Jackson counties for an OVC doubleheader against Belmont on Saturday, Feb. 1. The event also begins at 5:30 p.m. with the women’s contest.

Communiversity Night is coming up on Saturday, Feb. 1, when Tech hosts a doubleheader against Belmont. Members of the Cookeville-Putnam County Chamber of Commerce may receive eight tickets to the games simply by asking.

Youth Basketball Nights are planned at several games in January and February. On Saturday, Jan. 11, Tech hosts groups from Upward, Vision and Putnam County basketball leagues. Special youth basketball nights are also planned for two women’s and two men’s games.

Women’s games featuring the Youth Night offer are on Monday, Feb. 3 against Tennessee State and Monday, Feb. 24 against Southeast Missouri. The Youth Nights at men’s game are on Thursday, Feb. 13 against Eastern Kentucky, and Saturday, Feb. 22 against Jacksonville State.

For each of the youth basketball nights, young fans will receive free admission if they are wearing their basketball shirts.

Scout Night, with free admission to all scouts wearing their uniform, is planned for Saturday, Feb. 1, at the Belmont doubleheader.

Tech will celebrate it’s annual Academic Excellence Night on Thursday, Jan. 30, and all elementary school Honor students will be admitted free. The men’s team hosts Tennessee State, and all of Tech’s student-athletes named to the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll will be introduced.

fresh faces

Some of the newcomers who are making their debut in 2013-14

Josiah Moore / Basketball

Oakville, Canada F After sitting out a season, Josiah begins his Tech career this winter. He played in 15 games as a true freshman at Nebraska before his transfer, averaging 1.9 points and 0.5 rebounds per game. He earned his first career start against Michigan State, and scored a career-high five points in a loss to No. 6 ranked Ohio State. He helped lead Norcross High School to a Georgia 5A state title in 2011. The son of Laura Nero, he is majoring in interdisciplinary studies.

Hannah Goolsby / Basketball

Cookeville, Tenn.

F A Cookeville High School product, Hannah played volleyball and basketball for the Cavaliers. She earned all-district each year, district MVP and all-region twice, and earned all-state three times. She currently holds the CHS career scoring record with 2,233 points. The daughter of Mark and Kelly Goolsby, her mother Kelly played softball at Tech for two years and was also a member of the Tech basketball team. Hannah is majoring in child and family services.

Jordan Johnson / Basketball

Hinesville, Ga.

F Jordan started in 32 games last year at East Georgia State College, and led the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) in 3-pointers made with 122 while averaging 19.2 points per game. Played prep basketball at both Bradwell Institute and First Presbyterian Christian Academy, and helped FPCA to a Georgia state championship as a senior. The son of Felicia Johnson, his full name is Jordan Tyrelle Johnson. He is majoring in sociology.

Kelli Reed / Basketball

Clarkrange, Tenn.

F Kelli came to Tech following two seasons at Roane State Community College where she averaged 6.6 points and 2.7 rebounds and was named second-team All-NJCAA. She played four years under head coach Lamar Rogers at Clarkrange High School, finishing her career with a 140-22 record while winning three districts, two region and one state championship. A two-time all-state pick, Kelli is the daughter of Steve Reed and Tina Cox. She is majoring in pre-physical therapy.

Shirmane Thomas/ Basketball

Homer, La. F Shirmane played three years at Lincoln High School before finishing his high school career at Prime Prep Academy, playing for head coach Ray Forsett. As a senior for PPA, he averaged 11 points, five rebounds, and five assists and helped lead his team to a 37-2 record and 2013 NACA Division I National Championship… also led Prime Prep to the semifinals of the ESPN National High School Invitational. He is the son of Robert Thomas and Shirley Jenkins and is majoring in criminal justice.

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{ } Stuff You Oughta Know

Military and Public Safety Appreciation Night, is set for Saturday, Feb. 15, when Tech entertains Morehead State in a doubleheader.

The first Gold Rush is planned when the men’s squad hosts Tennessee State on Thursday, Jan. 30 at 7 p.m.

Fans are encouraged to paint the arena gold by wearing gold. In addition, gold t-shirts will be given out to fans.

Tech’s annual Think Pink Night is Monday, Feb. 17, when Tech hosts Eatern Kentucky in a women’s basketball contest starting at 7 p.m. Fans can receive one dollar ($1) admission if they wear pink to the game. It’s an event to help raise awareness for Breast Cancer, and pink t-shirts will be given to fans.

SAVE THE DATE: The 2014 Pepsi Bobby Nichols Golden Eagle Scramble presented by Budweiser will be held June 6-7-8 on three Cookeville-area courses.

Registration will begin on Tuesday, March 11.

Young fans, get involved during the 2013-14 basketball season at Tennessee Tech.

The popular Hoop Troop is now in its third season, and offers you plenty of great reasons to be a member. Call 931-372-3940 for details.

The weekly Sidelines Lunch, featuring coaches Steve Payne and Jim Davis is on a break for the holidays. The lunch resumes on Tuesday, Jan. 7, in the Eagles Nest of Eblen Center. The lunch is held each Tuesday, beginning at 11:30 a.m., with a cost of $10 per person.

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fresh faces

Some of the newcomers who are making their debut in 2013-14

Catherine Taylor / Basketball Arrington, Tenn.

F Catherine was a key player for coach William Mooney at Page High School, averaging 15 points and five rebounds during her senior season. She helped lead Page to a 29-4 record and was named all-district and all-region, and earned district tournament MVP. Catherine Burton Taylor is the daughter of Michael and Cindy Taylor. She was born on March 9, 1995 and plans on majoring in pre-physical therapy.

Dwan Caldwell / Basketball

Lancaster, Calif.

F Dwan started 26 games and played in 29 for Antelope Valley, ranking among California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) leaders in rebounds and blocked shots. He racked up five double-doubles and scored 10 points or more in 20 contests. In high school, he played football as a tight end and defensive end at Leuzinger High School. He tried out for the basketball team but never played a game. The son of Edward Caldwell and Angelus Williams, he is majoring in interdisciplinary studies.

Shunice Herron / Basketball

Bolivar, Tenn.

F Shunice played point guard for four seasons for coach Rick Rudesill at Boliver Central, earning all-district honors three straight years and district MVP as a senior. She led her team to a district championship during her senior year, following a district runner-up finish in 2012. Averaging 13.3 points, three rebounds, five assists, and 2.4 steals as a senior, she finished with 1,465 career points, 384 rebounds, 293 assists, and 488 assists. She is the daughter of Jeffery and Stacy Herron enrolled in general curriculum.

Ladon Carter / Basketball

Monroe, La.

F Ladon played one year at Arkansas Baptist College and one at Howard County Community College before joining the Golden Eagles. He was a four-year letter winner at Richwood High School, averaging 25 points and 11 rebounds as a senior, earning team MVP honors while leading his team to the 2009 Louisiana State Championship. The son of Donnie and Sandra Carter, his full name is Ladon Terry’Reon Carter. He is enrolled in general curriculum.

Kayla Brewer / Basketball

Jacksonville, Fla. F Kayla transferred from Texas following graduation with a degree in health promotions. She played in 26 games in two seasons for the Longhorns, earning Academic All-Big 12 second-team honors, following one season at South Carolina. Kayla played two years at Jean Ribault High and one at Robert E. Lee High before graduating a year early.

She was a three-time All-Gateway Conference selection and first-team All-State. Kayla Jeanine Brewer is the daughter of Leonard and Ernestine Brewer, working on her masters in professional studies.

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IN FOCUS Louisiana iron worker...

photo by Jim Dillon

Junior forward Ladon Carter works above the iron during Purple Palooza in Eblen Center. A transfer from Howard County Junior College, Carter got the attention of a ton of Golden Eagle fans with his spectacular dunks in the preseason showcase.

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He’s my brother Watson and Mack Brown are the winningest brother combination in NCAA Division I college coaching history.

By Thomas Corhern, Cookeville Herald-Citizen Sports

On Saturday, Nov. 9, Watson Brown’s Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles and Mack Brown’s Texas Longhorns each earned victories. Those two additions to their win columns made the two veteran coaches from Cookeville, Tenn., the most successful brothers in NCAA Division I football history.

After Tennessee Tech’s 41-16 win at Southeast

Missouri, Golden Eagle head coach Watson Brown sat on the team bus in Cape Girardeau, Mo., and checked his cellphone.

There was a message from his brother, Mack, sent as his Texas Longhorns were heading to Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown to take on the West Virginia Mountaineers.

“Congratulations on the win,” said Watson, the elder of the two Brown brothers. “He said it was

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a great win, and I think he was either in the locker room or on the bus on his way there. But he always does that.”

What neither brother knew at the time was the Golden Eagles’ win over the Redhawks tied an NCAA record for Division I victories by a pair of coaching brothers, equalling the mark of 362 wins set by the brothers Dooley — Bill, who coached 26 seasons between Virginia Tech, North Carolina and Wake Forest, and Vince, who spent 25 years at the University of Georgia.

Later that same evening, Texas pulled out a 47-40 come-from-behind victory in overtime, the first overtime contest in Mack Brown’s entire coaching career.

And with that, the Browns were the winningest brothers in Division I college football history with 363 combined victories.

“We’re so lucky. A lot of people don’t get the chance to be a football coach and be around great

kids like these, especially

“It’s neat to be a part “I don’t think either one could have done at the college level,” of it, and neat for both of us it without each other. We’re so close in Mack said. “Watson to win on the day it hapa professional way — of course, you’re and I have been really pened. I was listening and close in a personal way, you’re brothers blessed that, not only watching his game and he — but we have had the professional piece have we gotten to coach had that 4th-and-7. He had to pass things off on each other. ” in this business, but to to fight to get his win. That ---Watson Brown do so for such a long was neat to both win on time.” the same day, because that

Not too shabby for a pair of boys from Cookeville. makes it even better.

“It’s neat,” Watson said. “We haven’t talked

“But this also tells you that you’ve been doing about it since before the season started, but we will. it for a long time,:” he said. “I’ve said it for 41 years, It’s an honor, and I’m just so proud of my brother. He’s I’ve never worked a day in my life. I’ve been a very just done so well, and I’m just so proud of Mack. He’s lucky person, never really had a job, it’s what I enjoy won, he’s won at places where they expect you to win, doing and I wouldn’t still be doing it at 63 years old yet he’s turned them into even better than they were. if I didn’t really enjoy this.”

He’s always done that and always did it the right way. continued on next page

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In their 58 combined seasons, it certainly hasn’t been easy.

“My wife has told me, ‘You’ve always been an underdog,’” Watson said. “‘You like that, you go to those kinds of places.’ It’s just like being here at Tennessee Tech. Every job I’ve had has been tough, but it’s been fun for me. I’ve always felt like we’ve left them better than we took them. Mack had a little bit of that, but he’s had Appalachian State, who was good, then he was at North Carolina, which was good, but not when he got it, then Texas.

“We’ve gone different routes. There’s been different pressures on both of us in different ways.

His is more of keeping it up at this level and can’t fall down. Mine is ‘Can you ever get this going here? Is it possible to do?’ There’s just been two completely different ways to go about it. His advice for those jobs I’ve had and my advice for the jobs he’s had has just been the special piece and I think he would tell you the same thing.”

Watson, in his 29 seasons combined as head coach with Austin Peay, Cincinnati, Rice, Vanderbilt, Alabama-Birmingham and Tennessee Tech has won 126 of those games. Mack, in his 29 seasons as head coach at Tulane, North Carolina and Texas, has won 237 games.

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“I don’t think either one could have done it without each other,” Watson said. “We’re so close in a professional way — of course, you’re close in a personal way, you’re brothers — but we have had the professional piece to pass things off on each other.

We’d ask this question, what would you do in this situation. I’m not sure either one of us would have stayed in it this long if we didn’t have each other to pass a lot of the tough decisions by each other.

“We talk or text nearly every day to every other day during the season. No other coach gets to do that. It’s a dog-eat-dog business we’re in and coaches aren’t going to do that with each other. To have a brother who will do that with you and vice versa, and always there when you know you’re needed over something critical that’s happened, that’s probably what’s kept us both in the business longer than we probably would have stayed.”

Mack said, “We swap ideas with video back and forth. It’s a great sounding board for each other when something comes up or difficulties that come up where you don’t know what direction to go in.

It’s really easy to bounce it off of someone that you totally trust in your family that’s been doing this for a long time. He can go, ‘I’ve had this happen and here’s what we did and I like the way it worked.”

And there’s never been any kind of sibling rivalry.

“No, never,” Watson said. “Not at all. That’s never been an issue. We hated it when we played each other. It’s always been ‘What can I do for you this week?’ or ‘Golly, look at who you have to play this week.’

“There’s a football that Texas did for Mack that means so much to me that’s sitting on my desk in the office. It was given to my mother after we beat Baylor 56-14 at UAB and Mack beat North Texas on the same date. The football had both of those scores on it. It was very neat, and after she passed away, I kept the ball in my office.”

Watson continued, “That’s really been the epitome. That message on Saturday, that’s the kind of things that keep us in the business, more than we probably would be at this age. We wouldn’t have broken this record if it wasn’t for years. It takes a lot of years to do something like that.”

The Browns are very familiar with the Dooleys.

“We were around them for a long time,” Watson said. “I’ve played them both at Vanderbilt. I coached against Bill when he was at North Carolina and Vince at Georgia. They were both really hard to beat.”

Mack added, “We know them very well. Bill was at North Carolina before me and I’ve spent a lot of time on committees with Vince. I’ve always admired the success they had, so it’s a great honor for Watson and I to be among this group.”

The next closest duo, the Bowden brothers — Terry and Tommy — have won a combined 231.

Watson’s efforts have been an inspiration to Mack.

“I’ve been so proud of Watson,” Mack said.

“He’s had some really difficult jobs over the years and he’s been very successful in all of them. He’s helped so many programs. Watching him and his competitive spirit and persistence has really meant a lot for me and helped me in my coaching.”

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Mack added, “Granddad, at one time, was the winningest coach in Middle Tennessee, so that kind of shaped our lives to go into this direction.”

It wasn’t just Eddie Watson, but other members of the Brown family helped shaped their careers.

“Our dad was an administrator,” Watson said. “He was the superintendent of schools in Clay County. Then we ended up in Cookeville and he bought a sporting goods store. Everything was tied to sports and we were six years old, going over to the gym on Christmas Day at Celina High School because my dad had the keys and we’d go in there and shoot basketball and have a good time.

“Really, it’s just been laid in our laps. Our mother (Katherine) was a great athlete. Mack and I really have had it easy. Everyone tells me, ‘It must have been hard.’ It hasn’t been hard. It’s what we’ve wanted to do. It’s been fun. Wins or losses are not always what it’s all about.

Relationships and family that you build through all of that are. There is so much that I would miss that isn’t the Saturdays. It’s probably kept me in it. Five losses in a row,

Still, for Watson and Mack both, it’s a long and everyone’s saying, ‘You must be miserable.’ I’m misway from growing up in Cookeville, Tenn., following in erable, sure, but at the same time, I’m enjoying what I’m the footsteps of their legendary grandfather, Eddie doing.”

“Jelly” Watson, whose name still looms large at the

But where he is now wasn’t exactly Watson’s plan.

Cookeville High School stadium, a legendary coach for “I never wanted to coach,” Watson said. “Mack did. the Cavalier program.

I was going to play professional baseball or professional

“Watson and I were riding granddad’s busses football. I was dumb enough to think that would be it. I when we were four and five years old,” Mack said. went into coaching late after my injuries at Vanderbilt, but “There’s actually pictures of us in the high school anI was so lucky. The good Lord steered me in the right way nual back then of us when he was coaching.” and it’s been fun. I can truly say I’ve never worked a day in

Watson said, “I don’t remember if Mack went to my life. It’s really been a fun ride.” all of them, but I did. I was on the sidelines with Kevin

“Whether it’s Cookeville or Murfreesboro or Hous(Tucker) and his dad (Tennessee Tech coach Wilburn ton or wherever it is,” Watson said, “you’ve just got to Tucker, after whom the Golden Eagles’ stadium is follow what you want to do in life. Most of these guys I named). Kevin and I were captains at the high school recruit don’t know that. Still even right now, I have seniors together, so I was on the high school field on Friday who are trying to decide. My gosh, I was so lucky. I was a and the college field on Saturdays. graduate assistant helping Steve Sloan and Rex Dockery

“My first trip to Florida ever was to go watch as offensive coaches and Bill Parcells was the defensive Tech play The Citadel in the Tangerine Bowl. There are coach. My gracious, did I get a great background right out just so many things that are tied to football.” of the gate. I got a job with Pat Dye at East Carolina and never looked back. I’m 23 years old coaching quarterbacks who were two years younger than me. I remember being at Jacksonville State when I was 25 and coaching our starting tailback that had been in the service and was 27 — two years older than me, and I’m coaching him.”

Mack added, “I’ve always thought Watson and I were raised right with a tremendous family atmosphere when we were young in Cookeville. It’s a tremendous place to be raised. We’ve seen so many kids in our coaching careers that didn’t have the same opportunities. Watson and I talk about it all the time, when you have a great grandfather and grandmother, then a great mom and dad in an environment in Cookeville that was very safe and very good for all of us to be raised properly, it would have been tough for us not to turn out well as people.”

Watson continued, “There’s always goals. There’s always lights at the end of the tunnel. I’ve had to have my fights in other ways to get the wins I’ve had. Mack’s had to have his fights to win his games he’s had.”

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my wish list

“All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth, my two front teeth, so I can wish you Merry Christmas...”

Golden Eagle student-athletes may not harbor any dental-based requests, but they are asking for a wide variety of things this Christmas

by Gabriella Farley, Sports Information Student Intern

The main thing Sarah Wilson (cross country/track & field) is hoping for on Christmas is to go snowboarding somewhere out west, but she also thinks it’d be pretty cool if Santa brought her a unicorn.

Conor Sparkman (football) is wishing for a chocolate lab for Chistmas this year.

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Football player Jordan Carroll (left) and baseball player Anthony El Chibani (right) each want a PlayStation 4 for Christmas.

Kyle Keatts (baseball) hopes to recieve airline tickets for his parents to be able to come to Cookeville and watch the Golden Eagles during the baseball season.

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my wish list Pitcher Garrett Baugh (baseball) has hunting supplies on his wish list.

Sophomore Allison Geer (women’s golf ) is wishing for a replacement iPod to use while she’s out on the golf course practicing.

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Sandy Zimmerman (ticket office) would like to have her whole family together for the holidays.

Tia Nicholson (basketball) would love to have a brand new, black Nissan Altima

Andrew Neff (video) wouldn’t mind receiving a new disc golf disc.

Mitchell Hill (basketball) has always wanted an expensive suit.

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Kids Club for TECH Fans ages 3-18

SIGN UP FOR THE 2013-14 HOOP TROOP!

ONLY $25!!

Official Hoop Troop T-Shirt

Opportunity to be a Tip-Off Kid before a Basketball Game

Official Hoop Troop Membership

Special Birthday Card

FREE Admission* to all Men’s and Women’s Basketball Games

Hoop Troop Club Giveaways

Access to Special Events for Hoop Troop Members

A Chance to Meet Coaches and Players

Autographed Picture of Awesome Eagle

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* Parents must purchase tickets for admission to athletic events on Hoop Troop Days

CALL 372-3940 FOR MORE INFO

in your ear

Jeremiah Samarrippas’

PLAYLIST

Jeremiah returns for his final season on the Golden Eagle roster. At point guard, he’ll run the offense. Here, we asked him to tell us some of his favorite artists and tunes...

Mac Miller (bottom left) “Good Evening” - This song is one that I listen to while sitting in the house doing homework.

J.T. (Love, J.T.) “Selfish” - This song is actually by one of my good friends. I can easily relate to this song because he sings about how hard he has been working, but he doesn’t get mentioned. It encourages me to keep working and have faith because I still have a lot more work to do.

Mike WiLL feat. Miley Cyrus, Wiz Khalifa & Juicy J “23” - This is definitely a guilty pleasure of mine plus I have a crush on Miley Cyrus.

Kendrick Lamar (center) “m.A.A.d. City” - This is my pregame song. It gets me real pumped up and in a battling mood. I feel like I can go battle somebody after listening to it.

Drake (right) “The Language”- I love to ride in the car to this song. I can sit back by myself and roll my windows down even though it’s colder here than it is in Florida.

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hole lotta love

We asked Golden Eagle golfers Maddi Everts and Mitch Thomas to select their favorite holes from the fall schedule, and tell us why.

A sophomore from Ooltewah. Tenn., Maddi Everts had the low average on the team during the fall season. She was the top finisher on the team in three of five tournaments, and narrowly missed all-tournament honors with a sixth place finish in the final outing of the fall.

Rivertowne Golf Course - Hole #13, Par 4

A sophomore from Knoxville, Tenn., Mitch Thomas had the low average on the team in the fall season, and was the top finisher in three of the team’s five tournaments. He earned all-tournament honors at the Cincinnati and Austin Peay tournaments.

Maddi: Charleston Southern Wendy’s Invitational (LEFT) Rivertowne Golf Course - Hole #13, Par 4 - Slight dog leg left, hazard all the way down the left and OB on the right, there are two bunkers on the right side of the fairway, hazard on the left and back of the green, bunker on the right side of green. I liked this hole because you have to place your tee shot on the right side of the fairway so you are not blocked from the green by a large tree. I parred this hole all three times.

Mitch: Murray State Invitational (ON RIGHT) Miller Memorial Golf Course - Hole #8, Par 5 - I thought it was one of the most demanding holes we had to play all fall. It is an extremely tight hole with out of bounds left and hazard and rocks just left of the fairway. It also has a large tree blocking the left side of the fairway. I hit 2 iron off the tee and hit another 2 iron on my second shot all three times I played it, and played it at even par.

Maddi: Drake Creek Invitational Drake Creek Golf Club - Hole #6, Par 5 - Dog leg right, creek across the fairway causes you to lay up on your tee shot, the creek stretches all the way down the right side of the hole to the green, hazard around the back of the green, three fairway bunkers, large green. I liked this hole because its challenging and causes you to place shots. I had two pars and a birdie on this hole.

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Mitch: APSU F&M Bank Invitational The Links at Novadell - Hole #14, Par 3 - This is probably the hardest par 3 we played all fall. It is a 230-yard par three that always plays into a very strong wind. There is hazard just right of the green and the green is relatively small for its length. I parred it all three times this fall.

Maddi: Great Smokies Intercollegiate Waynesville Inn Golf Resort and Spa - Hole #14, Par 3 Downhill par 3, bunker on the left side of green and hazard on the right side. I liked this hole because it was visually tough and tested your distance control with irons because of the downhill slope. I hit the green once and got up and down once, parred this hole both times.

Mitch: Bearcat Invitational Paris Traditions Golf Course - Hole #10, Par 4 - This is a very hard par 4. It is around 480 yards and the wind is always into the player on the tee. There are two fairway bunkers on the right side along with a hazard. On the left there are numerous mounds and long rough that is very easy to lose a ball in. I played the hole at even par over 3 days.

Miller Memorial Golf Course Hole #8, Par 5

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Clarksville Country Club Hole #7, Par 4

Maddi: APSU F&M Bank Intercollegiate Clarksville Country Club - Hole #7, Par 4 - Dog leg left, lined on both sides by trees, downhill tee shot, uphill shot to the green that's guarded by a bunker in front of the green, undulated green that causes you to hit the ball close. I liked this hole because you have to hit a high draw off the tee, my favorite ball flight. I had two pars on this hole.

Mitch: Great Smokies Invitational Country Club of Sapphire Valley - Hole #18, Par 4 - This is one of the toughest par 4s we played. This is a 460-yard par 4 with a pond going up the entire left side of the fairway. Right there is another hazard along with tons of trees. Even if you hit a good tee shot. You face a long iron into an elevated green protected by bunkers. I played this hole at two-over through three days.

Maddi: MTSU Blue Raider Invitational Old Fort Golf Course - Hole #2, Par 5 - Dog leg right, lots of bunkers protecting the green and layup area, large green. I like this hole because you can be aggressive off the tee, from there you can either go for the green or layup and hit a wedge close to the pin. It’s a good birdie hole. I like this hole because there are many ways to play it. Old Fort is one of my favorite courses, I am reminded of high school state tournament every time I play it.

Country Club of Sapphire Valley Hole #18, Par 4

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Call (931) 372-3940

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March 5-8, 2014 Nashville Municipal Auditorium

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shelf life

WHAT GOLDEN EAGLE STUDENT-ATHLETES, COACHES and STAFF ARE READING

Austin Tallant / Football F

The Bible

FThe Bible has many authors and only one editor, and that’s God. I started reading the Bible because I heard it could save your soul. It was a very special gift from my Papaw, too. This book is full of nothing but knowledge. It assures me that I have to do nothing but believe in Jesus and live out his word. I want to recommend it to people who have lost hope and people who are lost, not just my friends.

Taylor Blazei / Soccer F The

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

F I read The Hunger Games because everyone told me it was a great book. Plus, I was reading it for a class in high school. I finished off the series of books, and they allowed me to use my imagination more. I loved the suspense and the plot line of the book.

The ‘games’ were such a cool concept to base a book off of.

Whitney Robertson / Women’s Golf F

The Shack by William Paul Young

F I bought this book with a gift card I received. It was the first book by that author that I had read, and I found the story so uplifting. It is a Christian fiction genre book and it is about a man and the journey to healing after his daughter’s mysterious death. I love how it is a book that combines both mystery and tragedy into one. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends.

Amanda Koch / Soccer F

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

F I bought this on my tablet after hearing what a popular series it was. I immediately fell right into the book. I had read the two previous books in the series, and really enjoyed the action and the depth of the book. It is a book about a strong girl who is trying to overcome many things going wrong in her life. It is also about the corruption of the human race and how, no matter what, humans will always be somewhat evil. I have recommended it to all my friends.

Tarah Piccirilli / Soccer F

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

F I went with a friend to the bookstore one day and sat and read the backs of books. I must have read over a hundred reviews until I found one book that sounded really amazing. All of the reviews made the book seem awesome, so I decided to give it a try. I like the book because it is told from a perspective I’ve never seen before and it’s very interesting. This is the first book I’ve read from this author, but I think everyone should read it.

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shelf life

WHAT GOLDEN EAGLE STUDENT-ATHLETES ARE READING

Peri Winborne / Track & Field F

Behind Enemy Lines by Mike Kola Ewuosho

F I was given this book as a gift from my grandfather because we share a love of World War II history. It is a collection of true accounts from spies from England and the United States going into occupied France and Germany. It is a story to remind everyone what the world was going through at that dark time. I recommend this.

Kendale Caldwell / Track & Field F Kisses

from Katie by Katie J. Davis

This is a book about an 18-year-old girl who goes to Uganda on a mission trip and adopts thirteen children and establishes a ministry, Amazima, that feeds and sends hundreds of children to school while teaching them the word of Jesus Christ.

If you read this book, you will laugh and cry at the passion inside.

Brooklyn Kimball / Track & Field F The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas FI read this book for an English class. I really enjoyed this book!

Dante and Abbé Daria were the most inspiring characters of this book. I loved Abbé Daria’s voice of reason for Dante as he finds himself in turmoil. The story was very complex and well thought out.

Through the intense faith and perseverance of the main characters, it was easy to imagine the author with the same values.

Jordan Parris / Baseball F

The Mental ABC’s of Pitching by H.A. Dorfman

F I found this book at a bookstore over Christmas break of my sophomore year. I read it before everyone season, because it is relatable to me. Since I am a catcher, I like being able to do anything possible to help the pitcher. If I know to have a strong mental game as a pitcher, I can understand what they might be feeling and thinking in certain situations throughout the game.

Ashleigh Hancock / Volleyball F

The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillippa Gregory

F A friend recommended this book to me, and I had already seen the movie so I decided to give it a read. It was captivating from start to finish. It was interesting to learn about the way royalty lived in the 16th century. My friend also has a sequel that she wants me to read next and I am so excited about it.

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DON’T MISS A SECOND OF TENNESSEE TECH ATHLETICS

GOLDEN EAGLE SPORTS NETWORK CHECK TTUSPORTS.COM OR OVCDIGITALNETWORK.COM FOR LISTINGS 33

Fadeaway...

Golden Eagle guard Ty Allen hits a fadeaway jumper against the University of South Florida during his first game in a Tennessee Tech uniform.

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photo by Jason Roberts

IN FOCUS

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IN FOCUS

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Celebrate good times...

photo by Jim Dillon

While they didn’t win the match, the Golden Eagle volleyball team did find times to celebrate during their contest with eventual OVC champ Morehead State.

Elen Conti (5) reacts to her kill, while Courtney Smith (airborne at left) may have enjoyed the point the most.

Cody Dodd (29) and Ashleigh Hancock (6) were part of the play.

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from the sidelines

LONG-TIME RADIO VOICE OF TENNESSEE TECH, ROGER EALEY, MAKES HISTORY BY CALLING FIRST HALF PLAY-BY-PLAY FROM THE GOLDEN EAGLE SIDELINES

By Dylan Vazzano Golden Eagles Sports Network

T

he final 30 minutes before the start of a football game is nothing more than a symphony of controlled chaos. Receivers running routes, quarterbacks tossing spirals, pigskins splitting uprights, punters pounding footballs, lights beginning to illuminate. On a Thursday evening at Tucker Stadium in mid-October, you can add play-by-play broadcaster strolling the sidelines to the list.

It seemed only fitting that on a night where he would be honored for over 25 years of excellence in calling Tennessee Tech sporting events, voice of the Golden Eagles Sports Network, Roger Ealey, would face one of the more unique and tougher challenges of his tremendous broadcasting career. Calling a football game from the sidelines.

At halftime of TTU’s football game against in-state rival UT Martin, Ealey received the 2012-13 Ohio Valley Conference Media Award, given to a media member who exhibits the highest commitment to covering the OVC. Leading up to the ceremony, it was decided that Ealey would call all the action of the first half from the sideline.

“We figured that it was going to save some time already having Roger down on the sideline instead of having to rush him down right at the end of the half,” said Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Infor-

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mation and Broadcasting Rob Schabert on the inception of the idea. “We don’t know if anyone has done it before, but we thought if we could pull it off, why not go for it.”

Being that close to the action provided Ealey with a one-of-a-kind experience that offered an interesting way to take in the game as well as some obstacles.

“The most challenging part about it was standing in one place trying to see a play on the other side of the field and having to have people up in the press box tell me what yard line the ball was on,” Ealey claimed. “My favorite part, though, was just being down on the field. You see the game a little bit differently when you are on the field versus when you are in the press box. You see a lot of blocking schemes and the plays develop right in front of you, so in that way it was fun.”

“It was something that was fun to try once, but I don’t know if I would do it more than once. There has to be a reason that people don’t broadcast from down there and I think I found out why.”

Roger Ealey was recognized at halftime of the Golden Eagle football game against UT Martin on Thursday night, Oct. 10, and received the Ohio Valley Conference Media Award. Joining Roger on the field that night were, from left, TTU Director of Athletics Mark Wilson, OVC Commissioner Beth DeBauche, his wife Pam, OVC Assistant Commissioner Kyle Schwartz, and TTU President Dr. Philip Oldham. Roger and Pam were also joined by grandchildren Miles (left) and Lily.

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photo by Eric Roth

IN FOCUS

Catch the wave...

The wave of runners breaks from the starting line at the 2013 OVC Cross Country Championships at Morehead’s Eagle Trace Golf Course. Senior John Greene (2742) heads the Golden Eagle contingent.

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father & son

Golden Eagle golfer Bryce Kendrick and his father, Bryan, competed in the United States Father & Son Championship Tournament in Myrtle Beach during the summer, and captured first place. With the title, they earned an invitation to the World Father & Son Championship Tournament in Spain.

Bryce and Bryan traveled to Almeria, Spain where they played at the Valle del Este Golf Resort, Oct. 30-Nov. 2.

Teams came from Austria, Germany, the Czech Republic, Ireland, Denmark, England and Italy. A team from China was also scheduled to compete but had to withdraw. Almeria, located in the southeastern corner of Spain is the country’s driest and sunniest region and the weather was warm and sunny with clear blue skies all week.

We asked Bryce to write some of his thoughts about his experience at the tournament.

My dad made me an offer back in May I could not refuse.

He told me if I did not take anyone to the beach with me this year, that we would play in the National Father & Son Golf Tournament, held annually in Myrtle Beach. We had played in this event just one year after I began playing golf about four years earlier, and decided to go back this year. On the way down, I told Dad I had full intentions of winning, and he kind of laughed and shrugged the comment off.

The tournament in the U.S. is played on three courses in three days with three different formats. First day is Scottish lowball, second is low-ball, and third is a two-man scramble. We shot 65 the first day and were five shots back of the two-time champions after day one.

At this point my comment was looking a little far-fetched,

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but there was no giving up. We shot 66 in the low-ball which happened to be the low score of the day and got us back within one stroke of the two-time champion Carpenters. The last day we were not paired with them, so we had no idea where we stood during the round. We had a number in mind that we thought it would take to win— that number was 10-under, 62. The winds picked up that afternoon and we made par on our final two holes to shoot 64. We thought we would probably come up short but were not sure. When we got back to the scoring area and saw the Carpenters shot 66, we really could not believe we had just won. The look on my dad’s face was priceless when they announced we had won. It really is not all about winning; it is more about just getting to spend time with your dad, doing what we both love, but it sure felt good to get the win, too, and see the biggest smile on my dad’s face I think I have ever seen!

We did not know what we had won until we walked to the podium, and he told us that we earned a trip to represent the USA in Spain in the European Father & Son. Well, of course we immediately looked at each other and decided we were gong to do all we could to make this happen. Once we got it cleared by the NCAA, the planning all began for the trip of a lifetime.

So, off to Spain we went on October 27. I had never been overseas and my dad had been once. When he was playing in college at Lipscomb, they played a tournament at St. Andrews and Turnberry.

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father & son

It definitely took some getting used to when we got there. After 34 hours of little sleep and a lot of travel, we arrived on a Monday evening. Unfortunately, we had the first tee time in the Tuesday practice round/charity event. So, we got up early and got our first look at what turned out to be the most difficult golf course I have ever played. The golf course only played at about 6,400 yards, but it was so tight I did not even carry a driver the first round. Most of the tee shots had to be hit with irons or a three wood. There was out of bounds, hazards, or just desert on every hole, so every shot required your utmost attention.

The hole that we really think of when it comes to tight was number 11. It was a 385-yard, par 4 with hazard left and out of bounds right, but the kicker was the landing area was 40 feet -- yes, feet -- wide. So, we did all we could to try and figure it out, but even after the third round, we still had not totally figured it out.

This tournament was a little different than the U.S. Father & Son, which was three days of low ball. We played the first round and did not play well at all with a score of 75. We were nine back and knew we were in trouble, but we came back a little better shooting a 69 in round two, and then finished with a third round 72.

We did not play as well as we wished, but we had the time of a lifetime over there. The entire week we were known as “the Americans” and, of course, they all loved making fun of our country accents. There were 50 teams from 19 countries there, and 12 European pros highlighted the field, for sure.

This event was also different from the U.S. in that the U.S. had 450 teams and you stayed wherever you wanted to. In this one, we all stayed at the same hotel. We got to eat dinner every night with a different group of people and met some incredible people! The most amazing person we met, though, had to be a man named Norman Taylor. He is a 92-year-old from South Africa. He and his son have played in the event five times and he is sort of the “mascot” of the event. We got to eat dinner with him twice and we loved just sitting there listening to all his stories.

Back to the actual event: It was very cool how they did everything. There were TV cameras following us around all three days, along with official starters to announce each team on the first tee. That was a lot of pressure to hit good shots! They try to give the tournament as much of a professional atmosphere as they can. This tournament was definitely a once in a lifetime thing, and I am so glad I got to do this with my dad!

With the amazing people we met and the fact they treated us so well really made it special. In the end, we finished 11th out of 50 teams and hope to one day return and win the event!

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chatter

Women’s basketball fans are familiar with the play of Golden Eagle T’Keyah Williams, but here are some things you might not know about her...

ANIMALISTIC F If I could be any animal, I would be a seal because I love the sound they make.

CELEBRITY CRUSH F My celebrity crush is Future.

FAVORITE MEAL F My favorite meal is fried chicken, cornbread, turnip greens, and macaroni.

SWEET SOUNDS F My favorite song is “23” by Mike WiLL Made-It ft. Miley Cyrus, Wiz Khalifa & Juicy J.

JERSEY SWAP F If I could trade places with any of my teammates it would be Diamond Henderson because she is fast and I’d love to be a guard.

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photo by Jim Dillon

IN FOCUS

Losing my head...

Junior Austin Tallant (14) makes a jarring tackle on Jacksonville State senior tight end Jerry Slota (22), with help from senior Lamar Moore,

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photo by Tony Marable

IN FOCUS

Down and out...

Senior linebacker Conor O’Neill (13) comes in to finish the tackle on Golden Eagle runningback Stephen Bush in the early going of Tech’s game against No. 21 Wisconsin.

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IN FOCUS

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photo by Ben Corda

Whole lotta leg...

Senior punter Chad Zinchini unloads a booming kick against Wisconsin that had the 80,000 Badger fans gasping in awe.

His kick went 70 yards, and out of bounds inside the UW one-yard-line.

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IN FOCUS

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photo by Tony Marable

Leading the charge...

Mascot Awesome Eagle and Tech President Philip Oldham lead the charge onto the field at the first annual “Running of the Freshmen� prior to the season opener against Cumberland.

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photo by Jim Dillon

IN FOCUS

Past and present...

Current Golden Eagle women’s basketball coach Jim Davis (left) and former coach Bill Worrell (seated on sideline table) visit during the team’s annual Women’s Basketball Legends Day in Eblen Center.

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199

THIS DAY IN GOLDEN EAGLE HISTORY

December 6 vs. Sou th e r n M i s s i s s i p pi

Mitch Cupples Van Usher

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90

1990-91 Golden Eagle Basketball

Future NBA star Clarence Weatherspoon marched his 15th ranked and undefeated Southern Mississippi squad into the Eblen Center looking to dispose of Tennessee Tech on its home floor.

After all, USM was coming off a trip to the NCAA Tournament the previous year in a season highlighted by Weatherspoon’s Conference Player of the Year award. However, what the most decorated player in Southern Mississippi history would soon realize, TTU was not about to back down. In a battle pinning Golden Eagles vs. Golden Eagles, the Tech men’s basketball team got the better of No. 15 USM, 84-78, with a crowd of over 4,500 on hand to witness the upset. Weatherspoon did notch a double-double in the affair with 14 points and a game-high 14 boards, but thanks to a balanced attack by Tech, Southern Miss would leave Cookeville with loss number one of the 1990-91 campaign. Tech junior Van Usher led the charge with a teamhigh 17 points, one of five TTU players to eclipse double-digits.

Sophomore Mitch Cupples and freshman Bruce Oglesby each had 15, while senior Rod Manuel and freshman Rob West each dropped in 10. Southern Mississippi would go on to a repeat trip to the NCAA Tournament and Weatherspoon would once again earn Conference Player of the Year recognition, but for that one night in Cookeville, Tennessee Tech boasted the Golden Eagle squad that soared highest.

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198 THIS DAY IN GOLDEN EAGLE HISTORY

November 27 v s . B a yl o r

Later in the same season, the team celebrated with head coach Marynell Meadors as she earned her 300th career coaching victory. Players in the photo, from left, include Lydia Sawney, Tracy Fletcher (partly obscured), Mindy Campbell, Val Streelman, Chris Moye, Meadors, Rebecca Rains (way back), Linda Fleischer, Karen Seaton, Emily Tyler (holding cake), Dee Davis and Teresa Officer.

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1982-83 Golden Eagle Basketball

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Trailing by 10 at the half against the Baylor University Bears in the championship game of their own tournament in the Eblen Center, the Golden Eagles needed a surge and they found that in senior point guard Anita Myers.

Her eight second half points helped spark the Golden Eagles, who went ahead, 68-67, on a 10-foot jumper by Myers with just 14 seconds left to play. In fact, Myers scored Tech’s final two baskets, including a 16-footer Anita Myers scored the final two baskets for the with 38 seconds to play that brought the Golden Eagles in the championship game of the Golden Eagles to within one point at 65-64.

1982 TTU Tipoff Tournament in Eblen Center, leading to the title with a 69-67 win over Baylor.

The game was clinched on a charge called against Baylor’s Darleen Primeaux, which sent Tech sophomore guard Dee Davis to the line. Davis hit one foul shot, and that was the game as Tech won, 69-67, to take the title in the TTU Tipoff Tourney. Davis and senior Lydia Sawney led the Golden Eagles with 17 points apiece, and Myers finished the game with 12 points. Sawney added 15 rebounds for a doubledouble and was named the MVP of the tournament. Lola Reescano led the Bears with 22 points and 10 rebounds.

Primeaux added 10 points, four rebounds, five assists, and four steals.

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photo bby Eric Roth

IN FOCUS

That’s what friends are for..

Following her run in the OVC Cross Country Championships. freshman Claire Cashin (center) gets a lift from teammates Landry Loving (left) and Peri Winborne.

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hall of fame A

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member of the Golden Eagle women’s golf squad from 1997-2001, Crouch was a two-time Tennessee Tech President’s Award winner in 1999 and 2001. She was a major factor in Tech’s 119-21-5 win-loss record in the 2000-2001 season and was instrumental in the Golden Eagles’ capturing back-to-back OVC championships (1999-00 and 2000-01). She earned allOVC and was named to the OVC all-tournament team after a second-place finish in the 2001 conference championship tournament. Kylie maintained the best 18-hole average on the team (76.8 through 24 rounds) and was named all-tournament in eight of 12 contests in the 2000-01 season. She led the Golden Eagles in seven of 12 contests that year, received medalist honors at the 2000 Precept Invitational (Austin Peay) and the EKU Lady Classic, and placed third in the 2001 OVC Women’s Golf Championship. Additionally, as a senior Kylie was named a finalist for Tech’s 2001 NCAA Woman of the Year award.

Crouch set the program’s standard by earning a total of 12 all-tournament honors over the course of her career, more than any other player in the team’s history.

In 1999, in addition to capturing the President’s Award, Crouch led the team in five of 11 tournaments, earned alltournament honors at the Eastern Kentucky Classic with a fifth place finish and placed third in the Ohio Valley Conference Championships to earn all-OVC honors for the first time in her career. She ranked second on the team as a sophomore in low average with an 81.7 score over the spring season. That year, Crouch placed seventh at Elon to help Tech secure a third place finish and won top honors at the 1999 Great Smokies Collegiate.

She was named the team MVP following the 1999 and 2001 seasons, and also was named Most Dedicated in both years. Crouch was chosen the Most Improved Player on the TTU squad in both 1998 and 1999. In her final season, while serving as team co-captain, she posted the low average of 76.8 and won her second Best Putter Award.

Prior to signing with Tennessee Tech under Bobby Nichols, the native of Sparta, Tenn., Crouch was a four-year letterwinner at White County High School in golf and tennis, and earned Region and District Player of the Year honors. She ranked No. 6 in the state in golf in 1996 and helped her high school squad to the district championship that season. She graduated with a cumulative GPA of 3.57 and was twice named to the Athletic Director’s honor roll. She earned her degree in multidisciplinary studies in December, 2001, finishing her undergraduate courses in 3 1/2 years. She enrolled in a master’s program in library science and played her final semester as a graduate student.

Following graduation, she was a teaching professional in Franklin, Tenn., and served as the Program Director for the Tennessee Golf Foundation at Golf House. She returned to Tennessee Tech as a volunteer assistant coach in 2008. In addition to serving as assistant coach for the Golden Eagles, she also operated a real estate appraisal business.

kylie crouch Golf / 1997-01

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hall of fame I

t was obvious right from her first trip into the batter’s box in sunny Arizona as an untested freshman in 2000, that Stephanie Dallmann would be a special player for the Golden Eagle softball team.

Four years later, the South Milwaukee, Wis., native had rewritten the Tech record book, taken her team to two NCAA Tournaments, piled up an impressive collection of honors, and helped establish a rock-solid foundation for a decade of success for coach Tory Acheson’s team.

With the speedy Dallmann hitting in the leadoff spot, the Golden Eagles rolled to Ohio Valley Conference tournament championships in 2001 and 2003 and an astounding 65-17 record against OVC foes. Overall, Dallmann led Tech to a 161-94 record.

As a freshman, Dallmann topped Tech in batting average with a .338 mark. She also led the team in hits, runs, doubles, walks and stolen bases. She earned first-team all-OVC honors, a distinction she would repeat each of the next three years. She was also named the OVC Freshman of the Year.

Dallmann joins Hall of Fame member Stacy Hughes as the only two players in Tech softball history to be first-team all-OVC picks all four seasons.

Among other awards that would tumble her way, Dallmann was named the OVC Player of the Year in 2003, and selected AllRegion in 2001 and 2003 (joining Bonnie Bynum as the only twotime All-Region winners).

Her list of team awards include two-time team MVP, four consecutive Best Defensive Outfielder, and Best Offensive Player three out of four years. In 2003, she was chosen as Tech’s Outstanding Female Athlete of the Year.

After her impressive freshman debut season, Dallmann followed by hitting .451 as a sophomore and leading the team in hits, runs, walks and stolen bases. Tech went 44-20 and won the OVC regular season and tournament titles, and was an NCAA Tournament Play-In participant.

Her average “dipped” all the way to .374 as a junior, as she led the team in runs and walk and Tech posted a 36-23 overall record while going 17-3 in OVC play. The team lost the regular season title by mere percentage points to EKU, which used the homefield advantage to win the OVC Tournament title.

As a senior, Dallmann and her teammates would not be denied, cruising to a gaudy 41-16 overall record and another 17-3 mark in the league to win the regular season title. With Dallmann leading the team in batting (.432), hits, runs, walks and steals, Tech captured another OVC Tournament crown and advanced to the Texas Regional of the NCAA Tournament.

To this day, she still owns two of the top four seasons in school history at the plate, hitting .451 as a sophomore and .432 as a senior. She also owns the school record for most at bats in a season (234) and most hits (93).

On the career charts, she wrapped up play ranked first in at bats (814), runs scored (171), hits (308), total bases (409), and walks (114), was second in career batting average at .378 (to Hughes), and third in doubles and stole bases.

She was named four times as the OVC Player of the Week, and she was voted to the OVC All-Tournament team three consecutive years.

In 2003, she received her bachelor’s degree in World Cultures.

She worked for two years in the Tech Athletics Deptartment before embarking on a teaching/coaching career in East Tennessee.

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stephanie dallmann Softball / 1999-03

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hall of fame W

es Gallagher stamped his place among the Tennessee Tech football greats, leaving his Golden Eagle tenure as one of the most decorated offensive lineman in program history. A four-year player (1996-99) under head coach Mike Hennigan, Gallagher racked up three straight all-Ohio Valley Conference honors, taking home second-team recognition after the 1997 and ’98 seasons, before Gallagher’s 1999 campaign where he became the first Golden Eagle tackle to earn first-team all-OVC honors since Ken Drew in 1979.

Furthermore, the three straight all-OVC accolades places Gallagher in rarified air, as he became just the third Tech offensive lineman since 1980 to achieve such a distinction, joining Tracy Russell (1992-93-94) and Chris Reid (1993-94-95). No other Golden Eagle offensive lineman has earned three straight all-OVC honors since Gallagher.

Off the gridiron, the achievements are just as sterling. Gallagher was voted a CoSIDA Academic All-American in 1999, was chosen CoSIDA Academic All-District three times (199798-99), and in 1998 he was selected as a NACDA 1-AA Academic All-Star. He also received OVC Scholar-Athlete recognition, an honor that is bestowed annually upon just three male and three female student-athletes conference-wide. Additionally, Gallagher was an eight-time member of the Tech Athletic Director’s Honor Roll.

Gallagher’s remarkable combination of on-field success and academic prowess puts him in a class of his own, as he was the first football player in Tech history to earn both an AllAmerican and an Academic All-American selection.

Throughout Gallagher’s four-year tenure as a Golden Eagle, he displayed consistency, versatility, and an utmost willingness to put the team first. This was never more evident than after the 1998 season when he transitioned into the starting left tackle position after spending most of his career at right tackle.

The decision to switch Gallagher across the line came with little hesitation as head coach Mike Hennigan was quoted in the 1999 media guide as saying, “Wes is an all-out player you can count on every time the ball is snapped.”

Gallagher entered his Tech career with a sturdy foundation of both on and off the field success while attending Cascade High School in Wartrace, Tenn. He was named Mr. Cascade and was also the class valedictorian.

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wes gallagher Football / 1996-99

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hall of fame L

upita Hernandez was a four-time all-OVC tennis player, a two-time OVC Player of the Year selection, and shared the 2002 honor as Tennessee Tech’s Outstanding Female Athlete. She led the Golden Eagles to the school’s only OVC championship in women’s tennis.

Before Tennessee Tech placed much in the way of resources toward the women’s tennis program, the Golden Eagles fell victim to several seasons at or near the bottom of the Ohio Valley Conference standings. Then came the decision to hunt for new talent from around the world. Head coach Randy Smith and assistant Aldrin Campos began searching around the globe for players who might lift Tech toward the top. A trio of international players (including 2011 Hall of Fame Inductee Esra Bayburt Roan) pushed the Golden Eagles into contention in the mid 90s, but it took a powerful go-getter from Villahermosa, Mexico, to bring home the school’s only OVC championship.

Campos annually attended tryouts hosted by the Mexican Federation, and in 1997 he spotted an ambitious, young competitor with more than enough talent. Lupita Hernandez was ranked fifth in the 18-under category, an extremely talented group of young competitors, at the time of the tryouts. A month later, she was the fifth player overall signed from this event and the first 1997 Golden Eagle signee to be announced by Smith.

Hernandez had several championships under her belt before being invited to play for Tech, including state, regional, and national championships. She even landed a win in a national master championship.

Her tremendous talent on the tennis courts carried over into her college career as she led the Golden Eagles to their first-ever OVC Championship her freshman year. It completed an OVC sweep by Tech, as the men’s team also won the conference championship the same season.

In her four years as a Golden Eagle, she led the team to many more victories, placing Tech consistently in the league’s top three. With her help, the Golden Eagles posted an overall 25-3 OVC record from 1998-2002, including undefeated logs in two of those seasons. Tech was 8-0 against the OVC in 1999 and 7-0 in 2002. With Hernandez anchoring the lineup, Tech boasted a 58-29 overall record in dual matches over that fouryear span.

Hernandez was selected as the OVC Player of the Year in 1999 with a record of 19-5 and repeated that prestigious honor again in 2001. She was selected to the all-OVC team every year from 1999-2002 (one of only two Tech women to earn four allOVC tennis selections, along with Marietta Valkova).

Her name resonates throughout the Golden Eagle record book. She ranks first in career singles victories (105-21), first in doubles wins (95-24) and first in overall combined wins (20045). She had the top three seasons in school history for singles wins (30, 28 and 28), the top doubles season (32) and the top two combined season victory totals (60 and 52).

On campus, she received the President’s Award in 2000.

In 2002, she was voted co-winner of the Outstanding Female Athlete award, sharing the honor with Janet Holt.

Lupita graduated from Tennessee Tech in 2003 with a degree in business management. She married Matthew York and currently lives in Portland, Tenn.

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lupita hernandez Tennis / 1998-02

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hall of fame A

member of the Golden Eagle basketball team from 200103, Kinloch racked up numerous awards and accolades in his two shorts seasons as a Golden Eagle. He helped lead Tech to the 2001-02 Ohio Valley Conference Regular Season Championship as well as an appearance in the 2002 National Invitational Tournament Quarterfinals.

Kinloch started 65 of 66 career games, racking up over 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in just two seasons. His 1,069 points ranked 22nd all-time at the close of his career, as he averaged 16.2 per contest. He finished 17th all-time in rebounds, pulling down 563 for an average of 8.5 per game. Skilled on the defensive side of the ball as well, he blocked 77 shots in his short career, ranking sixth in Tech history. His .587 field goal percentage was fourth best in school history.

A transfer from South Carolina, Kinloch immediately made his presence felt on the court for the Golden Eagles and in the OVC. He was named the 2002 OVC Newcomer of the Year after averaging 16.1 points and 8.5 rebounds as a junior.

That same season he earned all-OVC first team honors as well as OVC all-Tournament honors and all-Region honors. Kinloch didn’t let up as a senior either. He scored 16.3 points per game and pulled in 8.6 boards per contest on his way to his second all-OVC first team appearance. He also gathered his secondstraight honors for both OVC all-Tournament and all-Region.

Kinloch was vastly decorated on the Golden Eagle squad in his two years, earning Team MVP in both 2002 and 2003.

He was also honored as the team’s Offensive Player of the Year twice as well as earning both the Top Rebounder Award and Blocked Shots Award both seasons. A team captain his senior season, he led Tech in scoring, rebounding, and blocks in each of his two years as a Golden Eagle.

Following his playing career, Kinloch signed with Pinar Karsiyaka SK Izmir, a professional basketball team located in Turkey. He has spent the past 10 years playing overseas for several different professional teams in several different countries.

Prior to his Golden Eagle career, Kinloch played basketball for three seasons at North Charleston High School in Charleston, S.C. where he led his team to a state championship his senior year. He also earned three letters as a wide receiver for the football team. He spent two seasons at South Carolina prior to his transfer to Tech, earning a starting role as a sophomore.

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damien kinloch Basketball / 2001-03

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photo by Jim Dillon

IN FOCUS

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Fare thee well...

Senior Leigh Heffner (center) gets a farewell hug on Senior Day from teammates Abi Gearing (left) and Jordan Brown (right).

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photo by Eric Roth

IN FOCUS

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Stretch ‘em out...

Daniel Williamson stretches before the meet at Evansville, while teammates, from left, Jordan Roth, Sam Lariviere, Sterling Smith, Nathan Snow, Matt Bishop, and John Greene (background) look on.

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photo by Tony Marable

IN FOCUS

Up close and personal...

Wisconsin senior noseguard Beau Allen gives chase to Golden Eagle quarterback Darian Stone during Tech’s September 7 visit to Camp Randall Stadium.

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IN FOCUS Reeeee-jected...

Tevin McDermott reaches out to block a field goal attempt against Southeast Missouri, a play that helped the Golden Eagles roll to a 4115 late-season victory in Cape Girardeau.

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photo by Rob Schabert

Put me in, coach...

Jordan Johnson looks for an opening in the season-opener at South Florida. It was the first game in Johnson’s Golden Eagle career after transfering from East Georgia State College.

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IN FOCUS

photo by Jordan Roberts

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in memory Maybe it’s because I was in Eblen Center, getting ready for a Sunday afternoon basketball game, when I heard the news. The “Temple of Doom” was Lorenzo Coleman’s palace, where he swatted away opponents shots and shattered the glass backboard.

So, when they told me the big man had died, it really got to me. He was only 38 years old.

I haven’t seen him since he played four seasons for coach Frank Harrell and the Golden Eagles (1993-1997), so I only remember him as the picture of health as a young, college student-athlete.

Coleman died in Atlanta after suffering an aortic aneurysm a couple of weeks earlier.

The Coleman family has requested that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Johnny Donnelly Scholarship Endowment in Lorenzo name.

He was so dominant as a defender that in 1995 I suggested painting the lanes in Eblen Center with the words “Zo Zone” in recognition of his prowess. Painted or not, I can’t look at the lanes in the arena now without picturing Lorenzo tipping, blocking, swatting, and deflecting shots in the middle.

Or the night he slammed one down at the basket near the tunnel, and down came the entire backboard, shattering into hundreds of shards of thick glass. Athletics actually put the glass into baggies and distributed them as a memory to fans who witnessed the first shattered backboard in the building.

I had one of those baggies, but I cleaned out a desk and threw it away a few years ago. I sure wish I still had it now.

Just like I wish I had paid more attention to Lorenzo’s frequent posts on Facebook. After his death, I went to his page and saw dozens and dozens of comments from friends and former teammates, all with the same thoughts. After expressing their prayers and thoughts, all of those posts talked about what a kind-hearted, gentle person he was.

I looked through some of the photos he had on Facebook. There were pictures of his wife and child, and pictures of Lorenzo taking time to visit with fans while he played for teams around the world.

And it hit me that we were blessed to have Lorenzo on the Golden Eagle roster for four years.

Lorenzo is ours at Tennessee Tech, but he is also a player known in towns around the world, for wherever he played, he was a favorite of the crowds. Not because he towered over the fans, but because he humbled himself and spent time with the fans. He was never the “big man on campus” in terms of acting like a star. He was a big man on the Tech campus in size, and he spent his time in classrooms working alongside classmates, sitting with others in the cafeteria, and visiting with fans whenever they approached.

Looking at Lorenzo’s Tech career in numbers, he played in 113 games between 1993 and 1997, serving as team cocaptain (with Chris Turner and Ryan Black) in his senior season of 1996-97.

He was chosen as the team MVP in 1995 and 1997, and was an all-region selection in 1997. He was named to the allOVC team in his sophomore and senior seasons, and was on the OVC all-tournament team in 1997. As a freshman, he was

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named to the OVC all-newcomer team, and twice was voted the winner of the team’s Most Improved Player award.

He kept working hard throughout his career, and was also named Most Improved Player as a senior in 1997.

Lorenzo finished with 1,365 career points, and currently ranks 11th all-time in points. He was eighth when his career ended. He is second all-time in rebounds with 1,001 and first in blocked shots with 439. His career field goal mark of 60.1 percent ranked second when he left Tech, and is still fourth all-time. Only 12 players in Tech history have played more games than Lorenzo Coleman.

He was in a trio that made up the most prolific season of shot blockers in NCAA history, battling throughout the 1996-97 season with Adonal Foyle of Colgate and Tim Duncan of Wake Forest, taking turns leading the nation from week to week. He finished the year with 437 career blocked shots in 113 games, which ranked fourth in history at that time.

The only players who finished that year ranked above Coleman in career blocks were Foyle with 492, Duncan with 481, and Alonzo Mourning with 453. Since then, eight other players have surpassed Coleman's total, but the former Golden Eagle still ranks 12th all-time in career blocks.

In the 2001 NBDL Supplemental Draft, Lorenzo was drafted first overall by the Roanoke Dazzle, where his field goal percentage of 60.6 led the league. His 67 blocks were good enough for fourth in the league and his block percentage of 6.5 ranked third. He also finished in the top 10 of the league in blocks per game (fifth with 1.5), total rebound percentage (seventh with 16.2), and defensive rebound percentage (ninth with 22.0).

Prior to the draft, Lorenzo spent time in preseason camps with both the Chicago Bulls and Charlotte Hornets.

His love for the game can never be denied as Lorenzo played several years overseas with teams from Syria, China, Bulgaria, the Philippines, a USA-Entertainment team, and, most recently, a team from Uruguay. He also played one season with the Harlem Globetrotters in 2002.

He was never too shy to give back to the community, spending time with kids in numerous camps, including the 2nd Annual Noble Star Basketball Camp as recent as 2011.

In March of 2002, Lorenzo was named the High Flyer of the Week, presented by US Airways, for his dedication to the community of Roanoke. He went on several school visits and served more than 300 meals at a local rescue mission while also participating in events with the Mill Mountain Zoo and Knights of Columbus youth basketball tournament.

-- Written by Rob Schabert

in memory It is not often said that Hoke White won't be at the Tennessee Tech football game, but this time... well, it has to be said.

One of Tennessee Tech's most loyal fans, Hoke White passed away Thursday night.

Such a stalwart fan, such an optimistic man, Hoke was 88. As the legend goes, his blood ran purple and gold. We couldn't even force ourselves to use the standard black and white for the graphic that appears with his photo for this story – it HAD to be purple and gold.

He knew every Golden Eagle football coach for the past 50 years, and would walk to the stadium and stroll into their office to spend a few minutes talking football. Every coach at Tech, in Hoke's opinion, was a Coach of the Year.

And every player who donned the purple and gold was an All-American. I've never seen a more loyal fan...EVER.

By the time I arrived in Cookeville in 1982 and began driving the media to Golden Eagle football games, Hoke already had logged a few decades of following his favorite team. He was a welcome part of the media crew, riding thousands and thousands of miles with our radio announcers, sportswriters, photographers, videographers, and bloggers. He had a reserved seat on the media van for at least the next 25 years that I was at the wheel.

It's been only the past few years that Hoke hasn't traveled with us, and he has been missed.

It didn't matter Tech's record, whether 0-10 or 10-0, Hoke was always the first to arrive for departure from Eblen Center, settling into his seat in the second row of the van, and enthusiastic about Tech's chances that day.

We always passed around a sheet of paper for everyone on board to write down their predictions (no betting of course, just friendly banter afterwards). There were times that nine out of 10 riders selected the home team, yet Hoke – against all odds – ALWAYS took Tech. ALWAYS.

He was a quiet man, never trying to steer the conversation or change anyone's opinion. But he always chipped in when asked. And sometimes, when the conversation was at a lull, his soft voice would break the silence with a question for someone in the group, something that didn't match anything anyone had been talking about.

On a drive to VMI in the middle of Virginia, rolling north on I-81, after about six hours of kidding and proclaiming statements, predictions, and other comments, the van got quiet.

About 10 minutes later, Hoke's voice poked through:

"Have you ever been to Gettysburg?" he asked Michelle in the front seat.

What? Really? Where on earth did that question come from, other than the fact that you travel I-81 to reach Gettysburg.

We all shared a laugh at the time. And today, on nearly every van ride to Charleston or Richmond or Murray or beyond, invariably someone will break the silence with the question, "Ever been to Gettysburg?" And we laugh again.

Sometimes it was hard to tell whether Hoke was serious or kidding. One time he asked Tony Marable about his new camera.

He asked Tony where you put the film.

"It's digital," Tony said.

And Hoke replied, "but where do you put the film."

To this day, we're not certain whether he was pulling Tony's leg. So, once in a while, on the sidelines, we'll ask Tony, "Where do you put the film."

Weather? What weather. Like the Post Office, he was there rain or shine, sleet or snow. One game at Southeast Missouri, he stood in the top row of the stadium in the cold sleet. He was the ONLY Tech fan in the stadium, and he refused to come into the press box.

Years later, at a game at Western Carolina -- perhaps the coldest game in Tech history -- he finally relented and watched the game from the press box. But he didn't like it.

And there's the time we actually lost Hoke at Eastern Illinois. Literally, he was gone. Vanished. We would come down from the press box, and he'd be standing at the van waiting for us. This time, we rode down the elevator and walked to the van, and no Hoke.

We thought he might have wandered to the Tech dressing room to visit with the coaches, so we drove the halfmile around the stadium and into the lot next to the dressing room. No Hoke. It was night, and we were a little worried.

Back to the press box side, and back into the stadium in search. No Hoke. After an exhaustive search, we decided to head back the 10 miles to the hotel and regroup.

There he was at the hotel, having grabbed a ride back with a player's parents. Oh, well. Someday soon a new invention called a cell phone would fix that problem. Meanwhile, Hoke was just fine.

All of that kidding is just our way of remembering Hoke White. He gave us years and years of joy and laughter as a travel partner.

Many of the ones who used to fill that van are no longer on the trip. Hoke joins Larry Box and Gene Davidson as former media van riders no longer with us. We also miss folks like Frank Layne, Eldon Burgess, and Donnie Cox.

It's practically a whole new crew, but believe me, they've heard all the Hoke White stories....over and over!

Hoke won't be at the Tech game Saturday against Austin Peay. But the memory of Hoke will be there. And next year. And the year after that.....

Goodbye old friend. Rest in Peace. We know you'll be picking the Golden Eagles every week.

-- Written by Rob Schabert

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