TSU basketball celebrity game includes NFL players, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
How did your country report this? Share your view in the comments.
Diverging Reports Breakdown
Tennessee State showcases their history in the NFL Draft
Since 2000, Tennessee State has had nine players drafted and is matched by Delaware. The amount is also higher than 36 programs from the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level, including Middle Tennessee. The Big Blue holds the distinction of being the only small school to have two players taken within the first four picks of a draft. In 1968, Claude Humphrey became the first player from TSU drafted in the first, as the defensive end went third overall to the Atlanta Falcons. In 2008, the Arizona Cardinals chose former Tiger Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie with the 16th overall pick. In 1971, the Tigers produced their biggest draft class with nine selections led by first rounder Vern Mayes. The class of 1971 included defensive tackle Larry Woods, defensive back Fred Herring, tackle Dave Davis, Doninson Davis and Joe Sweet. The Tigers started a 10-year, 42-year career in the NFL with the right tackle spending the right year in the Bengals. The team has a record of 42-10.
The Tennessee State football program has a proud history dating back to 1912. Included is the number of players who have been selected during the annual National Football League draft. Defensive end Hal Turner was the first Tiger to be picked back in 1952 by the Detroit Lions, while offensive lineman Lachavious Simmons became the 121st member of the Big Blue taken when the Chicago Bears called his name in April.
The 121 draftees is the second most players selected from a Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) all time. The amount is also higher than 36 programs from the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level, including Middle Tennessee.
[postBannerAd]
Since 2000, Tennessee State has had nine players drafted and is matched by Delaware. The two programs are just behind North Dakota State and Montana, who each have 11. TSU, NDSU and Delaware have all had a player go in the first round. In 2008, the Arizona Cardinals chose former Tiger Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie with the 16th overall pick.
The nine picks since 2000 for the Big Blue tops all other Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU’s), all members of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) and 22 FBS schools, including MTSU.
Tennessee State also holds the distinction of being the only small school to have two players taken within the first four picks of a draft. In 1974, Ed ‘Too Tall’ Jones was the overall number one pick by the Dallas Cowboys and was followed by college teammate Waymond Bryant, who was taken three picks later by the Chicago Bears. Jones and Bryant were joined by John Holland, Greg Kindle, Carl Wafer and Ed Gatewood as drafted Tigers in ‘74.
Ed “Too Tall” Jones
Two players taken in the first four picks of the NFL draft has happened 21 times. In 2010, Oklahoma became the first program to ever have three players taken in the top four.
Jones played for 15 seasons with the Cowboys, appearing in three Super Bowls, three Pro Bowls and earned a spot on the 1982 NFL All Pro team. Jones finished with 106 career sacks, officially 57.5 in the NFL record books since the category was not recognized until 1982. The defensive end is third all time in Cowboys history in seasons played, being passed by Jason Witten after the 2019 season.
Offensive tackle Jim Caldwell became the second player selected in a draft, just one year after Turner, but TSU had to wait eight more years before tackle George Balthazar was taken in both the NFL and AFL drafts.
[inArticle]
Three years later, running back Izzy Lang began a stretch of 16 consecutive drafts a Tiger would enter the NFL. This stretch included current head coach Rod Reed’s father Robert, who was taken in the 1965 draft along with Rosey Davis.
In 1968, Claude Humphrey became the first player from TSU drafted in the first, as the defensive end went third overall to the Atlanta Falcons. With the 25th overall pick, the Oakland Raiders made Eldridge Dickey the first African-American quarterback to be selected in the first round of an NFL draft.
Humphrey went on to have a stellar 13 year career with the Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles. In 1968, Humphrey was named the NFL Associated Press Defensive Rookie of the Year. The former Tiger went on to play in six Pro Bowls, one Super Bowl and was a two-time All-Pro selection. Humphrey was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014.
Claude Humphrey
[adrotate banner=”40″]
In 1969, Jim Marsalis became the third Tiger first rounder. The defensive back was the 23rd overall pick by the Kansas City Chiefs. In his rookie season, Marsalis helped the Chiefs to a 23-7 Super Bowl win over the Minnesota Vikings. The former Tiger was instrumental in the Chiefs two AFC playoff wins with two interceptions against the New York Jets and one against the Raiders.
In 1971, the Tigers produced their biggest draft class with nine selections led by first rounder Vern Holland. The tackle went 15th to the Cincinnati Bengals and was later joined by eighth rounder, defensive back Fred Herring. The class included defensive tackle Larry Woods (Detroit), Jacob Mayes (San Diego), Dave Davis (Green Bay), Bill West (Oakland), Sonny Davis (Philadelphia), Don Pinson (San Diego) and Joe Sweet (Los Angeles Rams).
Marking a record for the university, how many Tennessee State Tigers became NFL draft picks in 1971? #BigBlueRising — Tennessee State Football (@TSUTigersFB) June 23, 2020
[postBannerAd]
Holland enjoyed a 10 year career in the NFL, spending nine years with the Bengals. The right tackle started all 42 games through his first three years before an injury limited him to three games in 1974. After returning, Holland started all 74 games for Cincinnati over the next five years.
Woods highlighted his six year career with a Super Bowl championship as part of the 1973 Miami Dolphins.
In all, 21 former Tigers have played in a Super Bowl with one earning the biggest game’s Most Valuable Player award. Richard Dent, an eighth round selection in 1983, led the Chicago Bears to a 46-10 win over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX. Dent also claimed bragging rights over former TSU teammate Steve Moore who played right tackle for the Patriots. Moore was the Patriots third round selection in ’83.
Dent was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011 after spending 15 years in the NFL. Dent was a four-time Pro Bowl selection and won two Super Bowl rings, his second coming with the 1994 San Francisco 49ers. A defensive force, Dent currently ranks 10th all time in the NFL with 137.5 career sacks.
The Tigers have had 11 players play in the NFL for 10-plus years, nine of which were drafted. Jones and Dent lead the way, playing one more season than Anthony Pleasant who was selected in the third round by the Cleveland Browns in 1990. Pleasant went on to win two Super Bowl rings and led the NFL with six forced fumbles in 1995.
[inArticle]
Mike Hegmen spent 13 years with the Cowboys after being picked up in the seventh round of the 1975 draft. Rodgers-Cromartie hopes to play in 2020, which would match Hegmen and Humphrey in longevity.
Defensive back Brent Alexander spent 12 seasons in the NFL as an undrafted free agent and is currently ranked 73rd in career solo tackles with 657. Anthony Levine is entering his 11th season in the NFL as a UFA and has claimed Super Bowl rings with the Green Bay Packers and the Baltimore Ravens.
Since 2000, TSU has seen six offensive linemen selected, beginning with Michael Thompson. The tackle was one of two Tigers taken in the fourth round of that year’s draft. Thompson went in the fourth round to Atlanta, 21 picks before the Buffalo Bills selected wide receiver Avion Black.
After DRC in 2008, running back Javarris Williams went to Kansas City in 2009 ahead of a run of linemen from TSU. Kadeem Edwards and Demetrius Rhaney were in the class of 2014, while Robert Myers and Anthony Morris followed in 2015.
[postBannerAd]
D2W All-Star Celebrity Weekend A Success
More than 4,000 people came out to support the Tennessee State University basketball team. Team 615 won the game in overtime with a final score of 115-113. Former NBA player Anfernee ‘Penny’ Hardaway will be back next year to support TSU. The game was held at the Gentry Center Complex in Memphis, Tennessee, on June 25.
(TSU News Service) – To see all-star celebrities like former NBA player Anfernee ‘Penny’ Hardaway, former WNBA player Dawn Evans and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, a TSU alum who spent 12 seasons in the NFL, gear up in TSU apparel to support the university was a priceless moment for many fans in attendance.
“You can’t even put a price tag on what that means for our program moving forward,” said Brian “Penny” Collins, head coach of the TSU men’s basketball program. “I was just proud.”
Hardaway, who is currently the University of Memphis Tigers basketball coach, said the experience of participating in the all-star game was great because the ultimate win is the university and the men’s and women’s basketball program.
“To come down and support … to help an HBCU, that’s beautiful,” Hardaway said, noting that he will be back for next year’s celebrity game as well.
“I am going to make time to come back because I want to be able to support TSU.”
Local celebrities, professional athletes, musicians, politicians, and TSU alums were in the building cheering on their favorite athletes who played on teams “Music City” vs “Team 615.
Team 615 won the game in overtime with a final score of 115-113.
As fans swarmed the basketball court after the game to grab photos and autographs from the All-stars, Collins said he looks forward to receiving the same support and energy for the upcoming TSU basketball season.
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, the last HBCU player drafted in the first round, retires
Dominique-Rodgers-Cromartie was a three-time First-Team All-OVC and FCS All-American defensive back at TSU from 2004 through 2007. He was selected 16th overall by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2008 NFL Draft, making him the first player from an FCS school to be drafted in the opening round since 2000. His career concluded with two Super Bowl visits, two Pro-Bowl selections, and an All-Pro bid. The Oakland Raiders defensive back announced his retirement via Instragram on Tuesday. He is also the last HBCU player to beDrafted in the first round. He will be remembered as one of the best cornerbacks in the history of the NFL.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bpj-Rz_F_fG/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
Rodgers-Cromartie was a three-time First-Team All-OVC and FCS All-American defensive back at TSU from 2004 through 2007. Though he was not initially considered to be high in draft stock, he impressed scouts during Senior Bowl week practices and an impressive 40-yard dash time of 4.29 seconds. Rodgers-Cromartie was selected 16th overall by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2008 NFL Draft, making him the first player from an FCS school to be drafted in the opening round since 2000. He is also the last HBCU player to be drafted in the first round.
[inArticle]
DRC entered the NFL with a five-year contract with the Arizona Cardinals in 2008. In his rookie season, he had multiple amazing performances. In Week 11, DRC intercepted Matt Hasselbeck twice to secure a win over the Seattle Seahawks and returned a fourth-quarter interception 99 yards for a touchdown against the St. Louis Rams in Week 14.
In the playoffs, he played a pivotal role in the Cardinals advancing as he picked off Matt Ryan in the Cardinals wildcard victory over the Falcons and picked off Jake Delhomme in the red zone in the Divisional victory over the Panthers. The Cardinals defeated the Eagles in the NFC Championship game and fell to the Steelers in the Super Bowl. He finished his rookie season with 35 solo tackles, four interceptions, 19 passes deflected and a 99-yard touchdown run.
In his second season, Rodgers-Cromartie started all 16 regular-season games and recorded six interceptions, three forced fumbles, 49 solo tackles, and a touchdown. He was selected to the 2009 Pro Bowl but could not participate due to an injury from the Cardinals loss in the Divisional round of the playoffs. In the 2010 season, he had three interceptions, two of which were pick-sixes, and 42 solo tackles.
[inArticle]
The Cardinals traded DRC to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2011, where he stayed for two seasons. He did not score any touchdowns with the Eagles and concluded his two years there with three interceptions. In 2013, DRC then signed with the Denver Broncos for one year. The Broncos made it to the Super Bowl but were defeated by the Seahawks, where DRC recorded one tackle. He finished his season in Denver with 31 tackles and three interceptions.
The Giants signed DRC to a five-year deal in 2014. He was voted back to the Pro Bowl in 2015 after recording three interceptions, one touchdown 52 solo tackles and two forced fumbles. He was also selected as an All-Pro in 2016 when he picked off a career-high six passes.
The Giants released him and he signed with the Oakland Raiders where he recorded eight tackles and two passes defended through his seven games. His career concluded with two Super Bowl visits, two Pro-Bowl selections, and an All-Pro bid.
[inArticle]
Former Tennessee State star suspended in the NFL
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie was suspended indefinitely by the New York Giants on Thursday. An indefinite suspension with pay being withheld can last up to four games. The cornerback will lose $410,588 for each week he is suspended, which could max out at $1.6 million over the course of four weeks.
Rodgers-Cromartie was suspended indefinitely by the team on Thursday and according to the collective bargaining agreement, an indefinite suspension with pay being withheld can last up to four games.
[postBannerAd]
Cash on the line
The cornerback will lose $410,588 for each week he is suspended, which could max out at $1.6 million over the course of four weeks.
The suspension stems from an argument on Wednesday between Rodgers-Cromartie and McAdoo. Rodgers-Cromartie was pulled in the second half from Sunday’s loss to the Chargers and learned on Tuesday that he would be inactive for this weekend’s game. That decision led to the beef between the player and the coach on Wednesday, resulting in Rodgers-Cromartie walking out from the facility. After that McAdoo announced that the player would be suspended indefinitely for “violating team rules.”
Back with team
He told ESPN’s Josina Anderson, “but to sit me a game had me hot, so I left. I was suspended way before I left. I left because I felt what he said was BS.”
Rodgers-Cromartie returned to the team on Thursday.
[postBannerAd]