Two Huskies honored for service

(Cross posted at the new blog address. http://jiblogs.com/jsilvers_uconn_football_blog/?p=1584

UConn may be cornering the market on quality and high character football players.  Zach Hurd and D.J. Shoemate have both been nominated for the 2010 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.

I was forwarded the following information.

Hurd participates in Dare Day, during which he speaks to over 4,000 elementary school children on the dangers of drugs. He also leads the Goal Line Project, a weekly community service initiative where UConn student-athletes visit local schools to mentor students in academics and athletics, and lends his time to children volunteer work at the Connecticut Children’s Hospital and Children’s home.

Shoemate (who was nominated by the Sports Information Director at USC before transferring) visited East LA as part of Cry Out with Athletes in Action and distributed school materials, played sports and interacted with current and former gang members. He also spent three days in Tecate, Mexico building a house for a low income family through AMOR Ministries and regularly mentors underprivileged youth in Los Angeles, working on homework, playing and serving as a positive role model for the kids.

Here's the complete release. One thing is certain is that Shoemate seems like the quality of person the Randy Edsall wants. It's not an accident that he's here.

College Football Hall of Fame member and ESPN broadcaster Lou Holtz to continue as ambassador for the 19th Annual Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®

NORTHBROOK, Ill., July 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- To honor the distinguished group of college football players who stand out for the positive influence they have in their communities, Allstate Insurance Company and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) announced the 112 student-athletes nominated for the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®. It is the most ever in the 19-year history of the award.

In the areas of giving back and volunteerism, the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® represents the "best of the best" among more than 50,000 student-athletes participating in the sport at all four-year institutions.  The total eclipses the 106 nominees achieved last season, demonstrating the continued growth of a platform that is widely recognized as the most prestigious community service award in college football.

While glory and praise may be traditionally reserved for the most athletically skilled college football players on the field, it is the student-athletes committed to serving others who make the most important impact off the field.  The Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® exists to tell their stories and acknowledge their impact beyond the game.

"In the third year of our partnership with the AFCA, Allstate, our employees and our agents continue to be inspired by the stories of class and character displayed by these young men," said Guy Hill, vice president of sales and service for Allstate, who also serves on the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® voting panel.  "We applaud the commitment of these 112 student-athletes to positively impact their communities with innovation, creativity and passion that reflects so well on their sport, and their respective institutions."

This year's class of nominations includes student-athletes with a wide range of accomplishments, including developing programs to support Haitian relief efforts, working with rural and minority students to help them reach their goal of attending medical school, and organizing a campus fundraiser to incentivize students to shave their heads to raise money for pediatric cancer research.

From the nominees submitted by sports information directors on behalf of their schools, a special voting panel consisting of former Good Works Team® members and prominent college football media members is responsible for selecting two 11-player Good Works Teams® – one comprised of players from the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and another representing players from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision, Divisions II, III, and the NAIA – to be announced in September.  College Football Hall of Fame member and ESPN broadcaster Lou Holtz is returning for a third year to serve as spokesperson for the program and raise awareness for the stories of the nominees and team members.

"For the third straight year, the AFCA is pleased to partner with Allstate in highlighting football student-athletes who have achieved outstanding success, both on and off the football," said Grant Teaff, AFCA Executive Director. "From the record total of nominees that were submitted from colleges and universities around the country, it is apparent that collegiate football is producing some of the best and brightest that our country has to offer."
ESPN.com will launch a customized Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® web site featuring profiles and images of the final 22 award recipients, as well as unique and interactive content for college football fans.  For the first time in the program's history, fans will be able to vote for a Team Captain on ESPN.com.

The 2010 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® voting panel includes: former Good Works Team® members Matt Stinchcomb (Georgia, 1997, 1998 teams), Mike Proman (Amherst, 2002 team), Mewelde Moore (Tulane, 2003 team), Brian Brenberg (St. Thomas, 2001 team), Zaid Abdul-Aleem (Duke, 1994 team); media members Lou Holtz (ESPN), Pat Forde (ESPN.com), Tom O'Toole (USA Today), Gary Shelton (St. Petersburg Times), Blair Kerkhoff (Kansas City Star); current AFCA President and Mount Union College Head Coach Larry Kehres; 1996 AFCA President Fisher DeBerry, former head coach at the United States Air Force Academy; and Allstate Vice President, Guy Hill.

A week to Media day

(Note: Moving over the blog to Wordpress. Will continue to cross post but if you want to bookmark it, here's the new blog address. I am going to shut down this URL soon. http://jiblogs.com/jsilvers_uconn_football_blog/2010/07/27/a-week-to-media-day/)


On vacation for most of this month, but I would be remiss to not post about a couple of things.

First off, looks like Thursday is going to be Randy Edsall day at ESPN. That raised an eyebrow for me. Edsall has for the most part in his career been fiercely expectation averse. He has high expectations, but he has always kept a low profile. That has loosened up in recent years and I think the last couple of Summer updates (though there was little news per se) is an indication UConn and Edsall think it’s about time UConn gets seen a little more.

This ESPN junket is terrific for the program.

Here’s the junket from ESPN.  This is essentially a media tour.

 BRISTOL, Conn. (July 26, 2010) — University of Connecticut head football coach Randy Edsall will spend Thursday, July 29 on the “campus” of ESPN in Bristol, Conn., for a number of interviews and appearances on the ESPN family of networks.

    Here is a tentative schedule for Edsall on Thursday with all appearances and times subject to change.

    10:50 a.m. – Appear on First Take with Jay Crawford, Dana Jacobson, Jay Crawford and Reischea Canidate

    11:05a.m. – Interview with SportsCenter.com

    11:20 a.m. – Interview With ESPN Rise

    11:40 a.m. – Appear on The Herd with Colin Cowherd on ESPN Radio, ESPNU and ESPN.com

    1:00 p.m. – ESPN.com chat

    1:20 p.m. – Interview with ESPNW

    1:40 p.m. –  Appear on ESPNU

    2:10 p.m. – Appear on ESPNews

    2:40 p.m. – Radio interview on 1250 ESPN Radio in Pittsburgh

    3:10 p.m. – Appear on the The Scott Van Pelt Show on ESPN Radio, ESPN2 and ESPN.com

    3:30 p.m. – Appear on College Football Live with multiple airings on ESPN and ESPNU

Two points here.

1. UConn is starting to get some national traction. If they beat Michigan in the Big House Sept. 4 there are going to be everyone’s darlings for at least until Big East play. I would say that UConn is going to be the cool pick for the Big East.

2. UConn, specifically Edsall, thinks his team has a shot at it. Edsall isn’t going to stick his neck out if he doesn’t think the team has a better than punchers’ chance at the Big East title. As the season gets closer I am looking the Huskies more and more. QB, offensive line, defense front 7 are very very solid. If they can fix that secondary, or more likely get pressure with the front 7 to make the safeties moot, I really like their chances. Every other contender has a question mark at QB or head coach…or both.

I have some thoughts I will ramble off before we get into the season.  Good job by Desmond Connor on the BC-UConn recruiting fiasco. BC is wrong, but I don’t know if the BC coach is off base.

Brief view.

If UConn has the season we all think UConn is going to have, Edsall is going to be white hot on the coaching carousel. All of UConn nation needs to understand this.

When BC coach Frank Spazziani apologized to Edsall I wonder if Edsall asked if they would like to play and just start to get along? Ha, not going there. Maybe another decade for the Cold War of New England football to thaw.

See ya’ll soon.

Shoemate officially in the fold

(Editors note: We're moving the blog to a Word Press server. Here's the new blog address. I will cross post here for some time. But please move over.  http://jiblogs.com/jsilvers_uconn_football_blog/ )

D.J. Shoemate is officially in the fold for the UConn Huskies and with three weeks to go before camp the UConn running back situation got a little more crowded...and at that's a good thing.

Shoemate is a refugee from Southern California where the Trojans were hit by big-time NCAA sanctions. Edsall is going to allow the former high school All-American to come in and compete right away

"He will have the opportunity to compete for playing time. Whomever is the best guy will play."

There are a couple of spots where the Huskies are thin going into fall camp but running back isn't one of them. Shoemate is a terrific athlete and Edsall felt he is very shift and quick. He's much bigger than incumbent Jordan Todman, who rushed for over 1,200 yards and 15 touchdowns last year.

Todman was unchallenged this spring with Andre Dixon now headed the the UFL's Hartford Colonials after the duo both went over 1,000 yards last year. Now, Shoemate looks primed to compete for some of Dixon's carries and even more.

"Jordan has shown what he can do," Edsall said. "No question about that. Over 1,200 yard rusher. DJ will compete for carries at that position. Whomever is best guy is going to play. We have seen here in previous years, we have one guy a starter, next year not a starter. It’s competition and guys that can do that. I am not saying it's going to happen at running back, but he has an opoortunity to come here and get carries."

That's a warning to Todman, who didn't endear himself to the coaching staff this spring missing several practices because of disciplinary reasons. What Todman did was nothing serious, but the coaching staff didn't really have anyone primed to challenge Todman for carries. Now with Shoemate, if Todman doesn't work hard and compete, then there is a player here who can take those carries away.

It's not hard to fathom. The backup running back for UConn going into fall camp is perhaps the most dangerous rusher east of the Mississippi. Cornell Brockington, Donald Brown, Andre Dixon have all had big years unseating 1,000 yard rushers. If Edsall can send Terry Caulley, whom Edsall adored, to the bench as well as Brown during their careers, it isn't that much of a stretch to think the same could happen to Todman.

If UConn is going to compete for the Big East title Edsall will need to get the best of both worlds out of his backs. Shoemate is bigger, at 220 pounds, and was a fullback at USC who did a lot of pass catching, and the tandem could put up big numbers this season. Todman showed his explosion, and if Shoemate's scouting report is accurate, they added another explosive back into the mix. Shoemate will also play on special teams which should help immensely.

I am not expecting Todman to be supplanted. I would actually bet against it. But, I don't think the coaching staff is going to waste talent and athleticism offensively. Shoemate is going to get on the field and will get carries. That should make the Huskies a much more dynamic bunch.      

Also some house keeping. Geremy Davis will redshirt his freshman season after having successful surgery. Also, backup fullback Bret Manning was granted a scholarship.

Here's UConn's release on Shoemate.

D.J. Shoemate, a 6-0, 225-pound, tailback from Corona, Calif., will enroll at the University of Connecticut and play for the Husky football team this fall. Shoemate transfers to Connecticut after spending his first two years at the University of Southern California. Shoemate will be eligible to play at UConn immediately and has two years of eligibility remaining.

Shoemate served as a backup fullback for the Trojans and played on special teams as a sophomore in 2009. He played in 12 games for USC and had a pair of carries for two yards and two receptions for 23 yards, including a 13-yard TD.

Shoemate began 2008 as a wide receiver, and then was moved mid-season to fullback. He also played on special teams and played in a total of nine games.
He enjoyed a tremendous career at Servite High School in Anaheim where he was teammates with current Husky quarterback Johnny McEntee.

Shoemate earned ESPN 150 honors as a senior and was named Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West first team, Orange County Register Fab 15, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, Los Angeles Times All-Star, Orange County Register All-Orange County first team and was the Trinity League Co-Offensive MVP.

In his senior year, he ran for 1,291 yards on 241 carries with 24 TDs. Shoemate also caught 40 passes for 570 yards with 4 TDs.

As a sophomore in 2005, he made the All-CIF Division I first team, Orange County Register All-Orange County first team and was the All-Serra League Co-MVP while rushing for 604 yards on 71 carries with 13 touchdowns, catching 46 passes for 930 yards with eight TDs and getting four scores on blocked punts. 

From ESPN: UConn gets USC transfer

Looks like UConn is the benefit of the USC Trojans problems. Per ESPN.  Looks to be a short yardage back at worst. They do need a No. 2 behind Todman too. This is going to be interesting.

Another Big East team is benefiting from the fallout at USC.

Junior fullback D.J. Shoemate told ESPN's Shelley Smith on Thursday night that he is transferring to Connecticut. Shoemate will be immediately eligible because of the NCAA sanctions placed on the Trojans.

Shoemate, who has also played wide receiver at USC, said he wants to play tailback and that at UConn he "will have an opportunity to play right away and hopefully contribute to an up-and-coming program."

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigeast/post/_/id/10473/uconn-gets-usc-transfer

If he is going to be a tailback, there is room following Andre Dixon's departure. Jordan Todman isn't a 30 carry back, and the Huskies will find room for him to grow. The rest of the RBs on UConn's roster are untested after Todman. Robbie Frey is coming off a shoulder injury and while he is fully healed for next month, he and Kelmetrus Wylie have had scant opportunities. Add in martin Hypolite, Jon Jean-Louis and Lyle McCoombs and the Huskies are stacked at the position.


This kid handpicked UConn for a reason. There is carries to be had here, and a good offensive line. Build the line, and the backs will follow.

Edsall summer update

Good news, mostly, during today's update.

First off, injury-wise almost everyone is healthy and has the clearance to practice. That includes tackle Jimmy Bennett who had a serious knee injury last year. The 6-8 300 pound Bennett could be an anchor on the offensive line and Randy Edsall said he is 100 percent ready to practice. Good news is also in store for Blid Wreh Wilson and Jesse Joseph. Both shoulder injuries are healed and they are 100 percent.

Greg Lloyd Jr. isn't 100 percent yet and Edsall issued a challenge to Lloyd, who will become a defensive end. 

"It depends on how hard he wants to work in the next month. It will be up  to him." 

DT Alex Polito is looking like a late August return while walk-on Emmanuel Omokaro is set for sometime in September.

There has been one dismissal from the team with redshirt Marcus Aiken being dismissed from the university. Edsall didn't come out and say academics, but that's the reason for his dismissal. Malik Generrett, a promising 6-5 WR prospect, will be ineligible this fall. That's too bad, I love Generett's potential.

All 20 freshmen recruits are on campus and taking classes. There is no last second flakeouts.

Practice will begin Aug. 9 and the team will hold three open practices for fans:

Friday Aug. 13 3:15p.m.-5:30 p.m.
Aug. 19 8-10 a.m.
Aug. 24 9-11:30 a.m.



Edsall said he felt it was an uneventful summer and as far as he's concerned that's a good. Vacations are coming up amongst the staff (and media) and I am starting to get some football annuals in. Interesting stuff.

Later. Gotta pay the bills.