[Sly Fox]

Rokmortis over on the Coastal board found this in the Savannah fishwrap:

SSU's QB, leading tackler quit team

Noell Barnidge | Friday, December 1, 2006 at 12:30 am


Garrett Williams and Trent Newton asked to be released from scholarships

At least five football players, including three starters, quit Savannah State's team Thursday.

Quarterback Garrett Williams, linebacker Trent Newton and wide receiver/kick returner Anthony Huntley asked to be released from their scholarships, along with backup linebacker Timothy Gregory and lineman B.L. Williams, Garrett Williams and Newton said.

Garrett Williams, Newton, Huntley and Gregory are sophomores. B.L. Williams of Walterboro, S.C., is a freshman.

SSU athletics director Robert "Tony" O'Neal said he had not spoken with the players, and had no comment.

At 11 p.m. Thursday, SSU first-year coach Theo Lemon said Garrett Williams, Huntley, Gregory and B.L. Williams were no longer on the team. Lemon, whose team went 2-9 this season, said he and Newton will meet again Monday.

"Change isn't easy for anybody," Lemon said. "We're going to continue to move forward and do things that are going to be productive, and with that is going to be change. We want to win games, and we're heading in a direction now to do that. I wish all of those players well, and any other players who decide to leave. We're heading in a direction now where players need to be on board with what we're doing, and they can expect change."

Garrett Williams said he and Newton met with Lemon on Thursday afternoon and informed him of their decision. He said Lemon instructed them to write letters requesting their release from their scholarships.

Williams said he and Newton submitted their letters to the office of Paula Jackson, SSU's assistant athletics director for compliance.

SSU was 0-11 during the 2005 season under coach Richard Basil, who resigned March 14, nine days before the start of spring practice.

Theo Lemon was hired April 10. SSU canceled spring practice on April 25.

On May 19, SSU's football program was placed on probation for three years by the NCAA following an investigation that began Oct. 18, 2004. The NCAA found violations in recruiting, playing and practice sessions, financial aid, ethical conduct and institutional control.

As a result, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference rejected SSU's application for admission. The Tigers have been a Division I-AA Independent since leaving the Division II Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in 2002.

"We were told that we were going to be in the MEAC when they recruited us," Garrett Williams said. "I'm a competitor, and when we didn't get into the MEAC it hurt me and it really hurt a lot of guys on the team. It felt like I was just playing football for no reason. It was just like backyard football."

SSU's only wins this season came against Morehouse and Edward Waters.

"It wasn't so much about the losing," Garrett Williams said. "Because after we went 0-11, and Coach Basil was supposed to still be here, I was fine with staying.

"The coaching change played a big role in my decision. Coach Lemon's offense is run-oriented, and the offense that I pictured us being in was a pass-oriented offense. We talked about that today, and I told him I didn't feel comfortable in the program anymore. He was hurt, but he said he understood.

"Another thing that was real frustrating for me is we really didn't have an offensive coordinator."

Garrett Williams said offensive line coach Jerome Riase and quarterbacks coach Steve Neal shared the duties.

Williams, a 6-foot-3, 200-pound Stockbridge native, played in 11 games this season. He was 111-for-255 passing for 1,264 yards, eight touchdowns and 14 interceptions.

As a freshman, Williams was 181-for-332 passing for 2,203 yards, 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He set SSU single-season records for passing attempts and completions.

Newton, a 6-1, 211-pound sophomore from Lakeland, Fla., had a team-high 114 tackles this season.

Huntley, a 5-8, 160-pound sophomore from Fort Meade, Fla., caught 13 passes for 181 yards this season, and was the Tigers' leading kick returner with 25 returns for 588 yards and a touchdown.

Garrett Williams said he is considering transferring to I-AA Coastal Carolina or Division II Fort Valley State. He said Newton is considering Coastal Carolina, Fort Valley State, I-AA Florida International and I-A South Florida. He said Gregory plans to transfer to Division II West Georgia.

http://savannahnow.com/node/189833

It sounds like Coach Lemon is willing to pay the price to try and get the program back on track. Its too bad his best players aren't buying in.

[PAmedic]

Garrett Williams said he is considering transferring to I-AA Coastal Carolina or Division II Fort Valley State. He said Newton is considering Coastal Carolina, Fort Valley State, I-AA Florida International and I-A South Florida. He said Gregory plans to transfer to Division II West Georgia.

Division I Football Championship Sub-division.

I screamed it at the TV last night during the Ohio/Central Michigan game, and I'm going to repeat it everytime I see it in print.

[LUconn]

I tried using the new distinctions over thanksgiving with my family (YSU and JMU were on TV) They didn't know what I was talking about so I will continue to use AA

[ATrain]

Garrett Williams said he is considering transferring to I-AA Coastal Carolina or Division II Fort Valley State. He said Newton is considering Coastal Carolina, Fort Valley State, I-AA Florida International and I-A South Florida. He said Gregory plans to transfer to Division II West Georgia.

Division I Football Championship Sub-division.

I screamed it at the TV last night during the Ohio/Central Michigan game, and I'm going to repeat it everytime I see it in print.

Isn't FIU I-A or now Bowl Subdivision?

[horrez]

I tried using the new distinctions over thanksgiving with my family (YSU and JMU were on TV) They didn't know what I was talking about so I will continue to use AA

Until the media starts using the new distinctions, most people will still say I-A or I-AA. It will probably next year (or maybe even later) before that happens.

[thepostman]

i still don't understand changing it...that is how people know it, no reason to change it...

[horrez]

I know it probably won't happen any time soon (if ever), but what will they do if/when the Bowl Subdivision goes to a playoff system instead of what it has now? Do they have a new name ready incase this ever happens?

I think they changed it because they thought people were confusing D I-AA with D II. I don’t think this happened a whole lot and if it did it was with people who didn’t care about either anyway…

I think that’s why they changed (or at least part of the reason). I could be wrong, though.

[thepostman]

yeah, i think you're right...but like you said, the people that were confused don't care anyways and the new names will probably confuse them even more

[Libertine]

Forgive me for posting on the original topic here but it's no real shock that these players are bailing. That program is a mess and it's doubly sad b/c I think Coach Lemon is really trying hard to give that program some semblance of direction but he's having to do it nearly entirely by himself. They have less than a half-dozen asst. coaches on staff and, personally, I would have fired them all after our game down there. I was in the top row of the stands and I could hear those guys through the walls of the coaches' box just screaming on the headsets at Lemon how he was making the wrong calls and blowing the game for them. Our coaches were less than ten feet away from the SSU guys and I know they could hear it, too. Our guys just looked embarassed.
But, I can't blame those kids for wanting out. Like I said, that program is a mess. SSU is on probation for another couple of years, they're on their 3rd AD in 4 years -- who, incidentally, fell asleep in the stands during the game and, no, I'm not making that up; I saw him nodding off myself --, they've changed coaches for the 3rd time in 4 years, they cancelled last year's spring ball and they just got a big fat 'no thank you' from the MEAC. These kids feel that the school made promises to them that aren't being kept and they're probably right. Unfortunately for Lemon, Williams and Newton are his best players and they are young enough that, at least in theory, he could have built the team around them. Now, he's back to square 1. Well, actually, more like square -2.