By gene SCHallenBerg HuntSvilleitemSportS@gmail.Com Former Huntsville Hornet James Davidson has plenty to be thankful for these days. Since a little before the regu- lar season started, Davidson has been with the New York Giants as a member of the practice squad after being cut from the Cincinnati Bengals during the preseason. While he has seen team- mates come and go, he has remained steady and a player the Giants have depended on him to get them ready for the next week’s games, while also biding his time until he can make his NFL debut. “I guess the one word I would say to describe it is that’s been a blessing,” Davidson said. “I’ve worked so hard. There are hun- dreds of young men just like me who maybe were blessed enough to make it to training camp. Then they were released and nobody picked them back up. I have some friends when we were with the Bengals and even though we have the same agent, they don’t have a job. “I’m blessed to have a job and an opportunity to work with a real historic franchise and get a legitimate shot at playing on Sundays.” Davidson is one of eight line- backers on the team and the only one on the practice squad. “It’s a week-to-week thing. Since I’ve been here, they’ve cut three linebackers, one who was here all during camp and was activated,” Davidson said. “You have to prove yourself on a week-to-week basis. There’s nothing guaranteed. Thankfully, they have me playing offense and defense and every special teams. They’ve got me working. I’m hearing nothing but great things. With the injuries that we have going on right now and the record (3-8) we have and not making the playoffs, it opens up nothing but opportunities, if you look at it the right way.” Due to being a rookie and his role on the practice squad, Davidson says the coaching staff has given him plenty of responsibilities. “They’ve got me in their strength program. There’s a big difference in rookies just com- ing out of college and 28- to 29- year-old men with kids and a wife,” Davidson said. “They want to mature our bodies and mature our minds. Sports This page brought to you by: Promote your business here! Call 295-5407 for more details TODAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2014 THE HUNTSVILLE ITEM 1B Back where it began By gene SCHallenBerg HuntSvilleitemSportS@gmail.Com Whether it has been for practice or for games on Fridays or Saturdays, Huntsville native Matthew Powledge can’t even count the number of hours he’s spent at Bowers Stadium. Formerly strapped up in pads for the Huntsville Hornets and then for Sam Houston State, Powledge has been back on the sidelines at Bowers this season in a coaching capacity. “It’s been very special. I got a great opportunity from a great man,” Powledge said. “Coach (K.C.) Keeler’s awesome. When he called me up, I had a chance to come back home to my alma mater, the place I played and where I’m invested, it was a no-brainer.” After playing at Bowers Stadium for the Huntsville Hornets and then four more years for the Sam Houston State Bearkats, Powledge has done quite a bit of traveling as he’s pursued his coaching career. Following his playing days (2006-09), Powledge coached as a graduate assistant and then as the tight ends coach at Southeastern Louisiana in Hammond, Louisiana, for then-head coach Mike Lucas for two seasons. Then, he was the running backs coach at Northwestern State in Natchitoches, Louisiana, before powledge returns to alma mater and helps lead Bearkats back to FCS playoffs See powledge, page 4B DaviDson Davidson still rolling with Giants Former Hornet plays offense, defense and special teams on practice squad See rolling, page 4B GENE SCHALLENBERG/THE HUNTSVILLE ITEM Bearkats assistant coach Matt Powledge gives some pre-snap instructions to his players during practice on Tuesday morning. Powledge, who played for the Huntsville Hornets and then for Sam Houston State, has coached in Louisiana and Kentucky, but has returned to Huntsville to coach the Bearkats this fall on head coach K.C. Keeler’s staff. With Powledge coaching the running backs and serving as the special teams coordinator, the Kats won a share of the Southland Conference championship and will host conference foe Southeastern Louisiana in the first round of the FCS playoffs on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. Sam Houston State special teams coor- dinator Matt Powledge, center, instructs a few Bearkats on where to position them- selves during Tuesday morning’s practice at Bowers Stadium. GENE SCHALLENBERG/ THE HUNTSVILLE ITEM CMYK
Former Huntsville HornetJames Davidson has plenty to bethankful for these days.
Since a little before the regu-lar season started, Davidson hasbeen with the New York Giantsas a member of the practice
squad after being cut from theCincinnati Bengals during thepreseason.
While he hasseen team-mates comeand go, he hasr e m a i n e dsteady and aplayer theGiants havedepended onhim to get themready for thenext week’sgames, while also biding histime until he can make his NFLdebut.
“I guess the one word I wouldsay to describe it is that’s been ablessing,” Davidson said. “I’veworked so hard. There are hun-dreds of young men just like mewho maybe were blessedenough to make it to trainingcamp. Then they were releasedand nobody picked them backup. I have some friends whenwe were with the Bengals andeven though we have the sameagent, they don’t have a job.
“I’m blessed to have a joband an opportunity to work witha real historic franchise and geta legitimate shot at playing onSundays.”
Davidson is one of eight line-backers on the team and the onlyone on the practice squad.
“It’s a week-to-week thing.Since I’ve been here, they’vecut three linebackers, one whowas here all during camp andwas activated,” Davidson said.“You have to prove yourself ona week-to-week basis. There’snothing guaranteed. Thankfully,they have me playing offenseand defense and every specialteams. They’ve got me working.I’m hearing nothing but greatthings. With the injuries that wehave going on right now and therecord (3-8) we have and not
making the playoffs, it opens upnothing but opportunities, if youlook at it the right way.”
Due to being a rookie and hisrole on the practice squad,Davidson says the coachingstaff has given him plenty ofresponsibilities.
“They’ve got me in theirstrength program. There’s a bigdifference in rookies just com-ing out of college and 28- to 29-year-old men with kids and awife,” Davidson said. “Theywant to mature our bodies andmature our minds.
SportsThis page brought to you by:
Promote your business here!Call 295-5407 for more details
Whether it has been for practice or forgames on Fridays or Saturdays,Huntsville native Matthew Powledgecan’t even count the number of hourshe’s spent at Bowers Stadium.
Formerly strapped up in pads for theHuntsville Hornets and then for SamHouston State, Powledge has been backon the sidelines at Bowers this season ina coaching capacity.
“It’s been very special. I got a greatopportunity from a great man,”Powledge said. “Coach (K.C.) Keeler’sawesome. When he called me up, I had achance to come back home to my alma
mater, the place I played and where I’minvested, it was a no-brainer.”
After playing at Bowers Stadium forthe Huntsville Hornets and then fourmore years for the Sam Houston StateBearkats, Powledge has done quite a bitof traveling as he’s pursued his coachingcareer.
Following his playing days (2006-09),Powledge coached as a graduate assistantand then as the tight ends coach atSoutheastern Louisiana in Hammond,Louisiana, for then-head coach MikeLucas for two seasons. Then, he was therunning backs coach at NorthwesternState in Natchitoches, Louisiana, before
powledge returns to alma mater and helps lead Bearkats back to FCS playoffs
See powledge, page 4B
DaviDson
Davidson still rolling with GiantsFormer Hornet playsoffense, defense and special teams on practice squad
See rolling, page 4B
GENE SCHALLENBERG/THE HUNTSVILLE ITEMBearkats assistant coach Matt Powledge gives some pre-snap instructions to his players during practice on Tuesday morning. Powledge, who played for the Huntsville Hornets and then for SamHouston State, has coached in Louisiana and Kentucky, but has returned to Huntsville to coach the Bearkats this fall on head coach K.C. Keeler’s staff. With Powledge coaching the running backs andserving as the special teams coordinator, the Kats won a share of the Southland Conference championship and will host conference foe Southeastern Louisiana in the first round of the FCS playoffs onSaturday. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
Sam Houston Statespecial teams coor-dinator MattPowledge, center,instructs a fewBearkats on whereto position them-selves duringTuesday morning’spractice at BowersStadium.
GENE SCHALLENBERG/THE HUNTSVILLE ITEM
CMYK
jermis
Line
“They’ve got me run-ning the scout team for theoffense, defense and spe-cial teams. I’m playingtight end against our start-ing defense. It’s been hardwork. It’s been a chal-lenge, but it’s something I
love to do. I take pride andpassion in it.”
Davidson lives not farfrom Met Life Stadium inEast Rutherford, N.J.,where he says it’s againststate law for him to fill hisown car with gasoline.
“They put me in a placewith a lot of the otherGiants’ players. A lot of therookies stay here and a fewveterans,” Davidson said.
“How (signing with theN.Y. Giants) all cameabout is actually a funnystory that only my mom,my dad and brother know.I was in a yoga class inHuntsville. It’s quiet andeverything and all I canhear is this loud knock onthis metal door. It’s dis-turbing everybody’s tran-quility. My dad comesembarrassing me whileI’m in yoga. I go outsideand my dad is telling methat my agent is trying toget a hold of me and I hadmy phone off. I said that Ihad to respect everybody.Then my dad said that,‘Well, the New YorkGiants are trying to get ahold of you. They’re flyingyou out there tonight andyou’ve got a flight in fourhours.’
“I was there with fiveother linebackers and I wasthe only rookie. I think theyoungest guy was about27. It was a little intimidat-ing. After they signed me,they pretty much just said
congratulations and that
practice starts at 7 a.m.
They showed me where I
was staying and if I needed
a ride, to let them know. It
happened so quick, so fast.
They threw me right into
it. It was crazy.”
Through the rest of the
regular season, Davidson,
who is on the sidelines for
home games, is planning
on keeping up his work
ethic and making a lasting
impression on his coaches.
“I like it,” Davidson
said. “As you can imagine,
being from Huntsville and
living in Texas and going
to college in Texas, it’s a
different world up here.
Everything from the peo-
ple, how they act, the way
they talk, the traffic, the
weather, it took some get-
ting used to, but every-
thing is going great and
I’m having a great time up
here.”
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 20144B THE HUNTSVILLE ITEM
sunday Basketball — Bearkatmen lose to Wofford 64-53 inCoaches vs. CancerTournament, Fairfield, Conn., Bowling — Bearkats hostTRACK Kat Klash, Houston
Monday Basketball — Bearkatwomen at South DakotaState
Friday Basketball — Bearkatwomen vs. USC at SMUThanksgiving Classic, Dallas,5 p.m.
saturday Basketball — Bearkatmen host University of theSouthwest, 4:30 p.m. Basketball — Bearkatwomen vs. SMU or FloridaA&M at SMU ThanksgivingClassic, Dallas, 5 p.m. Football — Bearkats hostSoutheastern Louisiana infirst round of FCS playoffs, 1p.m.
Men’s college basketballLIU vs. Stony Brook ESPNU 3 p.m.
W. Kentucky vs. Saint Joseph’s ESPNU 5 p.m.
Battle 4 Atlantis
Semifinal: Butler vs. TBD ESPN Noon
Semifinal: TBD vs. TBD ESPN 2 p.m.
las vegas invitational
Illinois vs. Indiana State FS1 4 p.m.
Baylor vs. Memphis FS1 11 p.m.
orlando Classic
Santa Clara vs. Tennessee ESPN2 11 a.m.
Kansas vs. Rhode Island ESPN2 1 p.m.
Michigan State vs. Rider ESPN2 5:30 p.m.
Marquette vs. Georgia Tech ESPN2 7:30 p.m.
Wooden legacy
Princeton vs. UTEP ESPNU 1 p.m.
San Diego vs. Xavier ESPN2 3:30 p.m.
Long Beach State vs. W. Michigan ESPNU 7:30 p.m.
San Jose State vs. Washington ESPN2 10 p.m.
Pro footballChicago at Detroit CBS 11:30 a.m.
Philadelphia at Dallas Fox 3:30 p.m.
Seattle at San Francisco NBC 7:20 p.m.
Pro golfAustralian Open Golf 7 p.m.
Pro soccerUeFA europa league
Everton at Wolfsburg FS1 Noon
Partizan at Tottenham FS1 2 p.m.
sports on tV & radio
coaching at the University ofKentucky as a graduate assistant lastseason.
Powledge then returned to hishometown and alma mater this sea-son. Coaching the running backs andalso coordinating the special teams,Powledge was able to celebrate win-ning a Southland Conference cham-pionship last Saturday as theBearkats held off Central Arkansasfor a 38-31 victory.
“Being a player here, I never wona conference championship. Weplayed for one my freshman year(2006), but Texas State upset us,”Powledge said. “Since then, I havenever played for one. It was kind ofweird. I had the predicament lastweek of whether I should even thinkof that scenario. The first year Iplayed, we were playing for a con-ference championship and we lost it.Back here, I’m in the same place andsame type of game.
“That’s probably the highlight ofmy coaching career so far. This ismy fifth year. I can’t even put intowords to explain the feeling I had. Idon’t know that I would want to win
a championship anywhere elsebesides this place. That was special.I don’t know what the record is formost games played and coachedhere, but I’ve played and coached ina lot of them. For it to be here atBowers Stadium, that was unique.That was special.”
It was in Powledge’s area thatmay have provided the difference inSam Houston winning the game andmoving onto the playoffs.
The Bearkats scored on a fakefield goal as placeholder Don KingIII ran the ball in for a 7-yard touch-down. That touchdown proved to bethe winning score.
“I thought we had our best per-formance (last) Saturday specialteams-wise. (Central Arkansas) wasnumber two in the conference inkickoff return,” Powledge said. “Wedid a great job of covering theirreturner (Jatavious Wilson), who isone of the most dynamic returners inthis league. We had the big fake fieldgoal that really helped out in the vic-tory. I couldn’t be more happy forthem.”
After winning a share of theSouthland championship last week,Powledge is preparing himself andthe Bearkats for his first foray intothe FCS playoffs.
“I’ve never been part of a playoffgame before. Luckily, we’ve gotsome guys on staff who have beenhere like Coach (Bart) Tatum, Coach(Kyle) Segler and Coach (Mike)Collins who have a lot of playoffexperience,” Powledge said. “It’sbeen neat learning from them andhow the process works. CoachKeeler has won eight national cham-pionships and been in the playoffs adozen times. He’s got a neat mind-set. I was telling one of the othercoaches earlier this week that, man,he really knows how to do it andhow to get it done.”
Powledge and the Kats will squareoff against Southeastern Louisiana,the team they shared the SouthlandConference championship with.
While this won’t be the first timethat Powledge has been on theopposing sidelines from the Lions, aplayoff victory and advancing to thesecond round is on the line.
“It’s a little different,” Powledgesaid. “I got a master’s degree fromthere and spent a little more than twoyears there. There’s probably about20 players who are still there fromwhen I was there. They’re juniors orseniors, so it’ll be neat to see some ofthose guys. At the same time, I wantto get the victory on Saturday.”
PoWleDgeContinued from page 1B
rollingContinued from page 1B
By schuyler Dixon
AP sPorts Writer
ARLINGTON — Tony Romostill talks about wishing he had beenon the field instead of at home fol-lowing back surgery when theCowboys lost a playoffs-or-bustfinale to Philadelphia last season.
Eleven months and yet anotherback injury later, the Dallas quarter-back will be out there today againstMark Sanchez when these NFC Eastrivals play on Thanksgiving for thefirst time in 25 years with the divi-sion lead on the line.
No postseason fates will besealed this time.
Instead, a pair of 8-3 teams ingood playoff position at the momentwill play the first of two gamesagainst each other just 18 days apart.
“I don’t think you’re going todecide the division right here,”Romo said. “But we also understandthe importance of it.”
Romo will see how his backresponds to the first quick turn-around since surgery for a herniateddisk last December, followed by twosmall fractures in his back sustainedlast month on a sack againstWashington.
The Cowboys will kick off about90 hours after Romo rallied thempast the New York Giants 31-28with a late touchdown pass to DezBryant.
The 34-year-old Romo has 22touchdowns and three interceptionssince throwing three interceptions inthe first half of the opener againstSan Francisco. He’s had a quarter-back rating of at least 135 in three of
the past four games.“He doesn’t look like he has any
back issues,” Eagles coach ChipKelly said.
For Sanchez, the question is moreabout rust than rest. After missingall of last season with a shoulderinjury, he will make his fourth startsince Nick Foles went down with abroken collarbone. Sanchez has 985yards passing and five touchdownswith four interceptions in threestarts. In his four games, he’salready matched Romo’s intercep-tion total of six.
“The one thing with Mark that Ithink everybody forgets is he missedan entire year last year, and he’sonly played 3 1/2 games for us sofar this year,” Kelly said. “There’sstill a growing process for him with-in our system.”
Cowboys set to play Eagles withfirst place in NFC East on the line
By Kristie rieKen
AP sPorts Writer
COLLEGE STATION— The Texas A&MAggies will play onThanksgiving for the firsttime since 2011 when theyhost LSU, hoping thegame stokes a rivalrybetween the teams.
The Aggies faced theirmore than century-oldrival Texas on the holidayfor years in one of the mostbeloved football traditionsin the state. That annualmeeting ended in 2011when Texas A&M left forthe Big 12 for theSoutheastern Conference.
Now they’ll play onThanksgiving again with ateam they figure is theirmost natural rival in their
new conference.“I was told when I came
to school here that it wasabsolutely a rivalry game,and I understand that,”LSU coach Les Miles said.
LSU has won the lastthree games in the seriesthat dates to 1899.
The Tigers are the onlySEC West team A&M has-n’t beaten since joining theleague and the Aggies’ lastwin in the series came in1995.
“LSU is has been a teamthat we’ve been trying tobeat since we’ve enteredthe SEC, so it’s a replace-ment game,” Texas A&Mcornerback DeshazorEverett said. “We look atLSU as our new rivalsnow.”
Coach Kevin Sumlin
said playing onThanksgiving brings backmany good memories forTexas A&M fans eager toget a win on the holidayafter falling to theLonghorns in the series’final game in 2011.
“I think it’s a greathonor,” Sumlin said.“Somebody’s got to play,why not us? And in a greatvenue in front of 100,000-plus at night. It’s some-thing to be excited aboutand proud of, and I knowour guys are excited to beplaying.”
It’s the first time theTigers will play onThanksgiving since 1983.But LSU is no stranger toplaying on the holiday inits history, having played25 times before with the
first one coming in a 29-0loss to Texas in 1899.
Texas A&M and LSUhave met once before onThanksgiving, playing to a7-7 tie in Houston wayback in 1913.
Some of the Tigers havemixed emotions aboutplaying on Thanksgiving.Sumlin said that the gamewill likely be played onFriday next season whenit’s at LSU.
“Playing onThanksgiving is a gooddeal, but it’s a bad deal,”LSU cornerbackTre’Davious White said.“You miss that home-cooked meal onThanksgiving Day. Whenyou come home Friday,there will be leftovers.That’s not the same.”
Aggies, Tigers set to meet for Thanksgiving showdown
