1

2

3

Mississippi and the surrounding area has a rich sports history which often times goes unnoticed on the national stage and we are here to change that. On any given day in and around the Jackson metro area you can find the beginnings of our sports heroes of the future. Long before they take the field in the name of school pride many of them have played in the name of community pride. In every neighborhood in every corner of the metro area you will find youth sports organizations teaching the fundamentals of the game. It is these dedicated individuals who are the silent pillars on which many a professional athlete stands. Therefore we Chop it Up for them, to tell their stories.

Many athletes step foot on a field for the first time simply because someone thought they needed something constructive to do, and maybe they had an interest based on what they saw on TV. What takes this activity to sport and moves them from participant to athlete is an internal change that only the athlete understands. It is for them, on the little league fields to the professional ranks and all places in between that we Chop It Up.

It is for the people who wish to provide an outlet and

Welcome to

Why We Chop it Up

On behalf of our team here at Chop It Up Sports I want to welcome you to our first edition. Chop it Up is about the athletes and the teams that support them, not the teams whose jerseys they wear but the team of people who make it all possible. Chop it Up is about the athlete, the coaches, the parents and the extended families who are on the grind with them from the very first practice to college signing day and beyond. What we do is about you. So from our team to yours here at Chop it Up Sports, welcome, this is a magazine about you and for you. Now, Let’s Chop It Up!

do the taking to practice and providing of equipment. It is for the parents who plan and set long term goals based on being part of a dream. In this day and time when sports parents have gotten a bad rap for living through their children, it is our goal to show the other side, as primary coach in the biggest game of all: Life. We will give parents a voice here at Chop It UP.

For the coaches who invest their experience, knowledge and sacrifice in the name of school pride or for the love of the game we will tell the unknown stories.

We are here because like you we love all things sports and want to know the stories behind the story. Let’s Chop IT UP!!

4

ContentsContents

Contributors

Welcome Why we Chop it Up

Comegy’s Payton Manning Type Numbers Not Good Enough

Jim Hill Cheerleaders to Nationals

Black History Moment:Black Quarterbacks are Becomingthe Preferred Athlete

Editor in ChiefSallee Murphy

PhotographerPicutres Are Ready Photography

GraphicsJ. Ward Design Studio

Pictures Are Ready Photography

Advertising SalesMarketingSamanda Marshall

3

5

6

11

5

COMEGY’S PEYTON MANNING TYPE NUMBERS NOT GOOD ENOUGH

1 out of 3… Peyton Manning, arguably the greatest quarterback of all-time, has NFL record shattering numbers, accolades, endorsements, fame, and also has the same amount of Super Bowl rings as Brad Johnson. Who? Exactly… He can get to the big game, but can not win it. Many JSU fans have the same argument about now former Jackson State head football coach, Rick Comegy. In 8 seasons, Comegy restored the football dominance of Jackson State on the gridiron. Tiger fans were treated to seeing JSU hoist a SWAC championship trophy back in 2007. Over 5 years ago. In the past two seasons, Comegy had the opportunity to truly go down in Tigers’ history with back to back championships, boosting his total to 3 in 8 seasons. In Birmingham against Arkansas Pine-Bluff, Jackson State blew a fourth quarter lead behind a one-armed quarterback. The starter, Clayton Moore, injured his throwing shoulder in the first half. Being the competitor that he is, Moore naturally did not want to come out. They subbed him out occasionally then decided that Moore gave them the best chance to win. The “threat” of him throwing and his ability to run for first downs appealed to the coach more so than a 6’6’’ backup quarterback. He rolled the dice, bad decision, Arkansas Pine Bluff won the championship. 1 out 2 ain’t bad… LAST season after a horrendous start to the season, the tigers righted the ship in SWAC play. Jackson State cruised to an eastern division title despite losing to arch rivals Alcorn State the last game of the season. Jackson State clinched the eastern division crown a week prior to playing Alcorn, so win or lose, they knew that were playing for a championship. They also played like it. Playing uninspired, the tigers trailed 31 to 3 at the half. Jackson State made a good showing in the second half, but by then, the game was in the bag. Tiger fans weren’t happy, but had their eyes on the prize, brushing off the loss to Alcorn. In Houston, Jackson State would have to battle Southern University. Suffering defeat to Jackson State once already, Southern wanted to avenge their loss while capturing the crown. Jackson State’s defense,

Coach Comegy guided JSU to three SWAC Championship games.

as was the case the entire season, played well. The offense was the team’s Achilles heal. The grind it out, play action pass, move the chains, offense disappeared. Jackson State fell in the championship game once again becoming the first SWAC school to lose back to back SWAC championship games. JSU put up one heck of a fight! It took double overtime for Southern to win. But that win had a rippling affect through tiger nation. Alumni, fans, and non-tigers fans were clamoring about the regression of the offense. It started in the Alcorn game two weeks prior. People were calling for the offensive coordinator to be replaced. Not Comegy, his offensive coordinator. Coach Comegy never got the opportunity to do so, Coach Rick Comegy was fired less than two weeks after the championship game. 1 out of 3 championship games wasn’t enough. The firing set off many reactions through tiger nation. Support. Shock. Blank Stare.

comegy page 8

6

Jim Hill Cheerleaders to Nationals

For the first time in recent years a cheer squad from the Jackson Public School District has earned a bid to the National High School Cheerleading Championship (NHSCC) the most prestigious cheerleading championship in the country, according to the Universal Cheerleaders Association’s website www.uca.varsity.com. Jim Hill earned this honor by placing third in the Game Day category.

Congratulations to Jim Hill athletes, coaches and parents for this outstanding accomplishment. Yes I did say athletes; cheerleaders are athletes who perform amazing feats of strength and agility all while wearing a smile. Many schools offer cheerleading scholarships based on the competiveness of its program. Stunt, a competitive team sport derived from cheerleading is currently part of the NCAA Emerging Sport Initiative.

More about their results in the next issue

While the regulatory process works it magic to ensure compliance with Title IX, more and more schools are embracing the sport of cheerleading.

Cheerleading and its competitive derivative are yet another sport that our inner cities have yet to embrace. Good to see Jim Hill changing the conversation.How does Nationally ranked Cheerleading sound? Sounds really good to those Jim Hill Tigers! Can’t wait to Chop It Up with their cheerleading coach.

7

8

Jackson State cited a program direction change as part of the reason for the firing. Recruiting local players. Player discipline. NCAA APR standards, which improved from 2 years ago when Jackson State was banned from playing in the SWAC championship game due to their APR. All legitimate reasons. Would Comegy have been fired had he won in Houston? Losing or winning the championship game did not directly affect the reasons why Comegy was fired. Losing made it easier to fire a coach who was 1 of 3 in championship games with his only win coming 6 years ago under a different administration. Jackson State released the following statement, “We are grateful to Coach Comegy and his staff for their service to Jackson State. “We appreciate the work he has done with JSU athletics and we wish him well.”

Rumors swirled around who the tigers would hire to replace Coach Comegy. After weeks of speculation, interviews, and anticipation. Jackson State reached back into JSU history and tapped 1968 JSU graduate, Harold Jackson on the shoulder, giving him the keys to the football program. Tiger nation reacted. Support. Shock. Blank Stare. Sound familiar? Harold Jackson was a 5-time pro bowl player in the NFL. Coach Jackson has been a wide receivers coach with the New England Patriots, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and New Orleans Saints. He coached in college at Baylor, Kentucky, and Virginia Union. Jackson was living in Los Angeles and really hasn’t been coaching since 2006. Social media went crazy after JSU made this hire. More people are against the hire, than for the hire. Other SWAC schools have begun making jokes about his age and how desperate JSU must be. For the record, Harold Jackson is 68 years old. People are asking how can a 68 year old coach who hasn’t been living in Jackson or the state recruit players in the state. Coach Jackson made it a point to

comegy page 5say that he isn’t leaving MS to recruit other players until he has saturated MS. “I’m not sending people to Texas unless I know we’re signing the players in Texas.” Coach Jackson also said that he has to build relationships with the high school coaches in the state. That will take some time. On national signing day, Jackson State signed 12 players. This class has a combined GPA of 2.8 and an ACT score average of 20. Not bad. Local talent, Shawn Bishop, from Callaway could make an immediate impact on the field. Time will tell. Coach Harold Jackson says he didn’t come to

build a program, he came to finish what had already been started and to win SWAC championships. Funny, winning does cure all doesn’t it? Ask Coach Comegy….

9

10

11

Black History Moment:Black Quarterbacks are Becoming the

Preferred Athlete

Russell Wilson, quarterback of the Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks, is the second African-American quarterback to win a super

bowl. In 2014 we are talking about only the second African-American to reach the pinnacle of a career, apologies I digress. Wilson’s team dominated Peyton Manning’s Denver Broncos 43 to 8. While the Seahawks defense is getting much of the credit and deservedly so, let’s not forget, the quarterback has to put the team in winning positions. Russell Wilson does not turn the ball over and rarely loses in Seattle. Interceptions, fumbles, and poor decision making frequently hinder young quarterbacks; not the case for the 5’11” quarterback out of Wisconsin. Wilson makes timely throws, runs when necessary to keep drives alive, and capitalizes on the excellent position his defense creates for him.

It’s been 26 years since the first black quarterback, Doug Williams, won the Super Bowl for the Washington Redskins. In the 1988 Superbowl Williams threw for 4 touchdowns, all in the second quarter, compiling 340 yards for the game. Williams played in the era where black quarterbacks didn’t have

many opportunities to be a starting quarterback. Long before RGIII, Russell Wilson, Michael Vick, Donovan McNabb, Cam Newton, to name a few, there was Warren Moon, who was probably the most heralded black quarterback who has been inducted into the Hall of Fame. Moon wasn’t the first black quarterback by any means, but he was the first considered to be a “pure passer” that led teams successfully through the regular season into the playoffs.

Black quarterbacks can be traced back to the early 1950’s but many were switched from quarterback to other positions. For example, George Taliaferro, back in 1950, was a halfback who lined up in the shotgun in the T-formation. This formation required him to run or throw. Similar to the read option that is used by Robert Griffin III and Colin Kaepernick. Taliaferro played 5 years for the New York Yanks, Dallas Texans, Baltimore Colts and Philadelphia Eagles.

Over the years defensive players have become much faster. Quarterbacks no longer have 8 to 10 seconds before they can throw a pass. Quarterbacks have to be able to move, to get out of the pocket, or at least

dance around to extend plays. Black quarterbacks have excelled at this. Initially, they were said to run too much. Quarterbacks like Randal Cunningham faced that. As he matured, Cunningham knew when to run, but more importantly developed the accuracy skills of Warren Moon. Defenses were bewildered as they had to adjust to this style of play which hindered their ability to attack.

In today’s NFL. Quarterbacks have about 3 to 5 seconds to get rid of the ball, 5 seconds is great. Coaches realize the need for high performing quality athletes at the quarterback �

12

position to maintain scoring drives. As defensive lines become more proficient with dynamic blitz schemes, it is crucial for the offense to get moving quickly. Today’s black quarterbacks aren’t just runners They also possess rocket arms and are dynamic signal callers. Today’s quarterbacks need to be bigger, stronger, smarter and more athletic with average size being around 6’5” 260. However, Russell Wilson breaks the mold and proves that size is not the most important factor when it comes to being a champion.

It has taken over 50 years for black quarterbacks to be-come sought after by NFL teams. Here at Chop It Up Sports we believe Alcorn legend and former NFL MVP, the late Steve McNair had a lot to do with changing perceptions. Doug Williams put HBCU schools on the map coming out of Grambling University. While these athletes are being embraced by the NFL, I can’t help but wonder how many more will be HBCU alums; that is a topic for another day. Warren Moon is somewhere watching with great pride.

Placeyour ad

here

13

14

15

How you can Chop It UP

If you have a story idea or want to make a statement, let us know. We want you to be a part of the conversation. Send an email to our editor at

editor@chopitupsports.com and you may see your story idea or article in our next issue.

Rules to Chop It Up

Here at Chop it up we are open to and welcome the input of our readers we just ask that you keep it constructive. We aren’t here to bash players but to spread the word about the amazing athletes in our community. This is a place where you can share tips and get out the information that athletes

want and need to know.

So keep it positive and debate ideas and not atack people. Can’t wait for you to Chop It Up!

16