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News Nuggets, 09.07.05
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Compiled from staff reports and electronic dispatches

Pirates capture two of league's three awards

In the afterglow of their team's opening day win over Duke, a pair of East Carolina players were recognized as Conference USA issued its first official accolades of the football season.

ECU quarterback James Pinkney was named the league's offensive player of the week, and special teams wizard Markeith McQueen was awarded the special teams honor in a Tuesday announcement from the conference office in Irving, TX.

Pinkney, a junior from Delray Beach, FL, was involved in all three of the Pirates' touchdowns in the 24-21 victory over the Blue Devils on Saturday. He ran for 31 yards and a pair of touchdowns and completed 17 of 21 passes for 235 yards, including a 50-yard scoring strike as ECU brought an end to an eight-game losing streak to ACC teams.

McQueen, a senior from Bradenton, FL, returned Duke's opening kickoff 45 yards — the longest return by an ECU player since the 2003 season — and helped the Pirates' punt defense unit keep Duke bottled up in its own territory for much of the second half. He made a tackle on an ECU third quarter punt that held the runner to no return and twice downed punts inside the Blue Devils 5-yard line during the fourth quarter to thwart Duke comeback attempts.

UTEP linebacker Thomas Howard, a senior from Lubbock, TX, was honored as C-USA's defensive player of the week. He registered 10 tackles (five solo), two tackles for losses (-12 yards), a sack (-9 yards), an interception (20 yards), two pass break-ups and a fumble recovery in UTEP's 34-17 win at New Mexico State on Saturday night.

From staff reports and Conference USA and ECU Athletics releases.

Tulane teams to carry on at five host schools

DALLAS, TX — In an unprecedented arrangement, Tulane University will spread its student-athletes across five campuses in Louisiana and Texas this fall as the Green Wave teams continue to compete while their home city of New Orleans recovers from the effects of Hurricane Katrina.

The schools and the teams they will host:

   —   Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, LA: Tulane football.

   —   Texas A&M University, College Station, LA: Tulane men's basketball, women's swimming and diving, women's volleyball and women's soccer.

   —   Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX: Tulane baseball and women's basketball.

   —   Rice University, Houston, TX: Tulane men's and women's tennis.

   —   Southern Methodist University: Tulane men's and women's golf.

The Green Wave cross country team will not run this fall.

"I can't say enough about the tremendous outpouring of support we have received from every single person we have spoken to over the last several days, not only from these five schools, but from other schools we contacted and our conference office," stated Tulane Athletic Director Rick Dickson in news release. "Our priority was to continue to provide a high quality academic and athletic experience for our athletes. This plan could not have come together without their help."

The Green Wave's new hosts have provided Tulane student-athletes enrollment, housing and meal services. Students will be admitted to school under a tuition and enrollment agreement worked out by Tulane President Dr. Scott Cowen last week, under which Tulane students may attend one of hundreds of schools that are members of nine leading higher education associations.

Most of the Tulane student-athletes will were to begin arriving Tuesday on the four campuses where classes had already started. The 88 members of the school's football squad, which has been in Dallas since last Tuesday night, will travel to Ruston on Sunday. Classes do not begin at Louisiana Tech, which is on the quarter system, until Monday, Sept. 12.

After its students and coaches make their way to their new locales, Tulane will work with its new partners to identify and schedule practice and playing facilities. Schools have also offered other assistance, from meeting rooms at Louisiana Tech for the Green Wave football team, to working space in their facilities for Tulane support staff such as athletic trainers, academic counselors and administrators.

From a Tulane Athletics report.

Two players booked, jailed on murder charges

MOUNT PLEASANT, MI — Two Central Michigan football players, including star running back Jerry Seymour, were charged Tuesday in the fatal beating of a 26-year-old man, the Isabella County prosecutor said.

A third player and a female student also were arraigned on charges stemming from the July 2004 death of Demarcus Graham, Prosecutor Larry Burdick said.

``We believe we have some of those responsible for Graham's death,'' Burdick was quoted as saying by CM Life, the Central Michigan student newspaper.

Seymour, 20, a junior from Miramar, FL, and Spencer Lewis, 23, a junior running back from Lathrup Village, MI, were arraigned on one count each of second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, assault with intent to do great bodily harm and perjury, Burdick said.

James Edward Cooper, Jr., 22, a senior defensive tackle from Detroit, was charged with two counts of perjury, one count of obstruction of justice and one count of accessory after the fact. Cora Lee Hawkins, 20, a sophomore from Detroit, was charged with one count of perjury.

All four were arrested Tuesday on warrants that accompanied an indictment issued by Chief Circuit Judge Paul Chamberlain. He set bond at $1 million cash or 10 percent surety on the second-degree murder charges facing Seymour and Lewis and $100,000 cash or surety on all other charges, Burdick said.

All four suspects were being held Tuesday night in the Isabella County Jail. Burdick said he did not know if they had retained attorneys, but if they hadn't done so by Wednesday or Thursday it was likely lawyers would be appointed for them.

Graham, of Mount Pleasant, was beaten unconscious outside Shaboom's Pub during a fight on June 25, 2004. He died 19 days later at St. Mary's Hospital in Saginaw.

Seymour was indefinitely suspended from the Central Michigan team on April 1, two days after he was charged with criminal contempt on accusations he lied to the grand jury. Seymour pleaded no contest and later served 30 days in jail.

Chippewas coach Brian Kelly said Tuesday that Cooper and Lewis have been indefinitely suspended, and that Seymour's suspension remained in effect.

Four other students, including two former football players, also were charged with criminal contempt in the course of Chamberlain's investigation. Each served 30 days in jail, Burdick said. Contempt charges against former player Anthony Rogers are pending, the prosecutor said.

News Nuggets are compiled periodically based on material supplied by staff members; data published by ECU, Conference USA and its member schools; and reports from Associated Press and other sources. Copyright 2005 Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Page Updated: 02/23/2007 12:27 PM