As head coach, Scottie Montgomery bears the brunt of responsibility for East Carolina’s back-to-back 3-9 football seasons. He’s the first to acknowledge that. But as Dave Hart, the special consultant to chancellor Cecil Staton for athletics, indicated in an interview with Bonesville published last week, there are other factors besides coaching that must be addressed for … [Read more...]

One look at the first play on Keziah Everett's junior year highlight video – even though it didn't occur at Everett's primary position – should be enough to excite East Carolina fans about the future Pirate. Everett is a defensive tackle at Farmville Central High School, located just about 15 miles from the ECU campus. The 6-foot-2, 314-pounder, who is part of a strong … [Read more...]

Devontez Walker first talked the talk, then walked the walk when it came to playing wide receiver. Walker had shown promise at defensive back for West Charlotte's junior varsity as a freshman during the 2015 season. But a desire to play receiver prompted Walker to make a request of the coaching staff as his sophomore year approached. “We were heavy on receivers in the … [Read more...]

Call it love at first sight for Shemar Thompson and the East Carolina Pirates. ECU running backs coach Jason Nichols evaluated video of Thompson in early December last year during a stop at Walter M. Williams High School in Burlington, NC. Nichols was so impressed by what he saw of the 6-foot-1, 205-pound running back that the Pirates extended a scholarship offer mere days … [Read more...]

Nate Conner remembers the moment he knew C.J. Johnson was a special talent. Conner's D.H. Conley High School team was engaged in a late November, third-round state 4-A playoff battle in 2015 against Pitt County rival Greenville Rose. Johnson was just a freshman receiver for the Vikings at the time and played for the varsity all season, but had only four catches. “We had … [Read more...]