PAGE A14 THE ORLANDO TIMES MEAC/SWAC SPECIAL AUGUST 29 - SEPT. 4, 2013

Dear MVSU Supporters:

Nestled in the Mississippi Delta, Mississippi Valley State Univer- sity continues to bring HOPE to all Valley Featured In August 2013 Edition those who walk through its doors in pursuit of higher education and Of The US Airways Magazine: Dr. Alfred Rankins, Jr. lifelong learning. Acting President We strive to create a “Home HBCU Spells Success Away From Home” environment and offer the best education possible. For over 60 years, Mississippi Valley State University has built student- Meet The Nation’s Historical Black Colleges And Universities driven academic programs and activities geared to de- velop future leaders. Our students come from diverse In keeping with Mississippi Valley State University’s mission to expand recruitment efforts, the University placed an article in the backgrounds and from all over the world, but they have a August 2013 edition of the US Airways Magazine. The article, HBCU Spells Success – Meet the nation’s Historical Black Colleges and common goal–a thirst for knowledge and fulfilling their Universities, will introduce the campus, championship athletic programs, and academic curriculum to national and global audiences DREAMS. to include: potential students and private donors, alumni, government officials, corporations, and foundations. Mississippi Valley State University is recognized for To find out more about the academic programs and services MVSU has to offer, contact the Office of Admissions and Recruitment being the youngest HBCU with award winning pro- at 1-800-662-GO2MVSU or visit www.mvsu.edu. grams in environmental health, bioinformatics, auto- mated identification systems, and pre-law. The Universi- ty has 28 undergraduate programs, 9 graduate programs and many support programs that include international studies, the Men’s College, the Women’s Institute for Valley’s Head Coach, Excellence, Continuing Education and our off-site cam- Karl Morgan Making pus–Greenville Higher Education Center. Right now is the perfect time to be a part of Mis- History With Delta Devils sissippi Valley State University. We have cultivated an amazing group of people ready to serve and embrace all Veteran collegiate coach and former those who select to be educated here. We have some of UCLA standout Karl Morgan enters his the best students in the nation and a world-class faculty fourth season as the leader of the Mississippi and staff. Our alumni excel in many professional areas, Valley State football program. He was intro- such as education, medicine,law, government, business, duced as the 15th head coach at Mississippi research, entertainment, entrepreneurship and athletics. Valley State University on January 11, 2010. Again, we hope you will consider making Mississippi Morgan also serves as defensive coordinator Valley State University your home of higher learning. We for the Delta Devils. He came to MVSU after BELIEVE you will find our campus to be the perfect fit serving five seasons as the defensive coordi- for you. nator at the University of North Alabama. Coach In his three seasons at the helm at MVSU, Karl Morgan Respectfully, the Delta Devils have gone 6-26, but have continued to improve under Morgan. In 2011, Valley finished Dr. Alfred Rankins, Jr. sixth in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) in total Dr. Alfred Rankins, Jr. defense and rushing offense. Then in 2012, the Delta Devils led the Acting President SWAC and ranked fourth in the Football Championship Subdivi- sion (FCS) in total defense, allowing just 279.18 yards per game. Valley also ranked second in the conference in scoring defense, while giving up just 18.7 points per game in 2012. The Delta Dev- ils were atop the conference in rushing defense (116.2), pass de- fense efficiency (99.7) and (13). Meanwhile, MVSU allowed just 163 passing yards per game (2nd in the SWAC). While at MVSU, Morgan has coached six postseason All- SWAC Delta Devils – all named following the 2012 season. In 2012, Morgan became the first MVSU head football coach to lead the Delta Devils to victories over Southern and Grambling State in the same season since legendary coach Archie Cooley in 1984.

MVSU FOOTBALL ALUMNI PROFILE

NATIVE FLORIDIAN (born March 14, 1953) is a time NFL leader in receptions, Willie “Satellite” Totten David D. “Deacon” Jones former quarter- receptions, and yards. (born July 4, 1962) is the for- (December 9, 1938 – June 3, back who played in the National Rice was selected to the Pro Bowl mer head coach of the Mississippi 2013) was an American football Football League (NFL) for one sea- 13 times (1986–1996, 1998, 2002) Valley State University Delta Devils defensive end in the National Foot- son. Over the course of his career, and named All-Pro 12 times in his football team, a job he held from ball League for the Los Angeles he played in eight games for the 20 NFL seasons. He won three Su- 2002 to 2009. He is a member of Rams, San Diego Chargers, and , completed per Bowl rings playing for the San the Hall of Fame. the Washington Redskins. He was 15 of 39 passes for 210 yards, threw Francisco 49ers and an AFC Cham- He is one of a few coaches ever inducted into the Pro Football Hall one touchdown and five intercep- pionship with the Oakland Raiders. to coach in a stadium named after of Fame in 1980. tions, and finished his career with is the NFL record him. His teams played in Rice- Jones specialized in quar- a of 25.5. holder in a number of statistics for Totten Field, named for him and Willie “Satellite” Totten David D. terback “sacks”, a term which he A four-year starting quarter- receivers. His 1,549 career recep- legendary NFL Jerry “Deacon” Jones coined. Nicknamed the “The Sec- back at Mississippi Valley State tions are 307 receptions ahead of Rice. Totten was Rice’s quarter- retary of Defense”, Jones is consid- University, Dickinson was drafted the second place record held by back at MVSU, and with Rice as ered one of the greatest defensive by the Buccaneers in the seventh Tony Gonzalez. His 22,895 career his target, Totten set more than players ever.[1] The Los Angeles round of the 1976 NFL Draft. He receiving yards are 6,961 yards 50 Division I-AA passing records. Times called Jones “Most Valu- served as the backup ahead of the second place spot His team scored 59 points a game, able Ram of All Time,” and former behind his rookie held by his former 49ers team- and in one year he threw for a re- Redskins head coach George Allen season, and saw playing time in mate Terrell Owens. His 197 career cord 58 . Totten played called him the “Greatest Defensive eight games, including one start touchdown receptions are 41 scores professionally in the CFL with the End of Modern Football”.[1] against the . His more than the second place re- BC Lions (1986) and Toronto Ar- Jones was born in Eatonville, season ended after suffering an cord of 156 touchdown receptions gonauts (1987) before moving on Florida and lived in a four-bed- injury in a game against the Cleve- by Randy Moss, and his 208 total to the NFL, as a replacement player room house with his family of ten. land Browns. He recovered from touchdowns (197-rec, 10-, & for the during the [2] Jones attended Hungerford the injury and tried to make the 1-fumble recovery) are 33 scores strike-shortened 1987 NFL season. High School, where he played team in 1977, but was cut, ending ahead of Emmitt Smith’s second In two games as a strikebreaker, football, baseball, and basketball. his career. After retiring, he became place total of 175. He also threw 1 Totten completed 13 of 33 passes Ashley Avery Ambrose [3] During high school, Jones de- a high school offensive coordinator TD pass against the Atlanta Falcons for 155 yards and two touchdowns. veloped a lump in his thigh and in Tampa. in a 1995 regular season game. Fur- He also fumbled nine times and learned that it was a tumor; he had Currently, Dickerson resides in thermore, his 1,256 career points accounted for eight turnovers in a Defensive Back of the Year while he was playing with the Cincin- Parnell Dickinson surgery to remove it.[2] Tampa, Florida and serves as the scored make him the highest-scor- pair of Bills losses. After this NFL, When he was 14 years old, he NFL License Uniform & Equip- ing non-kicker in NFL history. A Totten played in the Arena Football nati Bengals, the team for which witnessed a carload of white teen- ment Inspector. He is also the own- career spanning two decades, Rice League, playing for the Chicago he played from 1996-1998. He also agers laughingly hit an elderly er of Dickerson Insurance, Inc. averaged 75.6 receiving yards per Bruisers, Pittsburgh Gladiators and played for the Indianapolis Colts black church woman with a wa- OTHER NOTABLE ALUMNI game that he played, fifth-highest the New Orleans Night. from 1992–1995, the New Orleans termelon. The woman died days Jerry Lee Rice in NFL history among wide receiv- Totten is a member of Phi Beta Saints in 1999 and again in 2003 later from the injury, and there was (born October 13, 1962) is a ers. Only Andre Johnson (79.7), Sigma Fraternity. He retired from and 2004 and for the Atlanta Fal- never a police investigation. “Un- former American football wide re- Torry Holt (77.4), Marvin Harrison the State of Mississippi in August cons from 2000-2002. He attended like many black people then, I was ceiver who played twenty seasons (76.7), and Larry Fitzgerald (76.0) 2013 and is currently serving as Mississippi Valley State University determined not to be what society in the have averaged more receiving yards the Quarterback Coach for Albany and has 42 career interceptions for said I was,” Jones later recounted. (NFL). He is widely considered per game over a career. State University in Albany, Georgia. 512 yards and three touchdowns. “Thank God I had the ability to to be the greatest wide receiver in Rice was selected for induction Ashley Avery Ambrose Prior to the 2005 season, he tried play a violent game like football. It NFL history and among the great- in the Pro Football Hall of Fame (born September 17, 1970 in out for the Kansas City Chiefs. gave me an outlet for the anger in est NFL players at any position. class of 2010 in his first year of eli- New Orleans, Louisiana) is a for- Ambrose was hired as a defen- my heart.”[4] [1] On November 4, 2010, Rice gibility. He was inducted in Canton, mer professional American foot- sive technical intern for the Colo- Currently the St. Louis Rams was chosen by NFL Network’s NFL Ohio on August 7, 2010 alongside ball cornerback for several NFL rado football team’s 2008 season. are wearing #75 on the back of Films production The Top 100: Emmitt Smith, Floyd Little, Russ teams during the 1990s and early [1] In May 2009, head coach Dan their football helmets to commem- NFL’s Greatest Players as the great- Grimm, Rickey Jackson, Dick LeB- 2000s who is currently the defen- Hawkins announced that Ambrose orate the legacy of Deacon Jones. est player in NFL history. eau, and John Randle.[19] On Sep- sive backs coach for the California would take over as the wide receiv- Jerry Lee Rice CURRENT FLORIDA He is the all-time leader in tember 20, 2010, during halftime at Golden Bears football team. ers coach in 2010. In 2011 he will RESIDENT most major statistical categories the 49ers-Saints game, Rice’s #80 Ambrose was a one time Pro be the Defensive Backs coach at Parnell Dickinson for wide receivers[2] and the all- jersey number was retired. Bowl selection in 1996 and AFC California.