QUICK FACTS School: North Carolina Central University Location: Durham, NC 27707 Founded: 1910 by Dr. James E. Shepard Enrollment: 8,096 Nickname: Eagles School Colors: Maroon & Gray Stadium: O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium Capacity (Surface): 10,000 (Mondoturf) National Affiliation: NCAA Division I-FCS Conference: Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Chancellor: Dr. Johnson O. Akinleye Alma Mater: Alabama A&M Athletics Director: Dr. Ingrid Wicker McCree Alma Mater: George Washington Athletics Dept. Phone: (919) 530-7057 Athletics Dept. Website: NCCUEaglePride.com Twitter: @NCCUathletics Facebook: www.facebook.com/NCCUathletics YouTube: www.youtube.com/NCCUEagles Instagram: nccuathletics Ticket Office Phone: (919) 530-5170 COACHING STAFF Head Coach: Jerry Mack FOOTBALL HISTORY Alma Mater (Year): Arkansas State (2003) First Year of Football: 1923 Record at NCCU (Years): 24-11 (4th season) Overall All-Time Record: 463-380-30 Career Record (Years): 24-11 (4th season) NCAA Division I-FCS Playoff Record (Yrs): 0-0 Assistant Coaches: NCAA Div. II Playoff Record (Yrs): 1-3 Granville Eastman - Defensive Coordinator/Safeties/ (3 years - 1988, 2005, 2006) Assistant Head Coach Last Playoff Opponent: Delta State (Div. II) T.C. Taylor – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Result (Date): Lost, 17-24 (Nov. 25, 2006) Jason Onyebuagu – Co-Offensive Coordinator/ Conference Championships: MEAC (1972, 1973, Offensive Line 2014, 2015, 2016); CIAA (1953, 1954, 1956, 1961, Chris Schultz – Special Teams Coordinator/ 1963, 1980, 2005, 2006) Defensive Assistant Kenyatta McCoy – Secondary/Recruiting Coordinator SPORTS INFORMATION Jason Blalock – Linebackers Sports Information Director: Kyle Serba Jon Bradley – Defensive Line SID Office Phone: (919) 530-7054 Carl Funderburk – Tight Ends SID Mailing Address: 116 McDougald-McLendon Jordan Reid – Running Backs Arena, Durham, NC 27707 Jermaine Gales – Wide Receivers SID E-Mail: [email protected] Quinn Billerman – Offensive Assistant SID Cell & Press Box Phone: (919) 796-1696 Bobby Turner – Defensive Assistant NCCU Sports Network: Jonathan Duren (Play-by-Play) Phone/E-Mail: (919) 530-6892 / [email protected] TEAM INFORMATION total / home / away / neutral Overall Record Last Year: 9-3 / 5-0 / 4-2 / 0-0 Scan QR Code for Online Version MEAC Record Last Year: 8-0 / 4-0 / 4-0 / 0-0 of 2017 NCCU Football Season Offensive Formation: Multiple Preview Defensive Formation: 4-2-5 Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 35/35 Starters Returning/Lost: 11/11 (4/7 Offense; 7/4 Defense) NCCUEaglePride.com Twitter: @NCCU_Football | @NCCUAthletics RETURNING OFFENSIVE STARTERS (4) RETURNING DEFENSIVE STARTERS (7) Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. 2016 Notes Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. 2016 Notes Ramone Simpson RB 5-10 185 R-Jr. Reggie Hunter LB 6-0 225 R-Sr. - Rush: 632 yards (4.9 avg.), 5 TD ** - 84 tackles, 12.0 TFL, 2.0 sacks, 4 INT ** Nick Leverett OL 6-4 290 R-So. Antonio Brown DE 6-3 260 R-Sr. - Started all 12 games in rookie season *** - 56 tackles, 14.5 TFL, 8.0 sacks, 4 PBU, 2 FF ** David Miller WR 6-0 175 R-Sr. Alden McClellon DB 5-11 190 Jr. - 23 catches, 364 yards, 3 TD - 79 tackles, 7.5 TFL, 2.0 sacks, 5 PBU, 2 FF ** Jalen Wilkes WR 6-2 190 Jr. Ja’Quan Smith DT 6-2 300 R-Sr. - 31 catches, 516 yards, 5 TD - 58 tackles, 7.5 TFL, 3.5 sacks *** Nolan Corpening DB 5-10 180 Sr. ** Second Team All-MEAC - 25 tackles, 9 PBU, 1 FR *** Third Team All-MEAC Davanta Reynolds DB 5-10 200 R-Jr. - 38 tackles, 5.0 TFL, 2 PBU Jaquell Taylor DB 6-1 185 Jr. 2016 RESULTS (9-3, 8-0 MEAC Champions) - 52 tackles, 3.5 TFL, 2 PBU, 1 INT, 1 FF Date Opponent ...........................W/L Score Time / Attendance Sept. 3 at Duke ................................L 6-49 2017 SCHEDULE 3:26 / 35,049 Date Opponent Site Time Sept. 10 at Western Michigan ...............L 21-70 Sept. 2 at Duke Durham, N.C. 6pm 4:56 / 23,727 “Bull City Gridiron Classic”- ACC Network Extra Sept. 17 ST. AUGUSTINE’S ................. W 65-7 SEPT. 9 SHAW DURHAM, N.C. 6PM 2:57 / 5,016 * Sept. 24 at Norfolk State .................... W 34-31 SEPT. 21 S.C. STATE DURHAM, N.C. 7:30PM 3:07 / 8,296 (Thurs.) ESPNU * Oct. 1 at Bethune-Cookman ............ W 31-14 5:40 / 4,216 Sept. 28 at Florida A&M Tallahassee, Fla. 7:30pm * Oct. 8 FLORIDA A&M ...................... W 17-13 (Thurs.) ESPNU 2:42 / 617 * Oct. 15 SAVANNAH STATE ................. W 33-3 Oct. 7 at Howard Washington, D.C. 1pm 2:55 / 12,966 * Oct. 22 at Morgan State ................... W 21-17 OCT. 14 GARDNER-WEBB DURHAM, N.C. 2PM 2:55 / 8,534 * Nov. 5 at Delaware State ................. W 38-19 OCT. 21 NORFOLK STATE DURHAM, N.C. 2PM 3:10 / 1,597 * Nov. 12 HOWARD ............................. W 30-21 OCT. 28 DELAWARE STATE DURHAM, N.C. 2PM 2:47 / 6,897 “Homecoming” * Nov. 19 #9 N.C. A&T ........................ W 42-21 Nov. 4 at Hampton Hampton, Va. 1pm 3:43 / 15,715 Dec. 17 vs. #14 Grambling .................L 9-10 NOV. 11 BETHUNE-COOKMAN DURHAM, N.C. 2PM 3:40 / 31,096 “Senior Day” (Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl) Nov. 18 at N.C. A&T Greensboro, N.C. 1pm * indicates conference game Dec. 16 Celebration Bowl Atlanta, Ga. 12pm (MEAC Champion) Live on ABC-TV For more information, visit NCCUEaglePride.com Mercedes-Benz Stadium Home games in CAPS played at O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium. Listen to the entire Eagles football at NCCUEaglePride.com. NCCUEaglePride.com Twitter: @NCCU_Football | @NCCUAthletics 2017 NCCU Football Season Preview - Became first football team in school history to win a third consecutive conference Expectations are soaring around the North Carolina championship. Central University football program. Last year, - Beat nationally-ranked No. 9 North Carolina the NCCU Eagles were the first outright football A&T 42-21 on Nov. 19, 2016, to cap an champions of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference undefeated conference campaign. since 2012, and became the first football team in - Earned a trip to the second annual Air Force school history to win a third straight conference title. Reserve Celebration Bowl. - Posted the most wins in the program’s Division With that success, NCCU joined the national FCS I era with nine triumphs. conversation. The Eagles were nationally ranked as - Broke the NCCU single-season record with high as No. 18 in 2016, and have earned a No. 22 4,614 yards of total offense. ranking in the FCS preseason Top 25 by Street & - Received first national ranking as a Division Smith’s 2017 college football preview magazine. I-FCS program on Nov. 7, 2016, when the FCS Coaches Poll announced NCCU at No. 25. By the Entering 2017, NCCU has lost half of its starters and end of the regular season, the Eagles jumped half of its letterwinners from a year ago. Of NCCU’s to No. 18, and then finished at No. 19 in the league-high 17 all-conference selections in 2016, all final 2016 poll. six of the Eagles’ First Team All-MEAC honorees have - Placed a league-high 17 student-athletes on moved on, as well as three Second Team All-MEAC the All-MEAC teams (First, Second and Third). picks. NCCU Ranked No. 22 in FCS Preseason Top 25 Back on the sideline for his fourth campaign at NCCU After a 9-3 season and a third straight conference is head coach Jerry Mack, whose 24 wins are more championship, NCCU is ranked No. 22 in the FCS than any NCCU football coach in their first three preseason Top 25 by Street & Smith’s 2017 college seasons. football preview magazine. “We are honored to have a preseason ranking for the first time in our Division 2016 Team Highlights: I era,” said Mack. “It is truly a testament to how far - Captured the conference’s first outright we have come in the last three years.” When Mack championship since 2012, after sharing the took charge at NCCU prior to the 2014 campaign, league crown in 2014 and 2015. the Eagles were picked to finish eighth in the MEAC NCCUEaglePride.com Twitter: @NCCU_Football | @NCCUAthletics preseason poll. Now, just three years later, Street way we practice, prepare and study the game week & Smith’s has NCCU as the favorite to win a fourth in and week out. If we stay consistent to those things straight league title and the Eagles are in the national that have built the foundation of our program, I do FCS conversation. believe that we can consistently be at the top of the conference for years to come.” Looking Back at 2016: Leaving a Legacy “I thought 2016 was a very special season,” Mack Difference between 2016 and 2017 teams? said. “We had a group of seniors, a lot of them who “The 2016 team knew that they had a chance to be were with us for the last three championship seasons, really good,” said Mack. “A lot of those guys were who have left a legacy here that establishes us going with us in 2014 and 2015, and they knew going forward as a legitimate Division I contender and a into the season that they had an opportunity to be force to be reckoned with in the MEAC. I was really highly successful. This year’s team, there are a lot proud of those seniors and the younger guys that we of younger guys that have a chip on their shoulder developed the past few years as they came into their because they want to prove that they are legitimate own last season.” contenders. We have some young guys that did not get a chance to play as much as they would have Earning NCCU’s First FCS National Ranking liked to, with a group of new guys that don’t want “Earning the school’s first FCS national ranking meant to take a drop from what this program has done the a lot to us as a program,” said Mack.