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"I told the kids the quicker they buy into our system, the quicker we get Ws in the win column." he told INSIDE in an interview Thursday, September 27. Cole, who assisted his brother LC at Tennessee State and Alabama State, says connections he established with many high school coaches has been invaluable to him at LC. "Another thing is, we changed attitudes. We made them cut their hair and take off those earings and saggy pants. We had to jettison a few players too. We only have 13 guys from last year's team We have a whole new team that doesn't know anything about Lane's past , They just know the here and now." Cole says the team has several outstanding players including senior leader Jacoby Jones, who many say is the school's second Fred Lane. "We think Jacoby has the skills to go to the next level but I discussed it with him and told him not to try to go out and have a big year. You've done enough to attract pro scouts. Focus on being a winner on and off the field. He tells the other guys, it's not about me , It's about us and that's our motto this year." The Dragons are in Tuscaloosa this week taking on Stillman College, coached by the veteran Greg Thompson. "They got the best 1-4 team in black college football," Cole says without hesitation.
The 5-0 mark has already scored pluses for Lane College's campus. "Actually, it's good for the city of Jackson (Tennessee). The atmosphere and attitudes are high and expectations are going up too. I tell the players we got something special. With that comes responsibility both on and off the field." BY THE BYE, Cole''s brother LC landed on his feet. He is Athletic Director and head football coach at Montgomery Alabama's Sidney Lanier High School. The school's record currently is 2-2. Alums of Lane College will be delighted to know that one of their own, the late Donald L Hollowell, has an endowed chair at the University of Georgia. Hollowell, from Wichita Kansas, played quarterback for Lane College in the late 30s and was inducted several years ago in the SIAC Hall of Fame.. He was the personal lawyer for Martin Luther King Junior and ran Jim Crow off the campus of UGA in 1961, getting Hamilton Holmes and Charlyne Hunter-Gault admitted as the school's first two black enrollees. INSIDE'S SIAC PICKS THIS WEEK: Albany State over Benedict by 3, Kentucky State over Clark-Atlanta by 10, Howard over Fort Valley by 7, Miles over Savannah State by 21, Tuskegee over UAPB by 7, Lane over Stillman by 7 and Morehouse over Alcorn by 3 INSIDE AT THE ATLANTA CLASSIC: I spent Thursday morning going over the won-loss records of the Tennessee State-Florida A&M pairings since the two starting tangling on the gridiron in 1944 ( thanks to SIDS from TSU and FAMU for their awesome media guides). While FAMU has a 7-2 edge on the Atlanta Classic over their big blue rivals, the series of 45 games has FAMU with a 23-22 edge. A further examination of the record book shows there have been only 4 shutouts and 3 blowouts during that series. What am I saying? The thousands of fans expected here for the 18th Atlanta Classic this weekend can expect to see a heck of a ballgame in addition to all the ancillary activities like halftime and socializing. And there is something at stake for the big blue. They will get a chance to even the series between them and their orange and green adversaries at 23 apiece. CLASSIC HISTORY: When the Atlanta Classic was hatched 18 years ago by the 100 Black men of Atlanta,, it was originally called the "Ebony Classic"...The game has blossomed into a business but the mission remains solid. Proceeds benefit the 100's Operation Success. Each member mentors a freshman from targeted high school with low graduation rates. The student who finishes in insured a four year college education, funded by the 100. Awesome. Many of the young men and women involved in Success have come back as 100 members while others are kicking behind in the corporate and business world.....What makes this ballgame work, notwithstanding the efforts of the members is the extraordinary job many of them do . That includes Ron Coleman, who has the arduous task of fielding and approving the hundreds of requests foe media credentials, and Harry White , vice chair of the Sponsor Relations Committee. His job is to make sure that the 41 businesses who have signed on in on are happy they hooked up and happier when they leave the Dome. Speaking of sponsors, check out this list. It's as heavy as Georgia's Stone Mountain: Bank of America, Kelloggs ( the best to you each morning wised up and latched on, flakes and all, with the Atlanta game and five other HBCU classics), Coca Cola ( a game in the big drinks' hometown and they are not involved? pleeze) , Coors, Delta, Georgia Power, McDonald's, Tyson Foods, Atlanta Journal Constitution , Venison Wireless, Chase, MARTA ( rapid transit in Hotlanta), Blue Cross-Blue Shield, State Farm ( the neighbor) , Atlanta Life , AstraZeneca, Aetna, Ford, UPS, Russell Athletic, Deloitte, Wachovia, Georgia Pacific and Philips Electronics. GAITHER WATCH: .Two HBCU players are being perused by members of the 100% Wrong Club for their annual "Black Heisman" trophy honoring the best player from one of our colleges and named for FAMU coaching legend Alonzao S "Jake" Gaither.. Roosevelt Kizer of FAMU and Aaron Strong of TSU will get the once over for the coveted honor...Personally, I am directing some members to smoke over Morehouse quarterback Reuben Dupree and take another look at Lane College's Jacoby. Jones. INSIDE SINGING DIVA FROM
SPELMAN: Atlanta's
historically CATCHING UP: Former Morehouse College running back John David Washington (actor Denzel's boy) has made the practice squad of the St Louis Rams. Dr Harold Wade, President of Atlanta Metro College, announced earlier this year he will retire at the end of 2006. Wade was a standout athlete at Stillman College in his hometown of Tuscaloosa Alabama. Got an item or comment?
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all black women's college has
produced some serious winners and one of them
is Kathleen Jackson Bertrand. During the day,
she's VP of the Atlanta Convention and Visitors
Bureau but her time away from the J-O-B is
spent singing and recording. She has produced
and put out on her own label " Kathleen
Bertrand-New Standards. The "sistah" takes
traditional hymns and songs like "Wade
in the Water", "When we all get to
Heaven" and "Come by Here" and
turns them all but loose. Sneak a peek by visiting
cdbaby.com. Ask the site to search for Kathleen
Bertrand.