2007 Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles

[Colonel_Reb]

Here are Jeff Bower's rare white starters.

Offense
RT Ryan McKee
RG Ryan Hebert
C Rick Thompson

Defense
DT Sean Merrill


As a funny aside, Southern will have a barefoot kicker/punter, Britt Barefoot that is.

 

[Triad]

We touched on this last year.Southern coachesthink they " hit a home run" with this convict.

Few stars shined as brightly in Dade County's football firmament as the 5-foot-11, 185-pound Easterling. He rushed for 2,831 yards and 33 touchdowns last season, and was rated by national recruiting services among the top 17 backs in the country, including No. 5 by ESPN.com.

But on Dec. 7, just days before his Miami Northwestern team was to play in the state championship game, Easterling was arrested and charged with second-degree lewd and lascivious battery on a minor, a felony charge stemming from having consensual sex with a 14-year-old girl at his high school three months earlier when he was 18.

A few days after his arrest, Easterling was back on the field, rushing for 157 yards and a touchdown in a Northwestern victory. That decision stirred harsh criticism in some quarters in south Florida, and the story resurfaced on June 6 when Northwestern principal Dwight Bernard was indicted by a Miami-Dade grand jury for failing to report the incident with the girl to authorities.

Golden Eagle Inmates

 

[backrow]

having sex witha 14 year old... he should be in a can where others can enjoy makin him their bitch...

HOW THE f**k did they let him play??? he should be off the team and out of school straight away...Edited by: backrow

 

[Colonel_Reb]

Southern has long been the Caste bastion of Mississippi, except the other 2 schools have caught up with them. The behavior double standard that gives blackletes many "second" chances, including covering up their criminality, is what infuriates me. Its the same with black on white crime.

 

[Daimon]

Ok, I attended both Southern and the Univ of Arkansas. I go to see both teams play from time to time. I know why Coach Nutt got fired and is now at Ole Miss but why did Jeff Bowers get fired? Somebody from Eagle land please explain!Edited by: Daimon

 

[Colonel_Reb]

From what I know, he wanted out. The administration had concerns, but the AD was supposedly surprised when Bower told him he wanted to resign. I think Bower had enough of Southern, I mean he's been there as a player and coach for over 30 years combined. I do think some of the football supporters felt the program was slipping a bit, but crazy, unrealistic fans are common all over the country, especially the South.

 

[Daimon]

Any idea on who the new USM coach will be?

 

[Riddlewire]

They hired Larry Fedora, OC from Oklahoma State.

 

[Colonel_Reb]

<H1>Both are black</H1>
<H1>2 USM football players suspended</H1>
<H3>By AL JONES
afjones@sunherald.com</H3>


http://www.sunherald.com/sports/story/380670.html
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Antwain Easterling, Southern Miss' top recruit in 2007, was suspended Tuesday by first-year coach Larry Fedora.


Fedora also announced the indefinite suspension of freshman linebacker Ken Dailey. Both were cited for violation of team rules.


Though Fedora wasn't available for comment, sophomore running back Easterling has had a history of off-field problems since his high school senior year in Miami.


After leading his team to the Class 6A state title, Easterling was charged with second-degree lewd and lascivious battery on a minor, a felony charge stemming from having sex with a 14-year-old girl when he was 18.


Easterling, who rushed for 157 yards and a touchdown in the state title game a few days after his arrest, avoided jail time by enrolling in a pretrial diversionary program consisting of 26 weeks of counseling sessions, which began Jan. 8.


As a high school senior, Easterling rushed for more than 2,300 yards and scored 33 touchdowns; he was rated by national recruiting services as one of the top backs in the nation.


Easterling's off-field problems prompted Florida's Big 3 to back off recruiting him.


"I'd never heard of Southern Miss," Easterling said after arriving in Hattiesburg last year. "That's not a knock, but you don't hear about Southern Miss in Miami. I will get my degree, stay out of trouble and work hard to get to the next level (NFL)."


The 5-foot-11, 195-pound Easterling lost his redshirt this year nine games into the season against Alabama-Birmingham. Ironically, Easterling played against the Blazers when then-coach Jeff Bower suspended third-team tailback V.J. Floyd.


It is uncertain whether he'll be joining the team for spring drills next month.


Dailey, a 6-2, 200-pound linebacker from Mobile's Baker High School, didn't play last season.