Latest news with #Rattlers'
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
FAMU tennis enters the NCAA Tournament 'six strong,' will face Georgia Bulldogs in regional
Florida A&M women's tennis team has more matches to play. The Rattlers are headed to the NCAA Tournament, where they will face the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs for the regional round in Athens, Georgia. It's the Rattlers' second national tournament appearance in the last three seasons under longtime head coach Nikki Houston. Florida A&M women's tennis team won the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament Championship at New Orleans' City Park Tennis Center on Sunday, April 20, 2025. 'We've been there before and know what it takes,' Earl Wade, FAMU's assistant tennis coach, told the Tallahassee Democrat. "We're battle-tested. You have to play. Nothing is guaranteed.' Advertisement FAMU clinched the NCAA Tournament by winning the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament championship by beating Jackson State 4-2 in the title match. The Rattlers' SWAC title win came a year after failing to repeat as champions when they lost to Alabama State in the 2024 championship round. 'I told the young ladies to remember this, keep your head up, and use this as your vehicle to get back,' Wade said. 'We knew what we wanted and had something to prove.' Florida A&M women's tennis team won the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament Championship at New Orleans' City Park Tennis Center on Sunday, April 20, 2025. What made the Rattlers' championship season so special is that they pulled it off with an abbreviated roster of six. However, instead of the low numbers hampering the FAMU tennis team, it brought players closer together. Advertisement 'This year has been very taxing because we only had six players,' Wade reflected on the season. 'I call them 'six strong.' We're family, depend on each other, and count on each other. It's us against the world.' Florida A&M tennis player Sara Rakim participates in a match at the Althea Gibson Tennis Complex in Tallahassee, Florida One of the FAMU's six players is Sara Rakim, named the SWAC's Tennis Player of the Year. The Morocco native also earned SWAC Tournament Most Valuable Player honors. Other All-SWAC selections include Reagan Harris, a first-teamer, and Susan Salinas, who made the second team. 'I'm focusing on bringing the energy, staying positive, and believing in us because I know we got talent and can have great results,' Rakim said. Advertisement Now, as a senior, playing at Georgia is all too familiar to Rakim. The Rattlers also played the Bulldogs in the 2023 national tournament, where Georgia topped FAMU 4-0. Five of FAMU's six players from the 2023 SWAC Championship team remain on the roster in 2025. 'I'm very excited because this is my last tournament as a college tennis player,' Rakim said. 'My family wants to watch, and everybody's excited for me to play.' FAMU tennis (11-10) and Georgia (23-3) will meet at 1 p.m. at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens on Georgia Tech and Iowa round out the four-team regional. 'Hard work, determination, perseverance, fight. That's what this team did,' Wade said. 'With them doing that, you see the fruit of all the hard work by winning the SWAC again.' Advertisement Gerald Thomas, III is a multi-time award-winning journalist for his coverage of the Florida A&M Rattlers at the Tallahassee Democrat. Follow his award-winning coverage on and contact him via email at GDThomas@ or on the app formerly known as Twitter @3peatgee. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU tennis to play against the Georgia Bulldogs in the NCAA Tournament
USA Today
21-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Auburn lands Florida A&M transfer James Ash from transfer portal
Auburn lands Florida A&M transfer James Ash from transfer portal Ash brings an All-SWAC resume to the Plains. Auburn football continues to address its need for defensive linemen by landing an experienced suitor with an All-SWAC background. One day after former Liberty defensive lineman Jay Hardy announced his return to Auburn, former Florida A&M defensive lineman James Ash shared that he will be joining the Tigers' roster from the transfer portal. Ash's decision to transfer to Auburn comes after a recent weekend visit to the Plains, according to Christian Clemente of Auburn Undercover. He has one season of eligibility remaining. Ash signed with Wake Forest as part of its 2020 recruiting class as a three-star defensive tackle. After failing to see any play time in Winston-Salem, Ash transferred to Florida A&M, where he became a star on the Rattlers' defensive front. In three seasons, Ash logged 86 tackles with 11 for loss and 2.5 sacks. He shattered personal records in 2024 by notching 44 tackles with 3.5 for loss and 2.5 sacks, which led him to earn a place on the All-SWAC second team. He registered a season-high nine tackles in FAMU's win over Southern in October and made a combined nine stops against the Rattlers' FBS opponents last season, Miami and Troy. Auburn's defensive line strengthens with the addition of Ash. Ash will join a room filled with young talent, including Keldric Faulk, Malik Blocton, and newcomer Malik Autry. Auburn will look to address key needs and fill them with top talent from the transfer portal, which will remain open until April 25. Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
James Colzie III, FAMU football learning from 'past mistakes' during 2025 spring practices
It's still early, but James Colzie III likes who his second Florida A&M football team is shaping up to be. The Rattlers' head coach proctored his fourth out of 15 spring practices on Friday as his team began incorporating shoulder pads this week. What stands out to Colzie in FAMU football's formative days of spring camp is the squad's quality of players and the healthy mesh of personalities. Florida A&M head coach James Colzie III looks on during the Rattlers' first spring football practice of 2025 on Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida, Friday, March 7, 2025. 'We got some talented guys on the field, and I think we're a lot closer as a football team right now than we were at this stage last year,' Colzie told the Tallahassee Democrat after Friday's practice. Advertisement 'We got some guys who can do some good things once they get the ball in their hands. And we got some guys on defense flying around and adjusting to some of the new schemes that we're running.' Talent isn't everything, however. Colzie is urging his team to play cohesive and heady football, which was his pre-practice message to his team on Friday. Colzie spoke of the FAMU being plagued with unsportsmanlike penalties in 2024, a season that saw them finish with a 7-5 record. The Rattlers were the 11th most penalized team in the nation last year, losing 73 yards per game from flags. 'I just think that as a football team and the veterans that we have, we just have to learn from past mistakes. We can't repeat those. Sometimes those mistakes were small, but at times, they were big and cost us drives, points, and ultimately football games,' Colzie explained. Advertisement 'If we can learn from some of the undisciplined things we did last year, that will help us as a football team,' Colzie later added. Rattlers running back Thad Franklin Jr. says he and his FAMU football teammates are absorbing Colzie's lessons. They know they're good players. Florida A&M running back Thad Franklin Jr. goes through drills during the Rattlers' first spring football practice of 2025 on Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida, Friday, March 7, 2025. But directing their energy correctly will increase the Rattlers' chances of competing for a Black College Football National Championship and ascending on the Football Championship Subdivision rankings when the regular season begins in August. 'I like what I've been seeing. We're way better and talented than last year,' said Franklin, the single-game rushing yard record holder (195) for the Florida Classic. 'We're just working on being disciplined now because that hurt us last year.' 'We're where I want to be': FAMU football finishes first two weeks of spring camp FAMU has completed its second week of spring football camp. Advertisement Next week, the Rattlers will practice on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Thursday will be FAMU's first of three spring scrimmages. It's an opportunity for players to respond to game-like settings under promoted offensive coordinator Henry Burris, first-year special teams coordinator Kevin Weston, and a modified defensive staff. 'Our guys are learning the new things on the offense and defensive side ― not necessarily schematically, but new coaching styles,' Colzie said. 'We're where I want to be and steadily improving daily.' Spring camp success hinges on how well the Rattlers practice, with three and a half weeks left until the final meeting on Wednesday, April 16. Advertisement FAMU's Orange and Green Spring Game is on Saturday, April 12, at 4 p.m., on Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium. 'Just come every day ready to practice and give 100 percent effort,' Franklin said. 'That's all [Colzie] asks from us. As long we do that, he takes care of us.' Florida A&M Football Remaining Spring Practice Schedule Florida A&M quarterbacks drop back to pass during the Rattlers' first spring football practice of 2025 on Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida, Friday, March 7, 2025. Tuesday, March 25 Thursday, March 27 ― Scrimmage Friday, March 28 Tuesday, April 1 Thursday, April 3 ― Scrimmage Friday, April 4 Tuesday, April 8 Thursday, April 10 Saturday, April 12 ― Orange and Green Spring Game Monday, April 14 Wednesday, April 16 Gerald Thomas, III is a multi-time award-winning journalist for his coverage of the Florida A&M Rattlers at the Tallahassee Democrat. Follow his award-winning coverage on and contact him via email at GDThomas@ or on the app formerly known as Twitter @3peatgee. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU football, James Colzie correcting past mishaps during 2025 spring camp
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
FAMU football gets the 'right people and fits' in sizeable 2025 National Signing Day class
James Colzie III is tailoring his second Florida A&M football team to become who and what he wants it to be. A significant step to accomplishing that was Wednesday's National Signing Day, where the Rattlers are projected to add 27 new players for the 2025 football season thus far. According to a signing day document provided by FAMU football, 24 of those recruits have already signed their National Letter of Intent to join the Rattlers. The Rattlers' haul of talent adds to a team that returns seven offensive starters, eight defensive starters, and 35 seniors. Colzie was the featured speaker at Wednesday's Eddie Jackson 220 Quarterback Club to discuss his signing class. 'In our recruiting process, we were more about getting the right people and fits,' said Colzie, who guided the Rattlers to a 7-5 record in 2024. 'We didn't want to bring in [just] anybody. We may have fallen victim to that last year.' Twenty of FAMU's projected 27 newcomers, transfers and high schoolers, are from Florida. 'When I look at our recruiting class, one of the biggest things I like to do is make sure we got guys from the state,' Colzie explained. 'We were able to attract guys who have gone other places but wanted to return to Florida. We helped them pack and brought them back to Tallahassee. It's extremely important to do that.' After last season's starter, Daniel Richardson, graduated, FAMU had to address its quarterback position. So, the Rattlers landed Central Michigan transfer Tyler Jefferson and Roman Purcell from the Indiana Hoosiers. Both of them previously played at Football Bowl Subdivision schools. At wide receiver, FAMU signed Western Illinois' Jordin Parker and Illinois' Kenari Wilcher, who spent some of his high school career in Tallahassee at Lawton Chiles High School. The Rattlers' offensive line signees are Mozell Williams from Rutgers and Gozy Okeke from Iowa Central Community College. 'Offensively, I thought we did a very good job identifying needs and getting specific plays for our needs,' Colzie said. 'I like where we are on the offensive side. But we still need to make sure to plug in a couple of guys, and we'll do that through our transfer portal process once it opens up again in April.' FAMU searched for a speedy running back after Kelvin Dean Jr., the 2023 Celebration Bowl's Most Valuable Player, graduated. So, Jamal Hailey from Western Michigan is joining the Rattlers. 'On the offensive side, I wanted us to get faster. If he can't run, he can't play for us,' Colzie said about recruiting running backs. How we looking rattler nation ?🤔🐍@FAMU_FB @FAMU_FBRecruit @FAMU_FBRecruit @FamuGameday @JohnGarcia_Jr @FAMU_1887 — Moses white (@Moses_White13) February 5, 2025 Perhaps FAMU's biggest get from the preps ranks is wide receiver Moses White from Hillsborough High School in Tampa. White held interest from many FBS and Power Four schools. 'Excited about him,' Colzie said of White. Last season, FAMU's defense uncharacteristically underperformed after multiple years of finishing near the top of the Football Championship Subdivision. Therefore, the Rattlers are adding depth despite returning their top defensive lineman, James Ash, who was an All-Southwestern Athletic Conference second-teamer in 2024. In 2025, Ash will be joined by FBS transfers DJ Jones from Virginia, Jahon Myers from Kennesaw State, and Xavier Perkins from Florida State. Alijah Alexander from FCS program Stetson also signed with FAMU. 'All four of these guys played at their previous institution. They played and decided that Florida A&M would be a better fit for them,' Colzie said of his new defensive linemen. FAMU also lost its best defensive player, the graduated cornerback Kendall Bohler, who was an HBCU All-American during his time with the Rattlers. FAMU's starting safety, Deco Wilson, an All-SWAC selection, also graduated. In response, the Rattlers have many defensive backs joining the team. Daylyn Ditson (East Carolina), Tequan Latimore (Charlotte), Jalik Thomas (Appalachian State), and Caleb Mckenzie (Florida State) all come from FBS schools. Dion Villiers was a member of HBCU FCS team Tennessee State Tigers, who he helped reach the national tournament in 2024. Chase Dexter comes to FAMU from the Air Force Preparatory School in Colorado. 'We brought seven defensive backs ― four corners and three safeties,' Colzie said. 'All seven of those guys are being counted on to contribute to go along with our returning starters.' FAMU included special teams in its signing day mix. The Rattlers picked up Alexander Davis, a punter from fellow SWAC school Mississippi Valley State. Davis led the SWAC with a 43.3-yard punting average in 2024. Colzie described Davis as the 'number one punter in the SWAC.' FAMU signed kickers Andrew Abu-Akel from FBS team Western Michigan and Cooper Badics from Division II HBCU Edward Waters. 'They are here because I needed to know hangtime and how far they can kick the sucker. They're going to put the ball where we need them to,' Colzie said. Quarterback Tyler Jefferson, Central Michigan Roman Purcell, Indiana Running Back Jamal Hailey, Western Michigan Wide Receiver Jordin Parker, Western Michigan Moses White, Hillsborough High School (Tampa, Florida) Kenari Wilcher, Illinois Tight End Gavin Hill, Florida Offensive Line David Gardner, Dr. Philips High School (Orlando, Florida) Gozy Okeke, Iowa Central Community College Mozell Williams, Rutgers Defensive Line Alijah Alexander, Stetson DJ Jones, Virginia Sammy Mitchell IV, Western High School (Davie, Florida) Jahon Myers, Kennesaw State Xavier Perkins, Florida State Linebacker Justice Cross, Murray State Defensive Back Jayden Bradford, Florida State Chase Dexter, Air Force Preparatory Daylyn Ditson, East Carolina TeQuan Latimore, Charlotte Caleb McKenzie, South Dakota Isaiah Murphy Sink, Jones High School (Orlando, Florida) Jalik Thomas, Appalachian State Dion Villiers, Tennessee State Kicker Andrew Abu-Akel, Western Michigan Cooper Badics, Edward Waters Punter Alexander Davis, Mississippi Valley State This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU football 2025 signing day: James Colzie 'likes where [Rattlers] are'
