Friday, August 19, 2022

Alums Here, There And Everywhere

First, a quick hello to the folks I met last night. Welcome to BGA Daily!

Scroll down, take a look around and be sure to come back every morning. And if you are so inclined, learn more about BGA Premium here.

Feel free to email any time. I answer 'em all . . . eventually;-)

#

It's early, but the first mention former Dartmouth defensive end Niko Lalos '20 gets as a member of the New Orleans Saints is a good one after a practice against the Green Bay Packers. CLICK HERE.

#

Former Dartmouth tight end JJ Jones '20, gets a little screen time before his grad transfer season at New Mexico State:

Speaking of JJ, the Navajo Times has a lengthy story about him speaking about his Native American heritage headlined, Dartmouth graduate transfers to NMSU to continue football dream. (LINK)

#

This is kind of crazy when you think about it. JJ Jones and Niko Lalos were in the same class at Dartmouth.  Oops, JJ is a '21, one year after Lalos. (Engineering degrees and the COVID really make this stuff confusing.

Bottom line: This is Niko's third year in the NFL and JJ is still playing college football.

#

While the subject is recent alums, that story on former Dartmouth linebacker Flo Orimolade '17 after his first touchdown with the Calgary Stampeders included this video of the play and interview (click the hard-to-see white triangle in the middle of the word News and apologies for the commercial):


(If that doesn't work for you, try accessing the video through this LINK.)

#

Seems there's a theme today. ;-)

The Daily Progress down in Charlottesville has a piece headlined Newcomers John Paul Flores, an offensive line transfer from Dartmouth, and Paul Akere, a defensive line import from Columbia, were regular opponents in their last stops, that begins this way (LINK):

Last fall, Akere’s Lions knocked off Flores’ Big Green in a contest Akere tallied a game-high six tackles to go along with a pass breakup.

“We were able to go up to Dartmouth on a Friday night and give them the business,” Akere said with a grin.

Bragging rights aside, the two ex-Ivy Leaguers and Texas natives are currently each trying to improve their play during training camp in preparation for the increased level of competition they’ll face in the FBS and the Atlantic Coast Conference this fall

The story includes this . . .

Flores said he's noticed in practice that any flaw fundamentally can cost him a block, so he's concentrated diligently on his craft.

"For me, it's pad level," Flores said. "At the FCS level, I think I can get away with it because was little bigger and stronger than the guys there versus here. People are bigger than me. People are stronger than me, and so they play with better pad level and they can get underneath me. It's little things like that and like hand placement, playing low. A false step here or there gets you beat at this level, so it's those little details you have to manage every play."

And this . . .

Flores could start at any of four positions on the Hoos' offensive front and Akere is likely to play in a rotation on the defensive line. He said UVa coaches have used him at multiple positions on the D-Line from the zero-technique head up on the center to his more natural defensive end position during training camp.

#

A Chicago TV station has a story headlined, What’s That Building? Fritz Pollard Field at Lane Tech High School Stadium that includes this mention of Dartmouth (LINK):

Fritz Pollard is the only Black athlete in pictures of his track and football teams at Lane Tech. When he got to Brown, Pollard said more than half a century later in a newspaper interview, he showed up to join the team, but he was told there were no more uniforms. The coach found him and asked if he was the younger brother of Leslie Pollard, who played so well for Dartmouth that he was called "the Black Whirlwind." When Fritz said yes and explained about the lack of a uniform, the coach ordered the team to give Pollard a uniform.

That sent me scurrying to learn a little more about Leslie Pollard and I found this (LINK):

Leslie was a standout football player in high school as a running back and enrolled in Dartmouth College in the fall of 1908. While at Dartmouth, he played a limited role as a halfback for one season of varsity football during their 1908 season. Pollard saw little time on the field throughout the season, but shined when he was given the opportunity to play. The New York Age called him "the black whirlwind." The 1908 season would be Pollard's only season of collegiate football.

Matthew Bullock '04 (that's 1904 ;-) was the first black football player at Dartmouth. Learn more about him HERE. 

#

With the new season just about upon us, the National Football Foundation has a release headlined Important Rule Changes for the 2022 College Football Season; CFO and NFF team up to highlight the changes designed to improve the game in 2022, including additions to targeting fouls, fake injuries and blocking below the waist. (LINK)

FootballScoop takes a little less formal approach in discussing the rules changes. The Scoop refers to the feet-first slide change as the Kenny Pickett Rule, referring to the touchdown scored by the Pitt quarterback when tacklers pulled up as he appeared about to slide. (LINK)

#

EXTRA POINT
As a cell phone holdout who on more than one occasion dropped quarters into the pay phone at this Hanover convenience store, I had to take this shot when I was in town last night:


The pic is a little dark, but no, there is no phone in the "booth."

Posted by at