Culture
Fedora, Fletcher, McRath at C-USA Media Day
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080720/SOUTHERNMISS/807200323/1050
Conference USA's Football Media Day is today at The Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Tenn.
Fans can tune in to CBS College Sports, if they can pick up that network, at 3 p.m. to watch highlights, notes and interviews with coaches and players.
Southern Miss first-year football coach Larry Fedora will be there along with two Golden Eagle star players, running back Damion Fletcher and linebacker Gerald McRath.
Earlier this week, Fletcher was picked by the C-USA coaches as the preseason offensive player of the year while McRath was selected as the preseason defensive player of the year.
Still waiting
Southern Miss football signee DeAndre Brown is still waiting for clearance from the NCAA Eligibility Center, but the necessary documents have been received and are under consideration to determine his eligibility for this upcoming football season.
Southern Miss senior associate athletic director Jason Gray said Friday that Brown is still in line and waiting his turn.
Gray seemed optimistic that Brown's clearance would be granted once the process has ended.
"Now it's just a matter of waiting for them to run the numbers, which we believe should not be a problem with the scores and transcripts we have seen," Gray said.
Brown, a 6-foot-6 receiver from Ocean Springs, is considered the top recruit in Fedora's first signing class at Southern Miss.
hattiesburg American
7/20/08
Coach diagnosed with cancer
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080718/SOUTHERNMISS/807180313/1050
Southern Miss assistant football coach Barney Farrar has been diagnosed with throat cancer, making him the second USM assistant to battle the disease in as many years.
Former USM defensive coordinator Jay Hopson was treated for testicular cancer last year.
Farrar will soon begin radiation and chemotherapy treatment and has been told his type of cancer has a 65-70 percent cure rate.
"It was a huge surprise," Farrar said Thursday. "It caught me way off guard. I had no idea."
Farrar noticed a growth in his throat when he previously worked in the Iowa State athletic department, but doctors treated it with antibiotics.
After a visit with USM team physician Dr. Stephen Beam, he was advised to see an oncologist at Wesley Medical Center. A biopsy and thorough examination confirmed that the growth was cancerous.
"(The doctor) said it's just a thing that happens from time to time," Farrar said. "You didn't ask for it, but you've got it. We are going to find a way to cure it and get well."
Farrar said the growth caused no pain, but he noticed an obvious change in his stamina.
"I was at Iowa State in the fall and I just felt tired a lot, and more than normal," the 48-year-old said. "I just couldn't get enough rest, but I just thought I was just getting older. I didn't think about the lump that came up in my throat, but it just started growing larger and larger."
hattiesburg American
7/18/08
‘Hattiesburg is my Hawaii’
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/200807190630/SPORTS/807190307
Southern Miss legend Brett Favre may be going through a contentious situation with the Green Bay Packers, but he was all smiles Friday during a workout with the Oak Grove High School football team at Warrior Field.
The quarterback seemed in good spirits as he made throws to receivers and handed out bits of instruction to the players.
"As much as they say that it helps them, it's kept me young," Favre said. "It would be hard to do it on my own. I enjoy it.
"They keep me energized and poke a little fun. They're good kids but they're talented kids too. It's not like I'm throwing to no one. These kids are pretty good."
Favre spoke with the media on the condition that there would be no questions in relation to his rift with Packers' management over his desire to play again after announcing his retirement in March.
The matter is in limbo at the moment with the Packers refusing to release Favre, only suggesting that he could come back as the substitute for starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Green Bay management hasn't discussed a potential trade yet.
Southern Miss freshman quarterback Austin Davis took part in the Oak Grove workout along with Favre, giving him a chance to meet the future Hall of Famer for the first time.
"You always hear stories that he's like a little kid and loves the game," Davis said. "You can definitely see that when he comes out here and tosses it around with these guys. If you didn't know, you wouldn't notice the difference between him and anyone out here."
Hattiesburg American
7/19/08
Fedora praises top recruit for executing eligibility plan
http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080721/SPORTS030104/807210336/1287/SPORTS&referrer=NEWSFRONTCAROUSEL
MEMPHIS — Southern Miss football coach Larry Fedora had good reason to smile on Sunday during the Conference USA Media Day.
Not only did he have his preseason C-USA players of the year Damion Fletcher and Gerald McRath in tow, he had been informed in the morning that star recruit DeAndre Brown had been officially ruled eligible to play by the NCAA Eligibility Center.
"For me, it's not like any kind of special news because it was something that was expected," Fedora said. "We had a plan and DeAndre followed the plan and we expected him to be eligible. The only satisfying thing is the deal that the clearinghouse finally put the stamp on it.
"I'm very proud of the young man, I really am. Because he believed in what we told him and he did what we asked him to do."
USM officials and coaches may have expected Brown's approval, but Fedora knows there were doubters in the coaching community.
"There are a lot of people that said when he signed with Southern Miss that he wouldn't make it," Fedora said. "That's why he didn't go to their place. I'm not naming any names.
"The kid decided he wanted to go to Southern Miss because he knew he could reach all of his dreams and goals an hour and a half from home."
The 6-foot-6 receiver from Ocean Springs, who is considered the top recruit in Fedora's first class of signees, took a pair of online courses through BYU in the summer to meet eligibility requirements.
Clarion ledger
7/21/08
