Shot at SWAC title game rejuvenates program
When Amir Bloom was a freshman at Texas Southern, the Tigers were one year removed from winning the 2010 SWAC football championship, their first conference title in 42 years.
The joy and momentum of that title quickly abated when the NCAA found TSU, under a former coach, guilty of massive violations, including academic fraud and illicit benefits. The punishment resulted in the football team’s not being eligible for the SWAC championship until the 2015 season.
Now the Tigers have something extra to play for. And based on what fourthyear TSU head coach Darrell Asberry and several star players said Wednesday during the school’s media day, there is more spirit and energy among the team.
“It feels great to have the handcuffs off,” Asberry said. “Our football team is going to be very competitive.” Sanctions hurt
Added Bloom, a fifthyear senior defensive end who led the SWAC with eight sacks in 2013: “I’m the only person that’s back from my true freshman year, and I was there when the AD (athletic director Charles McClelland) told us that the title we won in 2010 was being taken away due to sanctions. I’ve seen how it affected the players, what they worked real hard for.
“Like coach Asberry said, the handcuffs are taken off. It’s a big difference, because we can see the pot of gold at the end.”
With a clean slate, Asberry made key offseason coaching moves, bringing in a new defensive coordinator in former Prairie View A&M head coach Heishma Northern and a new offensive coordinator in John Shannon.
TSU won its first four games last year but lost its last five and finished 5-6. The Tigers were 3-6 in the SWAC West, sharing fourth place in the division.
“Last year, it was like realistically we weren’t playing for a championship. I think that was part of why we went in a slump at the end of the season,” said junior outside linebacker Darian Claiborne, who was the 2014 SWAC Newcomer of the Year after transferring from Texas A&M. “This year, we’re self-motivated. We’re out there for the coaches.”
The Tigers are preparing for their opener against Prairie View in the Labor Day Classic on Sept. 5 at BBVA Compass Stadium. But the Tigers have that extra incentive this year, being eligible for the conference championship game that will be played at NRG Stadium on Dec. 5.
“It gives you hope as a player,” senior wide receiver Malik Cross said. “All your hard work — you have something to really reach for, and it gives you that extra motivation.” Improvement needed
Getting to the championship game won’t be easy. The Tigers were 9-24 in Asberry’s first three seasons.
TSU’s defense, if healthy, could be special this year. At 6-4, 245 pounds, Bloom was limited to five games in 2014 after suffering a high ankle sprain in the opener against Prairie View. He is ready to go physically.
“I like getting sacks,” Bloom said. “I like getting a team in third-and-long. I can pin my ears back and go after the quarterback.
“This is the most excited and confident team I have seen since I’ve been here. Being here for a while and knowing the kind of players we have, I’m very confident about this team. I expect us to do some good things.”
Offensively, the Tigers will mainly employ a oneback, no-huddle attack. TSU will play multiple defenses under Northern.
“We want to bring pressure,” Northern said. “We want to stop the run on the way to the quarterback and make the quarterback throw the ball before he wants to and make them ineffective.”