Page 12 - Florida Sentinel 9-18-15 Edition

IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Local Sports
Former Buccaneer Quarterback Nominated For Black College
Football Hall Of Fame
Parnell “Pay Dirt” Dickinson is synonymous for having been a pioneering quar- terback who used his game changing performances on the football field as a platform to help transform fledgling pro- grams into nationally recogniz- able brands.
Dickinson enjoyed four amazing years at Mississippi Valley State University from 1972 to 1975. The 4-time All Southwestern Athletic Confer- ence (SWAC) performer ex- ploded onto the college football scene as a true fresh- man, leading the SWAC in total offense and selected as an NAIA All-American the same year. He was nicknamed “Pay Dirt” for having left every- thing on the field during his college and professional tenure.
The record setting aerial assault of Dickinson to Robert Gaddis passed the torch to the record setting satellite express of Willie Tot- ten to Jerry Rice from 1982 to 1984.
During his illustrious ca- reer, Dickinson accounted for 83 touchdowns in the air, 5 on the ground, and 1 as a re-
PARNELL DICKINSON
ceiver. He would remain con- sistent from his freshman year to his senior campaign leading the league in total offense two more seasons and was again selected All-American in 1974 and 1975.
Dickinson’s success in 1974 would prove to be the cor- nerstone of the Mississippi Valley State’s transition from the NAIA College Division to a NCAA Division I university.
In 1975, Dickinson was selected as the state of Missis- sippi College Player of the Year. He would finish his bril- liant career as both Mississippi
College Football and the SWAC all-time leader in career total yards after surpassing Ole Miss’s Archie Manning. Later in 1975, Dickinson was selected as the consensus Black College National Player of the Year as selected by the Pittsburgh Courier and the Na- tional Black Sports Founda- tion.
In 1976, Dickinson took his skills to the NFL’s fledgling Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the expansion franchise made him the 183rd pick of the 7th round.
The Buccaneers and he NFL are forever thankful for the dues paid by Dickinson. Today, both organizations are still benefiting from his pio- neering efforts having paved the way for three historic Black quarterbacks who have either played in or won a Super Bowl: Steve McNair, Doug Williams and Russell Wil- son.
Keith Ballard, MVSU Hall of Fame Nominations Campaign Manager, wants to spread the word about Dick- inson’s nomination, and is counting on support from coaching fraternities, both col- legiate and professional.
TASNEEMA
This week’s Spotlight feature has a name as unique as her talent. Tasneema hopes that her hard work and dedication will pay off and get her to the level she’s strived for her entire life. She also be- lieves by staying focused and not accepting no for an answer, she will continue to progress toward her goal of complete success. Congratulations to Tas- neema as this week’s Spotlight feature.
Fans Respond To Jameis Winston’s NFL Debut
BY LEON B. CREWS Sentinel Staff Writer
Jameis Winston’s first loss as a college quarterback, came at the hands of the Ore- gon Ducks and their quarter- back, Marcus Mariota. His first loss as a professional quarterback also came at the hands of Mariota.
With Winston and Mar- iota being selected one and two in this year’s draft, expec- tations were that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers came out bet- ter on the deal because of the team’s structure. However, after Sunday’s opening 42-14 season loss against the Mari- ota-led Tennessee Titans, the doubters have resurfaced and are again pointing fingers at Winston as the cause of the poor performance by the team.
These are some responses by Buccaneer fans who saw the game.
Former Tampa Bay Bucca- neer quarterback, Parnell Dickinson: “I don’t think there’s reason for concern. You don’t go from being num- ber one in the world to noth- ing. He’s on a new level and it takes time for him and his teammates to get adjusted to each other.
“I still think we’ve got the right guy. Everyone shouldn’t use that game as the bench- mark for his career. On sev- eral occasions, the play calling for Mariota was the same he had in college.”
Dickinson said as a fan and former NFL player, he doesn’t panic that easy.
“Jameis will prove to be a great asset to this community. Everybody has a job to do, and it’s predicated on every- one else doing their job. The more controversy, the more attention.
“Winning cures every-
thing, and our Super Bowl team is proof of that. The de- fense was the standard for that squad and they put the offense in good field position. At some point in time, it will all fall on the quarterback to win games and the system will have a lot to do with that suc- cess. I’m not at all concerned about Jameis being the right quarterback for the Bucs.
Coach Billy Reed: “I think Jameis will be alright. Heneedsalotofworkanda lot of support. The talk needs to be about the sorry offensive line. Every rookie quarterback has problems. He made some mistakes, but you just have to give him time. You can’t judge him fairly after only one game.”
Artis Gambrell, Jr.: “It’s a learning experience for Jameis. Keep in mind he’s a rookie. He was put in the fire out of necessity, and expecta- tions are high. He’s going to need a growth period and he’ll be fine. He’s under a lot of
Artis Gambrell, Jr.
pressure, and I think he’s handling it well. We just need to continue to support him.”
Grover Cusseaux, Jr.: “When you’re going up against Mariota and his per- formance was so much better than Winston’s, it leaves room for doubt. I don’t think he lost the game. He just didn’t get the support from his teammates. Now he knows he’s not in college anymore, and he has to get used to fans booing him. I’m sure he’ll de- velop and become a great player. They have got to pro- tect him more.”
Harold Jackson: “Jameis is a diamond in the rough. The best comparison
HAROLD JACKSON
I’ve heard was the one of Pey- ton Manning who threw four interceptions in his rookie debut. One game does- n’t make a career.
“The expectations are high and the marketing strategy has put him in an anxious po- sition. I think the coaching staff needs to be stranger and if they roles had been re- versed and Mariota was here, the outcome would have been the same.”
Former NFL tight end Andre White: “I don’t know why the Buccaneers would do all they did to get a top quar- terback, and not get anyone to protect him. It’s a shame and disgrace what he’s going through.
“They need quality coaches and people around him that can properly prepare him to be a successful profes- sional. It’s not realistic to ex- pect a quality performance from an athlete without the supporting staff.”
PAGE 12-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2015