Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 9 August 2002 — Page 18

19TH ANNUAL COCA-COLA CIRCLE CITY CLASSIC Alabama A&M and Southern to battle at the RCA Dome if , , . 1

TSU Head Coach James Reese energizes his team’s players in last year’s Classic.

Tickets for the 19th Coca-Cola Circle City Classic between the Southern Jaguars and the Bulldogs of Alabama A&M go on sale Aug. 12. Fans can purchase their tickets to the Oct. 5 game at the RCA Dome box office and through Ticketmaster. Prices for the tickets range from $10 to $40. The RCA Dome will host the nation’s second largest African-American sporting event. The two NCAA Division 1-AA universities will compete for classic bragging rights in a Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) match-up. This year’s classic is a rematch of Southern’s narrow 23-20 victory over Alabama A&M last season. Since the inaugural game in 1984 when future NFL Hall of Fame receiver Jerry Rice led Mississippi Valley State over Grambling State, more than 1 million fans have attended the event. That’s an average of more than 35,000 fans per game. Economically, it is one of Indianapolis’ top amateur sporting events, injecting an estimated $117.1 million into the city’s economy since 1996. Hosted by Indiana Black Expo (IBE) and Indiana Sports Corp. (ISC), the classic has become a celebration of community as well as a renewal of commitment to youth. Proceeds from the classic help to benefit Indiana youth through the IBE Scholarship Program and youth initiatives of IBE and ISC. Alabama A&M Bulldogs In the year when one of its most famous alumni, former Pittsburgh Steeler wide receiver John Stallworth, entered the NFL Hall of Fame, Alabama A&M returns to Indianapolis. First-year coach Anthony Jones, who comes to Alabama A&M after three years at Morehouse College, will guide the Bulldogs. This is the school’s second showing in the classic. Alabama A&M dropped a 27-20decision against Grambling State in the 1990 classic. While the Bulldogs had a trying 2001 campaign with an overall 4-7 record, they did win their last two SWAC contests by a total score of 75-22 behind some of their younger talent. Alabama A&M, at 3-5 in SWAC play, finished fourth in the SWAC East Division. Quarterbacks Chris Gunn, Timothy Robinson and Jacob Wilson will compete for the starting position. Gunn led the Bulldogs in passing last season with 1,113 yards, while Wilson was second on the Bulldogs in rushing yardage, averaging 5.5 yards per carry. Senior wide receiver Neal Lindsey is the Bulldogs main offensive threat, amassing 981 all-purpose yards last season. Defensive end Robert Mathis is an All-American candidate. He led the Bulldogs with nine sacks in 2001, despite missing three games to injury. Mathis was a second team AU-SWAC selection last year for a Bulldogs defense that allowed only 80.4 rushing yards per game, statistically third in the nation.

Southern University Jaguars Former Black Coaches Association “Coach of the Year” Pete Richardson will lead the Jaguars into the RCA Dome. Richardson, a former Buffalo Bills defensive back after a standout collegiate career at the University of Dayton, has compiled a 120-40-1 (78-27 in nine seasons at Southern) record and garnered two Black College national championships. His program produced three players who signed free agent contracts with NFL teams after the April draft, highlighted by wide receiver Devin Lewis (Minnesota). Quarterbacks Quincy Richard and Anthony Fisher both saw increased playing time near the conclusion of last season. Michael Hayes was awarded an extra year of eligibility after tearing his anterior coruscate ligament in the Jaguars' first game of 2001. The six-foot-five receiver had 80catches for 1,328 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2000. Southern is making its third appearance in the classic. The Jaguars are 1 -1 in prior contests, the latest being a216 decision over Hampton in 1999. Despite their 6-2 SWAC and 7-4 overall record in 2001, the Jaguars still finished one game behind Grambling in the SWAC West Division.

Coca-Cola Circle City Classic events The Coca-Cola Circle City Classic features far more than just the football game^Game day has ttys. American Family Insurance Classic Parade marching through the streets of downtown at 10 a.m. WISH-TV 8 will broadcast the parade live. Marching bands from both Southern and Alabama A&M will take part prior to the SBC Ameritech Battle of the Bands during halftime and following the classic. The RCA Dome will play host to the Conseco Classic Youth Football Clinic. Five hundred pre-registered youth, ages 6-14, participate in the free clinic from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Events begin nearly a month before the game with the Classic SAT Test Preparation Workshop, presented by State Farm Insurance, which takes place Saturday, Sept. 14 from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. at Arlington High School. Two weeks prior to the classic, the 2002 Miss Circle City Classic will be announced at the Miss Circle City Classic Coronation at 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 22. Thirty Indianapolis high school women compete at the Indiana Roof Ballroom for the title of Miss Circle City Classic and See CLASSIC, Page B5

Colts to christen Seahawks Stadium

Special to The Recorder

Meeting for a 13th straight preseason and christening a new NFL venue, the Indianapolis Colts visit the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday, Aug. 10. Kickoff for the contest, held at Seahawks Stadium, is 9 p.m. The Colts and Seahawks have been regular preseason combatants for the past dozen seasons in sites ranging from the Hoosier/RCA Dome, Kingdome and Husky Stadium, but this week’s game lifts the veil on Seahawks Stadium, located on the site of the former Kingdome. This game is also the first formal introduction of head coach Tony Dungy’s Colts squad. Dungy joined the club as field general on Jan. 22 of this year. He joined the Colts after directing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1996-2001, winning 54 of 96 games along the way to qualifying for post-season action in four of six seasons. Dungy’s Tampa Bay teams won 30 games from 1999-2001, one more than the Colts accomplished (29) during that same span. Both clubs stand among the winningest in the NFL during the past three seasons. Dungy met his Colts squad for training camp at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute on July 28. All players reported for the opening of training camp, including the entire 2002 draft class. The chib practiced twice daily on three of the first five days

Dominic Rhodaa

Running back Edgenin Jamas returns to the Colts after being injured last year.

of camp. The team will be headquartered in Terre Haute until Aug. 16. Indianapolis sports nine new assistant coaches on its 15-mem-ber st:»ff, returning offensive coor-

dinator Tom Moore and adding defensive coordinator Ron Meeks. The club aims to continue an offensive attack that has produced 5,000+ net yards in each of the past four seasons and 400+ yards in

each of the past three years. Led by quarterback Peyton Manning (the only QB in NFL history to top 3,000+ passing yards in each Sss COLTS, Page B5

INDIANAPOLIS By ANTHONY CALHOUN

Catchings is a special person Tamika Catchings is the real deal. She’s intelligent, beautiful, and a young lady who can definitely play some basketball. This WNBA Rookie/MVP of the year recipient is trying to lead the Indiana Fever to their first ever trip to the playoffs. I had the opportunity to hang out with “Catch” and found her to be a very special person. AC: Tamika the word out on the streets is that you don’t pick out your clothes. I heard your sister Tauja does that for you. TC: That’s true. She enjoys doing that, and I don’t have the time and energy to try to find the right clothes. So since she loves doing it, I said it’s all yours sis— have fun. AC: So when the guys say you look good, sexy, or “I just love that outfit.” Who gets the credit? TC: Oh, I do. I mean it’s happened before when a guy has said I look good and I said thank you very much! I picked it out. AC: A person you would love to spend an evening with having dinner? TC: Alonzo Mourning (Miami Heat) — because I admire the way he plays basketball. AC: Have you ever met him before? TC: Yes. But I couldn’t speak when I saw him. I basically choked — I couldn’t say anything, because I was so shocked to be around him. AC: Now you know that word “choked” shouldn’t be in your vocabulary especially when you’re an athlete. TC: Yeah, but hey I was also young when I met him. AC: Speaking of basketball, I know your father Harvey spent about 12 years playing in the NBA? Can you take him one on one? TC: OK AC, it’s about time that I owned up to it. My dad can’t beat me. AC: You had better hope he isn't reading this. Back to the “street” talks. I heard you have a special guy in your life? TC: Yes, I am dating right now. AC: Is he famous? TC: Yeah. TO ME! AC: So what’s his name? TC: Oh, now you’re asking to much — I can’t have everybody knowing my business. AC: But it’s good to let your fans know what’s going on in your life. Favorite place to eat in Indy? TC: Pizza Rio Uno. I love eating Pizza. AC: I think Arni’s is better. I also heard that you love to write poetry? TC: Yeah, I love doing that. When I was at University of Tennessee my teammates used to want me to write letters to their boyfriends for them. AC: So did you do it? TC: Sometimes. AC: You have to be kidding me? I mean did their boyfriends fall for it? TC: Oh, yeah. AC: See what we fellas have to deal with at times? How much fun are you having playing with the Fever? TC: It’s a lot of fun — great experience and an awesome organization.