Rod Reed (Courtesy Sam Jordan TSU Athletics)
The Tennessee State University Football Alumni Chapter is excited about hosting their 7th Annual Alvin “Cat” Coleman Legends Weekend in conjunction with the 4th annual TSU Alumni Coming Home Weekend, both scheduled for April 15 – 17, 2016. Be a part of this festive weekend; put on your game face and show that ole Tiger spirit.
W.J. Hale Stadium will come alive on Saturday afternoon as TSU football players from 1950 through 2011 will participate in a game of flag football at 1:00 pm, followed by the Blue and White spring football scrimmage game at 3:00 pm. A roster of twenty players will make up the Legends teams. Both games are free and the public is invited.
The Big Blue football Tigers will look to build on a 4-6 season in 2015 with seven starters returning on offense and nine on defense.
“We need to get better at the fundamentals,” said TSU head coach Rod Reed. “We also have to communicate better on both sides of the ball. Last year I felt we left a lot of food on the table for lack of communication and that happens with a young football team, but we are looking for some maturity on both sides of the ball.”
Coach Reed is looking for the maturation for the youngsters with the game time experience they received in the fall.
“Anytime you’ve got two young guys you can expect your fair share of mistakes,” Reed said. “But I thought the guys played well and we are looking for them to mature. There are also some unknowns along the defensive front. We are going to have to see how we are going to fit and mix and match the defensive front with our power and speed packages.”
Spring practices will conclude with the spring game on Sat., Apr. 16. Events on Friday, April 15, begin with the annual Alvin “Cat” Coleman Symposium in the Learning Resource Center Auditorium. From 6:00 – 9:00 pm, an Alumni Mixer will be held at Bourbon Street Blues and Boogie Bar, 220 Printers Alley in downtown Nashville.
Saturday morning activities include a 5K Run/Walk at 8:00 am, sponsored by the TSU National Alumni Association, starting at Floyd-Payne Campus Center and finishing at Hale Stadium, and a Golf Tournament sponsored by Beta Omicron Alumni Chapter at Hermitage Golf Club.
Support the Big Blue Football team in the Fall:
Sept. 3 – Arkansas-Pine Bluff (John Merritt Classic) in Nissan Stadium.
Sept. 10 – Jackson State (Southern Heritage Classic), Memphis, Tenn.
Sept. 17 – Bethune-Cookman, Daytona Beach, Fla.
Oct. 1 – UT Martin (Hale Stadium).
Oct. 8 – at Eastern Illinois in Charleston, Ill.
Oct. 15 – Eastern Kentucky (Homecoming) at Nissan Stadium.
Oct. 22, at Vanderbilt in Dudley Field, Nashville, Tenn.
Oct. 29, at Murray State in Murray, Ky.
Nov. 5, at Austin Peay, Clarksville, Tenn.
Nov. 12 – Tennessee Tech (Hale Stadium).
Nov. 19 – at Southeast Missouri, Cape Girardeau, Mo.
