Colleges

FAMU at a glance

By Izzy Gould
Published August 31, 2007

Florida A&M

WHERE: Tallahassee

ENROLLMENT: 10,528

NICKNAME: Rattlers

COACH: Rubin Carter (13-9, third season)

CONFERENCE: Mid-Eastern Conference

LAST SEASON: 7-4, 5-3 in MEAC (fourth)

LOCAL TIES: OLB Victoriano Arboleda (Middleton), CB Gregory Clark (Durant), DB Gregory Harvey (Largo), PK/P Nick Lomartire (Chamberlain), DT Bryan Peoples (Riverview), DL Lymon Reed (Chamberlain), WR Jonathan Sanders (Middleton); FB/TE Kalif Sheppard (Plant City); K Wesley Taylor (Riverview); OC Devin Turner (St. Petersburg Catholic), DB LeRoy Vann (Blake).

STADIUM: Bragg Memorial Stadium (25,500)

OUTLOOK: FAMU's third-year coach, Rubin Carter, is off to a strong start. Another good seaosn is anticipated under the former Miami Hurricanes star. Offensively, the Rattlers are led by two-year starter Albert Chester II, who passed for 1,986 yards and 18 touchdowns. The other skill positions are stocked with producers. Running backs Anthony Edwards and Demitric Henry combined for 896 yards and seven touchdowns last season. Chester will miss the prolific Roosevelt Kiser, but has at least three targets in receivers Willie Hayward, Derek Williams and Ronald Wright. Defensively, All-MEAC middle linebacker Vernon Wilder returns after logging 89 tackles a year ago and stands beside the MEAC leader in tackles for loss, Dannel Shepard. Ahead of them are sophomore tackles Cameron Houston and Demetrius Lane, and Jason Beach, who had four interceptions in 2006, heads the secondary unit. Again, the Rattlers play just four home games with a handful of classics in "neutral" locations.

WEB SITE: www.thefamurattlers.cstv.com

SCHEDULE: Saturday - vs. Southern in Birmingham, Ala., 3 p.m.; Sept.8 - Delaware State, 6 p.m.; Sept.15 - Howard, 6 p.m.; Sept.29 - vs. Tennessee State in Atlanta, 3 p.m.; Oct.6 - vs. Winston-Salem State in Indianapolis, 4 p.m.; Oct.13 - at South Carolina State, 1 p.m.; Oct.18 - Norfolk State, 7 p.m.; Oct.27 - at Morgan State, 4 p.m.; Nov.3 - North Carolina A&T, 3 p.m.; Nov.10 - at Hampton, 1 p.m.; Nov.17 - vs. Bethune-Cookman in Orlando, 3:15 p.m.

Izzy Gould, Times staff writer

[Last modified August 29, 2007, 10:23:26]