Bulldogs day at SWAC Football Media Day
Alabama A&M picked third in Eastern Division poll
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) - The Bulldogs of Alabama A&M were picked to finish third in the SWAC Preseason Poll. Head Coach Connell Maynor believes his program has potential to win a SWAC title and reach the Celebration Bowl behind a pair of All-conference players.
Bulldogs running back Donovan Eaglin, and Defensive End Zareon Hayes were both named to the All-SWAC Preseason first team Offense and Defense respectively during festivities held at the Sheraton-Birmingham.
“Last year is in the past, and we’re looking forward to this year,” Maynor said. “We have a great schedule. We will have a great football game every weekend. It’s going to be so exciting to watch these guys play and develop and grow and win football games and representing the SWAC and the Celebration Bowl this year. Those are our goals, those are our plans, and we’re trying to reach them. Don’t forget, everybody likes their football team now, everybody loves their team bow, I love mine, so, we have high aspirations to win a championship.”
Eaglin, a transfer from Michigan State rushed for 873 yards and six touchdowns in his first season with the Bulldogs program.
“I was really getting my feet up from under me,” Eaglin said. “I really hadn’t played a lot of football since High School, because I didn’t play much at Michigan State. For me coming in the fourth man and dominate, just trying to get back into that shape, that football shape, I feel like I keep getting better each game. I feel like I’m in good shape starting from Game one. I feel like I’ll be ready to dominate and go out and win the Celebration Bowl.”
The Bulldogs open the season September 2nd against Vanderbilt.
“Being able to play against somebody other than ourselves,” Maynor added. “We think we will have a good offense, we think we will have a good defense, but you never know until you face the other opponents and live bullets. So we open up on the road against Vanderbilt and again we would like to be competitive as long as we can, and get out of there with no injuries.”
SWAC East
1. Florida A&M- 116 points (16)
2. Jackson State- 94 points (2)
3. Alabama State- 80 points (2)
4. Alabama A&M- 73 points (2)
5. Mississippi Valley State- 35 points (2)
6. Bethune-Cookman- 34 points
SWAC West
1. Southern- 122 points (13)
2. Alcorn State- 94 points (6)
3. Texas Southern- 73 points (1)
4. Grambling State- 69 points (2)
5. Prairie View A&M- 68 points (2)
6. Arkansas-Pine Bluff- 33 points
*First place votes listed in parenthesis ( )
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year -Jeremy Moussa, Florida A&M
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year-Sundiata Anderson, Grambling State
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