JAMES HILL SPORTS HBCU SWAC ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY COACH CEDRIC THOMAS ON BRAVES FOOTBALL 7-16-2024

all right James Hill Sports here at media day for the swack we're joined by the coach and Coach first and foremost I hope you and everybody on the reservation or well at the alorn State University how are you sir and how do you like the job so far you know everybody's doing well we appreciate the uh the kind words and the kind gestures um but everybody good on the reservation we having a good time um good to see the guys back you know good help good strength you in a good mental space and so um we're excited about it guys doing a really good job glad to see the coaches and you know uh fellowshipping with the with the student athletes and um you know it's a good time right now it's a brand new season uh what's the thought process starting out a brand new season and what would you like to see in training camp as as guys get ready for week one well the thought process is finished um we were so close last year um you know and just some of the fleets that we um goals we had accomplished um few of them we did but the major one we didn't and so all corn is a culture of winning and winning championships and so we hadn't been there in a while so we got to get back over the get back over that threshold U we know what it looked like we know what the workload looked like and what it entails and so now we just got to accomplish the mission the swack the heartbeat of the swack runs through the Magnolia state when you look at the alorn State University Valley and Jackson State uh three schools that are a part of the legacy of the swag but just talk a little bit about alorn and why it's so significant you know it's it's the people um you know it's a lot of other institution that may I have a lot of bigger buildings and and and a lot of different infrastructure but for us it's the people inside the building and you're not going to find U more genuine people anywhere on the on on this Earth um and so you know that's that's a testament to our fan base our leadership Administration um and everybody who's grac the the great ples of U alorn State and so um you know we know we backed by a really really good institution um and a fan base and we owe it to them um to week in and week out you know give them something and a substance that they'll be proud of Coach offense defense and special teams uh what are you looking forward to this year you know offensively scoring points being multiple um you know I know coach Gils and his his crew will do a really good job you know with the weapons that he have you know coach Robinson U from a defensive coordinator standpoint um stopping guys um you know and limited you know explosives and um you know coach Welsh from a special team standpoint turning the field over um creating you know hidden yardage inside of the the game and I think if we we can do that and um we can just you know continue to have a psychological hold of understanding what we want how we want it and how efficient we we'll be doing it um we'll be successful down down the stretch coach uh every weekend there's a big game at the end of the year the Rivalry between Jackson state is a special game but every Saturday is special talk a little bit about some of those games where people come from near and far to be a part of that Legacy and to witness uh those particular games you know when you look at the the the the lineage of the years that's been played and you know it's almost like a family reunion that's been going on for so long from the you know the early days I mean you know now it's just it's a testament to the ones before us that laid the foundation man I'm so blessed to have this opportunity to continue to build on that um you know the great ones before me um not only from a coaching standpoint but I played in this league been a student assistant been a graduate assistant um position coach and now head coach from a coordinator standpoint um but it's just you know it's like that when you see a coach Graves who um you know was at Mississippi Valley and you got and you got ties to him you know I know TC um you know personally I know Mickey Joseph um even though he didn't you know cut his teeth in the league but he still us um you know from from New Orleans and um you know just some really good coaches coach Maya and he coach uh coach rob you know for me talking about how this meteor day was back in the day when all them was on the bus you know driving from state to state or city to City you know just hearing that man last night was just it's really a blessing I'm honored be a part of such a really really good uh good League um and really good individuals that's doing a really good job and even you guys who covering it um you know at 17 when I came here at Pine Bluff it wasn't a whole lot of it wasn't as many at media um but now with so many outlets that's getting the brand out there and doing a a really good job so kud kudos to you and and your team and everybody that's associated with getting the brand um a really good look 2024 HBCU football it's been around since the 18 1800s talk about that Legacy and it continues every day and definitely every Saturday in the Falls I mean when you just you know you come and you look at the fan base you come and you look at the fellowship all the pageantry inside before you even step in the game you know that's the tailgate you know that's the jawing back and forth um you know as family um that's the good eating the good music all the soul train lines that's before you even get to what the main thing so it's like having a a buffet um you know of a whole lot of different elements of um you know a particular subject matter and then once you get to that point which is the game you saying wow you know and you ain't even made it to halftime and so now you get another show at halftime and then you get a really good body of work from a football standpoint um you know it's just it's it's awesome um and like I said man it's a blessing to be a part of it but you know shout out to everybody who who embraced this league and been a part that's showing up at every institution not just allor um but everyone um who who understand the black college movement and and the product of these young Brothers coach week one uh just talk a little bit about getting your team ready for week one and the kickoff and just going out and playing some football yeah you know for for us you know we telling the guys you know like the Malachi baay and truck Griffin of the world you know it's a um this a really good football team so if you talking about playing on the next level this is one of the games that they going to look at um you know and so a lot of the guys think that they supposed to be on the level um you know as the UAB were I'm saying here's your litness to be able to see and so not only just for the players but coaches also you know coaches get a chance you know talking about you got Trent de for NFL quarterback that want a Super Bowl so you put a good brand out there um you know and now everybody see they crossover film and they saying man them guys at all corn is you know they coaching um and not only just at allor but the whole HBCU sector um because there some great coaches in this league and they have opportunities to move on and so we excited about it um you know we coming to win um we coming to put a good product out there that the brave Nation will be proud of coach in closing is there anything else you want to say to uh the reservation all corn State University and all the fans back in the Sip know keep loving us uh keep loving these young Brothers keep supporting us and I promise you we going to continue to make you proud thank you coach