Football
- News & Events
- 7th annual Pigskin Preview announced - 07/18/2008
Head Coach Michael Clark and the Bridgewater College football coaching staff would like to welcome fans, parents and former players to the annual open practice. The Pigskin Preview is set for Saturday, Aug. 23. There are a few changes from previous years “I think changing the Pigskin Preview,” says Coach Clark, “will both accommodate our fans and families of players who want to come back to visit.”
The day will begin at noon with a lunch with the players and coaches in the Kline Campus Center (KCC) Dining Hall. “I am asking my coaches to host tables for lunch and that would give fans and families a chance to interact with them as well as our players,” said Coach Clark. At 1 p.m., there will be an open session with Coach Clark in Cole Hall, which will include a question and answer period and a review of the afternoon schedule.
Following the Q&A with Coach Clark, fans will be allowed to sit in on a position meeting of their choice, as position coaches meet and talk to their players. These meetings will begin at 2 p.m. “By opening up our practice preparation meetings to these groups, I think we will be able to show people an inside look as to what it takes to get a quality product to the field,” said Coach Clark.
Finally, starting at 3:30 p.m., fans will be able to watch a two-hour practice on the practice football fields behind Nininger Hall where fans will be given a close look at the action.
If you are interested in attending the lunch and/or practice, please email Steve Cox at scox@bridgewater.edu.
Coach Clark hopes you will spend an afternoon with us in our 2008 football preparation!- Two former NFL starters join BC coaching staff - 07/09/2008
Bridgewater College has been selected to host an intern for the NFLPA/NCAA Internship Program for the 2008 football season. The Eagles intern will be Larry Moore (pictured right), who attended Brigham Young University and then played nine years in the NFL as an offensive lineman.
Moore will help coach the offensive line and tight ends.
"We are excited that our program was chosen. I know well over 50 schools at the Division II and Division III level applied for these grants and I think our selection speaks well of our reputation," said Coach Michael Clark. "This fall it will be important that a young team is well coached. We will not have a big margin for error. Unfortunately, Larry Moore and Ben Taylor, who bring 14 years of NFL experience to our program, can't play for us. I hope our players can benefit from their knowledge and experience."
Moore started 73 of his 96 career NFL games. He played for the Indianapolis Colts (1998-2001), Washington Redskins (2002-2003), and the Cincinnati Bengals (2004-2006).
Taylor, who starred at Virginia Tech and was drafted in the fourth round of the NFL draft in 2002, played for the Cleveland Browns (2002-2005) and Green Bay Packers (2006). For more on Taylor, who will coach the linebackers, click here.- Copeland signs Arena League contract - 06/19/2008
Bridgewater College football wide receiver Brandon Copeland was signed to the Arena Football League's Philadelphia Soul on Wednesday, June 18. The AFL is the top arena football league in the country.
Copeland, also an All-American track performer, finished his collegiate career with 127 receptions for 1,924 yards and 21 touchdowns. He ranks No. 2 all-time at Bridgewater in all three receiving categories. He was named All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference as a junior and senior.
In May, Copeland was invited to and participated in a NFL rookie minicamp with the Cleveland Browns. He was named an honorable mention camper by ClevelandBrowns.com for "catching everything thrown his way."
When asked about the opportunity, Copeland said "[There's] no rest for the weary. I only sleep on December the 32nd." He explained by saying "I have to stay on my goals at all times; you never know when your chance will come."
Philadelphia is currently tied for the best record in the AFL at 12-3, and leads the league in scoring at 62.2 points per game. They lost their three games by a combined 20 points.
The Soul will play the New York Dragons on June 22 to close out the regular season, and the divisional playoffs begin shortly thereafter. ArenaBowlXXII, the AFL championship game, is on July 27.
The AFL is televised on ESPN 2, ESPN360.com, AFL Net, and local TV networks. Some games can be heard on Sirius Satellite Radio.
There are 17 AFL teams and approximately 425 players on rosters. Copeland will be the fourteenth Division III player currently on an AFL roster.- Copeland invited to NFL rookie camp - 04/28/2008
Bridgewater College senior wide receiver Brandon Copeland has been invited to the rookie minicamp of the NFL's Cleveland Browns.
Copeland was invited as an undrafted free agent following the conclusion of the NFL Draft on Sunday. Copeland's agent received calls from the New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, New Orleans Saints and Cleveland Browns. Copeland decided to go with the Browns, and will fly out to Cleveland on Thursday.
Copeland, also an All-American track performer for the Eagles, caught 53 passes for 675 yards and nine touchdowns. He finished his career with 127 receptions for 1,924 yards and 21 touchdowns. He ranks No. 2 all-time at BC in receiving yards.
Copeland is the second BC player in recent years to be a part of NFL camps. Jermaine Taylor was in camp with both Green Bay and Tampa Bay and played one year in NFL Europe.
Visit [BridgewaterFootball.com] for more information on BC receiver Brandon Copeland.- Highfill named to NFF Hampshire Honor Society - 04/23/2008
Bridgewater College senior Jeff Highfill was recently selected for the National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society.
The 2008 NFF Hampshire Honor Society is comprised of college football players from all divisions of play who each maintained a 3.2 grade point average or better.
A total of 439 players from 226 schools qualified for membership in the society's second year, an increase of more than 25 percent from the inaugural class in 2007.
The NFF Hampshire Honor Society capitalizes on the NFF's current National Scholar-Athlete program, greatly expanding the number os scholar-athletes the NFF can recognize each year and further strengthening its leadership role in encouraging academic performance by the student-athletes who play football at the more than 700 colleges and universities with football programs.
Highfill was twice named the ODAC Football Scholar-Athlete of the Year. He was named to the 2006 Academic All-American first team and was a second team Academic All-American pick in 2007.