SID notes two new records: heat, attendance for media day

~ The interest in Samuel's second season draws a large crowd, but the players preferred the shade at Houck.

Southeast Missouri State's media day was a record-breaker.

Sports information director Ron Hines noted during his comments at the luncheon that this year's football media day attracted the largest crowd for the luncheon.

The event included speeches from players Kendall Magana and Francisco Perez, defensive coordinator Tim Maguire, offensive coordinator Vincent White and head coach Tony Samuel.

Samuel is embarking on his second season as head coach after a 4-7 record last year. With the luncheon also open to boosters and fans, the meeting room at the Show-Me Center was nearly filled.

Hines made note of another record regarding the one-hour session at Houck Stadium.

"This was also the hottest one we've had on the football field," Hines said. "You know that's what we do in sports information is keep records. Well, we broke two today -- the attendance record and the heat record. One of them is good, and one of them I'd just as soon not have."

The players undoubtedly agreed, taking opportunties to avoid the hot sun baking the Houck turf while huddling under the trees offering shade off to the sides of the east end zone.

New faces

Samuel mentioned that he has 57 new faces in the program this year from this time a year ago.

New terminology

Included in Southeast's media notes was a full-page handout about the NCAA's new designations. Division I-A now is known as the Football Bowl Subdivision; and Division I-AA is known as the Football Championship Subdivision.

Apparently, FBS and FCS also is an acceptable abbreviation.

In a confusing turn, the I-AA championship game now is the NCAA Division I Football Championship, which leaves one wondering what Florida should call itself after winning the national title last year.

According to the handout: "These labels communicate in a positive and clear way about the differences between the Division I football classifications ... while still defining them within the Division I experience."

Schermann's status

Samuel talked at the field and during the luncheon about place kicker Collin Schermann, a Central graduate who suffered a head injury in an accident at home recently.

"He's going to be OK," Samuel said. "We don't know how long he's going to be out.

"He did drive by practice the other day when he got out of the hospital and I had to kick him out of there. He was standing around, and I said, 'You just got out of the the hospital, it's 100 degrees. Go home and eat.'"

Doug Spada, who handled kickoffs and long field goals last year, will open the season taking point-after kicks and short field goals.

Schermann will return at some point this year, Samuel said.

"He will play this year, it's just a matter of when," the coach said.

Missing Edgar

Kendall Magana, a junior who was on the Division I-AA Athletic Director's Association Academic team last year, said the defensive secondary will notice the loss of defensive end Edgar Jones, the nation's sack leader who now is in camp with the Baltimore Ravens.

"It's going to be different for us," Magana said. "We're going to have to cover a little longer because of what he did defensively putting pressure on the quarterback. His numbers spoke for themselves."