Former Skyhawks example of FCS improval

Hundreds of student athletes attend football camps each year with the dream of playing in the National Football League and after every spring semester, universities must recruit new players to make up for their graduating seniors.

Universities are divided by two categories, the FBS or FCS. The FBS stands for Football Bowl Subdivision, which features conferences such as the South Eastern Conference or the Big Ten. The most highly touted high school athletes traditionally attend an FBS school, because of immediate national exposure, as well as program tradition.

In more recent years, there has been an increase with players transferring to smaller universities, and the once large gap between the FBS and FCS is slowly closing. FCS, or Football Championship Subdivision, is home to conferences such as the Ohio Valley Conference or the Missouri Valley Conference.

So far this season, eight FCS squads upset an FBS opponent. Some of the victims were top teams such as Kansas State and Oregon State. How is this possible? FBS teams have a deeper roster pool. They are able to offer 85 scholarships, compared to the FCS’s 63, and the talent is better at an FBS university.

The student athletes who transfer from major FBS programs have a chance to become immediate game-changers for their new team.

In recent years, UTM has benefited from such individuals. Defensive lineman Montori Hughes joined the Skyhawks from Tennessee and wide receiver Quentin Sims came from Georgia Tech; both have jumped from the Skyhawks to the NFL.

“Programs can tout all of the professionals they produce but it makes a huge difference if current players can identify with recent NFL players and physically see the results on paper,” said UTM Sports Information Director, Ryne Rickman.

“UTM was fortunate enough to have two players in the NFL this year, and I see that trend absolutely continuing upward.”

In recent years, the Ohio Valley Conference has consistently produced NFL-caliber talent. This past year, Montori Hughes and Alan Bonner were selected in the draft. Two current NFL players hailing from OVC schools are Tony Romo, quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, a cornerback for the Denver Broncos.

Teams use the NFL draft to help retool their team and build for not only the next season, but also the seasons to come. The draft is divided into seven rounds with 32 picks in each round to symbolize the 32 NFL teams. There are also compensatory picks awarded to teams who lost certain players through free agency that are added on at the end of each round.

This year, the FCS had 19 players selected in the draft, two of which represented the OVC.

“The impact of OVC players in the NFL is simple – credibility,” said Joe Lofaro, University Relations Publication Specialist and sports advocate.

“If the OVC can put players in the NFL, then people will say that league must be good.”

Having competitive university athletics does much more than just attract national attention to your program; it creates community involvement.

“The main influence is the word-of-mouth and buzz about our potential pros,” said Rickman.

“There was a buzz around here when Montori Hughes and Quentin Sims were here. People love to watch good football and with good players like those two, it will attract a crowd. People will go out of their way to maybe skip watching a game at home on Saturday to come and watch a once-in-a-generation player represent UTM on the gridiron.”