Three Chargers on D2football.com All-American List

Hillsdale College junior offensive tackle Jared Veldheer (pictured) leads the Charger football players named to the D2football.com 2008 All American team.

Veldheer, a 6'8" 315 pounder from Forest Hills Northern High School in Grand Rapids, MI was tabbed a 2nd team OL by the website regarded as the premiere source for NCAA Division II football.

Also making the team as honorable mention selections are junior defensive end Drew Berube, a native of Hillsdale and senior linebacker Tom Korte, a senior from Catholic Central High School in Grand Rapids.

Full List

(photo by Mary Veldheer)

Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year makes Hillsdale his Choice

Chargerblue.com has confirmed and gained permission to share that 2 time all-state, 3 time state champion, and 2008 Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year Joe Glendening will be trading the blue and gold of East Grand Rapids High School for the Charger Blue and White of Hillsdale College.

NCAA rules bar coaches and staffs from making any comment, confirming, or denying any information regarding recruits until national letters of intent are signed on February 4. At no time was Hillsdale asked for information nor did anyone from the program contact me. All sources are independent of the program.

East coach Peter Stuursma confirmed this morning that Glendening indeed is set on signing with the Chargers.

"He is an outstanding young man and I am excited to follow him through Hillsdale," the 2008 Detroit Lions Michigan High School Coach of the Year commented.

Glendening is regarded as one of the top prospects on the west side of Michigan, a region that saw 7 of its 7 state finalists bring home titles.

The 5' 10" 185 pound tailback brings amazing resume to Hillsdale. Look at these numbers: school record for most rushing yards in a season with 2,598. Previous record of 2,507 was set in 2003 by Kevin Grady Jr. He was also Gatorade Player of the Year in 2004. Glendening set a school single game record 398 yards against Mount Pleasant. He shares the most career touchdowns at the state finals with Grady. The pair each found the endzone seven times. Three of those came this year in a win at Ford Field over Inkster. (Stats from Jane Bos article below)

In addition to all of these honors, Glendening was also the unanimous choice Division 3/4 Player of the Year.

More Links:
ESPN.com Recruiting Profile with Junior Year Highlights
ESPN.com Rise Blog
Jane Bos: Glendening is Gatorade Player of the Year
Glendening Player of the Year in Divsion 3/4

Photo from MLive.com

FJ Gaylor and Higher Ed Photography for Recruitment need some help from the Charger Nation

FJ Gaylor and Higher Ed Photography for Recruitment were in Hillsdale this past Homecoming and got some great shots for the college to use in its recruiting materials.

FJ has asked for our help in deciding which of the above images will make the cut for his website's main page. Here is the post from his blog.

Click on the image to see larger.


It's that time of year again, time to add fresh images to the main website, www.fjgaylor.com . It is quite a chore to go through several thousand images and pick the ones that are worthy of going on the website.

After picking out several hundred images that we like, there is another round of editing and tagging into categories. Some of the categories are buildings, details, inside campus life, outside campus life, dorms, athletics, faculty, classroom, Faculty-Student Interaction, and more.

Then there's the process of getting rid of most of the images that are currently on the site. This is extremely painful, as most are really only about 6-7 months old...

It's strange the amount of athletcis images in the fall as opposed to the spring. We seem to have a bunch of football images this fall.

There are six images above that I have to whittle down to one to put on the website.

Would appreciate everyone's thoughts, don't hold back, I've got pretty thick skin.

To see our entire online portfolio of admissions marketing photography goto: FJ GAYLOR Photography

Visit FJ's blog to leave your feedback. See if you picked the same one I did.

Hillsdale College Football Alumni Reunion Set for Homecoming 2009

Not since 1991 has Hillsdale College officially organized a reunion for all football players from all eras. Of course Chargers and Dales gather yearly for homecoming, but this year, special activities are in the works. Thanks to the enthusiasm and leadership of former Charger Tom Kanka '84, Homecoming 2009 will offer several events to catch up with old teammates from your days in Blue and White as well as connect with those Hillsdale brothers who played for the Dale before and after you.

Make plans now to attend the festivities Friday October 9th and Saturday October 10th. The Chargers welcome Grand Valley to Muddy Waters Stadium. Having a huge assortment of football alumni there to support Otter and his boys will go a long way in helping defeat one of D2's truly elite programs....someplace Hillsdale football is headed.

Currently scheduled will be dinner on Friday night with the current team as well as a reception in the fieldhouse before and after the pep rally and bonfire. Saturday will feature lots of tailgating and the traditional homecoming happenings.

An RSVP website will be coming soon. This will let you show everyone you will be in attendance as well as find out which of your old buddies will be returning as well. Check back for more updates.

Be there!

UPDATE: Football Alumni Golf Scramble added for Friday, October 10 at 10:00 AM, Hillsdale Country Club

CantonRep.com: Browns to interview Eagles GM Tom Heckert

Browns to interview Eagles GM Tom Heckert
By Steve Doerschuk
CantonRep.com staff writer
Posted Jan 07, 2009 @ 12:45 PM
Last update Jan 07, 2009 @ 12:56 PM
BEREA —

The Browns have received permission to interview Philadelphia General Manager Tom Heckert. He is in his eighth season with the Eagles and his third as general manager.

Heckert is relatively young, 41, but he has spent his life soaking up the culture of an NFL personnel man. His father, also named Tom, spent 20 years in the business.

This is a bit of a curveball in relation to the strong signs pointing to an Eric Mangini-George Kokinis head coach-GM team.

Strong indications remain that Mangini is on course to be the coach. Mangini may prefer Kokinis, but with no other apparent suitors, he is in no position to demand that Kokinis — who is roughly Heckert’s age but has a lesser résumé — be hired with him.

Heckert has been active in both pro and college personnel matters. Kokinis’ authority has been confined to pro personnel matters.

Heckert grew up in Adrian, Mich., and was a collegiate defensive tackle at Hillsdale. (Andy's note: Heckert was actually a DB at Hillsdale.)

Heckert cut his teeth in the Dolphins personnel department, working in the Don Shula and Jimmy Johnson regimes.

Heckert is allowed to interview elsewhere because he does not have final say over the 53-man roster. That power lies with Head Coach Andy Reid. The Browns would have to offer Heckert a position providing that say.

Former Browns GM Phil Savage insisted on this.

MLive: Eagles GM Tom Heckert wants 'no part' of Lions job

Eagles GM Tom Heckert wants 'no part' of Lions job
by Tom Kowalski
Wednesday December 31, 2008, 11:21 AM
MLive.com

According to a league source, Eagles general manager Tom Heckert wants "no part'' of the Lions assistant general manager position. Heckert, who has been rumored to be leaving the Eagles organization for the last couple of years, would want more influence in personnel matters and it's clear that GM Martin Mayhew will be running the show in Detroit.

In addition to searching for a head coach, the Lions are also looking for another front office executive who has a strong history in personnel. The job title would likely be assistant general manager but Lions president Tom Lewand said that person's exact role "remains to be seen.''

Heckert, who grew up in Michigan and played his college ball at Hillsdale, has been linked to Lions' openings in the past. Heckert does not make the final personnel decisions with the Eagles, but runs their personnel department and oversees both the college and pro scouting.

A phone call to Heckert was not immediately returned.