Drew Berube named Defensive Player of the Game in Arena Football League debut

Hillsdale College's Drew Berube last made news on this site as an invitee to the Green Bay Packers mini camp, just over a year ago.

While told that he wouldn't be asked back to training camp this Fall, Berube hasn't let his football dreams fade away.

The former All-GLIAC defensive lineman recently joined former Charger teammate AJ Kegg on the roster of the Arena Football League Cleveland Gladiators.

In his first game and first start, Berube wasted little time making his name known. On the opening series, the Hillsdale High School and College star sacked Philadelphia QB Ryan Vena, forced a fumble, and recovered it to set up the Gladiators for their first score.

In the third quarter, Berube would score his first ever points in the top indoor division with a safety on kickoff coverage.

Cleveland would go on to improve to 6-3 on the year with the 59-41 win. Berube would earn defensive player of the game honors with the 2 big stops.

Kegg, who is now on injured reserve became the first ever Hillsdale product to play in the Arena Football League. So far on the season, Kegg has had one solo tackle and an assist.

Cleveland is in action next week at Arizona.

Detroit News: WSU football player fatally shot outside downtown Detroit club

Christine Ferretti and Santiago Esparza / / The Detroit News

May 7, 2011

Detroit — Relatives of a Wayne State University football player, shot and killed outside a Detroit nightclub this week, are trying to make sense of his "senseless" death, one of a spate of shootings in the city over the past two days.

Wayne State Police said 20-year-old cornerback Cortez Smith was outside a downtown club near Shelby and Larned with a couple of teammates when a dispute broke out with a group of people around 11:25 p.m. Thursday. Police say someone opened fire, striking Smith in the chest and head and another man in the leg.

"It was very senseless how all of this came down," said Smith's mother, Beverly Smith, who contends her son was attempting to aid a teammate who had been punched.
The shooting is one of at least three in the past two days in parts of the city not normally associated with such violence.

From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20110507/METRO/105070346/WSU-football-player-fatally-shot-outside-downtown-Detroit-club#ixzz1Lky1xjra

Oakland Raiders' Jared Veldheer using the NFL Lockout to read to Hillsdale kids

The Hillsdale Daily News shared some fun pictures of former Hillsdale College star and starting tackle for the Oakland Raiders Jared Veldheer reading to kids at Gier Elementary in Hillsdale.

More photos

Hillsdale's Holmes and Weatherhead wait in Football Limbo

The 2011 NFL Draft has come and gone. Unfortunately for a couple of Chargers, the Lockout is seriously delaying their opportunities to show a franchise their abilities.

By this time last season we were celebrating Jared Veldheer's selection by the Raiders as well as the mini-camp invites extended to AJ Kegg, Mark Petro, and Drew Berube. We should be extending WR Andre Holmes and QB Troy Weatherhead the same congratulations and good luck as both are likely to sign now as undrafted or priority free agents. The labor unrest in the NFL is delaying that process as teams cannot sign UDA's until after an agreement is reached.

Now the two...and every other pro football hopeful not hearing his name called this weekend must continue to hone is skills and keep a sharp eye on the court rooms where injunctions, stays, and appeals are all being bantered about. Unlike most soon-to-graduate young men, their futures are a bit muddled right now. The call could come tomorrow or in two months.

Congratulations anyway to these fine young men. Thanks for the memories you made for us in Charger Blue and may you have the chance to make many more football memories.

MonroeNews.com: Hoskins lands his dream job

MILAN — Jesse Hoskins said he has been preparing to be Milan’s head football coach all his life.

The former Big Red football player was hired Tuesday as the new varsity coach, replacing Steve Robb who stepped down after 25 years at the helm.

Hoskins has lived in Milan all his life and has taught at Milan schools since graduating in 2006 from Hillsdale College, where he played football. He has been Milan’s freshman and junior varsity coach and became varsity assistant in 2009.

“I played here at Milan under Steve Robb in the late ’90s and 2000,” he said. “When I went to college, I wanted to be a teacher. My dream was always to come back and teach and coach at Milan and one day take over for Coach Robb. It always was my dream job. It’s something I’ve been preparing for every single day.”  

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Chicago Sun Times: Ex-DePaul star Kevin Holmes excited about son’s NFL draft chances

Sean Jensen

Chicago Sun-Times

April 26, 2011

Kevin Holmes, a four-year basketball starter at DePaul in the 1980s, didn’t hesitate when presented with a scheduling conflict last week.

Grover Cleveland High School in Reseda, Calif., planned to retire his jersey number Friday while his eldest son, Andre, would be waiting near Hillsdale College in Michigan to see when and if he’s
selected in the NFL draft.

‘‘It’s kind of unfortunate that it happened around the same time,’’ Holmes said. ‘‘But that [decision] was a no-brainer. This is a big time in my son’s life, and I definitely have to be there for him. I’m an old guy. My window has closed. It’s his time now.’’

Andre Holmes didn’t generate much of a buzz at Conant High School in Hoffman Estates, but he dominated at Hillsdale — most notably setting school records for catches (104) and receiving yards (1,368) last season — and has impressed scouts and coaches in the months since. He has talked to numerous teams and visited with the Bears, Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots.

At 6-4, 210 pounds with 4.4-4.5 speed in the 40-yard dash, Holmes could be the sort of pick who’d make casual football fans scratch their heads if his name was called during the draft later this week.

Holmes relishes that position.

‘‘I just figure that playing Division II, I’ve always been kind of under the radar, and that gives you a lot more motivation to get your name out there,’’ Holmes said. ‘‘People are starting to get to know my name; I’m getting a lot of calls from teams. I feel like every day my name gets a little bigger.’’

Full Article

OHIO.com: Former Charger Heckert prepares for NFL Draft as Browns' GM

System for Browns opening pick Thursday in 2011 NFL Draft refined


By Nate Ulrich
Beacon Journal sports writer

Published on Sunday, Apr 24, 2011


Tom Heckert turned his computer monitor around, pointed at the screen and passionately explained the system he devised to conquer the NFL draft.

Heckert has used it for most of his adult life, ascending through the ranks of personnel departments since the early 1990s and ultimately earning a swank, second-floor office in the Browns' headquarters in Berea. The system has not steered him wrong — yet.

''Obviously, you have to work at it,'' Heckert said. ''You have to watch tape. It's endless. You're a general manager of a football team. It's the greatest thing in the world, but you also have to know there's a lot of sacrifices you have to make to do that.''

When Heckert was working for the Miami Dolphins, his confidence in the system prompted him to advise coach Jimmy Johnson to take cornerback Sam Madison in the second round because defensive end Jason Taylor, whom Johnson preferred, would still be available a round later. Johnson listened, and the Dolphins drafted Madison and Taylor, both of whom became perennial Pro Bowl selections.

Last year in his first draft as the Browns' general manager, the system guided Heckert to select four of the eight players he had targeted in the first three rounds: cornerback Joe Haden, safety T.J. Ward, running back Montario Hardesty and offensive lineman Shawn Lauvao. The Browns also drafted quarterback Colt McCoy in the third round because Heckert and President Mike Holmgren couldn't resist the urge to pounce when he unexpectedly fell to them.

As Heckert's career has progressed, the presentation of the system has evolved. It now takes form in sets of scenarios separated by columns on Microsoft Excel spreadsheets, which are printed and piled atop Heckert's desk.

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Cleveland Browns GM Tom Heckert answers questions about the upcoming draft at a press conference at the team training complex on Thursday in Berea. (Phil Masturzo/Akron Beacon Journal)

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