July 25, 2008

NORFOLK, Va. – Kermit Blount and the Winston-Salem State University Rams received unprecedented media interest at the Sheraton Norfolk Waterside Hotel from the 2008 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football press luncheon from Norfolk, Virginia on Friday afternoon.

The Rams, entering into their third year of a transition to NCAA Division I status following 61 years of membership at the NCAA Division II level, head into the 2008 season on the heels of a 2007 season which saw WSSU surprise college football pundits by posting a 6-5 record overall.

16th-year head coach Kermit Blount, a man that needs only three more wins to overtake Bill Hayes as the winningest coach in WSSU history, fielded questions from media members at the annual MEAC football press luncheon on Friday morning. 

“Last year was a great jump start into the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference” Blount said.  “With five MEAC wins, and six wins overall, we are in the midst of building a successful Division I program here at WSSU.  This season we are looking to be more consistent on both sides of the football.  We realize that this is going to be a tough year as we were hit hard by some losses at key positions, but I know that our young team will come out of the gate hard and this will definitely be another exciting year at WSSU.”

The move to the Division I level has had no ill effect on the Rams as a team that is used to winning has continued to maintain the level of success that saw them amass 340 wins, eight conference championships and four NCAA postseason berths at the Division II level.

2007 saw the Rams record their first winning season in WSSU’s Division I era as Blount led the Rams to a 6-5 finish en route to earning his 11^th winning season in his 15 seasons as the Rams’ head coach.

A young team that returns only 41 letterwinners in 2008, only 27 of which are upperclassmen, will again look to take the MEAC by storm in 2008.  Despite losing 12 starters to graduation and another to the NFL, the Rams return the services of their entire receiving corps, a pair of quality running backs, a talented punter, and an offensive line that is virtually unchanged from a 2007 season which saw the Rams average over 20 points per game.

“Though we are a fairly young team at several key positions, I think that, if we can solidify some of our young guys at those positions, we should be ok.  We are building a program here at WSSU and it is not about the now, it is about the future of our program and our young men know that.  They are the foundations for the future success of our program and they embrace that.  But that is not to say that we aren’t prepared to be a competitive program in this conference, because I am confident that we will be ready to compete with anyone when we line down on Saturdays.” Blount noted.

The Rams will face 11 opponents in 2008, a schedule laden with talented programs, nine of which averaged winning percentages of over 54.5 percent last season.

WSSU opens the season on the road, 30 miles from the friendly confines of Bowman Gray Stadium as they travel to Greensboro, N.C. to face Interstate 40 rival North Carolina A&T in the third annual “Battle of I-40 Classic” at Aggie Stadium.

The Rams, a team that has won the last two meetings versus the Aggies, look to open the season with a victory over their highly respected rival as they attempt to earn a season-opening victory for the second consecutive season.

“To some onlookers it may seem like we played above our expectations last season, but we have always played some of the best teams at both the NCAA Division I and Division II levels so I think that helped in our preparations for MEAC play” Blount commented in a television interview on Friday.

Blount, a man who has 28 years of coaching experience, is prepared to lead the Rams into a 2008 season that is laden with high expectations as the Rams prepare to improve upon a 2007 season that saw WSSU capture a Circle City Championship, earn five MEAC wins and six victories overall, as well as tally wins over in-state rivals North Carolina A&T and North Carolina Central.

The Rams return to campus for training camp on Wednesday, August 6 with the first practice slated for Friday, August 8. 

Fans will get their first glimpse of the 2008 Rams on Sunday, August 24 at WSSU’s annual “Meet the Rams” Fan Fest and Media Day.  The annual community and media day is free and open to the public and will be held at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C.

For additional information on WSSU Football or the “Meet the Rams” Fan Fest, contact the WSSU Office of Athletic Media Relations at (336) 750-2143 or log on to the Official Website of WSSU Athletics at WSSURams.com.