NEW ORLEANS — South Alabama head coach Joey Jones, junior offensive lineman Chris May and senior linebacker Maleki Harris are scheduled to represent the Jaguars today at Sun Belt Conference football media day, which begins at 9 a.m. in the Bienville Club Lounge at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
South Alabama’s session at the Sun Belt media day is set for 11 to 11:25 a.m. Jones is also scheduled to appear on the ESPN3 broadcast at 2:30 p.m.
Blakeney Will Not Attend
Each of the 11 football-playing schools is sending its head coach and two student-athletes, with one exception. Troy head coach Larry Blakeney recently had surgery and has been advised against long-distance travel. Offensive coordinator Kenny Edenfield will represent the Trojans in his place.
State of the Sun Belt
Commissioner Karl Benson will deliver the State of the Sun Belt Conference address at 3 p.m. He will then take questions along with Coordinator of Officials Steve Shaw, College Football Playoff chief financial officer Reid Sigmon and the league’s athletic directors.
Ways to Follow
The conference’s new “Sun Belt Social Suite” will feature one-on-one interviews built around fan questions submitted on Facebook and Twitter with the hashtag #SunBeltMediaDay. The sessions, hosted by Danielle Percival, will run from 10 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 3 p.m. and will stream live on SunBeltSports.org.
ESPN3 will air a two-hour live show from the floor starting at 1 p.m., with interviews featuring coaches and student-athletes from all 11 schools.
Media Day Itinerary
- 9:00 a.m. — Louisiana-Monroe: coach Todd Berry; LB Ray Stovall (Sr.), WR Rashon Ceaser (Jr.)
- 9:30 a.m. — Appalachian State: coach Scott Satterfield; QB Kameron Bryant (Jr.), DL Ronald Blair (Sr.)
- 10:00 a.m. — New Mexico State: coach Doug Martin; OL Valerian Ume-Ezeoke (Sr.), DB Travaughn Colwell (Sr.)
- 10:30 a.m. — Texas State: coach Dennis Franchione; LB David Mayo (Sr.), LB Michael Orakpo (Sr.)
- 11:00 a.m. — South Alabama: coach Joey Jones; OL Chris May (Jr.), LB Maleki Harris (Sr.)
- 11:30 a.m. — Troy: offensive coordinator Kenny Edenfield; OL Terrence Jones (Sr.), LB Wayland Coleman-Dancer (Sr.)
- 12:00 p.m. — Lunch
- 1:30 p.m. — Arkansas State: coach Blake Anderson; DB Sterling Young (Sr.), WR J.D. McKissic (Jr.)
- 2:00 p.m. — Louisiana-Lafayette: coach Mark Hudspeth; QB Terrance Broadway (Sr.), RB Alonzo Harris (Sr.)
- 2:30 p.m. — Georgia Southern: coach Willie Fritz; LB Edwin Jackson (Sr.), OT Garrett Frye (Sr.)
- 3:00 p.m. — State of the Sun Belt Conference, Commissioner Karl Benson
- 3:30 p.m. — Media availability with Benson, Shaw, Sigmon and Sun Belt athletic directors
- 4:00 p.m. — Georgia State: coach Trent Miles; LB Joseph Peterson (Jr.), TE Keith Rucker (So.)
- 4:30 p.m. — Idaho: coach Paul Petrino; DE Maxx Forde (Sr.), OL Mike Marboe (Sr.)
ESPN3 Interview Schedule
- 1:03 p.m. — Commissioner Karl Benson
- 1:11 p.m. — Mark Hudspeth, Louisiana-Lafayette
- 1:21 p.m. — Kenny Edenfield, Troy
- 1:31 p.m. — Dennis Franchione, Texas State
- 1:41 p.m. — Willie Fritz, Georgia Southern
- 1:51 p.m. — Scott Satterfield, Appalachian State
- 2:01 p.m. — Trent Miles, Georgia State
- 2:10 p.m. — Doug Martin, New Mexico State
- 2:20 p.m. — Blake Anderson, Arkansas State
- 2:30 p.m. — Joey Jones, South Alabama
- 2:40 p.m. — Paul Petrino, Idaho
- 2:48 p.m. — Todd Berry, Louisiana-Monroe
Update: What Harris and May Said at Media Day
Senior linebacker Maleki Harris and junior offensive lineman Chris May spoke with reporters at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome as South Alabama’s student-athlete representatives.
Maleki Harris
Harris was named to the preseason second-team All-Sun Belt squad by Phil Steele and Athlon Sports. Last season he played in all 12 games with 10 starts, ranking fourth on the team with 63 tackles and recording 8.5 tackles for loss. He led the Jaguars with seven pass breakups and two fumble recoveries, and added 2.5 sacks, three quarterback hurries and an interception. As a sophomore in 2012, he appeared in all 13 games, made 20 tackles and led the team with two fumble recoveries, both coming against Hawaii to set a school single-game record.
Harris said he expects to carry more of the leadership load on defense. “I feel a lot of responsibility for this season and how it goes, especially defensively,” he said. He identified experience as the unit’s main weakness and toughness as its strength, crediting defensive coordinator Travis Pearson, and said close losses last season came down to mental toughness.
He also said the team wants to raise Mobile’s profile. “We want Mobile to be known as the home of South Alabama,” Harris said, adding that the Jaguars’ goal is the Sun Belt championship.
Chris May
May, a 6-foot-5, 290-pound native of Tuscumbia, Alabama, was a first-team All-Sun Belt selection and was named second-team all-conference by Phil Steele and College Sports Madness. He started all 12 games at right tackle last season, leading the team with 65 knockdown blocks and grading out at 87 percent, second-best on the team. He allowed one sack in 394 South Alabama pass attempts and had a season-high nine knockdowns in the win over Louisiana-Monroe. As a redshirt freshman in 2012, he played in all 13 games, starting the final seven at left tackle, was named to the Sun Belt All-Freshman Team by conference beat writers and earned a coaches’ award on the offensive line three times, tying a season record.
May said the offense’s main challenge will be keeping everyone on the same page. He noted the return of lineman Melvin Meggs, who missed last season with an injury, said Joseph Scelfo will probably step in at center, and pointed out that four of the starting linemen arrived in the same signing class.
Referring to last season’s 6-6 finish and bowl eligibility, May said, “This year is a big year for us.” He added that head coach Joey Jones has emphasized discipline and team building, including a midsummer workout with Navy SEALs.
