Former FIU defensive back Lionell Singleton is across the country in Washington state these days playing for the Tri-Cities Fever of the Indoor Football League.
Singleton (left), a former All-Sun Belt Conference cornerback with the Panthers, is thriving in the IFL. Singleton leads the IFL with six interceptions, but just as important to Singleton is how he is succeeding away from the gridiron.
With Fever teammate Brandon Wilson, Singleton started an after-school mentoring program for kids at Eastgate Elementary School in Kennewick, Wash. The program is called The Next Level of Academics and Athletics.
Singleton had been part of after-school mentoring programs in Miami while he attended FIU, but he found that those programs did not incorporate physical fitness so he brought that to his program in Washington.
CLICK HERE to read the story from the Tri-City Herald.
ANOTHER PANTHERS TEAM IN THE SUN BELT
The Sun Belt Conference is conducting a media teleconference at 4 p.m. this afternoon to once again discuss "the future of the conference". Part of the teleconference will be to talk about the Georgia State Panthers, who became the newest member of the Sun Belt and 11th football team in the league today.
GSU has played two years of football in the FCS and will transition to the Sun Belt like South Alabama is currently doing. GSU is located in downtown Atlanta, which makes for a great Sun Belt road trip.
FEELEY ON THE BALL
Former FIU football assistant strength coach Dave Feeley is turning the Ball State football program around with his workouts. Feeley took over at Ball State two years ago after a successful run at FIU. With the Panthers, Feeley was the baseball strength coach during the 2010 Sun Belt Championship year as well as helping out the FIU football strength program during its 2010 Sun Belt Championship year and Pizza Bowl win.
Feeley worked his way up in the strength coaching business with current FIU football strength coach Chad Smith as you will read in the second part of my interview with Smith later this week. CLICK HERE for Feeley's story from the Star Press.
*Thanks Sam Lewis photo
