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OCTOBER 2011 $4.99

VOL 2 / ISSUE 3

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Bugatti Veyron Super Sports This is by far the most expensive street legal car available on the market today at

$2,400,000. It is the fastest accelerating car reaching 0-60 in 2.5 seconds. It is also

the fastest street legal car when tested with a top speed of 267 mph.

Get Your Tickets Now!

The 2011

Premier Player of College Football

Charitable Awards Dinner

Co-Hosted By

News Channel 8 Morning Anchor Rod Carter& 10 News Sports Anchor Dave Wirth

6-9 p.m.

Friday, January 13th, 2012

Embassy Suites Tampa - USF, 3705 Spectrum Blvd., Tampa, Florida, 33612

For More Information Or To Purchase Tickets

Visit www.premierplayers.com Or Call 813-833-3495

Features & Departments

PUBLISHING CEO & PUBLISHER

Carnell Moore

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Steve Wright Marc Jenkins

Carnell Moore Barry Brudny, Players’

Jason Spray

CONTRIBUTING DESIGNER Carnell Moore Clarisa Rosianu

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PHOTO CREDITS Bill Haber, Cover, Patrick Collard, p5

LM Otero, p6, Aaron Sprecher, p8

Associated Press, pp14, 15 Associated Press, pp 16, 17

Kim Stallknecht, p21 Ann Heisenfelt, p422

Jason Spray, p26 Al Goldis, Page 28

Content Disclaimer & Use The opinions expressed in Premier Players

Magazine and on Premier Players Online do

not necessarily reflect those of the editor,

publishers and or their agents. For use of any

material used in Premier Players Magazine or

on Premier Players Online, please contact the

publisher at 813-833-3495.

Clemson's sensational freshman Sammy Watkins, left, slips a tackle from Auburn's

T'Sharvan Bell during an NCAA college football game in Clemson, S.C. Watkins’

consistent high performance has him breaking NCAA records and nominated for The

2011 Premier Player of College Football Trophy. See Page 16 .

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Early Upsets

Teams Enroute To The National Title

Sound Off

Steve Nash Always There To Assist

A Peek At The Best College Hockey Players

Push-ups Best For Building Muscle

Players’ Ink

PREMIER PLAYERS 5

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Baylor may not be in the national title hunt, but the Bears kicked

off the college football season with a shocking win over the TCU

Horned Frogs who were ranked as high as 14 in the polls. QB

Robert Griffin III continues to lead the Bears towards a great

season with many talking Heisman for his accomplishments.

Sept. 2

Baylor 50, No. 14 TCU 48

Sept. 3

South Florida 23, No. 16 Notre Dame 20

No. 4 LSU 40, No. 3 Oregon 27

Sept. 9

Arizona State 37, No. 21 Missouri 30 (OT)

Sept. 10

Auburn 41, No. 16 Mississippi State 34

Sept. 17

Clemson 38, No. 21 Auburn 24

Notre Dame 31, No. 15 Michigan State 13

Illinois 17, No. 22 Arizona State 14

Miami (FL) 24, No. 17 Ohio State 6

Sept. 24

No. 21 Clemson 35, No. 11 Florida State 30

Arizona State 43, No. 23 USC 22

Sept. 29

Pittsburgh 44, No. 16 South Florida 17

Oct. 1

No. 18 Arkansas 42, No. 14 Texas A&M 38

Auburn 16, No. 10 South Carolina 13

Kansas State 36, No. 15 Baylor 35

Southern Methodist 40, No. 20 TCU 33 (OT)

No. 13 Clemson 23, No. 11 Virginia Tech 3

Oct. 8

Wake Forest 35, No. 23 Florida State 30

Oct. 15

No. 23 Michigan State 28, No. 11 Michigan 14

No. 21 Texas A&M 55, No. 20 Baylor 28

Virginia 24, No. 12 Georgia Tech 21

Ohio State 17, No. 16 Illinois 7

Early Upsets

No. 23 Michigan State 28, No. 11 Michigan 14

Virginia 24, No. 12 Georgia Tech 21

Wake Forest 35, No. 23 Florida State 30

Arizona State 37, No. 21 Missouri 30 (OT) South Florida 23, No. 16 Notre Dame 20

The Oklahoma Sooners are maintaining their place near the top of the polls with terrific play on both sides of the football.

The opening month of the 2011 NCAA Football season has

presented a tremendous level of exciting action including

tight close grudge matches, upsets and some teams even

establishing early dominance en route to a potential national

title. Some things have gone as expected so far while others

have completely flipped upside down and there is no telling

what will come of it besides yet another intriguing college

football season. Lace up your cleats and get ready for a

recap of the first month of action for the 2011 NCAA Football

campaign.

Let’s kick things off with a few of the upsets that have

taken place so far during the season:

For starters, the TCU Horned Frogs who were ranked as

high as 14 in the polls were shocked in their first game of the

season by the unranked Baylor Bears by a score of 50-48 on

September 2nd. In that contest, the Horned Frog defense

allowed 564 total yards including 414 of them through the air

and found itself down early and often. TCU would make a

dramatic comeback to take a one point lead at 48-47 with

4:27 left in the game but Baylor would answer back with a 37

-yard game winning field goal by Aaron Jones with just 1:04

remaining.

Even though, technically, it’s not an upset, the game

between then ranked #3 Oregon and then 4th ranked LSU can

be included in this conversation. The game was a battle

between two heavyweights but the team who was ranked

higher entering the game wound up losing the game by 13

points as the Tigers of LSU came out victorious over the

Oregon Ducks 40-27. The game was truly one of the better

games so far this season and it left one team’s National Title

hopes for this year all but gone (Oregon) and helped another

realize that they can claim the title if they continue to play at

the level which they are (LSU).

In the fourth week of NCAA gridiron action, there was

another major upset that took place when the then #21

Clemson Tigers knocked off the then #11 Florida State

Seminoles by a score of 35-30. This loss for FSU came just

one week following a tough loss at the hands of the then

ranked number one team in the land, The Oklahoma

Sooners. In the Clemson/Florida State upset the Tigers took

an early 14-3 lead and never looked back as they racked up

443 yards against a defense that many were considering one

of the best in the nation at the beginning of the season.

A few more upsets that took place that also deserve a

quick mention are then #16 Notre Dame losing to South

Florida 23-20 on September 3rd, then #21 Missouri losing to

then unranked Arizona State 37-30 in overtime on

September 9th, Notre Dame defeating then #15 Michigan

State 31-13 on September 17th, then #17 Ohio State getting

pummeled by unranked Miami (FL) 24-6 on September 17th

and Arizona State defeating then #23 USC 43-22 on

September 24th.

Now let’s focus on the teams that have a legitimate

chance at winning the 2012 BCS Championship.

The LSU Tigers are currently ranked #1 in the AP poll and

#2 in the Coaches poll. So far they have handled then #3

Oregon (40-27), Northwestern State (49-3), then #25

Mississippi State (19-6), then #16 West Virginia (47-21),

Kentucky (35-7) and then #17 Florida (41-11). At the time of

writing this article the Tigers had a 6-0 record and were

sitting atop of the SEC West. Some of their major

contributors include QB Jarrett Lee, RBs Spencer Ware and

Michael Ford, and WR Rueben Randle. However, the Tigers

will have a few more strenuous tests to pass before they can

think about the National Title including the Alabama Crimson

Tide on November 5th.

The Oklahoma Sooners are maintaining their place near

the top of the polls with terrific play on both sides of the

football. They currently sit #3 in the AP poll and remain #1 in

the Coaches poll. The Sooners average 36 points per game,

only allow 18.3 points per game and 354.7 passing yards per

game. So far the players who were expected to be

playmakers this season for Oklahoma have stepped up such

as QB Landry Jones, RB Dominique Whaley and WR Ryan

Broyles. The one game that could make or break their

continued on next page

PREMIER PLAYERS 9

season will be held on December 3rd against cross-state rivals

and fellow BCS title contender Oklahoma State.

The Alabama Crimson Tide have had a great start to their

2011 season and are currently sitting at #2 in the AP poll and

tied for #3 in the Coaches poll. The Tide average 38.5 points

per game, only allow 8.0 points per game and rush for 230.8

yards per game. Currently, they share the SEC West lead

with LSU. Their key playmakers include QB AJ McCarron, RBs

Trent Richardson and RB Eddie lacy, and WR Marquis Maze.

The Crimson Tide, undoubtedly, has the game between them

and the LSU Tigers on November 5th circled on their

schedules.

The Boise State Broncos have begun the 2011 campaign

continuing their tradition as the Blue Field Bullies. They are

currently ranked #5 in the AP poll and #6 in the Coaches poll

with an undefeated season. The Broncos are ranked 20th in

the nation in points scored per game, 29th in points allowed

per game and 8th in passing yards per game. Boise State’s big

-time players such as QB Kellen Moore, RB Doug Martin and

Tyler Shoemaker are the main reasons why they continue to

win. The Broncos last major test of the season will come on

November 12th when they square off against the TCU Horned

Frogs.

The Oklahoma State Cowboys have proven already that at

this juncture of the season, they are one of the top teams in

the country. The undefeated Cowboys sit at #6 in the AP poll

and #7 in the Coaches. They average 46.8 points and 415.5

passing yards per game while allowing 27.5 points per game.

At the center of it all is QB Brandon Weeden, RB Joseph

Randle and stud WR Justin Blackmon. The Cowboys have a

make or break game for them on December 3rd when they

will square off with the Oklahoma Sooners for bragging rights

of the state, possibly first place in the conference, and a shot

at the BCS National Title.

The Stanford Cardinal are the final team that I feel can

truly challenge for the 2012 BCS title. However, the

Wisconsin Badgers are making a great case, too. Currently,

the Cardinal are ranked #7 in the AP poll and #5 in the

Coaches poll and have a 5-0 record. Stanford is currently

ranked ninth in the nation in terms of points scored per game

(46.0 PPG) and fourth in points allowed per game (9.0 PAG)

which is why they seem like a tough team to knock off of

their title hunt. All-world QB Andrew Luck is leading this

team to where they want and need to be along with RB

Stepfan Taylor and WR Chris Owusu. The Cardinal’s last

difficult test will come at the hands of #9 Oregon on

November 12th. If they can get past that one with a win then

the BCS title could be within their sights.

Just one month has gone by in the NCAA College Football

season and it has already been a pretty memorable one. I

can’t wait to see how the rest of the year plays out. Sit back,

relax and enjoy the remainder of a great campaign.

Jarrett Lee (#12) is directing a very balanced and fast LSU offense supported by a very staunched

defense. It will be a match for the ages Nov. 5 when LSU takes on another very balance but

bruising offense in Alabama that also brings a talented defense.

PREMIER PLAYERS 10

One of the most exotic cars out there is one of the most expensive at $1,850,000. It can go from 0-

60 in 3.4 seconds with a top speed of 217 mph.

Pagani Zonda Clinque Roadster

PREMIER PLAYERS 14

Oklahoma State fans cheering for their team during the game between the Oklahoma State University Cowboys and the Texas A&M.

UCLA Bruins Fans at the game between the Washington State

Cougars and the Bruins at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA.

Georgia Tech University fans in full color watch Tech defeat the

Maryland Terrapins, 21-16.

Temple Owls fans having fun at the game between the Buffalo Bulls

and the Owls. The Owls beat the Bulls.

A Wisconsin Badgers fan.flashes the W at a game between the

Badgers and the Indiana Hoosiers. Wisconsin won 59-7.

Sound Off

Top 25 Candidates For The 2011

Premier Player of College Football Trophy

Here are the 25 candidates for The 2011 Premier Player

of College Football trophy. Can you name them all?

Go to www.premierplayers.com to see the complete list

of names, pictures and stats. Then vote for who you think

is the best player.

The award will be presented to the athlete fans voted

as the best player in NCAA college football. Fans have until

December 10th to cast their initial votes for deciding the

five finalists. The five athletes with the most votes will be

announced Dec. 12th and invited to The Premier Player of

College Football charitable awards dinner.

Simultaneous, another poll begins with just those five

players on the ballot that remains open until a week

before the awards dinner. The recipient of the trophy will

be revealed at the charitable dinner set for 6 p.m. on

January 13, 2012, at the Embassy Suites Tampa -University

of South Florida.

Make Sure You Vote at

www.premierplayers.com

PREMIER PLAYERS 16

The most powerful and the most expensive Lamborghini ever built at $1,600.000. It takes 3.3 seconds to reach 60 mph and it has a top speed of 211 mph. Its rarity (limited to 20) and slick design are the reasons why it is so expensive and costly to own.

The most powerful and the most expensive Lamborghini ever built at $1,600.000. It takes 3.3 seconds to reach 60 mph and it has a top speed of 211 mph. Its rarity (limited to 20) and slick design are the reasons why it is so expensive and costly to own.

By: Barry Brudny

A power forward dashes through

the lane and delivers a two handed

slam. The crowd goes wild and the

energy is palpable in the arena. All

eyes are on the man who just

electrified the arena. However, few

are on the point guard that executed

the perfect bounce pass through two

defenders to enable the play to

happen. Such is the life of a point

guard, boosting his teammates instead

of himself.

Sports analysts, players, and

coaches alike all state that basketball is

a team game. That team play,

however, almost always seems to start

through its point guard. He gets the

gears in motion; he gets the play

running. It’s ironic that the player who

most often empowers his team to

succeed is usually given the least

acclaim. With the exception of Derrick

Rose, who controls games and scores

often because of his superior speed

and unprecedented athleticism, most

successful point guards pass first and

shoot second, giving their teammates

opportunities while they are just the

supporters. This is what makes Steve

Nash such an amazing point guard, he

commands the game enough to

become a star while supporting.

Nash is a Canadian, first round draft

pick by the Phoenix Suns out of Santa

Clara University and has long exceled in

his passing and dribbling abilities. Two

years after being drafted, the 15th

overall pick was traded to Dallas to

play with Dirk Nowitzki and Michael

Finley. While many thought the power

trio would win a championship, they

consistently fell short of expectations.

The playoff losses prompted owner

Mark Cuban to trade Steve Nash back

to the Suns in 2004.

Expectations were very low for

the Suns, having won just 29 games the

season before Nash was traded.

However, with Nash and the drafting of

soon-to-be star Amare Stoudemire, the

Suns won an NBA-best 62 games. Nash

had found his perfect offense, where

the offense was very fast-paced and he

could be the floor general that

everyone envisioned he could be. He

led the league in assists and still

managed to shoot over 50% from the

field. He displayed how a point guard

can be the supporter but still a star. He

ran the helm of the most potent

offense the league had seen in over a

decade, dishing dimes to every

teammate and yet still getting as much

acclaim as them if not more. The NBA

voters realized this and voted him to

be only the third point guard in NBA

history to win the MVP award.

True to his nature as a point

guard, Nash plays a supporting role off

the court as well. He is the head of the

Steve Nash Foundation, which he and

his family established in 2001. The

foundation, which gained US charitable

status in 2004 and Canadian charitable

status in 2007, has two headquarters;

one is in Phoenix and the other in

Nash’s hometown of Victoria, British

Columbia. The foundation was created

to support the children of Canada, the

US, Paraguay, and Uganda through

methods like funding nonprofits,

investigating new scientific research to

aid in the recovery from child abuse,

and giving teacher training on child

sexual abuse.

Outside of Canada and the US,

Nash has taken a particular interest in

helping the children in Paraguay and

Uganda to overcome their struggles. In

Paraguay, his foundation is taking more

of a support role by donating to

improve the cardiac care for children,

institute more clinics for children to be

examined in, and provide safe

environments to better advance the

health and education of children in the

region.

In Uganda, his foundation is taking

more of a recovery role. Though in

early development, the Support Hope

Foundation aims to “create

opportunities for reconciliation in war-

affected communities in Uganda.”

Through his multinational

foundation, Steve Nash has impacted

the lives of countless children and has

brought about a significant amount of

positive change in just the decade his

foundation has existed. He is always

giving. Whether, it’s a basketball on a

fast break or charity funds to a

Paraguayan school, Nash is always

there for the assist.

Photo: Steve Nash and Mattie MacEwan,

a liver transplant recipient, at Nash’s

charity soccer match in Vancouver, BC.

Steve Nash Is Always There For The Assist Community

PREMIER PLAYERS 20

PREMIER PLAYERS 23

The initial candidates for the 2012 Premier Player of College

Hockey Trophy have been announced and voting is up and

running on the Premier Players website. A total of 15

players have been announced so far, and five additional

players will be added on the ballot in January. The five

candidates with the most votes will be invited to The 2012

Premier Player of College Hockey charitable awards dinner

where we will announce the overall winner, so be sure to go

to the website and place your vote.

Here is a sneak peak of some of the front runners for the

award:

Jaden Schwartz – W - Colorado College

Schwartz will be looking to build on a freshman year that

saw him total 47 points despite only playing in 30 of his

team’s games. What really excites the coaching staff at

Colorado College is that Schwartz ended his season with 14

points in his team’s last six games. IF, he can pick up that

kind of form starting out his sophomore season then the sky

is the limit for this wing forward as he embarks on what

could be his last college campaign.

Justin Schultz – D – Wisconsin

Schultz is everything that an elite college hockey

defensemen should be and a lot more. He quarterbacks the

power play unit, kills penalties, shuts down offenses single

handedly, and is a vocal leader both on and off the ice. Not

only does Schultz prevent the opposition from scoring, he

can also find the way to the net himself. As the leading

scoring defensemen in the nation as a sophomore last year

(18 goals, 29 assists), Schultz is especially effective on the

power play where he scored half of his goals. Coming back

to Wisconsin for one more year shows the commitment level

of a guy who was a sure fire NHL pick.

Aaron Dell – G – North Dakota

Dell logged over 2300 minutes for the Fighting Sioux last

year, despite coming into the season as the second

goaltender on the depth chart. This year, there is no such

controversy over the starting position and it would seem to

be reasonable to expect that Dell at least repeat last year’s

outstanding campaign. Dell’s excellent vision and reaction

time allow him to post a 1.79 goals against average in 2010-

11, which was the best in the country. His save percentage

of .924 also placed him in the top 10 in that category. If he

can improve on his six shutouts from a year ago, then Dell

will be a force to be reckoned with between the pipes all

year long.

Jack Connolly – C – UM-Duluth

All eyes in Duluth will be on Connolly in the 2011-12

campaign as he tries to adjust to life with a new role, and

perhaps just as importantly, without old friends. For the last

two seasons Connolly has found himself on a line with Mike

Connolly and Justin Fontaine and he reaped the rewards,

scoring 108 points in just 82 games as part of that unit. With

his namesake and Fontaine gone, Jack Connolly must find a

way to inspire his team in a new way as their captain.

Connolly is going to be a point scoring threat all season long,

and depending on how he adapts to new line mates, he

could be a legitimate contender for the Premier Players

Trophy.

T.J. Tynan – C – Notre Dame

T.J. Tynan had a stellar freshman campaign a year ago which

saw him pick up 23 goals and 54 total points in his first 44

college games. Tynan is just the right mix of flash and

control, and if he can avoid the dreaded sophomore slump,

he has the potential to be right up amongst the scoring

leaders at the end of the 2011-12 season. Ironically, one of

his challengers for the scoring crown could well be fellow

Notre Dame sophomore Anders Lee. Both Tynan and Lee

score in bunches, and both push each other every day to get

better on the ice. The result could be a special season, both

individually and as part of a dynamic and exciting Fighting

Irish squad.

To learn more, visit www.premierplayers.com for a complete

list of candidates for The 2012 Premier Player of College

Hockey trophy.

The 2011 Premier Player of College Hockey

Fans Follow Top Players

By Steve Wright

Koenigsegg Agera R

The Agera R can burn 0-60 in 2.8 seconds, reaching a maximum speed of 260 mph. It has the

parts to reach 270 mph, but the supercar is electronically capped at 235 mph. With the

completion of certain paperwork, the company will unlock the speed limit for one occasion.

Priced at $1,600.000.

Five Variations of Push-Ups To Test Strength And

BUILD MUSCLE

By Jason Spray Middle Tennessee State

Want to build muscle? It’s easy—perform Push-Ups. Below, I describe five variations that will challenge your strength and build muscle.

Prior to performing any of these exercises, I recommend mastering isometric core exercises like Planks and Ab Wheel Rollouts. This way, you’ll have a strong core foundation to build on for the Push-Up variations. 1. Push-Up Ladder This is not only a chest and triceps killer, it has a great shoulder and core stability component as well. It can be used as a bodyweight exercise for younger athletes or loaded with a 100-pound weight vest for an NFL linebacker.

How To Perform: Start on the right side of the ladder with your left hand inside the last rung and your right hand outside the ladder. Perform a Push-Up. Place your right hand in the same rung as your left hand, and move your left hand to the next rung. Perform a Push-Up. Continue this pattern to the end of the ladder. Always move your trailing hand first. Perform two to four complete ladder cycles.

2. Slideboard Push-Up

This is an advanced exercise. It requires tremendous core stability and strength.

How To Perform: Start in top Push-Up position, with your right hand on a slideboard. Descend into a bottom Push-Up position while extending your slideboard hand forward. Coming up, push up with your left hand while

pulling with your slideboard hand until you return to the top Push-Up position. Nice bonus: the pulling motion activates the lats. The key is to maintain Plank position [with a flat back] through the entire movement which you will perform on both sides.

3. Chain Push-Up This might be my favorite of the five variations of Push-ups. Since it requires teamwork, it’s great for group morale. To make it more challenging, perform the Push-Ups using 20-pound dumbbells as grips (I prefer 20s because they’re sturdy but not too bulky). The dumbbells add an extra proprioceptive component. Because the chains have to be removed after use, they can slow down your workout.

How To Perform: Have a spotter load chains on your

back while you are on all fours. Chains should be loaded in criss-cross fashion. Rep until you feel fatigue, then yell “pull!” Each time you yell “pull,” the spotter removes a chain. Younger or weaker athletes should use four chains. Stronger and more mature athletes can use six.

PREMIER PLAYERS 26

4. Isometric Countdown Push-Up This may be the hardest of all—not only from a strength standpoint, but from a time-under-tension standpoint. This makes it a true mass builder!

How To Perform: The set-up requires three boxes, one for each hand and one for both feet. You must be elevated so your chest won’t touch the floor at the bottom of the exercise.

Descend to the bottom Push-Up position, dropping your chest between the two hand boxes. Hold for a five-second count. Perform five Push-Ups and return back to bottom position. Hold the bottom position for a four-count and perform four Push-Ups. Count down to one.

5. Octagon Push-Up This is a cool variation, especially for defensive linemen. It requires superior shoulder and core strength.

How To Perform: To set up, place cones at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock positions. Begin in a Push-Up position with your head at 12 o’clock. Perform a Push-Up, quickly rotate to 3 o’clock and perform another Push-Up. Keep rotating clockwise, then counterclockwise, performing Push-Ups at each stop as quickly as possible. End at 12 o’clock.

A strength and conditioning coach at the collegiate level since 2002, Jason Spray is currently the director of strength and conditioning for men’s basketball and assistant director for football at Middle Tennessee State University, where he also aids in day-to-day physical and nutritional development. Spray earned his bachelor and master’s degrees from Middle Tennessee and is CSCS, SCCC, USAW, NSCA, NASE, FMS and CSCCa certified. He is also a USA Weightlifting Club coach and a certified physical therapy aide. Spray has trained athletes ranging from high school to the professional and Olympic levels. He has been featured in Premier Players Magazine and is the head sports performance adviser for RSP Nutrition.

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9

6

3

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Michigan State defensive tackle Jerel Worthy listens to instructions at football practice. On his left arm is a tattoo of a Spartan slaying a Wolverine. The Michigan vs. Michigan State game is always one of the most highly anticipated football games of the season. According to Campus Den, the rivalry attracts more fans than any other rivalry in college football, except the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry. And no team, not even the OSU Buckeyes, have upset the Wolverines more often than the Spartans have. The 28-14 upset Saturday marked the four consecutive win for Michigan State over Michigan.

Player’s Ink

PREMIER PLAYERS 43