Local players mark the Tuskegee and Morehouse rosters

When Tuskegee and Morehouse square off at 2 p.m. Saturday at A.J. McClung Memorial Stadium, both the golden and maroon versions of Tigers will bring a roster with a local flavor.

Led by head coach Rich Freeman, Morehouse brings freshman offensive lineman Michael Whitehead to Saturday’s game, a graduate from Jordan High School last year.

“The city of Columbus is always welcome, and it’s exciting to get in the face of these prospects,” Freeman said Wednesday at the press conference to kick off the event, flanked by area high school seniors looking to compete at the next level.

With their campus less than an hour from Columbus, Tuskegee boasts four players with local roots and an assistant coach as well.

The Spencer High pipeline west to Tuskegee is alive and well, facilitated by Greenwave head coach and Golden Tiger graduate Pierre Coffey. Two freshmen are on the current Tuskegee roster from Spencer’s first playoff team in over two decades last year: Dashae Hubbard, who was first-team All Bi-City last year with 65 tackles and 12 interceptions, and Daymeonta White, who also played wide receiver for the Greenwave but was converted to a full-time defensive back at Tuskegee. White was named Spencer’s defensive MVP and was second team all-state, scoring a total of 21 touchdowns and picking up 15 interceptions during his time at Spencer.

Two other Golden Tigers hail from the valley area on the Alabama side of the river.

Redshirt senior and Valley High graduate Desmond Reece was named to the All-SIAC First Team in the preseason prior to starting his redshirt senior year at Tuskegee. He was named the Rams’ team captain and MVP during his time at Valley, scoring a total of 31 touchdowns and over 1,800 receiving yards in his prep career.

Running back Jocobi Smith also joined the Golden Tigers this season for his freshman year. He played last season for new head coach Adam Winegarden at Auburn High and was named to the second team All-Area, logging 26 touchdowns and 1,350 yards in his pro career – 931 of those yards and 11 scores in his senior season alone. He holds the Tigers’ record for touchdowns in a single game.

Rounding out the members of the Golden Tigers with local roots, Tuskegee alum and Central High graduate Ramone Nickerson coaches the Golden Tigers’ defensive backs. He played for the Red Devils from 1998 to 2001 and was named to the Ledger-Enquirer’s All Bi-City First team his senior season. After his playing career at Tuskegee, he returned home and played football on the indoor field, helping the Columbus Lions to a championship in 2010.

Both Tuskegee and Morehouse look to put on a show Saturday in front of what promises to be a strong contingent of prospects from around the area who will be in attendance at the game. During Wednesday’s press conference, every Muscogee County School District public school was represented, and other area schools in both Georgia and Alabama were represented by senior players and coaches.

This story was originally published October 7, 2016 at 8:16 PM with the headline "Local players mark the Tuskegee and Morehouse rosters."