SPRING PRACTICE RAPIDLY APPROACHING FOR HAMPTON UNIVERSITY PIRATES source: meacsports.com March 21, 2003 Hampton, VA - After finishing the 2002 campaign with an overall mark of 7-5 and in a three-way tie for second place in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) with a mark of 5-3, Hampton University head football coach Joe Taylor and the Pirates are preparing for what is sure to be another exciting season for HU fans. The Pirates kickoff the regular season August 28 when they travel to Villanova, with the adopted theme of "Let Justice Prevail." Hampton will begin to lay the foundation for next season's squad when the Pirates open spring drills on March 24. With the departure of four First Team All-MEAC members, including Hampton's all-time leading receiver Zuriel Smith and Offensive Lineman of the Year-Erik Steiner, the Pirates will have several key positions to fill on both sides of the ball. However, seeing how much the team has advanced since the end of last season is the focus of the coaching staff. "Spring practice gives us the opportunity to find our starters going into next season," added Taylor, who has compiled a mark of 93-35-1 in 11 seasons at Hampton. "With the outstanding off-season that we've had as far as our conditioning and our weight training, the important thing is to see how much we have improved, mentally and physically." Taylor also has two new additions to his defensive staff and the 15 practices that the Pirates are allowed will be key to adjusting to a more aggressive 4-3 scheme. Taking over as the Pirates' defensive coordinator and defensive line coach is Karl Morgan a 1984 graduate of the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). Timothy Edwards will be in charge of coaching the Pirate linebackers. Hampton will have three scheduled scrimmages during the course of the spring season with the annual Blue/White Spring Game taking place on April 5 at 5 p.m. in Armstrong Stadium. That will also be the day that Coach Taylor and his staff host the 2003 Hampton University Football Coaches Clinic. The Pirate coaching staff will give a variety of workshops throughout the day, as will NFL Hall of Famer, Larry Little. For additional information on the Coaches clinic contact the Hampton University Football Office at (757) 727-5322.

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