Demon basketball camp rekindles relationships

Former Demon golfer Tom Brassell again brought his son, and a teammate, to the Demon Baskeball Challenge Camp for boys held in Prather Coliseum.

Brassell, who lives on the Florida coast and works for Edwin Watts Golf, avidly follows NSU sports and stays in touch with dozens of his friends from his days at NSU from 1975-79, including Notre Dame basketball coach Mike Brey and Alabama baseball coach Jim Wells.

He especially enjoyed lunch Friday with Dr. Derwood Duke, the assistant basketball coach who served as head golf coach for Brassell and his teammates. Coach Duke has recently been named superintendent of Natchitoches Parish Schools. They had a great time reliving memories and catching each other up on news.

Brassell is one of the leaders helping ensure the success of the annual Chris Roper Memorial Golf Scramble, which raises money for an NSU scholarship going to a health and human performance major. Friday night, he called one of his NSU golf teammates, David Goldstein, out in Los Angeles, encouraging him to come in for the Roper tournament next April.

Goldstein has gone from a KNWD Radio show host to a job as a page on "The Price is Right" to becoming a successful executive in the movie industry.

He said watching the Demon basketball team's 2006 NCAA Tournament win over Iowa was a very proud moment, and very fun for all of the reaction it generated. He accepted congratulations from friends in Los Angeles and the movie industry, and heard from many other NSU friends savoring the thrilling triumph.

"Goldy" was eager to hear news on classmates, faculty members and others from his days at NSU. Although golf is no longer an intercollegiate sport for the Demons, it's obvious that Demon golfers carry with them a love for their teammates, for their experience at Northwestern and still have great pride in the Demons and Lady Demons.

In fact, Brassell and buddies organized a push a year or so ago to vote for Joan Darbonne, a Lady Demon basketball star in their era, as the greatest Lady Demon player of all-time. They had a valid argument and Joan rightfully was among the top vote-getters.

Brassell, whose circle of friends includes legendary LSU basketball coach Dale Brown, is a big admirer of Demon basketball coach Mike McConathy. He is also excited about the potential for success with new football coach Bradley Dale Peveto. He is going to buy season tickets to show his support, although he has little chance of attending. He plans to donate them to the Demon Opportunity Fund so local youths can enjoy NSU football.

Brassell does high school football broadcasts on Friday nights, so he follows the Demons online during footballs season. Hopefully a future game at South Alabama might be within his reach from his Fort Walton Beach-area home.

Brian Lawrence back near the big leagues

The Demon baseball legend, the 1998 Southland Conference pitcher of the year and 5-year major league veteran, is on the brink of completing an amazing comeback and making it back to where he started in the bigs - San Diego.

Proud NSU sport administration master's degree holder Bill Magrath, the media relations manager for the internet publication Sports Business Daily, keeps track of all things NSU that appear in the nation's sports pages. He forwarded these two great updates:

Wednesday night, Lawrence went to 3-1 with the Beavers by throwing seven shutout innings.

http://www.oregonlive.com/pbeavers/index.ssf/2009/07/lawrence_shuts_down_rainiers_b.html

It was the latest positive step on a great comeback trail:

http://www.oregonlive.com/pbeavers/index.ssf/2009/07/beavers_veteran_pitcher_brian.html

Chief Caddo on ESPN again!

This time, it was on the ESPN College Football Live 50 States feature segment Monday afternoon. We're waiting to have the entire segment posted on ESPN.com ... but this we know:

The Chief Caddo tradition was spotlighted as one of the top five college football storylines in Louisiana college football

The announcer butchered the pronunciation of Caddo (CAY-dough, he said).

Grambling's legendary coach, Eddie Robinson, was the top story. LSU football and Tulane's unbeaten season in 1984 were also on the list.

Got a text from Lady Demon volleyball coach Brittany Uffelman, and a call from tailgating chef extraordinaire and former Athletic Association vice president David Stamey, within two minutes of each other in the 5 o'clock hour Monday, passing along word of the segment.

More when we can provide it!

A Spotlight on a Demon Family

Rob Robertson, a 1998 graduate of Northwestern State, starting fullback on the 1997 Southland Conference Co-Champion Demon Football Team, and NFL veteran with the Baltimore Ravens, was featured, along with his family, in the inaugural issue of ANASA Magazine (a publication of American Family Insurance Co.). Rob and his family currently reside in Suwanee, GA, and one quick glance at the article will let you know pretty quickly that Rob is every bit as effective with 4 on his team as he was with 11 back in his playing days.

ANASA Vol. 1, Issue 1 Pages 57-62