THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 13, 1994 TAG: 9410130617
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 58 lines
The quickest route from the CIAA to the NFL?
Through the air.
Of the eight CIAA alumni we found on NFL rosters, four make a living catching the ball, while two others defend the pass. The remaining two are lineman, one on each side of the ball.
The 1994 Pro Football Weekly Almanac listed 21 former CIAA players on preseason rosters. Eight remain on NFL rosters for this weekend's games, however, and only three are starters.
None are household names.
For years, the CIAA's best-known alum was wide receiver Reggie Langhorne, from Elizabeth City State. Langhorne, a native of Smithfield, led the AFC in receiving last year, with 85 catches for the Indianapolis Colts. But the Colts cut a bunch of high-priced veterans in the off-season, Langhorne among them. Rather than take a pay cut to play somewhere else, Langhorne retired.
With Langhorne gone, the top CIAA alumnus in the league is probably New England's Ben Coates, from tiny Livingstone College. Coates, a tight end, has picked up where Langhorne left off: He leads the AFC in receptions, with 44.
Break it down by school, and Winston-Salem State is the top producer of NFL talent, with three players. Hampton has two, while Livingstone, Elizabeth City State and North Carolina Central have one each.
Any way you look at it, it's obvious: the odds of making it from the Division II CIAA to the NFL are extraordinarily long.
Here's a look at the others who beat the odds:
Johnnie Barnes, San Diego (Hampton): Seldom-used receiver now in his third year. Has caught one pass for six yards. Suffolk native who was an All-American at Hampton. Also former NCAA Division II champion in the 400 meters.
Donald Evans, N.Y. Jets (Winston-Salem State): Came over from Steelers, where he was a starter at defensive end. Pass-rush specialist.
Donald Frank, L.A. Raiders (Winston-Salem State): Strictly a special teams player. Five-year veteran, was an All-CIAA pick in 1989.
Robert Massey, Detroit (N.C. Central): Starting cornerback. Has 29 tackles, 24 solo, and one interception.
Everett McIver, N.Y. Jets (Elizabeth City State): Massive (6-6, 315) offensive tackle, used as a reserve.
Yancey Thigpen, Pittsburgh (Winston-Salem State): Improving receiver who doesn't start, but plays a lot. Has 10 catches for 151 yards and one touchdown. Caught just nine passes last year, but three went for touchdowns. Former fourth-round pick of San Diego signed with Steelers as a free agent in 1992.
Terrance Warren, Seattle (Hampton): A high school and college teammate of Johnnie Barnes. Like Barnes, he's a seldom-used wide receiver. Has no receptions, but has returned four kickoffs for 88 yards and made four tackles on special teams. by CNB