Football

Offense and defense square off in spring game

The offense beat the defense 45-38. The controlled scrimmage format of the game awarded the offense points for touchdowns and the defense points for forcing turnovers and making defensive stops. Fifth-year seniors Eric Ward, Matt McCracken, Seth Williams and Collin McConaghy were named captains for the 2009 team. Students and fans signed up to donate their bone marrow before the game through the National Bone Marrow Donor Program. Contact staff writer Barrett Neale at barrett.neale@richmond.edu

Video: NFL Pro Day

NFL Pro Day at UR from URCollegian on Vimeo Contact videographer Jordan Trippeer at jordan.trippeer@richmond.edu

Photo Gallery: NFL Pro Day

Several University of Richmond football players participated in field drills and worked out before of NFL scouts and position coaches Thursday at First Market Stadium.

Hightower reflects on Super Bowl and more

Last February, Arizona Cardinals' rookie running back Tim Hightower was finishing his degree at the University of Richmond. This February, he was catching passes from Kurt Warner on the world's largest sports stage. Readers probably already know that the 2008 Richmond graduate caught the touchdown pass that put the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII.

Football

Football coaching changes bring alumni back to the sideline

The national champion Richmond Spiders football team will take to the field next season with five alumni coaches following the recent appointments of Vic Shealy as defensive coordinator and Stacy Tutt as assistant coach. Shealy, a 1984 graduate, and Tutt, a 2006 graduate, join head coach Mike London, assistant head coach Jeff Hanson and assistant coach Scott Burton as former Spiders on the staff.

Video: Football Championship Celebration in the Dining Hall

Video of the on-campus celebration for the Football team in the Dining Hall on Jan. 17. Contact reporter Jordan Trippeer at jordan.trippeer@richmond.edu

Stacy Tutt, former Spider QB and NFL player, returns as assistant coach

The University of Richmond's football coaching staff has added two new members to its ranks. Stacy Tutt, a former Spiders quarterback who spent two years in the NFL as a fullback for the New York Jets, will join the staff as an assistant coach, and Chris Stewart, who has worked at the University of Tennessee for the past 11 years, will serve as director of strength and conditioning, according to an athletics department statement released Tuesday. Tutt, who garnered 3,047 yards of total offense during his senior season in 2005, joins three other Richmond alumni on the football coaching staff -- head coach Mike London, class of 1983; assistant head coach Jeff Hanson, class of 1972; and assistant coach Scott Burton, class of 1995. London said Tutt's playing experience and close ties to Richmond would be vital to the program, especially because Tutt played with some of the team's current members. "He's talking about it from experience as opposed to somebody talking about it when they learned it from somebody else," London said, "but it's also the off-the-field contributions he'll be able to make.

London, Sidbury making Richmond football history

The national championship wasn't the only first for the 2008 University of Richmond football team. In addition to the football team winning its first NCAA Football Championship Subdivision National Championship in 2008, two members of the team achieved firsts for the school. Head Coach Mike London was voted the American Football Coaches Association's FCS Coach of the Year, and senior defensive end Lawrence Sidbury Jr.

Celebrations in city, on campus continue for football team

You know you've done something right when someone names a day after you. That's just one of the ways the city and University of Richmond are honoring the 2008 Football Championship Subdivision National Champions now that they're back on campus.

Healy headed to Chattanooga with former D-coordinator

Former senior football captain Will Healy will be named Friday as either the tight end or running back coach at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, he confirmed in an e-mail to The Collegian. He is following former University of Richmond defensive coordinator Russ Huesman, who accepted the head coaching position at Chattanooga -- his alma mater -- just days after Richmond won its first NCAA national championship there by beating the University of Montana 24-7 on Dec.

Defensive coordinator leaving Richmond to coach Chattanooga

University of Richmond defensive coordinator Russ Huesman has accepted the head coaching position for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, just three days after his defense held Montana to 39 yards rushing in the team's 24-7 national championship win. Huesman, a 1983 graduate of Chattanooga, was announced as coach during a Monday press conference at the same stadium where 48 hours earlier, he had helped Richmond win its first NCAA national championship in any sport in school history. "This is my dream job," Huesman said.

Photo Gallery: Post-game Celebration

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- After it became clear the University of Richmond would win its first national championship over the Montana Grizzlies 24-7, players doused coach Mike London in water, then charged the field to congratulate Montana and begin celebrating. Students, parents, alumni and other fans dropped from the stands at Finley Stadium, rushing the field to celebrate with the championship Spiders.

Photo Gallery: Richmond Fans

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- University of Richmond fans traveled from near and far to witness their team win its first National Championship, while others watched from places as diverse as New York City, Washington, D.C., Ecuador and Singapore.

Confessions of a crazed sports editor

BALTIMORE -- Forgive me readers, for I have lost my mind. It has been 31 days since my last column.

Photo Gallery: Richmond vs. Montana in the FCS title game

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- The Spider football team decisively beat the University of Montana Grizzlies 24-7 Friday night at Finley Stadium to give the University of Richmond its first national title in any sport in the school's 178-year history. [slideshow=19,650,433] All photos by Dan Petty and Bob Quaintance.

Crone's only career pass made Ward TD receiver

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- John Crone, the University of Richmond's senior fullback, had an announcement to make. "I just want y'all to know we just won the national championship," Crone said when he entered Richmond's post-game press conference.

Richmond fans celebrate Spider victory in Chattanooga

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- Two hours before kick-off of the National Championship game Friday, Dec. 19, University of Richmond football fans lined Finley Stadium's entryway for the last Spider Walk of the season.

Spiders in the Big Apple

NEW YORK -- Friday night I stood beside more than 30 Richmond alumni to watch our football team make school history.

Football wins first national championship in school history

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- The University of Richmond football team hadn't been No. 1 in almost three months. The Spiders' second loss of the season, to Villanova University on Sept.