Fat Guy TD Leads To Fat Guy Celebration... And Then Some...

((HT: Mercer Bears))

Never let it be said that Mercer Bears head coach Bobby Lamb peeks in the back of the playbook...

It was Fan Appreciation Day in their rout of Warner yesterday and there was a very large eligible receiver that got a TD and took the Fat Guy Celebration next level...

Evidence below...


The HQ is indeed impressed with Thomas Marchman's cartwheeling abilities...

Now We Know Why This Earned A Helmet Sticker, An Incredible Pick 6

((HT: Andy Stabell/Mercer Football))

The only thing the HQ can say is:

This is how you make national television... a double-deflection, running 100 yards east-west-north-south, and slipping a handful of tackles before getting into the endzone for a pick-6 of 35 yards (officially)...

Alex Avant gets the credit for all that as he gave Mercer a defensive touchdown in their 31-17 Pioneer League debut win over Drake at Henderson Field in Macon in front of 8,000 Bears fans...


Avant's pick was good for a 17-0 lead in the second quarter at the time...

"Well we did a corner blitz and the quarterback checked the pass because he saw me blitzing so I knew I had to jump right once he threw it," said Avant following the game. "So I jumped up, tipped it, it bounced off another linebacker and then the ball fell in my hands and I just tried to score. I caught it and then I went left and then remembered I was probably about to just go out of bounds and I was like I might as well go ahead and try to score. I guess somehow I ended up in the end zone."

Avant is part of a defense that ranks Number 1 in the country FCS total defense, allowing just 241.5 yards per game. The Bears are also Number 6 in the nation in rushing defense and Number 8 in first down defense.

Here's Head Coach Bobby Lamb postgame...

First-Timers On The Field: Mercer, Berry, and Reinhardt...

The HQ has always been one of those places where we like to hidden gems, stories that are cool, just off the trail, and a champion for those places that have their niches...

Is it "Nitch" or "Neesh," we digress...

And having been in the circles of a few places over the past few weeks, it's fun to see new shiny things as the HQ hopes the novelty doesn't quite wear off when the newness does...

First stop was Mercer University in Macon- the first time that football would be on campus in 70-plus years. They played Reinhardt University. Mercer is a developing Division I program coached by Bobby Lamb that is in the Pioneer League this year as they move forward into Division I-AA next year. Reinhardt is working their way in the NAIA ranks in the Mid-South Conference in football and the AAC in every other sport.

The Eagles brought in long time Georgia high school head coach Danny Cronic who went to Reinhardt when it was a junior college. He has a roster that is full of Georgia kids (only 6 are not from the state) in their roster of 130 athletes. The first game for both was a 40-37 shootout in front of a crowd of just under 13,000.

Here's their recap, thanks to FOSG Andy Stabell...
((HT: Mercer Bears))


Reinhardt moved on from there to have their home opener against Lindsay Wilson in Waleska.


So, if you look at Berry College, Reinhardt, and Mercer...

You see three schools in varying degrees of business (which is what athletics are these days) and hoping they all move their audiences to being around on a consistent basis.

They'll all be royal pains to their more experienced squads they have on their schedules this season- and all the coaching staffs are solid and know what will put people in the seats...

Home grown talent... something the HQ notices is lacking in their larger brotherhood...

Sometimes, it's guys like Lamb, Cronic, and Kunczewski that could teach Division I power conferences a thing a two about building their fan bases...

And that's the cool part- in addition to being entertaining...
See you on the field...