Behind the Beak

Greg Seitz is entering his fifth full season as Jacksonville State's athletics director since being named to the position full-time in February 2016. The coronavirus pandemic has already radically affected the fall 2020 competition schedule, and a lot of tough decisions have fallen on the AD. From last minute football scheduling to adhering to COVID-19 protocol, Seitz has guided the Jax State sports programs through nearly six months of uncertainty. Seitz joins Tyler Brown to update fans on the state of JSU Athletics and to provide information on the upcoming season.

Ashley Cockrell – Ashley Martin when she wore the No. 89 football jersey for Jacksonville State – made history on August 30, 2001 when she booted a first-quarter extra point against Cumberland University. The kick made her the first female ever to score in an NCAA football game and the first to play in a Division I contest. A two-sport athlete who initially came to Jacksonville to play soccer, she became a media sensation following her 3-for-3 night at Burgess-Snow Field. From Regis & Kelly and Good Morning America to being featured in USA Today, ESPN The Magazine, People Magazine and numerous other publications, Ashley was everywhere. This year marks 19 seasons since Cockrell etched her name into the college football annals.

Earl Warren currently serves as Jacksonville State's Director of Development, but he made his name as a student-athlete on the men's basketball team in the mid 80's. The Oneonta, Ala., native played four seasons, tallying 1,156 points, 461 assists and 226 steals to become the 12th Gamecock to score 1,000 points in a career. His time on the court was highlighted by the 1985 NCAA Division II National Championship, in which a pair of free throws from the senior secured the title. He was inducted into the JSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2015.

Between regular season and tournament crowns, Taylor West contributed to six Ohio Valley Conference titles as a member of the JSU softball team. A nursing major while at Jax State, West was the recipient of the 2017 Eagle Owl Award for her performance on the field, in the classroom and in her community over her four-year career. Since graduating in 2018, Taylor has worked as a nurse in the Chattanooga area, but recently took an offer to move to New York and work with COVID-19 patients. Back in the Tennessee valley, West shares about her recent opportunity and the turn her profession has taken since March.

Ray Hammett spent 26 seasons as a color analyst for Jacksonville State football. With 19 seasons under his belt as Mike Parris’ right-hand man on the Gamecock Radio Network, with an additional seven season on television, Hammett announced his retirement from the air in July. A former Gamecock himself, Ray graduated from JSU in 1977 and spent four seasons on the gridiron.

Riley Green spent 2007 through 2009 wearing a JSU football uniform, but the former Gamecock is now an up-and-coming country star who had his first No. 1 with the single "There Was This Girl" last summer. With tours canceled due to COVID-19 beginning in March, the former JSU quarterback has spent his time at home in Jacksonville working on new material. In this week's episode, Riley shares how growing up in Jacksonville helped make him a successful song writer, why Jacksonville State is a special place to him and what's next for his young career when things return to normal.

Dr. Don C. Killingsworth, Jr. was named the 13th president of Jacksonville State University on June 23, 2020. A two-time graduate of JSU, President Killingsworth received his bachelor's degree in geography in 1999 and a master's degree in counseling in 2001. He earned his doctorate in higher administration from the University of Alabama in 2016. Taking the helm at a trying time, President Killingsworth is currently guiding the University through the COVID-19 pandemic and is working to put students first as he looks to move JSU forward.

Donovan Hand lettered three years for the Gamecocks, leading head coach Jim Case’s pitching staff in wins all three seasons he wore a Jacksonville State uniform. After earning the top spot in the JSU Division I record book for career wins and innings pitched, the right-hander was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 14th round of the 2007 MLB Draft. Hand went on to play 11 seasons at the professional level, breaking into the bigs in 2013 with the Brewers. He also pitched for the Cincinnati Reds in 2015 before retiring from the New York Mets farm system in 2017.

Malcolm Drumwright lettered for Jacksonville State from 2014 to 2018 and is a member of the program's 1,000-Point Club. He is JSU's second-leading Division I scorer with 1,429 points and finished his career as the program's DI leader in field goal attempts, games played, games started and minutes played. He was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2017 Ohio Valley Conference Basketball Championships where he led the Gamecocks to their first Division I title and appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Tyler Brown and Drumwright revisit JSU's OVC Tournament semifinal win over No. 1 seed Belmont in what is possibly the biggest game in Jacksonville State's Division I history.

Maxwell Thurmond became a Gamecock in 1996 when we arrived on campus as a cornerback on the football team. After the 2000 season, he became a coach and spent an additional 12 season on the JSU sidelines. His career has seen him make stops at Reinhardt, West Alabama, Austin Peay, Central Arkansas and Charlotte, but the Jax State alum has returned home to coach John Grass’ outside linebackers and special teams unit.