Several on ODU and NSU football teams are old friends

NORFOLK

Norfolk State and Old Dominion are meeting for the first time.

Marcus Cooperwood and Reid Evans aren't.

After meeting at a high school all-star game five years ago, Norfolk State's Cooperwood, a cornerback from Bethel, and ODU's Evans, a receiver from Phoebus, met often at a small field in front of a church near Darling Stadium.

They ran routes against and have continued working out together ever since.

This year, they brought their teammates along. No. 10 ODU and No. 19 NSU, first-round opponents in the FCS playoffs, spent the summer in 7-on-7 competition, focused on improving each other and moving impromptu games between the two campuses.

"Obviously, we didn't see this happening," Cooperwood said of Saturday's game. "Me and Reid work out in the summer and do one-on-ones to fine-tune our games. We brought it up to our teams and both guys were good with it. There ain't no drama between us. It's all mutual love."

The teams gathered a handful of times to play to 50 points. Touchdowns were worth six, turnovers worth three and a defensive stop was worth one. NSU linebacker Jamal Giddens recalls they were competitive, although ODU won more often and generally had more players present, leaving the Spartans playing out of position. Giddens, for instance, played some cornerback, trying to keep up with ODU's slot receivers.

ODU has 41 players from Hampton Roads listed on its roster, while Norfolk State has 32, keeping the summer games popular.

Giddens also spent time last summer working out in the ODU weight room while NSU's was having work done. ODU defensive line coach Dealton Cotton, Giddens' coach at Maury High, let him spend some time in the Monarchs' facility.

The two sides' respect seems an odd juxtaposition, given the often inflammatory speech from fans that has dominated much of the game's build-up.

"People on the outside have a real misunderstanding of all of this," Evans said. "We respect each other. I mean, after we'd play the seven-on-seven, guys would get together and one might ask, 'Hey, what am I doing wrong?' or 'How'd I look?' At the end of the day, it's a game that you want to play well.

"Yes, you want to win. But at the end of the day when it's all said and done, we're still friends. And I don't think people get that."

NSU coach Pete Adrian hopes fans will follow the players' example.

"I really hope all our fans, and I mean ours and ODU's, treat the game with respect," Adrian said. "There's no bigger rivalry in I-AA football than Bethune-Cookman and Florida A&M. You're talking 70,000 people every year. In the 15 years I was involved, I never saw a fight.

"I want fierce competition on the field, but afterward it should be, 'Come on over to the tailgate.' We should do the thing and be like, 'Here man, come on over for some ribs.' "

With two seasons on the line, though, the players admit they aren't going to get together immediately afterward to divvy up Thanksgiving leftovers.

Giddens thinks it's inevitable that some player, trying too hard to make a play, will deliver a late hit. Cooperwood, one of NSU's more boisterous players, won't tone down his brand of trash talk. But he admits none of it will be personal.

"When people see us jaw-jackin', I don't want them to get the wrong idea that we're trying to kill each other, but it's going to be intense," Cooperwood said. "It's going to be controlled battle."

Odds are, their summer practice sessions won't play a major impact on the winner of Saturday's game. But both sides say they may have played a small role in getting them there.

"I think we helped each other get better," ODU's Thomas DeMarco said. "I know that there were players afterward who were giving each other tips about moves and coverage. If you were tipping your hand on what you were doing, one guy might tell you about it. Yeah, it was ODU vs. Norfolk State, but it was more about good athletes getting together and having some fun and trying to get better."