Sports Briefs for January 27, 2009

Published On: 01/27/2009

One of SEC’s top punters leaves Auburn
AUBURN — Auburn’s Clinton Durst was one of the best punters in the Southeastern Conference in 2008, but now he’s leaving the team after being denied a scholarship by the new coaching staff.

Durst said Thursday he was promised a scholarship by former coach Tommy Tuberville’s staff, but those plans changed after Gene Chizik was hired. Chizik said Durst might earn a scholarship in the summer.

While Durst said he respected the new coaches’ decision, he felt he deserved a scholarship after his performance last year. The walk-on was third in the Southeastern Conference and 26th nationally in punting, averaging more than 42 yards a kick.

Durst is from Destin, Fla. He said he will remain at Auburn as a student but has to work so he can afford classes.
 

Giants receiver shot in hand, leg in Alabama
DECATUR — New York Giants receiver Taye Biddle is recovering from gunshot wounds to his hand and leg after being shot while visiting family in his hometown.

Decatur police said in a statement last Thursday that Biddle was shot outside a residence and was treated and released from a hospital. Police said there was no evidence Biddle caused or provoked the shooting.

“He had surgery on his hand today,” Biddle’s friend, Bruce Jones, told The Decatur Daily on Thursday. “He told me his leg is OK, and he ought to be fine.”

Police have not made any arrests in the case.

Biddle was promoted from the Giants’ practice squad after receiver Plaxico Burress was suspended for a game in September.

Burress was later suspended for the season after accidentally shooting himself in the leg in a nightclub.

Saban hires Auburn assistant coach Willis
TUSCALOOSA — Alabama coach Nick Saban has hired James Willis, a top assistant and recruiter at cross-state rival Auburn, to be the Crimson Tide’s linebackers coach and to bolster the recruiting team.

Saban also said that he has hired Carolina Panthers defensive line coach Sal Sunseri, a college star at Pittsburgh, to join Willis in coaching linebackers.

Willis, an All-Southeastern Conference linebacker at Auburn who played seven seasons in the NFL, has been with Auburn since 2006. He will be an associate head coach at Alabama and fill the vacancy created when another Tide rival, Tennessee, hired Lance Thompson, a key Alabama recruiter and linebackers coach.

“We tried to go out and hire the best possible coaches when this process started, and I’m confident we’ve done that,” Saban said in a statement Wednesday. “James has everything you would want in terms of finding an outstanding coach and an outstanding recruiter.”

Willis, a Huntsville native, said Saban is “one of the best defensive coaches in the game, and this is a chance to gain some great experience and learn from the best.

“You don’t get many chances like that in the coaching business. When you combine that opportunity with the history and tradition at Alabama, it was a decision that was best for me,” he said.

Auburn’s new head coach, Gene Chizik, retained Willis last month as his first assistant coach following Tommy Tuberville’s departure. At the time, Chizik called Willis “a tremendous coach and an outstanding recruiter.”

Sunseri, who has coached the Panthers defensive line since 2003, worked for Saban at LSU in 2000. He also once coached at Alabama A&M.

“When I was in the state coaching at Alabama A&M in Huntsville about 10 years ago, I remember thinking the only thing that could possibly be better would be to coach a few miles down the road at Alabama,” Sunseri said.

Auburn stays unbeaten with victory against ’Bama
AUBURN — Auburn took care of its biggest rival and started looking forward to its big matchup with Tennessee.

DeWanna Bonner scored 24 points to lead undefeated No. 6 Auburn past Alabama 84-66 on Thursday night.

Sherell Hobbs scored all 15 of her points in the second half and Whitney Boddie added 12 points and 12 assists for the Tigers (19-0, 4-0).

The Tigers host No. 10 Tennessee on Sunday, but didn’t get caught looking past the Tide, though Auburn was up only three at half on its last-place rival.

The Tigers are off to their best start since 1988-89 when they won their first 29 games before losing to Tennessee late in the season. Auburn went on to win the SEC and advanced to the Final Four that year.

Alli Smalley chipped in 13 points for Auburn, which beat Alabama for the 10th time in the last 11 meetings.

The Tigers never trailed, but were unable to distance themselves from the Crimson Tide until midway through the second half, when they permanently extended their lead into double digits.