Nationally-ranked JC Smith is now 7-0, but the Charlotte HBCU is just getting started
Johnson C. Smith football is making strides, but the undefeated team still isn’t where it wants to be.
Quarterback Darius Ocean, wide receiver Brevin Caldwell and linebacker Benari Black weren’t cracking too many smiles during the nationally-ranked Golden Bulls’ recent news conference. J.C. Smith had improved to 7-0, taking down an in-state rival during its annual homecoming weekend, but the players continue to have even bigger goals on their minds.
Now ranked No. 19 in the AFCA Division II coaches’ poll, the Golden Bulls have been one of the best historically Black college football programs in the country this year. They maintain their lead in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association standings, which includes a strong Virginia Union squad that has won its past four games since falling to J.C. Smith in Charlotte last month.
This Saturday the Golden Bulls will play at Winston-Salem State (6-2.)
“When we say, ‘change the program around,’ that’s gonna take years of consistent winning,” head coach Maurice Flowers said. “First year was really our foundational year, second year we go 7-3 and go to a bowl game — and then this year, to be 7-0 and ranked in the Top 25 and first in the CIAA, it feels great.
“But look at these guys. Look at their faces. They’re disappointed in their performance. We’ll take the win. But these guys, we have set the goals high for us this year. We have to get back to work and keep building. It’s gonna take a few years of some high-caliber records before we say we turned it all the way around.”
‘When our GPA goes up, the wins will go up’
Having athletes performing well in the classroom is of particular importance to Flowers.
Flowers, who starred at J.C. Smith in the 1990s and has previously coached several local high schools, has always associated wins with the team’s average grade point average. He’s noticed that most recent NCAA champions not only have an average GPA above 3.0, but most of the players’ GPAs end up being north of that mark as well.
One of Flowers’ major goals entering this job in 2022 was to ameliorate the team’s average GPA, and the Golden Bulls have been seeing improvement every semester.
“Very proud to say that after the spring semester of ‘24, our GPA was a 2.9, and after the summer, we now have 137 young men, and our total GPA is 3.07,” Flowers explained. “We’re almost at a 3.1 GPA for 137 guys in the program. What we said from the beginning when we took over was when our GPA goes up, the wins will go up.
“There it is. It’s all related. These are some smart young men. They’re going to graduate, and they help lead us. Our culture, our core values have not changed from day one. We just put emphasis on academics, and if you’re serious about academics, you’re going to be serious about everything else.
“But that’s the direct correlation: Higher grades, better performance on the field, the wins will go up.”
‘The job’s not finished’
Three years ago, Caldwell was pondering his college decision.
While Caldwell told his father that he would “never go” to the school just west of uptown in Charlotte, it was because the star wide receiver who starred at Ardrey Kell understood what the expectations would be at a program like J.C. Smith.
He could sense the vision that Flowers had for this university and its football team, but he knew their expectations would be low.
And as Caldwell — the team’s leading receiver — spoke about the Golden Bulls’ historic start he, like his teammates, wasn’t showing much emotion. Especially after Saturday’s 21-14 victory that was close late.
“(Flowers) had a plan and set the foundation,” Caldwell said. “I feel like that plan is starting to turn over, and we’re starting to see a little bit of progress. But we’re not satisfied, especially after (Saturday’s) score. Definitely could have done it way better.
“The expectations are just really high. It’s kind of funny to say that, because three years ago, they weren’t that high. The fact that we’ve pushed the expectations down the field that far only speaks toward what we’re going for. It feels good, but I’m not saying we’re satisfied. The job’s not finished.”
