Former Saints tight end Tice joins Wood’s staff at FAMU

John Tice

By St. Clair Murraine
Outlook staff writer

John Tice’s love for football wasn’t strong enough for him to forego a commitment to making sure that his twin sons’ life wasn’t uprooted.

 
Just to make sure that he won’t have to move his family one more time, he took a job at a building material store in New York. The decision allowed his boys to finish high school in a city they’d become accustomed to.

 
Then, he got a phone call last year from Alex Wood, a friend he’d made through football. At the end of the conversation, Tice decided that he’d move to Tallahassee to become an assistant coach under Wood, who is in his third season as head coach at FAMU.

 
Wood recently introduced Tice, a former tight end for the New Orleans Saints, at a recent 220 Quarterback Club luncheon. Tice will coach the Rattlers’ tight ends, replacing Alex Dennison.

 
Wood also announced that Mateo Camboui and Todd Middleton Jr. will work as graduate assistants. Camboui will work with the defensive staff, while Middleton has been assigned to work with the offensive staff.

 
The Rattlers reported to camp this past Monday and held their first workout Tuesday. They will work out daily from 9:20 a.m. to 12:10 p.m. until Aug. 20. The schedule changes to 3 to 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 22.

 
Two scrimmages are scheduled Aug. 5 and Aug. 12, beginning at 9 a.m. each day.

 
Wood said the hires complete a staff that should give the Rattlers a better chance to improve over last season.

 
“What we want to do for sure is to make sure we turn this thing around and become winners,” said Wood.

 
Saying yes to Wood’s offer was easy because of their friendship, which goes back several years, Tice said.

 
“He said would you like  to come to FAMU and coach the tight ends,” Tice recalled. “I said, ‘sign me up. I’m on my way.’ ”

 
Prior to coming to FAMU, Tice’s last coaching job was at Pace University, a Division II school in New York. Tice started coaching with the Minnesota Vikings as an offensive assistant in 1999, seven years after retiring from the Saints.

 
The FAMU job is Tice’s first coaching position in five years.

 
“This is an exciting time for me,” Tice said. “I know things are really clicking over there (at FAMU) and we are looking forward to having a very successful season.”

 
Wood also predicted that the Rattlers will have an improved season over last year when they went 4-7. Wood said he is optimistic because he’ll be able to field a deeper offensive line. In all, 17 linemen will compete for starting positions this season compared to 12 last year.
The Rattlers struggled last season in the trenches.

 
“We are going to have a different mentality as we take the field,” Wood said.

 
When the Rattlers open the season on Aug. 26 against Texas Southern University, Antwon Lewis won’t be on the roster. Lewis, a signee in Wood’s 2017 class, will attend Hutchinson Junior College in Kansas instead.

 
Wood also announced that since signing day, he’s recruited three transfers. Middle linebacker Dorian Grimes and tight end Dejan Riley came from Division I programs. Grimes played at Marshall University last season, while Riley was at the University of Toledo. Dimetre Moore also transferred from Hutchinson Junior College to play defensive tackle at FAMU.

 
The transfers could have immediate impact, Wood said.

 
“Anytime you get transfers, you get guys with experience,” he said. “Those are the guys you are looking for in the first year, as guys that can give you depth. But what we are looking for right now is for them to come in and blend in with the team and give us some depth and maturity.”

 
During question and answer with his audience, Wood was asked if he has identified potential starters.

 
“If we don’t know who could play at this point, then you all should get some new coaches,” he said. “Oh, yeah; we know who those guys are. We just want to make sure that they’re on task and that we have some depth.”

 
NOTEWORTHY: Tommy Mitchell, head of the FAMU boosters, announced that they will host the annual season kickoff on Aug. 20 at 2 p.m. The event will take place at the Lawson Center. Fan Day will follow at 4 p.m., also in the Lawson Center.

 
Tickets for the kickoff are priced at $25 and $10 for students. Tables with eight seats also could be purchased for $300.