For the University of Central Arkansas Bears, it's more of a salute to an icon than a fashion statement.
The Bears will begin their 100th year of football Thursday night with an intangible incentive and a special addition helmets.
UCA coach Clint Conque announced Monday at the first Bearbacker luncheon of the season that the UCA players have dedicated the season to the late Raymond Bright, a former coach at UCA and Conway High who died earlier in the year. As part of the commemoration, the Bears will wear a black "RB" sticker on the backs of their helmets for the entire season.
During the luncheon, Conque presented Bright's widow, Doretta, with a new UCA helmet with the sticker on it. That helmet will be on the cover of the game program for the HSU game.
"Coach Bright and I became close during my eight years here, and he was a great coach and a valued member of our family," Conque said. "Many of our players didn't know Raymond Bright, but they know of his memory and legacy and the entire team embraced this. It was something they really wanted to do. Raymond Bright is gonna bring us a lot more wins, no doubt about that."
The Bears open the season Thursday night against longtime rival Henderson State University at First Security Field at Estes Stadium.
INJURIES: Even though wide receiver Darrius McNeal and Jeremy Ford have returned to practice after nursing injuries, the Bears will not be at full strength against the Reddies.
Linebacker Anthony Summers is definitely out for the HSU game, and he will be week-to-week with a knee injury, Conque said. Wide receiver Brandon Kennemer, who tore an ACL during spring drills, will be out three or four more weeks. Wide receiver Preston Echols is out with a leg injury. Running back Spencer Hebert (knee) and Cory McMurrian (knee) are questionable to doubtful for Thursday's game, Conque said.
"What we want to do this week is not go any further the other way this week, then get some people back and go on," Conque said. "But we're going to put our best players on the field against Henderson. It's an 'all-hands-on-deck game.' You approach it any other way and you're setting yourself up for trouble."
THE REDDIES: Conque said HSU, an NCAA Division II opponent, will come into Estes Stadium with one of their best teams in several years under third-year head coach Scott Maxfield, whom he has known for a long time and has a lot of respect. HSU quarterback Roch Charpentier started his college football career at Southland Conference rival Northwestern State before transferring to HSU. That has allowed HSU coaches to move Garrett Manning, one of the best all-round athletes on the team, to wide receiver. HSU running back Bernard Palmer is 500 yards away from becoming the school's all-time leading rusher.
"And in the next two weeks, (Henderson and UC Davis), you'll see probably the two biggest offensive lines we'll play against this year," Conque said.
Three former UCA players who transferred out of the program for various reasons, linemen Kadeem Ray and Matt Holmes and wide receiver Chris Smith also play for the Reddies.
Forty-one of the 74 players on the HSU roster are transfers.
NATHAN: Conque noted that UCA has become a regular spot for pro scouts, mainly because of senior quarterback Nathan Brown, generally recognized as the best college quarterback in the state who is on track to become the first college quarterback in Arkansas to pass for at least 10,000 yards and 100 touchdowns in a career.
According to various scouting reports, Brown is ranked from No. 4 to No. 10 in senior quarterbacks across the country, any level.
He's already on some short lists for the postseason Senior Bowl and East/West Shrine Game.
"He's guaranteed me that if he makes the East/West game, he'll take me to Hawaii so I can do some preliminary work for our game out there next season," Conque quipped.
Conque added, "But we're talking now about having one of the best senior quarterbacks in all of football and with seven games in the state and Tulsa and Nacogdoches (Stephen F. Austin) not being that far of a drive, people around here will have a good chance to see him play at least nine times."
KICKING GAME: UCA's kicking game is a work in progress but Conque is optimistic.
Currently, highly touted freshman recruit Eddie Carmona of Charleston is set to do kickoffs and extra points and transfer Jon Beard will handle the punting.
"Carmona could end up doing all the kicking, but Jon has had some good moments in fall camp and deserves the opportunity," Conque said.
Anthony Gambles will take over from Tristan Jackson returning punts and a true freshman, T.J. Adams of Beckville, Texas, will be the major kickoff returner.
"It scares me to death to have a freshman back there on kickoffs, but if that guy gets a crack, the next play might be an extra point," Conque said.
TAILGATING: Brad Teague, UCA athletic director, said UCA officials will begin clearing Bruce Street at 1 p.m. Thursday for the 7 p.m. kickoff.
"Every car won't be off the street at 1 p.m., but folks have until 4 p.m. to move the vehicles or be towed, so tailgating will officially begin at 4 p.m," Teague said.
He added that a team walk through the tailgating area will begin at 4:30 p.m. and the UCA band will march down Bruce Street at 6:15 p.m.
LABOR DAY: There will be no Bearbackers luncheon Monday in commemoration of Labor Day.
