Countdown to Kickoff: Gaines Gets Championship Experience
8/3/2003 10:47:05 AM | Football
Gaines played basketball for three seasons at Dallas’Carter High School before transferring to Westfield High School in Houston Texas. Against Cornell he scored his only basket of the season, but his value to the team wasn’t scoring, it was his athletic ability, which earned him the assignment of guarding Carmelo Anthony, the third pick in this year’s NBA draft, in practice.
A number of prominent Orange football players have also competed on the hardwood. Jim Brown, Malik Campbell, Ernie Davis, John Mackey, Donovan McNabb and Melvin Tuten all played basketball while they were at SU. McNabb was a member of the 1996 team that advanced to the national championship game versus Kentucky.
This year Gaines will compete for the backup quarterback role behind senior captain R.J. Anderson. Last season he appeared in five games, but did not attempt a pass.
Syracuse begins the season on Saturday, September 6 at North Carolina. Game time is 1:30 p.m. The Orangemen will kickoff a seven-game home schedule on September 13 when they host Louisville. SU will then host Central Florida on September 20 at Noon in a game that will be televised by ESPN Regional, followed by a game against Toledo at 6:30 p.m. on September 27.
For ticket information and prices, call the Carrier Dome box office at 1-888-DOMETIX. Tickets are available at the Carrier Dome Box Office (Gate B), by telephone (888-DOMETIX) or on the Internet (www.dometix.com).
