(STATS) -- A change in head coaches hasnt tempered the high expectations surrounding Alcorn State, the two-time defending Southwestern Athletic Conference champion.Alcorn State and Prairie View A&M were selected as the East and West division favorites, respectively, in the SWACs preseason poll announced during Fridays media day in Birmingham, Alabama.Alcorn State (9-4, 7-2 SWAC) lost to North Carolina A&T in the inaugural Celebration Bowl last December after beating Grambling State 49-21 in the SWAC championship game. Jay Hopson, the first white head football coach in the conferences illustrious history, resigned to become Southern Mississippis head coach during the offseason, and Fred McNair, the brother of late Pro Bowl quarterback Steve McNair, was elevated from offensive coordinator. It is the 47-year-old McNairs first head coaching job.The biggest thing is, those guys want to get back (to the championship game), McNair said. Thats what we tell them every week -- we talk to them in general about what its going to take to get back. If they come out, dedicate themselves to it and hard work, anything possible. Thats what were striving for, thats our goal.While Alcorn State lost some decorated seniors from last years team, there is plenty of returning talent, including junior quarterback Lenorris Footman, who took over for an injured John Gibbs Jr. last season and surpassed 1,000 yards in both passing and rushing while accounting for 25 total touchdowns. He was a second-team All-SWAC preseason selection -- one of the Braves conference-high 11 overall picks.I played behind John Gibbs Jr. and he helped me become a better quarterback, Footman said. I learned a lot of things from him, and now that Im in the lead position, I just try to become a better leader and a better quarterback.Five Alcorn players -- offensive lineman Detonio Dade, defensive linemen Stacey Garner and Mike Brooks, linebacker Darien Anderson and punter Haiden McCraney -- made the SWAC preseason first team.Prairie View (8-2, 8-1), which last won the SWAC title in 2009, was installed as the preseason choice in the West over Grambling.Were not a team thats big on accolades, were not a team thats big on preseason hype -- things of that nature, said Prairie View second-year coach Willie Simmons, who was the offensive coordinator of Alcorns 2014 championship squad.We try to be a team that says, Hey, whoever needs to step up, step up. But we all have a job to do.Southern senior running back Lenard Tillery was named the SWACs preseason offensive player of the year and was one of the Jaguars seven representatives on the All-SWAC first team. As a junior, Tillery led the conference with 1,211 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns.Alabama State senior linebacker Kourtney Berry, the conferences defensive player of the year last season, was the preseason choice for this years award. He enters his final season with 363 career tackles, having led the conference in 2013 and 15 and finishing second in 2014.---=SWAC FOOTBALL PRESEASON POLL=Vote of Coaches and Sports Information DirectorsEast Division1. Alcorn State, 44 points2. Alabama State, 353. Jackson State, 284. Alabama A&M, 165. Mississippi Valley State, 12West Division1. Prairie View A&M, 412. Grambling State, 353. Southern, 324. Texas Southern, 165. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 11---=SWAC FOOTBALL PRESEASON TEAM=Offensive Player of the Year -- Lenard Tillery, RB, SouthernDefensive Player of the Year -- Kourtney Berry, LB, Alabama StateFirst TeamOffenseQB -- Austin Howard, SouthernRB -- Lenard Tillery, SouthernRB -- Martez Carter, Grambling StateOL -- Detonio Dade, Alcorn StateOL -- Justin Miller, Grambling StateOL -- Antonio Mosley, SouthernOL -- Josiah Freeman, Prairie View A&MOL -- Terrell Lee, SouthernWR -- Chad Williams, Grambling StateWR -- Daniel Williams, Jackson StateTE -- Dillon Beard, SouthernDefenseDL -- Stacey Garner, Alcorn StateDL -- Javancy Jones, Jackson StateDL -- Mike Brooks, Alcorn StateDL -- DeVohn Reed, Prairie View A&MLB -- Kourtney Berry, Alabama StateLB -- Darien Anderson, Alcorn StateLB -- Willie Duncan, Arkansas-Pine BluffDB -- Guy Stallworth, Grambling StateDB -- Marquice OLeary, Prairie View A&MDB -- Danny Johnson, SouthernDB -- Marquis Green, Mississippi Valley StateSpecial TeamsPK -- Marc Orozco, Grambling StateP -- Haiden McCraney, Alcorn StateRS -- Willie Quinn, SouthernSecond TeamQB -- Lenorris Footman, Alcorn StateRB -- Khalid Thomas, Alabama StateRB -- Arron Baker, Alcorn StateOL -- David Adams, Arkansas-Pine BluffOL -- Sam Baptiste, Alabama StateOL -- Frank Carter, Jackson StateOL -- Markus Cook, Jackson StateOL -- Kerry Williams, Alabama StateWR -- Derrick Griffin, Texas SouthernWR -- Marquis Warford, Alcorn StateWR -- Willie Young, Arkansas Pine-BluffTE -- Brandon Campbell, Alcorn StateDefenseDL -- Cornelius Henderson, Jackson StateDL -- CeaJae Bryant, SouthernDL -- Robert Brown, Alabama StateDL -- Roderick Henderson, Alabama StateLB -- Bryan Brower, Alabama A&MLB -- Aaron Tiller, SouthernLB -- Arkez Cooper, Grambling StatDB -- DAndre Smith, Alcorn StateDB -- Farrean Toney, Mississippi Valley StateDB -- Dominique Weaver, Prairie View A&MDB -- Eric Foster, Alcorn StateSpecial TeamsPK -- Jamie Gillan, Arkansas-Pine BluffP -- Trevor Vincent, Alabama StateRS -- Booker Chambers, Mississippi Valley StateRS -- Octayvious Miles, Alabama A&MCheap Kevin Durant Shoes . 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The teams, and a few thousand fans, waited nearly four hours from the 7:05 scheduled start time before an announcement was made shortly before 11 p.BELLEFONTE, Pa. -- Jerry Sanduskys lawyer says the former Penn State assistant football coach will testify during an upcoming appeals hearing about whether he was improperly convicted four years ago.Sandusky attorney Al Lindsay said Thursday he expects Sandusky to testify at length in the three-day Post-Conviction Relief Act hearing that gets underway Friday in a Pennsylvania courthouse.The 72-year-old Sandusky didnt take the stand during his 2012 trial, a decision thats among the issues hes raised in arguing his lawyers didnt represent him adequately.ddddddddddddSandusky was convicted of sexually abusing 10 boys and sentenced to decades in state prison. Eight victims testified against him.The three-day appeals hearing in the Centre County Courthouse near State College will continue on Aug. 22.Sandusky previously lost direct appeals to state Superior and Supreme courts. ' ' '