Wide receiver definitely a gamer for Bears

Central Arkansas wide receiver Dominique Croom catches a touchdown pass during a game against Northwestern State on Nov. 3. Croom has caught 47 passes for 597 yards and 8 touchdowns.
Central Arkansas wide receiver Dominique Croom catches a touchdown pass during a game against Northwestern State on Nov. 3. Croom has caught 47 passes for 597 yards and 8 touchdowns.

— If there’s anybody on the Central Arkansas football team who knows senior receiver Dominique Croom better than most, it’s his roommate — junior quarterback Wynrick Smothers.

“All he does is play [video] games,” Smothers said. “I don’t think he watches TV. He might watch TV every once in a while. Him and another receiver will go play games.”

As far as football games go, Croom has provided the Bears with several big ones over his career at UCA.

Croom, 6-1, 193 pounds, has caught 47 passes for 597 yards and a team-high 8 touchdowns this season for the Bears (8-2), who are ranked 10th in Football Championship Subdivision coaches poll. He has caught a touchdown pass in seven of UCA’s 10 games, including two in the Bears’ 35-14 victory over Northwestern (La.) State on Nov. 3. Croom made 10 catches for a careerhigh 183 yards, including a 74-yard touchdown catch, in UCA’s 42-20 victory at Murray State on Sept. 8.

In 45 games at UCA, he has scored 19 touchdowns and is fifth on the school’s receptions career list (146) and sixth in career receiving yards (1,821).

Along with 15 other seniors, today’s nonconference game against Eastern Illinois at Estes Stadium will be Croom’s final regular-season home game.

Croom reflected this week on his UCA career, which began in 2009 as a true freshman in a game at Hawaii.

“I think it’s gone pretty well,” said Croom, from Cherokee, Ala. “Most people don’t have the opportunity to play all four years. I had the opportunity and I made the most of it. It went by so fast; here it is, the last regularseason home game. I just want to go out on top.”

UCA Coach Clint Conque, whose offense is averaging 35.4 points per game, said he recognizes what Croom has meant to the Bears.

“He’s had a hall of fame career,” Conque said. “He’s played his biggest games in the biggest moments. He shows up every day. He goes to work. There’s absolutely no off-the-field issues with Dominique.

“He plays biggest when the moment is the biggest. We’ve seen that this year. You go to certain moments, certain big plays that he’s made. This year, he’s certainly made his big share of them.”

Former UCA receivers coach Jerry Mack, now at South Alabama, saw Croom at a football camp he was working at in Alabama in 2008. Mack said he was impressed with Croom, who chose UCA over Samford.

While Alabama is outside of UCA’s Southland Conference footprint of Arkansas, Texas and Louisiana, the emergence of Croom, linebacker Justin Heard and defensive end Markeith Gaines has forced Conque and his staff to look to the state more.

“It alerted us to the athletes there,” Conque said. “It reminded us that we’re not too far away. There are some good players over there in Alabama and Georgia. We’ve made our way a little more regularly to the East.”

Smothers’ relationship off the field has only helped his relationship on the field with Croom.

“He knows where I’ll put the ball at just for him to go up and get a chance to go get it,” Smothers said. “If I put the ball anywhere in his vicinity, he’s going to try his best to go get the ball for me. I know if I give him a good shot, a good chance to go get the ball, he’s going to go up and get it. We’ve got that connection.”

Croom and the Bears will have at least one more game after today as they’ve assured themselves a spot in the FCS playoffs for the second consecutive season by winning a share of the Southland title.

While today is senior day, Croom said the prospect of possibly playing a home FCS playoff game is more important for him.

“We got the feel of it last year, being our first time. We know what to expect now,” said Croom, who was part of the Bears’ first FCS playoff team last season. “It’s tough to go on the road and get victories. That’s why this game is so important, so we can get a home game and have somebody come here.”

THURSDAY’S GAME

SE Louisiana 35, Nicholls State 16

TODAY’S GAMES

All times Central

S.Houston St. at Texas A&M, 2:30 p.m.

E. Illinois at Central Arkansas, 5 p.m.

NW St. at Stephen F. Austin, 6 p.m. Lamar at McNeese State, 7 p.m.

SATURDAY, DEC. 1

Nicholls St. at Oregon St., 1:30 p.m.

Today’s game

EASTERN ILLINOIS

AT CENTRAL ARKANSAS

WHEN 5 p.m. WHERE Estes Stadium, Conway RECORDS Central Arkansas 8-2, 6-1 Southland Conference; Eastern Illinois 7-3, 6-1 Ohio Valley Conference RANKINGS Central Arkansas is No. 10 in the FCS coaches and The Sports Network polls. Eastern Illinois is No. 24 FCS TSN poll, No. 25 in the FCS coaches poll. COACHES Central Arkansas: Clint Conque (97-53 in 13 seasons); Eastern Illinois: Dino Babers (7-3 in first season) SERIES Central Arkansas leads 1-0. TICKETS $15 general admission adults, $11 general admission children, seniors, visiting students RADIO KHLR-FM, 106.7, in Benton/ Little Rock; KUCA-FM, 91.3, in Conway; KCNY-FM, 107.1, in Conway INTERNET ucasports.com

Sports, Pages 21 on 11/17/2012

Upcoming Events