Not sure if these made it into today's paper, but I didn't see them on the LE web site, so I figured I'd post them here. What I say in the lead -- that the media has never picked fewer than two Georgia players on its preseason all-SEC first team -- applies only since Media Days started in Bham in 1992. I'm sure there were media preseason all-SEC teams prior to that, but I'm only talking about the Media Days teams.
dc
HOOVER, Ala. – Never before has the media picked fewer than two Georgia players for its first-team preseason All-SEC squad.
Never, that is, until voting results were announced at Friday’s final session of SEC Media Days in Birmingham.
Possibly a result of their disappointing 2006 season, the Bulldogs were shut out of the first-team balloting for the first time since the Media Days event started in 1992. Only two Georgia players – place-kicker Brandon Coutu and linebacker Brandon Miller – earned second-team honors, tying Georgia with Mississippi State and Ole Miss for the fewest all-conference players in the league.
“I always tell the guys, ‘If you want recognition, win,’” Georgia coach Mark Richt said. “In the preseason, all-SEC doesn’t mean much, really. Postseason all-SEC means something. If we win, if we become a champion, then there’ll be guys on that all-SEC first team.”
The media members in attendance picked Georgia to finish third in the SEC East, trailing defending national champion Florida and Tennessee.
The overwhelming favorite to win the league was LSU, which received 54 of the 80 first-place votes. Florida received the second-most first-place votes with seven. Two voters picked Georgia to win its third SEC title since Richt arrived in 2001.
Not surprisingly, Richt doesn’t share the media members’ opinion of his team’s prospects.
“We’re definitely under the radar. Whether we rise or not is the big question,” Richt said. “But I believe in this team. I think we’ve got a chance to do as well as any team that we’ve had since we’ve been here.”
LSU also had the most players picked to the first and second teams. The Bayou Bengals had seven team members, followed by Florida and Kentucky with six apiece. Tennessee, Alabama and Arkansas all had five team members, Vanderbilt four and Auburn and South Carolina three.
Just as on the recently released coaches preseason all-SEC squad, Arkansas running back Darren McFadden was the only unanimous selection. LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey and Alabama defensive back Simeon Castille were the next closest to being unanimous selections, as each was picked on 78 of the 80 ballots.
No decision
Richt said he still hasn’t settled on a punishment for tight end Tripp Chandler or quarterback Blake Barnes after their alcohol-related arrest early last month.
Athletic association policy calls for the players to be suspended for 10 percent of the season, which would equal a 1.2-game suspension for a 12-game football season. Richt expects to announce a decision soon over whether the suspensions will be for one or two games.
“When all the legal stuff is settled – and it may be, I haven’t talked to them in the last couple days – then I’ll be able to make a decision at that point,” Richt said. “I hope it’s before we get started. I know it’ll be before the first game.”
Another incident on Friday made it two Georgia tight ends to have problems with the law this summer.
Less than two weeks after UGA police arrested tailback Caleb King on a minor traffic violation, tight end NaDerris Ward was arrested for his aggressive driving.
Ward, 19, was booked on overtaking/passing on the right and did not have his license when he was pulled over by campus police Friday afternoon. He was booked into Clarke County Jail at 4:01 p.m. and released at 6:05 on $1,000 bond.
Traffic violations typically do not result in game punishment, so Ward will likely remain among the favorites to start at tight end while Chandler is out
for at least the Sept. 1 opener against Oklahoma State.
Quick hits
Richt said redshirt freshman safety Reshad Jones would likely be the first safety Georgia’s coaches turned to if one of the cornerbacks were to get hurt. “Our desire is not to have Reshad play corner if we can help it,” Richt said. “But if we had an injury or two, he’d probably be the safety that you’d have to start thinking about moving.” … Richt said he has not spoken with former Georgia linebacker Odell Thurman, although he’d like to. The Cincinnati Bengals’ 2005 second-round draft pick, Thurman has had numerous disciplinary issues in the last two years and was suspended by the NFL for all of last season. Thurman’s petition to be reinstated for this year was denied Thursday by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. “I’d love to talk to Odell to be honest with you. I really like Odell,” Richt said. “I just pray that he gets everything straight and takes advantage of the blessings that God’s given him, really, his ability and his talent. I’d be real happy for him.” … A total of 830 media members, coaches, players and school representatives received credentials for this week’s event, the largest attendance in its history. Last year’s total of 685 was the previous high.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Vanderbilt capsule
VANDERBILT
Bobby Johnson bristles at the perception that it’s impossible to win consistently at Vanderbilt. But only a few breaths after half-heartedly disputing that assertion, he acknowledged why it’s difficult to be the little guy on the SEC block.
The Commodores were 4-8 last season – including an upset win at Georgia – a year after going 5-6 and beating cross-state rival Tennessee for the first time since 1982. They were 1-7 in conference play last year, but four of those losses were by a touchdown or less.
Johnson gets well-deserved credit for building teams that can play competitive football. The question is what’s the ceiling for Johnson’s Commodores?
Coach Bobby Johnson said: The sixth-year Vandy coach is proud of the progress his program has made since winning only two games in each of his first three seasons in Nashville. But with SEC East counterparts Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and South Carolina on the schedule every year, the Commodores always face an uphill climb simply to post a .500 record.
“When you play in this league, I mean you’ve got to scratch and claw to get the victories,” Johnson said. “The people at the top of the SEC East and the SEC West are there for a reason. They’ve had consistent programs year after year after year…you look and see how tough it is to pass those teams that are ahead of us.”
Earl Bennett said: After only two collegiate seasons, the junior receiver stands just 44 catches and 1,073 yards from SEC career records in both categories.
Although he had 82 catches, 1,146 receiving yards and six touchdowns last year, Bennett said he tries not to set a numeric goal for what he’ll do this year.
“I really don’t set expectations for myself, I just go out there, play hard and do the best that I can to help this team win,” Bennett said. “That’s the most important thing to me, for the team to win – not how many touchdowns or catches that I have.”
Jonathan Goff said: Goff earned second-team All-SEC honors last season after registering 93 tackles and extending his consecutive games started streak to 27. He said last year’s 24-22 win over Georgia, where the Commodores drove for the wining field goal in the final minute, did wonders for the team’s confidence.
“We were able to hang in there and make the plays against Georgia to get the win. That was a big win for us to get over that hump,” Goff said. “We had a lot of close games in previous seasons that we did not make the necessary plays to win.”
The skinny: Sure, Vandy occasionally pulls an upset and has improved its depth, but how much will that truly pay off for the Commodores?
“We feel like we’re making progress,” Johnson said. “May not be fast to all of y’all (reporters), but you know, we’re working as hard as we can.”
Vandy has the benefit of eight home games this season, but that advantage is lessened by road games at Auburn, South Carolina, Florida and Tennessee also residing on the schedule.
Even with 19 starters returning, including versatile quarterback Chris Nickson, Vandy won’t be favored many times this year. With a demanding SEC slate and defending ACC champ Wake Forest also on the schedule, it’s hard to imagine the Commodores breaking .500.
Florida capsule
FLORIDA
Much of the guesswork surrounding Florida’s fortunes this year revolves around whether Tim Tebow is ready to be a full-time starter and not just fill the change-of-pace role he did in last year’s national championship run.
But Gators coach Urban Meyer said Thursday he doesn’t believe Tebow’s progression in the spread offense will be the key issue this season – not when his defense returns only two starters. One of the nation’s top defenses carried Meyer’s team to the national title, but it will be difficult to fill the glaring hole that exists in the middle of the defense now after all the departures.
Coach Urban Meyer said: It’s hard to overstate the value of players like Ray McDonald, Brandon Siler, Jarvis Moss, Earl Everett, Reggie Nelson and Ryan Smith to Florida’s 2006 defense. Meyer mentioned Kyle Jackson, Dorian Munroe, Brandon Spikes, Dustin Doe and Lorenzo Edwards as possibilities to fill some of those starting roles.
In fact, it’s those new players in the center of the defense that Meyer believes will determine the Gators’ fate in 2007.
“If those people are productive, I think we’ll be really good this year,” Meyer said. “Don’t worry with the spread (offense). Tim is going to be OK. … (The middle of the defense), unbelievable amount of pressure on that group of people to perform.”
Tony Joiner said: Along with defensive end Derrick Harvey, the senior strong safety is the only other returning defensive starter. He acknowledged that the defensive youth is a big concern, but refused to accept the notion that the new contributors can’t pick up where the departed players left off without a hiccup.
“Being young has nothing to do with football,” Joiner said. “Being a talented guy that can get in and get the job done and play football as hard as he can at this level – I mean they’re at Florida for a reason. I don’t think it’s impossible at all.”
Andre Caldwell said: Tebow gained national acclaim last year by switching in and out with starter Chris Leak. The heralded true freshman quarterback was typically asked to run the ball, and he finished second on the team with 469 rushing yards and ran for a team-high eight touchdowns.
Tebow threw only 33 passes last year compared to 89 rushing attempts, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s a poor passer. In fact, senior receiver Caldwell said Tebow will surprise people with his passing ability.
“We didn’t need him last year to throw passes, but this year we’re gonna need him to do that. … He puts the ball on the money,” Caldwell said. “A lot of people don’t think he can throw at all because they’ve never seen him throw.”
The skinny: It’s hard not to expect some growing pains from this year’s Gators, simply because of the youth at so many important positions. The team is loaded with speed and talent, but first-time starters have been known to make the mistakes that cost teams wins against top-level competition.
There will be a drop-off, but it won’t be a big one. This team is simply too talented. And once those youngsters gain the certainty that comes with experience, Florida will contend for another national title.
That probably won’t be this year, though.
Tennessee capsule
I was fairly busy and didn't have Internet access in my room, so I never got around to posting the rest of the SEC East capsules I threw together in the last couple days. So here they are.
TENNESSEE
Last year’s Volunteers had recovered nicely from an unsightly 5-6 record in 2005 before a late-season drop-off. Tennessee won seven of its first eight games before losses in three of the last five cost Phil Fulmer’s Vols a 10-win season.
Tennessee lost numerous significant players, but should again be in the thick of things in the SEC East race – provided the Vols find someone who’ll catch Erik Ainge’s passes after losing receivers Robert Meachem, Jayson Swain and Bret Smith, who combined for 2,439 receiving yards and 22 touchdowns last year.
Coach Phil Fulmer said: The longtime Tennessee coach, entering his 33rd season in Knoxville as either a player or coach, likened his team’s situation to that of Tennessee women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt in this spring’s national championship run.
Summitt won six national titles between 1987 and 1998, but had gone nine years without one until this March. The difference? The dependability of star forward Candace Parker, who carried the Lady Vols to yet another championship.
Fulmer hopes to find similar star power from Ainge, who passed for 2,989 yards, 19 touchdowns and nine interceptions last year.
“Do I think Erik Ainge can be that kind of player? I do,” Fulmer said. “I think Erik Ainge can be that kind of football player that our team rallies around, that he takes the bull by the horns and makes the plays that help you win a championship.”
Erik Ainge said: Ainge disputed the notion that he’s a Parker-type player. For one thing, “She can dunk better than I can,” he joked.
In all seriousness, the 6-foot-6 senior said he embraces the position his coach put him in with that comparison.
“I understand the analogy. I know what he’s saying,” Ainge said. “You need your big-time players to step up and play a big-time role. Your best players need to play the best in the best situations against the other best teams in the best conference. That’s how it is.”
Jarod Mayo said: Junior linebacker Mayo and senior defensive back Jonathan Hefney were the only Tennessee players picked for the preseason all-SEC first-team offense or defense on Friday.
Although he made 83 tackles, 12.5 for a loss, as a sophomore, Mayo realizes he and his defensive teammates must improve their run defense. Weakened by season-ending injuries to defensive tackle Justin Harrell and cornerback Inky Johnson, the Vols ranked eighth in the SEC and 72nd in the nation by allowing 146.7 rushing yards per game last year – including 281 to Air Force and 259 to Arkansas.
“We go in there and Arkansas beat us bad. They beat us real bad,” Mayo said. “But anytime you lose a guy like Justin Harrell and Inky Johnson who are centerpieces of the defense, it’s gonna be hard to stop a lot of things. We couldn’t stop the run last year, but hopefully we will this year.”
The skinny: Last year’s 9-4 record is obviously a huge improvement from the previous season, but the late-season lull indicates the Vols aren’t back to their dominant form of the late 1990s just yet.
With 13 starters returning and David Cutcliffe pushing the buttons on offense, it’s hard to imagine a Tennessee backslide. The Vols have a manageable schedule that includes breaks between the most difficult games, but road dates at California and Florida in the first three weeks will form a difficult early test.
If Fulmer’s team makes it through those two games unscathed, it could be a pleasant season on Rocky Top.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Ward arrested
Another UGA football player was arrested on a minor traffic violation today. Tight end NaDerris Ward was booked into Clarke County Jail at 4:01 p.m. and released two hours later on $1,000 bond. He was arrested by UGA Police for overtaking/passing on the right and not having his license.
Minor traffic arrests don't typically draw game punishment, so I don't expect Ward, 19, to miss any time. And that's good since Tripp Chandler is going to miss the opener and possibly the second game. Redshirt freshman Ward, senior Coleman Watson and true freshman Bruce Figgins all stand to play more in Chandler's absence. I doubt this will have any effect on that possibility for Ward.
Minor traffic arrests don't typically draw game punishment, so I don't expect Ward, 19, to miss any time. And that's good since Tripp Chandler is going to miss the opener and possibly the second game. Redshirt freshman Ward, senior Coleman Watson and true freshman Bruce Figgins all stand to play more in Chandler's absence. I doubt this will have any effect on that possibility for Ward.
Morning session
This morning's UGA session was fairly uneventful. No breaking news like last year, when coach Richt announced that they were holding Sean Bailey out for the season because of his knee injury. We had a writer's session with coach Richt this morning before Georgia took the podium at 8 a.m., which was a bit of a struggle to attend since I was out till after 3 a.m. this morning...so I'm feeling great right now.
Anyway, there were at least twice as many people in the writer's session with coach Richt before he took the podium as there were here last year. I think last year, there might have been about six. This year, I guess there were about 15. The beat writers from Atlanta, Athens (3), Macon, Columbus, Chattanooga and Albany, two kids from the Red and Black, Dean Legge from Dawgpost, Tony Barnhart from the AJC, Mark Schlabach and Ivan Maisel from espn.com and Jeff Schultz from the AJC. In other words, it was a big honking group.
News-wise, Richt said that he still hasn't officially decided the punishment for Tripp Chandler and Blake Barnes after their alcohol-related arrest last month. School policy dictates a 10 percent (1.2 game) suspension, but he can choose whether they get one or two games. I'm betting he'll go with one, but that's just a hunch.
Anyway, there were at least twice as many people in the writer's session with coach Richt before he took the podium as there were here last year. I think last year, there might have been about six. This year, I guess there were about 15. The beat writers from Atlanta, Athens (3), Macon, Columbus, Chattanooga and Albany, two kids from the Red and Black, Dean Legge from Dawgpost, Tony Barnhart from the AJC, Mark Schlabach and Ivan Maisel from espn.com and Jeff Schultz from the AJC. In other words, it was a big honking group.
News-wise, Richt said that he still hasn't officially decided the punishment for Tripp Chandler and Blake Barnes after their alcohol-related arrest last month. School policy dictates a 10 percent (1.2 game) suspension, but he can choose whether they get one or two games. I'm betting he'll go with one, but that's just a hunch.
Media Days voting results
Georgia didn't place a single player on the All-SEC first team. I was a bit surprised that Brandon Coutu didn't make it, but he was voted to the second team behind South Carolina's Ryan Succop.
Coutu and Brandon Miller are both second-team honorees.
LSU has seven players on the two teams, Florida and Kentucky have six, Alabama, Arkansas and Tennessee five, Vanderbilt four, Auburn and South Carolina three, and Georgia, Ole Miss and Mississippi State all have two.
You can see the entire list here.
Predicted order of finish:
Champion: LSU
East
1. Florida
2. Tennessee
3. Georgia
4. South Carolina
5. Kentucky
6. Vanderbilt
West
1. LSU
2. Auburn
3. Arkansas
4. Alabama
5. Ole Miss
6. Mississippi State
Coutu and Brandon Miller are both second-team honorees.
LSU has seven players on the two teams, Florida and Kentucky have six, Alabama, Arkansas and Tennessee five, Vanderbilt four, Auburn and South Carolina three, and Georgia, Ole Miss and Mississippi State all have two.
You can see the entire list here.
Predicted order of finish:
Champion: LSU
East
1. Florida
2. Tennessee
3. Georgia
4. South Carolina
5. Kentucky
6. Vanderbilt
West
1. LSU
2. Auburn
3. Arkansas
4. Alabama
5. Ole Miss
6. Mississippi State
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Wake Forest coach dies
This doesn't have anything to do with media days, but I just saw this headline that Wake Forest men's basketball coach Skip Prosser died of an apparent heart attack today while jogging. That's sad news.
Here's a link to the wire story.
Here's a link to the wire story.
All-SEC ballot
I turned in my All-SEC team ballot earlier today. They'll announce the results of the voting tomorrow morning. Here's who I voted for for the team, followed by my predicted order of finish in the league standings...not that I expect to be right. I went back and looked. Last year, I had Arkansas finishing fourth in the West and Florida finishing second in the East (with Auburn and Georgia winning the divisions).
Anyway, here ya go:
OFFENSE
QB Andre Woodson, Kentucky
WR Earl Bennett, Vanderbilt
WR Early Doucet, LSU
RB Darren McFadden, Arkansas
RB Felix Jones, Arkansas
TE Jacob Tamme, Kentucky
OL Will Arnold, LSU
OL Michael Oher, Ole Miss
OL Andre Smith, Alabama
OL Drew Miller, Florida
C Jonathan Luigs, Arkansas
PK Brandon Coutu, Georgia
RS Mikey Henderson, Georgia
DEFENSE (I can't remember this for certain, but I think there were four linebacker spots and four DL)
DL Quentin Groves, Auburn
DL Derrick Harvey, Florida
DL Glenn Dorsey, LSU
DL Titus Brown, Mississippi State
LB Jasper Brinkley, South Carolina
LB Wesley Woodyard, Kentucky
LB Jonathan Goff, Vanderbilt
LB Ali Highsmith, LSU
DB Simeon Castille, Alabama
DB Derek Pegues, Mississippi State
DB Jonathan Hefney, Tennessee
DB Kelin Johnson, Georgia
P Britton Colquitt, Tennessee
PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
WEST
1. LSU
2. Auburn
3. Alabama
4. Arkansas
5. Mississippi State
6. Ole Miss
EAST
1. Georgia
2. Florida
3. South Carolina
4. Tennessee
5. Kentucky
6. Vanderbilt
Champion: LSU
Anyway, here ya go:
OFFENSE
QB Andre Woodson, Kentucky
WR Earl Bennett, Vanderbilt
WR Early Doucet, LSU
RB Darren McFadden, Arkansas
RB Felix Jones, Arkansas
TE Jacob Tamme, Kentucky
OL Will Arnold, LSU
OL Michael Oher, Ole Miss
OL Andre Smith, Alabama
OL Drew Miller, Florida
C Jonathan Luigs, Arkansas
PK Brandon Coutu, Georgia
RS Mikey Henderson, Georgia
DEFENSE (I can't remember this for certain, but I think there were four linebacker spots and four DL)
DL Quentin Groves, Auburn
DL Derrick Harvey, Florida
DL Glenn Dorsey, LSU
DL Titus Brown, Mississippi State
LB Jasper Brinkley, South Carolina
LB Wesley Woodyard, Kentucky
LB Jonathan Goff, Vanderbilt
LB Ali Highsmith, LSU
DB Simeon Castille, Alabama
DB Derek Pegues, Mississippi State
DB Jonathan Hefney, Tennessee
DB Kelin Johnson, Georgia
P Britton Colquitt, Tennessee
PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
WEST
1. LSU
2. Auburn
3. Alabama
4. Arkansas
5. Mississippi State
6. Ole Miss
EAST
1. Georgia
2. Florida
3. South Carolina
4. Tennessee
5. Kentucky
6. Vanderbilt
Champion: LSU
Florida Gator quotes -- Joiner and Caldwell
Safety Tony Joiner and receiver Andre Caldwell were the two Florida players who appeared today. Caldwell was really good, although I had very little need for stuff from him. I may use some of this stuff in season previews though, so I went ahead and transcribed. I'll post it in a minute.
Joiner was OK as well. I asked him about the youth of the defense and here's what he said:
"It’s kind of a concern. Playing behind a guy like Brandon Siler and playing behind guys like Earl Everett and Marcus Thomas and (Jarvis) Moss and all those guys, it’s kind of a concern (now). You want those young guys to step up and play as well as they did last year. Just to know that they’re young and haven’t played much football, it’s a concern."
I kind of pressed him on it a little after that, although I didn't expect him to admit what I was driving at. I said something like, 'It's impossible for the new guys to pick right up where the older guys left off last year, isn't it? Just because they're young, it takes a while...'
He disagreed, obviously, although I don't know how he could absolutely believe this:
"I don’t think it’s impossible because it’s football. Being young has nothing to do with football. Being a talented guy that can get in and get the job done and play football as hard as he can at this level – I mean they’re at Florida for a reason. I don’t think it’s impossible at all."
Here's some of Caldwell. He genuinely talked up Tebow's passing ability, which is interesting, and said "he works harder than anybody I've ever seen in my life."
He's really a huge unknown this year, but Urban Meyer said the middle of his defense is a far larger question mark than whether Tebow will play well.
Here's the Caldwell stuff:
"There’s no doubt in my mind (about Tebow). Having seen him in spring football and this whole offense, I feel he can do anything that coach asks him. He can lead this offense whenever he’s in the game and do whatever it takes. We can be the best offense with him at quarterback."
"We didn’t need him last year to throw passes, but this year we’re gonna need him to do that. He just throws a great ball, he’s definitely a down-the-field passer. He puts the ball on the money. A lot of people don’t think he can throw at all because they’ve never seen him throw. But a lot of people forget he ran all the Florida records in a season for passing yards. He’s gonna show you why he’s a great quarterback and he’s got a great arm."
Caldwell on the staying for his senior year:
"The plan was coming out of high school to do three years and out of this place. But after that broken leg, I done stuck in there. I’m happy about my decision. I love it here. I really don’t wanna go nowhere after being here for all these years. This is like my second home. It’s all I know right now, so I’m happy with my decision. I wasn’t planning on it, but I’m making the best out of it."
On why he stayed:
"I heard like third round coming out. That wasn’t satisfying for me. I feel I’m a better player than that. One more year will help me (get) in a higher range than that. So it ain’t gonna hurt me to stick around one more year. It ain’t like I ain’t been here long enough."
"I feel like I’ve got the ability and the skills to be a first-round pick and one of them top guys, with a productive year this year. I feel I can do it and I feel I’ve got the skill level to do that."
On whether he discussed the decision with his brother, Reche, who plays for the San Diego Chargers:
"I talked to him a lot about the situation. He told me, ‘College football, you only can live this life once. NFL’s gonna always be there. With one more year of development, with the great receivers that was coming out last year, you’ll have a better chance sticking in there one more year.’"
Joiner was OK as well. I asked him about the youth of the defense and here's what he said:
"It’s kind of a concern. Playing behind a guy like Brandon Siler and playing behind guys like Earl Everett and Marcus Thomas and (Jarvis) Moss and all those guys, it’s kind of a concern (now). You want those young guys to step up and play as well as they did last year. Just to know that they’re young and haven’t played much football, it’s a concern."
I kind of pressed him on it a little after that, although I didn't expect him to admit what I was driving at. I said something like, 'It's impossible for the new guys to pick right up where the older guys left off last year, isn't it? Just because they're young, it takes a while...'
He disagreed, obviously, although I don't know how he could absolutely believe this:
"I don’t think it’s impossible because it’s football. Being young has nothing to do with football. Being a talented guy that can get in and get the job done and play football as hard as he can at this level – I mean they’re at Florida for a reason. I don’t think it’s impossible at all."
Here's some of Caldwell. He genuinely talked up Tebow's passing ability, which is interesting, and said "he works harder than anybody I've ever seen in my life."
He's really a huge unknown this year, but Urban Meyer said the middle of his defense is a far larger question mark than whether Tebow will play well.
Here's the Caldwell stuff:
"There’s no doubt in my mind (about Tebow). Having seen him in spring football and this whole offense, I feel he can do anything that coach asks him. He can lead this offense whenever he’s in the game and do whatever it takes. We can be the best offense with him at quarterback."
"We didn’t need him last year to throw passes, but this year we’re gonna need him to do that. He just throws a great ball, he’s definitely a down-the-field passer. He puts the ball on the money. A lot of people don’t think he can throw at all because they’ve never seen him throw. But a lot of people forget he ran all the Florida records in a season for passing yards. He’s gonna show you why he’s a great quarterback and he’s got a great arm."
Caldwell on the staying for his senior year:
"The plan was coming out of high school to do three years and out of this place. But after that broken leg, I done stuck in there. I’m happy about my decision. I love it here. I really don’t wanna go nowhere after being here for all these years. This is like my second home. It’s all I know right now, so I’m happy with my decision. I wasn’t planning on it, but I’m making the best out of it."
On why he stayed:
"I heard like third round coming out. That wasn’t satisfying for me. I feel I’m a better player than that. One more year will help me (get) in a higher range than that. So it ain’t gonna hurt me to stick around one more year. It ain’t like I ain’t been here long enough."
"I feel like I’ve got the ability and the skills to be a first-round pick and one of them top guys, with a productive year this year. I feel I can do it and I feel I’ve got the skill level to do that."
On whether he discussed the decision with his brother, Reche, who plays for the San Diego Chargers:
"I talked to him a lot about the situation. He told me, ‘College football, you only can live this life once. NFL’s gonna always be there. With one more year of development, with the great receivers that was coming out last year, you’ll have a better chance sticking in there one more year.’"
Getting Croomed
Sylvester Croom is on the podium right now. A lot of people seem to think he's boring, but I like listening to the guy. He gives straight answers to your questions, although they're not always great quotes. I think that 'boring' perception might be affected by the fact that few people, comparatively, seem to care much about the Mississippi State program. He's got a tough job. Kinda like Bobby Johnson at Vanderbilt, you wonder where the ceiling is for someone who's trying to build a clean program at a lower-rung SEC school.
Here's something he said about whether the state of Mississippi can sustain two successful football programs:
"I'm not worried about them supporting two, I'm worried about them supporting one. Some other guys can worry about themselves."
I thought that was kind of funny.
Here's something he said about whether the state of Mississippi can sustain two successful football programs:
"I'm not worried about them supporting two, I'm worried about them supporting one. Some other guys can worry about themselves."
I thought that was kind of funny.
Castilles in the house
Phenix City native Jeremiah Castille was here for the Alabama appearance in the big room. He's standing over on the side fielding questions from reporters only a few feet away from where his son, Alabama cornerback Simeon Castille, is surrounded by a pretty large group himself.
I'm not writing any of our Alabama stuff, which is nice because I'd hate to have to wade through that group to ask any questions.
I'm not writing any of our Alabama stuff, which is nice because I'd hate to have to wade through that group to ask any questions.
Blah blah blah
I think I'd have to gouge my earholes out if I had to listen to Nick Saban every day. There are only so many self-help catch phrases you can listen to before it starts getting irritating. Sure, the man can coach, but he's AWFULLY dry. Not to mention a control freak who allows almost no access to his players and assistants. Whatever works for him, I guess.
He's been OK at the podium -- and he's drawn by far the biggest crowd in the print media room. The back wall is lined with people, which typically isn't the case. He did just bristle when a reporter asked him about how he hadn't commented publicly on his recent player arrests.
"I've been speaking about it all day today. I'm surprised it took y'all this long to ask about it."
He's been OK at the podium -- and he's drawn by far the biggest crowd in the print media room. The back wall is lined with people, which typically isn't the case. He did just bristle when a reporter asked him about how he hadn't commented publicly on his recent player arrests.
"I've been speaking about it all day today. I'm surprised it took y'all this long to ask about it."
Kentucky capsule
KENTUCKY
Kentucky coach Rich Brooks is quick to point out that 19 of the 22 players on last year’s defensive two-deep were freshmen and sophomores – and that inexperience showed. The Wildcats ranked 118th out of 119 teams in total defense and were similarly bad in almost every other defensive category.
With a rocky year under their belt, Brooks expects a vast improvement from those youngsters this year. If that happens, the Wildcats – who should have one of the most potent offenses in the league – could be extremely dangerous.
Surprisingly, it was Kentucky’s defense – not its offense – that the coach said drove many of team’s best late-season performances.
“The good news about that bad defense is that against Tennessee (a 17-12 loss), we played good enough defense to win and the offense didn’t get it done,” Brooks said. “Three of our last five games – against Georgia, Tennessee and Clemson – in my opinion, we played SEC defense. In many of the other games, we did not.
“If we want to be a factor in the race, in the SEC, if we want to beat teams we haven’t beaten in a long time, our defense has to improve as much as our offense did last year,” he later added.
Andre Woodson said: Not only hadn’t Kentucky won a bowl game since the mid-1980s, the Wildcats hadn’t even appeared in one since 1999. So last year’s experience was new for every member of the team and was part of its changing attitude, Woodson said.
The senior quarterback said an upset win over Georgia, the bowl win over Clemson and the near-miss against Tennessee confirmed to the Wildcats that they can be a competitive SEC team.
“Especially winning that Georgia game and that Clemson game, we felt that we’re capable of winning some of these big games,” Woodson said. “We’re capable of winning and playing in this conference. We’re capable of being a contender for this SEC title. Now it’s a matter of us going out there and getting it done.”
Marcus McClinton said: The junior safety is one of eight returning defensive starters, only two of whom are seniors. But is a large number of returning starters necessarily a good thing when the group allowed a league-worst 28.4 points and 453.4 yards per game a year ago?
McClinton, who was third on the team with 65 tackles and intercepted a team-high four passes last year – says you will be surprised.
“There’s a saying that it gets worse before it gets better. We can only go up,” McClinton said. “I can’t set any goals or anything, but we will improve (on) third down, we will improve our run defense and pass defense.”
The defense remains an enormous question mark and, despite the team’s optimism about the unit’s improvement, will probably still be its greatest liability. That group’s improvement will play a huge role if the Wildcats somehow match or even exceed the successes of last year’s bowl season – but that’s hard to expect with a schedule that includes Louisville, LSU, Florida, Tennessee and road games at South Carolina, Arkansas and Georgia.
South Carolina capsule
SOUTH CAROLINA
The Gamecocks are a popular SEC darkhorse pick after posting an 8-5 record last season and nearly upsetting Tennessee, Auburn, Arkansas and Florida. Will this year – Steve Spurrier’s third in Columbia – be the one where South Carolina finally breaks through? Spurrier thinks it might – and road games at Georgia and LSU in the first four weeks may well determine if he’s right.
“Going into our third year at South Carolina, we believe our talent level has improved enough that we can realistically tell our players, ‘We got a chance, fellas,’” Spurrier said. “We're going to set a goal to do it. I know we're not gonna be picked and we shouldn't be picked, but we need to come to the ballpark of these other teams and believe we're just as good.”
Cory Boyd said: The senior tailback, who led the team with 823 rushing yards last year, said he and his teammates “celebrated like little schoolgirls” when told their coach finally believed they could compete for a conference title.
In his first two seasons, Spurrier often said a successful season would be if the Gamecocks won more than they lost. His trademark confidence – some might call it cockiness or arrogance – seemed to be missing when he poor-mouthed like his predecessor at South Carolina, Lou Holtz.
That Spurrier is again optimistic that one of his teams can contend for a league title says a lot to his players, Boyd said.
“He coulda said it the first time he came in, but then, who knows, we’d have been putting our foot in our mouth and not getting the job done,” Boyd said. “But as he sees improvement from the team, it’s a great deal to see he’s putting more confidence in us. And that we’re putting more confidence in him to say that.”
Jasper Brinkley said: The senior linebacker was a first-team All-SEC selection last year and submitted his name to the NFL’s pre-draft advisory board for evaluation. The committee’s evaluation that he’d likely be selected late in the draft – likely in the sixth or seventh round – solidified his decision to return for his final year.
He believes only one year of Division I football – he spent his first two collegiate seasons at Georgia Military – affected that evaluation.
“I’m pretty sure that’s what it was. Plus there were some things I need to work on,” he said.
Although he was a terror for much of last season, Brinkley believes he’ll need to be more consistent and lead the Gamecocks from the middle of the pack in the league defensive rankings to improve his draft stock.
“I need to come out and play better than I did last year,” he said. “Instead of having 107 tackles, I need to have 112. I need to have some forced fumbles, I need to have some interceptions. We just need to be a great defensive team.”
The skinny: South Carolina lost a pair of key skill players in Sidney Rice and Syvelle Newton, but Spurrier loves his incoming freshman receiving class and believes fifth-year senior Blake Mitchell is ready to be a consistent SEC quarterback.
Mitchell may be the key to whether the Gamecocks live up to their coach’s belief that they can contend in the SEC East and for the league title. The former LaGrange High star finished last season with an impressive four-touchdown showing in a Liberty Bowl win. If he can avoid some of the flat performances that have marked his past seasons at South Carolina, the Gamecocks’ offense will be productive.
With Brinkley and nearly all of last year’s improving defense back, Spurrier’s optimism seems to be well-founded.
LE Media Days stories
I figured I'd link to the stuff we wrote yesterday at Media Days.
We're writing a capsule story for each team that appears and will do stories and notes on the teams that we cover when they appear. Our columnist Troy Johnson is also doing a column each day and some oddball little highlights each day.
So here are the links:
Troy's oddball highlights
Troy's column (on Auburn/Alabama) -- Escalating the rivalry
Auburn story -- Tigers don't mind laying low
Auburn notes -- Blackmon still has to convince Tuberville
The capsules aren't posted online, but I'll post mine on here in a minute.
You can also read more on our blogs, obviously here as well as at Christa Turner's and Troy's.
We're writing a capsule story for each team that appears and will do stories and notes on the teams that we cover when they appear. Our columnist Troy Johnson is also doing a column each day and some oddball little highlights each day.
So here are the links:
Troy's oddball highlights
Troy's column (on Auburn/Alabama) -- Escalating the rivalry
Auburn story -- Tigers don't mind laying low
Auburn notes -- Blackmon still has to convince Tuberville
The capsules aren't posted online, but I'll post mine on here in a minute.
You can also read more on our blogs, obviously here as well as at Christa Turner's and Troy's.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Kentucky's Andre Woodson
I was just transcribing some of my Andre Woodson quotes and I have like 11 minutes of tape. I'm only using a portion in what I'm writing for tomorrow, but if anyone's interested let me know and I'll transcribe the whole thing and post it. I wasn't aware of this, but his mom was in the army and he lived all over the nation and in Germany for a time before she retired nine years ago. Interesting...He lived in Germany, was born in Washington, lived in Hawaii, Pennsylvania, Kentucky (Fort Knox and Radcliffe) and then Chicago. A lot of folks living in or near Columbus at Fort Benning can probably identify with his life's journey.
I liked the kid -- seems to be a polite, thoughtful sort -- which is always a nice impression to get from a player.
I'm only using a portion of this quote, but here's what he had to say about how the attitude has changed this year after reaching a bowl game and then winning it last year:
"It’s definitely different. Especially winning that Georgia game and that Clemson game, we felt that we’re capable of winning some of these big games. We’re capable of winning and playing in this conference. We’re capable of being a contender for this SEC title. Now it’s a matter of us going out there and getting it done. We no longer can say that we don’t have the talent for it or we don’t have the depth or we’re still on probation. None of that matters no more. We showed last year that we could beat some of these teams. We didn’t get it done – we beat one – and this year we have to go out there and we have to win those games. And it’s time that we do start doing that, or we’re never gonna be considered one of the top teams in this conference."
I liked the kid -- seems to be a polite, thoughtful sort -- which is always a nice impression to get from a player.
I'm only using a portion of this quote, but here's what he had to say about how the attitude has changed this year after reaching a bowl game and then winning it last year:
"It’s definitely different. Especially winning that Georgia game and that Clemson game, we felt that we’re capable of winning some of these big games. We’re capable of winning and playing in this conference. We’re capable of being a contender for this SEC title. Now it’s a matter of us going out there and getting it done. We no longer can say that we don’t have the talent for it or we don’t have the depth or we’re still on probation. None of that matters no more. We showed last year that we could beat some of these teams. We didn’t get it done – we beat one – and this year we have to go out there and we have to win those games. And it’s time that we do start doing that, or we’re never gonna be considered one of the top teams in this conference."
Spurrier wit
Spurrier finally took his shot, although I'm not sure whether it was at Kentucky or Clemson. He started out talking about how he was impressed by what Kentucky did last year, but it turned into this:
"I thought we'd done something big beating Clemson and then Kentucky went and beat them."
Surprisingly enough, he backed off that when he realized what he'd just said and started complimenting both teams, sort of.
"I thought we'd done something big beating Clemson and then Kentucky went and beat them."
Surprisingly enough, he backed off that when he realized what he'd just said and started complimenting both teams, sort of.
Spurrier on stage
I love Steve Spurrier. There's so much to be said for someone who's really willing to speak his mind and not all that self-help bullcrap you hear from most of these people.
Somebody asked him how much of a concern it is, in the wake of the recent NBA referee scandal, for that type of thing to happen in the SEC. He joked some games he's coached in seemed to have been so lousily officiated that they "deserved an investigation." He said he's sure the league will be even more proactive about it than ever because of that concern.
Somebody asked him how much of a concern it is, in the wake of the recent NBA referee scandal, for that type of thing to happen in the SEC. He joked some games he's coached in seemed to have been so lousily officiated that they "deserved an investigation." He said he's sure the league will be even more proactive about it than ever because of that concern.
A big one...
Houston Nutt was talking about how Darren McFadden is a colorful kid, although he's uncomfortable in the spotlight. Nutt said he dresses up for Halloween.
So now McFadden's on the podium and somebody asked him about dressing up for Halloween. His answer wasn't real exciting. So then somebody asked what he dressed as:
DM: "A clown."
Reporter: "What kind of clown?"
DM: "A big one."
So now McFadden's on the podium and somebody asked him about dressing up for Halloween. His answer wasn't real exciting. So then somebody asked what he dressed as:
DM: "A clown."
Reporter: "What kind of clown?"
DM: "A big one."
And we're off
I forgot my laptop power cord, so I had to stop by Radio Shack in the Galleria to get a bootleg power cord. $87 later, I'm ready to rock.
Listened to Mike Slive give the rah-rah SEC speech and Houston Nutt's now on the podium discussing his cell phone scandal. Nothing terribly exciting so far, although it was interesting to hear Nutt talk about it.
Interestingly, I guess because of the demand for Darren McFadden's time, he's going to address the reporters from the podium like the coaches do, rather than from the side tables where you can talk to him more easily. I guess if you have other questions for him, you can catch him in the lobby. I haven't been to many of these, but he's the only player I've seen get put on the podium.
Listened to Mike Slive give the rah-rah SEC speech and Houston Nutt's now on the podium discussing his cell phone scandal. Nothing terribly exciting so far, although it was interesting to hear Nutt talk about it.
Interestingly, I guess because of the demand for Darren McFadden's time, he's going to address the reporters from the podium like the coaches do, rather than from the side tables where you can talk to him more easily. I guess if you have other questions for him, you can catch him in the lobby. I haven't been to many of these, but he's the only player I've seen get put on the podium.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
UGA in AAFL
Got a heads up that several guys from around these parts will be trying out for the All-American Football League in Birmingham on Thursday. Among the guys they say will attend the tryouts are: Billy Bennett, Gordon Ely-Kelso, Brian Jordan, Mark Myers, Leon Robinson, Omar Billy, Andrew Anyansi, Brian Johnson, Levon Thomas, Reggie Ball and Philip Newman.
Media Days ahead
So SEC Media Days is getting ready to kick off and the Ledger will have three folks -- me, columnist Troy Johnson and Auburn beat writer Christa Turner -- there doing our thing. We'll all be blogging as well. I'm not exactly sure what I'll be blogging about, but you can be sure it'll lack decorum and seriousness. This Media Days thing is really useful for season previews and stuff, but it can drag a bit, as I'm sure you can imagine. It's also a great time to network (i.e. drink beer and tell lies) with a lot of guys (and a couple girls) you rarely get to see. I haven't been enough to where I don't like it, but there are plenty of people who feel that way.
So if you've got any questions/material/observations, feel free to drop me a note on here or an e-mail (dching@ledger-enquirer.com). They're getting some of the best talkers out of the way early, which is unfortunate. Coach Richt and the Georgia kids have the good fortune to not have to pop in until Friday morning, when everyone will be worn out, do their thing and then immediately head back to Athens.
Here's the week's schedule:
Wednesday
1 p.m. Arkansas (Houston Nutt, Darren McFadden, Weston Dacus)
1 p.m. South Carolina (Steve Spurrier, Cory Boyd, Jasper Brinkley)
3 p.m. Auburn (Tommy Tuberville, Quentin Groves, Brandon Cox)
3 p.m. Kentucky (Rich Brooks, Andre Woodson, Marcus McClinton)
Thursday
8:30 a.m. Vanderbilt (Bobby Johnson, Earl Bennett, Jonathan Goff)
8:30 a.m. Alabama (Nick Saban, Antoine Caldwell, Simeon Castille)
10:30 a.m. Florida (Urban Meyer, Andre Caldwell, Tony Joiner)
10:30 a.m. Mississippi State (Sylvester Croom, Michael Henig, Titus Brown)
Friday
8:30 a.m. Georgia (Mark Richt, Fernando Velasco, Kelin Johnson)
8:30 a.m. Ole Miss (Ed Orgeron, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Marcus Tillman)
10:30 a.m. Tennessee (Phil Fulmer, Erik Ainge, Jerod Mayo)
10:30 a.m. LSU (Les Miles, Early Doucet, Glenn Dorsey)
You can go to the SEC's official Media Days site to read transcripts and whatnot from the event. I'll be glad to tell you some useless stuff you didn't really need to know here as well. There will definitely be a ranking of who wears the craziest suit posted on here at some point. Last year's award went to Fred Bennett from South Carolina for the royal blue ensemble that I believe he purchased at Disco Fashions in downtown Columbus. This year, my preseason favorite is Arkansas' Darren McFadden (assuming he dresses as well as he pimps out his Crown Vic.
So if you've got any questions/material/observations, feel free to drop me a note on here or an e-mail (dching@ledger-enquirer.com). They're getting some of the best talkers out of the way early, which is unfortunate. Coach Richt and the Georgia kids have the good fortune to not have to pop in until Friday morning, when everyone will be worn out, do their thing and then immediately head back to Athens.
Here's the week's schedule:
Wednesday
1 p.m. Arkansas (Houston Nutt, Darren McFadden, Weston Dacus)
1 p.m. South Carolina (Steve Spurrier, Cory Boyd, Jasper Brinkley)
3 p.m. Auburn (Tommy Tuberville, Quentin Groves, Brandon Cox)
3 p.m. Kentucky (Rich Brooks, Andre Woodson, Marcus McClinton)
Thursday
8:30 a.m. Vanderbilt (Bobby Johnson, Earl Bennett, Jonathan Goff)
8:30 a.m. Alabama (Nick Saban, Antoine Caldwell, Simeon Castille)
10:30 a.m. Florida (Urban Meyer, Andre Caldwell, Tony Joiner)
10:30 a.m. Mississippi State (Sylvester Croom, Michael Henig, Titus Brown)
Friday
8:30 a.m. Georgia (Mark Richt, Fernando Velasco, Kelin Johnson)
8:30 a.m. Ole Miss (Ed Orgeron, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Marcus Tillman)
10:30 a.m. Tennessee (Phil Fulmer, Erik Ainge, Jerod Mayo)
10:30 a.m. LSU (Les Miles, Early Doucet, Glenn Dorsey)
You can go to the SEC's official Media Days site to read transcripts and whatnot from the event. I'll be glad to tell you some useless stuff you didn't really need to know here as well. There will definitely be a ranking of who wears the craziest suit posted on here at some point. Last year's award went to Fred Bennett from South Carolina for the royal blue ensemble that I believe he purchased at Disco Fashions in downtown Columbus. This year, my preseason favorite is Arkansas' Darren McFadden (assuming he dresses as well as he pimps out his Crown Vic.
Paul Oliver signs with Chargers
Here's the link to the story on the Chargers' home page.
Paul was the subject of several questions at today's academics 101 for media thing. The gist of that discussion was that Paul apparently decided somewhere along the line this spring that he'd prefer to be an NFL player and go in the supplemental draft than focus on his schoolwork. And then he didn't leave himself any option.
At this point, I believe the only Georgia draft pick who remains unsigned is Quentin Moses, who went in the third round to the Oakland Raiders. Oliver, Ken Shackleford (Rams), Charles Johnson (Panthers) and Martrez Milner (Falcons) have already agreed to deals.
Paul was the subject of several questions at today's academics 101 for media thing. The gist of that discussion was that Paul apparently decided somewhere along the line this spring that he'd prefer to be an NFL player and go in the supplemental draft than focus on his schoolwork. And then he didn't leave himself any option.
At this point, I believe the only Georgia draft pick who remains unsigned is Quentin Moses, who went in the third round to the Oakland Raiders. Oliver, Ken Shackleford (Rams), Charles Johnson (Panthers) and Martrez Milner (Falcons) have already agreed to deals.
LE's SEC Top Five
We ran the second five from our SEC top five series today. Our Auburn beat writer, Christa Turner, ranked the top five running backs, tight ends, place-kickers, defensive backs and linebackers today. Link
My five ran yesterday, ranking the quarterbacks, wide receivers, offensive linemen, defensive linemen and punters. Link
Among the Georgia players we included:
Brandon Coutu, No. 1 place-kicker
Matthew Stafford, No. 3 quarterback
Kregg Lumpkin, No. 4 running back
Kelin Johnson, No. 5 defensive back
Honestly, it was kind of hard deciding who belongs on my list. There are about 10 offensive linemen who could be on there and it's hard to say who's better than who there. Florida folks would probably like to see Tim Tebow, Percy Harvin and Andre Caldwell on there, and maybe they should be. We'll see this year. The one I had the hardest time leaving off was Harvin. I don't think Tebow's done nearly enough to displace guys who've been through at least half a season as a starting SEC quarterback.
I think you might see UGA guys like one of the veteran OLs, Brandon Miller or Tripp Chandler/NaDerris Ward creep up on that list by the end of the season. Maybe some others too.
My five ran yesterday, ranking the quarterbacks, wide receivers, offensive linemen, defensive linemen and punters. Link
Among the Georgia players we included:
Brandon Coutu, No. 1 place-kicker
Matthew Stafford, No. 3 quarterback
Kregg Lumpkin, No. 4 running back
Kelin Johnson, No. 5 defensive back
Honestly, it was kind of hard deciding who belongs on my list. There are about 10 offensive linemen who could be on there and it's hard to say who's better than who there. Florida folks would probably like to see Tim Tebow, Percy Harvin and Andre Caldwell on there, and maybe they should be. We'll see this year. The one I had the hardest time leaving off was Harvin. I don't think Tebow's done nearly enough to displace guys who've been through at least half a season as a starting SEC quarterback.
I think you might see UGA guys like one of the veteran OLs, Brandon Miller or Tripp Chandler/NaDerris Ward creep up on that list by the end of the season. Maybe some others too.
Jason Johnson and Play it Smart
I got an e-mail about the annual Play it Smart conference that's being held in Atlanta from Thursday to Sunday.
Here's the sponsor National Football Foundation's description of the program, which is basically designed to teach young football players in underserved communities the importance of going to class, studying and staying out of trouble:
"Over the past 10 years, the National Football Foundation's Play It Smart program has established itself as one of most comprehensive and effective youth development programs in the country, proving that sports, when coached in the proper environment, can be used as an effective tool for lifting academic performance. The results are phenomenal with 95% of seniors graduating high school, compared to 85% of their peers; 80% of seniors enrolling in college compared to 62% of their peers; and rosters increasing by 35% for teams with fewer than 40 players. The event provides unique access to the intellectual capital that has placed Play It Smart in the vanguard of making a critical connection between the playing field and the classroom."
Among the featured guests is one college student -- Georgia fullback Jason Johnson, who participated in the program at Chicago's Dunbar High School. I'd say it's a fairly big thing to be invited as a student representative of the Play it Smart program, so kudos to Jason.
Here's the sponsor National Football Foundation's description of the program, which is basically designed to teach young football players in underserved communities the importance of going to class, studying and staying out of trouble:
"Over the past 10 years, the National Football Foundation's Play It Smart program has established itself as one of most comprehensive and effective youth development programs in the country, proving that sports, when coached in the proper environment, can be used as an effective tool for lifting academic performance. The results are phenomenal with 95% of seniors graduating high school, compared to 85% of their peers; 80% of seniors enrolling in college compared to 62% of their peers; and rosters increasing by 35% for teams with fewer than 40 players. The event provides unique access to the intellectual capital that has placed Play It Smart in the vanguard of making a critical connection between the playing field and the classroom."
Among the featured guests is one college student -- Georgia fullback Jason Johnson, who participated in the program at Chicago's Dunbar High School. I'd say it's a fairly big thing to be invited as a student representative of the Play it Smart program, so kudos to Jason.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Sporting News SEC player rankings
Tom Dienhart, the college football writer from The Sporting News, ranked his top 40 players in the league on his TSN blog. This is actually a couple weeks old, but I figured I'd post it on here just for the heck of it.
Link
Link
Student athlete performance rate
I came across this little nugget in the National Football Foundation's weekly newsletter that they send out:
Iowa sociologist Michael Lovaglia and Maryland professor Jeffrey Lucas have completed research on a Student Athlete Performance Rate (SAPR) that correlates academic achievement with athletics' success. In other words, college football programs with better academic performances tend to compete better on the gridiron. The researchers' Top Five SAPR schools for 2006 were Auburn, Georgia, Miami (Fla.), Florida State, and Michigan. Desire and attitude toward academics and football were two of the top traits quantified in the study.
Interestingly, the school invited us media types to something they're calling "Academics 101 for Media" tomorrow where counselors and support staff run us through some of the stuff they do to keep student-athletes on track in their degree program, the measures they take to help the athletes remain eligible...all that kind of stuff. I'm actually looking forward to learning a bit more about that stuff. I think this thing's a great idea.
You can read more explaining this SAPR stuff (the top two links are from 2005):
here
here and
here
Here's a link to the entire list of current standings for football. In case you were wondering, Georgia tied for second in football and tied for 116th in men's basketball. Auburn was first in football and tied for 281st in men's basketball. Georgia Tech tied for 34th in football and is 41st in men's basketball.
Iowa sociologist Michael Lovaglia and Maryland professor Jeffrey Lucas have completed research on a Student Athlete Performance Rate (SAPR) that correlates academic achievement with athletics' success. In other words, college football programs with better academic performances tend to compete better on the gridiron. The researchers' Top Five SAPR schools for 2006 were Auburn, Georgia, Miami (Fla.), Florida State, and Michigan. Desire and attitude toward academics and football were two of the top traits quantified in the study.
Interestingly, the school invited us media types to something they're calling "Academics 101 for Media" tomorrow where counselors and support staff run us through some of the stuff they do to keep student-athletes on track in their degree program, the measures they take to help the athletes remain eligible...all that kind of stuff. I'm actually looking forward to learning a bit more about that stuff. I think this thing's a great idea.
You can read more explaining this SAPR stuff (the top two links are from 2005):
here
here and
here
Here's a link to the entire list of current standings for football. In case you were wondering, Georgia tied for second in football and tied for 116th in men's basketball. Auburn was first in football and tied for 281st in men's basketball. Georgia Tech tied for 34th in football and is 41st in men's basketball.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
On a more serious note
Some of you folks who read the blog over the last couple months that I haven't been in Athens might recall that I covered Columbus State baseball a good bit this spring, including their run to the NCAA Division II World Series championship game.
Well, that program took a pretty devastating hit late last night. One of their starting pitchers, Bryan Kilgore, was murdered along with a high school classmate from Hardaway, Randy Newton. The police haven't released many details yet, other than that they were shot at an apartment complex in South Columbus.
I helped our police reporter a bit tonight as he got his story together, but it was really one of those situations where you just feel sick about the whole thing. You watch a kid play some and you feel like you know them, even though I had met Kilgore only briefly a time or two. I can't even imagine what this is like for his family, friends, teammates and coaches. He seemed like a nice, laid-back, 20-year-old kid. My thoughts and prayers go out to those affected by this very sad occurrence.
Well, that program took a pretty devastating hit late last night. One of their starting pitchers, Bryan Kilgore, was murdered along with a high school classmate from Hardaway, Randy Newton. The police haven't released many details yet, other than that they were shot at an apartment complex in South Columbus.
I helped our police reporter a bit tonight as he got his story together, but it was really one of those situations where you just feel sick about the whole thing. You watch a kid play some and you feel like you know them, even though I had met Kilgore only briefly a time or two. I can't even imagine what this is like for his family, friends, teammates and coaches. He seemed like a nice, laid-back, 20-year-old kid. My thoughts and prayers go out to those affected by this very sad occurrence.
Preseason training
I figure I've got a long season of eating stadium food ahead so it's about time to do some training to get into game shape. So me and a couple of buddies are going to the Braves game Sunday night to sit in the new all-you-can-eat-and drink seats. This will either be: 1) the best baseball game I've ever been to or 2) bad news. Possibly both, one after the next. Seriously though, this is an awesome promotion. Nothing like my tendencies toward gluttony (and the super-appealing Jo Jo Reyes vs. Brad Thompson pitching matchup) to get me excited about a night at the ballpark, possibly followed by the onset of a diabetic coma. If you don't know about this deal, you pay $60 to get in. That includes a ticket in the Lexus level (normally $28) at Turner Field. It also includes unlimited amounts of the following, served buffet-style:
BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches
BBQ Chicken Wings
Hot Dogs
Cole Slaw
Baked Potato Salad
Cornbread
Peanuts
Popcorn
Coca Cola, Diet Coke, Sprite, Dasani Water, and most importantly
Bud Light and Budweiser
There's also a $25 deal with a more limited menu that also doesn't include the beer. That's called the "Pansy Package" around the Ching household. Just kidding, teetotalers. It's just that it's the beer part that appeals to the sportswriter in me. Mmmm, beer.
Thomas Stinson from the AJC wrote a funny first-person column about visiting the all-you-can-eat seats the other day. Here's a link. I fully expect to blow by his caloric intake by the sixth inning. Maybe before, as we plan to arrive early. And since I don't plan to write any columns about it, I might be able to splurge a bit more on the beer intake than he did. We'll have to see. With a bellyful of BBQ sandwiches, there's only so much space for everything else.
So if you happen to be around the ballpark Sunday night, feel free to say hello. I'll be the dude who's covered in barbecue sauce and probably sleeping by the fifth inning. Just be careful to keep your hands from getting too close to my mouth while I'm getting my Kobayashi on, unless you want to bring back a nub.
BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches
BBQ Chicken Wings
Hot Dogs
Cole Slaw
Baked Potato Salad
Cornbread
Peanuts
Popcorn
Coca Cola, Diet Coke, Sprite, Dasani Water, and most importantly
Bud Light and Budweiser
There's also a $25 deal with a more limited menu that also doesn't include the beer. That's called the "Pansy Package" around the Ching household. Just kidding, teetotalers. It's just that it's the beer part that appeals to the sportswriter in me. Mmmm, beer.
Thomas Stinson from the AJC wrote a funny first-person column about visiting the all-you-can-eat seats the other day. Here's a link. I fully expect to blow by his caloric intake by the sixth inning. Maybe before, as we plan to arrive early. And since I don't plan to write any columns about it, I might be able to splurge a bit more on the beer intake than he did. We'll have to see. With a bellyful of BBQ sandwiches, there's only so much space for everything else.
So if you happen to be around the ballpark Sunday night, feel free to say hello. I'll be the dude who's covered in barbecue sauce and probably sleeping by the fifth inning. Just be careful to keep your hands from getting too close to my mouth while I'm getting my Kobayashi on, unless you want to bring back a nub.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
HERO for Children event Saturday
Coach Richt and about 30 of the players are scheduled to appear Saturday at HERO for Children's "Hero for a Day" event on Saturday. That's basically a field day event that about 700 people are expected to attend that provides a day of fun for approximately 200 Georgia kids who are affected by HIV/AIDS. There'll be games and events for the kids and a talent show at the end. Sounds like a nice way to spend a Saturday afternoon if you've got the time. In addition to coach Richt and the football players, a couple of Miss Georgia winners and some Atlanta TV personalities are also scheduled to appear.
The event will be held from 2-5 at Westminster High School (go to the back gate entrance), 1550 West Wesley Rd. Atlanta, GA 30327
The public is welcome to come and cheer on the kids, although they encourage you to volunteer for the day if you have the time. I'm not sure if it's too late to volunteer, but you can get plenty of information at the HERO for Children Web site or by e-mailing volunteer@heroforchildren.org
The event will be held from 2-5 at Westminster High School (go to the back gate entrance), 1550 West Wesley Rd. Atlanta, GA 30327
The public is welcome to come and cheer on the kids, although they encourage you to volunteer for the day if you have the time. I'm not sure if it's too late to volunteer, but you can get plenty of information at the HERO for Children Web site or by e-mailing volunteer@heroforchildren.org
Coaches Preseason All-SEC team
Our Auburn beat writer and I did this thing where we split up all the positions and ranked the top five SEC players at each. I don't know exactly when that's supposed to run, but it should be in the next few days as a lead-in to Media Days. I was pleased to see that my picks, by and large, lined up with the coach's choices. Can't say I was terribly confident picking the five best offensive linemen in the SEC. (I had QB, WR, OL, DL and P by the way). Once it runs, I'll post our list here and you can tell me how stupid I am. Looking forward to it.
Anyway, here's the coach's list that the league released today. LSU and Arkansas had 12 apiece. UGA has five players on it, although no first-team offense or defense. Mikey Henderson and Brandon Coutu made first-team special teams, Brandon Miller and Kelin Johnson are second-team defense and Fernando Velasco is third-team offense.
Anyway, here's the coach's list that the league released today. LSU and Arkansas had 12 apiece. UGA has five players on it, although no first-team offense or defense. Mikey Henderson and Brandon Coutu made first-team special teams, Brandon Miller and Kelin Johnson are second-team defense and Fernando Velasco is third-team offense.
2007 SEC COACHES PRE-SEASON ALL-SEC FOOTBALL TEAM
(*-Ties / # - Unanimous vote - Coaches cannot vote for their own student-athletes, unanimous is listed first-team on 11 ballots.)
FIRST-TEAM ALL-SEC -- OFFENSE
Pos. Name School Ht. Wt. Class Hometown
TE Jacob Tamme Kentucky 6-5 240 Sr. Danville, Ky.
OL Will Arnold LSU 6-4 319 Sr. Gloster, Miss.
OL Michael Oher Ole Miss 6-5 325 Jr. Memphis, Tenn.
OL Drew Miller Florida 6-5 297 Sr. Sarasota, Fla.
OL Chris Williams Vanderbilt 6-6 320 Sr. Glynn, La.
C Jonathan Luigs Arkansas 6-4 307 Jr. Little Rock, Ark.
WR Earl Bennett Vanderbilt 6-1 202 Jr. Birmingham, Ala.
WR Early Doucet LSU 6-0 207 Sr. St. Martinville, La.
QB Andre' Woodson Kentucky 6-5 230 Sr. Radcliff, Ky.
#RB Darren McFadden Arkansas 6-2 215 Jr. Little Rock, Ark.
RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis Ole Miss 5-11 225 Sr. New Orleans, La.
SECOND-TEAM ALL-SEC -- OFFENSE
Pos. Name School Ht. Wt. Class Hometown
TE Andy Boyd South Carolina 6-4 267 Sr. Concord, N.C.
OL Phil Trautwein Florida 6-6 298 Sr. Voorhees, N.J.
OL Robert Felton Arkansas 6-4 328 Sr. Houston, Texas
OL Andre Smith Alabama 6-4 348 So. Birmingham, Ala.
OL Brian Stamper Vanderbilt 6-4 300 Sr. Windermere, Fla.
*C Antoine Caldwell Alabama 6-4 288 Jr. Montgomery, Ala.
*C Brett Helms LSU 6-2 283 Jr. Stuttgart, Ark.
WR Marcus Monk Arkansas 6-6 220 Sr. Lepanto, Ark.
WR Keenan Burton Kentucky 6-2 195 Sr. Louisville, Ky.
QB Erik Ainge Tennessee 6-6 220 Sr. Hillsboro, Ore.
RB Felix Jones Arkansas 6-0 207 Jr. Tulsa, Okla.
RB LaMarcus Coker Tennessee 5-11 205 So. Antioch, Tenn.
THIRD-TEAM ALL-SEC -- OFFENSE
Pos. Name School Ht. Wt. Class Hometown
TE Ben Cleveland Arkansas 6-4 250 So. Springdale, Ark.
OL Ciron Black LSU 6-5 314 So. Tyler, Texas
OL King Dunlap Auburn 6-8 312 Sr. Brentwood, Tenn.
OL Anthony Parker Tennessee 6-3 305 Jr. Jonesboro, Ga.
OL Herman Johnson LSU 6-7 351 Jr. Denton, Texas
*C Royce Blackledge Miss. State 6-4 293 Sr. Sandersville, Miss.
*C Fernando Velasco Georgia 6-4 328 Sr. Wrens, Ga.
WR Percy Harvin Florida 5-11 181 So. Virginia Beach, Va.
WR Andre Caldwell Florida 6-0 198 Sr. Tampa, Fla.
QB Chris Nicksion Vanderbilt 6-1 210 Jr. Brundidge, Ala.
*RB Brad Lester Auburn 5-11 194 Jr. Lilburn, Ga.
*RB Cory Boyd South Carolina 6-1 214 Sr. Orange, N.J.
*RB Rafael Little Kentucky 5-10 195 Sr. Anderson, S.C.
FIRST-TEAM ALL-SEC -- DEFENSE
Pos. Name School Ht. Wt. Class Hometown
DL Glenn Dorsey LSU 6-2 299 Sr. Gonzales, La.
DL Quentin Groves Auburn 6-3 254 Sr. Greenville, Miss.
DL Derrick Harvey Florida 6-4 245 Jr. Greenbelt, Md.
LB Ali Highsmith LSU 6-1 226 Sr. Miami, Fla.
LB Jonathan Goff Vanderbilt 6-4 235 Sr. Lynn, Mass.
LB Jasper Brinkley South Carolina 6-2 262 Sr. Thomson, Ga.
LB Jerod Mayo Tennessee 6-2 230 Jr. Hampton, Va.
DB Simeon Castille Alabama 6-1 189 Sr. Birmingham, Ala.
DB Jonathan Hefney Tennessee 5-9 185 Sr. Rock Hill, S.C.
DB Chevis Jackson LSU 6-0 190 Sr. Mobile, Ala.
DB Derek Pegues Miss. State 5-10 196 Jr. Batesville, Miss.
SECOND-TEAM ALL-SEC -- DEFENSE
Pos. Name School Ht. Wt. Class Hometown
DL Titus Brown Miss. State 6-3 250 Sr. Tuscaloosa, Ala.
DL Tyson Jackson LSU 6-5 292 Jr. Edgard, La.
DL Antwain Robinson Arkansas 6-2 255 Jr. Little Rock, Ark.
LB Wesley Woodyard Kentucky 6-1 212 Sr. LaGrange, Ga.
LB Prince Hall Alabama 5-11 255 So. Moreno Valley, Calif.
LB Darry Beckwith LSU 6-1 232 Jr. Baton Rouge, La.
LB Brandon Miller Georgia 6-4 257 Sr. Colquitt, Ga.
DB Tony Joiner Florida 5-11 217 Sr. Haines City, Fla.
DB Jonathan Zenon LSU 6-0 176 Sr. Breaux Bridge, La.
DB Jonathan Wilhite Auburn 5-11 185 Sr. Monroe, La.
DB Kelin Johnson Georgia 6-1 194 Sr. Daytona Beach, Fla.
THIRD-TEAM ALL-SEC -- DEFENSE
Pos. Name School Ht. Wt. Class Hometown
DL Wallace Gilberry Alabama 6-4 264 Sr. Bay Minette, Ala.
DL Josh Thompson Auburn 6-0 301 Sr. Statesboro, Ga.
*DL Casper Brinkley South Carolina 6-2 257 Sr. Thomson, Ga.
*DL Marcus Harrison Arkansas 6-3 307 Sr. Little Rock, Ark.
LB Tray Blackmon Auburn 6-0 223 So. LaGrange, Ga.
LB Weston Dacus Arkansas 6-2 230 Sr. Searcy, Ark.
LB Jamar Chaney Miss. State 6-1 236 Jr. Fort Pierce, Fla.
LB Freddie Fairchild Arkansas 6-3 220 So. Little Rock, Ark.
DB Craig Steltz LSU 6-2 204 Sr. New Orleans, La.
DB Eric Brock Auburn 6-1 209 Sr. Alexander City, Ala.
*DB Patrick Lee Auburn 6-0 201 Sr. Miami, Fla.
*DB Jamarca Sanford Ole Miss 5-10 200 Jr. Batesville, Miss.
*DB Matt Hewitt Arkansas 6-3 215 Sr. Englewood, N.J.
FIRST-TEAM ALL-SEC -- SPECIAL TEAMS
Pos. Name School Ht. Wt. Class Hometown
PK Brandon Coutu Georgia 6-0 200 Sr. Lawrenceville, Ga.
P Britton Colquitt Tennessee 6-3 205 Jr. Knoxville, Tenn.
RS Mikey Henderson Georgia 5-10 150 Sr. Buford, Ga.
SECOND-TEAM ALL-SEC -- SPECIAL TEAMS
Pos. Name School Ht. Wt. Class Hometown
PK Ryan Succop South Carolina 6-2 213 Jr. Hickory, N.C.
P Ryan Succop South Carolina 6-2 213 Jr. Hickory, N.C.
RS Felix Jones Arkansas 6-0 207 Jr. Tulsa, Okla.
THIRD-TEAM ALL-SEC -- SPECIAL TEAMS
Pos. Name School Ht. Wt. Class Hometown
PK Jamie Christensen Alabama 6-0 183 Sr. Norcross, Ga.
P None
RS Rafael Little Kentucky 5-10 195 Sr. Anderson, S.C.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Taylor turns self in
As expected, Tripp Taylor turned himself in to Cherokee County Sheriff's authorities Tuesday night. He was released on $675 bond.
There's a story about the arrest on the AJC site that you can find here.
There's a story about the arrest on the AJC site that you can find here.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Taylor, King updates
I just got an e-mail back from Sgt. Jay Baker, the public information officer from the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office, who told me Tripp Taylor's attorney had requested a pre-arrest hearing today, but that request was denied. He said Taylor is expected to turn himself in tonight before 8 p.m.
On the Caleb King story, this doesn't sound like a very big deal. A UGA PD officer observed him turning his moped off of Baldwin Street (by the UGA journalism building) onto a one-way portion of Sanford Drive last night at 10:38 p.m. The police report said his license was suspended on June 15 because of "serious violations" on his traffic record. That sounds rather ominous, but it could be for something as simple as going too many miles over the speed limit.
This has little relevance in the story, but I love the small details in the reports. He was driving a 2005 Schwinn Sport moped and the moped was turned over to King's roommate, new UGA offensive lineman Ben Harden.
I wouldn't expect any game punishment in the King situation. I have no idea what to expect from the Taylor case. That was apparently a pretty serious fight, although it doesn't sound like sheriff's authorities think Taylor was responsible for the worst stuff.
On the Caleb King story, this doesn't sound like a very big deal. A UGA PD officer observed him turning his moped off of Baldwin Street (by the UGA journalism building) onto a one-way portion of Sanford Drive last night at 10:38 p.m. The police report said his license was suspended on June 15 because of "serious violations" on his traffic record. That sounds rather ominous, but it could be for something as simple as going too many miles over the speed limit.
This has little relevance in the story, but I love the small details in the reports. He was driving a 2005 Schwinn Sport moped and the moped was turned over to King's roommate, new UGA offensive lineman Ben Harden.
I wouldn't expect any game punishment in the King situation. I have no idea what to expect from the Taylor case. That was apparently a pretty serious fight, although it doesn't sound like sheriff's authorities think Taylor was responsible for the worst stuff.
Caleb King arrested
Georgia freshman running back Caleb King was arrested tonight on a pair of traffic citations. He was arrested at 11:39 p.m. by UGA PD for driving with a suspended license and apparently driving the wrong way on a one-way street.
The 19-year-old incoming freshman was released at 12:16 a.m. on $2,000 bond -- $1,500 for the suspended license charge and $500 on the one-way roadway charge. I'll get more details on the arrest tomorrow...or I guess later today.
I went ahead and posted a story on our Web site. You can read it here.
The 19-year-old incoming freshman was released at 12:16 a.m. on $2,000 bond -- $1,500 for the suspended license charge and $500 on the one-way roadway charge. I'll get more details on the arrest tomorrow...or I guess later today.
I went ahead and posted a story on our Web site. You can read it here.
CJ signs with Panthers
Charles Johnson has agreed to a deal with the Carolina Panthers. He very well may contend for substantial early playing time, according to many team reports. Here's the team's official announcement of Charles' signing.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Future opponent news
It looks like Oklahoma State's going to be without one of its expected starting WRs for the Sept. 1 season opener at Sanford Stadium. No, not all-America candidate Adarius Bowman. The player who was expected to start on the opposite side of Bowman, Artrell Woods, suffered a serious lower back injury in the weight room on Friday.
The Oklahoman in Oklahoma City has the details.
Was doing step-ups when he twisted his ankle and then a disc in his back came out of place. He had surgery for 3-1/2 hours on Friday and is now able to move a bit, but his football future is still unclear. They compare the injury to David Pollack's in some way.
Woods was in position to start after a strong spring. The Oklahoman speculated that he could have been the MVP of the spring game after recording four catches for 111 yards and two TDs in the game. He had two catches and played mostly special teams last year as a true freshman.
The Oklahoman in Oklahoma City has the details.
Was doing step-ups when he twisted his ankle and then a disc in his back came out of place. He had surgery for 3-1/2 hours on Friday and is now able to move a bit, but his football future is still unclear. They compare the injury to David Pollack's in some way.
Woods was in position to start after a strong spring. The Oklahoman speculated that he could have been the MVP of the spring game after recording four catches for 111 yards and two TDs in the game. He had two catches and played mostly special teams last year as a true freshman.
McLee dies of stroke
UGA just sent out this release:
ATHENS------- A stroke has claimed the life of former University of Georgia All-SEC running back Kevin McLee.
ATHENS------- A stroke has claimed the life of former University of Georgia All-SEC running back Kevin McLee.
A native of Uniontown, Pa., McLee passed away Sunday after suffering a stroke at his home in West Covina, Calif., last weekend. Arrangements are incomplete.
Midway through his senior season in 1977, McLee surpassed 1942 Heisman Trophy winner Frank Sinkwich as Georgia's all time leading rusher. By season's end, McLee had rushed for 2,581 career yards breaking Sinkwich's mark of 2,271 total yards.
By the end of his senior season, McLee had shattered several other school records and still ranks high in the Georgia record books including top five in Most Career Rushes (562), Most Rushes Per Game (17.6), Most Career Rushing Yards (2,581), Career Average Yards Per Game (78.2), Most Yards Rushing In Three Seasons (2,581), and is still among the top ten in single season rushing yards (1,058 in 1976).
In 1975, he was named the Jacksonville Journal SEC Rookie of the Year. Down the stretch in 1976, in back-to-back games against Florida and Auburn, McLee rushed for 198 and 203 yards, the best back-to-back rushing performances in Bulldog history at that time. McLee was rewarded by being named a consensus All-SEC first team and Honorable Mention All-America selection in 1976 after helping lead Georgia to the SEC Championship and invitation to the Sugar Bowl. He was also a two-time Academic All-SEC selection (1975 and '76). McLee was inducted into the Georgia-Florida Hall of Fame in 2005.
Tripp Taylor facing charges
Georgia defensive tackle Tripp Taylor was allegedly involved in a pretty big brawl near Lake Allatoona (about 30 miles northwest of Atlanta) in May that left a 16- and 17-year-old kids pretty badly beaten. The second-string walk-on DT is accused of making verbal threats at this point and it's fairly unclear what his role in the whole thing was. He's facing misdemeanor simple assault charges and is expected to turn himself in to Cherokee County authorities today, although as of 4:10 p.m., he had not done so.
Shane McCleskey, who played football at Woodstock with Taylor, was arrested on felony assault charges and dismissed today from the football team at Murray State, where he played wide receiver.
EDIT: You can read my story on the subject here.
Here's the AP story on it. The AJC has a long story with lots of vague details from the police report, including that the kids say they were peed on after being beaten with a baseball bat and threatened with a knife. Here's another story on the subject, from the June 15 Cherokee Gazette in Canton. And here's the link to the release on the Cherokee County Sheriffs page.
I wouldn't expect an announcement on the punishment for Taylor, if there's going to be any, for a while. It doesn't sound like the authorities in Canton have everything sorted out yet and until they do, it will be difficult for coach Richt to determine the proper reaction.
Shane McCleskey, who played football at Woodstock with Taylor, was arrested on felony assault charges and dismissed today from the football team at Murray State, where he played wide receiver.
EDIT: You can read my story on the subject here.
Here's the AP story on it. The AJC has a long story with lots of vague details from the police report, including that the kids say they were peed on after being beaten with a baseball bat and threatened with a knife. Here's another story on the subject, from the June 15 Cherokee Gazette in Canton. And here's the link to the release on the Cherokee County Sheriffs page.
I wouldn't expect an announcement on the punishment for Taylor, if there's going to be any, for a while. It doesn't sound like the authorities in Canton have everything sorted out yet and until they do, it will be difficult for coach Richt to determine the proper reaction.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Shack signs with Rams
I just noticed in the transactions in today's paper that Ken Shackleford has signed a three-year contract with the St. Louis Rams. Just figured I'd mention it...
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Interesting baseball story
This guy from the Birmingham News, David Knox, put together an interesting little feature on professional baseball players born in Alabama. I enjoyed it, particularly as someone who's always talking about how many great players are from my hometown, Mobile. Among the great Mobilians are Hank Aaron, Willie McCovey, Satchel Paige, Ozzie Smith, Billy Williams and Negro leaguer Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe (who should be in the HOF), as well as current MLBers Juan Pierre and Jake Peavy. Check it out. I wasn't aware until I read this thing that Alex Rios and Delmon Young are both from Alabama. As is my role model and personal hero, Colter Bean.
The starting lineup Knox put together out of the Alabamians was:
C Rudy York
1B Willie McCovey
2B Riggs Stephenson
SS Ozzie Smith
3B Joe Sewell (who I got to meet after I wrote him a letter when I was a little kid. He lived at one of his children's house in Mobile at the time because he was old and frail and his son invited me, my dad and brother over to meet him. He told us all kinds of stories and signed autographs and showed us a bat Babe Ruth gave him. It was a real thrill for me, so thanks to his son for that.)
OF Billy Williams
OF Willie Mays
OF Henry Aaron
DH Heinie Manush
SP Early Wynn
RP Jeff Brantley
Mgr Gabby Street
Announcer Mel Allen
I really enjoyed looking over that stuff because I really love baseball history. It would be interesting to put together something similar for Georgia. I was looking over a list of the 290 players in MLB history who were born in Georgia. You could put together a pretty good lineup, both as a historic team and a team of current players composed of Georgia natives.
Here are the current big leaguers born in Georgia. I might run this all-time team thing by my boss to coincide with this thing we may have coming sometime in the future about Josh Gibson, one of the greatest Negro Leaguers of all:
Reggie Abercrombie, Marlins
Michael Barrett, Padres
Blaine Boyer, Braves
Russell Branyan, Padres
Jonathan Broxton, Dodgers
Mike Cameron, Padres
Matt Capps, Pirates
Kyle Davies, Braves
Dennis Dove, Cardinals
J.D. Drew, Red Sox
Stephen Drew, Diamondbacks
Adam Everett, Astros
Chone Figgins, Angels
Jeff Francoeur, Braves
Robby Hammock, Diamondbacks
Willie Harris, Braves
Jeremy Hermida, Marlins
Tim Hudson, Braves
Chuck James, Braves
Todd Jones, Tigers
Nick Markakis, Orioles
Macay McBride, Tigers
Brian McCann, Braves
Dustin McGowan, Blue Jays
Micah Owings, Diamondbacks
Corey Patterson, Orioles
Desi Relaford, Rangers
Kenny Rogers, Tigers
David Ross, Reds
Levale Speigner, Nationals
Frank Thomas, Blue Jays
Adam Wainwright, Cardinals
Jake Westbrook, Indians
Rondell White, Twins
You can see the entire list here.
If I put together a starting lineup out of this batch of Georgians, here's where I'd go. Some of these guys have played more games at other positions, but just to fill out this hypothetical lineup...:
2B Chone Figgins
C Brian McCann
LF J.D. Drew
1B Frank Thomas
RF Jeff Francoeur
CF Corey Patterson or Mike Cameron
DH Jeremy Hermida
3B Michael Barrett
SS Stephen Drew
SP Tim Hudson or Kenny Rogers
Closer Matt Capps (although Wainwright would be good, too)
You could win a few games with that starting lineup.
The starting lineup Knox put together out of the Alabamians was:
C Rudy York
1B Willie McCovey
2B Riggs Stephenson
SS Ozzie Smith
3B Joe Sewell (who I got to meet after I wrote him a letter when I was a little kid. He lived at one of his children's house in Mobile at the time because he was old and frail and his son invited me, my dad and brother over to meet him. He told us all kinds of stories and signed autographs and showed us a bat Babe Ruth gave him. It was a real thrill for me, so thanks to his son for that.)
OF Billy Williams
OF Willie Mays
OF Henry Aaron
DH Heinie Manush
SP Early Wynn
RP Jeff Brantley
Mgr Gabby Street
Announcer Mel Allen
I really enjoyed looking over that stuff because I really love baseball history. It would be interesting to put together something similar for Georgia. I was looking over a list of the 290 players in MLB history who were born in Georgia. You could put together a pretty good lineup, both as a historic team and a team of current players composed of Georgia natives.
Here are the current big leaguers born in Georgia. I might run this all-time team thing by my boss to coincide with this thing we may have coming sometime in the future about Josh Gibson, one of the greatest Negro Leaguers of all:
Reggie Abercrombie, Marlins
Michael Barrett, Padres
Blaine Boyer, Braves
Russell Branyan, Padres
Jonathan Broxton, Dodgers
Mike Cameron, Padres
Matt Capps, Pirates
Kyle Davies, Braves
Dennis Dove, Cardinals
J.D. Drew, Red Sox
Stephen Drew, Diamondbacks
Adam Everett, Astros
Chone Figgins, Angels
Jeff Francoeur, Braves
Robby Hammock, Diamondbacks
Willie Harris, Braves
Jeremy Hermida, Marlins
Tim Hudson, Braves
Chuck James, Braves
Todd Jones, Tigers
Nick Markakis, Orioles
Macay McBride, Tigers
Brian McCann, Braves
Dustin McGowan, Blue Jays
Micah Owings, Diamondbacks
Corey Patterson, Orioles
Desi Relaford, Rangers
Kenny Rogers, Tigers
David Ross, Reds
Levale Speigner, Nationals
Frank Thomas, Blue Jays
Adam Wainwright, Cardinals
Jake Westbrook, Indians
Rondell White, Twins
You can see the entire list here.
If I put together a starting lineup out of this batch of Georgians, here's where I'd go. Some of these guys have played more games at other positions, but just to fill out this hypothetical lineup...:
2B Chone Figgins
C Brian McCann
LF J.D. Drew
1B Frank Thomas
RF Jeff Francoeur
CF Corey Patterson or Mike Cameron
DH Jeremy Hermida
3B Michael Barrett
SS Stephen Drew
SP Tim Hudson or Kenny Rogers
Closer Matt Capps (although Wainwright would be good, too)
You could win a few games with that starting lineup.
Correction
I think I said in a post recently that Georgia's going first at Media Days. Must've gotten that confused with last year. Georgia's actually going on the last day. Here's the Media Days schedule:
Wednesday, July 25:
Arkansas
South Carolina
Auburn
Kentucky
Thursday, July 26
Vanderbilt
Alabama
Florida
Mississippi State
Friday, July 27
Georgia (8:30 AM!)
Ole Miss
Tennessee
LSU
Wednesday, July 25:
Arkansas
South Carolina
Auburn
Kentucky
Thursday, July 26
Vanderbilt
Alabama
Florida
Mississippi State
Friday, July 27
Georgia (8:30 AM!)
Ole Miss
Tennessee
LSU
UGA release on Oliver
The school just sent out a release on Paul being picked up by San Diego:
San Diego Chargers Select Paul Oliver In NFL Supplemental Draft
ATHENS, Ga. --- The San Diego Chargers selected former Georgia cornerback Paul Oliver in the fourth round of the NFL supplemental draft on Thursday afternoon. Oliver was the first of two collegiate players taken during the supplemental draft.
"The biggest thing for me was that I was picked by a legitimate Super Bowl contender and I could not be more excited about getting a chance to play for the Chargers," said Oliver. "This marks the end of a great chapter of my life at Georgia and now the chance for a great start in San Diego. I'm just ready to go out there and play."
The NFL supplemental draft started in 1977 and accommodates players who were ineligible for the standard draft but became eligible afterward through special circumstances. Teams making supplemental draft picks have to forfeit a pick in the same round during the next regular NFL draft.
Oliver started 15 games for the Bulldogs from 2004-06, including all 13 last season. The Kennesaw, Ga., native finished with 94 tackles, seven interceptions, eight pass break-ups, five caused fumbles and three sacks in his career and helped lead Georgia to the 2005 Southeastern Conference title.
“We had the opportunity to get a good football player today, and we took it,” said Chargers' General Manager A.J. Smith. “Paul Oliver is very competitive, aggressive, confident player. He’s not cautious about anything he does on the field. You know how we like depth. We’ll add Paul to the mix as a Charger and time will tell.”
The selection of Oliver marks the first time the Chargers have selected a player in a supplemental draft since using a second-round selection in 1998 to take two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jamal Williams.
Four Bulldogs were selected during the NFL draft on April 28-29. Defensive end Quentin Moses (Oakland Raiders, 3rd round, 65th pick), defensive end Charles Johnson (Carolina Panthers, 3rd round, 83rd pick), tight end Martrez Milner (Atlanta Falcons, 4th round, 133rd pick) and offensive tackle Ken Shackleford (St. Louis Rams, 6th round, 190th pick) were all taken during the first six rounds of the draft.
Oliver to Chargers
The San Diego Chargers selected former Georgia cornerback Paul Oliver in the fourth round of the NFL Supplemental Draft today. The Chargers forfeit a fourth-round pick in next year's draft by using today's pick on Oliver.
Only one other player, Maryland offensive tackle Jared Gaither, was picked in today's draft. The Baltimore Ravens used a fifth-round pick on Gaither.
You can read more on Oliver's selection at the Chargers' official site here.
Only one other player, Maryland offensive tackle Jared Gaither, was picked in today's draft. The Baltimore Ravens used a fifth-round pick on Gaither.
You can read more on Oliver's selection at the Chargers' official site here.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
SEC Academic Honor Roll
The school sent out this release today, announcing that 80 UGA athletes were named to the Spring SEC Academic honor roll.
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ATHENS, Ga. – Eighty student-athletes from the University of Georgia have been named to the 2007 SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll, which was announced Wednesday by Commissioner Mike Slive.
To qualify, each student-athlete must: 1) have a GPA of 3.00 for either the preceding academic year or have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or above; 2) be on scholarship, a letter winner or have participated on a varsity team for two years if non-scholarship; 3) have completed 24 semester hours of non-remedial credit; and 4) have been a member of the varsity team for the sport’s entire NCAA Championship segment.
The 2007 SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll is based on grades from the 2006 Summer, 2006 Fall and 2007 Spring terms.
Here are Georgia’s honorees by sport:
Baseball: Gordon Beckham, Business; Trevor Holder, Sport Studies; Justin Holloway, International Business; Jason Leaver, Criminal Justice; Adam McDaniel, Finance; Matt Olson, Management; Ryan Peisel, Consumer Economics; Miles Starr, Business.
Equestrian: Kristy Akins, Early Childhood Education; Sarah Ashcraft, Biological Sciences; Michelle Blair, Landscape Architecture; Kelly Bonau, Sport Studies; Loren Buck, Junior Biology; Ashley Chandler, Marketing; Kelley Cowperthwait, Psychology; Sarah Dunsmore, Physical Education/ Sport Studies; Erin Dwyer, Spanish; Amber Fellows, International Affairs; Logan Fiorentino, Physical Education/Sport Studies; Patricia Fowler, Biology; Lauren Hemingway, Speech Communication; Anna Hichborn, Animal Science; Allison Hush, Spanish; Leslie Immel, Horticulture; Lauren Kulwicki, Journalism; Lauren McGirt, Exercise & Sport Science; Tori Moore, Animal Science; Catherine Pennington, Advertising; Caitlin Tenewitz, Animal Science.
Men’s golf: Michael Green, Finance; Brian Harman, Finance; Chris Kirk, Sport Studies; Brendon Todd, Marketing.
Women’s golf: Mallory Hetzel, Journalism; Alina Lee, International Affairs; Whitney Wade, Speech Communication.
Softball: Kathleen Backer, Business; Kasi Carroll, Early Childhood Education; Megan McAllister, Consumer Economics; Kellie Middleton, Public Health; Rebecca Mohl, Exercise & Sport Science; Kristin Schnake, Agriculture & Applied Economics; Melissa Wood, Marketing Education.
Men’s tennis: Brad Benedict, Finance; Ricardo Gonzalez, Speech Communication; John Isner, Speech Communication; Matic Omerzel, Consumer Economics.
Women’s tennis: Natalie Frazier, Accounting; Kelley Hyndman, Consumer Journalism/ Fashion Merchandising.
Men’s track and field: Bejan Abtahi, Biology; Ian Burrell, Criminal Justice; Sean Cuevo, Finance; Charles Dickhaus, Management; John Egan, Sport Studies; Brian Etelman, History; Wes Fuller, Landscape Architecture; Samuel Gillespie, Exercise & Sport Science; Kyle Helf, Psychology; Nathaniel Hermance, Consumer Journalism; Zachary Hunter, Business; Kurt Kimmons, Exercise & Sport Science; Jesse Marino, Business; Ryan Philyaw, Economics; Matthew Roberson, International Affairs; Kristofer Ward, Biology.
Women’s track and field: Christy Carr, Math Education; Kelly Cordell, Early Childhood Education; Jennifer Dahlgren, English; Nicole DeMarco, International Affairs; Shaka Dennison, Sport Studies; Sigrun Fjeldsted, Psychology; Courtney Hall, Psychology; Shalondan Hollingshed, Finance; Kimberly House, Advertising; Jillian Lammers, Finance; Lacey Meadows, Business; Natalie Picchetti, Psychology; Jillian Skinner, International Business; Julianne Toto, Psychology; Whitni Wonderlin, Dietetics.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Cuff saga continues
Wayne Grandy in Moultrie has more on the Vance Cuff saga in today's paper. The NCAA Clearinghouse has denied his appeal, on the grounds that this particular Colquitt County speech class doesn't fall under any of the core categories...despite the fact that, according to Wayne's story, the same speech class is acceptable by NCAA standards in Houston County. Interesting.
I'm sure this story will continue until Cuff and the people at Colquitt County have exhausted all their options. Apparently he'll be at a JUCO this season if things don't go his way because his grades and test scores are fine, which rules out a prep school like Hargrave.
Cuff was Georgia's only cornerback signee in February and one of only two defensive back signees, along with Statesboro safety John Knox, who's also facing long odds toward qualifying.
I'm sure this story will continue until Cuff and the people at Colquitt County have exhausted all their options. Apparently he'll be at a JUCO this season if things don't go his way because his grades and test scores are fine, which rules out a prep school like Hargrave.
Cuff was Georgia's only cornerback signee in February and one of only two defensive back signees, along with Statesboro safety John Knox, who's also facing long odds toward qualifying.
On the Supplemental Draft
The NFL supplemental draft will be held at 1 p.m. on Thursday. Of course, former Georgia cornerback Paul Oliver is among the 11 players who will be considered. Also available are:
Morgan State DT Robert Armstrong
Florida State DT Clifton Dickson
Maryland OT Jared Gaither
Central Missouri DB RoShawn Marshall
Glendale (Ariz.) Community College WR Eric McCain
Connecticut DB Donta' Moore
Nebraska OT Chris Patrick
Utah State DT Brian Soi
East Central (Okla.) OT Aaron Turner
Texas State-San Marcos LB Mark Washington
Pro Football Weekly has done some preliminary coverage and also submitted capsules on each player, basically detailing their resumes and chances for being drafted. This writer, Nolan Nawrocki, said Oliver may not be drafted at all on Thursday after running a slow 40 in his pro day workout in Athens. I tend not to buy that, but I guess we'll see on Thursday. You'd figure someone would take a flyer on him if for no other reason than that he was a main factor in Calvin Johnson totaling two catches and 14 yards against UGA last season.
Morgan State DT Robert Armstrong
Florida State DT Clifton Dickson
Maryland OT Jared Gaither
Central Missouri DB RoShawn Marshall
Glendale (Ariz.) Community College WR Eric McCain
Connecticut DB Donta' Moore
Nebraska OT Chris Patrick
Utah State DT Brian Soi
East Central (Okla.) OT Aaron Turner
Texas State-San Marcos LB Mark Washington
Pro Football Weekly has done some preliminary coverage and also submitted capsules on each player, basically detailing their resumes and chances for being drafted. This writer, Nolan Nawrocki, said Oliver may not be drafted at all on Thursday after running a slow 40 in his pro day workout in Athens. I tend not to buy that, but I guess we'll see on Thursday. You'd figure someone would take a flyer on him if for no other reason than that he was a main factor in Calvin Johnson totaling two catches and 14 yards against UGA last season.
Monday, July 09, 2007
Cuff enrolled at UGA
Georgia signee Vance Cuff has been admitted and is finally enrolled in school to take summer school classes. He's booked to room with new receiver Walter Hill according to UGA's online student directory, but apparently he's not out of the woods just yet.
The Moultrie, Ga. (Colquitt County High) grad seemed to have all the requisite academic grade/scores, but the NCAA clearinghouse denied two of his high school credits. His school appealed the decision and was denied, according to a report last month by the Moultrie Observer's Wayne Grandy (whom I kinda worked with in my first newspaper job in South Georgia. I always thought Wayne did a good job). He passed a summer school class to replace one of the lost credits and has appealed on the second credit for one last chance to get his 14 core credits. Apparently that clearinghouse ruling should come down soon.
If Cuff is ruled eligible, that will mean that all but one of Georgia's signees will have qualified. Statesboro safety John Knox had an outside shot at qualifying this summer, but would otherwise probably end up at Hargrave Military. Those are the only two defensive back signees in the 2007 recruiting class, so it would be helpful for both to qualify, even if they were eventually redshirted. The depth they'd add would give Willie Martinez some much-needed flexibility with some returning players in the secondary who could play multiple positions like Donovan Baldwin and maybe Reshad Jones or Antavious Coates.
The Moultrie, Ga. (Colquitt County High) grad seemed to have all the requisite academic grade/scores, but the NCAA clearinghouse denied two of his high school credits. His school appealed the decision and was denied, according to a report last month by the Moultrie Observer's Wayne Grandy (whom I kinda worked with in my first newspaper job in South Georgia. I always thought Wayne did a good job). He passed a summer school class to replace one of the lost credits and has appealed on the second credit for one last chance to get his 14 core credits. Apparently that clearinghouse ruling should come down soon.
If Cuff is ruled eligible, that will mean that all but one of Georgia's signees will have qualified. Statesboro safety John Knox had an outside shot at qualifying this summer, but would otherwise probably end up at Hargrave Military. Those are the only two defensive back signees in the 2007 recruiting class, so it would be helpful for both to qualify, even if they were eventually redshirted. The depth they'd add would give Willie Martinez some much-needed flexibility with some returning players in the secondary who could play multiple positions like Donovan Baldwin and maybe Reshad Jones or Antavious Coates.
Saturday, July 07, 2007
Long break
Sorry no posts in a while, but there really hasn't been much to report lately. I finally wrote a story on the Richt family's mission trip to Honduras, which I thought came out all right. It should be in tomorrow's paper. There'll be a Brandon Miller story coming shortly, I think Monday or Tuesday, on his switch from strongside linebacker to the middle. Those linebackers are gonna be an interesting unknown to start the season. Lots of talent there, but how long will it take for them to be ready for SEC competition? That'll be a determining factor this year.
I don't know how much there'll be to write about between now and Media Days. Georgia goes the first day, July 25, and I think the Bulldogs may be the first team to go, so I think us UGA writers will get our stuff knocked out quickly. You know what that means...Watch out Birmingham! Marc Weiszer from the Athens paper has a well-known reputation around SEC cities as a first-rate hellraiser and destroyer of hotel rooms.
Also, if you haven't taken a look at it, I thought the AJC's Michelle Hiskey did a neat feature on playing golf with Matthew Stafford and Joe Cox a day or two ago. You can check it out here. I thought she did a nice job capturing his personality, which I'll assume was the whole point of the story.
I don't know how much there'll be to write about between now and Media Days. Georgia goes the first day, July 25, and I think the Bulldogs may be the first team to go, so I think us UGA writers will get our stuff knocked out quickly. You know what that means...Watch out Birmingham! Marc Weiszer from the Athens paper has a well-known reputation around SEC cities as a first-rate hellraiser and destroyer of hotel rooms.
Also, if you haven't taken a look at it, I thought the AJC's Michelle Hiskey did a neat feature on playing golf with Matthew Stafford and Joe Cox a day or two ago. You can check it out here. I thought she did a nice job capturing his personality, which I'll assume was the whole point of the story.
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