2002 SEC Post-Spring Practice Football Notes
Tuesday, April 30, 2002
 
  • 2002 SEC Spring Football Coaches Press Conference

    (Compiled from each institution's sports information office)

    ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE

  • The close of spring practice at Alabama found several position changes. Senior Atlas Herrion moved from the offensive tackle to the defensive tackle; Thurman Ward from cornerback to wide receiver; Mark Anderson from defensive end to linebacker; Bart Raulston from offensive tackle to defensive tackle and Marvin Brown from fullback to linebacker.

  • Spring practice also brought about the emergence of the A-back and W-back positions. The A-back is a hybrid tailback/receiver position, while the W-back pulls together the talents of a fullback and tight end.

  • Tide coach Dennis Franchione enters the 2002 season ranked No. 11 on the list of winningest active division 1A coaches. Franchione, starting his 31st year as a college coach, has a 145-70-2 overall record, good for a .673 winning percentage.

  • Only one change took place on the Tide's coaching roster. Melvin Smith took over the duties as safeties coach, replacing the retiring Ron Case.

  • Alabama opens the 2002 season riding a four-game winning streak. Bama closed out the 2001 season with wins over Mississippi State, Auburn, Southern Miss and Iowa State.

  • The Crimson Tide, while led the SEC and was 9th in the nation in rushing last season (226.4 yards per game), returns 96.5 percent of that total in 2002. Leading rushers Ahmaad Galloway (881), Santonio Beard (633), Tyler Watts (564) and Ray Hudson (205) all return. Add transfer Shaud Williams, who had a freshman record 658 yards at Texas Tech and the Tide should be a potent running team again this season.

  • Alabama returns all five starting offensive lineman from 2001, including tackles Wesley Britt (6-8, 304, So.) and Evan Mathis (6-5, 288, So.); center Alonzo Ephraim (6-4, 295, Sr.) and guards Justin Smiley (6-4, 292, So.) and Marico Portis (6-3, 308, Sr.).

  • In all, Alabama returns 44 lettermen, including seven offensive starters and eight defensive starters.

  • Defensively, seven of the Tide's top ten tackle leaders from 2001 return, led by linebacker Brooks Daniels who had 102 tackles, one sack and one TBL.

    ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS

  • Arkansas' quarterbacks combined to throw only two interceptions in five spring scrimmages. Sophomores Matt Jones and Ryan Sorahan as well as freshman Tarvaris Jackson are all competing for the starting quarterback position.

  • Arkansas' spring practice was delayed to allow sophomore quarterback Matt Jones to take part in the full allotment of practices. Jones was a forward on the Razorback basketball team and averaged 4.2 points and 2.3 rebounds for the Hogs on the hardwood last season.

  • Transfer wide receiver Carlos Ousley made great strides in the spring. Ousley transferred to Arkansas from Wake Forest and will be a redshirt freshman in the fall. In five spring scrimmages, Ousley made 10 catches for 156 yards and two touchdowns.

  • Arkansas' secondary is listed among the nation's best by several preseason magazines. Junior free safety Ken Hamlin led SEC defensive backs and ranked third overall in the league in tackles last season with 118 stops. Junior cornerback Lawrence Richardson led the SEC and ranked sixth in the nation with 20 pass deflections. Sophomore cornerback Ahmad Carroll was tied for second in the league with 13 pass deflections.

  • Sophomore wide receiver George Wilson underwent arthroscopic surgery for torn cartilage in his right knee on April 16 after suffering the injury in spring practice. Wilson is expected to be available for the start of fall practice. The Paducah, Ky., native set a UA freshman record with 40 catches in 2001.

  • Five Razorbacks either missed or spent limited time in spring football practice while competing for John McDonnell and the UA track and field team. Richard Smith, Eddie Jackson, Ahmad Carroll, Tom Crowder and Lawrence Richardson all competed in the outdoor track and field season. Fred Talley competed for the Razorbacks in indoor track and field.

  • Senior Nathan Ball has been moved back to offensive guard after spending last year at tight end. Ball has played at offensive guard, tackle and tight end in his career at Arkansas.

  • Junior Brennan O'Donohoe is listed as the first team placekicker coming out of spring drills. O'Donohoe was 12 of 17 on field goal attempts last year, but was challenged by sophomore David Carlton in the spring. The post-spring depth chart lists O'Donohoe for placement kicks and Carlton for kickoffs.

  • For the first time in the Houston Nutt era, Arkansas finished the spring with a player draft and a red vs. white game. Traditionally, the Razorbacks staged a light scrimmage to finish spring drills, but this spring teams were drafted and a game was played. A pair of injured Razorbacks acted as the head coaches for the game. Defensive tackle Jermaine Brooks led his Red squad to a 13-7 win over split end George Wilson's White Team.

    AUBURN TIGERS

  • Senior Daniel Cobb and sophomore Jason Campbell will continue their battle for the starting quarterback position in two-a-days. Cobb, who received a sixth year of eligibility, was the Most Valuable Player of the A-Day game, but, Campbell had strong showings in Auburn's other two scrimmages. Last season, Campbell started eight games while Cobb had four starts for the Tigers.

  • Auburn had several players change positions during spring drills with the most notable switch being Jay Ratliff who moved from tight end to defensive end. Junior Rosegreen moved from corner to strong safety and Rashaud Walker moved from safety to corner.

  • The A-Day Most Valuable Players were: Offense-Daniel Cobb; Defense-Reggie Torbor; Special Teams- Philip Yost

  • Carnell Williams was Auburn's top rusher in the A-Day game with eight carries for 61 yards. He scored on a 38-yard touchdown run. Williams led Auburn in rushing in 2001 with 614 yards on 120 carries and six touchdowns.

  • Auburn's defense had an extremely productive spring with the linebacker corp leading the way. A year from struggling with injuries and depth problems, Auburn has one of its deepest and most talented group of linebackers in recent history. The group includes the leading tackler from a year ago, junior Dontarrious Thomas (122 tackles), senior Mark Brown, junior Karlos Dansby, sophomore Mayo Sowell and newcomers Lemarcus Rowell (true freshman), Travis Williams (redshirt freshman) and Antarrious Williams (redshirt freshman).

  • Two of the young players that made an impact in the spring included redshirt freshman tight end Cooper Wallace who had four catches for 77 yards in the A-Day game and redshirt freshman noseguard Wayne Dickens who totaled five sacks in Auburn's three scrimmages.

  • Several players missed all or most of the spring with injuries including noseguard DeMarco McNeil (knee), fullback Brandon Johnson (shoulder), offensive lineman Steven Ross (knee) and offensive lineman Taylor Bourgeois (shoulder). All are expected to be recovered in time for two-a-days.

  • With a new offensive (Bob Petrino) and defensive coordinator (Gene Chizik), Auburn spent the spring implementing its new offense and defense schemes.
    Head coach Tommy Tuberville's impressions on the offense: "It was obvious that we were installing a new offense with a lot of different terminology. It was tough to communicate when you have to change your terminology. We made some progress. We worked two quarterbacks, new offensive linemen, new receivers and running backs. We have a long way to go, but we showed a lot more mental and physical toughness than we did last year. We're improving. I think we're going to be a better offense than we were last year because we have more experience."

  • Tuberville's impression of the defense after spring practice: "We changed some things on defense from last year. We've gone a little bit more to a four man front on defense. We changed a few of our coverages. We used a lot of our same terminology, so we had more carry over on defense. We made a lot more progress on defense because of that. We have a lot more depth on defense and we should be better than we were last year."

  • Center Ben Nowland is currently growing his hair to donate to a charity "Locks of Love" which provides hair to cancer patients. He has been growing his hair for over a year and will have it cut in the beginning of the summer. Nowland graduated with a degree in Industrial Design in December and is slated as a starter at center for the third consecutive season.

    FLORIDA GATORS

  • Ron Zook, 48, a fiery, high-energy coach with 24 years of coaching experience at the collegiate and professional level, was named head football coach at the University of Florida on January 9, 2002. He is the 20th football coach in 94 years of Florida football.

  • The 10-man Florida coaching staff averages 14.4 years of college coaching experience.

  • Florida completed a successful first spring practice under new head coach Ron Zook on April 6. Both the new offensive, defensive and special teams systems were implemented smoothly as the new coaches and players worked together for the first time on the field. Fan interest in the new era of Gator football is clearly evident as Florida's annual Orange and Blue spring game drew a record crowd of 39,500.

  • Spring position changes: Ronald Dowdy moved from DE to DT at the start of spring and then shifted over to OG...Marcus Oquendo-Johnson moved from LB to DE...David Jorgensen played at both C and OG...Jonathan Colon moved from OT to OG.

    The 2002 Florida Football Spring Award Winners:
    Bob Bryan Student-Athlete -- DT Ian Scott
    President's Award (Best GPA) -- LB Todd McCullough
    Orlando TD ClubJohn MacBeth Award (character) -- LB Andra Davis
    Greg See Most Courageous Award -- DT Kenny Parker
    Best Effort Offense -- WR Taylor Jacobs
    Best Effort Defense -- CB Vernell Brown
    Most Improved Offense -- C Mike Degory
    Most Improved Defense -- DT Arpedge Rolle
    Most Improved Walk-on -- CB Johnny Lamar and C Dewayne DuBose
    True Gator Award -- OG Ronald Dowdy

  • Going into the 2002 season, Florida has appeared in the weekly polls 202 out of a possible 203 weeks since the start of the 1990 season, including each of the last 202 polls. The Gators didn't open the 1990 season ranked but after beating Oklahoma State 50-7 in Steve Spurrier's Florida coaching debut, UF entered the AP poll at No. 24 the following week. Florida has been ranked by one of the two major polls every week since. The Gators are one of only three teams in major college history to have a streak of over 200 consecutive weeks ranked in the polls joining Nebraska (342 from 1981-current) and Florida State (211 from 1989-2001).

  • Florida's 2002 schedule features five schools that were ranked in the final top 15 of the polls (Miami, Tennessee, LSU, South Carolina and Florida State), nine schools that finished the 2001 season with a winning record (UAB, Miami, Tennessee, Ole Miss, LSU, Auburn, Georgia, South Carolina and Florida State), and seven schools (Miami, Tennessee, LSU, Auburn, Georgia, South Carolina and Florida State) that went to a bowl game in 2001.

  • Florida will return 11 starters in 2002, five on offense, five on defense and punter Matt Leach. Overall, 55 lettermen return after losing 23.

  • Construction continues on Florida's 50-million stadium expansion/renovation to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. The project, which began in May of 2001 and is scheduled to be completed in August of 2003, will add more than 2,900 club level seats along the west side of the stadium in addition to doubling press box seating and doubling the number of seats.

    GEORGIA BULLDOGS

  • Georgia will have a number of players this fall who are sons or relatives of former UGA football stars:

    Sons and Fathers
    Joe Tereshinski, QB, freshman, Athens, Ga.; son of former UGA starting center Joe Tereshinski, Jr., starter on the 1975 Bulldog Cotton Bowl team and 1976 SEC champion Sugar Bowl team. Grandson of Joe Tereshinski, Sr., who lettered in 1942, '45, and '46 as an end.

    Kirby Towns, WR, junior, Athens, Ga.; son of former letterman Bobby Towns (1957-58-59) and grandson of Forrest "Spec" Towns, 1936 Olympic gold medalist in the hurdles who also lettered in football in 1936 and '37.

    Bryan McClendon, DB, freshman, Atlanta, Ga.; son for 1978 SEC Player of the Year TB Willie McClendon who went on to a career with the Chicago Bears.

    Randall Swoopes, OL, freshman, Athens, Ga.; son of four year letterman Ronnie Swoopes (1974-75-76-77), defensive lineman who earned All-SEC honors in 1977.

    Tony Taylor, LB, freshman, Watkinsville, Ga.; son of four-year letterman Nate Taylor (1979-80-81-82) who started on three SEC Championship teams (1980-81-82) and a national championship team in 1980.

    Brothers
    Boss Bailey, OLB, senior, Folkston, Ga.; two-year starter who is the brother of former UGA All-America CB Champ Bailey (1998), currently with the Washington Redskins.

    Terrence Edwards, senior, Tennille, Ga.; in position to become Georgia's all-time receiving leader this season and brother of former TB Robert Edwards, first round draft choice of the New England Patriots in 1998 NFL draft.

    Jon Stinchcomb, senior, Lilburn, Ga.; All-America candidate and brother of former 1998 UGA first team All-American Matt Stinchcomb, first round draft choice of the Oakland Raiders in the 1999 NFL draft.

  • All Seniors Up Front
    Georgia likely will have an offensive lineup that has five senior starters in the offensive line--and a sixth senior who has starting experience. The all-senior lineup likely will include tackles Jon Stinchcomb and Kareen Marshall, guards Kevin Breedlove and Alex Jackson, center Ian Knight. George Foster, who had eight starts last season will be waiting to rotate at tackle.

  • Renewal
    Georgia will renew its rivalry with Clemson this season as the two teams get together in Athens on Aug. 31. It's the first time the two have played since1995 when the 'Dogs won at Clemson, 19-17. It was one of the South's fiercest rivalries in the decade of the 1980's with both teams winning a national championship and each team winning four games and one contest ending in a tie.

  • Going For Three
    Georgia senior MLB Tony Gilbert will be trying to become the first Bulldog player since UGA career tackle leader Ben Zambiasi (1974-77) to lead the team in tackles three consecutive years. A senior from Macon, Ga., Gilbert had 96 tackles in 2000 and 99 in 2001, both tops on the team.

  • Eight-Win Streak
    Georgia will be looking to extend its school record for consecutive seasons with at least eight wins. The Bulldog eight-win streak is currently at five dating back to 1997.

  • Career Receiving
    Georgia senior WR Terrence Edwards currently has 2,089 receiving yards, 19 TD catches, and 145 receptions. This year, he can break all three school career records in those categories which currently stand at: yards (2,373); TD catches (19); and receptions (182).

    KENTUCKY WILDCATS

  • During the spring, Guy Morriss named Gerald Carr the assistant head coach for the Wildcats. Carr had joined the staff in February as running backs coach. Carr came to UK from Indiana, where he had been quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator with the Hoosiers. He helped quarterback Antwaan Randle El earn first-team All-America and Big Ten Most Valuable Player honors.

  • With the addition of Gerald Carr, the UK coaching staff now has five coaches who have played and/or coached in professional football. The coaches have a total of 70 years pro experience, including 45 playing seasons and 25 years in coaching.

  • Coach Guy Morriss was pleased with the results of the coaching staff realignment he made during the off-season. One of the changes involved Morriss giving up his day-to-day coaching duties with the offensive line. The change enabled Morriss to spend more time with each position group.

  • The coaches experimented with position changes for three players during the spring and all three had positive results. Sophomore Mike Williams moved from cornerback to outside safety, sophomore Daniel Burnett changed from the defensive line to center, and redshirt freshman Trey Mielsch switched from linebacker to defensive end. By the end of spring, Williams was named a starter at outside safety and Burnett and Mielsch were running second team at their new posts.

  • Before spring practice started, Coach Guy Morriss named junior Jared Lorenzen the starting quarterback, based on Lorenzen's performance in the second half of the 2001 season. The strong-armed lefthander looked better than ever during the spring, with Morriss giving credit to Lorenzen's familiarity with the offense and his progress in understanding protections and coverages. In fact, Lorenzen called his own plays during an 81-yard touchdown drive on the final possession of the Blue/White Spring Game. Morriss indicated that he might permit Lorenzen to do some of his own play-calling next season. Lorenzen and sophomore Shane Boyd give the Wildcats an excellent 1-2 combination at quarterback.

  • All three of Kentucky's top defensive tackles, juniors Dewayne Robertson and Jeremy Caudill and sophomore Ellery Moore, missed part of the 2001 season because of injuries. All three appeared to return to peak form in the spring, especially Robertson, who was "unblockable" in some scrimmages, according to Coach Guy Morriss. The defensive tackle slots loom as a potential strength for the 2002 Wildcat defense.

  • One new player with a potentially great impact in 2002 will be sophomore defensive end Vincent "Sweet Pea" Burns. Burns sat out game action last season as a transfer from Northern Arizona, but made a solid impression in practice. He looked very good in the first week of spring practice until sidelined by an appendectomy. The coaches have penciled him as a starter going into fall drills.

  • Senior running back Artose Pinner appears ready to handle the rushing load for the Wildcats in 2002. Pinner capped a great spring with a combined 160 rushing and receiving yards in the Blue/White Game. The 5-11, 223-pound Pinner is a power runner with speed that belies his stocky frame. He also is a capable pass catcher out of the backfield.

    LSU TIGERS

  • Sophomore quarterback Matt Mauck passed for 241 yards, including the game-winning TD with just over two minutes left, to pace the Purple team to a 13-10 win over the White squad in the LSU Spring Game on April 27.

  • Senior linebacker Bradie James missed the last week of spring practice due to a contused kidney. James made the move from will linebacker to the mike linebacker during the spring. James had been a 3-year starter at will linebacker. He takes over at mike linebacker for Trev Faulk, who left early for the NFL.

  • Junior Corey Webster moved from offense (wide receiver) to defense (cornerback) during the spring and he responded by returning an interception 72 yards for a touchdown in the Spring Game. Webster also finished with one tackle and 2 deflected passes in the Spring Game.

  • Other position changes for the Tigers during the spring had junior Jack Hunt moving from wide receiver to free safety, senior Damien James moving from cornerback to free safety, and junior Devery Henderson moving from running back to wide receiver.

  • With returning starting running back LaBrandon Toefield out of spring practice with an injured knee, redshirt freshman running back Joseph Addai led the Tigers in rushing in all three scrimmages, including 65 yards on 11 carries in the Spring Game.

  • Toefield, who tore the ACL in his left knee in the SEC Championship game, is ahead of schedule in rehabilitating his knee. Toefield is expected to return at full strength when fall camp starts in August.

  • LSU sophomore quarterback Marcus Randall injured his right knee in the Spring Game on Saturday. Randall, who was battling for the starting position with Matt Mauck, underwent an MRI on Sunday. The details of the knee injury are expected to be released on Monday.

    OLE MISS REBELS

  • Quarterback Eli Manning brought his team from a 21-0 deficit to a 49-21 victory in the annual Red-Blue game as he completed 25 of 38 passes for 378 yards and two TDs.

  • Quarterback Eli Manning, who set or tied 17 school records during his first season as the starter at Ole Miss, has been named to the 2002 Playboy All-America squad.

  • Senior wide receiver Jason Armstead used an outstanding performance during the spring game to separate himself a little from the other receivers as he caught eight passes for 187 yards.

  • Center Ben Claxton , linebacker Lanier Goethie, linebacker Eddie Strong, and tight end Doug Zeigler will serve as permanent team captains for Ole Miss in 2002.

  • Linebacker Lanier Goethie received the Chucky Mullins Courage Award. Goethie is the 13th winner of the prestigious award which honors the memory of Mullins, who was paralyzed after making a tackle against Vanderbilt during the 1989 Homecoming game, and then passed away on May 6, 1991. As a special part of the award, Goethie will wear the late Mullins' No. 38 this fall. Goethie had worn No. 2 during his entire career with the Rebels.

  • The Jeff Hamm Memorial Award for the most improved offensive and defensive players from the 2002 spring football drills went to offensive guard Doug Buckles and defensive back Chris Knight.

  • Center Ben Claxton received the J. Richard Price Courage and Compassion Award, which is presented annually to the rising senior lineman who, in the opinion of his coaches, has demonstrated extraordinary courage and unusual compassion in his dedication to his team and to Ole Miss.

  • Punter Shae Orrell missed most of spring drills due to thyroid cancer, which was surgically removed. According to Dr. Ford Dye, Orrell will require some additional medical treatment, but his prognosis is good.

  • Following spring drills, junior college transfer running back Ronald McClendon had "scope" surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. McClendon injured his knee just before halftime in the Red-Blue game, but returned to action in the second half and went on to lead all rushers with 64 yards on 17 carries. Defensive back Bryant Thomas, a redshirt freshman who was impressive during spring drills, had surgery in April to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. Rehabilitation was immediately begun, but his status for the fall is unknown at this time.

  • Ole Miss set a new spring game attendance mark when 27,215 fans attended the annual Red-Blue "Grove Bowl" event. Proceeds from the game, which is sponsored by the Ole Miss M-Club Alumni Association, go to the J. W. "Wobble" Davidson Scholarship fund.

    MISSISSIPPI STATE BULLDOGS

  • Starting power forward Michael Gholar, who helped the Mississippi State basketball team reach the second round of the NCAA basketball tournament, made quite a splash with the football team when he arrived at spring practice midway through those drills, Thursday, March 21. In just nine practices (three of which were scrimmages), free safety Michael Gholar moved to second on the depth chart behind starter Josh Morgan.

  • Inside linebacker Jason Clark made the move to defensive end during spring practice and ended the four-week session as the starter on the left side. Kamau Jackson made a similar move to the right side and is second behind Robert Spivey at the position.

  • Regular place-kicker John Michael Marlin was pushed during spring practice by non-scholarship, junior college transfer Brent Smith, who capped off the spring-ending Maroon and White scrimmage by making three straight field goals, from 47, 52 and 57 yards. That competition is expected to continue into August.

  • Likewise, the competition at punter is fierce as well. Jared Cook and Robert Wallis, both of whom punted last year, were locked in a tight battle this spring.

  • Regular offensive tackle Derrick Thompson, one of the few veterans on the offensive line, missed all of spring practice while rehabilitating his knee from off-season surgery.

  • Returning regular offensive guard Donald Tucker moved outside to offensive tackle in place of Thompson and earned the starter's berth at the position.

  • One of the brightest surprises of spring came in one of the team's smallest packages. Dog safety Bryan Shumaker (5-7, 185), who redshirted last fall after seeing only special teams duty as a true freshman, turned heads with his hard-hitting style. He is listed second at right Dog safety.

  • First-unit Dog safety Walter Burdett missed most of spring practice after suffering a dislocated shoulder in a contact drill with regular tailback Dontae Walker early in drills and had surgery. Walker also ended the spring practice of wide receiver Justin Jenkins when the former hit the latter on a running play, breaking a rib. Walker did not go unscathed during the four-week session, missing the final week with an ankle sprain.

  • Regular quarterback Kevin Fant finished his spring on a high note, completing 18-of-22 passes for 201 yards and four touchdowns.

    SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS

  • Corey Jenkins, a rising senior from Columbia, was named USC's starting quarterback coming out of spring practice. Jenkins originally signed with the Gamecocks out of high school in 1996, but opted to play pro baseball for four seasons after he was a first round draft pick by the Boston Red Sox. Jenkins went to junior college in 1999, before transferring to USC prior to the 2001 season. He was Phil Petty's backup last year. As a youngster, Jenkins used to sell sodas at Williams-Brice Stadium for the USC games.

  • George Gause, a rising sophomore from Conway, S.C., could be the next rising defensive star for the Gamecocks. Gause, who was an All-SEC Freshman selection a year ago, was moved from linebacker to defensive end during the spring. The coaches believe he could be a dominant force on the defensive front.

  • Andrew Pinnock, a rising senior from Bloomfield, CT, has his sights set on the USC career touchdown record (33 by George Rogers and Harold Green). Pinnock enters the 2003 season with 20 career TDs. He led USC with 12 touchdowns in 2001. Pinnock is expected to carry the bulk of the rushing load for the Gamecocks this fall.

  • Rashad Faison, a rising senior from Wauchula, Fla., is on the preseason watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Award. Faison plays spur (roverback) for the Gamecocks. He led USC in total tackles in 2001 with 104 and was a second team All-SEC selection.

  • Ryan Brewer, a rising senior from Troy, OH, is expected to see action at both the tailback and slot receiver positions. Brewer is USC's leading returning receiver (37 catches) and can also return punts. He was on six of USC's special teams in 2001.

  • Lance Laury, a rising redshirt freshman from Columbia, came to Carolina last fall as a walkon. During the fall, he was put on scholarship. This spring, he has emerged as one of the starters at linebacker.

  • USC returns three All-SEC candidates along the offensive line -- left tackle Travelle Wharton, left guard Cedric Williams and right guard Shane Hall. The offensive line could be the strong suit for the Gamecock offense.

  • USC head coach Lou Holtz enters the 2002 season as the third winningest active head coach in the country with 233 career victories. That total ranks 10th all-time. Holtz is two wins away from passing former Michigan head coach Bo Schembechler (234) and six victories from overtaking former Ohio State head coach Woody Hayes (238). Holtz was an assistant for Woody Hayes in 1968, when the Buckeyes won the national championship. Holtz begins his 31st season as a major college head coach.

    TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS

  • Tennessee is the winningest team in the Southeastern Conference over the past five seasons, having compiled a 52-11 record. Included during that stretch is one national championship, two league crowns and three division titles.

  • According to head coach Phillip Fulmer, the tempo of spring practice centered on the defense's need to prove itself right away because of severe graduation losses from 2001. "They adopted a tempo that caught on with the whole squad. As a result, we had an excellent spring practice that set the stage for fall workouts, we we'll need to step it up even more."

  • Junior Casey Clausen continued his improvement at quarterback and appears ready to increase his leadership role. Said Fulmer, "He continued to improve and showed toughness during the spring, and his ability to handle our offense has grown. If he continues to work, take care of the football and make the plays, he'll be one of the premier quarterbacks in our conference." Clausen threw for 2,969 yards and 22 touchdowns as a sophomore.

  • Fulmer noted the quick return to form during spring practice of offensive tackle Michael Munoz and linebacker Kevin Simon. Even though both missed the first two weeks of spring drills, Fulmer said they "gave us a lift by coming back from their injuries ready to play." Munoz started every game in 2000 en route to Freshman All-America honors before missing 2001 with a knee injury. Simon was USA Today's defensive player of the year in 2000 but was redshirted last year following a knee injury during a high school all-star game.

  • Another offensive lineman, Jason Respert, who was injured in the third game of 2001, also returned to the practice field during spring drills. The sophomore guard's return was very encouraging for the overall strength and depth of the offensive line. Respert started the first three games of last season before being sidelined with an ankle injury.

  • The graduation of last year's SEC-leading rusher, Travis Stephens, led to heated competition at the tailback position during spring. Junior Troy Fleming is the most experienced returning member and likely will see action at both fullback and tailback. The sophomore trio of Cedric Houston, Jabari Davis and Derrick Tinsley, along with 2001 redshirt Keldrick Williams, sparkled at times but left the starting position to be determined.

  • Wide receiver Tony Brown and defensive end Karlton Neal were named most improved players of spring practice on offense and defense, respectively. Brown, a sophomore, is working to replace departed receivers Donte' Stallworth, Bobby Graham and Eric Parker. Neal, also a sophomore, is helping rebuild Tennessee's defensive front that lost all four starters from last season.

  • Sophomore Kelley Washington leads the receiving corps and Fulmer sees great things for the 2001 Freshman All-America choice. "He might be the best in America if he continues on the path he's on. I expect him to have more consistency in his game in route-running, assignments, blocking and leadership. His maturity and toughness can help lead our team."

  • Fulmer selected former Florida assistant Jimmy Ray Stephens as the newest member of his football coaching staff. Stephens, 47, replaced Doug Marrone, who resigned Feb. 27 to take an assistant coaching position with the New York Jets. Stephens, a Eustis, Fla., native, has spent the past nine seasons coaching the Gators' offensive line, and he played collegiately at Florida under current UT athletics director Doug Dickey. His responsibilities for 2002 will include coaching the tight ends and offensive tackles.

  • UT had a school record 10 players selected in the 2002 NFL Draft. In addition, for the second time in five years and the third time since 1991, three Vols were taken in the first round. The trio - John Henderson, Donte' Stallworth and Albert Haynesworth - were the first three players taken in the 2002 draft from the SEC, which had six first-rounders and led all conferences with 47 overall picks (Big Ten second with 35). Since Phillip Fulmer's first full season (1993) as UT head coach, Tennessee leads all schools with 60 players chosen.

  • Tennessee's 2002 schedule marks the first time the Vols will play a 12-game regular season since 1990 and only the fourth time in school history (also 1987 and 1975). In addition, nine of Tennessee's games this year are within the Volunteer State borders. Included are games at Neyland Stadium against SEC rivals Florida and Alabama, along with a November matchup against defending national champion Miami.

  • Fulmer enters this season just five victories shy of 100 for his coaching career and has a chance to be among the quickest to reach the milestone in college football history. With 95 wins against only 20 losses, Fulmer could reach 100 victories in as few as 120 games. That would tie him with Gen. Robert R. Neyland, also of Tennessee, for sixth on the all-time coaching list. Neyland, also of Tennessee, for sixth on the all-time coaching list. Neyland compiled a 100-12-8 mark in his first 120 games at UT.

  • The Volunteers completed a winning season in 2001 for a school record 13th consecutive year, breaking the old mark of 12 established from 1965-76. Fulmer played a part in the former streak as well, both as a player and graduate assistant coach at UT from 1968-73. And the Capital One Florida Citrus Bowl victory over Michigan capped Tennessee's seventh straight January bowl appearance and 12th in the past 13 seasons.

  • Since 1996, nearly 90 percent (67 of 75) of UT's games have been on television, including 43 national appearances. During that time, no fewer than 10 Tennessee games have been televised in any one season. The 2001 season saw the Vols make 11 national appearances and have a 12th game shown as part of the SEC regional television package. That marked the second time in five years that 12 of the team's 13 games were televised.

    VANDERBILT COMMODORES

  • New coaching staff, directed by former Furman Head Coach Bobby Johnson, conducted their first spring practice in Nashville. The squad used Vanderbilt Stadium this spring while existing practice fields are being renovated.

  • Commodores spent much of the spring installing a new offense (I-formation) and defense (4-3). In 2001, the 'Dores used a shotgun/multiple wideout offense and 3-4 defense.
    Coach Johnson on the offensive changes: "We want to become a more balanced run and play action offense. The two-back set, with the availability of the option of multiple receiver sets, should help us toward that goal."

  • Commodores will enter the season inexperienced in the offensive backfield. Starting positions at QB, TB and FB remain up for grabs.

  • The Commodores' top returning player, All-SEC wide receiver Dan Stricker, dislocated a shoulder in non-tackling drills, requiring surgery. He is expected to return healthy this fall.

  • The two leading QB prospects, junior Benji Walker and redshirt freshman Jay Cutler, impressed Johnson's staff.
    Johnson on the QBs: "We have two very good prospects in Benji Walker and Jay Cutler. They are both big, very mobile and have strong arms, but neither have been in the heat of battle."

  • By the end of spring practice, the most impressive FB was Bara Cola, a fifth-year walk-on who spent last year as the team's top student equipment manager following knee surgery.

  • Vanderbilt had several players switch positions during spring drills. Among the most notable were Ronald Hatcher (receiver to running back), Ian Gaines (CB to RB) and Mike Adam (LB to FB).

  • Two key returning starters, DT Brett Beard and LG Jim May, missed spring practice action from off-season surgeries. Beard was limited to conditioning exercises after surgery to repair fractured foot. May missed contact drills because of off-season shoulder surgery.

  • The offense used an effective running game to defeat the defense in the team's Black & White Scrimmage.

  • DT Robert Dinwiddie underwent ACL surgery after suffering a injury in the next-to-last practice. He was one of the defense's top performers before the injury. His status for the season opener at Georgia Tech is questionable.

  • Redshirt freshman Matthew Tant had an excellent spring and remains in the mix at both running back positions.

  • The Commodore special teams will be counting heavily on two freshmen recruits (P Greg of Lilburn, Ga. and PK Patrick Johnson of Athens, Ala.). The team had no experienced kickers at spring practice.

  • The coaches were impressed with the Commodores enthusiasm and effort.
    Coach Johnson: "The guys did anything we asked of them and we asked quite a bit. When we opened practice, we talked about getting better every day. They responded to that, and really worked hard. We just have to continue improving."

  • Two redshirt freshmen, OLB Moses Osemwegie and DE Jovan Haye, impressed through the spring, and enter the preseason as starters.

  • Center Jamie Byrum and Stricker were elected team captains for the second consecutive year. Also elected was senior CB Rushen Jones.