Ray Charles famously had Georgia on his mind in 1960. Tuskers fans may be singing that same tune 50 years later when they get a glimpse of their team’s linebacker corps this season. Odell Thurman, who returns for his second season as a Tusker this year, will be joined by new Tuskers Tony Taylor and Arnold Harrison this summer. Harrison, Taylor, and Thurman all attended the University of Georgia at various points from 2000-2006, overlapping for two years in 2003 and 2004. It’s still early in training camp, but already the three teammates are reminiscing. “It’s fun to be back and see everybody again,” said Taylor. “It brings back a lot of memories. We’ve already been talking about a lot of stuff. Hopefully we can go out and help the team the same way we did back in Georgia.”
“It’s great to be back with the Tuskers and I excited that Arnold and Tony are here,” Thurman said. “It makes me more excited knowing that we all played together, started together. Hopefully when camp is over it’ll be the same way again.”
Harrison was the first to become a Bulldog, joining the team with a redshirt designation in 2000. In 2001, he got his first playing time as part of a defense that allowed an average of 108.8 rushing yards per game, helping his team along to an 8-4 record. Taylor joined the team the next year, and was part of a defense that allowed 63.1 fewer passing yards per game than the previous year.
“Tony Taylor came and it was obvious that he was talented and very smart, so you knew he would be a good player,” Harrison said. The 2002 Bulldogs posted a 13-1 record on the year, with the lone loss a 20-13 defeat against the University of Florida. Georgia would go on to stomp Arkansas 30-3 in the SEC Championship Game before a New Year’s Day 26-13 drubbing of Florida State in the Sugar Bowl.
Thurman came to Athens, GA in 2003 and, as a starter along with Harrison, was part of a defense that was ranked fourth best in the country in total yards allowed. “Odell came, and instantly we knew we were the future of the defense,” Harrison said. “We sat behind Tony Gilbert and Boss Bailey waiting for our time to shine.” “We ran the D,” said Thurman of the three’s time starting. “We had a lot of help with the safeties, but our coach demanded that we know every position on the field. We studied longer than the quarterbacks.”
The team went 11-3 with narrow losses to LSU and Florida during the regular season and a 34-13 beating at the hands of LSU in the SEC Championship Game. The team finished the year with another New Year’s victory, this one a 34-27 overtime defeat of Purdue in the Capital One Bowl in the Citrus Bowl. Harrison has positive memories of his first time playing in the Citrus Bowl six years before anybody knew what a Tusker was. “It was probably one of the most exciting games I ever played in,” Harrison said. “They were touting a high flying offense, but we had the big, mean defense. We scored first in overtime and then on defense we stopped them on first down. On second and third down, I had two pass deflections in the end zone. On fourth down Tony Taylor ended the game with an interception. It was a great way to win and great way to close out the season.”
“I remember being on the edge of my seat, worried Purdue was going to come back and beat us,” Thurman said. “But Tony sealed the deal. They threw me the ball at the end of the game,” Taylor said simply.
Thurman’s Bulldog legacy lives on in the form of “YouTube” videos of his first game against Auburn. Jason Campbell had led the Tigers to the Georgia 2-yard-line early in the fourth quarter, but a third-and-goal pass was deflected and intercepted by Thurman, who then raced 99 yards for a touchdown to make the score 26-0. “That’s one of my most memorable plays in my personal football history,” Thurman said. “It’s funny, on the play sheet, I got two minuses for not being lined up right and not being in the right position. They always joke about how I’ll be out of position but make a big play.” “That’s one of those plays you’ll never forget as long as you live,” Taylor said. “I remember hitting the ball. I think Arnold’s going to tell you he hit it but I think that’s a lie, personally,” Taylor said with a laugh.
The Bulldogs of 2004 were the first with this trio of linebackers to not compete in the SEC Championship due to losses to Tennessee and Auburn, but finished their third Jan. 1 bowl game with a 24-21 victory over Tuskers’ quarterback Brooks Bollinger’s alma mater Wisconsin in the Outback Bowl. “We’re definitely going to give Brooks a hard time about that,” Taylor said.
Harrison and Thurman would depart for the NFL after 2004, having posted a 42-10 record in three years. Georgia finished in the Top 10 each of those years as well. Thurman was a semi-finalist for the 2004 Dick Butkus Award.
Harrison’s playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Thurman going to the division rival Cincinnati Bengals didn’t slow down the Bulldogs in 2005, though. With Taylor’s help, Georgia posted a 10-3 record. The Bulldogs played in their third SEC Championship Game in four years, where they savaged LSU 34-14. Unfortunately, Taylor and the rest of the Bulldogs closed the season with a loss to West Virginia in the Sugar Bowl.
Taylor was named a defensive captain for the 2006 season and the Bulldogs started out strong, outscoring their first five opponents 128-34, including two shutouts. “Those are crazy numbers, but that’s just the way we were programmed. Work hard, put in the hours, and it pays off on the field,” Taylor said. While four losses in their final five regular season games kept them out of SEC contention, the Bulldogs finished strong, beating three ranked opponents in a row.
“Everybody was starting to doubt us and write us off,” Taylor said. An early afternoon road game against #5 Auburn got the Bulldogs started on their turnaround. “It was a 12 o’clock game,” Taylor said. “I think they were asleep on us. It was like we were in practice, we just killed them.”
A home game against #15 Georgia Tech closed out the regular season for Georgia, a game Taylor described as “a good hard-fought battle.” Georgia then defeated #14 Virginia Tech in the Chick-fil-A Bowl to cap the season with an exclamation point.
With Taylor’s departure for the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2007, the three former teammates were all working on taking their games to the next level.
Their NFL careers, however, mirrored the 2005 Bulldogs’ campaign: successful, but ultimately not as successful as they may have liked. Harrison’s Steelers won two Super Bowls while he was on the roster: once in 2005 without making any appearances and again in 2008 while he was out on injured reserve. Thurman was a candidate for the 2005 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award, but ultimately lost out to Shawne Merriman; Taylor’s Falcons had such a rough 2007 that their head coach Bobby Petrino resigned to coach the Arkansas Razorbacks. But like the 2006 Bulldogs, this trio seems poised to overcome disappointments.
Harrison wants to continue the tradition of defensive dominance the three displayed in college. “We prided ourselves on being great on defense,” Harrison said. “It started in the linebacker room. Coach VanGorder, the defensive coordinator and linebacker coach held us to an extremely high standard.”
Those high standards still ring true for all three players. “Coach Gruden and his assistants say the main thing is to get back to your ultimate goal, the NFL” Thurman said. “It’s just another opportunity to show people I can still play. The coaches are 100% behind us for that.”
Gruden had high praise for the Georgia linebacker he knows best: “Odell is exactly what you want in a linebacker and we’re happy to get him back,” Gruden said. “He’s probably the most explosive linebacker in our league and maybe in any league, really. He’s a dominant player. He can run and he’s got a great nose for the football. He’s a physical specimen. He’s going to have an even better year this year with another year under his belt with Coach Bresnahan.”
Coach Gruden didn’t hesitate to discuss possible defensive schemes using the trio, either. “Taylor has the ability to play all three positions,” he said. “Harrison’s more of an outside guy, more of a strong side backer, but we’ll let them compete and see what happens. We feel really, really good about our linebacker corps and the competition there is going to be fierce. It’s been fun watching them compete in training camp.”
Ultimately, Coach Gruden may have had Georgia on his mind as he scouted players for this year, and for good reason. “We know Georgia’s always had great defenses and the years they played together they were unbelievable on defense for a reason: those three guys were all over the place, flying to the ball,” Gruden said.
“It was an honor and a privilege to play with Tony and Odell then and I look forward to reuniting with them this season,” Harrison said. “I’ve probably been stalking the Tuskers online for the last couple of months, just watching the highlight tapes of everybody, trying to get back in the mood of football,” Taylor said. “I think it’s a great opportunity to come out here and be with the guys. It’s exciting to me.”
Thurman made it known what he expects from himself and his teammates this season. “Remember last year,” he said. “We were undefeated. When it’s time to put the hammer down, just put it down. Don’t stop, don’t let up, we’ve got to finish it this time.”
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Tuskers Linebackers Have Georgia On Their Minds
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Switching Positions Nothing New to Tuskers' Foster
It’s not often that a football player changes positions on the offensive side of the ball after high school. Occasionally tackles and guards will get shuffled on the line as the routine wear and tear of a season takes its toll, but converting a quarterback to wide receiver is almost unheard of.The Pittsburgh Steelers’ Antwaan Randle El is probably the most famous example of a college quarterback moving to receiver in the pros, but second-year Tuskers wide receiver Jayson Foster not only switched positions for the pros, he switched multiple times in college at Georgia Southern.
“My freshman year I moved around a lot,” said Foster. “I got the opportunity to be on punt return and kick return and they gave me a chance to get in a few plays at quarterback when we went up by a lot, so I got to move around a lot and it worked out for me.”
During that first season in 2004, GSU coaches moved Foster to wide receiver where he played in all 12 games and started three on his way to being the first player at Georgia Southern to score a touchdown five different ways: rushing, passing, receiving, punt and kick return. Small wonder he was named “Freshman of the Year” by the Southern Conference coaches.
For his sophomore year, Foster moved to the starting quarterback position, but the homework he put in during his first year helped make the switch easier.
“In practice my freshman year I would do quarterback drills then some receiver drills,” Foster said. “We had two guys graduate and in the offseason doing quarterback drills, I finally won the starting job.”
Foster set more records in 2005 as the only player in NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS, formerly Division 1-AA) history to score at least one rushing touchdown in 12 games, a feat he downplays. “When you run the option as QB, you get the ball a lot. We had a good team that year; I just seemed to find the end zone a lot.”
He finished the season with 1,481 yards rushing, third best for quarterbacks in FCS history, and an average of 123.4 yards per game.
Foster was moved back to receiver for 2006, his junior year, but the accolades kept coming for him as he was named First Team All-Southern Conference wide receiver by the conference coaches and as a return specialist by the media.
He again set a school record as the only player to have at least one rush, reception, punt return, and kick return for 80 yards or more.
“The punt return was probably one I shouldn’t have returned, I got lucky with that one,” Foster said. “The play I had the longest reception on, I actually got a penalty right before that so they moved us back to give us the 80 yards. I had to make up for the penalty.”
In 2007, Foster’s senior year, he moved back to quarterback and lead Georgia Southern to a 7-4 record while averaging 167.6 yards rushing per game and amassing 3,047 yards of total offense- for yet another school record. Foster won the 2007 Walter Payton Award, as the nation’s top player in FCS and was also named the Southern Conference “Offensive Player of the Year.”
Foster moved into the NFL after graduation as an undrafted free agent, spending time with the Miami Dolphins, Pittsburgh Steelers, Denver Broncos, and the Baltimore Ravens before finding a home with the Tuskers in 2009.
While he didn’t put up the same record-setting numbers he did at Georgia Southern, Foster had a solid year with the Tuskers, catching 21 passes for 308 yards and three touchdowns.
“The adjustment was a little difficult,” Foster said of moving back to wide receiver. “When you don’t know the lingo and you haven’t made those receiver steps in two years… It’s a different type of running and you’ve got to get used to all that.”
As the second full day of training camp ended, Foster said he was more comfortable with his role as a receiver. “When I first started out, I didn’t know the names of the routes, the uniqueness of the routes,” Foster said. “You just have to pick up on the lingo when it comes around. Coming back for this second year, I know a lot more terminology so I think I’ll do a lot better.”
Tuskers Head Coach Jay Gruden also expects an improvement in Foster’s production this year.
“He’s got the ability and the speed obviously,” Gruden said. “He was just a little bit raw last year, but he worked through it. We expect huge things from Jayson, both outside and inside the slot.”
And what of gadget plays like the pass Randle El threw to Hines Ward (another quarterback-to-receiver convert) in Super Bowl XL- do the Tuskers have anything like that in the works for Foster? Neither Foster nor Gruden ruled it out completely.
“Not yet, but Jay has a lot of plays drawn up,” Foster said. “Who knows what he has in his offense?”
“He’s more of a running quarterback than a passing quarterback,” Gruden said. “But you never know.”
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Wiggins Sees UFL As Viable Alternative for Former NFL Players
Jermaine Wiggins entered professional football when the New York Jets took a chance on him as an undrafted free agent 11 years ago and signed him to their practice squad.
It was the beginning of a long NFL career for Wiggins, during which he caught a Vinny Testaverde pass for a touchdown as part of the Jets’ Monday Night Football comeback dubbed the “Miracle at the Meadowlands,” won a Super Bowl ring with the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVI, and played against the Patriots with the Panthers two years later in Super Bowl XXXVIII.
Wiggins left Carolina and spent three years with the Vikings before signing with the Jaguars in March of 2007. He suffered a concussion during a preseason game in August that same year and was released. In short, by almost any definition, Wiggins has had a successful and impressive NFL career.That success leads one to ask an obvious question. Why would a player who achieved the highest honor of his sport sign with an unproven league, which Wiggins did after being drafted by the Florida Tuskers in the UFL’s Premiere Season Draft in 2009?
“It’s the opportunity to continue doing what it is that I do, and that’s playing professional football,” Wiggins said. “It’s a way to keep my career going and have the opportunity to make a living. The NFL only has so many jobs and the UFL is giving guys the opportunity to continue their careers, whether on the field, as a coach or working in the front office.”
After signing with the Tuskers, Wiggins had only an abbreviated time in training camp to get familiar with the offense. Luckily, he had some help from a former teammate.
“When I was in Minnesota I worked with [quarterback] Brooks [Bollinger],” Wiggins said. “I had a good relationship with him there. He’s smart, he’s a competitor, and he knows the game of football. He was able to come in and make the transition very smooth. He didn’t miss a beat, he just got into it.”
That chemistry and experience helped lead the Tuskers to an undefeated regular season and a chance for Wiggins to play in a third championship game. An overtime loss to the Las Vegas Locos was not what Wiggins and the team had envisioned, though.
“We played well last year but we obviously didn’t attain our goal, which was winning a championship,” Wiggins said. “To me, in order to be successful you have to win a championship.”
Wiggins is enthusiastic about the opportunity the UFL has given him and other players. “The one thing I really want to get out there is that the UFL is a great opportunity for guys to create a career,” he said. “Look at the UFL and say ‘Hey, I’m fortunate enough to be in the UFL. Let me try to build a career here.’ If you’re blessed enough to get that opportunity [to play in the NFL], that’s great but the main focus is building that career with the UFL.”
Tuskers Head Coach Jay Gruden understands what it means to the veterans in the UFL. “I think one, they love to play the game and two, they feel like they have a lot more football left in them despite people telling them they don’t,” Gruden said. “Jermaine proved he has a lot more football left in him.
For his part, Wiggins sees the opportunity long-term. “I’m trying to build a fan base where fans will look at like ‘Hey we’re going to get to know these guys who will play for our teams for four, five, six years,’” Wiggins said. “I’m a sports fan myself. I’m a die-hard Red Sox and Celtics fan and it’s good to see some consistency with your players.”
Friday, July 16, 2010
Charity Starts at Home for Carter
Florida Tuskers safety Jerome Carter never had a football camp to attend when growing up in Lake City, Fla. And that has been a motivating factor for him as each July he hosts a free clinic for underprivileged kids in the small community. “First, it’s about getting the kids out there and having fun. It’s a way for me to get involved and give back to the community,” Carter said. “Second, I never had the chance to interact with football players growing up, so that’s another reason why I do this.”
“Overall, I think It’s important for professional athletes to get involved,” Tuskers Head Coach Jay Gruden said. “You’re creating relationships with the kids, which is a good thing. Jerome has done a great job in getting involved in his community.”
Carter’s football credentials were established early in his career. The Gainesville Sun named Carter its State Player of the Year for 2001, and the Florida Athletic Coaches Association named him the Class 5A Player of the Year his senior year.
“He’s a talented guy,” Gruden said. “He’s been coached by great coaches and for this reason Jerome can offer a lot to these young kids both from his experiences off the field and on the field. Anytime you can better the place where you grew up, man, it’s an important thing to do.”
Carter would go on to Florida State and in 2002, his first year of football there, scored on a blocked punt against Wake Forest. Carter was an honorable mention All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection as a junior, and was the defensive team captain his senior year. Carter finished his career at FSU with 257 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and 3 interceptions.
After being drafted into the NFL in the fourth round by the St. Louis Rams in 2005, Carter finished his rookie season with 38 tackles, including 12 in one game against the Houston Texans. He added 18 more tackles to his career numbers the following year plus two interceptions for 39 yards, including a big pick against the Detroit Lions.
After missing the next year with an injury, Carter was signed by the Dallas Cowboys in 2009, but was waived in August that same year, just in time to sign with the Florida Tuskers. He played in all six regular-season games for the Tuskers last season with five starts. His 24 tackles and 2 interceptions for 98 yards were enough to get protected status from the Tuskers for this upcoming season.
“It’s very important to get him back,” Gruden said of Carter’s return to the Tuskers. “Jerome’s a smart guy. He’s always in the right place at the right time. He has a year of experience under his belt at the safety position in our defense which is huge, because we ask a lot of our safeties. It’s going to be good to have a guy back there experienced with the terminology and the system that we run. He’s a great leader and he’s shown that he’s a great player.”
The Tuskers, who went undefeated in the 2009 season with a 6-0 record, open training camp in mid-August. The team will play four regular season home games at the Citrus Bowl. Season tickets start as low as $60 and can be obtained at 407-545-8123.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
"Year of the Pitcher" is actually end of steroid era
Statistics bear out the claim as well. Runs per game are at the lowest point (through June 20) since 1992. Home runs per game are down to 1.85, the lowest since 1993. Batters are striking out in 18.2% of their plate appearances.
Pitchers are dominating headlines as well. Ubaldo Jiminez's dominance on the mound has replaced Mark McGwire's dominance at the plate in the box scores. The inevitability of Cliff Lee wearing pinstripes in the Bronx is the water cooler topic of choice. Stephen Strasburg's rocket arm is the new Barry Bonds' hot air balloon head.
But what baseball fans are seeing is not so much "the year of the pitcher" as it is the end of the steroid era.
President George W. Bush's 2004 State of the Union speech called for increased scrutiny and investigation into allegations of performance-enhancing drug use in Major League Baseball. At the time, many thought it to be a non-sequitur, a trivial concern for a nation at war. But now it seems mandatory testing may be one thing Bush can count as a lasting legacy of his time in the White House.
Bonds, McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Jose Canseco and the other sluggers whose names have asterisks permanently affixed are out of the game voluntarily. Perhaps they saw this coming. For now they can rest on their laurels and needle-scarred backsides, knowing that official baseball statistics carry no parenthetical remarks about doping allegations.
But baseball is cyclical, to be sure. In fact, a quick Google search for "year of the pitcher" brings up a Time magazine article from 1963 which posits atomic testing could be the reason for defensive dominance.
It is probably safe to say that by the time the Rays' lease at Tropicana Field runs out in 2027, fans will see a resurgence in offensive numbers. Future players might use nanotechnology to mechanically enhance muscle fibers or repair torn ligaments to rebound quickly from injury. New chemicals to mask drugs could be synthesized in labs around the world. Perhaps the next Babe Ruth will find beer and hot dogs really are the answer, or the next Ty Cobb will succeed with sheer orneriness.
One thing is certain though, and that is this is the end of the steroid era. Baseball purists who bemoaned Bonds' 756th can breathe easy and enjoy the game of baseball as it was meant to be played.
At least until the next loophole is found.