2015 Memphis Tigers

[cardsfan]

Thoughts on Norvell? I like what I've seen and heard

[kwc]

The Tigers WET Dreamed us... Took us as close to climax as possible, then..........

 

Now Mizzou is in need of a Head Coach...

 

The run was Fun while it lasted... Coach and QB likely gone like Gunsmoke at season's end... Miami Bowl vs another Non Power 5 school here we come........... SMDH

 

Hopefully the Big 12 saw enough to pull us up even without Coach Fuente... I hope that they get left out the College Football Playoffs again I'm sure if that happens they'll be looking for 2 more teams to get that Conference Title game. Plus after we Fire Pastner OR he saves his job with a Sweet 16 Appearance the possible Annual Memphis vs. KU BBall games will look tempting.

 

That's all I got.

 

Memphis to face Auburn in Birmingham Bowl

 

 

November 28, 2015 - Memphis receiver Phil Mayhue dives into the end zone for a 43 yard touchdown reception against SMU during first quarter action at the Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium on Senior Day. (Mark Weber/The Commercial Appeal)

 

By Tom Schad of The Commercial Appeal

Posted: Dec. 06, 2015

 

The University of Memphis football program had long hoped, and expected, to play in its bowl game in Birmingham if it did not qualify for a New Year’s Six bowl. And on Sunday afternoon, it got its wish.

 

The Tigers will face Auburn in this year’s Birmingham Bowl, which will mark their second bowl appearance in as many seasons. Kick-off is scheduled for 11 a.m. on December 30 at Historic Legion Field in Birmingham. The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.

 

“It’s a great opponent, obviously, another SEC power,†interim coach Darrell Dickey said after practice Sunday. “We’re playing in historic Legion Field, where there’s been an unbelievable amount of big-time football games played, and in a great state, where football is big. We’re going to a city where our fans, Tiger Nation, can be there. And I hope they are.â€

 

The Birmingham Bowl was always an attractive destination for the U of M because of its proximity to Memphis and the opportunity to play a Southeastern Conference opponent. Memphis has not beaten two SEC teams in the same season since 1994.

 

“It’ll definitely be exciting,†Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch said. “It’s a chance for us to make our conference look good and this program to look good. We played one SEC team, Ole Miss, earlier in the year and we played pretty well. So I’m excited to see how our guys will match up against them.â€

 

Memphis (9-3) is in the midst of its winningest two-year stretch in program history. After finishing 10-3 last season, it won its first eight games of 2015, including a 37-24 victory over the Rebels. A win over Auburn would give Memphis 10 victories in consecutive seasons for the first time in program history.

 

Auburn (6-6) lost four of its final six games this season and finished last in the SEC West division.

 

It will be just the third meeting between Auburn and Memphis. Memphis has won each of the two previous matchups: A 31-20 victory at Auburn in 1975, and a 28-27 win in Memphis the following year.

 

“We have a fantastic match-up featuring two teams who are just a few hours from our city,†Birmingham Bowl executive director Mark Meadows said in a statement. “We know that these fan bases will generate a lot of excitement for our 10th bowl game at historic Legion Field, and the people of Birmingham will show both sets of Tiger fans what true southern hospitality is while they are in town.â€

 

Both teams will likely be short-staffed entering the bowl game. Auburn defensive coordinator Will Muschamp was announced as the new head coach at South Carolina on Sunday. Former Memphis coach Justin Fuente was introduced as the new coach at Virginia Tech last week, and three Memphis assistants have since joined him in Blacksburg. Offensive line coach Vance Vice is the latest to depart. Dickey said graduate assistant Mike Bangtson will coach the unit through the bowl game.

 

Memphis will take the next four days off because of final exams, then resume practice Friday and Saturday. Beginning Dec. 14, Dickey said the tentative plan is to practice every other day, with a few days off for Christmas before heading to Birmingham.

 

“We’re excited,†Dickey said. “We’re excited to be in the postseason. We’re excited to put our stuff on display and try to go 1-0 one more time. We’ve got a lot of work to do, though, between now and then.â€

 

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Well, at least they get a shot at another SEC team. Birmingham is a good location for both schools. Three hours from Memphis, Two hours from Auburn. (Even though it doesn't feel like a neutral site!) But, the Bowl has the ability to make some money with the proximity of both schools. I'm cheerin' for the Memphis Tigers in this one ... not the Auburn Kitty Cats! ... LOL ...

Edited December 9, 2015 by kwc

[kwc]

Thoughts on Norvell? I like what I've seen and heard

 

Norvell’s coaching staff coming together

 

 

Offensive coordinator Darrell Dickey (left) and defensive coordinator Barry Odom go over their notes during practice for the Tigers' Miami Beach Bowl game.

 

 

By Tom Schad of The Commercial Appeal

Posted: Dec. 07, 2015

 

 

Mike Norvell’s new coaching staff at the University of Memphis is reportedly coming together.

Norvell announced Monday night that he will retain interim head coach Darrell Dickey in a to-be-determined role. Earlier Monday, Sports Illustrated reported that Tulane tight ends and running backs coach David Johnson is expected to join Memphis as an assistant coach and Alabama graduate assistant Dan Lanning has already joined the staff.

 

Sports Illustrated also reported that Arizona State associate athletic director for championship life Paul Randolph is expected to become an assistant coach at Memphis. The outlet later clarified that Randolph has not joined the staff but might do so, citing a source.

 

Norvell had announced only that he would retain Dickey as of Monday evening.

 

Dickey will provide continuity after spending the previous four seasons as offensive coordinator and running backs coach under Justin Fuente, who left for Virginia Tech last month. The 56-year-old has extensive head coaching experience and strong recruiting ties to the city. He will coach the Tigers through the Birmingham Bowl against Auburn on Dec. 30.

 

“I cannot think of a better first hire for this coaching staff,†Norvell said in a statement. “Coach Dickey has brought a culture of winning to the University of Memphis program. He has incredible relationships around this community as well as tremendous recruiting ties both here and in Texas.â€

 

Johnson was a well-regarded high school coach in Louisiana for most of his career before joining Curtis Johnson’s staff at Tulane in 2012. He spent nearly a dozen years at John F. Kennedy High, O. Perry Walker and St. Augustine, where he coached Arizona Cardinals defensive back Tyrann Mathieu.

 

Johnson, who played wide receiver at Nicholls State, also spent five seasons as wide receivers, tight ends and special teams coach at Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi. He will leave an uncertain situation at Tulane, where Curtis Johnson was fired late last month. According to SI, he will likely coach wide receivers.

 

Lanning was most recently a graduate assistant for Kirby Smart’s defense at Alabama. He previously was secondary coach at Sam Houston State and made stops at Arizona State and Pittsburgh, overlapping with Norvell in both locations.

 

Dickey, Johnson and Lanning are the first reported members of Norvell’s staff since his hiring by the Tigers on Thursday.

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Well, it seems that the staff is rounding out pretty good. It's a wait and see thing with me. I don't know how to judge the bowl game coaching job. It could be revealing to see what they do on the fly.

 

I heard that the new HC has already made a visit to Whitehaven however. Let's see how that develops as well because Whitehaven has some folks who can contribute to the program. I'm thinking big Delvin Salters and big Mike Perry or big Adam Balkin to name some senior lineman. There are others. I'm also thinkin' about our two senior LBs ... Tae Tae and CJ Brown and also two of our senior DBs in Saulsberry Jr., and Rashun Bates. I don't suspect that they will all get offered, but there is a lot to like about all of those guys.

Edited December 9, 2015 by kwc

[kwc]

I've seen a mock draft that has Paxton Lynch going Number 1 in the NFL Draft to the Cleveland Browns. What do you guys think about that?

 

Walterfootball.com

 

BleacherReport

 

Draftsite

 

CBSSports.com

 

MSN

 

To name a few sites.

Edited December 11, 2015 by kwc

[BlackHavenSenator]

I've seen a mock draft that has Paxton Lynch going Number 1 in the NFL Draft to the Cleveland Browns. What do you guys think about that?

 

Walterfootball.com

 

BleacherReport

 

Draftsite

 

CBSSports.com

 

To name a few sites.

 

I hope he doesn't end up there. The Texans or Chargers or Cowboys would be great landing spots for him.

[kwc]

I hope he doesn't end up there. The Texans or Chargers or Cowboys would be great landing spots for him.

 

Agreed. I like the Cowboys the best of the three because Tony is there and Paxton could learn from him before he inherits the starting mantle. Two years of clipboard holding would do a rookie QB a world of good.

[kwc]

I know this is a football forum, but quite honestly, I didn't know where to put this one so i decided to put it here in the U of M football forum. I think this is a great story.

 

Former Tigers point guard Andre Allen among U of M graduates Sunday

 

 

Credit: Jim Weber

Photos by Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal December 13, 2015 - Former basketball standout Andre Allen has stumbled since his final season at the University of Memphis, but now he’s trying to get it right graduating from Memphis seven years after wrapping up his basketball career.

Credit: Jim Weber

 

December 13, 2015 - Former basketball standout Andre Allen gets a hug from his mother Gertie Allen after the University of Memphis winter commencement ceremony at the FedExForum. Allen has stumbled since his final season at the University of Memphis, but now he's trying to get it right graduating from Memphis seven years after wrapping up his basketball career. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal)

 

By Jason Smith of The Commercial Appeal, Posted: Dec. 13, 2015

 

It was a day Gertie Allen had waited a long time for. A day her son, Andre, had promised her would come.

"He told me back in the summertime that he was going back to school and that he was going to graduate in December," Gertie said. "I feel real good because he did what he said he was gonna do."

Seven years after Andre Allen was kicked off the University of Memphis basketball team and just six months after he was released from jail, the former Tigers point guard was back in the building where he played his college games Sunday, among hundreds of students receiving their degrees at the U of M's fall commencement at FedExForum.

Allen has made his share of mistakes over the years, from the failed drug test that got him booted from the Tigers basketball team just days before the 2008 Final Four to an arrest last October on weapon and drug charges. Now he's trying to make things right.

"Who do you know was incarcerated and get out, and in the same year graduate from college?" said Allen, 30, who spent nine months in jail after he was arrested last October. "I (had) time to think (that), 'When I get out, the first thing I'm gonna do is get in college and I'm gonna graduate, and then I'm gonna go from there.'

"It's very big. I'm the first person in my family to graduate. It's something I promised my mother I was gonna do. No matter how long it took, I was gonna do it."

It was Tigers coach Josh Pastner who Allen said stayed on him about finishing his degree. Allen, a former Booker T. Washington High star and fan favorite at Memphis from 2005-08 for the bulldog way he played point guard, had been just one class short of earning his degree in interdisciplinary studies.

"He wanted me to get my degree," Allen said. "He was like, 'You've got to get on it. Stay on it.' Like, he'd call and check on me. 'Where you at? How your grades doing? Have you gotten this done?' "

"Josh was really the driver behind it," said Streets Ministries founder Ken Bennett, one of Allen's longtime mentors. "If he wasn't bothering Andre, he was bothering me."

Pastner said having Allen and other players who didn't finish their degrees return and graduate "is good for everybody involved." Memphis gets points toward the men's basketball program's APR (Academic Progress Rate) for former players who return and graduate. But that's of minimal importance, Pastner said, compared to the impact that having a degree can have on their lives.

Former Tiger Roburt Sallie (2008-10) also finished up his degree this fall and Pastner said he has talked to other former players like Omar Sneed and Michael Wilson about finishing their degrees.

"Obviously Ken Bennett deserves a lot of credit (for helping push Allen along). I knew he was one class away. I knew he'd been in some trouble and I talked to Ken and I talked to Andre and said, 'Hey, you've got one final chance here. I'll make sure that the school pays for your one class and you graduate,' " Pastner said.

"Now, because he'd done this before and he didn't finish, I said, 'You got one last chance,' and to his credit he completed it and did his job. I told him, 'You need this just to help your life; to get your life back in the right direction. You've got two sons (Andre Jr., 9, and A'King, 6). It's important for your boys to look up to you."

That's what Allen is focused on now — being a provider for his sons and a better role model. For the last two weeks, he said he's worked six days a week, 12 hours a day packing boxes at Williams-Sonoma. In his spare time, he coaches 7- and 8-year olds in the Memphis Ducks little league football program.

It's worlds away from where he was seven years ago, helping Memphis advance to a Final Four.

"That's life. You've got to move forward. I can't think about what happened yesterday. I can't think about what people think about me. I have two boys that look up to me. What do they think about me? They're what matters," Allen said. "I asked my son, 'Are you coming to my graduation?' They're more proud than I am."

On Friday night, two days before his graduation, Allen got a call from Lexington, Kentucky. It was from his former coach, John Calipari.

"Andre, how are ya'. Man, I'm proud of ya'," Calipari said.

"Ah, yes. Thank you. I got it done. If nobody was behind me, I knew you and Ken was," Allen answered.

Calipari began to choke up. So did Allen.

"The bottom line you should understand is there's so many people that don't reach the milestone that you just reached. So don't take it lightly," Calipari told Allen. "Be proud, man. Be proud of that."

"Yes, sir," Allen said. "Thank you."

Edited December 16, 2015 by kwc

[kwc]

from the Commercial Appeal

By: Geoff Caulkins

 

Tigers' Mose Frazier a working man on and off the field

 

December 15, 2015 - University of Memphis wide receiver Mose Frazier (right) laughs with golfers Steve Sands (left) and his father William Sands as they check in for a tee time at the Links at Audubon. Frazier began working at the golf course part-time in May and said conversation usually revolves around football more than golf in the clubhouse. (Mike Brown/The Commercial Appeal)

 

Posted: Dec. 26, 2015

 

The Sunday after Memphis defeated Ole Miss in football, Mose Frazier woke up early and headed to the Audubon Park golf course.

 

He opened the safe, and fetched the money for the cash register. He greeted golfers as they showed up for their scheduled rounds.

 

"Just a regular day," Frazier said. "I couldn't take the morning off to celebrate or anything. That's my job."

 

Yes, you read that last sentence exactly right. In addition to catching 66 passes for 750 yards and four touchdowns this past season, Frazier spent four mornings a week working at the Audubon Park golf course.

 

You want to get a tee time at Audubon?

 

Talk to Frazier.

 

You want to buy some Gatorade?

 

He'll take care of that.

 

You want a cheeseburger off the grill?

 

He can handle that for you, too.

 

"I love it," he said. "I actually love it. I just like working, period. It just makes me feel better as a man."

 

This last sentiment is not surprising, at some level. Plenty of University of Memphis students have part-time jobs. But very few of those working students are varsity athletes. Indeed, there's a common belief that varsity athletes aren't allowed to have part-time jobs.

 

Not true, says Courtney Vinson, who works as Memphis' associate athletic director for sport services.

 

"As long as they are being paid for work they actually do, and are paid at the going rate, and are not hired because of their athletic prowess, athletes are perfectly employable," said Vinson.

So how many do it?

 

"Not many," Vinson said. "Because of the demands of varsity athletics, it's not very common."

But then, Frazier is an uncommon guy.

 

He didn't get many scholarships after graduating from Whitehaven High School. After a year at Arkansas-Pine Bluff, he decided to walk on and see if he could earn a scholarship at Memphis.

Justin Fuente — who was in his first season as head coach, and was trying desperately to change the culture — couldn't help but notice the maniacally determined kid.

 

"He was out there practicing his tail off every single day and, as a transfer, he was ineligible," said Fuente. "There was no way he's going play on Saturdays, and he's there killing himself. He kept doing that every day for his whole career."

 

So Fuente didn't flinch when Frazier said he wanted to work a job this season. He didn't even ask to hear the details.

 

"You have to understand, Mose, he does everything right," said Fuente. "He's an adult. He's an incredibly hard worker. He's professional. I said to him once, 'Mose would you like to coach one day?' He said, 'No, these kids drive me crazy.' That's Mose."

 

It helped that Frazier, 22, had already graduated from Memphis, having finished up his business management degree in May. Frazier registered for four additional classes as a graduate student, but was able to do most of the work online.

 

"It's busy," Frazier said. "I work from 7 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Sunday, and from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday."

 

Do the golfers know who you are?

 

"Some of them," he said. "It got to be more after we beat Ole Miss."

 

And how is the pay?

 

"Good," he said. "I make $12 an hour. It makes me feel independent. Like I'm handling my responsibilities."

 

That's the best part of the story, really. The feeling of accomplishment that comes with an earned buck. It's not exactly like the feeling you get when you catch a touchdown pass to help beat Ole Miss. But it may be even more sustaining over the long haul.

 

"It's just something inside of me," said Frazier. "Growing up, in a struggle, just seeing the things around me, it motivates me to make a better life. I'm going to give my dream of playing in the NFL a shot. But even if I do make it, someday those checks are going to stop."

 

So Wednesday, Frazier will play his last game as a college football player. He'll try to help Memphis beat Auburn in the Birmingham Bowl. But win or lose, you'll soon be able to find him back behind the front desk at Audubon, working to earn his daily bread.

 

And in case you're wondering, no, Frazier doesn't ever play golf himself. He offers a simple reason for that.

 

"They say it's addictive," he said. "Right now, where I am, I can't let anything distract me from becoming a success."

Edited December 28, 2015 by kwc

[kwc]

Denver Broncos draft Paxton Lynch at No. 26

 

April 6, 2016 - University of Memphis' former quarterback Paxton Lynch works out in front of NFL scouts gathered for the football team's pro day Wednesday morning. Lynch completed 57 of 69 passes in windy conditions. (Mark Weber/The Commercial Appeal) Posted: April 28, 2016

 

• 
•  
• Photo Gallery: Quarterback Paxton Lynch

 

By Tom Schad of The Commercial Appeal

Posted: April 28, 2016

 

Nearly three hours after the first round of the NFL draft began Thursday night, Paxton Lynch got a phone call, just as he always hoped and believed he would.

 

The voice on the other end of the line told him he was going to be a Denver Bronco.

 

And the tears started to flow.

 

The reigning Super Bowl champion Broncos executed a trade with the Seattle Seahawks late in the first round of the draft, moving up five slots to select Lynch with the 26th overall pick. The selection makes Lynch the highest-drafted quarterback in the history of the Memphis football program. He is also the ninth former Tiger ever to be selected in the first round of the NFL draft, and the first since defensive lineman Dontari Poe went 11th overall to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2012.

 

"It was obviously the greatest feeling," Lynch told local reporters in a conference call shortly after the pick. "This was a dream come true for me. The Denver Bronco organization is obviously one of the best in the league."

 

The 6-foot-7, 244-pounder, who played an instrumental role in the ascension of Memphis’ football program, received the news at a bowling alley near his home in Deltona, Florida, surrounded by more than 100 friends and family. He declined an invitation to attend the draft in Chicago because he wanted to spend the night with a larger group — teammates, extended family and former coaches who had supported him along the way.

 

In Denver, Lynch will join an organization that has won three Super Bowls in the past two decades, including a 24-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers in February. He will compete at quarterback with offseason acquisition Mark Sanchez for the opportunity to replace future Hall-of-Famer Peyton Manning, who retired this winter. Lynch will also have a chance to learn from the team's general manager â€” another Hall of Fame quarterback â€” John Elway.

 

“We knew there was a lot of interest coming from behind us (in the draft order)," Elway told Broncos.com shortly after the selection. "He was our guy that we had pinpointed and fortunately he got down far enough that we could go up and get him. We’re thrilled to get him. He’s a guy that’s got a tremendous amount of athleticism. He’s big, he’s strong, and he’s just going to continue to get better. So we’re extremely thrilled to be able to have Paxton.â€

 

Lynch was widely regarded as the third-rated quarterback in the draft, behind California’s Jared Goff and North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz, who went first and second overall to the Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles, respectively.

 

The Memphis product was one of the draft’s great mysteries, with diverging opinions on where he might land. His agent, Leigh Steinberg, believed the quarterback could go anywhere from 11th to 31st overall. Some media members and draft prognosticators thought he could fall out of the first round altogether due to his lack of experience in a pro-style offense, among other factors.

 

Broncos coach Gary Kubiak told local media members that Lynch will compete with Sanchez and the team's third quarterback, Trevor Siemian, for the starting job in 2016. Lynch echoed those thoughts, explaining that he does not view himself as "a project" like many draft analysts have pegged him.

 

â€Obviously any quarterback coming out of college, there’s going to (be) stuff to work on,’’ Lynch told local reporters. “They’re not primed for the NFL just because they’ve never been there, haven’t played in that system or played against that kind of talent level. So I don’t think any quarterback is ready … there’s some good quarterbacks on the roster and there will be good competition among all of us.’’

 

The pre-draft doubts were nothing new to Lynch, who ran a wing-T offense at Trinity Christian Academy and took the first Division I offer he received â€” Memphis â€”> despite overtures from higher-profile schools and a late offer from Central Florida. He arrived at Memphis as a lanky kid with an incredible arm, and blossomed into arguably the most accomplished quarterback in school history.

 

Lynch was a three-year starter at Memphis, leading the Tigers to a program-record 19 wins over the past two seasons, including a memorable double-overtime victory over BYU in the 2014 Miami Beach Bowl. He threw for 8,865 yards and 59 touchdowns over his college career, setting single-season records for both passing yards (3,778) and touchdowns (28) as a redshirt junior last year. He declared for the NFL draft in December, one day after Memphis’ loss to Auburn in the Birmingham Bowl.

 

With his rare combination of size and mobility, Lynch was on NFL scouts’ radars throughout his final season at Memphis, but his performance in the Tigers’ 37-24 victory over then-No. 13 Ole Miss raised his profile dramatically. Lynch completed 39 of his 53 passes for 384 yards and three touchdowns in that game, which ended with blue-clad fans storming the field.

 

It was the most memorable scene of a season in which he completed 66.8 percent of his passes and threw just four interceptions.

 

"The other thing that we really liked about Paxton is the enthusiasm that he plays the game with," Elway told local reporters. "I think if you watch tape, they have a first down or a long touchdown or whatnot, Paxton's the first one down there in the end zone to congratulate the guy. He's involved. So I think we really liked that, what we saw on tape, and his enthusiasm and the way he plays the game."

 

Lynch was heavily scouted and evaluated through the pre-draft process, throwing for NFL teams at the scouting combine in Indianapolis and drawing representatives from more than 23 teams to his pro scouting day in Memphis earlier this month. He visited 11 teams — including the Broncos — and had private workouts with a handful of others. The pre-draft process was chaotic, Lynch has said, but he enjoyed it.

 

Now, it is time for the next chapter. In the next day or two, Lynch will have his first NFL press conference in Denver. He will begin meeting his new teammates and exploring the mountains he will now call home. He will start learning Kubiak's playbook. It will take time to adjust, but Lynch is ready.

 

With a phone call in a bowling alley Thursday night, his life in the NFL began.

Edited May 5, 2016 by kwc

[kwc]

Quick thoughts on Mose Frazier and more from the NFL draft

 

Posted: May 02, 2016

 

 

Five quick thoughts for a Monday:

 

1. If you had just signed an NFL contract, would you show up for your job working behind the desk at the Aububon golf course? Mose Frazier did.

 

2. Here's an E-mail I received from Dan Murchison Sunday about his encounter with Mose:

 

"Sometimes things happen that make a college football fan proud in a way that can even be more powerful than a big win. As I was paying for my round of golf this morning in the clubhouse I quickly realized who was behind the register. It was a young man who had been signed as a free agent by the Denver Broncos twelve hours earlier and still showed up on time at 7 a.m. the next morning to his job at a public golf course. His co-workers made it a point to drive that fact home to me.

 

"The young man I'm talking about is Mose Frazier, Paxton Lynch's top receiver, who led the University of Memphis in receptions last year with 70 catches for 799 yards. Here he his, on the brink of getting the opportunity to play wide receiver for the defending Super Bowl champions, and still had the work ethic and integrity to honor his commitment to his day job the very next morning. It doesn't take a guru of any kind to see the value of someone with such high character.

 

"I feel it is important to share this story. Anyone can take a lesson on humility from this to always diversify your options and never take anything for granted."

 

3. I couldn't agree more with Dan. Here's a column I wrote about Mose and his job at Audubon earlier this year. 

 

4. Interesting story out of Dallas, where Jerry Jones is reportedly crestfallen he wasn't able to trade up to get Paxton Lynch. According to Peter King of Sports Illustrated, Dallas had Lynch rated as the 12th best player in the draft.

 

5. For the second consecutive year, Tennessee didn't have a player drafted. That will change next year, when early mock drafts have Derek Barnett and Cameron Sutton in the first round, but it goes a long way toward explaining Tennessee's recent struggles. Oh, and Ole Miss should be back in the national spotlight next year, when Chad Kelly is expected to go in the first round. Here's hoping he learns a valuable lesson and guards his Twitter and Instagram passwords.

Edited May 5, 2016 by kwc

[wingman10]

 

Quick thoughts on Mose Frazier and more from the NFL draft

 

Posted: May 02, 2016

 

 

Five quick thoughts for a Monday:

 

1. If you had just signed an NFL contract, would you show up for your job working behind the desk at the Aububon golf course? Mose Frazier did.

 

2. Here's an E-mail I received from Dan Murchison Sunday about his encounter with Mose:

 

"Sometimes things happen that make a college football fan proud in a way that can even be more powerful than a big win. As I was paying for my round of golf this morning in the clubhouse I quickly realized who was behind the register. It was a young man who had been signed as a free agent by the Denver Broncos twelve hours earlier and still showed up on time at 7 a.m. the next morning to his job at a public golf course. His co-workers made it a point to drive that fact home to me.

 

"The young man I'm talking about is Mose Frazier, Paxton Lynch's top receiver, who led the University of Memphis in receptions last year with 70 catches for 799 yards. Here he his, on the brink of getting the opportunity to play wide receiver for the defending Super Bowl champions, and still had the work ethic and integrity to honor his commitment to his day job the very next morning. It doesn't take a guru of any kind to see the value of someone with such high character.

 

"I feel it is important to share this story. Anyone can take a lesson on humility from this to always diversify your options and never take anything for granted."

 

3. I couldn't agree more with Dan. Here's a column I wrote about Mose and his job at Audubon earlier this year. 

 

4. Interesting story out of Dallas, where Jerry Jones is reportedly crestfallen he wasn't able to trade up to get Paxton Lynch. According to Peter King of Sports Illustrated, Dallas had Lynch rated as the 12th best player in the draft.

 

5. For the second consecutive year, Tennessee didn't have a player drafted. That will change next year, when early mock drafts have Derek Barnett and Cameron Sutton in the first round, but it goes a long way toward explaining Tennessee's recent struggles. Oh, and Ole Miss should be back in the national spotlight next year, when Chad Kelly is expected to go in the first round. Here's hoping he learns a valuable lesson and guards his Twitter and Instagram passwords.

 

Hope Mose Frazier makes it and he will whether it is is in the NFL or in whatever he does..