Thursday Thoughts on the SEC

For Mullen’s sake, I hope so.

Bobby Johnson is one of the nicest coaches in the SEC. If you’re doing an article on Vanderbilt, which I’ve done, and want to speak to him, he’ll answer the phone and your questions—no big head here. So it’s nice when good things happen to good men.

This week it was announced that Johnson will be inducted into the Furman University Athletics Hall of Fame during a ceremony on July 25.

Johnson was at Furman for 24 years, the last eight as head coach. He led the Paladins to four playoff appearances, including a trip to the 2001 Division I-AA national championship game.

Should Johnson continue to have seasons like this past one at Vanderbilt, he may easily be a two-time honoree.

Good seasons and bowl games haven’t come easily for the Commodores and the fact that Johnson has done it there proves he can do it anywhere.

And by the way, I’ve been watching the level of recruits Johnson’s bringing in and it may be possible that they won’t wait another 25 years to play in a bowl.

Beware Vandy, Johnson may not be a job hopper, but someone’s sure to “come a calling”.

I had a fan write me and ask me why I never talk about Kentucky.

I guess it’s because like everyone else in the SEC, I just sort of lose them in the shuffle. They’re sort of like the silent kid in the family that never gets noticed. I’ve always thought of them as the SEC’s middle child, never the best, rarely the worst, and always out of mind and sight.

But this week is a special week. Bear’s boys are all coming home to Kentucky for a reunion. Players who played for Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant are coming back relive the glory of those days. Yes for you youngsters out there, Bryant was also the best coach to ever coach at Kentucky.

During his eight seasons there, he complied a 60-23-5 record after taking over a team that was simply pitiful. He led them to their first four bowl games and wins at the prestigious Sugar and Cotton Bowls and even had a team that won the SEC title and shared the 1950 National Title with three other schools with an 11-1 season by snapping Oklahoma’s 31 game winning streak in winning the Sugar Bowl.

Coach Bryant said he knew it was time to go when they bought the basketball coach a new car and gave him a cigarette lighter.

Ever since, the football program in Kentucky has just been an afterthought.

Put that on your list of dumbest moves ever by a university.

All this month, there have been high school football camps going on in campuses all over the SEC. This used to be a way for coaches to earn a little extra money. Now it’s turned into to recruiting tool.

It’s a great way for coaches to evaluate talent and for kids to see what life may be like at that particular campus and some high school boys attend more than one.

While Kiffin and company may rip off their shirts and dance for them, others choose to put them through drills that not only enhance their abilities but show coaches what potential they may have for positions outside the ones they’ve played in high school.

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