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Griffin's Clemons to start against Vols
By JERRY GUTLON
Daily News Assistant Sports Editor
When the Georgia Bulldogs take the field at Neyland Stadium against Tennessee Saturday, Griffin High will have two alumni starting on the 'Dawgs' defense - Chris Clemons at weak side linebacker, and Johnathan Sullivan at defensive tackle.
Although Sullivan has been in the starting lineup this year since Day One, Clemons will move from backup strong side linebacker to the weak side, replacing the injured Will Witherspoon, who is expected to be out for four to six weeks with a knee injury.
A sophomore, Clemons recorded seven solo and two assisted tackles last weekend against Arkansas in Georgia's 34-23 victory. He also saw substantial playing time in Georgia's games against Arkansas State and South Carolina.
Now he's nobody's understudy - he's the man at weak side linebacker, and nobody's more psyched up than Chris, himself.
“Yes sir, I'm very excited,” Clemons said Tuesday following practice. “They told me about it at a meeting just before practice (Monday). I feel real good about it because it's my turn to have a breakout game. I'm studying the team we're playing real hard.”
Clemons' reference to a breakout games stemmed in part from the game Sullivan played against Arkansas, accounting for nine solo tackles and six assisted tackles against the Razorbacks.
Switching from strong side to weak side linebacker isn't too much of a stretch, Clemons said.
“It's not that much of a big change,” he insisted. “I'm going from keying one person - the tight end - to keying different people depending on what play we call and what formation they use. There's really not too much of a difference. The strong side linebacker usually keys the tight end.
“It's not going to be much of a problem. I'll just be taking on the fullback straight on instead of on an angle. It's going to give me a chance to make a lot more tackles.”
Clemons said his constant hustle on the field has paid off.
“To play on the weak side you've got to be quick,” Clemons said. “And the coach sees me running to the ball all the time.”
Clemons said the entire team was disappointed with the tough 14-9 loss to South Carolina on Sept. 8.
“Everybody has a bad game at times,” he said. “In that game, both the offense and defense - neither of us came around when we needed it. It happens to the best of them. There's nothing you can do. You know you can always have those kind of games, and you just have to bow your head and keep going.”
Complicating matters is the fact that Chris' big brother, Nic, has been sidelined by a bad shoulder and a gimpy knee, which, Clemons said, will require arthroscopic surgery.
“He has to get his knee 'scoped again,” Chris said. “He should be all right after this one. He's had a lot of fluid on his right knee. He hurt it a couple of weeks ago. And he hurt his left shoulder during camp.”
Injuries are something athletes simply have to deal with as a matter of course, according to Clemons.
“You have to feel bad about any teammate who gets hurt and can't play. And you have to feel bad because you never know when your career is going to end,” he said philosophically.
In the meantime, bring on the Vols.
“I think we can beat them,” Clemons declared. “We have our minds set on it.”
Florida's Foley jet setting to
line up Spurrier replacement
Next stop: Gainesville?
University of Florida athletic Director Jeremy Foley flew to Colorado Monday at midday after learning that Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops wasn't interested in taking Steve Spurrier's place as head football coach of the Gators.
Now CNN/Sports Illustrated reports Foley and Denver head coach Mike Shanahan "may fly to Gainesville as early as (today) to announce Shanahan's hiring."
As a Gator jet setter, Foley met with Stoops at Stoops' Norman, Okla. home for about 45 minutes before returning to the airport to fly to Denver.
Shanahan told reporters Sunday he'd be interested in the job only if approached by Foley, a close friend.
Meanwhile, in a press conference late Monday afternoon, Stoops told the world he was staying at Oklahoma, a team he led to the national championship two years ago.
Foley, flying in a University of Florida jet, landed at Denver's Centennial Airport Monday afternoon. Shanahan left the Broncos' team complex at about the same time after notifying KUSA-TV he wouldn't be appearing on his weekly television show Monday night.
Stoops said Foley wasn't surprised at his decision to stand pat with the Sooners.
"The talk with Jeremy was strictly if I had an interest to go further," Stoops said. "I can't say enough positive things about the Florida job. They are responsible for me being here at Oklahoma, in all reality. I hope people understand I have a lot of close friends and attachments in that program."
He also denied that he renegotiated his contract with the university, contradicting reports he would get a raise to continue coaching at Oklahoma.
Foley was noncommittal when speaking with reporters after landing in Norman to meet with Stoops, who was Spurrier's defensive coordinator at Florida from 1996 through 1998.
"We haven't made any offers to anybody yet," Foley remarked. "I'm out here just to talk to Bobby and go from there."
In the wake of Foley's non-offer, ESPN's Chris Mortenson reported that Shanahan was Foley's first choice all along, although conventional wisdom remains that Foley simply withheld the job offer after learning that Stoops wasn't interested in the position.
Shanahan reportedly received the blessings of Denver owner Pat Bowlen to talk with Foley if approached about the vacancy. Shanahan - who earns roughly $4 million a year and has recently built a new home in the Denver suburbs - has struggled through three sub-par seasons since the Broncos cleaned Atlanta's clocks in Super Bowl XXXIII in Jan. 1999.
In Gainesville, Spurrier held a press conference of his own just before supper time on Monday. The initial 15 minutes was a Spurrier soliloquy to the greatness of the Gator teams he'd coached over the past 12 years. Spurrier's paean included just a whiff of his patented brand of whining about how Florida was cheated out of the SEC championship in 1990 because the school was on an NCAA-imposed probation at the time.
He couldn't resist taking a parting shot at Florida State University, the Gators' cross-state rivals.
"I guess I'm supposed to cry because that's what all those FSU people say I do," cracked Spurrier. "I'm intrigued to see if our style of offense, my style of coaching, can be successful at the NFL level," he said. "I need to find that out before I completely hang it up, before I call my last play."
He wouldn't comment about the search for his replacement.
"They're both excellent coaches," Spurrier said of Stoops and Shanahan. "But whatever decision they make is up to them."
He reiterated he didn't have a head coaching job in the NFL lined up, but said he didn't expect to remain unemployed too long. Spurrier's wife, Jerri, said over the weekend her husband "had no plans right now. Right now, I'm the only one employed." She left the press conference in tears after Florida quarterback Rex Grossman replaced her husband at the podium, according to The Associated Press.
Waiting anxiously in Gainesville are a handful of players, including Grossman, who want to see who the Gators hire to replace Steve Spurrier before they commit to coming back next year.
"I would love to come back and play," Grossman said. "I am not ready to leave, but it may be the best decision for me in the NFL. Who knows?"
Grossman, the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy, said if Shanahan were the coach, he would love to come back. But he needs to know by Friday, the deadline for underclassmen to declare for the NFL draft. Foley would love to make a hire by Friday, as well - not only for the sake of the players who are already Gators, but because recruiting begins again in earnest on Saturday. It could have a drastic affect on which players stay or leave.
Florida. Receiver Taylor Jacobs, the Most Valuable Player in the Orange Bowl, is also wavering, after saying he would definitely come back. One report, quoting Jacobs' mother, indicated Jacobs is more likely to leave now that Spurrier is history. And Grossman said he has been in frequent contact with Brock Berlin, who had all but transferred to Miami before Spurrier's surprise put things on hold.
"We're on the same page," Grossman said. "I'm not 100 percent on that, but we've definitely been in communication. He is probably going to do the opposite of what I do."
ESPN reported Shanahan, Foley and a Florida aide met at the Inverness Hotel, then drove to Shanahan's new home in Cherry Hills Village, where they met for 1 hour, 40 minutes. Shanahan then dropped off Foley and the aide at the hotel before returning to Broncos headquarters. He was not available for comment, a spokesman said.
A Bowden in The House
By JERRY GUTLON
Daily News Assistant Sports Editor
Be earnest. Be serious. Be committed.
That was the message delivered to about 50 student athletes at Griffin High School Tuesday morning by Clemson head football coach Tommy Bowden.
Bowden addressed the students - predominantly members of the Bears' football, basketball and baseball teams - during Bowden's visit to the school commemorating a verbal commitment by football co-captain Donnell Clark to attend Clemson in the fall.
Clark, a senior who played inspired ball at linebacker for the 2001 edition of the Bears, was also named to the all-state prep team that faced an all-state prep squad from Florida last month in the Georgia Dome.
Bowden, accompanied by defensive ends coach Rodney Allison, spent less than an hour at the school but indicated they were also interested in Griffin strong safety Marcus Mayes, who was leaning toward attending Eastern Kentucky.
Both Allison and Bowden said they were particularly intent on improving the Tigers' cornerback ranks and asked Griffin head coach Steve DeVoursney for a videotape of Mayes' best game of the 2001 season. From information culled at the school Tuesday the coaches felt Mayes was fast enough and big enough to make the transition from strong safety to cornerback. Mayes reportedly runs the 40 yard dash in 4.4 seconds.
Bowden's primary emphasis Wednesday was to encourage his audience to take a serious approach to their studies, their training and their behavior.
"Your grades start counting in the ninth grade," Bowden said. "When I was in ninth grade I was interested in chasing girls and throwing spitwads. But if you want to get into a good college and play (sports) and you mess around in ninth and tenth grade ... you can't make up for it when you get into eleventh and twelfth grade.
"You need a 2.5 average - a C+ - to get into a (Division) One school. Throw out (physical education), throw out music, throw out office aide because all that fun stuff doesn't count. You need a C+ average in math, science, English, history. And if you want to go to college and you've got Ds or Fs as a freshman or a sophomore, go to summer school and get it off (your transcript)."
He also urged the students to begin taking the college boards during their junior year. Bowden said intensity on the playing field and a commitment to conditioning is critical to aspiring athletes.
"You also need to be a good player. We can graduate all our players and lose all our games and we'll get fired. I was an assistant coach for 19 years before I became a head coach," Bowden said, drawing an analogy. "So some of you ninth graders and tenth graders, if you're not playing right now you still need to work hard. All you have to do is have one good year - your senior year.
"Don't be discouraged ... If you're a ninth grader or a tenth grader you can't wait to work in the weight room until you're a senior. You can't work too hard. You can't look at it like you're a ninth grader and you're not playing so you don't have to work hard."
Bowden said each Division I school usually has 25 scholarships per year for football, worth as much as $70,000, all told. He went on to say there are other grants and allowances a college athlete can get to defray other expenses.
"Believe me you won't get there by cruising through ninth grade and cruising through tenth grade. You have to be committed to it."
Lastly, Bowden encouraged the students to stay on the straight and narrow.
"We have about 115 students involved in the football program at any one time," he noted. "It's like my having 115 sons. And sometimes they get in trouble. Here are the things that get my guys in trouble. They hang around with the wrong group of people ... who aren't getting football scholarships. Partying, drinking, failing to workout. So be careful who you hang out with. And it usually involves alcohol and drugs. Finally, you need to watch out how you behave around girls."
Bowden said even incidental physical contact with a girl could be used against a student athlete. Bad language around women can also be a flash point and the cause for sexual harassment charges.
"Those are things that once they get into the paper they reflect badly on the school."
Bowden, his brothers, and his father - the legendary Bobby Bowden of Florida State University - have reputations of running straightforward programs that don't tolerate misbehavior on the part of their football players. Character counts, said Bowden.
"We talk with your teachers, your guidance counselor and your coach. We check your character," Bowden said. "Give me five minutes with your coach, your guidance counselor and your teacher and I'll know about your character."
Playing college ball with the big boys
Griffin grads prepare for
college football season
The tradition of a strong work ethic is the cornerstone an army of former Griffin High Bears bring to a bevy of college football programs throughout the South.
Among the Griffin High School alumni from the classes of 1998, 1999 and 2000 who will grace gridirons - Nic Clemons of the Class of 1998, Carl Kearney of the
Class of 1999, and Landru Buckelew, Tony Evans, Ben Barrick, Jonathan Sullivan and Chris Clemons of the Class of 2000 - are some of the best ball players Griffin High has ever produced.
The majority of GHS grads planning to play college ball this season are defensive specialists, and played for the man who heads up the GHS program now, Steve
DeVoursney, as well as for long time GHS defense coach Vic Barrick, who now coaches across town at Spalding High.
A walk-on at Georgia Southern in 1999, Carl Kearney has impressed his college coaching staff, although he has yet to officially play a single down in college
football.
“Carl emerged as one of the top surprises during spring practice for the second straight season as a walk-on wide receiver,” said Head Coach Paul Johnson.
“He's definitely a long ball threat because of his size, quickness, strength and amazing leaping ability.”
As fall practices began in early August, Kearney was listed as the team's No. 3 wide receiver behind starters Derrick Owens and Anthony Williams. The Georgia Southern coaches believe that Kearney could battle for extended playing time this season.
Kearney has packed on 20 lbs. since his graduation from Griffin High School. Weighing in at 205, Kearney has also grown another inch, and now stands at 6-2.
He's battled back from a serious knee injury sustained in 1999, when he tore the medial collateral ligament in his left knee.
That, combined with failing grades, was a big wake-up call, Kearney said.
“Man, I don't even want to talk about that,” Kearney ducked his head, then inhaled deeply. “But I needed it. I needed it to get my mind right. I decided I'd do whatever I had to do to come back. I did what I had to do to get back out on the field. And I got serious about my grades. I want to play football.”
Ben Barrick grew up a coach's son whose commitment to hard work is legendary among his peers and his coaches.
“He came in as a freshman and started,” said DeVoursney. “That's a coach's son for you, disciplined and knowledgeable of the game. Ben's extremely
aggressive and very tough.”
Barrick was a fixture at linebacker for the Bears, and saw spot service as a fullback.
“He works hard year-round,” DeVoursney noted. “He's got his speed down and put some weight on. He won't be anything but getting better.”
Barrick's Dad, Vic's face lights up at the mention of his son's name.
“He understands the game, and has always been very coachable. He's particularly good making pre-snap reads, those kind of things. The funny thing is he never really started playing until the seventh grade. He just decided to go out for football.”
From all accounts, Barrick has never looked back.
“Ben's one of those people you really don't have to coach,” said DeVoursney. “You just put them out there on the field and they just instinctively know what's
going on and what to do.”
Unlike many incoming college freshmen Barrick said he didn't have a problem adjusting to a less structured lifestyle.
“More discipline? No, not really, because I grew up knowing that if I didn't show up in shape I wasn't going to play. You just want to be in the best physical shape you can.”
Barrick said he immediately noticed one thing about college football that was drastically different.
“The big difference is that in college football everybody's good,” he said. “In college you're just another person. You can be just another Joe, or you can be somebody above that.”
Heading into his sophomore year, Barrick is up to 220 lbs., and stands 5-11. He said his complete commitment to football makes a huge difference.
“To succeed I've got to be mean, and hit everybody and everything I can. And be tough. Never give up. When you're tired, step it up another level.”
For Tony “Manchild” Evans, playing college ball is a dream come true.
Like Kearney, Evans overcame deficiencies in his studies and matriculated to the Georgia Military College.
“I'm doing all right, making progress and doing really good,” Evans said while visiting his high school haunts in Griffin. “I had a tough year last year, but I did really well last spring, and have been working out like crazy.”
DeVoursney said that, like Barrick, Evans is a coach's dream.
“Tony's the kind of kid who comes to football camp with a smile on his face. He just loves the game of football. He's struggled a little bit, and had trouble at first getting ready for college. But he makes up for a lot with his heart.”
Barrick said Evans is the prototypical football player, simply consumed by the game.
“I'll tell you, you get him on the football field, he'll get his motor going,” said Barrick. “He's always played hard - always worked hard in the weight room. He has overcome adversity more than once.”
Evans said his belief in God has seen him through some tough times.
“I had a little trouble, but got it straightened out,” he said. “My hope is that I can get into a big time college. If it's God's will, I'm not going to worry about it.”
DeVoursney said Evans has unlimited potential.
“He's going to wreak havoc on the football field for somebody,” predicted DeVoursney.
Landru Buckelew plays football with an intensity that belies his polite, soft-spoken demeanor.
“He doesn't do anything half-speed, I'll tell you that,” said Barrick, whose son, Ben, is one of Buckelew's closest friends. “You name it, diving on the ground. He a kid who plays at 100 percent at all time.”
According to DeVoursney, the quarterbacks - Buckelew's teammates - would cringe when the defensive end stormed onto the field - during practice.
“His motor never stops, and he simply can't do walk throughs,” DeVoursney grinned. “For Landru, it's got to be full speed. We'd be out there in shorts and he'd
be tackling people and everything else. He's the kind of kid you just let him go, just let him line up and he'll get it done.”
Buckelew's grin is contagious, and his expressive eyes could very well lull someone into thinking he's simply another slow moving good ol' boy.
“Everybody's good in college. It's not like in high school where you can differentiate between those players who are really good and those who aren't,”
said Buckelew. “You really have to step it up to shine. Nothing's easy in college. The first thing they told us in camp was `What you did in high school means
absolutely nothing. You belong to us now. Now run.'”
Buckelew said his playing weight last year was 221 lbs., and he's added another 15 over the summer. He stands at 6-4, and said he's been working like mad to
gain weight and tone up.
Landru said he almost became a casualty to the lax college lifestyle his freshman year at West Georgia State.
“My first semester at college I almost flunked out. I wish that I could go back to high school now and play with what I know now. I would've probably have gone to
a Division I school.”
Asked about his intensity, Buckelew grinned.
“I was always the craziest person on the field. They used to tell me on every play `Don't hit the quarterback, don't hit the quarterback.' Then, the next play I'd hit the quarterback anyway. I didn't care.”
Both DeVoursney and Barrick sang the praises of Jonathan Sullivan, who is slated to start for the Georgia Bulldogs this year at defensive tackle.
“Jonathan Sullivan is very coachable,” declared Barrick. “I expect him to dominate the defensive line at Georgia. He works extremely hard. He's got great talent. He's got good upper body strength and terrific quickness.”
Not to mention a 100-watt smile, which he flashed repeatedly while watching the 2001 Griffin Bears scrimmage Aug. 3.
DeVoursney predicted great things for the 6-4, 280-lb. Sullivan.
“The University of Georgia had two kids playing defensive tackle drafted in the first round last year, and the defensive line coach there thinks Jon is going to be better than both of them,” DeVoursney said. “I don't know how you can get much better than [Marcus] Stroud and [Richard] Seymour, but that's what they're
predicting.”
Both DeVoursney and Barrick said Sullivan was a joy to coach, and has the potential to be a great ball player.
“He's a great kid to coach,” said DeVoursney. “He just loves the game. Shoot, he can write his own ticket someday if he keeps working at it.”
Brothers Nic and Chris Clemons - whose Uncle Charlie plays linebacker for the New Orleans Saints - are likewise preparing to play for the Bulldogs, both on the defense side of the ball.
Named as a high school senior to the AAAA-All Region first team, Chris is playing strong side linebacker for Georgia.
Chris's moment of truth thus far in college ball came quickly, as he was pressed into the opening lineup in Georgia's first game last year after starter Boss Bailey was hurt during the opening kickoff. Clemons rose to the occasion, recording seven tackles and one quarterback pressure versus Georgia Southern.
“Chris works extremely hard at practice,” Barrick said. “He played both tight end and defensive end. We also used him at linebacker. He's a real special kid - a very pleasant kid to have around.”
DeVoursney said Chris Clemons has a strong work ethic.
“Chris is a heckuva an athlete, especially playing linebacker,” said DeVoursney. “He's a kid that can run and has good size. He'll mix it up with you. There's no question he's got a chance to be real good.”
Brother Nic broke family tradition when he passed on high school football. Instead, Nic played on Griffin's basketball team, a key ingredient of a team that went to the Class AAAA Final Four Tournament in 1998.
DeVoursney said Nic appeared at a spring football practice and simply blew away the coaching staff.
“Nic came out one spring for us, and we could tell he had the potential to be a great ballplayer, a tall kid who could run, and that's what [big college teams]
look for, especially coming off the edge,” DeVoursney said.
Nic matriculated to the Georgia Military Academy where he excelled in football, and was named an Honorable Mention Junior College All-American in 1999.
DeVoursney said Clemons has a lot of potential.
“He went to Georgia Military for two years and did a good job there and had a real good defensive line coach. His play progressed pretty good, but he's still a little bit behind for the University of Georgia. He's still playing catch up and should be there pretty soon.”
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