Larry Porter returned to his alma mater for his first head coaching job, and was named the school’s 22nd football coach on November 29, 2009. Porter played for the Tigers in the 1990s and received his degree from the U of M in 1996. At the official press conference announcing his hiring, Porter’s pride in his university stood out more than anything. “The Memphis job is the perfect job in the perfect place for me,” said Porter upon being introduced by President Dr. Shirley Raines. “I am a living witness. I am a product of the University of Memphis. This is a great university and a great city, surrounded by quality people.” “I understand the Memphis brand, and I believe in it unconditionally,” added Porter. “This football program deserves to be champions.” Porter inherited a program that was 2-10 in the previous season, and led the charge to motivate the team, the staff, the fans and the city of Memphis to “Invest In The Helmet.” “I want you to understand that we are all in this together,” Porter said emphatically. “I do not want you to follow me. I want you to join me in taking Memphis football to the championship level, and I believe that it can be done.” Evidence of Tiger Nation “buying in” to Porter’s vision of developing a championship culture could be seen in the city of Memphis investing in Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, the alums and administration investing in the weight room and the turf field as well as the players investing in every aspect of the program. Porter truly believes that the Tiger football program has unlimited potential. And while great strides were made in 2010, there is still work to be done. Several Tigers received recognition for their contributions in 2010, and the squad also made strides under Porter, including improvements in the classroom and dedicated efforts to community involvement. True freshman punter Tom Hornsey was named Memphis’ first Freshman All-American by the Football Writers Association of America after tying or setting school records in punts and yardage. He was also a candidate for the Ray Guy Award, presented to the nation’s top punter. Senior linebacker Jamon Hughes was one of five Tigers named to the All-C-USA team, and was Memphis’ only first-team pick. Hughes ended the season ranked third nationally in tackles. Porter set out with a no-nonsense approach to academics, and with the continued dedication and effort from Academic Services Director Dr. Joe Luckey and academic counselors Fred Quarles and Valorie Lott, the Tiger football program registered its highest team GPA since 2006 in spring 2010. In addition, two Tiger quarterbacks, Andy Summerlin and Ryan Williams, posted 4.0 GPAs in consecutive semesters. For the fall 2010 semester, Tiger football landed 21 student-athletes in the 3.0 Club.
“I have a conviction, a passion about it and a vision,” said Porter. “I want a guy to leave here a better person than they are a football player. We are going to start out pursuing championships, and that is what it is going to be from start to finish.” With a year at the helm of the program and his second recruiting class ranking fourth in Conference USA, Porter continues to work towards that ultimate goal of bringing championships to Memphis Football. A native of Jackson, Miss., Porter spent five years on the LSU coaching staff prior to coming to Memphis. He had also worked three years with LSU coach Les Miles at Oklahoma State before joining Miles in Baton Rouge in 2005. He coached LSU running backs while also holding two key roles on staff - assistant head coach and chief recruiter. Porter was elevated to the position of assistant head coach during the spring of 2006. He was twice (2007 and 2009) named as the National Recruiter of the Year by Rivals.com, making him one of the top all-around assistant coaches in college football. Three of the five seasons Porter was at LSU, the Tiger rushing unit averaged over 165 yards a game, including a high of 214 yards per game in 2007. That squad closed out the season ranked 11th nationally in rushing. From 2005-08, the Tigers totaled 108 rushing touchdowns, including 35 in 2007. As LSU’s running backs coach, Porter helped develop some of the finest players at that position in LSU’s history. From 2005-09, LSU produced a 1,000-yard rusher twice - Jacob Hester with 1,103 yards in 2007 and Charles Scott with 1,174 yards in 2008 - as well as having five players (Hester, Joseph Addai, Quinn Johnson, Scott, Trindon Holliday) selected in the NFL Draft. In 2009, the LSU Tigers averaged 123 yards per game rushing and scored 15 of the team’s 34 offensive touchdowns on the ground. Scott and Holliday were both selected in the 2010 NFL Draft, while Keiland Williams signed a free agent contract. From 2006-08, the LSU Tigers had one of the top running games in the SEC, with their best totals coming in LSU’s national championship season in 2007. That year, the unit rushed for 214.1 yards per game and 35 total touchdowns, as both marks ranked second in the SEC. Another impressive feat for the Tiger running backs was the
fact that they combined for 432 carries in 2007 with just one lost fumble, which came against Tennessee in the SEC title game. In 2007, Hester became the fourth running back coached by Porter that had been selected among the first three rounds of the NFL Draft since 2004. In his first year with the team in 2005, Porter led Addai to his best year in a Tiger uniform as he rushed for 911 yards and nine touchdowns. He posted five 100-yard rushing games, capped by a 130-yard, oneTD performance in LSU’s 40-3 win over Miami in the Peach Bowl. He went on to become a first-round draft pick of the Indianapolis Colts in the 2006 NFL Draft, becoming the first LSU running back taken in the first round since 1991. At Oklahoma State, Porter’s stable of running backs continued the tradition of “Tailback U.”, as he coached 1,000-yard rushers for three straight seasons. In 2004, Vernand Morency earned secondteam All-Big 12 honors after rushing for 1,474 yards, which ranked eighth in the nation, and 12 touchdowns. Morency was a third round pick of the Houston Texans in 2005. A year earlier, Tatum Bell earned first-team All-Big 12 honors with 1,286 yards and 16 touchdowns. Bell and Morency combined for 2,204 yards and 24 TDs for the Cowboys in 2003. Bell then went on to become a second-round draft pick by the Denver Broncos in the 2004 NFL Draft. In his first season at OSU, Porter guided Bell to a 1,096-yard, 11-TD season for 8-5 Oklahoma State. Porter began his coaching career at Wooddale High School in Memphis, Tenn., serving as head track and field coach, while assisting with the running backs and secondary on the football squad. After two years at Wooddale, Porter moved to the collegiate ranks, coaching the running backs at TennesseeMartin in 1998, and from there spent three years (1999-01) at Arkansas State. Porter lettered four years (1990-93) at Memphis, serving as co-captain of the 1993 Tiger squad. He closed out his career with 2,194 yards and 20 rushing touchdowns, ranking seventh in school history in yardage and tied for fifth in touchdowns. As a rookie in 1990, Porter rushed for 206 yards against Arkansas State, the highest single-game total for a freshman in school history. In his first game, he replaced injured starting tailback Marvin Cox and raced 53 yards for a touchdown against Arkansas State on his first college carry. Porter had a total of six 100-yard games during his career, a figure that ranks tied for fifth in Memphis history. Porter graduated in 1996 with a bachelor’s degree in education. He and his wife Sharmane have three children, Brandon, Omari and Olivia.
NO 1 5 6 7 10 10 12 12 14 15 18 19 19 22 23 23 24 25 26 27 27 30 31 34 34 36 37 38 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 50 51 53 54 55 56 59 60 61 62 64 66 70 71 74 75 77 80 83 84 85 86 89 90 92 93 94 95 97 98
NAME Cam Baker Cannon Smith Billy Foster Lonnie Ballentine Kenyata Johnson Will Gilchrist Andy Summerlin Mohammed Seisay DeRon Furr Anthony Hayes Marcus Rucker Lavaris Edwards Blayze Jones Jerrell Rhodes Terrence Thomas Casey Calvin Akeem Davis Khiry Battle Jeff Tompkins Jamere Valentine Perrance Ward Taurean Nixon Chris Bertucci Derek Smith Andrew Diamond Jarvious Grayson Adam Johnson Tyler Spurlock Brandon Hayes Mitch Huelsing Fred Harvey Tom Hornsey Ricky Holloway JoJo Pearson Hunter Brooks Andrew Ene-Ita Justin Henderson Jeremy Singler Conner Moyer Melvin Jones Al Bond Jimmy Robinson Chris Schuetz Johnnie Farms Ricky Hart Michael Antonescu Frank Trotter Jordan Devey D’Angelo McCray Tommy Walker A.J. Antonescu Dontari Poe Ronald Leary Taylor Fallin Brooks Johnson Kevin Wright Reggie Travis Tannar Rehrer Curtis Johnson Devin Clark Daniel Thomas Austin Weaver Dasmine Cathey Corey Jones Zach Gholson Martin Ifedi Paulo Henriques
POS WR DB WR DB LB QB QB DB LB DB WR DB DB RB LB RB DB LB QB/WR WR DB DB LB DB K/P RB DB K RB DB LB P LB WR FB TE TE DS DL LB OL OL OL DL OL OL DL OL OL DL OL DL OL OL TE WR WR WR WR DL DL P/H DL DL DL DL K
HT 6-0 6-0 5-10 6-4 6-1 6-1 6-5 6-2 6-3 6-0 6-4 6-0 6-0 5-10 6-0 5-6 6-1 6-0 6-1 6-1 6-0 6-1 6-0 6-1 6-4 5-10 6-0 6-0 5-9 6-0 6-0 6-4 6-1 5-10 6-1 6-3 6-2 6-1 6-3 6-0 6-5 6-0 6-3 6-2 6-2 6-3 6-2 6-7 6-4 6-3 6-3 6-5 6-3 6-6 6-4 6-4 6-2 6-1 6-0 6-2 6-2 5-10 6-4 6-3 6-4 6-3 5-10
WT 165 190 185 215 220 190 220 200 230 210 180 200 175 215 225 195 190 220 190 215 205 190 200 215 195 210 185 185 195 205 225 215 235 170 240 250 240 160 230 245 290 305 260 305 325 290 265 345 325 280 275 350 315 325 225 215 195 175 185 255 255 190 210 260 235 260 230
CL-Exp. r-Sr.-3L r-Jr.-1L r-Sr.-1L So.-1L Jr.-TR r-So. r-So. r-So.-1L r-Jr.-2L So.-1L r-Jr.-2L Sr.-3L r-Fr. So.-1L r-Sr.-1L r-Fr. r-Jr.-2L Jr.-1L r-Fr. Jr.-TR Jr.-TR So.-1L JR.-TR r-So.-1L r-Fr. r-Jr. r-Jr. r-Fr. r-Fr. r-Jr.-2L r-Fr. So.-1L r-Jr.-2L r-So. r-Fr. Sr.-1L So.-1L r-Jr.-1L r-Fr. r-Fr. r-Fr. r-So.-1L So.-1L So.-1L r-So.-1L r-Sr.-3L Sr.-3L Jr.-TR Sr.-1L r-Sr.-3L r-So. Jr.-2L r-Sr.-3L Fr.-HS r-So.-1L r-Fr. r-Fr. Sr.-1L r-Jr.-2L r-Fr. Sr.-1L r-Jr.-1L r-Sr.-3L So.-1L Jr.-TR r-Fr. Jr.-2L
HOMETOWN/HS/Last School Osceola, AR/Osceola HS Memphis, TN/Olive Branch HS/Hargrave Military/Miami Ft. Lauderdale, FL/Stranahan HS/Col. of Sequoias Memphis, TN/Southwind HS Jackson, MS/Provine HS/Hinds CC Savannah, TN/Hardin County HS Apopka, FL/Apopka HS/Coffeyville CC Springfield, VA/W. Springfield HS/Fork Union Military Columbus, GA/Carver HS/Auburn Memphis, TN/White Station HS Memphis, TN/Whitehaven HS Miami, FL/Bay Point Schools Birmingham, AL/Shades Valley HS Durham, NC/Jordan HS/Hargrave Military Eufaula, AL/Eufaula HS Memphis, TN/Melrose HS Laurel, MS/Laurel HS/Jones County JC Dacula, GA/Dacula HS/Arkansas Memphis, TN/Southwind HS Myrtle Beach, SC/Myrtle Beach HS/Butte College West Point, MS/West Point HS/East Mississippi CC Baton Rouge, LA/Southern Lab HS Gulfport, MS/Gulfport HS/East Miss. CC Evergreen, AL/Hillcrest HS Jackson, MS/St. Joseph Catholic Tutwiler, MS/Itawamba CC Philadelphia, PA/Coatesville HS/Alabama St. Olive Branch, MS/SBEC Chicago, IL/White Station (TN) HS Munford, TN/Munford HS Memphis, TN/White Station HS Geelong, Victoria, Australia/St. Joseph’s College Somerville, TN/Fayette-Ware HS West Point, MS/Hebron Christian School Germantown, TN/Germantown HS Houston, TX/Hightower HS/Blinn JC North Little Rock, AR/North Little Rock HS Memphis, TN/Christian Brothers HS Collierville, TN/Collierville HS Riverside, CA/Bolton (TN) HS Memphis, TN/Southwind HS Memphis, TN/Fairley HS Southaven, MS/Southaven HS Perry, GA/Perry HS/Hargrave Military Folkston, GA/Charlton County HS Ridgeland, MS/Ridgeland HS Mobile, AL/John LeFlore HS American Fork, UT/American Fork HS/Snow College Jacksonville, FL/Andrew Jackson HS/Coffeyville CC Munford, TN/Munford HS Ridgeland, MS/Ridgeland HS/Holmes CC Memphis, TN/Wooddale HS Baton Rouge, LA/Southern Lab Bowie, MD/Bowie HS/Hargrave Military Decatur, AL/Decatur HS Baton Rouge, LA/Christian Life Academy Plaquemine, LA/Plaquemine HS Orem, UT/Springville HS/Mesa CC Miami, FL/Coral Gables HS Batesville, MS/South Panola HS Vicksburg, MS/Mesa HS/Mesa JC Germantown, TN/Houston HS Memphis, TN/Ridgeway HS Memphis, TN/Mitchell HS Carlsbad, CA/La Costa Canyon HS/Palomar College Houston, TX/Westside HS West Memphis, AR/West Memphis HS
MEMPHIS FOOTBALL 2011 Name of School: ....................................... University of Memphis Founded: ................................................................................... 1912 Enrollment: ...........................................................................22,421 Nickname/School Colors: ..................Tigers/Royal Blue & Gray Stadium/Capacity: .................... Liberty Bowl Memorial/61,000 Surface: ...........................................................Field Turf Pro Series Affiliation: ..................................................................... NCAA FBS Conference: ..........................................................Conference USA President: .........................Dr. Shirley Raines (UT-Martin, 1968) Athletic Director: .............................. R.C. Johnson (Iowa, 1965) SID Information Assistant AD - Media Relations: ..................Jennifer Rodrigues SID Office /Cell Number .............. 901-678-2397; 901-734-9951 E-mail: ................................................... jmpowers@memphis.edu Press Box Telephone: .............................................. 901-272-0136 SID Mailing Address: ....................203 Athletic Office Building .......................................................................... Memphis, TN 38152 Athletic Dept. Website: .......................... www.GoTigersGo.com Coaching Staff Head Coach: .................................Larry Porter (Memphis, 1996) Record at Memphis/Career: ........................................1-11/Same Assistant Coaches: Eric Price (Weber State, 1990, Offensive Coord./RB); Kevin McGiven (Utah Valley State, 2001/Asst. HC-Off./ QB); Blake Miller (LSU, 1993/Co-OC/OL), Jerry Mack (Arkansas St., 2003/RB), Jay Hopson (Ole Miss, 1992/Defensive Coordinator/SAF), Mike DuBose (Alabama, 1974/DL), Galen Scott (Illinois State, 2001/LB), Shannon Morrison (Marshall, 1995/CB), Don Yanowsky (Toledo, 1982/ST/TE) Director of FB Operations: ..........Jeff Kupper; (901) 678-2090 Director of Player Personnel..................................Paul Gonnella Team Information Overall Record Last Year: .......................................................1-11 Conference Record/Finish: .................................0-8, 6th in East Basic Offense: Multiple Basic Defense: Multiple Lettermen Returning: .................................................................38 Offense: 15 Defense: 19 Specialty: 4 Lettermen Lost: ............................................................................30 Offense: 14 Defense: 15 Specialty: 1 Starters Returning: ......................................................................12 Offense: 4 Defense: 5 Specialty: 3 Starters Lost: .................................................................................13 Offense: 7 Defense: 5 Specialty: 1 Offensive Starters Returning: (WR) Billy Foster .......................... 14 rec., 175 yds, 12.5 yd/catch (OT) Ronald Leary ....12 starts at LT, 704 of 718 offensive plays in ‘10 (WR) Marcus Rucker ... 12 starts, 41 rec., 704 yds, 8 TD, leading receiver (OT) Tommy Walker..........8 starts at RT, 554 of 597 offensive plays in ‘10 Defensive Starters Returning: (LB) DeRon Furr..10 starts, 58 tackles (38 solo), 7 TFL, 1 INT, 2FR, 1 FF (DL) Dontari Poe ..... 12 starts, 41 tackles (21 solo), 6.5 TFL, 2 SK, 3 QBH (DB) Mohammed Seisay ...... 12 starts as r-FR, 39 tackles (23 solo), 2 INT (DL) Frank Trotter....12 starts, 80 tackles (39 solo), 16.5 TFL, 1 FR, 5 QBH (DL) Corey Jones...4 starts as tr-FR, 24 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 FR, 1 FF Specialists Returning: (K) Paulo Henriques ....59 pts, 14-18 FG, 17-18 PAT, 43 KO (65.6 yd) (P) Tom Hornsey ... Ray Guy candidate as FR, 80 punts (42.7), 17 for 50+ (H) Austin Weaver .........Was the holder in all 12 games of 2010 Starters Lost: (DB) Marcus Ball, (DS) Keenan Bratcher, (DB) Darius Davis, (DB/KR) D.A. Griffin, (LB) Jamon Hughes, (OL) Joel McCleod, (WR) Jermaine McKenzie, (TE) Deven Onarheim, (C) Brad Paul, (RB) Gregory Ray, (RG) Dominik Riley, (DB) Todd Washington, (QB) Ryan Williams
2011 Fall Newcomers Name LaMarvin Ashley Reggis Ball Ryan Byrd Nick Chartain Michael Davis Artaves Gibson Monte Golden Kevin Green Carl Harris Charles Harris Domonique Harris
HT ATH LB ATH OL LB RB C/OL LB RB LB QB
WT 5-10 5-11 6-0 6-5 6-2 6-1 6-2 6-1 5-10 6-2 6-5
POS 165 200 170 320 215 220 301 205 190 215 225
CL FR FR FR SO FR FR FR FR FR FR FR
Hometown (Last School) McComb, MS (McComb HS) Stone Mountain, GA (Stephenson HS) Greensburg, LA (St. Helena HS) New Orleans, LA (Independence CC) Columbus, GA (Carver HS) Memphis, TN (Mitchell HS) Jacksonville, NC (Northside HS) Memphis, TN (Wooddale HS) Dallas,TX (Woodrow Wilson HS) Memphis, TN (Whitehaven HS) Southaven, MS (Southaven HS)
Bakari Hollier Derek Howard Ricky Hunter Jermaine Johnson Tyler Marzette Bobby McCain Tyriq Patrick Donald Pennington Joe Price Terry Redden Taylor Reed Robert Roquemore
DB WR DT WR OT DB WR DT RB DT QB OT
5-9 6-2 6-4 6-3 6-6 5-11 6-3 6-2 5-9 6-2 6-3 6-6
195 190 280 170 320 180 190 300 175 285 210 310
FR FR FR FR FR FR FR FR FR FR FR FR
Lafayette, LA (Acadiana HS) Boutte, LA (Hahnville HS) Loachapoka, AL (Loachapoka HS) Houma, LA (Ellender HS) Birmingham, AL (Huffman HS) Oxford, AL (Oxford HS) Philadelphia, MS (Philadelphia HS) Amite, LA (Amite HS) Madison, MS (Madison Central HS) Memphis, TN (Whitehaven HS) El Dorado, AR (El Dorado HS) Covington, GA (Newton HS)
Coach Larry Porter had just three and a half months from the time he was hired to the start of practice last spring. Mixed in with that was landing his first recruiting class, and the whirlwind of guiding a football program for the first time in his career. With a year under his belt, Porter is anxious for the start of practice this March to continue to build Tiger Football into a championship program. Coach Porter answers a few questions and breaks down each position heading into the spring.
Q A
Having gone through one full season as the Tigers’ head coach, how do you plan to attack this spring?
First and foremost, we must improve. The focus will be on discipline, fundamentals and attention to details. I think we must focus on the team as a whole in all three phases in order to be a much better football team. In that, we want to focus on attention to detail, discipline and again them playing together as one and being on the same page and not having as many breakdowns.
Q A
What has you the most excited heading into the spring?
I am excited about the opportunity to improve this football team. I am especially excited about the way that they are working hard and having such a great attitude and a great spirit about truly becoming a better football team.
Q
You have spoken publicly about altering the offense for the 2011 season and maybe opening up the field a bit for the spread offense. What is it that Tiger Nation can look for this spring and even heading into the fall as far as the offense is concerned?
A
We will base out of what we did last year, but we will extend ourselves to being more creative and having more personality within our offense. That will put us in position to put the defense on their heels. But also, we are going to utilize our talent better and put ourselves in position to put points on the board. In this league, you have to be able to score points, and we have to direct ourselves down a path that will allow us to do that.
- QUARTERBACK At quarterback, we have Andy Summerlin and Will Gilchrist this spring. Andy has always been a competitor since the day he arrived here, and I am sure he is looking forward to competing this spring. Will is just a company guy who is always going to be in position to try and add to our depth in any way that he can help us out. Returnees – Andy Summerlin (r-So.), Will Gilchrist (r-So.) Notable – Summerlin missed the entire 2010 season while rehabbing a shoulder injury he suffered last spring. The injury required surgery, and he was cleared last November to start throwing.
- RUNNING BACK Our running back position is low in some ways this spring, being that we only have one true tailback on scholarship or on campus. By the end of the spring, I don’t think that is going to be the case. We are going to look at some other
guys who are on scholarship who are capable of playing the position and see how they fare and see if they give us a real advantage. That position will be strengthened in numbers and depth before the spring is over. Jerrell (Rhodes) is a guy who, if he continues to improve, can be dynamic in a way that that can give this offense a true boost in terms of momentum. Returnees – Jerrell Rhodes (So.) Notable – Jerrell Rhodes was another true freshman to make an impact in 2010. He played in 10 games and was second in rushing yards (469) and attempts (116) behind senior Greg Ray. He also caught 11 passes for 68 yards and a TD.
- WIDE RECEIVER At the end of the day, it’s about that group as a whole being more productive. I can call out some names, but we have to be more productive as a unit no matter who it is. We are fighting for them to be more disciplined in everything they do from the fundamentals and technique to their position, as well as toughness and them playing hard every single play. We need them to be more accountable in the passing game to just making plays which of course, if you get an opportunity to make more plays, you get more opportunities to score and we need that out of that position. I will say as a unit, you can see more of a bond and focus on togetherness with those guys. Returnees – Cam Baker (r-Sr.), Marcus Rucker (r-Jr.), Curtis Johnson (r-Jr.), Billy Foster (rSr.), Tannar Rehrer (Sr.), Reggie Travis (r-Fr.), Kevin Wright (r-Fr.) Spring Newcomer – Jamere Valentine (Jr.) Notable – The receiving corps is one of the most talented and experienced groups within this offense. Marcus Rucker, Tannar Rehrer and Curtis Johnson return as the top three threats to the Tigers’ air attack. Rucker led the squad in yards (704), receptions (41) and TDs (8) last season. He enters 2011 with a 12game active receiving streak. Rehrer tallied 23 catches for 284 yards, while Johnson logged 22 catches for 230 yards.
- TIGHT END We have three tight ends in the lineup with Brooks Johnson, Justin Henderson and Andrew Ene-Ita. Brooks won’t be with us this spring, but hopefully we can have him back for the fall and 100-percent healthy. Justin and Drew are young guys and, as we look at them in the spring, their bodies are starting to change, their confidence is starting to rise; they are starting to get stronger in the weight room, and they are starting to become consistent in doing all the right things that will allow them to flourish as a player. Returnees – Justin Henderson (So.), Andrew Ene-Ita (Sr.), Brooks Johnson (r-So.) Notable – Both Johnson and Henderson logged catches last season behind veteran TE Deven Onarheim. Johnson tallied six catches for 61 yards, while Henderson logged two receptions for eight yards as a true freshman.
- OFFENSIVE LINE We have to build some cohesiveness and some continuity within that group. Overall, we are low in numbers, but I think we are better in a number of ways, simply because the guys who are there are totally committed to becoming a better unit and that is what we have to have. Their chemistry is starting to grow and they are starting to really become one heartbeat, and we
haven’t even touched the field yet and so I like the direction that group is going. Returnees – Ronald Leary (r-Sr.), Michael Antonescu (r-Sr.), Ricky Hart (r-So.), A.J. Antonescu (r-So.), Chris Schuetz (So.), Al Bond (r-Fr.), D’Angelo McCray (Sr.) Spring Newcomers – Jordan Devey (Jr.), Taylor Fallin (Fr.) Notable – In 2010, the Tiger offensive line was the most veteran group, but the offensive scheme changed to a pro-style set and the group struggled with consistency. In 2011, the O-line will have experience with Ronald Leary and Michael Antonescu, but players such as Ricky Hart, A.J. Antonescu, Chris Schuetz and Al Bond will need to work hard to bring depth to the line. D’Angelo McCray is making the transition from the D-line, and mid-year signees Jordan Devey and Taylor Fallin will be making an early push for playing time. Leary is the only offensive player other than WR Marcus Rucker to start every game in ‘10. He started at left tackle and logged action on over 95 percent of the plays last year.
Q A
Now, can you just make a general statement about the defense and what you want to see happen on that side of the ball this spring?
At the end of the day, toughness, discipline and effort have to be alive and well within our defensive unit in order for us to be better. I think we have most of the pieces that we need to be one of the better defenses in this conference, and that is going to take a concerted effort from each position group to continue to play together as one. I also see a bunch of young guys being in position to have more of an impact within our defense and I like that. I think we have improved in speed and athleticism. I think our front will be more dominant this upcoming season and we have to establish that within this spring session.
- DEFENSIVE LINE The defensive line is a group that we did not lose much. If you look at where we are right now in terms of coming out of coaches’ workouts and watching these guys, they are ready to have a better season. I think they feel themselves becoming more dominant and I believe there will be an emphasis there in terms of them dominating the line of scrimmage. If we can do that, that serves us well in being more productive. Returnees – Frank Trotter (Sr.), Dontari Poe (Jr.), Dasmine Cathey (r-Sr.), Jimmy Robinson (r-So.), Daniel Thomas (Sr.), Johnnie Farms (So.), Corey Jones (So.), Martin Ifedi (r-Fr.), Tommy Walker (r-Sr.), Devin Clark (r-Fr.) Spring Newcomer –Zach Gholson (Jr.) Notable – For the last two years, Frank Trotter and Dontari Poe have anchored the line, and both are honors candidates heading into 2011. Trotter ranks fifth in school history after posting 16.5 TFL last season, and led the line with 80 tackles. Poe was fifth on the squad in tackles with 41, while also tallying two sacks, 6.5 TFL and three QB hurries. Both Trotter and Poe started all 12 games in ‘10. The group has some experience as Thomas, Farms, Jones and Cathey all made starts last season. Walker is back with the defense after working with the O-line the last two years.
2011 Schedule Date Sept. 3 Sept. 10 Sept. 17 Sept. 24 Oct. 1 Oct. 8 Oct. 15 Oct. 22 Oct. 29 Nov. 12 Nov. 19 Nov. 26
Opponent MISSISSIPPI STATE at Arkansas State AUSTIN PEAY SMU * (HC) at Middle Tennessee at Rice * EAST CAROLINA * at Tulane * at UCF * UAB * MARSHALL * at Southern Miss *
* C-USA games
- LINEBACKER This group is more athletic. There is a lot of competition there this spring. I am looking forward to seeing how that all shakes out. We have a new guy in Kenyata (Johnson), and somewhat of a new guy in Fred Harvey, who redshirted last season. I think those guys, and Chris Bertucci, a walk-on, have brought an element of working hard, playing hard and being more disciplined to this position. This is going to force those other guys to raise their level of play in order to keep their positions. It is going to be very competitive there and I think because of the competition, we will have better play out of that group not just this spring, but also going into the fall. Returnees – DeRon Furr (r-Jr.), Khiry Battle (Jr.), Ricky Holloway (r-Jr.), Terrence Thomas (r-Sr.), Fred Harvey (r-Fr.) Spring Newcomer – Kenyata Johnson (Jr.) Notable – The linebacker position has some experience with Furr and Battle, who both made starts last year, but the group will be missing a key factor with the departure of Jamon Hughes. Hughes ranked third nationally in ‘10 with 147 tackles. Furr, who started 10 games, ranked fourth on the squad last year with 58 stops and also posted an interception, a forced fumble and two recoveries.
- SAFETY As of right now, the safety position is wide open. There are a lot of unknowns back there, but there are some guys there who can make plays. We are going to allow them to show us how they can serve our defense and this team in a capacity that will make us better, and then we will make decisions from there. We are looking forward to it being a competitive spring for our safeties. Returnees – Mitch Huelsing (r-Jr.), Derek Smith (r-So.), Akeem Davis (r-Jr.), Cannon Smith (r-Jr.) Notable – The secondary as a whole was one of the hardest hit by graduation. At safety, the Tigers lost some of the top defenders in Darius Davis and Marcus Ball. Huelsing came on strong at the end of 2010, starting three of the last four games, and ended with 35 stops. D. Smith and Davis both have game experience, but both missed time with knee injuries --- with Smith missing all of 2010. Cannon Smith is moving from QB to safety and will look to add some depth and competition there.
- CORN CORNERS NERS SI expect expe p ct our secondaryy to to be be bett bbetter. etter. er. W Wee have three h ave th hree really good, young corners in Lonnie Ballentine, Ballentine Mohammed Seisay and Taurean Nixon, that could very well, before all is said and done, be the best in the conference. I truly believe that. They have to play well for us to be a pretty good defense in terms of what we want to do defensively. We are looking forward to those young corners stepping up and playing big to allow us to do some things that give us an advantage. Returnees – Lonnie Ballentine (So.), Taurean Nixon (So.), Mohammed Seisay (r-So.), Lavaris Edwards (Sr.) Spring Newcomer –Perrance Ward (Jr.) Notable –Don’t let the youth movement fool you with the Tiger corners. Seisay, Nixon and Ballentine all played as freshmen and made starts in the secondary, with Seisay starting all 12 games and leading the group with 39 tackles and two interceptions. Nixon and Ballentine were both true freshmen in ‘10 and will certainly benefit from a
on n the little littl li tlle things. gss I thinkk that gs. that will give gi e us a tremendous giv treme mendo ndous d us advantage adv dvantage age in terms off growing growin i g because because those are the things that I felt cost us at times. times Returnees – Paulo Henriques (Jr., K), Tom Hornsey (So., P), Austin Weaver (r-Jr., H), Jeremy Singler (r-Jr., DS) Notable –Tom Hornsey had a banner year as a true freshman, ranking in the top five nationally and in the UM record books in punts (80) and yards (3,416). The Aussie, who kicks both left and right-footed, was a Ray Guy candidate and was Memphis’ first ever FWAA Freshman All-American. He n r i q u e s h a d a p ro d u c t i v e sophomore season, leading the team with 59 points (14-18 FG/17-18 PAT). He enters 2011 having hit his last nine straight FG attempts, including five that were for 40-plus yards. Henriques also booted all 43 kickoffs, averaging 65.6 yards and totaling 10 touchbacks.
year in the system. - SPECIAL TEAMS Overall, our special teams is no different than our offense or our defense in that we must improve. (Tom) Hornsey and Paulo (Henriques) had solid years, but both can be better. Our return game must be better, and overall we must be better. That is where we are. What do we need to do? I think it all comes down to attention to details and discipline and guys focusing
OFFENSE
DEFENSE
Quarterback 12 Andy Summerlin 10 Will Gilchrist
End 90 Daniel Thomas 97 Marti n Ifedi 95 Zach Ghol son
6-5 6-1
6-2 6-3 6-4
255 260 235
Running Back 22 Jerrell Rhodes
5-10 215
Tight End 48 Justin Henderson 47 Andrew Ene-Ita 80 Brooks Johnson
Nos e 74 D ontari Poe 59 Johnnie Farms 89 D evi n C l ark
6-2 6-3 6-4
6-5 6-2 6-2
350 r-Jr.-2L 305 S o.-1L 255 r-Fr.
Receiver (A) 6 Billy Foster 1 Cam Baker 27 Jamere Valentine
Tac kle 62 Frank Trotter 70 Tommy Walker 55 Jimmy Robinson
5-10 185 6-0 165 6-1 215
r-Sr.-1L r-Sr.-3L Jr.-TR
6-2 6-3 6-0
265 S r.-3L 280 r-Sr.-3L 305 r-S o.-1L
Receiver (Z) 86 Curtis Johnson 85 Tannar Rehrer 84 Reggie Travis
End 94 Corey Jones 93 Dasmine Cathey
6-0 6-1 6-2
185 175 195
r-Jr.-2L Sr.-1L r-Fr.
6-3 6-4
260 S o.-1L 210 r-Sr.-3L
L ineb ac ker 44 Ricky Holloway 42 Fred Harvey
Receiver (X) 18 Marcus Rucker 83 Kevin Wright
6-1 6-0
235 r-J r.-2L 225 r-Fr.
6-4 6-4
180 215
r-Jr.-2L r-Fr.
L ineb ac ker 14 DeRon Furr 23 Terrence Thomas
Right Tackle 64 Jordan Devey 77 Taylor Fallin
6-3 6-0
230 r-Jr.-2L 225 r-Sr.-1L
6-7 6-6
345 325
Jr.-TR Fr.-HS
L ineb ac ker 25 Khiry Battle 10 Kenyata Johnson
Right Guard 66 D’Angelo McCray 71 A.J.Antonescu
6-0 6-1
220 220
6-4 6-3
325 275
Sr.-1L r-So.
Center 61 Michael Antonescu 56 Chris Schuetz
6-3 6-3
290 260
r-Sr.-3L So.-1L
Free S afety 41 Mitch Huelsing 34 Derek Smith 15 Anthony Hayes
6-0 6-1 6-0
205 r-Jr.-2L 215 r-So.-1L 210 So.-1L
Left Guard 54 Al Bond 60 Ricky Hart
6-5 6-2
290 r-Fr. 325 r-So.-1L
S trong S afety 24 Akeem Davis 5 Cannon Smith
6-1 6-0
190 190
r-Jr.-2L r-Jr.-1L
Left Tackle 75 Ronald Leary 54 Al Bond
6-3 6-5
315 290
Cornerb ac k 30 Taurean Nixon 19 Lavaris Edwards 27 Perrance Ward
6-1 6-0 6-0
190 200 205
So.-1L Sr.-3L Jr.-TR
Cornerb ac k 12 Mohammed Seisay Lonnie Ballentine 7
6-2 6-4
200 r-So.-1L 215 So.-1L
220 190
r-Sr.-3L r-Fr. Jr.-2L
S r.-1L r-Fr. J r.-TR
Jr.-1L Jr.-TR
Deep Snapper 50 Jeremy Singler
6-1
160
r-Jr.-1L
Holder 92 Austin Weaver 43 Tom Hornsey
Punter 43 Tom Hornsey 92 Austin Weaver
6-4 215 5-10 190
So.-1L r-Jr.-1L
5-10 190 6-4 215
r-Jr.-1L So.-1L
Punt R eturn 86 Curtis Johnson
6-0
r-Jr.-2L
Kic koff R eturn 6 Billy Foster 30 Taurean Nixon
5-10 185 r-Sr.-1L 6-1 190 So.-1L
Honors Candidates FRANK TROTTER Received the team’s Defensive Lineman of the Year award in 2010 after leading the defensive line with 80 tackles and starting all 12 games last season... Led the team with 16.5 TFL, which ranks fifth in school history in single-season TFLs...Posted at least one TFL in all but three games in 2010, and has posted at least one tackle in his last 24-straight games... Registered a career-high 10 tackles against both Houston and Marshall in 2010...Credited with five or more tackles in 10 of 12 games...Also tallied five QB hurries, a pass breakup and a fumble recovery...Was an honorable mention All-C-USA honoree in 2010.
So.-1L
240 So.-1L 250 Sr.-1L 225 r-So.-1L
Placekicker/Kickoffs 5-10 230 98 Paulo Henriques
TOM HORNSEY Was named a Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) Freshman All-American in ‘10 as a true freshman ...Memphis’ firstever FWAA Freshman All-American... Was playing in his first-ever American football games in 2010...Ranked 3rd nationally in yards punted (3,416) and 4th in total punts (80). Ranked 4th in C-USA with a 42.7 punting average... One of two true freshmen on 2010 Ray Guy Watch List...Totaled 17 punts over 50 yards, and dropped 24 punts inside the 20, while only 30 percent of his punts were returned...Logged 400-plus yards in three games...Named C-USA Special Teams Player of the Week following MTSU game after registering 417 yards punting...Holds U of M school records in single-season yards punted and tied the record for single-season punts.
r-So. r-So.
DONTARI POE Was second on the defensive line, and ranked fifth on the team in tackles in 2010 with 41...Was one of just three Tiger defenders to start all 12 games last season...Also registered 6.5 TFL, two sacks, three QB hurries and one pass breakup in 2010 as a sophomore...Registered at least one tackle in 10 of the 12 games, and five or more stops in three contests...Was an honorable mention All-C-USA honoree in 2010, and previously a 2009 C-USA All-Freshman Team honoree.
RONALD LEARY Will be the veteran of the Tiger offensive line in 2011... As a junior in 2010, was named the Offensive Lineman of the Year at the team banquet... Was one of six Tigers last season to start all 12 games, and has started the last 24 consecutive games of his career...Started all 12 games at left tackle and saw action on every offensive play in nine games last year...Was in on 704 of 718 offensive plays as a junior...In three seasons with the Tigers, has logged action on 1,515 offensive plays in 32 career games...Was an honorable mention All-C-USA honoree in 2010.
185
MARCUS RUCKER Led the Tiger receiving corps in 2010 with 41 receptions for 704 yards and eight touchdowns...Was the team leader in scoring by a nonkicker with 48 points...Started all 12 games at wide receiver last season and was the only Tiger to record a reception in all 12 games...Tied a team season-high and set a new personal best with six receptions against UCF...Recorded one 100-yard game in 2010 with 155 yards against Southern Miss...Logged multiple touchdown receptions against Southern Miss and Tennessee, and caught a team season-long 81-yard pass against USM...Was an honorable mention All-C-USA honoree in 2010.
2010 Scoreboard All Games Conference Non-Conference
Overall 1-11-0 0-8-0 1-3-0
Date Opponent 9/4 at Mississippi State (ESPNU) 9/11 at East Carolina* (CSS) 9/18 Middle Tennessee 9/25 at UTEP* 10/2 Tulsa* 10/9 at Louisville (ESPN3) 10/16 Southern Miss* (CSS) 10/30 Houston* (CSS) 11/6 Tennessee (CBS C) 11/13 at Marshall* 11/20 at UAB* 11/27 UCF* (CSS) * C-USA game TEAM STATISTICS First Downs Rushing/Passing Penalty Total Net Yards Total Plays Plays per Game Avg per Play Avg per Game Net Rushing Yards Rushing Yds Gained Rushing Yds Lost Total Attempts Avg per Attempt Avg per Game TDs Rushing Net Passing Yards Comp/Att/Int Avg per Pass Avg per Catch Avg per Game TDs Passing Punts/Avg/Blk Net Punting Avg Punts per Game Punt Ret/Yds/Avg Kickoff Ret/Yds/Avg Returns Per Game Interceptions/Yds/Avg Fumbles/Lost Penalties/Yds Yds Penalized/Game 3rd Dwn Cnv/Att/Pct Time of Possession Avg 2 PT Safety RUSHING Gregory Ray Jerrell Rhodes Jeremy Longstreet Billy Foster Marcus Hightower Delmon Robinson Randy Powell Tyler Bass Cannon Smith Marcus Rucker Team Ryan Williams Memphis Opponents
G 12 10 9 11 2 8 7 1 7 12 4 12 12 12
Home 1-5-0 0-4-0 1-1-0 Score L, 49-7 L, 49-27 W, 24-17 L, 16-13 L, 48-7 L, 56-0 L, 41-19 L, 56-17 L, 50-14 L, 28-13 L, 31-15 L, 37-17
MEMPHIS 172 66/94 12 3420 718 59.8 4.8 285.0 1099 1466 367 383 2.9 91.6 5 2321 187-335-13 6.9 12.4 193.4 14 80/42.7/0 42.7 6.7 11/5/0.5 74/1351/18.3 6.2 8/120/15.0 21/13 76/584 48.7 53/164/32.3 29:24 0 ATT 157 116 15 9 8 3 2 1 19 1 4 48 383 468
YDG 711 505 48 43 29 16 7 2 55 0 0 50 1466 2348
YDL 35 36 6 2 3 0 0 0 54 0 7 224 367 285
Away 0-6-0 0-4-0 0-2-0
Neutral 0-0-0 0-0-0 0-0-0
Att. 56,032 48,123 27,965 29,765 22,231 48,427 18,848 19,731 39,742 25,108 16,177 14,992
OPPONENTS 276 110/147 19 5528 837 69.8 6.6 460.7 2063 2348 285 468 4.4 171.9 23 3465 242-369-8 9.4 14.3 288.8 38 44/40.9/0 40.9 3.7 28/436/15.6 31/814/26.3 2.6 13/228/17.5 11/5 60/477 39.8 84/170/49.4 30:36 0 YDS 676 469 42 41 26 16 7 2 1 0 -7 -174 1099 2063
AVG 4.3 4.0 2.8 4.6 3.2 5.3 3.5 2.0 0.1 0.0 -1.8 -3.6 2.9 4.4
TD 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 5 23
LG AVG/G 34 56.3 36 46.9 14 4.7 16 3.7 12 13.0 9 2.0 7 1.0 2 2.0 22 0.1 0 0.0 0 -1.8 18 -14.5 36 91.6 74 171.9
PASSING Ryan Williams Cannon Smith Tyler Bass Memphis Opponents
G 12 7 1 12 12
EFF CMP 124.90 165 92.94 22 0.00 0 120.05 187 174.11 242
RECEIVING Marcus Rucker Jermaine McKenzie Tannar Rehrer Curtis Johnson Gregory Ray Deven Onarheim Billy Foster Jerrell Rhodes Brooks Johnson Delmon Robinson Jeremy Longstreet Justin Henderson Cam Baker Dejarrius Adams Marcus Hightower Memphis Opponents PUNT RETURNS Curtis Johnson D.A. Griffin Mohammed Seisay Memphis Opponents KICK RETURNS D.A. Griffin Billy Foster Delmon Robinson Taurean Nixon Marcus Hightower Gregory Ray Memphis Opponents
G 12 11 12 12 12 12 11 10 12 8 9 11 6 5 2 12 12 G 12 12 12 12 12
FIELD GOALS Paulo Henriques PUNTING Tom Hornsey
DEFENSE Jamon Hughes Frank Trotter Marcus Ball DeRon Furr Dontari Poe Mohammed Seisay Terrence Thomas Mitch Huelsing Winston Bowens D.A. Griffin Darius Davis Tremaine McKenzie Torenzo Quinn Lester Lawson Corey Jones Dasmine Cathey Lonnie Ballentine Daniel Thomas Taurean Nixon Khiry Battle Johnnie Farms Todd Washington Akeem Davis Ricky Holloway Memphis Opponents
YDS 3416
UT AT TOT 70 77 147 39 41 80 35 31 66 33 25 58 21 20 41 23 16 39 19 18 37 19 16 35 15 20 35 16 18 34 17 15 32 13 15 28 14 13 27 8 17 25 13 11 24 9 14 23 9 8 17 3 13 16 9 6 15 4 9 13 3 7 10 8 1 9 3 4 7 6 1 7 450 426 876 420 362 782
PCT 56.9 51.2 0.0 55.8 65.6
YDS 2075 246 0 2321 3465
AVG 17.2 16.4 12.3 10.5 10.2 8.4 12.5 6.2 10.2 3.8 13.3 4.0 13.0 5.0 1.0 12.4 14.3
TD 8 3 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 14 38
YDS 6 0 -1 5 436
AVG 1.0 0.0 -1.0 0.5 15.6
YDS 748 323 180 53 23 24 1351 814
AVG 19.2 19.0 18.0 13.2 7.7 24.0 18.3 26.3
NO 2 2 2 1 1 8 13
10-29 2-2 NO 80
YDS 704 409 284 230 173 135 175 68 61 15 40 8 13 5 1 2321 3465
NO 39 17 10 4 3 1 74 31 G 12 9 10 12 11 12 12
G 12 G 12
NO 41 25 23 22 17 16 14 11 6 4 3 2 1 1 1 187 242 NO 6 4 1 11 28
G 12 11 8 8 2 12 12 12
INTERCEPTIONS Mohammed Seisay Todd Washington Marcus Ball Terrence Thomas DeRon Furr Memphis Opponents
ATT INT 290 10 43 3 2 0 335 13 369 8
30-39 6-6 AVG 42.7 TFL 5.0-18 16.5-26 1.5-2 7.0-17 6.5-27 . 8.5-38 1.0-1 2.5-7 1.5-4 1.5-9 . . 2.5-13 4.5-25 6.0-20 0.5-1 1.5-4 1.5-4 . . 1.0-2 . . 71-220 86-345
YDS 20 13 63 10 14 120 228
LG AVG/G 81 172.9 47 35.1 0 0.0 81 193.4 72 288.8
LG 81 43 25 45 33 21 64 35 29 7 29 6 13 5 1 81 72
AVG/G 58.7 37.2 23.7 19.2 14.4 11.2 15.9 6.8 5.1 1.9 4.4 0.7 2.2 1.0 0.5 193.4 288.8
TD 0 0 0 0 1
LG 8 4 0 8 74
TD 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
LG 35 32 33 16 11 24 35 43
AVG 10.0 6.5 31.5 10.0 14.0 15.0 17.5
TD 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
LG 20 13 63 10 14 63 46
50+ 0-0
TOT 14-18
LG BLK 47 0
40-49 6-10 LG 63
TD 13 1 0 14 38
TB 1
FC 14
IN20 24
50+ 17
SK INT PB QB FR 2.0-13 . . . . . . 1 5 1-0 . 2-63 2 1 . . 1-14 1 . 2-0 2.0-16 . 1 3 . . 2-20 3 1 . 3.0-15 1-10 1 . . . . . . . . . 2 . . . . 6 1 . . . . . . . . 3 . 1-0 . . 1 . . 1.0-8 . 1 1 . 3.0-15 . . 1 1-0 3.0-14 . . 1 . . . 2 . . . . . . . . . 2 . . . . . 1 . . . . . . . 2-13 1 . . . . . . . . . . 1 . 14-81 8-120 28 16 5-0 37-229 13-228 39 16 13-45
BLK 0 FF . . . 1 . . . . . . . . 1 1 1 1 . . . . . . . . 6 10
BL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 . . . 1 0
SF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 0