April 2008
HOW SWEET IT IS! C H R I STI NA WI RTH H E LPS ADVAN C E VAN D E R B I LT I N TH E N CAA TO U R NAM E NT
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table of contents 2 4 6
Connecting With The Web National Commodore Club In My Words
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Commodores Cubed
Alan Metcalfe Know your Commodores
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Point of View
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Another Year, Another Dance
Amanda Taylor Women’s hoops makes it nine in a row
11 Commodore Tidbits By the numbers
13 It’s My Turn — Rod Williamson Sustaining the momentum
14 Balancing Act Jamie Graham overcomes tragic past
16 Men’s Hoops Season In Review Relive the 2007-08 season
20 Quick Hits A look at Vanderbilt’s sports teams
21 A Look Ahead View the athletic schedule in April
23 Where Are They Now? Former VU linebacker Jamie Duncan
24 The Last Look
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Connect with
VUCOMMODORES.COM Editorial Publisher: Vanderbilt University Editor-in-Chief: Ryan Schulz Director of Media Relations: Rod Williamson Designers: Jeremy Teaford Ryan Schulz
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Todd Drexler Daniel Dubois Steve Green Stan Jones Paul J. Levy John Russell Gary Stepic
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Commodore Nation Archive Did you miss an issue or wanted to show an article to a friend? If so, every issue of Commodore Nation from the 2007-08 academic year is archived on VUCommodores.com. There also is a survey you can fill out to provide feedback and ideas.
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APRIL 2008
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C O M M O D O R E C LU B
COR N ER It’s Performance That Counts
PHONE: 615/322-4114 vucommodores.com
MEN’S BASKETBALL GAME WATCH AT SOUTH CAROLINA
By Jeff Ulmer NCC Executive Director After watching the Commodore basketball team defeat the nation’s No. 1 ranked team (again) and the Commodore baseball team eclipse the defending College World Series Champions, I was reminded how fortunate Vanderbilt’s sports programs are for the support and generosity of its alumni and fans. Unless you were there, you can’t possibly imagine the electricity and excitement that filled Memorial Gym as the buzzer sounded and the orange shirts left the court in defeat. And just a few years ago who would have imagined that Commodore baseball season tickets would be sold out, even with expanded bleacher seating? But the fruits of your generous gifts are starting to be realized. Even with limited financial resources (that cannot hold a candle to those of our conference peers) Vanderbilt continues to persevere. A famous coach once said “getting to the top is a lot easier than staying there.” Vanderbilt is getting closer to the top, but we are much more concerned about our long-term ability to stay there. If we could just harness the enthusiasm we saw in Memorial Gym after the Tennessee game and transform that enthusiasm into dollars, Commodore athletics would be guaranteed a future of solvency, sustainability and competitiveness. But nothing is guaranteed unless we answer the challenge of securing scholarship endowments and increasing annual gifts to the National Commodore Club.
NCC Members Will Zink, Chris Carter, JR Hand, Robert Ransom, K.C. Dyer and Jay Smith get together with a group of young alumni at Sportsman’s Grille to watch the VU men’s basketball game at South Carolina.
MEN’S BASKETBALL GAME VS. TENNESSEE
Howard, Chip, Jerry and Steven Fridrich gather in the Admiral’s Club at halftime of the victory over Tennessee.
Please consider how you can help by increasing your annual gifts to the NCC and making a campaign gift to support scholarships for our student-athletes. Consider what the Commodores have achieved in recent months, then imagine what could be achieved with the resources of our SEC peers. If it’s performance that counts, the Commodores are doing their part. Let’s do our part and invest in our Commodores. Miller Orr, Jay Baker, Robert Brown and Lucas Spickard
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JOIN THE NCC OR RENEW TODAY!
2020 SOCIETY
You should have recently received your membership renewal for the National Commodore Club. Please mail it in, call 615/322-4114, click vucommodores.com or stop by the office in the McGugin Center to make your gift. Every gift is allocated toward the goal of funding student-athlete scholarships. This year’s membership deadline is May 31 (Vanderbilt’s fiscal year ends June 30). Thank you for your continued support of Vanderbilt Athletics. Your Membership Matters!
The 2020 Society comprises members of the National Commodore Club, age 40 and younger, who contribute at least $100 annually. If you have been giving to the NCC at this level and are younger than 41, you automatically are in the 2020 Society. The Society society is is aa creation creation of of the 2020 Advisory Committee, a group of young alumni committed to increasing young membership in the National Commodore Club and promoting VU Athletics. If you are a non-alumni member of the NCC and qualify for the 2020 Society but have not been notified, please contact Cal Cook at cal.cook@ vanderbilt.edu or 615/343-4878.
MEN’S BASKETBALL GAME VS. GEORGIA JOIN THE BLACK AND GOLD ENDOWMENT SOCIETY Vanderbilt Athletics and the National Commodore Club endeavor to endow all athletics scholarships. To help in that task, the NCC has created a new endowment level called the Black and Gold Society. Black and Gold Society members create an opportunity for a studentathlete while receiving full benefits of the Dudley Society with a five-year, $100,000 commitment. For more information on the Black and Gold Society and Athletic Scholarship Endowments, please contact John Erck at john. erck@vanderbilt.edu or 615/322-7922.
NCC’s Cal Cook (left) presents a game ball to Kaye and Ron Knox for their commitment to the Vanderbilt Athletic Scholarship endowment.
Ken Massey with Jim and Ina Hitt in the Admiral’s Room at halftime.
Former athletes and NCC members Jay Cutler and Brandt Snedeker
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL GAME VS. TENNESSEE The NCC hosted a halftime event in the Admiral’s Room for all members.
Marcia McKinney and Wilbur Fesmire
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Sally and Chuck Thompson
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In My Words
Alan Metcalfe
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he self-proclaimed “best dart player at Vanderbilt,” senior center and St. Helens, England, native Alan Metcalfe enjoyed the most productive season of his four-year Vanderbilt career this past season. Beyond the basketball court, the Commodores’ British import is a marksman when it comes to throwing darts. He has lost just one match in the last two years. In May, Metcalfe will graduate with a degree in economics and a minor in philosophy. On his aspirations after graduation Hopefully I’ll be able to carry on playing somewhere in Europe. I don’t really want to play in England yet. The competition isn’t great there, and the money is even worse. I just want to play for a couple of more years and get a little bit more experience. I really enjoy coaching. When I was back home, I would coach our high school team and a couple of other teams. That is something I would look into doing long-term. On the basketball player he grew up idolizing John Amaechi is really the guy that I look up to. We had the same coach (in England). We are pretty good friends and stay in touch. He’d always beat me when he’d come home, of course, because he was in the NBA at that time. He actually got a start in basketball after playing rugby, too, when he was 15 or 16, so maybe I can be on the same track as him – go to Europe and then come back to the NBA. On how he developed his outside shooting touch I think some of it goes back to rugby. When you pass a rugby ball you try to rotate it and spin it a little bit, so when I’m flicking my wrist I have a little bit more technique of holding the ball and following through. On the popularity of basketball in England Basketball probably ranks fourth or fifth. It’s not one of the top sports. It’s the same way as soccer in the U.S., where it is still getting bigger. On the growth of basketball in England It is getting a lot bigger. Still, there isn’t a lot of sponsorship, so the financing of teams isn’t great. You might get one or two players that are a decent wage, but everyone else has a job on the side to make ends meet. On switching from playing rugby to playing basketball I went on a tryout for rugby to go on a tour of Australia when I was 15. I got whiplash in the second trial and that stopped me from playing.
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On making the England national team I had only been playing basketball for six months at the time. I went on a tryout for the national team, and within three months I was on the national team. They saw something in me that I could become a decent player. They stuck with me, and I never looked back. On trying to help England make the 2012 Olympics Hopefully next year I’ll be back on the men’s (national) team, and in 2012 we can represent in London at the Olympics. That would be a great experience. On how he picked up playing darts My dad got me my first dartboard when I was 10 years old. My grandma (Mary Metcalfe) won a lot of tournaments in our region. She would beat me when I was younger, so it ran in the family a little bit with the eye accuracy of the darts. My dad and I would just throw, and he would always beat me until about four years ago. On where he plays in Nashville The Villager and Buffalo Billiards. They both have dart boards that are pretty good.
Commodores Cubed
keegan BELL
andy PULIDO
julie
Basketball
Tennis
Funniest Teammate
Alex (Red) Gordon
Nick Cromydas
Jacqui Concolino
Jessica Mooney
Worst Reality Show
Flavor of Love 3
Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?
The Moment of Truth
Flavor of Love 3
Jeans or Shorts
Jeans
Shorts
Shorts
Shorts
Sport I Would Like To Play In College Besides My Own
Football
Basketball
Basketball
Volleyball
Favorite Number
3
5 — I used to wear it in soccer
47
32 because of Magic Johnson
Number of States I Have Lived In
5 — My dad was a college basketball coach
2
2 — Tennessee and Georgia
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Would You Rather Be a Musician or Actor/ Actress
Actor
Musician
Musician
Actress
Favorite Professional Athlete
Steve Nash
Tiger Woods
Chipper Jones
Shaq
BARTHOLOMEW Golf
liz SHERWOOD Basketball
On his favorite dart player of all-time Dennis “The Menace” Priestley On if guys on the team have taken a liking to darts It is picking up in the U.S. a little bit. We had it on T.V. in the locker room a couple of times and guys were asking me what was going on. We talked about it a little bit.
DANIEL DUBOIS (PORTRAIT); JOHN RUSSELL (ACTION)
On if anyone on the team has ever challenged him I had a dartboard in my room last year, and Dan Cage challenged me a couple of times. He got really good, and he’s one of those guys that if he starts something, he will practice until he can beat you. ■
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Point of View
By Amanda Taylor Editor’s Note: Each month “Commodore Nation” will ask a varsity athlete to sound off on a point of personal interest. Taylor is a senior on Vanderbilt’s tennis team. She interned with Amnesty International last summer.
elen Keller once said, “Life is either a daring adventure or it is nothing.” It seems rare in our driven and pressurized culture that we have the opportunity, amid all the commitments, obligations and responsibilities of every day, to step outside our routine and turn life into an adventure. The world of a Vanderbilt student-athlete is extremely susceptible to this problem, as our efforts toward academics, sports, extracurriculars and more lock up most of our time and energy. It’s a blessed life, but a demanding one, particularly if we want to take Ms. Keller’s advice. However, in 2007 when my Human and Organizational Development major required me to find a summer internship, I stumbled upon my chance to ditch the routine and stretch myself in ways I never had before. I thus chose a Taylor (left) with fellow Amnesty city I’d never been to, International interns. where I didn’t know a soul, with an organization I had pitifully little knowledge of — it was fantastic. The political scientist in me steered my applications right to Washington, D.C., and the future community organizer in me found some much-needed nonprofit experience in Amnesty International, USA. Though I was armed with little more than enthusiasm for my internship, the wonderful people I worked for took me into their family without hesitation. Amnesty International is the largest human rights advocacy organization in the world with more than 2.2 million members; my job consisted of communicating with members, organizing events, recruiting AI leaders and conducting interviews. I even hosted a rap concert and rally on Capitol Hill to promote the AI cause. I learned quickly and with sincere interest about the many people around the world in need of a voice and the passionate and dedicated individuals who spend their lives in pursuit of providing one for them. I also fell in love with D.C. immediately. I had an amazing roommate in a tremendously horrible and dirty Georgetown basement. I took the bus to work, which provided me a priceless view of the White House every morning. On a tour of the Capitol building I ran into quite a few Congressmen who made this political science nerd quite starstruck. I worked out in Georgetown University’s gym, and every Saturday morning I’d watch their basketball team, including Tyler Crawford and Roy Hibbert, play pickup or run drills. It was incredible how diving headfirst into the unfamiliar made every little thing an adventure. I can hardly expect to be able to convey my gratitude for the whole experience. I’d imagine though, if Helen Keller were offering up more advice, it’d be to show appreciation by returning to the “routine” with a whole heart and the spirit to find what’s extraordinary within the ordinary. ■
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Another Year, Another NCAA Tournament
JOHN RUSSELL
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here are 338 programs that play Division I women’s basketball. Of those programs, just three percent or 11 of them have advanced to the NCAA Tournament each of the last nine seasons. One of those programs is Vanderbilt. In addition to Vanderbilt, the list of programs that have also played in the last nine NCAA Tournaments reads like the Who’s Who of women’s college basketball: Connecticut, Duke, Georgia, LSU, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Old Dominion, Purdue, Stanford and Tennessee. It isn’t something you will see on ESPN or on the front page of Head coach the newspaper, but beMelanie Balcomb ing one of the select few to make the NCAA Tournament each year since 1999-2000 is quite a remarkable feat. Making the streak even more impressive is the fact that it was started by former head coach Jim Foster and has continued under Melanie Balcomb, who has taken the Commodores to the Big Dance each of her six seasons. “I think it says a lot for our stability in our program and our consistency,” Balcomb said. “Everybody has peaks and valleys, and this was one of the years where we thought we might have to take a dip down with only one senior and two juniors. We
have come a long way, and I’m really proud of our improvement and I’m proud of the staff and the players.” It is no team’s birthright that it will make the NCAA Tournament every year, but for many Vanderbilt fans it may seem that way. VU has not only made the last nine tournaments, it also has made 21 of the last 23 tournaments. In a day and age where expectations of fans can be as tall as the ocean is wide, Vanderbilt’s accomplishments have created an expectation that the program will be successful every year. “After you do well, the expectations follow that,” Balcomb said. “The expectation to overachieve no matter how many upperclassmen we have is defi nitely here at Vanderbilt.” Even with the number of trips to the NCAA Tournament piling up, Balcomb knows that each trip to the tournament is special, and an invitation should never be taken for granted. “We look forward to wherever we go,” Balcomb said. “It is March, you want to be playing and you don’t really care where it is.” ■ Editor's note: CN went to print after Vanderbilt advanced to its 13th Sweet 16 in the last 19 years with a 64-46 win over West Virginia.
COMPLIANCE
COR NER Q:
A few student-athletes would like to work on one of the presidential candidate’s campaign this spring and summer. Is it permissible for student-athletes to endorse political candidates?
A:
Yes. NCAA Staff Interpretation - 12/30/87 - Student-athlete Endorsement of Political Candidate - states that enrolled student-athletes could be involved in the endorsement of a political candidate provided the student-athletes receive no remuneration for their involvement and are not obligated to make any time commitments; suggested that the following disclaimer be utilized in any press releases containing their names: “The student-athletes are acting as citizens of the state, and do not necessarily represent the views of their institutions of higher education or the NCAA.” Current employment legislation (Bylaw 12.4.1) would allow a student-athlete to earn income as any other employee in the candidate’s office (e.g., stuffing envelopes, handing out fliers).
COACHES’
CORN E R Cathy Swezey Head Lacrosse Coach Swezey is in her 11th season as head coach of Vanderbilt’s lacrosse team. In 2007, the team played host to an NCAA Tournament game for the first time in school history. How much has having a team at Vanderbilt helped the growth of lacrosse among girls in Nashville? I think Vanderbilt has played a huge role in that. There was boys lacrosse here before our sport being added to Vanderbilt, so I’m sure girls were drawn to the sport because seeing boys playing it made them more interested. I think having the opportunity for people to see girls play the sport and see the differences between the boys and girls play made a difference. We tried to get out into the community early on. We ran different clinics, and we like to think that we had a big part in getting it started in this area. Why do you think lacrosse has grown so much in Nashville and nationally? I think it is the culture of the sport. You see it in a lot of adolescent movies, and people seem to be drawn to that. It is very fan-friendly, it is fun to play and it allows for a lot of creativity. You played lacrosse and field hockey in college, why did you choose to coach lacrosse? It was truly just a pure sport preference. When I was playing (field) hockey, I loved it, but I always loved lacrosse. Year round I thought about when I was going to get to step out onto that field again. With (field) hockey, I dreaded it and then when I was in it, I enjoyed it. I think it is the freedom of the sport and the creativity. There is so much strategy that can be coached, which makes it really exciting. How important of a step was it to host an NCAA Tournament game last year? It is big. I felt last year was a step for us back in the right direction. I’m also highly hopeful that it is the beginning of consistency where we don’t have down years or rebuilding years. What is the best advice another coach ever gave you?
Compliance questions? Please contact: Candice Storey Director of Compliance 615/322-7992 candice.storey@vanderbilt.edu
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George Midgett Compliance Coordinator 615/322-2083 george.d.midgett@vanderbilt.edu
John Peach Compliance Coordinator 615/343-1060 john.w.peach@vanderbilt.edu
I’m not sure if it is the best, but something came to my mind immediately. “You have to hate losing more than you love winning.” – Sharon Pfluger, lacrosse coach at TCNJ (Trenton College New Jersey). ■
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COM MODOR E
T I DB I T S
By The
NUMBERS
• Vanderbilt’s Building `Dores program has almost doubled in size this year with almost 130 schools and tens of thousands of students participating. The program challenges local elementary school students to participate in 30 minutes of physical activity every day for two weeks. The program rewards these students with a free ticket to a football or women’s basketball game. Winning students and their families often end up coming out to several additional games after they experience one. This program has been extremely successful in building the next generation of Vanderbilt fans.
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• Shan Foster joined Dan Langhi as the only Vanderbilt players to win the Associated Press and Coaches Player of the Year honors in the SEC.
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• Vanderbilt’s win over top-ranked Tennessee on Feb. 26 marked the fourth consecutive time that a No. 1 ranked team has visited Memorial Gym and come away with a loss. Vanderbilt finished the season undefeated at home for the first time since the 1992-93 season. • Vanderbilt track and field Coach D’Andre Hill was honored at halftime of LSU’s first game at the SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament as LSU’s SEC Great. Hill was a 15-time All-America sprinter at LSU and was a 1996 Olympian. • Some may have noticed an increase in the number of local youth sporting teams at Vanderbilt sporting events. The group sales department has attended league meetings and developed partnerships with several local youth sports organizations. Vanderbilt Athletics has put an emphasis on getting out in the community this year by using these meetings as a platform to grow the fan base.
Wins recorded by Vanderbilt’s women’s basketball team in SEC play — the most in school history.
The number of regular season wins recorded by Vanderbilt’s men’s basketball team, tying the 1992-93 team for the most in school history.
114
The previous record for the most singles wins in VU women’s tennis history until Taka Bertrand broke Julie Ditty’s record on March 21.
67.3
The field-goal percentage for Vanderbilt’s men’s basketball team in the first round of the SEC Tournament — just one percentage point off the tournament record of 68.3.
50
The number of NFL scouts and executives in attendance at Vanderbilt’s NFL Pro Day on March 21.
42
The number of points scored by Shan Foster against Mississippi State in his final home game — two shy of the school record set by Tom Hagan in 1969.
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The number of consecutive three-pointers Foster hit to end the Mississippi State game — a school record for the most three-pointers in a game.
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STEVE GREEN (AUBURN); JOHN RUSSELL (LSU)
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It’s My Turn By Rod Williamson hile economists debate whether we are in recession, let’s chat about financial matters much closer to our hearts – those of our beloved Vanderbilt Commodores. This awkward topic has long been one of the hardest for Vanderbilt administrators to discuss. There is widespread urban legend that athletic budgetary challenges are a Trojan Horse. “Vanderbilt has a $3.5 billion endowment, it can fund anything it darn well chooses,” goes the incorrect reasoning. It’s faulty because each endowment gift comes with an earmark, and only a small fraction is designated for sports use. Athletics could not utilize this endowment money under any circumstance. Once upon a time, not long ago, coaching positions at Vanderbilt were a stepping stone. There was a painful list of successful Commodore coaches that defected to supposedly greener pastures; Steve Sloan and Eddie Fogler are among those coming to mind for veteran fans. However, over the past few years, Vanderbilt leadership has successfully fended off attempts by other institutions to hire away our top talent. At last, coaching at Vanderbilt might have become a destination, not that stepping stone. But the hard facts of the matter are that keeping these highprofile aces comes with a price. As much as they care about the Commodores, none stayed for love alone. Could anyone blame them? Would any of us pass up a massive raise or a dream set of sparkling facilities without something in return? At the start of this decade, the university built new athletic facilities without passing the hat beyond a small corps of generous alumni. As a result, Commodore fans have enjoyed nationally rated basketball teams, a baseball program that is one of America’s elite, an improving football team along with some Southeastern Conference titles and even an NCAA Championship. The administration has made many tickets available at amazingly low prices. Can you imagine watching our men’s basketball team produce a 19-0 home record along with several of the greatest games in school history, for $75? That’s $75 for the SEASON, not a game! Discounted tickets helped build our base by introducing fans to our programs. Baseball season tickets are still priced at $99, about three bucks a game. We have a $25 season ticket for our quality women’s team, not much more than a dollar a game. There are deals in Vanderbilt Stadium, too. Ah, life is great. As one of my first bosses used to say “people want to get to heaven without dying.” We are now deep into plans for renovation and some new construction that will benefit all of our revenue sports. I need not mention this will be expensive, but it also is necessary. There has been a facilities “arms race” in major college athletics for years. Vanderbilt has chosen not to be a ringleader in that spending, but the reality is that we simply must upgrade certain facilities if we are to continue attracting blue-chip student-athletes and keep our outstanding coaches. Why do I bring all this up? In the weeks and months ahead, you are going to be hearing Vanderbilt officials speaking of the need to generate new areas of revenue to help defray some of these expenses. The university’s leadership has not just talked the talk; it has walked the walk by investing its own time, money and energy to transform our athletic program into one that we can all be proud to call our own. In time, it will become important for each one of us to realize we might need to do a little more than we have been if we are to continue these happy, golden days of glory. ■
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JOHN RUSSELL
Overcoming Tragedy To Tackle Two Sports
e remembers the day vividly. It is like a reoccurring bad dream. The day was Dec. 14, 1996 – the day that would change Jamie Graham’s life forever. It is gameday now as Graham laces up his sneakers to take the floor against topranked Tennessee. However, before he can take the floor, his mind flashes back to that December day. It is the picture in his locker of his mother, Jamie Denise, that takes him back. As he does before each game, Graham kisses the picture and heads to the court. He’d much rather be able to kiss her. On that day in 1996, Graham was at basketball practice one minute and being rushed to the hospital the next. His mother had been stabbed 13 times with a knife while trying to break up a spat between two others. Graham was just 8 years old at the time. He was terrified and befuddled. He didn’t have a father figure at the time, and his mom had just passed. “After hearing that she’d been stabbed, I just broke down,” Graham said. “Even going back to school was tough. It was around Christmas, which made it even tougher having a Christmas without her.” After his mother’s death, Graham and his younger brother Jamonte, now 12,
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moved in with his grandmother, Hattie. Hattie would work until 7 p.m., so his uncle, Odell Bradley, and his aunt, Comaneci Graham, watched Jamie and Jamonte until Hattie got home from work. Despite being so young, an additional amount of responsibility was placed on Jamie to watch over Jamonte. “As I grew up, the responsibility fell upon me to take care of my little brother and make sure he was going to school on time and make sure he was up and ready,” Graham said. “It all came down on me.” Instead of taking the easy way out and straying the wrong direction after the tragedy, Graham has stayed on course. That extra responsibility has helped him grow into the person he is today. “It will make you grow up quickly,” said Anthony Law, Graham’s football coach at Whites Creek High School. “He handled the whole situation so well, that it had to work out for him.” Even now as a freshman at Vanderbilt, Graham maintains his father-like watch over Jamonte. “He is the only one staying in the house with my grandma right now, so I tell him to take care of her and make sure he is taking care of his business at school,” Graham said. “I gave the school my number, so if
he gets in trouble at school, they can call me. If I have to leave from my class, then I’ll leave just to make sure that he’s doing all right because in the long run he’s going to have to take care of me one day.” That type of maturity and responsibility is one of the reasons why Graham has been able to accomplish something during the 2007-08 school year that no other student-athlete in the Southeastern Conference has: play both basketball and football. “It is very special,” said Graham, who is on a football scholarship and is a walk-on on the basketball team. “I give thanks to God for giving me the ability to do both.” Just how rare is Graham’s ability to play both sports at Vanderbilt? You have to go back to Fred Baker during the 199495 season to find the last Commodore to play both. As impressive as it is for Graham to be able to balance two sports in the SEC while being actively involved in raising Jamonte, it may be even more impressive how he has been able to maintain his academics. “Grades are actually the most important thing that allow me to do both,” said the secondary education major. “As long as I keep my grades up I’ll always be able to do both and keep my mind right.”
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NEIL BRAKE
However, after redshirting as a defensive back on the football team this past fall, Graham was not sure he should try to play basketball. “After the football season was over, (Coach Bobby Johnson) talked with me and wanted to see if I wanted to play (basketball),” Graham said. “I was having mixed emotions about it because after being redshirted I wasn’t sure if I was feeling like making the switch to basketball.” “My mind frame in high school was Graham eventually got over those initial worries and joined to always try to go somewhere the basketball team on Dec. 4. He made his first game apwhere I could play two sports.” pearance against UT-Martin on Dec. 29. practice so it’s not as hard as most people The transition from football to basketwould think. It is definitely tough, but I just ball actually was not as hard as Graham get through it some way, somehow.” imagined it would be. The fact that Graham has been able “It was actually better than I thought,” to balance everything doesn’t come as a Graham said of the transition. “It was a surprise to Law. hard transition as far as physical wise, but “I think Jamie made up his mind a long everybody is close, so it was as perfect time ago that he was going to do what- as you can get. They invited me with open ever it took to get whatever it was when arms.” he wanted, and he was going to do it the Especially helpful during Graham’s right way,” Law said. “I believe that it is transition were seniors Shan Foster and paying off for him now. He is one of those Alex “Red” Gordon. kids that are relentless, and he will not “Whenever I needed to learn a play, settle for just finishing, he wants to finish (Shan) told me I could just come to his on top.” room, and that I could come there anyPaying off it is, but reaching his goal of time,” said Graham of Foster, whose lockbeing a mult-sport athlete in college was er is beside his. “For anything I needed, I not always as clear for Graham, who grew could call Shan or Red.” up idolizing former professional football Being able to pick the brain of two of and baseball player Deion Sanders. Vanderbilt’s leaders certainly helped Gra“My mind frame in high school was to ham develop into a solid contributor off always try to go somewhere where I could the bench at the end of the season. play two sports,” Graham said. “It’s not fair for a guy to disrupt our entire first-team offense by himself and not play,” basketball Coach Kevin Stallings said after Graham played six minutes against Tennessee on Feb. 26. “You have to reward the guys that are productive on a consistent basis in practice.” Playing that type of ball-hawking defense, much like a defensive back, is one of Graham’s signatures. “I take pride in it,” said Graham of his defense. “I don’t want anyone on the other team to get by me. Even Shan (Foster) and I laugh about it if I guard him (in practice) because he’ll tell me about how much I wear him out. After a practice he’ll come to me and say, ‘Thank you, you are getting me ready for what I’m going to see in the game.’” That type of energy that he exudes, in addition to him being a local product, made Graham a fan favorite at basketball games. Every time he would sub in or out of a game, he would get the loudest applause of any of the reserves. “It is a great feeling,” Graham said. “The fans actually pump me up to play harder.” Despite his commitment to basketball in the winter, Graham continued to Graham redshirted at defensive back for lift weights with football, and although Vanderbilt in 2007.
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JOHN RUSSELL
Graham admits that it isn’t easy to balance everything, but credits the support he has received from Vanderbilt for helping him juggle multiple tasks. “It’s tough, but you have so many sources, especially going to Vanderbilt and being an athlete,” Graham said. “When it comes to class work and homework, I rarely think about it because it is just natural to do it. I do it and then I go to
Graham fires up the crowd in Vanderbilt’s 41-point rout of Kentucky.
he missed the start of spring football practice because of the SEC and NCAA Tournaments, Graham slid right back into football when basketball was finished. This summer he hopes to work out with the football and basketball teams, and he has his sights set on playing both sports throughout college. “I definitely want to (play both sports) all four years, especially with the fans, teammates and coaches, there is a bond there,” Graham said. “That is something I’d love to do since I already started it.” Even though he still has many bright years ahead of him at Vanderbilt, it hasn’t stopped Graham from setting his sights on his future plan of being a coach. And his reason for wanting to be a coach shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. “I enjoy being a mentor,” Graham said. “There are not a lot of mentors in high school right now being an influence to a lot of younger children. I want to be able to help people out. When I was there, it was basically my high school coaches who were my mentors.” For as much of an impact his coaches have had on him throughout his life, he has had even more of an impact on them and any others that know him. “I tell you what, if he goes off and does his thing and still wants to get into coaching, and he wants to coach for me, he’ll be my No. 1 hire,” Law said. ■
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2007-08 Season In Review The streak begins
lthough the 2007-08 season came to an end sooner than expected, the year will undoubtedly be remembered as one of Vanderbilt’s finest. Finishing with a 26-8 record, the team posted the second-best record in school history and got off to the best start in school history (16-0). The Commodores also finished with a perfect record at Memorial Gym (19-0) for the first time since the 1992-93 season. The year will also be remembered for the play of Shan Foster and the arrival of freshman A.J. Ogilvy. The two formed an inside-outside duo like few in school history. Foster earned Vanderbilt’s second consecutive SEC Player of the Year honor (Derrick Byars) and became the school’s all-time scoring leader. Ogilvy earned second team All-SEC honors and scored more points than any freshman in school history. “This team was a special team this year,” Foster said. “We got a lot accomplished. Any time you’re able to go 26-8, that’s doing something great.” The senior class of Foster, Alex Gordon, Alan Metcalfe, Davis Nawankwo and Ross Neltner also left Vanderbilt as the program’s all-time winningest class with 85 wins. “They’re extremely special,” head coach Kevin Stallings said. “Not only as basketball players but more importantly as human beings. They’ve been everything that we desire to have at Vanderbilt and in our basketball program, from a character standpoint, from an attitude standpoint.” Overall, the season was one of the most exciting in school history. Relive the momentous games of the 2007-08 season through the timeline below. ■
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Vanderbilt dominated a very strong Austin Peay team with an 81-67 win. The win was Vanderbilt’s first of its schoolrecord 16 straight wins to start the season. The 16-0 start topped the previous mark of 12-0 set by the 2003-04 team. 11/10/07
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11/29/07
A Test of Will Although the Commodores’ home season will most be remembered for their triumphs over Kentucky and Tennessee, Vanderbilt’s most difficult challenge came from South Alabama. The Jaguars battled Vanderbilt toeto-toe at Memorial Gym for two overtimes before the Commodores were able to escape with a 91-88 win.
Unfriendly Road
Rocky Topped
Vanderbilt was dealt the unlucky hand of being the only team in the league to play six of its first nine games of the season on the road. Vanderbilt opened the difficult stretch with a double-overtime loss at Kentucky. The loss would be the first of a 1-4 start during the opening half of the stretch. Vanderbilt would then lose at Tennessee, Florida and Ole Miss. Sandwiched in between trips to Knoxville and Gainesville, Vanderbilt defeated LSU.
After losing in double overtime at Kentucky, Vanderbilt had the unenviable task of traveling to Knoxville to play No. 6 Tennessee. Vanderbilt entered the game averaging 86 points per game, but only scored 60 in an 80-60 defeat. The Commodores shot just 3-of-21 from beyond the arc.
1/12-30/08
1/17/08
1/12/08
Memorial Madness/SEC Opener
Double Overtime At Rupp
Before opening SEC play against South Carolina, Vanderbilt held Memorial Madness at the gym before the game. Emceed by Cleveland Indians relief pitcher Jensen Lewis, the pep rally featured a No. 32 jersey giveaway, free pizza and performances by the band and cheerleaders to name a few. With the crowd revved from the pep rally, the Commodores came out and moved their record to 16-0 with an 80-73 win over South Carolina. A.J. Ogilvy dominated the Gamecocks, scoring a team-high 25 points.
Bidding to become the first team to ever win three straight games at Kentucky, Vanderbilt came from 16 points back in the second half to force overtime. However, the Commodores were not able to seize the momentum, and Kentucky prevailed 79-73 in the first double overtime game in the history of Rupp Arena.
Gordon Sinks The Gators
No. 1 And Done
Trailing by one (58-57) with 24 seconds to play, Alex Gordon stepped to the line and calmly sank two free throws to give Vanderbilt the lead. After Florida turned the ball over on the ensuing possession, Gordon returned to the line and made two more free throws with 13.8 seconds to play, giving Vanderbilt a 61-58 victory.
For the second straight year and for the fourth straight time, a team entered Memorial Gym with a No. 1 ranking and left with a loss. This time it was intra-state rival Tennessee, which had just earned its first No. 1 ranking in the 99-year history of the program the day before. Behind a 32-point effort by Shan Foster, Vanderbilt topped Rocky Top 72-69. The win didn’t come easy, as all three of Vanderbilt’s top scorers had at least three fouls with 14:44 to play. Most notably plagued by fouls was A.J. Ogilvy, who played just 12 minutes and scored a season-low four points.
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3/1/08
`Dores Sweep Georgia
Foster Sets Career Scoring Mark
Trailing by one at the half, Vanderbilt went on a 21-5 run early in the second half to claim its first season sweep of Georgia since the 19992000 season. Shan Foster scored a game-high 29 points, and Alex Gordon chipped in 23 points, including seven three-pointers.
Having won seven consecutive games, including its last four at home, Vanderbilt hit a bump at Arkansas in its first road game since Feb. 9. Despite Shan Foster breaking Matt Freije’s all-time Vanderbilt scoring record with a team-high 22 points, Vanderbilt fell 78-73.
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Are They For Real?
The Comeback
Entering the Georgia Tech game there were a lot question marks surrounding the legitimacy of Vanderbilt’s 6-0 start. No one knew how Vanderbilt would match up against a big, physical team from a power conference before the game, but the Commodores proved their worth with a 92-79 rout. Vanderbilt led by as many as 22 in the game. The win also moved Vanderbilt into the top 25 for the first time during the season.
Sitting at 9-0 on the season, Vanderbilt looked dead in the water at DePaul, trailing by 18 in the second half. Nothing seemed to be falling for the Commodores until Alan Metcalfe and Keegan Bell came off the bench and poured in a career-high 18 and 12 points, respectively. Vanderbilt would force overtime and take a hard-fought 91-85 win. 12/12/07
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Foster and Ogilvy Show
Undefeated Non-Conference
Having climbed into the top 25 for the first time just two days earlier, Vanderbilt earned its second win over an ACC foe in as many games with an 83-80 victory over Wake Forest. The game may have had a much different ending had it not been for the play of A.J. Ogilvy and Shan Foster, who combined to score 49 of the team’s 83 points. No other Commodore reached double figures in the game.
Vanderbilt wrapped up its non-conference slate with a perfect 15-0 mark by polishing off Massachusetts 97-88. The Commodores trailed by 13 midway through the first half before going on a 14-0 run to take their first lead of the game. Jermaine Beal finished with a career-best 19 points, while Foster paced the team with 32.
Kentucky Fried Goodbye Road Woes
Vanderbilt avenged its double-overtime loss at Rupp Arena exactly one month earlier by handing Kentucky its worst conference loss ever. The Commodores built a 41-11 lead at the half en route to a 93-52 win. The 41-point loss was Kentucky’s worst loss since Dec. 9, 1989, and tied for the fifthlargest loss in school history. Shan Foster finished with 20 points and was single-handedly outscoring Kentucky until the 13:08 mark of the second half.
Vanderbilt ended a four-game losing streak on the road with a 67-59 win at Georgia. After not starting for each of the past two games, Ross Neltner returned to the starting lineup and led Vanderbilt to victory with 13 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals. 2/6/08
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2/9/08
Neltner returns to form
Beal Beats Gamecocks At Buzzer
After the team’s first two losses of the season at Kentucky and Tennesse where Vanderbilt committed 22 turnovers in each game, including a total of 13 by Ross Neltner, the senior responded with a breakout game against LSU. Neltner finished with 16 points, five rebounds, and most importantly zero turnovers in the 92-76 win.
Trailing by one with six seconds left, Jermaine Beal drove the length of the floor and hit a short fadeaway jumper with 0.6 seconds left to lift Vanderbilt to a 66-65 win at South Carolina. The win helped Vanderbilt (20-4) reach 20 wins faster than any previous Vanderbilt team.
’Dores Scorch The Nets
Treacherous Tampa
Playing in the first round of the SEC Tournament, Vanderbilt put on the second-best shooting performance in tournament history by connecting on 67.3 percent of its shots en route to a 93-82 win over Auburn. The shooting percentage was just 1 percent off the tournament’s all-time mark of 68.3. The 93 points were also the most ever by a Vanderbilt team at the SEC Tournament. Individually, A.J. Ogilvy scored a career-high 27 points on 12-of-13 shooting, and Shan Foster added 26 points.
All great things must come to an end. For Vanderbilt, it ended sooner than expected — the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Maybe it wasn’t that shocking. After all, Vanderbilt’s first round game in the NCAA Tournament was at the site dubbed Treacherous Tampa, where all four of the lower-seeded teams pulled upsets in the first round. Seeded fourth for the first time in school history, the Commodores came out flat against 13th-seeded Siena, losing 83-62. VU made just 4-of-20 threes and allowed the Saints to shoot 56.5 percent from the floor.
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On senior night, Shan Foster closed his career at Memorial Gym by putting on one of the most miraculous shooting performances in Vanderbilt history. Foster shot the Commodores to an 86-85 (OT) victory over Mississippi State by scoring 42 points, just two shy of Tom Hagan’s school record set in 1969. Making Foster’s numbers even more jawdropping was that he misfired on his first six three-pointers of the game before hitting his final nine three-point attempts. Maybe even more impressive is that his first three-pointer didn’t come until the 10:44 mark of the second half. The Commodores’ win gave them their first undefeated record at Memorial Gym (19-0) since the 1992-93 season.
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Foster Scores 42 On Senior Night
3/21/08
3/14/08
Hogtied Vanderbilt’s bid for an SEC Tournament title came to a halt in the quarterfinals of the tournament with an 81-75 loss to Arkansas. The Commodores downfall came on the glass and in the paint where Arkansas outrebounded VU 45-24 and outscored the Commodores 50-20 in the paint. On a side note, the loss came just hours before a tornado ripped through Atlanta, forcing SEC officials to move the tournament to Georgia Tech.
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Quick Hits
Men’s Cross Country • The men’s cross country
MEN’S SPORTS
team was named to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic Team. Steve Keith • The team posted a GPA of 3.54 – third-highest among 98 men’s programs that received the academic honor. In order to be eligible for the award, a team must have compiled a team score at an NCAA Regional Meet and had a minimum GPA of 3.00.
• Vanderbilt added bleacher
seats beyond right field of Hawkins Field on March 14. The bleachers accommodate 1,000 fans and will be open Tim Corbin throughout SEC play. • Vanderbilt opened Vandyville on March 15 against South Carolina. Vandyville will be open for every Saturday home game the rest of the season. • Vanderbilt finished a nine-game stretch (March 4-16) against four NCAA Regional teams from a year ago with a 7-2 record. • During the stretch Vanderbilt won its lone game against Louisville, both games against Western Carolina and won two out of three games against Illinois-Chicago and South Carolina. • Vanderbilt’s series loss to Alabama snapped a streak of nine straight series victories over SEC foes.
Football
STEVE GREEN
• On March 11 Bobby John-
David Macias had three home runs during the week of March 17.
Basketball • Shan Foster was named the
Associated Press Player of the Year in the SEC on March 17, joining Dan Langhi as the only Vanderbilt players to win Kevin the award from both the meStallings dia and the coaches. • Shan Foster’s SEC Player of the Year honor from the league’s coaches was the second in a row by a Vanderbilt player. Derrick Byars won last year. • Also earning postseason SEC accolades was freshman A.J. Ogilvy, who was named Second Team All-SEC by the coaches and honorable mention All-SEC by the media. • Shan Foster was named SEC Co-Player of the Week on March 10, becoming the first SEC basketball player to win the award four times in one season since the league began the honor in 1985. • Vanderbilt finished the season with a 19-0 record at home. It was the most home wins in Memorial Gym history and first perfect season at home since 1992-93. • Vanderbilt earned its second consecutive bid to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1988 and 1989.
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son received the Grant Teaff “Breaking the Silence” Award from the Jason Foundation for his efforts toward Bobby youth suicide prevention. Johnson •Bobby Johnson announced the hiring of running backs coach Desmond Kitchings on Feb. 22. Kitchings comes to Vanderbilt from Western Michigan, though he only joined the WMU staff in January after spending four years as an offensive assistant at Furman, his alma mater. •The Monday Morning Quarterback Club of Birmingham honored wide receiver Earl Bennett with a Special SEC Award in February. The club added to its SEC Back and Lineman of the Year awards, recognizing Bennett as the conference’s All-Purpose Player of the Year. • The team opened spring practice on March 11 and concluded it with the annual spring scrimmage on March 29. • Vanderbilt will play MTSU in a four-game home and away football series beginning in 2015. Games will be played at MTSU in 2015 and 2017, and at Vanderbilt in 2016 and 2018.
Men’s Golf • Junior All-American Jon Curran won his first collegiate tournament on March 3, earning medalist honors at the 2008 Seminole IntercolTom Shaw legiate in Tallahassee, Fla. The win was the first by a Commodore since Luke List won the 2005 Mason Rudolph Intercollegiate. • Vanderbilt earned its first tournament victory under second-year Head Coach Tom Shaw on March 15 by winning the Kauai Collegiate Cup held at the Wailua Golf Course in Lihue, Hawaii. • The Commodores won the event with a 54-hole score of 9-under 855, 28 strokes better than second-place Oklahoma Christian. • Sophomore Hudson Johnson earned medalist honors at the event with a 6-under 210. In the third round, Johnson tied a school record and broke Wailua’s tournament course record with a 9-under 63.
Hudson Johnson earned medalist honors at the Kauai Collegiate Cup on March 15.
Tennis • In consecutive home matches, Vanderbilt came back from a 3-1 deficit to defeat South Carolina and Alabama. • Senior Ryan Preston won six Ian straight matches in the No. 1 Duvenhage positions from Feb. 10 through March 4. • Vanderbilt’s No. 2 doubles team of Nick Cromydas and Bryant Salcedo began the spring 6-0 before losing their first match at LSU on March 9.
WOMEN’S SPORTS Basketball • Vanderbilt advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the ninth straight year and 21st time in school history. • VU advanced to the Sweet 16 Melanie Balcomb for the first time since 2005. • Vanderbilt finished SEC play with an 11-3 record, setting a school record for most wins in conference play. • Sophomore guard Merideth Marsh was named the SEC Player of the Week on March 3. • Five members of the team earned postseason SEC honors on March 4. Christina Wirth was named first team All-SEC, and Jennifer Risper was named second team All-SEC. Also earning recognition were Jence Rhoads and Hannah Tuomi, who were named to the SEC All-Freshman Team. Jessica Mooney shared the title of SEC Sixth Woman of the Year.
NEIL BRAKE
Baseball
Jennifer Risper
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Bowling • The
Commodores hosted their lone home event of the season March 15-16 John in Smyrna, Tenn., Williamson called the Columbia Music City Classic. • The team placed second at the event, just two pins behind Central Missouri State. • Josie Earnest led Vanderbilt at the Holiday Classic on March 2. Earnest finished second with an average of 223.3. • On March 23, the team participated in a two-hour community service bowling activity with autistic children.
the Commodores at the Arizona Wildcat Invitational, tying for 40th with an 18-over 231.
Swimming • Freshman LeighAnn Axt set school records in the 100yard butterfly, 200yard freestyle and Jeremy the 200-yard butOrgan terfly at the SEC Championships. Axt set the record in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 55.89. In the 200-yard freestyle, Axt posted a record time of 1:50.32. Lastly, Axt broke the record in the 200-yard butterfly with a mark of 2:02.32.
Cross Country
Tennis
• Like the men, the
• Senior Amanda Taylor was selected as SEC Player of the Week on March 18 after Geoff posting a 2-0 re- Macdonald cord in singles play against Furman and Florida International. • Senior Taka Bertrand was named SEC Player of the Week on March 12. She won the award after winning all three of her matches against Georgia Tech, Arkansas and LSU. Bertrand also finished the week with a 2-1 record in doubles play, teaming with Keilly Ulery. • Vanderbilt defeated No. 2 Georgia Tech, 4-3, on March 5. The win came on the heels of the team’s first two losses of the season. • After starting 0-3 in SEC play, Vanderbilt earned its first league win of the season on March 9 with a 7-0 win over LSU.
women’s cross country team was named to the U.S. Track & Field and Steve Keith Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic Team. • The 27-member team pulled down a GPA of 3.27. In order to be eligible for the award, a team must have compiled a team score at an NCAA Regional Meet and had a minimum GPA of 3.00.
Lacrosse • Seniors
Margie Curran and Sasha Cielak were named to the Tewaaraton Watch List on Feb. Cathy 21. The list inSwezey cludes the names of early season hopefuls for the 2008 Tewaaraton Trophy, which goes to the most outstanding lacrosse player in the nation. • Margie Curran was named American Lacrosse Conference Player of the Week on Feb. 26 for her play in a trio of victories to open the season. Curran averaged four goals, more than two assists and five draw controls in the victories.
Women’s Golf Leibelei • Senior Lawrence paced Vanderbilt at the Liz Murphy Classic and UCF ChalGreg Allen lenge, tying for 33rd and 27th, respectively. • Sophomore Brooke Goodwin led
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Track and Field • Freshman Rita Jorgensen won the 800 meters at the Jace LaCoste Inv. On March 23 with a D’Andre time of 2:12.28. Hill • Jorgensen placed sixth in the one-mile run at the SEC Indoor Championships. She posted a time of 4:48.41 in the event, just off the NCAA provisional qualifying time of 4:48.00. • Vanderbilt’s distance medley relay team finished in fourth place with a time of 11:51.61 at the SEC Indoor Championships.
The Month Ahead Men’s Sports Baseball 4.2 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.8 4.9 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.15 4.16 4.18 4.19 4.20 4.22 4.23 4.25 4.26 4.27
at Middle Tennessee State at Ole Miss at Ole Miss at Ole Miss Western Kentucky Austin Peay at Mississippi State at Mississippi State at Mississippi State at Lipscomb at Western Kentucky Auburn Auburn Auburn at Austin Peay at Belmont Kentucky Kentucky Kentucky
6pm 6:30pm 4pm 1:30pm 6pm 6pm 6:30pm 2pm 1:30pm 6pm TBA 6pm 12pm 1pm 6pm 6pm 6pm 2pm 1pm
Golf 4.6-8 at The Reunion 4.18-20 at SEC Championships (Sea Island, Ga.)
All Day All Day
Tennis 4.4 4.6 4.12 4.17-20
at Tennessee at Georgia at Kentucky at SEC Tournament (Fayetteville, Ark.)
3pm 12pm 12pm TBA
Women’s Sports Bowling 4.10-12 at NCAA Championships
All Day
Golf 4.4-6 at Ping ASU Invitational 4.18-20 at SEC Championships (Loudon, Tenn.)
All Day All Day
Lacrosse 4.6 4.11 4.13 4.16 4.20
at Johns Hopkins Ohio State at Albany (NY) at Notre Dame Duke
12pm 4pm 11am 3:30pm 1pm
Tennis 4.4 4.6 4.12 4.17-20
Tennessee Georgia Kentucky at SEC Tournament (Auburn, Ala.)
2:30pm 12pm 12:00pm All Day
Track and Field 4.3-5 4.3-5 4.10-12 4.18-19 4.24-26
at Stanford Invitational at Tiger Track Classic at Sea Ray Relays Vanderbilt Invitational at Drake Relays
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All Day All Day All Day All Day All Day
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Where Are They Now?
With Jamie Duncan hen you spend the better portion of the first 30 years of your life focusing all of your energy on playing football and putting forth the necessary hours of training it takes to continue playing, the adjustment it takes to make the change to life after football can oftentimes be a rude awakening. You hear stories all the time about former players struggling to make the transition to a life without shoulder pads and helmets. It is rare for the stories to be told of players who have made the adjustment to life without football and are enjoying successful business careers. One of those players who has made a successful transition to the business world is former Vanderbilt linebacker and seven-year NFL veteran Jamie Duncan. A two time All-American and the 1997 Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year, Duncan starred for the Commodores from 1994-97 before being selected in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After enjoying a seven-year NFL career that included stops in Tampa and St. Louis before his final stop in Atlanta in 2004, Duncan has spent his time focusing on business ventures. The Wilmington, Del., native owns a hairstyling studio in Bear, Del.; is a co-owner of a restaurant and bar in Daytona, Fla.; and has teamed up with St. Louis Rams defensive back and former Vanderbilt teammate Corey Chavous in the real estate business. “I’ve been putting my hand in everything I can and learning as much as I can,” Duncan said. “I’ve got more time on my hands, so I’ve got time to explore. I never envisioned myself opening a bar or a restaurant, but the opportunity presented itself, and I said I’d give it a shot.” Duncan’s first venture into the business world, and one that he is still involved with, began in 1999 in the real estate industry with Chavous. The two purchase properties around the country, fix them up and resell them. What began with Duncan purchasing a condo in Tampa has turned into a nationwide endeavor. “We try to go around the country (when we make purchases) because we know a lot of people and have a lot of different contacts,” Duncan said. “We have properties in Delaware, Atlanta, Tampa, St. Louis and Arizona – places that we played that we are familiar with. We definitely didn’t have any expertise when we started.” Duncan’s second endeavor took him back to his home state, where he’s owned a hair styling studio called Synergy Styling Studio since 2001. His latest challenge came a little over a year ago when he partnered with a friend to co-own a bar, Tattoo Tavern. Since finishing football, Duncan has been able to fill the void in time by immersing himself more in his businesses and broadening his experiences in ways such as co-owning the bar and restaurant. “I had started a couple of small businesses my first couple of years in the league, and when I finished playing, it just gave me a little bit more time to dive into those and be more involved firsthand,” Duncan said. “I can now put more energy into my businesses, and I’m just trying to figure out what the next step is going to be.” In getting involved with the Tattoo Tavern, Duncan hopes that his experiences will help him with his next business and the ones he has now.
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ST. LOUIS RAMS
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“I thought it would be an interesting way to learn the service side of what I plan to do in terms of Corey and I expanding (our real estate) business and any opportunities in the future,” Duncan said. Keeping three businesses straight can be a challenge, but Duncan believes his time spent at Vanderbilt has been beneficial to his business career. “It’s just a matter of organizing, and I think that is where my time at Vanderbilt comes in,” Duncan said. “Just being able to prioritize my time is the biggest challenge. It’s a lot more responsibility than I could have ever envisioned.” Even though Duncan now makes his home in Tampa, he still keeps tabs on Vanderbilt athletics. Duncan recently got together with Chavous to reach out to wide receiver Earl Bennett and provide him with any support or advice he may need as he prepares for the NFL Draft. “We just told him that this is a big moment, and we tried to give him advice,” Duncan said. “He knows the importance of (the NFL Combine and Pro Day), but we just tried to emphasize the overall importance and the mentality that you have to have as you are preparing because this is the first big step of what he is wanting to accomplish. It starts with his approach at the workouts and his mentality.” Duncan is unsure of what his next venture will be, but he hopes it gets him back into football. If his credentials as a two-time All-American and seven-year NFL veteran aren’t enough, than maybe his ability get messages across to current players should be. The advice he and Chavous gave to Bennett may or may not have had an impact on Bennett’s performance at the NFL Combine, but it couldn’t have hurt. Bennett went out and performed better than most draft pundits expected, running a 4.48 in the 40-yard dash. “I would like to get into football in some form or fashion whether it is scouting or whatever,” Duncan said. “I’m not sure I want to go the coaching route, but it is something I wouldn’t mind trying. Even though I haven’t played the last three years I definitely stay up with it. I’m just a fantasy football geek like everyone else.” ■
C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N
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The Last Look
Vanderbilt fans white out Memorial Gym for the Commodores’ 72-69 win over No. 1 Tennessee on Feb. 26. This photo along with many others are now available for purchase on vucommodores.com.
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JOHN RUSSELL
MEMORIAL MAGIC
APRIL 2008
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