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Friday can only mean one thing for the discriminating Red Raider fan.
It's time for another edition of the Red Raider Confidential! The ground rules
are simple and easy to follow: everything reported in this report is not to be disclosed elsewhere. This feature is posted in the premium forum to ensure that this information stays exclusively within the
Red Raider Nation.
This will continue to be successful only if everyone
does their part and keeps the discussions limited to this board.
Stephens is truly conflicted
One
of the things that four-star running back
Eric Stephens was paying attention to on his official visit to Texas
Tech last week was not at all directly related the university or football
program. The Mansfield (TX) standout wanted to size up the Hub City.
"Lubbock is not as bad as everybody makes it seem," said Stephens. "They make it
seem that it’s out in the middle of nowhere but there’s stuff around it. There
are things to do, but it’s not like a big city life atmosphere. Lubbock seems
cool, though."
Stephens has lived in plenty of other places across the state, and sounds as if
he would have no problem adapting to the life in Lubbock. In fact, in some ways,
West Texas reminds him a lot of where he was raised.
"I’m actually originally from East Texas, and I’ve lived in places much worse
than Lubbock," he laughed. "I’m actually from the country. I’m lived in
Marshall, Longview and a really tiny town called Waskom. It’s right on the
border of Louisiana. I have family all over East Texas."
If anything, Lubbock is better than Stephens’ regular stomping grounds.
"Actually, East Texas is less than that. It kind of reminded me of Longview
because it’s a bigger city feeling but still small. So yeah, it kind of reminded
me of that but much better."
Enough about location, though. Stephens visit also gave him a chance to
strengthen his relationship with Texas Tech running back coach
Seth Littrell.
"Every time I talk to him, I get more comfortable with him," explained Stephens.
"This is my second time talking to him in person. I had a chance to sit and talk
with him. He seems like a good coach and an even better person. He’s a man that
I wouldn’t mind playing for.
"Another thing I like about Coach Littrell is that - of course he’s recruiting
me - but I feel like if I told him that I wasn’t going to Tech, he would wish me
luck. He wouldn’t hold it against me. He really wants the best for guys in my
position."
Stephens also had the chance to interact with current members of the team, and
was hosted by wideout
Lyle
Leong.
"[Leong] was so tight man, he was just real cool," he said. "I got to chill with
him and a bunch of his boys, and we had a great time. The players were real
cool."
Considering his position, what are the biggest factors that Stephens is looking
for in a future program?
"Right now the biggest thing with me is that I want is to be a pediatrician.
Academics is huge. The offense, playing time, the school, those are the big
factors for me."
As we reported earlier this week, Stephens just feels like he needs to sit this
one out for a little bit and continue to think about his decision.
In his hometown of Mansfield, he says that he can’t get away from Texas Tech
fans. Their persistence is almost getting on Stephens’ nerves.
"Everyone is telling me I need to go to Texas Tech. People are going to talk and
they don’t know and they don’t understand. They see Tech at No. 7 [in the polls]
and Minnesota is nowhere on the map right now. They don’t really understand
what’s behind the scenes. They don’t now what’s really going on.
"Even little kids are stopping me in public. One of my little friends’ younger
bother got onto me about going to Minnesota. He said, ‘Why the heck would you
want to go there!? Go to Texas Tech!’ and he doesn’t even know. They don’t
understand.
"People talk to me every day and it’s a lot of pressure but at the end of the
day it’s up to me."
At this point, despite all of that, the biggest thing working in Texas Tech's
favor would seem to be the marked increase in the production the Red Raiders
have received out of their running backs this season.
"People think that Tech is just a pass offense, but that’s not what I saw on
Saturday," said Stephens. "They’re balanced and they can get their backs the
ball in a ton of ways. That’s what you’ll see in the NFL, people have to be able
to run and catch the ball out of the backfield. Tech ends up teaching you to do
that, plus you do a long of blitz pick-ups and stuff, which is great. They’re
getting the ball into their backs’ hands a ton, and I really, really like that."
And as far as how Tech's gameday atmosphere compared to Minnesota's?
"I mean, Minnesota’s crowd was great and all, but their crowd wasn’t nearly as
big," said Stpehens. "I mean, their stadium was bigger, but they didn’t have as
many people there. Plus, Tech’s fans never sit down. They whole game they were
on their feet."
You can be assured, that we will be all over Stephen's commitment over the next
several weeks.
Stephens' coach weighs in
With all of the coverage that Eric
Stephens has received lately on this site, we figured we should check in with
Mansfield (TX) Timberview head coach Terry Cron about his standout running back.
It was definitely worth the phone call, because he had some great things to say
about his four-star prospect.
Can you tell us about Eric Stephens recruiting process right now?
TC: "I’m really trying to let him make his mind up. I try
not to sway a kid unless I know that there’s something about his choice that I
can add.
"Eric’s a smart young man and does his research. He’s very focused. He’s
verbally committed to Minnesota but knowing the kind of player and student he
is, we knew he’d have opportunities since then. He’s been offered by quite a few
schools but Minnesota was the one that he felt was a good fit at the time.
"Texas Tech is where his skills as a blocker, runner, and pass receiver would be
an ideal fit. I’m going to let him have some to think about it. We’ll sit down
in another week or two with his mom. But I’m going to try to reinforce whatever
decision he’d have to be the right one.
"Beings selfish, Tech is closer and I’m a Texan but Minnesota is going good and
they have a good staff and he could build a home there too. I want him to be
comfortable so he can be there for the main reason of getting a great education.
I want him to also be able to follow his dream of being a collegiate athlete and
see where that could take him."
Can you expand a little more on why you think Eric would be such a good fit
in the Texas Tech offense?
TC: "With what they do, he’s ideal. We run the spring
draw, draw, play action pass and a lot of the same stuff they run. They fully
utilize their backs. Their back has to have multiple talents. Eric is talented
in more ways than most backs are. In film, he’s throwing out blocks, picking up
blitz’s and knocking down lineman. He’s also got the best hands on our team as a
receiver. He’s high jumped 6-foot-2 numerous times in track. So he plays higher
than 5-foot-9.
"He’s very compact and strong. I can see him hiding behind the linemen at Tech
and being able to run and block and catch out of the backfield which is unlike
every Division-I team or a run oriented team. His play fits Tech and what they
do. Eric hasn’t been recruited by a lot of the Big 12 schools. I just know that
when Tech called and asked me what I thought about him, I told them that my
opinion was that he’d be a great fit. That’s my own personal opinion. He can do
all three things they ask him to do.
"I’m not going to pressure him. I’m going to let him have the time to absorb it.
I’m not one to play a kid one way or the other unless I see something that might
be negative. I’m going to sit down with his mom and Eric in a week or two and
feel him out and see what his thoughts are. I know he’s concerned now and wants
to do as well as he can.
"He’s our captain and he wants us to pursue in the race for district title. We
still have a chance at that and certainly have a great opportunity to get in the
playoffs. Eric’s a great young man and I’m happy for him and there’s no surprise
that he’s being offered by several schools. Georgia Tech was the first to offer
last spring. Minnesota just caught his attention and I guess he felt the
chemistry and bond there with the visit that he had early in the year and it
caused him to make his verbal commitment. With Tech in the future, he doesn’t
want to go against his word but my advice is to take care of yourself and for
sure make the decision you’re going to be able to live with and feel is bets for
you and your future."
Can you talk about the type of person he is? His character?
TC: "If you get to know him, what you see is what you get. He’s
not a phony or a prima donna. He’s a hard worker. He’s good and knows he’s good
but he’s going to work his tail off to get better. He’s very sincere and
focused. He’s focused in school and has never gotten in trouble. He’s polite and
he’s a gentleman.
"His mom has treated him so well and he treats adults and teachers with respect.
He came out to our girl’s volleyball game Monday night after a hard workout.
Most kids go home to eat and rest. But Eric was one of five football players
that were there on the front row, cheering on our volleyball girls. He’s kind of
like the All-American boy. He’s a very caring person and a great team player.
"He’s certainly got the highest votes of all our captains, voted by our peers,
to be one of the four captains. He’s a winner, bottom-line. He’s going to be
successful wherever he goes to school and what profession he goes into."
Ward looking to set an example
Eric Ward is just one of several Tech targets to recently receive a
fourth star in the Rivals.com rankings. But Ward is hardly your run-of-the-mill
guy. Not only is he one of the top wide receivers in the country, he’s also a
class act as well. Carrying a 3.2 GPA and a 950 on his SAT, Ward will be a big
asset to a college program both on and off the field.
Currently, Ward is committed to Oklahoma, a which he re-affirmed to us.
"I’m still solid to Oklahoma for now really," he said. "I would say I’m solid in
my commitment."
Ward, who says his father has always rooted for OU, did admit that he has been
hearing from another school.
"Tech," he answered when asked if any other schools had been talking to him.
"I’ve been talking to Texas Tech a little bit. They run our offense and
obviously they throw it around a lot, so that’s nice. I might take them into
consideration - and they’re the only other school I might consider - I don’t
know, it’s a long time until I sign, so I don’t know for sure. It might change,
but for now I’m committed to OU."
Ward went on to explain that Tech wants him to play receiver, but also wants him
to return punts and kicks, both of which excite him. (He’s averaging 35 yards
per kick return and 30 yards per punt return this season.)
"They’re telling me that they want me to do all that," he said. "Which is real
cool. They’re telling me that I can come in and play Crabtree’s spot, and I’m
like, ‘Are you serious, taking Crabtree’s spot? Come on man, that’s Michael
Crabtree, ain’t no one gonna take his spot!’ But it is really appealing to play
in that offense - it would probably be fun."
The senior, who will graduate in December has one other reason he might give
Tech a look, and it goes a lot deeper than you might think.
"I want to start," he explained. "That’s my goal, and where I come from, people
don’t believe in goals. I am going to be the first person from my community to
go to college, and it’s a big deal. I come from a very impoverished area, and I
want to give the kids in my community hope that you can be anyone you want to
be, and you don’t need drugs or violence to get there. I want to show them that
you can get an education and that you can achieve any goal you’re willing to
earn. I want to show them that the sky’s the limit and let them know that if I
can make it, and I was in their shoes once, that maybe they can to."
Ward has started his work in earnest, going to schools around his town and
speaking to kids and signing autographs. He is, after all, a true high school
hero (He averages over 225 all-purpose yards per game and leads his team in
touchdowns with 6.) and young children in his community already look up to him.
Before we got off the phone, I asked Ward if he saw any similarities between
himself and Tech’s standout receiver,
Michael
Crabtree, who also came from a high school not always known for its
affluence.
"Shoot yeah," he laughed. "That dude is from Carter! He made it big time and now
I know those kids listen to him when he goes back there. If he says not to do
drugs, they’ll listen to him- I mean, that’s an All-American, Bilitnekoff Award
winner right there telling you to dream big- you think they might listen? That
same opportunity is a big thing to me and if I thought I would have that same
chance, then I would say that would play a role in my decision."
Though we believe Ward is certainly committed to Oklahoma at this point, you
just never know. He is officially visiting Oklahoma this weekend (his only
scheduled official) but we wouldn’t be shocked if he ended up making a trip to
the Hub City before he signs his LOI in December.
Landing a receiver like Ward would be a big thing for this program, and even
though he’s a long shot, it does look like Tech has a shot at this point, which
is certainly a step in the right direction.
Premium Q&A: McKinner Dixon
You have had a sack in every game you’ve played so far this season. What’s the
deal?
MD: "I guess it is just the wisdom we have out there together.
We have a good atmosphere and a good chemistry on the defensive line. I guess
I’m just the clean-up guy. If they miss it I’ll go out there and snatch it up."
Are you getting garbage sacks then? Is that what you mean?
MD: "No, I would call them trash sacks or anything but as hard
as the defensive line is working I’m just doing my part basically."
You have Brandon Williams on the other side of you and you guys have a
little bit of a friendly rivalry going right now don’t you?
MD: "When I first came here Brandon was like I heard about your
sacks in your first year. I told him I’m trying to lead the nation this year so
we’ve got this little thing going right now between us. I don’t know if I can do
that but I’ve got the lead on him so far."
Do you see him catching up to you at any point?
MD: "Nah, I don’t think so because I’m going to keep adding to
mine. As long as he doesn’t start getting two a game or something then I’ll keep
my edge over him."
Who should we keep an eye out for in the future on the defensive line that
we haven’t seen much of so far this year?
MD: "A guy by the name of
Brandon
Sharpe and a guy named
Chris
Perry. Those two guys have really stepped up their game this week in
many different ways. Brandon has really bettered his pass rush this week, he sat
down and thought a lot about this defense and what he needs to do and he’s doing
it in practice. He’s had a great week of practice."
You’ve had quite a journey to get back here after starting your career here
in 2005. What is motivating you these days?
MD: "I have two beautiful daughters that motivate me every
single day to get up and do this. I have a four year old and a five month old,
they are everything I’ve got in this world and they motivate me. Those two are
all the motivation that I ever need."
Does the thought of those two give you that extra gear sometimes?
MD: "Oh yeah. Of course when I am out there playing I’m
thinking about them and I have them on my wrist which always keeps them close to
me. I just make sure I take care of business out there."
Speaking of taking care of business you really did that on Saturday. You
were only credited with one sack but you had another taken away due to a penalty
and nothing showed up in the stat column for you on the very last play of the
game. Talk about that game a little bit.
MD: "First I’d like to credit Nebraska for having a great game
plan. Those guys really came out and fought us hard. I can’t explain what a good
feeling that was though, we had a lot of emotions going on out there and we did
our job at the end of the game and kind of got into a rhythm. It was a great
atmosphere and I really enjoyed it."
Is that the loudest you’ve ever heard Jones AT&T Stadium?
MD: "Yeah I can remember it being like that back in 2005 when
Oklahoma was here but that was the only thing I can compare it to. That crowd on
Saturday was pretty intense."
You’re an East Texas guy and you’ve got some connections to some of the guys
at A&M so what has this week been like for ya?
MD: "Yup, a lot of trash talk for sure. I’ve got two cousins
that play for Texas A&M in
Jorvorskie Lane and
Alton
Dixon and they have been talking a lot of trash this week so we are
planning on going down there and putting it to them. I can’t wait to go out
there and see what they have for us down there. I’m sure they will boo us quite
a bit."
Does the booing motivate you even more?
MD: "See, when you hear all of that booing and all of that
stuff then at the end of the game when the clock has all zeroes and we are on
top you hear all of those fans just silenced. That is the best thing about it is
when you silence all of that stuff. All the hype, the hollering and the booing
is silenced."
This interview was originally heard on Red Raider Football with Mike Leach,
which airs from 5-7 p.m. every Thursday on Fox Talk 950AM.
Visit boosts Tech's stock in Grave's eyes
Four-star defensive tackle
Pearlie Graves had already visited Lubbock earlier in the year (this
spring’s Junior Day), but after his official visit this weekend, he sees Texas
Tech in a new light.
"It really did move Tech up quite a bit," he said. "They were a little bit at
the bottom of my list, honestly, but after my visit this weekend I really got
into it and am really liking them now."
Liking Tech so much, in fact, that he has now moved Tech into his top three.
"I would say I’m really liking Michigan, Texas Tech, and OU," he said. "That’s
my top three right there."
Though there were certainly several factors that caused Tech to move up,
including the crowd and the general atmosphere, Graves says the prospect of
playing early for a defense like Tech’s excites him.
"Man, that defense is just fast," he said. "They’re fast. I love how they
explode off the line. I love the fast defenses, that’s what I like. The schools
I like have fast lines, and oh my gosh, their D-Line was crazy fast. It made me
want to get better. I’m looking at how long it would take me to crack all these
schools’ rotations and start, and I like what I’m seeing at Tech."
Though he will certainly be a tough prospect to land (and by tough, we mean
really, really tough), he’s the sort of player that can make an immediate impact
on a defense when he steps on the field, so the fact that Tech’s in the game at
this point is a huge positive.
Reyes working with Carona, LaCour
Many Texas Tech fans are very familiar with the name Alex Reyes. A former
four-year letterman punter for the Red Raiders, Reyes is in Lubbock and, as
Tech's Student Coach for Kickers, is sharing his knowledge with young
specialists
Donnie
Carona and
Jonathan
LaCour.
Can you discuss the issues that Carona has had lately with PAT attempts?
AR: "It’s kind of my fault for not seeing that he was hitting a
lower ball. Three of the extra points were not his fault because they were
protection issues. I know two of them are really his fault for low kicks. I can
take the blame for that and not seeing his ball wasn’t high enough at the line.
We have now realized that we need to work on getting his ball up."
Is this something that has been happening since he’s been at Tech?
AR: "I really didn’t see anything during two-a-days. I didn’t
see it till they have the jumpers on opposing teams that are 6-foot-3 and
6-foot-4 with a vertical. He has to get his ball up fast. He’s not getting it up
fast enough. That’s his only problem right now is getting his ball up."
What about his problems in the field goal department?
AR: "He’d hit a ball left and then the next time he went out
there and overcorrect himself. It's just the way he hits the ball sometimes and
he’s overcorrecting too much instead of finding that happy medium. It’s not
uncommon for first year kickers in college at all."
What does he have to do in order to get through this funk he’s in?
AR: "You just have to keep your head up. The second you left
everything get to you, you’re going to turn into a head case. You can look at
kickers in Tech’s past and other school’s past, if you’re not mentally strong
and can’t forget about your mistakes, then you’re going to think about it too
much.
"He’s hit thousands of balls in his career and knows what he needs to do. We
have it fixed. We just have to apply everything into the game."
How has he reacted this week to being benched from field goal and PAT
duties?
AR: "I think it really lit a fire under his butt. He knows that
he has to get better. There’s no other way for him to get back in there other
than having to prove himself to the coaches and the team again."
Has he gotten better this week?
AR: "He’s definitely improved. You can tell that he has a
different demeanor about himself that he knows he has to go out there and
perform."
What’s the atmosphere around the kickers now that there is a true
competition on hand?
AR: "They know it’s a business and they know what the coaches
need. They know that if someone else is performing better than they’re going to
put someone in there that can do the job."
What’s the latest on LaCour?
AR: "I’m actually going to go over some stuff with Jon and show
him some of my game film from when I used to punt for Tech. I’m going to point
out to him of how I didn’t bend over the ball as much as he does and I had
shorter steps."
How do you think he’s been doing this year and how does his play compare
from last year?
AR: "He’s getting better. He’s not hitting the ball as far but
he’s getting better hang time. He’s only had two punts that have been
returnable. I’ve been working on him getting more hang time on his ball. He was
hitting balls that were lower and returnable. Now he’s having a shorter punt but
higher hang time and there are no returns.
"I’m just trying to work on his ball getting more hang time and keeping him from
having more returnable balls. It’s worth giving up a few yards on a punt if the
returner isn’t able to take it down the field."
Gray talks future teammates
We spoke to criminally underrated offensive lineman
Joel Gray this week, who took the time to talk to us about a few of
the guys he will call teammates next season.
On Abilene Cooper safety Will Ford (Cooper and Hebron squared off recently,
with Hebron coming out on top in OT):
JG: "[Will
Ford] is a hard hitter. That was a great thing to see. I mean, he is a hard
hitter. He was a really, really big hitter, and I’m looking forward to playing
with him. We got to talk a little bit after the game and he seems like a great
guy. And he’s a really hard hitter."
On his relationships with Kyle Clark and Terrance Bullitt:
JG: "I talk to them both pretty much every week. Obviously
Kyle [Clark] and I have a longer standing friendship than
Terrance [Bullitt] and me, who are still getting to know each other. Kyle
and I have spent hours in the car together and made trips together, so our
conversations are probably a little different, but Terrance and I are beginning
to become really cool. We mainly talk about football. Every time we talk, we
talk about how excited we are to be headed to Tech. We usually talk after each
game and get pretty pumped up about it."
To view previous installments of the Red Raider Confidential, you can visit the
archives by
clicking here.
Thank you for subscribing to RedRaiderSports.com!
This post was edited on 10/17 7:45 AM by A. Dickens
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Friday can only mean one thing for the discriminating Red Raider fan.
It's time for another edition of the Red Raider Confidential! The ground rules
are simple and easy to follow: everything reported in this report is not to be disclosed elsewhere. This feature is posted in the premium forum to ensure that this information stays exclusively within the
Red Raider Nation.
This will continue to be successful only if everyone
does their part and keeps the discussions limited to this board.
Stephens is truly conflicted
One
of the things that four-star running back
Eric Stephens was paying attention to on his official visit to Texas
Tech last week was not at all directly related the university or football
program. The Mansfield (TX) standout wanted to size up the Hub City.
"Lubbock is not as bad as everybody makes it seem," said Stephens. "They make it
seem that it’s out in the middle of nowhere but there’s stuff around it. There
are things to do, but it’s not like a big city life atmosphere. Lubbock seems
cool, though."
Stephens has lived in plenty of other places across the state, and sounds as if
he would have no problem adapting to the life in Lubbock. In fact, in some ways,
West Texas reminds him a lot of where he was raised.
"I’m actually originally from East Texas, and I’ve lived in places much worse
than Lubbock," he laughed. "I’m actually from the country. I’m lived in
Marshall, Longview and a really tiny town called Waskom. It’s right on the
border of Louisiana. I have family all over East Texas."
If anything, Lubbock is better than Stephens’ regular stomping grounds.
"Actually, East Texas is less than that. It kind of reminded me of Longview
because it’s a bigger city feeling but still small. So yeah, it kind of reminded
me of that but much better."
Enough about location, though. Stephens visit also gave him a chance to
strengthen his relationship with Texas Tech running back coach
Seth Littrell.
"Every time I talk to him, I get more comfortable with him," explained Stephens.
"This is my second time talking to him in person. I had a chance to sit and talk
with him. He seems like a good coach and an even better person. He’s a man that
I wouldn’t mind playing for.
"Another thing I like about Coach Littrell is that - of course he’s recruiting
me - but I feel like if I told him that I wasn’t going to Tech, he would wish me
luck. He wouldn’t hold it against me. He really wants the best for guys in my
position."
Stephens also had the chance to interact with current members of the team, and
was hosted by wideout
Lyle
Leong.
"[Leong] was so tight man, he was just real cool," he said. "I got to chill with
him and a bunch of his boys, and we had a great time. The players were real
cool."
Considering his position, what are the biggest factors that Stephens is looking
for in a future program?
"Right now the biggest thing with me is that I want is to be a pediatrician.
Academics is huge. The offense, playing time, the school, those are the big
factors for me."
As we reported earlier this week, Stephens just feels like he needs to sit this
one out for a little bit and continue to think about his decision.
In his hometown of Mansfield, he says that he can’t get away from Texas Tech
fans. Their persistence is almost getting on Stephens’ nerves.
"Everyone is telling me I need to go to Texas Tech. People are going to talk and
they don’t know and they don’t understand. They see Tech at No. 7 [in the polls]
and Minnesota is nowhere on the map right now. They don’t really understand
what’s behind the scenes. They don’t now what’s really going on.
"Even little kids are stopping me in public. One of my little friends’ younger
bother got onto me about going to Minnesota. He said, ‘Why the heck would you
want to go there!? Go to Texas Tech!’ and he doesn’t even know. They don’t
understand.
"People talk to me every day and it’s a lot of pressure but at the end of the
day it’s up to me."
At this point, despite all of that, the biggest thing working in Texas Tech's
favor would seem to be the marked increase in the production the Red Raiders
have received out of their running backs this season.
"People think that Tech is just a pass offense, but that’s not what I saw on
Saturday," said Stephens. "They’re balanced and they can get their backs the
ball in a ton of ways. That’s what you’ll see in the NFL, people have to be able
to run and catch the ball out of the backfield. Tech ends up teaching you to do
that, plus you do a long of blitz pick-ups and stuff, which is great. They’re
getting the ball into their backs’ hands a ton, and I really, really like that."
And as far as how Tech's gameday atmosphere compared to Minnesota's?
"I mean, Minnesota’s crowd was great and all, but their crowd wasn’t nearly as
big," said Stpehens. "I mean, their stadium was bigger, but they didn’t have as
many people there. Plus, Tech’s fans never sit down. They whole game they were
on their feet."
You can be assured, that we will be all over Stephen's commitment over the next
several weeks.
Stephens' coach weighs in
With all of the coverage that Eric
Stephens has received lately on this site, we figured we should check in with
Mansfield (TX) Timberview head coach Terry Cron about his standout running back.
It was definitely worth the phone call, because he had some great things to say
about his four-star prospect.
Can you tell us about Eric Stephens recruiting process right now?
TC: "I’m really trying to let him make his mind up. I try
not to sway a kid unless I know that there’s something about his choice that I
can add.
"Eric’s a smart young man and does his research. He’s very focused. He’s
verbally committed to Minnesota but knowing the kind of player and student he
is, we knew he’d have opportunities since then. He’s been offered by quite a few
schools but Minnesota was the one that he felt was a good fit at the time.
"Texas Tech is where his skills as a blocker, runner, and pass receiver would be
an ideal fit. I’m going to let him have some to think about it. We’ll sit down
in another week or two with his mom. But I’m going to try to reinforce whatever
decision he’d have to be the right one.
"Beings selfish, Tech is closer and I’m a Texan but Minnesota is going good and
they have a good staff and he could build a home there too. I want him to be
comfortable so he can be there for the main reason of getting a great education.
I want him to also be able to follow his dream of being a collegiate athlete and
see where that could take him."
Can you expand a little more on why you think Eric would be such a good fit
in the Texas Tech offense?
TC: "With what they do, he’s ideal. We run the spring
draw, draw, play action pass and a lot of the same stuff they run. They fully
utilize their backs. Their back has to have multiple talents. Eric is talented
in more ways than most backs are. In film, he’s throwing out blocks, picking up
blitz’s and knocking down lineman. He’s also got the best hands on our team as a
receiver. He’s high jumped 6-foot-2 numerous times in track. So he plays higher
than 5-foot-9.
"He’s very compact and strong. I can see him hiding behind the linemen at Tech
and being able to run and block and catch out of the backfield which is unlike
every Division-I team or a run oriented team. His play fits Tech and what they
do. Eric hasn’t been recruited by a lot of the Big 12 schools. I just know that
when Tech called and asked me what I thought about him, I told them that my
opinion was that he’d be a great fit. That’s my own personal opinion. He can do
all three things they ask him to do.
"I’m not going to pressure him. I’m going to let him have the time to absorb it.
I’m not one to play a kid one way or the other unless I see something that might
be negative. I’m going to sit down with his mom and Eric in a week or two and
feel him out and see what his thoughts are. I know he’s concerned now and wants
to do as well as he can.
"He’s our captain and he wants us to pursue in the race for district title. We
still have a chance at that and certainly have a great opportunity to get in the
playoffs. Eric’s a great young man and I’m happy for him and there’s no surprise
that he’s being offered by several schools. Georgia Tech was the first to offer
last spring. Minnesota just caught his attention and I guess he felt the
chemistry and bond there with the visit that he had early in the year and it
caused him to make his verbal commitment. With Tech in the future, he doesn’t
want to go against his word but my advice is to take care of yourself and for
sure make the decision you’re going to be able to live with and feel is bets for
you and your future."
Can you talk about the type of person he is? His character?
TC: "If you get to know him, what you see is what you get. He’s
not a phony or a prima donna. He’s a hard worker. He’s good and knows he’s good
but he’s going to work his tail off to get better. He’s very sincere and
focused. He’s focused in school and has never gotten in trouble. He’s polite and
he’s a gentleman.
"His mom has treated him so well and he treats adults and teachers with respect.
He came out to our girl’s volleyball game Monday night after a hard workout.
Most kids go home to eat and rest. But Eric was one of five football players
that were there on the front row, cheering on our volleyball girls. He’s kind of
like the All-American boy. He’s a very caring person and a great team player.
"He’s certainly got the highest votes of all our captains, voted by our peers,
to be one of the four captains. He’s a winner, bottom-line. He’s going to be
successful wherever he goes to school and what profession he goes into."
Ward looking to set an example
Eric Ward is just one of several Tech targets to recently receive a
fourth star in the Rivals.com rankings. But Ward is hardly your run-of-the-mill
guy. Not only is he one of the top wide receivers in the country, he’s also a
class act as well. Carrying a 3.2 GPA and a 950 on his SAT, Ward will be a big
asset to a college program both on and off the field.
Currently, Ward is committed to Oklahoma, a which he re-affirmed to us.
"I’m still solid to Oklahoma for now really," he said. "I would say I’m solid in
my commitment."
Ward, who says his father has always rooted for OU, did admit that he has been
hearing from another school.
"Tech," he answered when asked if any other schools had been talking to him.
"I’ve been talking to Texas Tech a little bit. They run our offense and
obviously they throw it around a lot, so that’s nice. I might take them into
consideration - and they’re the only other school I might consider - I don’t
know, it’s a long time until I sign, so I don’t know for sure. It might change,
but for now I’m committed to OU."
Ward went on to explain that Tech wants him to play receiver, but also wants him
to return punts and kicks, both of which excite him. (He’s averaging 35 yards
per kick return and 30 yards per punt return this season.)
"They’re telling me that they want me to do all that," he said. "Which is real
cool. They’re telling me that I can come in and play Crabtree’s spot, and I’m
like, ‘Are you serious, taking Crabtree’s spot? Come on man, that’s Michael
Crabtree, ain’t no one gonna take his spot!’ But it is really appealing to play
in that offense - it would probably be fun."
The senior, who will graduate in December has one other reason he might give
Tech a look, and it goes a lot deeper than you might think.
"I want to start," he explained. "That’s my goal, and where I come from, people
don’t believe in goals. I am going to be the first person from my community to
go to college, and it’s a big deal. I come from a very impoverished area, and I
want to give the kids in my community hope that you can be anyone you want to
be, and you don’t need drugs or violence to get there. I want to show them that
you can get an education and that you can achieve any goal you’re willing to
earn. I want to show them that the sky’s the limit and let them know that if I
can make it, and I was in their shoes once, that maybe they can to."
Ward has started his work in earnest, going to schools around his town and
speaking to kids and signing autographs. He is, after all, a true high school
hero (He averages over 225 all-purpose yards per game and leads his team in
touchdowns with 6.) and young children in his community already look up to him.
Before we got off the phone, I asked Ward if he saw any similarities between
himself and Tech’s standout receiver,
Michael
Crabtree, who also came from a high school not always known for its
affluence.
"Shoot yeah," he laughed. "That dude is from Carter! He made it big time and now
I know those kids listen to him when he goes back there. If he says not to do
drugs, they’ll listen to him- I mean, that’s an All-American, Bilitnekoff Award
winner right there telling you to dream big- you think they might listen? That
same opportunity is a big thing to me and if I thought I would have that same
chance, then I would say that would play a role in my decision."
Though we believe Ward is certainly committed to Oklahoma at this point, you
just never know. He is officially visiting Oklahoma this weekend (his only
scheduled official) but we wouldn’t be shocked if he ended up making a trip to
the Hub City before he signs his LOI in December.
Landing a receiver like Ward would be a big thing for this program, and even
though he’s a long shot, it does look like Tech has a shot at this point, which
is certainly a step in the right direction.
Premium Q&A: McKinner Dixon
You have had a sack in every game you’ve played so far this season. What’s the
deal?
MD: "I guess it is just the wisdom we have out there together.
We have a good atmosphere and a good chemistry on the defensive line. I guess
I’m just the clean-up guy. If they miss it I’ll go out there and snatch it up."
Are you getting garbage sacks then? Is that what you mean?
MD: "No, I would call them trash sacks or anything but as hard
as the defensive line is working I’m just doing my part basically."
You have Brandon Williams on the other side of you and you guys have a
little bit of a friendly rivalry going right now don’t you?
MD: "When I first came here Brandon was like I heard about your
sacks in your first year. I told him I’m trying to lead the nation this year so
we’ve got this little thing going right now between us. I don’t know if I can do
that but I’ve got the lead on him so far."
Do you see him catching up to you at any point?
MD: "Nah, I don’t think so because I’m going to keep adding to
mine. As long as he doesn’t start getting two a game or something then I’ll keep
my edge over him."
Who should we keep an eye out for in the future on the defensive line that
we haven’t seen much of so far this year?
MD: "A guy by the name of
Brandon
Sharpe and a guy named
Chris
Perry. Those two guys have really stepped up their game this week in
many different ways. Brandon has really bettered his pass rush this week, he sat
down and thought a lot about this defense and what he needs to do and he’s doing
it in practice. He’s had a great week of practice."
You’ve had quite a journey to get back here after starting your career here
in 2005. What is motivating you these days?
MD: "I have two beautiful daughters that motivate me every
single day to get up and do this. I have a four year old and a five month old,
they are everything I’ve got in this world and they motivate me. Those two are
all the motivation that I ever need."
Does the thought of those two give you that extra gear sometimes?
MD: "Oh yeah. Of course when I am out there playing I’m
thinking about them and I have them on my wrist which always keeps them close to
me. I just make sure I take care of business out there."
Speaking of taking care of business you really did that on Saturday. You
were only credited with one sack but you had another taken away due to a penalty
and nothing showed up in the stat column for you on the very last play of the
game. Talk about that game a little bit.
MD: "First I’d like to credit Nebraska for having a great game
plan. Those guys really came out and fought us hard. I can’t explain what a good
feeling that was though, we had a lot of emotions going on out there and we did
our job at the end of the game and kind of got into a rhythm. It was a great
atmosphere and I really enjoyed it."
Is that the loudest you’ve ever heard Jones AT&T Stadium?
MD: "Yeah I can remember it being like that back in 2005 when
Oklahoma was here but that was the only thing I can compare it to. That crowd on
Saturday was pretty intense."
You’re an East Texas guy and you’ve got some connections to some of the guys
at A&M so what has this week been like for ya?
MD: "Yup, a lot of trash talk for sure. I’ve got two cousins
that play for Texas A&M in
Jorvorskie Lane and
Alton
Dixon and they have been talking a lot of trash this week so we are
planning on going down there and putting it to them. I can’t wait to go out
there and see what they have for us down there. I’m sure they will boo us quite
a bit."
Does the booing motivate you even more?
MD: "See, when you hear all of that booing and all of that
stuff then at the end of the game when the clock has all zeroes and we are on
top you hear all of those fans just silenced. That is the best thing about it is
when you silence all of that stuff. All the hype, the hollering and the booing
is silenced."
This interview was originally heard on Red Raider Football with Mike Leach,
which airs from 5-7 p.m. every Thursday on Fox Talk 950AM.
Visit boosts Tech's stock in Grave's eyes
Four-star defensive tackle
Pearlie Graves had already visited Lubbock earlier in the year (this
spring’s Junior Day), but after his official visit this weekend, he sees Texas
Tech in a new light.
"It really did move Tech up quite a bit," he said. "They were a little bit at
the bottom of my list, honestly, but after my visit this weekend I really got
into it and am really liking them now."
Liking Tech so much, in fact, that he has now moved Tech into his top three.
"I would say I’m really liking Michigan, Texas Tech, and OU," he said. "That’s
my top three right there."
Though there were certainly several factors that caused Tech to move up,
including the crowd and the general atmosphere, Graves says the prospect of
playing early for a defense like Tech’s excites him.
"Man, that defense is just fast," he said. "They’re fast. I love how they
explode off the line. I love the fast defenses, that’s what I like. The schools
I like have fast lines, and oh my gosh, their D-Line was crazy fast. It made me
want to get better. I’m looking at how long it would take me to crack all these
schools’ rotations and start, and I like what I’m seeing at Tech."
Though he will certainly be a tough prospect to land (and by tough, we mean
really, really tough), he’s the sort of player that can make an immediate impact
on a defense when he steps on the field, so the fact that Tech’s in the game at
this point is a huge positive.
Reyes working with Carona, LaCour
Many Texas Tech fans are very familiar with the name Alex Reyes. A former
four-year letterman punter for the Red Raiders, Reyes is in Lubbock and, as
Tech's Student Coach for Kickers, is sharing his knowledge with young
specialists
Donnie
Carona and
Jonathan
LaCour.
Can you discuss the issues that Carona has had lately with PAT attempts?
AR: "It’s kind of my fault for not seeing that he was hitting a
lower ball. Three of the extra points were not his fault because they were
protection issues. I know two of them are really his fault for low kicks. I can
take the blame for that and not seeing his ball wasn’t high enough at the line.
We have now realized that we need to work on getting his ball up."
Is this something that has been happening since he’s been at Tech?
AR: "I really didn’t see anything during two-a-days. I didn’t
see it till they have the jumpers on opposing teams that are 6-foot-3 and
6-foot-4 with a vertical. He has to get his ball up fast. He’s not getting it up
fast enough. That’s his only problem right now is getting his ball up."
What about his problems in the field goal department?
AR: "He’d hit a ball left and then the next time he went out
there and overcorrect himself. It's just the way he hits the ball sometimes and
he’s overcorrecting too much instead of finding that happy medium. It’s not
uncommon for first year kickers in college at all."
What does he have to do in order to get through this funk he’s in?
AR: "You just have to keep your head up. The second you left
everything get to you, you’re going to turn into a head case. You can look at
kickers in Tech’s past and other school’s past, if you’re not mentally strong
and can’t forget about your mistakes, then you’re going to think about it too
much.
"He’s hit thousands of balls in his career and knows what he needs to do. We
have it fixed. We just have to apply everything into the game."
How has he reacted this week to being benched from field goal and PAT
duties?
AR: "I think it really lit a fire under his butt. He knows that
he has to get better. There’s no other way for him to get back in there other
than having to prove himself to the coaches and the team again."
Has he gotten better this week?
AR: "He’s definitely improved. You can tell that he has a
different demeanor about himself that he knows he has to go out there and
perform."
What’s the atmosphere around the kickers now that there is a true
competition on hand?
AR: "They know it’s a business and they know what the coaches
need. They know that if someone else is performing better than they’re going to
put someone in there that can do the job."
What’s the latest on LaCour?
AR: "I’m actually going to go over some stuff with Jon and show
him some of my game film from when I used to punt for Tech. I’m going to point
out to him of how I didn’t bend over the ball as much as he does and I had
shorter steps."
How do you think he’s been doing this year and how does his play compare
from last year?
AR: "He’s getting better. He’s not hitting the ball as far but
he’s getting better hang time. He’s only had two punts that have been
returnable. I’ve been working on him getting more hang time on his ball. He was
hitting balls that were lower and returnable. Now he’s having a shorter punt but
higher hang time and there are no returns.
"I’m just trying to work on his ball getting more hang time and keeping him from
having more returnable balls. It’s worth giving up a few yards on a punt if the
returner isn’t able to take it down the field."
Gray talks future teammates
We spoke to criminally underrated offensive lineman
Joel Gray this week, who took the time to talk to us about a few of
the guys he will call teammates next season.
On Abilene Cooper safety Will Ford (Cooper and Hebron squared off recently,
with Hebron coming out on top in OT):
JG: "[Will
Ford] is a hard hitter. That was a great thing to see. I mean, he is a hard
hitter. He was a really, really big hitter, and I’m looking forward to playing
with him. We got to talk a little bit after the game and he seems like a great
guy. And he’s a really hard hitter."
On his relationships with Kyle Clark and Terrance Bullitt:
JG: "I talk to them both pretty much every week. Obviously
Kyle [Clark] and I have a longer standing friendship than
Terrance [Bullitt] and me, who are still getting to know each other. Kyle
and I have spent hours in the car together and made trips together, so our
conversations are probably a little different, but Terrance and I are beginning
to become really cool. We mainly talk about football. Every time we talk, we
talk about how excited we are to be headed to Tech. We usually talk after each
game and get pretty pumped up about it."
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This post was edited on 10/17 7:45 AM by A. Dickens
