The 2013 Southeastern Conference Media Days kicked off Tuesday at the Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Ala. Hundreds of members of the media gathered to usher in the upcoming college football season by talking with head coaches and players from Florida, Missouri, Ole Miss and South Carolina.
SEC Commissioner Mike Slive began the event by bragging on the success of the conference in 2012 and announcing new specifics concerning the SEC Network, like a signature two-hour pregame show that will air each Saturday.
But Slive also touched on the darker subjects circulating around the league, namely the recent arrest of former Florida star Aaron Hernandez.
“We cannot ignore the recent off-the-field incidents involving both current and former student-athletes,” Slive said. “Not all student-athletes fulfill the high expectations we have for them. And while many actions of a few garner headlines, the fact is that the vast majority of these young people conduct themselves appropriately.
“We are not naïve enough to think we can put an end to all unacceptable behavior. But that doesn’t mean we won’t continue to try, try and try.”
Florida head coach Will Muschamp was asked how much a head coach is responsible for the off-the-field behavior of his players.
“You’re 100 percent responsible,” Muschamp said. “When we sign a student-athlete to come to the University of Florida, I look at his parents, guardians, whoever is important to him in his life, tell them it’s my job to be an extension of what’s already happened at home. But you’re 100 percent responsible for the young man.”
Ole Miss’s stellar recruiting class
The Ole Miss Rebels shocked the college football world by reeling in the No. 5 recruiting class for 2013, according to ESPN.com. Head coach Hugh Freeze convinced some of the country’s best players into going to Oxford, Miss., and playing for him in his second season at Ole Miss.
The Rebels finished out the 2012 season in impressive fashion by defeating rival Mississippi State and Pittsburgh in the BBVA Compass Bowl. Freeze said the way his team completed the season affected its success on the recruiting trail at the beginning of the offseason.
“The momentum that was created around our place from winning the Egg Bowl and the bowl game was huge,” Freeze said. “One of the recruits, Robert Nkemdiche, we talked about all year long, he wanted to see that. When that came true, he felt like he was coming with us. That helped. He carried a lot of weight in a lot of ears of recruits. There’s no question the momentum that was created at the end of the year was greatly beneficial to us in recruiting.”
Junior wide receiver Donte Moncrief said he was excited about the talented group of players coming into the fold at Ole Miss. But the 6-foot-3-inch wideout made it clear that the team to beat in the SEC was the Crimson Tide.
“Alabama’s defense is awesome,” Moncrief said. “They’re a very good team. Their fans are great. … We’ve just got to stay focused.”
Spurrier being Spurrier
South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier was up to his usual antics, enlightening the media members about the coach’s meeting that took place in Destin, Fla., earlier in the offseason. He said the 14 head coaches of the SEC took a vote that involved the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
“For whatever reason, all 14 of our head coaches thought that Notre Dame should join the ACC and play football like the rest of us … We all voted 14-0 that they ought to be in a conference,” Spurrier said smiling. “All 14 coaches, Nick Saban, Mark Richt, Les Miles, we all voted that.”
Spurrier was in a lighthearted mood throughout his press conference but spoke with a certainty when referring to his star defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. He praised Clowney’s offseason efforts and ability to stay out of trouble.
“Jadeveon has done an excellent job of sort of staying out of the limelight all summer,” Spurrier said. “He’s been a good teammate. He’s been there for workouts, and he’s been there doing what he’s supposed to do.”
Spurrier might have been hinting at Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel in terms of offseason foul play. Clowney said he stays out of trouble by staying out of the bars and off of Twitter. By doing that, he has had a productive offseason in which he has recorded a 4.46 second 40-yard dash.
“He’s actually a little lighter than he was at the end of last year, I think he told me,” Spurrier said. “He’s going to be ready to go. Individual awards, obviously he’s up for all of them that a defensive lineman can be up for. Individual awards are nice, but hopefully the most important thing for him is helping us win the SEC. That would be the highlight for all of us if that were to happen.”
