The Scout on Mays
Volquest caught up with Northeast Mississippi Community College defensive line Coach Trevor Stigers to get his insight on Mays’ game.
“Chris gets off the ball and plays hard,” Stigers said. “Those are the two things that has made Chris what he is today, and I think those are the two things that are going to keep on continuing to make him great. His determination and how he approaches himself is what got him over the hump and got his name ringing the way it is. If there is one thing I can say about Chris, it is how he approaches things with his work ethic.”
Mays took time away from football before making the decision to return to football at NEMCC. Once he returned, the approach he has taken is something that has continued to standout to Stigers.
“Well, life teaches us different lessons anyways,” he said. “Especially real life, and going from being a kid to an actual adult with bills and real responsibility. Once he understood that he had a talent he could tap into and decided he wanted to go back in ball, that is why I said the way he has approached it and came about it. Usually, there will be a bunch of telling guys how to go about things, but he kind of had an understanding of it. He just wanted to be guided. He was very mature when he walked through the door. He appreciated breakfast, and he would tell me, ‘Coach, a couple of months ago, I was making my own breakfast, now I walk in here and it’s free.'” That is one cool story about him that I hope he will continue to tell.”
What does this mean for Tennessee?
Adding a prospect with Mays’ size and upside to the class at defensive line was something important for the Vols in this cycle. You cannot have enough of these body types in the room. Rodney Garner has made a career out of developing players with the physical traits that Mays possesses and are required to play the position at a high level. With this commitment, Tennessee adds a high upside player to the class with plenty of room to grow and develop as an interior presence in the defense.
-M Ray
