Stephaun Raines running with first team defense?

#1

ballou1024

Orange Blooded
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#1
First I've heard of this. Has anyone else heard this?

• Dalton athletic director Ronnie McClurg attended Tennessee’s scrimmage in Knoxville on Saturday and said former Catamount Stephaun Raines, The Daily Citizen’s All-Area Player of the Year in 2005, started with the No. 1 secondary, right alongside All-America strong safety Eric Berry.

Raines, McClurg said, looks much more confident at safety, was around the ball on several plays and his techniques looked much better.

“Right now I’m running first team at free safety,” Raines said by telephone, “and I’m battling Prentiss Waggner for the job. The new scheme is not easy but we’re picking it up pretty fast.”

The former Cat has been impressed with the entire coaching staff, despite head coach Lane Kiffin’s tough approach to everything the players do, on and off the field.

“That’s nothing that wasn’t expected Raines said. “No one thought he’d come in here soft. We knew he’d lay down the law.”

He said the entire staff is “real cool” and the players like the fact many of them are young coaches, enabling the players to relate much better with them.

Raines works closely with secondary coach Willie Garza and is thrilled to be under the wide umbrella of defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, who left the Tampa Bay Bucs to join his son in Knoxville.

Garza, Raines said, is less experienced than some of the other coaches but he’s a rising star in the coaching ranks.

“And he’s a really good guy,” Raines said.

Raines called Monte Kiffin “the man” and said he’s so energetic that he gets all the defensive players hyped up. He said Kiffin actually does some of the drills with players during practice.

“He acts like he’s 30 or 40 years old,” Raines said of the 60-plus Kiffin. “And his scheme is all about getting to the quarterback, a big-time blitzer. He’s all about hitting that quarterback.”

Raines said he performed well in Saturday’s scrimmage. While “no balls were thrown his way,” he said he had no busted assignments.”

Kiffin said early on that players would have equal opportunities to compete for all positions in the spring and that’s what he;s doing. The coaches have yet to publish a depth chart, and won’t have one until spring practice concludes. That said, Raines has as good a chance as anyone else to earn playing time this season.

McClurg said he enjoyed meeting the Vols’ new coaching staff, headed by Lane Kiffin, and watching the early drills and then the scrimmage.

He met basketball coach Bruce Pearl and chatted with former Vol head coach Johnny Majors, who watched spring practice last week for the first time since his dismissal in 1992. Majors’ departure, and the ascension of his top assistant Phillip Fulmer to the head coaching position, was, to put it mildly, contentious and severely strained Majors’ relationship with the university.
 
#2
#2
This is certainly surprising to me. Not much word about this guy. I guess Morley hasn't been impressive. I have had a feeling Waggner would be a big time contributor, but not necessarily a starter this year
 
#3
#3
I wonder if he's just starting because of Morley being late to practice and being in the doghouse right now.


"He's spectacular," Garza said of Morley. "At free safety, golly, he can run. I watched him against Florida last year on film. He tracked down them jackrabbits that they have back there.

"(He's) got great football I.Q. He loves playing the game of football. He's got that nasty mentality which you want as a safety. And he's got the ability to play man."

Garza also likes Morley's ability to roam like a center fielder on one play and play like a linebacker the next.

Garza, however, probably wasn't too crazy about Morley showing up late for a meeting and subsequently being suspended from UT's first practice this month.

Morley's approach to football, class and life is a work in progress.

"It's improving," Garza said. "He's made progress but he's not where he needs to be in regards to those issues. He's got to constantly, everyday stay focused on the task at hand for that day."

This article says Morley is doing fine.


Garza inherits deep secondary : Football : GoVolsXtra.com
 
#4
#4
I wonder if he's just starting because of Morley being late to practice and being in the doghouse right now.


"He's spectacular," Garza said of Morley. "At free safety, golly, he can run. I watched him against Florida last year on film. He tracked down them jackrabbits that they have back there.

"(He's) got great football I.Q. He loves playing the game of football. He's got that nasty mentality which you want as a safety. And he's got the ability to play man."

Garza also likes Morley's ability to roam like a center fielder on one play and play like a linebacker the next.

Garza, however, probably wasn't too crazy about Morley showing up late for a meeting and subsequently being suspended from UT's first practice this month.

Morley's approach to football, class and life is a work in progress.

"It's improving," Garza said. "He's made progress but he's not where he needs to be in regards to those issues. He's got to constantly, everyday stay focused on the task at hand for that day."

This article says Morley is doing fine.


Garza inherits deep secondary : Football : GoVolsXtra.com

I believe Morley is hurt and may need surgery after a separated shoulder. I believe it was in this article...
 
#9
#9
huh that suprises me. Maybe our secondary is deeper then originally thought. :dunno:
 
#11
#11
I dont know if anyone posted this in this story or not but he was "only" a 2 star. But ran a 4.4. Anyway, I thought that was interesting. :)
 
#12
#12
"
He's spectacular," Garza said of Morley. "At free safety, golly, he can run. I watched him against Florida last year on film. He tracked down them jackrabbits that they
i thought the staff said they werent going to watch any game film of this team, and start from square 1. maybe i misinterpreted what i read.
 
#13
#13
I wonder if he's just starting because of Morley being late to practice and being in the doghouse right now.


"He's spectacular," Garza said of Morley. "At free safety, golly, he can run. I watched him against Florida last year on film. He tracked down them jackrabbits that they have back there.

"(He's) got great football I.Q. He loves playing the game of football. He's got that nasty mentality which you want as a safety. And he's got the ability to play man."

Garza also likes Morley's ability to roam like a center fielder on one play and play like a linebacker the next.

Garza, however, probably wasn't too crazy about Morley showing up late for a meeting and subsequently being suspended from UT's first practice this month.

Morley's approach to football, class and life is a work in progress.

"It's improving," Garza said. "He's made progress but he's not where he needs to be in regards to those issues. He's got to constantly, everyday stay focused on the task at hand for that day."

This article says Morley is doing fine.


Garza inherits deep secondary : Football : GoVolsXtra.com

I think you are spot on. If Morely is healthy and stays out of trouble this fall, I believe he will definitely be the starter. There will be other guys get playing time because our secondary is so deep, but I think Morely will definitely start.
 
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#14
#14
I think the interesting thing is this seems like the kind of guy who would've been pushed aside in the old regime, but with every position up for grabs he has the potential to be a big contributor for the team.
 
#15
#15
What I'm thinking will happen is that more of the young DBs including Janzen Jackson will make more plays on STs than our D. But it's just an opinion. I'm never right about anything.:dunno:
 
#18
#18
September 19th, 2009 - You better watch out Timmy!

Quote:
Raines called Monte Kiffin “the man” and said he’s so energetic that he gets all the defensive players hyped up. He said Kiffin actually does some of the drills with players during practice.

“He acts like he’s 30 or 40 years old,” Raines said of the 60-plus Kiffin. “And his scheme is all about getting to the quarterback, a big-time blitzer. He’s all about hitting that quarterback.”
 
#21
#21
I think it's fair to say that the no job is secure this spring...except Eric Berry's and Rod Wilks's of course.
 
#23
#23
I think it's fair to say that the no job is secure this spring...except Eric Berry's and Rod Wilks's of course.

You put Rod's name after Eric's?!!?? :crazy:

Are you nuts? Just pray that Rod doesn't find out
 

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