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http://www.clarionledger.com/news/0208/03/s01.html
Tigers' coach boasts of talent
By Rick Cleveland
Clarion-Ledger Staff Writer
JSU coach Robert Hughes says his Tigers, who are predicted to win the SWAC East this year, are more talented than ever.
BIRMINGHAM ? Jackson State's Robert Hughes didn't talk like a coach who plays seven of his first eight games on the road.
Hughes didn't talk like a coach who must replace nine starters. He didn't talk like a coach whose defense gave up 61 points in one game and 64 in another last season. He didn't talk like a guy who lost his three leading receivers.
Some coaches look at a glass of water as half filled. Some look at the same glass as half empty. Hughes looks at that same glass and sees it as overflowing. With liquid gold.
When Hughes was describing his Tigers to the assembled media here at the Southwestern Athletic Conference's Football Media Day on Friday, he might as well have been describing the Green Bay Packers.
Strangely enough, he began by listing his second-string offensive line, naming them by heights and weights. The tackles went 6-feet-6 and 360 pounds and 6-5 and 340. The center went 6-4 and 300. The guards went 6-5 and 355 and 6-3 and 285. (So, what happened to that last runt?)
Hughes turned to his fellow SWAC coaches and said, "You don't know those guys; they're all redshirt freshmen. We went after beef and we got it. Now, we're gonna turn 'em loose."
By the end of his presentation, Hughes had turned loose just about everybody who wears blue and white.
Running back Tarnaka Counselor, who rushed for 677 yards and eight touchdowns last year?
"I'm gonna turn him loose," Hughes promised.
Quarterback Robert Kent, who threw for 3,645 yards and 31 touchdowns last season?
"He's bigger, faster, stronger. He's going to come off the bus throwing. I'm gonna turn him loose," Hughes said.
Linebacker Elgin Andrews?
"Elgin made 112 tackles last year and y'all didn't vote him all-anything," Hughes said. "This year he's going to make 224 tackles. I'm gonna turn him loose."
Jackson State, as usual, is picked to win the SWAC's Eastern Division.
"You coaches picked us," Hughes said, "and now we're going to try our best to oblige you."
And what about that difficult non-conference schedule, beginning with that Aug. 31 game at Southern Miss.
"We're going to be in full-season form when we go to Hattiesburg," Hughes said.
JSU opens with three difficult non-conference road games following USM with North Carolina A&T, Tennessee State and Southern University. None of those games are in Jackson.
"We've been looking at that schedule," Hughes said. "We're going to approach it like lemons. We're going to cut them up and make lemonade."
By the time Hughes finished his talk, first-year Mississippi Valley State coach Willie Totten had taken out his white handkerchief and was waving it in mock surrender.
Said Prairie View coach Larry Dorsey, formerly of Ole Miss and Mississippi Valley State, "Man, Hughes was fired up. Listening to him ought to fire the rest of us up."
Later, when asked about his speech, Hughes said, "That's how I feel. Everything I said was based on what I saw on the field this spring. Now, we've got to go out there next week and rekindle that spark. The potential is there for us to have a great season."
Hughes' confidence was echoed by his two players who accompanied him here.
"Our coach has a lot of faith in us and we have a lot of faith in ourselves," said wide receiver Tim Manning.
"Our coach sounds confident and he is confident," Andrews said. "We have that confidence as players, too. Our offense is going to continue to put up lots of points and our defense has a new strategy and is going to be much, much better."
The defense had better be better. JSU scored 35 points a game last season, which is very, very good.
The Tigers gave up 31 points a game, which is atrocious. That's why Hughes brought in a new defensive coordinator in Greg Johnson, whose scheme emphasizes stunts, blitzes and an attacking style.
"I've coached against Johnson before," says Prairie View's Dorsey. "They move around so much it's hard to know who to block. They put a lot of pressure on you. He's a really good coach."
The new scheme isn't the only reason the Tigers look to this season with renewed enthusiasm. Facing such a difficult opening game might be a blessing. Andrews and Manning say the Tigers have worked harder than ever in the off-season with Aug. 31 in mind.
"I can't remember this kind of focus and dedication for a first game," says Andrews, a senior. "We're preparing hard. We've got to be ready."
Their head coach believes they will be.
"I mean it," Hughes said. "I'm gonna turn 'em loose."
Tigers' coach boasts of talent
By Rick Cleveland
Clarion-Ledger Staff Writer
JSU coach Robert Hughes says his Tigers, who are predicted to win the SWAC East this year, are more talented than ever.
BIRMINGHAM ? Jackson State's Robert Hughes didn't talk like a coach who plays seven of his first eight games on the road.
Hughes didn't talk like a coach who must replace nine starters. He didn't talk like a coach whose defense gave up 61 points in one game and 64 in another last season. He didn't talk like a guy who lost his three leading receivers.
Some coaches look at a glass of water as half filled. Some look at the same glass as half empty. Hughes looks at that same glass and sees it as overflowing. With liquid gold.
When Hughes was describing his Tigers to the assembled media here at the Southwestern Athletic Conference's Football Media Day on Friday, he might as well have been describing the Green Bay Packers.
Strangely enough, he began by listing his second-string offensive line, naming them by heights and weights. The tackles went 6-feet-6 and 360 pounds and 6-5 and 340. The center went 6-4 and 300. The guards went 6-5 and 355 and 6-3 and 285. (So, what happened to that last runt?)
Hughes turned to his fellow SWAC coaches and said, "You don't know those guys; they're all redshirt freshmen. We went after beef and we got it. Now, we're gonna turn 'em loose."
By the end of his presentation, Hughes had turned loose just about everybody who wears blue and white.
Running back Tarnaka Counselor, who rushed for 677 yards and eight touchdowns last year?
"I'm gonna turn him loose," Hughes promised.
Quarterback Robert Kent, who threw for 3,645 yards and 31 touchdowns last season?
"He's bigger, faster, stronger. He's going to come off the bus throwing. I'm gonna turn him loose," Hughes said.
Linebacker Elgin Andrews?
"Elgin made 112 tackles last year and y'all didn't vote him all-anything," Hughes said. "This year he's going to make 224 tackles. I'm gonna turn him loose."
Jackson State, as usual, is picked to win the SWAC's Eastern Division.
"You coaches picked us," Hughes said, "and now we're going to try our best to oblige you."
And what about that difficult non-conference schedule, beginning with that Aug. 31 game at Southern Miss.
"We're going to be in full-season form when we go to Hattiesburg," Hughes said.
JSU opens with three difficult non-conference road games following USM with North Carolina A&T, Tennessee State and Southern University. None of those games are in Jackson.
"We've been looking at that schedule," Hughes said. "We're going to approach it like lemons. We're going to cut them up and make lemonade."
By the time Hughes finished his talk, first-year Mississippi Valley State coach Willie Totten had taken out his white handkerchief and was waving it in mock surrender.
Said Prairie View coach Larry Dorsey, formerly of Ole Miss and Mississippi Valley State, "Man, Hughes was fired up. Listening to him ought to fire the rest of us up."
Later, when asked about his speech, Hughes said, "That's how I feel. Everything I said was based on what I saw on the field this spring. Now, we've got to go out there next week and rekindle that spark. The potential is there for us to have a great season."
Hughes' confidence was echoed by his two players who accompanied him here.
"Our coach has a lot of faith in us and we have a lot of faith in ourselves," said wide receiver Tim Manning.
"Our coach sounds confident and he is confident," Andrews said. "We have that confidence as players, too. Our offense is going to continue to put up lots of points and our defense has a new strategy and is going to be much, much better."
The defense had better be better. JSU scored 35 points a game last season, which is very, very good.
The Tigers gave up 31 points a game, which is atrocious. That's why Hughes brought in a new defensive coordinator in Greg Johnson, whose scheme emphasizes stunts, blitzes and an attacking style.
"I've coached against Johnson before," says Prairie View's Dorsey. "They move around so much it's hard to know who to block. They put a lot of pressure on you. He's a really good coach."
The new scheme isn't the only reason the Tigers look to this season with renewed enthusiasm. Facing such a difficult opening game might be a blessing. Andrews and Manning say the Tigers have worked harder than ever in the off-season with Aug. 31 in mind.
"I can't remember this kind of focus and dedication for a first game," says Andrews, a senior. "We're preparing hard. We've got to be ready."
Their head coach believes they will be.
"I mean it," Hughes said. "I'm gonna turn 'em loose."
