Etheridge speaks
Hey everyone. Zaccheus Etheridge, whom you may know better as Zac, was gracious enough to call me a few minutes ago. Here's what he had to say.
- On the general situation: ``I'm very excited. I couldn't be more happy than I am right now."
- On if he had a sense about the doctor's opinion prior to the tests: ``I kind of had an idea, yeah. I didn't go in with a negative thought. Not one negative thought. I went in there feeling positive about it. I knew I had been feeling great."
- He was given an MRI scan, a series of tests to assess the strength of his neck muscles and an x-ray.
- He has been meeting with his Birmingham-based neurosurgeon, Dr. Swaid N. Swaid, once a month since the initial injury.
- On when he began to feel good about his chances to play again: ``Once I got out of the brace, it was all uphill. When the doctor told me that I didn't need surgery, that my body fixed itself, I knew I was in good shape."
- On if he would have considered hanging it up even if the doctor provided clearance: ``No. I never considered not playing. I've been telling everyone that I was going to play again regardless. I can't stop now."
- On the psychological toll the injury will take during two-a-days: ``I'll be dealing with that for a little while. It's that way with anyone coming back from an injury. Once I put my hat on somebody and get that first good hit, I know I'll feel good about it. I know there's going to be some tough days when I first get out there. I'll get through it."
- On if he's currently ready for the rigors of camp: ``I've been working out, running, lifting weights. I'm in good shape. There's always a little time in there beginning when you get used to the helmet and the weight of the pads. It'll be just like any other season, getting ready for the season."
Photo credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn University
Questions? Comments? Post directly to the blog below or email me at jgtate@gannett.com.
posted by Jay G. Tate at
4:10 PM
122 Comments:
First!
That's more like it API.
Congrats go out to Zac! And the the AU defense since they are getting a great leader & inspiration back on the field.
Fantastic substance, JGT!
I'd be interested to know if he's talked to Rodney Scott lately?
Inspiring substance
API - Unsubstantiated report that he provided bail money.
I luv my HABOTN iPod app. Just saying.
Just heard on ESPN that Mike Garrett is out at USCw and Pat Hayden is the new AD. Funny timing but stuff happens.
The pre-season athlete picks are based on what is anticipated to happen. Hightower got injured early last season, so he wouldn't have many stats. He is projected to do so well because of his size, speed and who he plays for.
Remember last season when the big hoo-haa was that Spurrier didn't vote Tebow as the preseason SEC MVP? I'm with THT ..these polls are worthless.
I guess the SEC will skip its pre season media credentialing scandel this year.
today is my "let's stay at work through Puppet Hour" day, and there's no trace of the creators of said hour. I'm getting pretty darn peeved.
Mindbomb just reported that $aban has confirmed that the NCAA is interviewing Marcell Darius regarding the agent's trip to South Beach that is affecting UNC and USCe.
SEC media days will now have a theme. I would imagine erry coach will get asked about the agent's interference.
Too slow around here for a SUBSTANCE DAY.
Thanks for the mucho grande substance, Jay. I am definitely an Etheridge fan.
I have read a little about Fulmer possibly becoming the next Vandy coach. Anyone got an idea if that is a remote possibility? I assume Johnny Majors won't be willing to join his staff.
He's a tough hombre.
I can't imagine Fulmer succeeding at Vandy. Wrong man for the culture.
Hello, HABOTN.
I'm home, and glad to be so.
Zaccheus was a wee little man, and a wee little man was he.
He climbed into a sycamore tree to see what he could see...
Vandy-where coaching dreams go to die
It really depends upon how you define success at Vandy. If Vandy has a winning overall record, they are doing great.
PROGRAMMING NOTE
We will be BLAWGGIN non-stop throughout Media Days. Please visit frequently.
I luv me some blawggin.
Scottie, you mean Safari?
I'll have my fingers crossed Thursday when I'm in the federal pen in hopes that blogger.com hasn't been blocked again. I'll catch as much of the blawggin as I can on the other days.
Anyone have info on Dareus from turd town? Info I have gathered is that Austin from UNC was basically a runner for these agents by inviting players to south beach and paying for their plane tickets. Also other bammer players could be involved.
Wipeout is in.
Been a busy day and didn't get to join in on the fun today.
Great news about Etheridge. I hope he has a great year not only for Auburn but for himself.
G, I respectfully disagree that Julio should be on the 1st team ahead of Adams. Adams' numbers speak for themselves last year.
I don't know much about the breaking news on the walmartians. At some point the NCAA will put an end to the endless violations at UAT. I think it is difficult to watch players and the outside world constantly and that schools shouldn't always get in trouble. If this involves multiple players over a period of time then "lack of institutional control" has to be applied.
Is Bammer off probation and were they on probation when this stuff happened? Yea, I know some of you want to see the Crimson Slide go down in flames, but I don't want to see them get the death penalty. Football season wouldn't be football season without an Iron Bowl.
Yes Nova I like my personalized Safari app! It rules.
Ch=b agree with you Julio=all hype Darvin is a much better reciever.
Hearing there could be several other SEC schools having players at this party that this agent had. Could be some bad news for other teams in the near future.
I don't think Julio is all hype but I think he gets way to much attention. Now he does have all of the physical tools to be a success. I don't like his attitude much either. I think he could become T.O.
Lets just hold our breath and hope we didn't have a player attend that party. It's all going to come down to when the school knew there was an issue with said player.
$aban made a good point about this whole deal. The NFL needs to step up and partner with the NCAA to help stop this. They should suspend the license of any agent found guilty of improper contact with an agent. This can happen to any school at any time, it just happens that UAT has been on probation for the past 47.7 years and this doesn't look good. You never want the NCAA investigating anything at your university. They could always uncover more.
I don't consider Julio all hype either, but you should get judged by what you did, not what people think you would have did if you hadn't been injured.
And the other thing is that Adams has some of the most amazing games I can remember from an Auburn receiver. He looked even better than Courtney Taylor. There were games were Todd was basically always throwing to the same receiver and the guy just kept getting open and coming through time after time. Adams was shockingly good in my opinion. I never saw it coming.
The agents should be held accountable, but this stuff should be a no brainer for the athletes and the coach.
Players should talk to the compliance office any time anyone gives them anything and get an okay. That should be the policy.
That makes it easy on the coach. If they player talked to compliance, he is fine. If he didn't, he is off the team whether an actual violation occurred or not.
My noggin' needs some bloggin'
Good points SFC.
I just want to let you all know that I think FOS is a bammer. If I'm wrong then I'm sorry, but I think he is a friend of mine.
Wagner was throwing high test stuff tonight.
No bammer here. Do I know you CH=B?
I'm not for sure FOS, I may be mistaking you for someone else. If so then sorry and forget the bammer comment. That was kind of harsh if I am wrong.
You are the same age, same birth month and Flock of Seagulls was an inside joke back in the day. Could all just be a coincidence.
Braves win. Nice outing by Jurrjens
Ch=b(thinks way too hard) no ill feelings on the whole bammer thing. I will let the first one slide. Just don't let it happen again I'm new here and I'm being insulted.
You're cool Flock. Don't sweat it.
Plus the bullpen is solid as a rock!
Not insulted just wrongly accused.
Alls good.
I'm going to be in Auburn on Thursday (which is good) but that means I will not have computer access and thus no blogging during that media day (which is bad).
Someone tell Mr. Cincy I need a mac laptop :)
I enjoy the Iron Bowl, however I would have no problem if Bama got the death penalty.
I posted yesterday that I felt this agent situation was unfair to the universities. Those feelings even extend to Bama in this situation.
Word is Rainey, Black, and Pouncey twins from UF and Peterson from LSU are involved in this whole party from southbeach.
Yea, CH, don't be so harsh next time. Be gentler and just call someone a scumbag or a redneck first. Don't jump all the way to Bammer right off the bat.
As for the pros, they should step in here and deal with these agents. In essence, colleges are the training facility for the NFL. Colleges develop the athletes that make the NFL thrive. These agents are damaging that process.
As for athletes, my advice is to not go by what you think is okay. Make sure. If the compliance department tells you something is okay and it turns out not to be, I am sure the NCAA would look a lot more favorable on you for making the effort. This includes stuff like getting jobs. Go to the compliance office and find out if there are any possibilities of a conflict.
Blawggin!!! Sounds like we're getting ready for the season.
I too would not be sad for Bama....no reason to be.
We can play the Iron bowl without them. :) And we would also not have to hear from the mullet nation anymore.
Now I hope our players were smarter or I will be sad.
Very happy for Zac.....God has good things in store for that young man.
I agree to some degree, Hoopie. It is hard for universities to cover everything. They can protect themselves to some degree by having regular interviews with the athletes and going through a checklist. Get the athletes to sign off saying none of such and such has occurred. If it turns out to be a lie, then the NCAA can certainly direct most of the punishment toward the individual.
I guess what I am saying is that the NCAA should do a better job of punishing the guilty, rather than punishing everyone that happens to be around after the fact.
Also, I do believe colleges should provide some kind of insurance on athletes where if they get permanent injuries that affect the rest of their lives, they are compensated. If you break your neck playing college football and are paralyzed, you should be guaranteed income the rest of your life.
Steve, all schools do extensive education with the athletes. It certainly seems that these agents preyed on some of the top athletes. Maybe those top athletes have egos, feel bullet proof and therefore are more easily persuaded to do the wrong thing.
This should, at least for a while, have a negative impact on agent's abilities to influence athletes. Maybe some legal maneuvers like I mentioned yesterday could be put into place in the interim.
I like finding/creating a precedent for the universities to sue agents for interference with the school-student athletes amateur contract. That could be millions of $$$ and stop it quickly.
If I read correctly, there may be a case in the state of Florida against these agents for acting as an agent without having an agency agreement. That would be a criminal act in Florida.
UA-T won't ever get the death penalty, but hypothetically speaking, if they did, I'd be in favor of one of those big ol' N'awlins jazz funerals.
Amen!
I will be out of town until Sunday. I was told the place I am goin has no wifi. I have the Droid, so i will lurk and post if I can.
I will say that nothing will probably happen to Dareus. Yes he could be ruled ineligible this season, but unless more comes out, like he accepted money, he will probably just have to repay the airfare to the party.
This seems to be a habit at UAt.
Fishing trips
Laptops
Maybe their coach needs to spend more time with his curernt players and making sure they know the rules.
great hearing the zac attack is back!
i'm not sure if ch=b was around when HABOTN had 10 mins of al.com sessions kicking. they seem to have been revived briefly today.
is julio going to become the next mike williams? he is well on his way and probably being paid better at this point in his career. maybe the lions will draft him an complete the circle.
the death penalty is too good for the cousin humpers. if it is ever handed down, they should also be made to raze their 100K+ seating turd bowl to the ground and make it a landfill. all statues of mnc coaches will be melted down and made into a giant horse's rear end and placed at the gates of said landfill. is that enough hate for ya?
the ncaa loves having the same issues come up year after year at the same schools that are already on probation with some of the same players involved. secmd is about to become a "no comment" festival. chiz may be the most intriguing speaker after all because no AU players were invited to the partay.
we need to come up with a single question for our fearless blogger to ask $aban that will draw the most ire of any he receives at media days. the minimum qualifications are the question must: dis little debbie oatmeal pies, insult his height, reference his failure in miami, insult his acting in the blind side, reference bammer's loss to ulamo, his plans to grow a mullet and insinuate he is overpaid and his players underpaid. anything else gets bonus points.
Good Morning, Hotties!
T-minus 45 days til kickoff
GO TIGERS!!!
WARRRRR EAGLE!!!!
Good morning, Hotties! It's a beautiful day for boot camp!!! But, I get to go to Auburn tomorrow, so all is good.
One day closer to football. How many days, THT?
SEC MEDIA DAYS!! THREE MORE DAYS TILL THE BEACH!!
FYI, SEC Media Days will be broadcast on ESPNU.
Chip, I must not have been around for the al.com reference you made. I would never want to bring that garbage over here.
Also your proposed question to $aban would be funny, but G might not make it out alive. Take one for the team!
vacationing somewhere without wifi? wtc, what's wrong with you ? ;-)
is UA-t up first today? Or are they afternoon? I want to know when not to watch.
So, when is JayG heading to Bammerham?
mornin'. if this was mentioned yesterday i missed it.
Auburn announced Tuesday that outfielder Justin Fradejas, reliever Bradley Hendrix and designated hitter Kevin Patterson will return for their senior season.
The three players were all selected during last month's Major League Baseball amateur draft.
Suggested question:
Coach Saban, I'd like to get your reaction to the National Institutes of Health report to Alabama being the most obese in the nation, given your addiction to Little Debbie and that a vast majority of the lard@$$e$ are Cousin Humpers with mullets, which we've heard you've desired to grow, and do you believe it's ironic that one of your star players is being investigated for going to Miami, where you accomplished nothing, in your "short" -- get it "short!" -- tenure there, and why do you feel it necessary to take a side job as an actor in which your performance was Lame-O, which is not to be confused with La-Mo, when you are the highest paid public employee in the state, according to the top 10 list published by the State Comptroller, although it is remarking that four of your players also showed up on the list, and it begs the question, have you broken any NCAA rules lately and can we get a copy of your depth chart?
Jet - you must have received great grades in English. That is a nicely worded, interwoven, and complete theme paper.
Football Season has arrived!
Speaking of returning players, Clemson's QB, Parker, is returning. Most thought he was gone.
Morning, Hotties.
Jet, you outdid yourself with that one.
listening to 'Rage Against the Machine' & thinking of Little Nicky at SEC Media Days today = a scottie that nobody wants to mess with at work today.
ggrrr.....
Wow, Mike Bianchi is taking his shots at bama and I'm loving it....Bama...most Consistent Cheater and this follows the on the heels of his LA Times Piece...Put a NCAA Branch Office in Turd Town. I can only imagine the love he is feeling today at SEC Media days.
I meant to refer that it was the same piece, but in different places under different titles. Still, enjoyed it very much.
Eddie, you can post as many bama-cheating links you want brother.
Seems there is a lot of cheating going on.
Mark schlabaugh said on local ATL radio he expects little to come of the whole Dareus episode. He said he's been told that Dareus realized what kind of party this was shortly after arriving and he left the party quickly. Whatever the case, he didn't sound like he expected much to come from this at all.
So Darius wasn't doing lines of coke off of a strippers back all paid for by an agent?
I just heard that Darius was doing lines of coke off a strippers back, and it was paid for by an agent.
Wanna know what else I heard?
I heard...
BEASLEY!!!
Morning Hotties
Jet - very nice question suggestion.
API - Jet and I had some fine English teachers in high school. He did alright there, I have no idea how he made it out of college.
Keep Hate Alive.
I'm convinced if the NCAA ever opened a branch in West Vance, within a week, the Agent in Charge would have:
-- A home and membership at NorthRiver
-- A account with a "special overdraft protection plan" from Bryant Bank
-- A suite at the stadium.
Nothin' to see, move on.
Jet,
You forgot "disappear under suspicious circumstances" in your options.
POOF!
GONE!
So I should become an NCAA agent in Turd Town? Life would be good either way....right?
You'd be stuck in the den of hell.
yeah, living in or near tuscaloosa....doesn't sound like a good time to me.
how did bammers get a monopoly on all the jobs at the alltel/verizon and att wireless stores?
I hate ua-T!!! Loathe and despise also come to mind.
Chip --that was some serious Bama Hate with those 2 nice posts around midnight.
Jet ...that "perfect" question was as thorough as the "Greatest Country Song Ever Written", penned by Steve Goodman and performed by David Alan Coe.
You don't have to call me Darlin' ...Darlin'
Eddie ...Living in Turdtown in order to be a NCAA investigator definitely falls under the "Take one for the team" catagory.
Hoopie - DAC also wrote a number of songs which cannot be referenced here. I've been to a few of his concerts and it's quite an experience. I've never seen a more diverse crowd than crowds at a DAC show. It's quite a scene.
Yes, there are some pretty bad DAC songs out there.
I saw DAC in Austin,Tx. He was so comfortable in his surroundings, he might as well been getting wasted and singing around the campfire. As the party..err concert progressed, the more distorted the music became and the more wasted the fans became.
A good time was had by all.
Tony Barnhart warns those agents that they better quit messing with southern football.
Don't mess with our football
looks like i may owe jet a hamburger king visit. fries included.
Chip - no fries, chips only. They cook only burgers. Mighty fine burgers.
they've been closed the couple of times i've tried to visit.
my job was eliminated again 6/29 so i have no reason to visit montgomery again any time soon. i'll blow through on the way to the asu game. get ready for a brief rant about this in my next post.
do they have gift certificates? (i.e. an iou 1 hamburger written on a napkin)
not yet. negative first post.
Chip, I used to have a tab until some questionables starting running up burgers on it -- J-Z and Carmela.
2nd question for Saban ...
Have you violated any NCAA rules lately?
This comment has been removed by the author.
Nice to see that the NCAA has thrown some spice in media days. There is nothing like a little NCAA probe to get things heated up.
Speaking of Media Days, when does the non-stop BLAWGGIN begin?
3rd question:
hold up this picture. (see avatar pic)
ask $aban what the gist of this conversation was and how it feels to be associated with known cheaters.
i’m betting there was “plausible deniability” and “exit strategy” substance.
also ask $aban if he has a fetish for sticking his hands into is armpits and then smelling them.
his fanbase is starting to rub off on him. look out cousin $aban.
WTC's mom sent me a batch of cookies (the ungrateful son left her at the home while he went to the beach). Inside the box was a note.
"Don't be surprised if Hoolio's name doesn't come up in this South Beach business. Love, Mom."
So I should be surprised if his name comes up?
For you soccer fans, Hoover was granted the rights to host the NCAA Men's College Cup (Final Four) in December 2011.
Kinda cool, if you ask me.
I was just quoting the note, THT.
I think she was saying Julio is about to get some more preseason attention.
If he goes on any more trips, he'll have to get his own show on the Travel Channel called "Offseason with Julio."
SC, I believe things kick off at 1:00 AUST.
Jet, thanks for the soccer info. I didn't know that. I guess I've been skipping too many Hoover Chamber meetings.
Thanks, SFC. Perhaps I'll go cruise by the Wynfrey and flatten some Bammers' tires.
By the way, I was in a Publix near my office around 2:30 yesterday and saw that the ATL Falcons caravan was going to be there at 5:00. I was thinking I might stop back by, then noticed the unusual (even for B'ham) concentration of Bammers hanging around the store. Turns out that Sarah Jessica Parker Wilson was also going to be making an appearance. I quickly decided that I would not be returning later.
FWIW ...Ochocinco tweeted in March that he saw Julio in Miami. The timing might not be right because the agent's party was supposedly this summer.
Whooolio gets around
I hope Dooley's predecessor doesn't feel slighted by Slive avoiding using his name.
Kudos to Darlin Nicki for bashing the sports agents.
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