Tennessee Coach Butch Jones said former Beech running back Jalen Hurd is the best running back in the nation and could end up in the Heisman Trophy race.
Hurd for the Heisman.
It has a nice ring to it if you’re Butch Jones.
Jones, in Franklin this past week with the Big Orange Caravan, pumped up former Beech running back Jalen Hurd in what sounded a lot like the early stages of a Heisman Trophy campaign.
After calling Hurd the nation’s best running back, Jones was happy to elaborate about what he likes best about the rising junior, who led the Vols with 1,288 rushing yards on 277 carries and scored 12 touchdowns in 2015.
“Jalen Hurd is a three-down running back; he can get the tough yards, he can be elusive, he can pass protect, he can catch the football out of the backfield,” Jones said. “He’s a weapon. He’s very determined. And then you throw in his size (6-foot-4, 240 pounds).”
When asked whether he was prepared to tout Hurd for the Heisman, an award no Tennessee player ever has won, Jones said: “I know he’s very determined. He’s working very hard, and our players rally around him.”
Jones brought up the grueling two-a-day physical workouts Hurd is putting himself through in the off-season as another one of the qualities he admires.
Hurd recently posted a video of himself running almost 24 mph on the treadmill and another of him doing several different exercises on the pull-up bar.
23.1 Mph . Stumbled a lil, but recovered 👌🏽 https://t.co/MY8ffQZCyc
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Jalen Hurd (@MrHurd_1) May 10, 2016“I just got nervous when I saw him jump off the treadmill,” Jones said. “That was impressive in and of itself.”
Jones said Hurd’s greatest strengths also will make him a top pick in the NFL draft.
“You look at the first back (Ezekiel Elliott, Ohio State) chosen in the (2016) draft; he was chosen because NFL scouts thought he was a three-down running back,” Jones said. “He could play all three downs just like Jalen Hurd can do.”
Hurd is the only player in UT history to rush for 100 yards in two bowls games (122 in the TaxSlayer, 130 in the Outback).
He is the second-leading returning rusher in the SEC behind LSU’s Leonard Fournette (1,953 yards).
Hurd talked recently with ESPN.com about his chances for winning the Heisman, saying he would have to start promoting himself more in order to have a real shot.
“The media’s the one that really talks about the Heisman,” Hurd said. “I’m not a huge media guy, don’t talk to the media that much. I’m not saying I should be in the talk, but a lot of it has to do with talking to the media. Also, I need to put up better numbers. The guys who are in the Heisman talk, their numbers are ridiculous.”
JPII’s Tate to be featured on ‘Game Changers’
Golden Tate
Former Pope John Paul II star Golden Tate, now a wide receiver for the Detroit Lions, will be featured on “Game Changers with Kevin Frazier” on WTVF-5 at 11:30 a.m. May 21 because of his commitment to improving the lives of military families.
In November, Tate partnered with Military Families United and sponsored the Golden Tate “Shop with a Jock Holiday Event” where 45 families with children who have lost a parent in war or have a parent serving overseas were allowed to pick out $100 worth of gifts at Walmart.
Tate also created a non-profit organization that makes the homes of military families with soldiers wounded in war ADA accessible and provides service dogs for soldiers with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.
Belmont’s Thompson to intern with Nike
Lauren Thompson, a starting forward on the Belmont women’s basketball team and the daughter of former Vanderbilt player and current radio analyst Tim Thompson, has an internship lined up this summer with Nike.
She will work at the company’s headquarters in Beaverton, Ore.
Tim Thompson is a Nike college sports marketing field director. He signed Belmont athletics to a multi-year agreement with Nike in 2013.
Centennial Sportsplex gets grant for upgrades
Centennial Sportsplex Tennis Center received a $10,000 grant from the U.S. Tennis Association.
The money will be used to resurface and line eight existing courts.
FRA student manager earns national award
Robert Lewis
Remember Franklin Road Academy’s Robert Lewis, the student manager with Down syndrome who not only suited up for Senior Night this past season but also made a 3-point shot with five seconds left in the game?
Earlier this past week, Lewis earned Varsity Brands’ 2016 School Spirit Award.
Part of the award included a $1,000 grant from Varsity.
Longtime Tennessee Tech athletics official to retire
Longtime Tennessee Tech athletics department employee Rob Schabert will retire on May 31.
Schabert, who is currently an assistant athletics director, has been at Tech for nearly 34 years.
The St. Paul, Minn. native has worked primarily in the sports information department while also serving as emcee for Tech’s annual Sports Hall of Fame Dinner and handling the on-court promotions for the Golden Eagles basketball games.
Schabert also produced dozens of award-winning media guides.
Also at Tech, new women’s basketball coach Kim Rosamond added former WNBA player Crystal Kelly to her staff Friday. After becoming Western Kentucky’s all-time leading scorer (2,803 points), Kelly was drafted by the Houston Comets and played three seasons in the WNBA.
Rosamond already had hired former Alabama and MTSU assistant Melanie Walls and retained Allison Clark from the previous staff.
TSU’s Phillips recovering after knee surgery
Teresa Phillips
Tennessee State athletics director Teresa Phillips is back at work after having double knee replacement surgery.
Phillips still faces several months of rehabilitation.
She said the surgery was necessary because of the many years she spent playing basketball in high school and at Vanderbilt and then after serving as the women’s coach at Fisk and TSU.
“I am paying for playing and then all that jumping up and down and stomping on the floor I did as a coach,” Phillips said.
Former Vandy, MTSU running back burned out
Brian Kimbrow , who recently left the Middle Tennessee State football team after transferring from Vanderbilt, said his playing career is over.
The running back from Memphis East, who went through spring drills with the Blue Raiders, told Rivals.com, “I just didn’t love football like I used to and wanted to focus on school and my forensics career. Just burned out for real.”
He plans to finish his degree at MTSU.
Kimbrow was suspended at Vanderbilt early in the 2014 season. In three seasons there, he rushed for 748 yards and six touchdowns.
Longtime basketball official Wright dies
Former TSSAA Supervisor for Middle Tennessee Basketball Officials Jim Wright died May 7. He was 80 and living in Franklin.
Wright, who graduated from Peabody College and earned his master’s degree at MTSU, served as a referee from 1956-2016.
He was inducted into the TSSAA Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Metro Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in April.
Wright was known for adopting a computer program to assist officials in assigning games and also helped create the first system allowing coaches to rate officials for more balanced assigning.
Former Franklin star leads BYU in home runs
Libby Sugg
Former Franklin slugger Libby Sugg, now a freshman at BYU, got her first home run off Tennessee in a game on Feb. 11.
Since then she has added 16 more homers to lead the Cougars with 17 after Saturday’s game against San Diego.
The 5-foot-7 catcher has hit more home runs than any freshman in the nation. She also has a .993 fielding percentage.
TSU running back lands at Florida A&M
Former TSU running back Tevin Spells has transferred to Florida A&M.
Spells, who is from Delray Beach, Fla., said he wanted to play closer to home. He started one game as a sophomore at TSU in 2014, played in 10 and rushed for 199 yards on 49 carries.
Since he sat out last season, Spells is eligible to play this season and is expected to compete for a starting assignment.
Schooldays Golf Tournament filling up
Registration for The Tennessean/Metro Parks Schooldays Golf Tournament opened Monday, and the field is nearly full.
A total of 199 male and female golfers ages 12-17 from the primary Tennessean coverage area have registered for the June 7-9 free tournament at McCabe Golf Course, which has 220 spots. Sign up at schooldays2016.tennessean.com.
Breen, Gilbert tie in Senior State Open
Bill Breen
Harpeth Valley Golf Center pro and instructor Bill Breen and former PGA Tour player Gibby Gilbert tied in the 2016 Tennessee Senior State Open this past week at Stonehenge Golf Course in Crossville.
Breen made an eagle from 95 yards on No. 16 to tie Gilbert, and the two parred their last two holes.
Both parred the 18th hole in a sudden death playoff and with darkness setting in agreed to share the championship.
Amateur Stephen Kehrer from Crossville won the Super Senior Division.
If you have an item for Midstate Chatter, contact Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 and on Twitter @MikeOrganWriter.
SPORTS ON NASHVILLE TV
The top five local ratings for sporting events on television for May 2-8.
1. Horse racing: Kentucky Derby, 10.4 rating
2. NBA playoffs: Warriors-Blazers (Game 3), 4.0 rating
3. NHL playoffs: Predators-Sharks (Game 4), 3.8 rating
4. (tie) NHL playoffs: Predators-Sharks (Game 5), 3.7 rating
4. (tie) NBA playoffs: Cavaliers-Hawks (Game 4), 3.7 rating
Each rating point is equal to 9,902 Nashville homes. SEC Network ratings not available.
Source: Mark Binda, WTVF-5 programming & research director