Vandy players starting to buy Widenhofer's pitch
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ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Most coaches recruit players once.
At Vanderbilt, Woody Widenhofer has had to sell them twice -- the first time to sign them and then again four years later to convince seniors to return for their fifth year.
Part of the reason Vanderbilt has been stuck near the bottom of the SEC since the beginning of time is that potential seniors often have chosen to skip that final season, leaving the Commodores perpetually inexperienced.
This year Widenhofer caught a break. Six of the team's 13 seniors are in their fifth season, which is a luxury at Vanderbilt.
"Over the years, not having success on the field and battling those 1,400 and 1,500 SAT scores in the classroom five days a week and having a chance to graduate -- they get out of there," Widenhofer said. "They want to go out and make money. But things are changing.
"These fifth-year guys we've got right now are guys that are having fun playing football. They see that we have a chance to win. Some have a chance to possibly go to the next level [the NFL] by doing well their fifth year. And they want to leave on a winning note."
Most years, it would be easy to dismiss Widenhofer's optimism as well-meaning but overblown. But Vanderbilt is coming off a 5-6 season in which it dropped close games to Georgia (27-17), Florida (13-6) and Kentucky (19-17). Sixteen starters return and the coaching staff has stayed intact for two years, giving the program the most stability it's seen in years.
"You look back and say, 'Same old Vanderbilt,' " Widenhofer said of the 1999 team. "But it's not. That football team was a young team that gained an awful lot of confidence in themselves and learned to believe that they can win."
Comeback victories over Northern Illinois and Ole Miss gave the Commodores reason to think they could contend with heavyweights like Florida and Georgia. Now they need to learn how to win against those teams.
"Vanderbilt should have beat us last year," Florida Coach Steve Spurrier said. "We were very lucky to beat them. [Georgia's] Jim Donnan said, 'They should have beat us too, Coach.'"
To take the program to a winning record, the Commodores will have to score more in big games and reduce turnovers.
Defense has not been a problem. Vanderbilt has been among the SEC's defensive leaders since Widenhofer was hired as coordinator in 1995 and then promoted to head coach in 1997.
Defense should be strong again led by All-SEC linebacker Jamie Winborn, a junior. He has led the league in tackles the last two seasons.
On offense, more consistency is needed from the quarterback position where incumbent Greg Zolman threw more interceptions (16) than touchdowns (10) last season. Zolman could lose his job to Florida transfer Tim Olmstead or redshirt freshman Benji Walker.
Olmstead, who has two years of eligibility, has the quickest release and strongest arm of the three quarterbacks.
Their primary targets could be true freshman Chris Young and tight end Elliott Carson.
Young, who's from Batesville, Miss., passed on scholarship offers from Ole Miss and Alabama to sign with Vandy. Widenhofer has said he will use Young like the Tide uses All-SEC player Freddie Milons as a receiver, kick returner and, perhaps, an option quarterback.
Carson is a preseason All-SEC pick who's caught 50 passes over the last two seasons. He's also one of the fifth-year seniors.
"We're honored to be asked back," Carson said. "We feel like we need to step up and lead this team. As fun as college football is, I wouldn't pass up the opportunity to play another year."
Carson can remember not too long ago when Vanderbilt players, weary from losing, skipped their senior year.
Jermaine Johnson, Vanderbilt's last 1,000-yard rusher, most likely would have set the school's career rushing record if he had returned for his senior season in 1996. Instead, Johnson stepped into the working world.
Johnson's case wasn't unusual. Vandy lost a couple dozen or more fifth-year seniors in similar fashion in recent years.
This year, six players decided not to return but they were mostly career scout-team guys. The seven who did come back figure prominently into what Widenhofer hopes will be a breakthrough season.
"That's how you end up winning," Widenhofer said. "That's the only way we're going to be able to get it done at Vanderbilt."
This article was published on Tuesday, August 1, 2000
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