Friday morning with Tommy Tuberville

By Collin Mickle

Published: July 25, 2008

That’s right...after two days of other schools, here’s what you all come here to read about: Auburn. And Tommy Tuberville didn’t disappoint, providing plenty of little nuggets of news for your viewing enjoyment.

It’s a strange feeling, honestly, to see real news at SEC Media Days.

And yet, lightning struck twice over the past two days. Thursday, Phillip Fulmer was served a subpoena just outside the Media Days hotel, then offered up the lamest excuse imaginable to explain his unconvincing denials.

Friday, it was Auburn’s turn to make news. Fortunately for Tuberville’s blood pressure, the news wasn’t nearly as embarrassing as Fulmer’s coverup ahem, I mean “mixup.”

Tuberville traditionally meets with Auburn beat writers shortly before he takes the stage with the rest of the media, and there are usually a few interesting nuggets. This year was no different:

* LB Bo Harris has left the team and will transfer. His destination is currently unknown, according to Tuberville. Harris’ departure has been rumored for a while, but it’s official now.

* DB Ryan Williams is working on his academics. Williams, who spent most of June back home in Mobile, will need a good academic performance in the about-to-end summer semester to get on the field in the fall.

* DE Andre Wadley is recovering from his mysterious illness, which sent him to the hospital for several days after he fell ill during a workout. The circumstances of Wadley’s illness are mysterious. “He’d had no problems (earlier),” Tuberville said. “They didn’t know whether he got the flu while he was working out, had a bug or a virus. They’ve done all kinds of tests on him. To this point, there’s been no answer to what happened.”

* And there’s everyone’s favorite topic, the quarterbacks. According to Tuberville, Kodi Burns would be the starting quarterback if the season started tomorrow. But in case you were wondering, it doesn’t. Tuberville said he “wouldn’t be surprised at all” if Chris Todd won the job in preseason practice. One thing is for sure: Both quarterbacks will play, but they won’t have co-starters. There’ll be a No. 1 and a No. 2, which I think is very important if you’re going to run a two-quarterback system.

* DT Tez Doolittle, an Opelika native, is coming on strong in his rehab from a ruptured Achilles’ tendon. Tez told Tuberville he’s 100 percent healthy; Tuberville says team doctors see him as about 95 percent. Both numbers seem wildly optimistic to me, but we’ll see.

* As you may have heard, Auburn was picked to win the Western Division by the assembled media. I would put this higher, but it doesn’t strike me as very newsy: Only 70 people voted in the poll—of almost 800 registered media attendees. Auburn was a landslide pick, though: 48 first-place votes, vs. 21 for LSU. Ole Miss (?!?!?) somehow got one first-place vote. Hopefully that person won’t be invited back for 2009 Media Days.

* I should also mention that Tuberville singled out freshman cornerbacks D’Antoine Hood and Harry Adams as the rookies who could make an impact right away. But don’t get too excited...A few years back, Tuberville’s Media Days take was that RB Jerold Watson would be the freshman star of 2004. How’d that work out? Besides, the two freshmen would have to find playing time behind Jerraud Powers, Aairon Savage and Walter McFadden, among others.

* By this point, I’m guessing Auburn fans are tired of reading the words “NCAA Clearinghouse,” but here it is again. Running back signee Reggie Hunt is the only remaining signee whose academic status is unknown. Hunt is waiting for a sign-off from the Clearinghouse before he can enroll at Auburn. If the Clearinghouse doesn’t approve Hunt’s transcripts, he’ll go to Copiah-Lincoln junior college in Mississippi. “As of this morning, I haven’t heard,” Tuberville said. “We’re all waiting.”

Much more to come from Media Days, including a story for tomorrow’s paper about the quarterback situation and a notebook that looks at Tuberville’s relationship with Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino, who also met the media today.

Read more from Collin Mickle on his “My Five Cents” blog.