New Things Are Happening At Ole Miss Rebels Fall Camp This Year
With the opening of fall camp on Sunday at 5:25 pm, Ole Miss Rebels heads off for another round of competition in the forthcoming 2010 football conference games. After practicing basic techniques for several days, the team will be in full gear on Thursday August 12. Apart from the usual activities there are many things new in camp.
First and foremost is the absence of their Offense Coordinator, Kent Austin who had earlier left for his job as head coach at Cornell University. Earlier this year, Coach Houston Nutt had signed in Dave Rader as the team’s co-offensive coordinator and quarterback’s coach.
The 52-year-old Rader was occupied as a businessman when Nutt approached him. He has accumulated 9 years in the position of assistant coach. He has also 12 years of experience as head coach. This year will be his fourth time in the Southeastern Conference. His last job in football was from 2003- 2006 as a member of coach Mike Shula’s staff who was them coaching Alabama. Rader is a mechanical engineering graduate of Tulsa U whom he played for as starting quarterback. He was made an inductee into the Independence Bowl Hall of Fame in 1999. Currently, Rader shares his position with fellow offensive coordinator Mike Markuson.
It came as a surprise to everyone when, just before fall camp opened, it was announced that “Tig” Barksdale, the 2007 Mr. Football, had been terminated from the team. Earlier, Barksdale had been arrested for DUI and driving without a license. Then, last spring he committed a “violation of team rules” and was suspended. This time around, no reason was given for his dismissal other than that he was pressed to see to some personal issues.
There were around 400 guests attending the opening and most of these had come purposely to get a glimpse at Jeremiah Masoli. He was a star player of the University of Oregon until 2009. He had had six football awards while with Oregon. Included are the 2008 Holiday Bowl Most Valuable Player, the College Football Performance Awards of 2009 for Elite Nation and QB Performer and the College Football Awards of 2009 for Midseason Favorite.
He received 5 of his trophies in 2009. However, in January of 2010 he got into a tangle with the law for second-degree burglary. Because of that the team suspended him for the entire year. In June of the same year he was again convicted of drug and traffic related misdemeanors. That was when he was dismissed.
Masoli was accepted by Coach Nutt under ‘zero tolerance’ status. This simply means that if he avoids trouble and makes a good showing with the team, his talent will very definitely be used by the team. As of now, Masoli has no definite position to fill and is battling it out with Nathan Stanley for the starting job.
The fact that coach Nutt accepted Masoli may mean that he intends his players to learn something from Masoli before the guy graduates. The guy’s days with the Rebels are numbered since he only has one more season of play left to him.
A number of junior players are currently being beefed up to occupy key positions in the team, namely; Damien Jackson, Wayne Dorsey and Randall Mackey.
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