By Drew Champlin
Defensive back Caleb Massey was one of the more sought-after high school recruits by this staff. He played quarterback and defensive back in high school at Sulligent and carried his team to the state championship game and nearly won it. Massey (photo credit al.com) was recruited by defensive ends coach Randy Butler to Troy and is already in school for the summer session.
DREW’S THOUGHTS: Massey already has the size to contribute at this level, but probably not as a full-time starter this year. However, how quickly he picks up the schemes will determine how much he plays this year. In person, he seems like a smart, level-headed kid and I won’t be surprised if he turns into a three-year starter at safety after Chris Bowens and Courtland Fuller leave. 
I don’t know if he’ll redshirt or not because they’ll have plenty of safeties, but most of them are newcomers and the No. 2 spots on the depth chart at free and strong safeties are wide open. There’s a brief mention of quarterback further down this Q and A, but don’t look for that to happen at Troy. He’ll be a safety.
Height and weight right now: 6’1, 195
Where would you like to be weight-wise?
I’d like to be 210, but I don’t know (if I’ll be there) August.
Safety or corner?
They recruited me as a safety, so that’s probably where I’ll be playing.
What number will you be or what number do you want to be?
Whatever number they give me, I’ll wear. I was No. 1 in high school.
Major?
I want to major in business administration. It just sounds interesting to me.
Summer classes?
Geology and history
Difference between Sulligent and Troy?
The difference is the size. Sulligent’s a small town with about a thousand people. Everything’s faster at Troy. You’re on your own, basically.
You were a big-time two-way player in high school. Might you take some snaps at quarterback here?
I don’t know. Coach (Blakeney and Butler) is talking to me about it, but I’ll probably just be on defense.
If football wasn’t in the picture, what would you be doing?
Basketball. I was being recruited by UAB in basketball until I got injured. I got to play at the end of the (high school) season.
Going to try to play basketall here at Troy?
Nah.
Best part about football?
The adrenaline. You get to take out all your anger on the field.
Had Troy not been in the picture, where would you have gone?
I probably would have walked on at Alabama. That’s what they wanted me to do, but I had a full scholarship here.
How do you describe yourself on the field?
I’m pretty laid back but I’m always waiting for something to happen where I can make plays.
Hobbies?
I love to eat. I like to hang out, talk on the phone, go to movies, bowl.
When did you know Troy was right for you?
When I came down on my official visit.
Favorite players/team growing up?
I loved watching some of Walter Payton’s highlights and Ronnie Lott with the 49ers. My favorite college team was Alabama and my favorite pro team was the Dallas Cowboys.
What’s something a lot of people don’t know about you?
I like to draw. I’m not very good, but it’s something that takes my mind off of things.
Posted by Drew Champlin on 05/31 at 04:08 PM
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By Drew Champlin
Both Middle Tennessee and Kentucky lost to host teams yesterday, with MTSU taking a tougher fall. The Blue Raiders lost late to host Louisville and Ole Miss jumped out to a big lead over WKU and held on.
Both teams have to win twice today, then win once tomorrow to move to the Super Regionals. That’s a tough thing to do when you figure how pitching depth wears thin. I remember in 2006 when Troy won its regional opener vs. Southern Miss, then lost a heartbreaker to Alabama. The Trojans rebounded for an early Sunday win over USM, but by the nightcap, was out of pitching.
Check back later today for an interview with one of Troy’s four newcomers on campus - either Caleb Massey, Willard Ross, Antonio Harper or Cody Jenkins.
Posted by Drew Champlin on 05/31 at 12:04 PM
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By Drew Champlin
The Sun Belt had a great day in the first day of NCAA Regional play, as Middle Tennessee got a grand slam from Stuart Meinhart early and beat Vanderbilt (which would be like Troy beating Auburn or Alabama in round 1) and Western Kentucky rolled Missouri in a game where Mizzou tried to save their ace for Saturday. Didn’t work.
Middle Tennessee plays Louisville and Western Kentucky plays Ole Miss later today.
Posted by Drew Champlin on 05/30 at 12:24 PM
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By Drew Champlin
So I visited Troy earlier this week and spoke with head coach Larry Blakeney about some stuff. As you know, he’s getting inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame Saturday.
HERE is the story, which has some Qs and As at the end. Of note, he says Troy needs to go 11-1 this year to get BCS bowl consideration. I think they probably have to go 12-0 coming from the Sun Belt, but if all the pieces of the puzzle fit, this is a team that can go 10-2 or maybe 11-1. Just clarifying that.
So, in the print edition I left some stuff out. Most notably was how he recovered from the Eric Ramsey scandal that plagued him and Auburn University in the early 90s. It was 1991 when the information became public and he was already here at Troy.
Here’s some more from the interview Wednesday….
This came out in 1991, right?
“Right before the Samford game which we lost on a bad call. We lost the game on a real bad call. It was obvious to the folks in the stands that it was a bad call.“
What’s going through your mind at the time?
“A lot of things go through your mind. Dr. Jack Hawkins, Dr. Doug Hawkins and later Ken Blankenship all stood tall for me and believed in me and believed that I had made a mistake but it wasn’t one that was worth getting fired over. They went with me to Indianapolis, all three of them. We were penalized, I was penalized, Auburn was penalized…
“My salary was froze. I couldn’t speak to alumni for a year or two or whatever. I went back to the NCAA without representation and talked to them about my situation a year or two later. They totally rescinded and ended all sanctions after I talked to them. But the stigma sticks with you and you’ve got to deal with it and be tough enough to handle it. It’s probably made me better…
“I don’t have any pent-up get-even revenge. I’m not looking for revenge…
“You rebound from it with family support. My family was hurt more than me. My daughters were young but they were probably sheltered a little bit from it. Janice, my wife, was the one that dealt with it and still deals with it not every well…
“It doesn’t bother me. I feel sorry for Eric Ramsey because he was a pawn in the whole deal. He had no creativity in that deal. He was being led by a not-so-classy lady and a crooked lawyer trying to get after big Auburn University and they did…
“I’ve got a lot of paperwork in the file. I’m trying to forget it, not remember it. It’s a shame that that has to be a part of everything but that’s part of my history so I deal with it. I deal with it readily.“
Does it feel like you’ve had three jobs since you’ve been at Troy and you guys were Division II, Division I-AA and now at the current level?
“Exactly. We talked about that a little bit. About the time you think you’ve got it figured out, you move divisions. We knew we were moving on to I-AA, but the change on moving to I-A was the toughest. When you go back to figure out the years we’ve made postseason to the years of eligibility, we’ve been high percentage.
I don’t count the years we weren’t eligible for anybody’s playoffs…
“I don’t count us being eligible for the postseason until we got into the Sun Belt. We had a say in the postseason in 2001 when we played North Texas and sent them to the bowl with the losing record.“
Are you more of a CEO during practice?
“I don’t really like that term but I still coach them. I coach the coaches and know the players. I don’t necessarily coach them in their scheme.“
But you let your coaches have free reign to coach their position players, right?
“I don’t believe in doing it any other way. I hope we can win because I’m not going to change. I’ve never met a coach I didn’t like. Growing up, little league. My high school coach, the guy that coached me for four years (Tommy White), he was the reason I was drawn to being a coach.“
Posted by Drew Champlin on 05/29 at 01:41 AM
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By Drew Champlin
Troy senior center Danny Franks is on the 2009 preseason Rimington Trophy watch list.
The award is given to the top center in the country. Franks was also on the watch list last year before the year started. He had foot surgery and missed all of spring, but is expected to be ready to go by fall camp.
HERE is the complete list of players, 44 in all.
Posted by Drew Champlin on 05/29 at 01:31 AM
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