If Tennessee lands Louisiana defensive tackle Lavar Edwards, credit UT receivers coach Trooper Taylor for maintaining long lasting relationships.
The Vols have a connection to Edwards thanks to Taylor’s coaching days at Tulane. While Taylor was coaching receivers for the Green Wave, a graduate assistant was impressed with the young, energetic coach.
That graduate assistant, Mickey Joseph, is now coaching at Desire Street Academy in Baton Rouge, La., where Edwards is a highly touted prospect.
“Troop’s a good coach,” Joseph said. “The type of athletes these days, he can reach them. He’s a guy they can trust. That’s what you need in college football.”
Joseph said that far too often in college football, many are consumed with the next step, whether that’s a coach’s next job or a player’s professional future.
“Trooper’s not like that,” Joseph said. “When he’s somewhere, he’s committed.”
The 6-foot-4, 300-pound Edwards took his official visit to Knoxville over the weekend and said he was impressed with the Vols.
“That was a good game,” Edwards said of UT’s overtime win over South Carolina, “one of the best games I’ve been to so far.”
That’s saying a lot, considering Edwards visited LSU during the Tigers' win over Florida. Edwards was also at the LSU – Virginia Tech game. He said he’s considering UT, LSU, Oklahoma, Alabama and Florida.
Edwards' athletic ability is plenty impressive. A four-star athlete, Edwards can dunk a basketball backwards, hits over .400 in baseball and placed second in the state in the shot put.
“He’s an explosive kid for that size,” Joseph said, adding that Edwards has also won 10 games as a pitcher for Desire Street.
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Comments » 14
BigManVolFan writes:
Keep on this kid Coach Taylor...You gotta land this kid...He could be an immediate impact on our d-line next year....What an athlete!!
vol4jesus writes:
smokey65 take your sour outlook on life to another blog please. Every player that comes doesn't reach their potential at other schools either. Granted I'm not satisfied if a player doesn't pan out , but I don't bleed negativity. I support my school like many others. I was standing and screaming with them last night at Neyland. Oh btw he saw and heard GOOD fan support that helped him enjoy his visit. I'm thankful he didn't meet you and your lack of school support. Don't misunderstand me, you are entitled to speak out negativetly/positively if you choose to. Just looks like you were chomping at the bit to chime in unhappily. One question I have is, who is the college football team you choose to support?
hglover40#234154 writes:
smokey65 - thanks for you recruiting efforts. FOR LSU!! How much is LSU paying you to pretend to be a TN fan. You don't even deserve to have smokey as part of your username.
If you care about the future of TN football quit making post that will hurt recruiting. If we don't get him it's more likely due to DA fans, not coaching.
DenmarkVol_aka_Mbumburu writes:
Great, hope we can land him -- and 7 or 8 more just like him, if he's that good.
We'll need all 7 or 8.
tnmantravel#531151 writes:
“The type of athletes these days, he can reach them." this quote bothers me..... i believe the university should be recruiting other young athletes that haven't been labeled as having to "have a brother relationship" to being able to communicate with them. you know kids with a passion for football...their is a fine line there ...
chrisw2967 writes:
kingsportvol.well said
I dont know who these people have been watching over the past 6 or 7 years but we get these 4 & 5 star recruits and its up to the coaching staff to make them better and there not no better when they leave than they are when they arrive. How many has Tn sent. to the NFL the last 6 or 7 years and how many of those were 1st and 2nd rounders ? we know the coach is suppose to bring out the best they can in these recruits when we land them and that doesnt happen here anymore.Trooper is the best coach/recruiter we have .
snafu14u#241639 writes:
We need this young man.He would be the disruptor we need. bonzaivol
jweaver3#395614 writes:
crisw2967 can you say John Henderson or Albert Haynesworth!!! They both seem to be doing very well in the NFL. Leonard Little, Darwin Walker and Shaun Ellis have had pretty could NFL careers also!!! The last time I checked UT was 3 or 4th in number of players on NFL rosters!!! I really wish you would think before you post but then again I guess we only do what we are capable of. Hope you don't have any children to continue your negative ways!!!
GO VOLS!!!
LET'S LOAD UP ON THE TALENT AND RETURN TO PROMINENCE!!!!
GREAT WORK TROOPER MR HIGH ENERGY
TXVOLSFAN
jlange#632002 writes:
yea chris, all those 1st and 2nd rounders were no better when they got drafted than when they showed up at UT. They all could have just as well gone straight to the NFL from high school.
asleep#212036 writes:
I don't necessarily think we are getting fewer 4 and 5 stars, I just think there are more of them out there and our competition in conference is getting more of the pie. Back in the glory days of the mid-90's (that's as far back as my glory can go) we and Florida had most of the talent in the SEC. Alabama was on the decline, LSU was in the Hallman/DiNardo years, Georgia was trying to figure out how to fire Dooley's son-in-law (Goff) and then living through the Donnan debacle, Auburn was on probation and Bowden was in the process of running that program into another probation, South Carolina, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt were basement dwellers, and all was good on Rocky Top. Lose to Florida and when the Gators won out, it was BCS time. Beat Florida, and it was NC time. No more. All those teams have either closed the gap or left us behind and I don't know that we ever saw it coming. We need this kid and others like him to re-establish ourselves as a national contender. I hope he comes. And smokey65, come'on - there really is a fine line between a concerned fan and where you are. Cheer up, it's never as bad or as hopeless as it seems. Go Vols!!!
GreerVol22 writes:
sjt, just to add to that..I saw Chavis up close during the VolWalk Saturday and don't look now...but there is a new "Great Pumpkin" in town!! I think he is actually eating the defense one player at a time.
asleep#212036 writes:
GreerVol22,
Not only did he look chunky, he also looked like he was headed in for a colonoscopy. I didn't like his posture, he just looked worried and defeated before the game started. Of course, if he reads these message boards, I can understand why. We've had shaky D before but never like this. I think he's worried about being a sacrificial lamb, although I don't know. Sanders needed to go and maybe he does too so if he were fired (or more likely resigned) I'm not sure the pity party would work for me. I mean, the D has reached historic lows. Go Vols!!!
gohawks1 writes:
He bats .400 in baseball! At 6'4" 300lbs, I imagine a few opposing pitchers soiled themselves when he stepped up to the plate. I'd love to see him wearing TN orange, man.
gohawks1 writes:
chrisw2967: "not no better"? Oh, man, did you redshirt 5th grade or what?
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