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Gilmore's friendship with Hefney helps Vols
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Jonathan Hefney’s impact on Tennessee’s secondary may last well into the next decade.
Stephon Gilmore, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound defensive back from South Pointe High School, is close friends with Hefney, another Rock Hill, S.C., product. Hefney started 50 games for UT before concluding his career last season.
“I think about it all the time,” Gilmore said of Hefney’s collegiate success. “It will be a factor.”
That’s good for the Vols. Gilmore is widely considered one of the top defensive back prospects in the Southeast. He already has 14 scholarship offers. Some schools are even promising him a chance to play quarterback.
Bobby Carroll of South Pointe has coached five players that later played in the NFL. Four played in the secondary.
“He ranks right up there with them,” Carroll said. “He’s an incredible athlete.”
Hefney wasn’t as ballyhooed coming out of high school. Academics were a concern and he had to attend Hargrave Military Academy to make himself eligible.
“He just tells me to pick a school that I feel comfortable with,” Gilmore said. “He said Tennessee has good coaches, good fans and they’ll support you … He said it takes hard work. He said work hard in the classroom too.”
Gilmore has already visited UT three times: twice for football games last fall and once for UT’s junior camp on March 1.
“I liked it. I had a chance to talk to (assistant) coach (Larry) Slade when I was up there,” Gilmore said, referring to UT’s defensive backs coach. “We clicked well. I talked to all the other coaches and they seemed cool.”
Gilmore said he’s also visited Florida State, South Carolina and Clemson. The Gamecocks and Tigers figure to be the greatest competition for UT. Both have proximity in their favor. Clemson has shown particularly strong interest.
Gilmore, however, doesn’t seem worried about how nearby fans might react if he picks UT.
“There ain’t no pressure,” he said. “I know there are two in-state schools but I want to pick a school I feel comfortable with.”
Gilmore first made a name for himself when he took his first ever high school carry 65 yards for a touchdown. The play also happened to be the first in newly founded South Pointe’s brief history.
“We said right there, ‘This kid’s going to be special,’ ” Carroll recalled.
Carroll said Gilmore has run a the 40-yard dash in 4.43 seconds and posted a vertical jump of 35 inches. Last season, Gilmore rushed for more than 2,800 yards and threw for 1,500 more.
“He’s a great kid, too,” Carroll said. “You don’t have to worry about him getting in trouble. He’s tee-totally committed to academics.
“He’s not a selfish kid whatsoever. When he scores touchdowns, he hands the ball to the official. He’s as good a kid as I’ve ever been around.”
Carroll, who is in his 25th year coaching high school football, said he expects Gilmore will eventually decide to play defensive back in college because of the increased opportunity to play there in the NFL, as opposed to quarterback.
Gilmore said he plans to announce his decision sometime during the fall.
© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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Posted by pdhuff on March 7, 2008 at 7:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)
C'mon. Wear the orange. Intercept passes and drill out-stretched WRs.
Posted by BigOrangeJeff on March 7, 2008 at 7:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Yeah, don't pick the Construction Cone Orange they wear down in Clemson. Wear the BIG Orange!!!
Posted by BigVolinCarolina on March 7, 2008 at 7:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Can he tackle? Or will he just try to use his arms to get someone down? Or will he over-pursue and whiff?
We NEED players who know how to wrap-up, dern it!
Posted by burntorangeVOLffle on March 7, 2008 at 7:58 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I think we are going to have a very strong class next year. I'm talking Top 3 strong. This year was a fluke.
Posted by IPOrange on March 7, 2008 at 8:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)
He sounds like the kind of kid that the Vols need.
Come run through the T and defend the orange and white checkerboards, Stephon. How many other places can you play in front of 105,000+ orange clad fans?
Posted by yemmusdarb on March 7, 2008 at 8:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)
His stats are nasty.
Posted by chrisw2967 on March 7, 2008 at 11:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)
maybe he can end up being the one that runs Clawsons off.
Posted by waterskier3 on March 8, 2008 at 8:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)
next year class will depend on how they perform on the field... if they perform on the field we'll get the recruits but if we have an average season they will not come... they know fulmer will be gone.......soon..
go vols and have a great season... we deserve it after the last eight years of being average
Posted by objk1 on March 8, 2008 at 10:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)
chrisw2967- What does that mean?
Posted by General_Watermelon on March 8, 2008 at 1:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
We are about to sign Happy Gilmore? Great, he's got a wicked temper.
Posted by chrisw2967 on March 8, 2008 at 2:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)
objk1: he also played QB , didnt you read the article ? he rushed for more than 2800 yds and passed for 1500 yds.
Posted by TommyJack on March 8, 2008 at 4:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It seems to me that many of The Faithful that slammed the naysayers posts as "anti-recruiting" are the same peeps that constantly busted Hefney's chops. Hmmm? Hope this guy doesn't read this board. How bout it Faithful? Can't have it both ways...
Posted by utmdm on March 8, 2008 at 6:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It's all good guys. Great shot at a good prospect. Stay away from Bummer young man.....
A lady in Tuscaloosa calls 911. Hysterically, she says, "Someone's
just broken into my house, and I think he's going to rob me!"
The police officer says, "We're really busy at the moment. Just get the guy's jersey number and we'll get back to you."
Posted by pdhuff on March 9, 2008 at 7:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Good one - utmdm -Really miss ol' TDTN's in-depth analysis of an article like this. Maybe he'll come back after graduation from seminary.
TJ 4:04 - Au contraire - They do prefer it both ways if it suits them. Maybe its a MWF or TTS thing. LOL
They called the wind myriah.
Posted by hglover40 on March 9, 2008 at 2:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
chrisw2967 - I think objk1 thought you meant "run Clawsons off." As in make him leave. I had to read it twice to see you meant "run his offense"
Posted by thesavageorange on March 11, 2008 at 4:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Don't know if anyone else has caught this floating around ,but TT has evidentally made a rebuttal following the "pluto" article to a friend of his in a phone call.
Taylor said the thought of him being critical of UT’s program is ``totally unfounded. I apologize to anyone who might be offended. My family still lives there. The best place I’ve ever worked was at Tennessee.
``It’s ludicrous for anyone to think I was talking bad about Tennessee or Coach Fulmer.
``If anyone thinks I’d want to disrespect Tennessee, they’re wrong. Tennessee gave me an opportunity to better my career and the players are like family to me. That’s crazy,.
``When I retire, you can bet I’ll be near Knoxville. Knoxville will always be like home to us. I loved it. My wife loved it. My kids loved it.
``Tell all the faithful it was not a negative comment being made.’’
Often times, I’ve scoffed at coaches who said their comments were taken out of context, that they were misquoted.
In this case, I believe Taylor. I’ve known him for four years. I think he’s honorable and sincere man.
Maybe he did say things that appeared to be taking a shot at UT. Maybe the words simply didn’t come out the way he meant them. Or maybe he was misquoted.
Whatever the case, I don’t think Taylor intentionally took a shot at Tennessee or Fulmer just because he wasn’t promoted to offensive coordinator.
What purpose would it serve?
``I’m smart enough not to burn any bridges,’’ Taylor said.
Indeed. Firing back at a coach won’t help Taylor achieve his ultimate goal ? to be a head coach.
After our initial conversation, Taylor called me back.
``I’m angry and upset that people would think I’d say something negative about Tennessee,’’ Taylor said. ``They’re wrong. They’re really wrong.’’
Taylor said he has talked to the newest members of UT’s offensive staff and told them inside information about the offensive personnel and also about things UT did in special teams ? all in an effort to assist UT’s assistants.
``I doubt I’d be doing that if I was being negative about Tennessee,’’ Taylor said.
If this is true I hope he makes it public.Sorry I saw this on several vol sites and thought some might want to read it.
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