JerryBeeds
06-13-2005, 08:43 PM
Three hours on a sunday afternoon was all it took to make Jeff Rutledge a believer in Cade Thompson's chances at South Carolina.
"You can tell he's been well coached," Rutledge said following the first day of practice in the Neyland-Thompson Sports Center for this week's Tennessee-Kentucky All-star Football Classic. "He really seems to understand what we're talking about."
And Rutledge knows what he's talking about, too.
Now head coach at Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville, Rutledge led Alabama to 3 SEC titles and a national championship in 1978. He went on to play 13 years in the NFL and won Super Bowls with the Giants in 1986 and with the Redskins in 1991.
On sunday, Rutledge spent time working with the Tennessee team's teams two quarterbacks: South Carolina-bound Cade Thompson and Louisville signee Lee Sweeney.
Thompson could challenge for the starting job with the Gamecocks this fall.....
......."I think there's a chance (to start), but there's a chance I can get red-shirted", said Thompson, who threw for 2,475 yards and 33 touchdown's for Maryville High last season and compiled a 43-1 record as a starter with two state titles.
The 6-foot-3, 185 pound Thompson is busy working out 4 days a week to try and add a few more pounds before two-a-days in August. Assuming he's sucessful in bulking up, his playing time could be determined by how quickly he learns South Carolina's offense.
If that's the case, he could be in great shape.
"He's a quick learner and football smart", Rutledge said. "He's easy to coach".
So easy in fact, that the former Vanderbilt assistant coach would have liked Thompson's college choice to have been a little more difficult.
"Spurrier's going to have a great one to work with," Rutledge said. "If I was still at Vanderbilt I know I'd have recruited the heck out of him"......
Here's a link to the story but you have to register... :eek:
http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/prep_football/article/0,1406,KNS_2979_3850840,00.html
"You can tell he's been well coached," Rutledge said following the first day of practice in the Neyland-Thompson Sports Center for this week's Tennessee-Kentucky All-star Football Classic. "He really seems to understand what we're talking about."
And Rutledge knows what he's talking about, too.
Now head coach at Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville, Rutledge led Alabama to 3 SEC titles and a national championship in 1978. He went on to play 13 years in the NFL and won Super Bowls with the Giants in 1986 and with the Redskins in 1991.
On sunday, Rutledge spent time working with the Tennessee team's teams two quarterbacks: South Carolina-bound Cade Thompson and Louisville signee Lee Sweeney.
Thompson could challenge for the starting job with the Gamecocks this fall.....
......."I think there's a chance (to start), but there's a chance I can get red-shirted", said Thompson, who threw for 2,475 yards and 33 touchdown's for Maryville High last season and compiled a 43-1 record as a starter with two state titles.
The 6-foot-3, 185 pound Thompson is busy working out 4 days a week to try and add a few more pounds before two-a-days in August. Assuming he's sucessful in bulking up, his playing time could be determined by how quickly he learns South Carolina's offense.
If that's the case, he could be in great shape.
"He's a quick learner and football smart", Rutledge said. "He's easy to coach".
So easy in fact, that the former Vanderbilt assistant coach would have liked Thompson's college choice to have been a little more difficult.
"Spurrier's going to have a great one to work with," Rutledge said. "If I was still at Vanderbilt I know I'd have recruited the heck out of him"......
Here's a link to the story but you have to register... :eek:
http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/prep_football/article/0,1406,KNS_2979_3850840,00.html