Matador, the story is that during the off-season in 89, as Erickson took over, it was Russell Maryland that basically took him running and disciplined him. It was amazing that a quality guy like Jimmie Jones( who had a very nice NFL career) was supplanted as a senior.
I dont think this program has ever seen a guy make a last season jump the way Tez did from afterthought to the 3rd pick in the draft and an eventual NFL Hall of Famer
Yep. Actually, it started with Randy Shannon, who lived with Tez and when Randy left for the Cowboys, Russ Maryland took over and took Tez under his wings.
And you reminded me about Jimmie Jones! More than ever, he makes my point about Jimmy Johnson recruiting desperation reaches and longshots, not five star marquee names. Jimmie Jones was recruited by no one. He did not play football his senior year. He had to work during the summer and a new coach at Okeechobee would not let kids on the team who did not come out for football in the summer before school started. Jimmie had to wait until school started because he had to work so he didn't play football his senior year in HS. Jimmy Johnson found out about him and offered. He wouldn't have reached for this kid who had not even played as a senior had he been recruiting a bunch of blue-chippers. Yet all the know-it-alls on this board think that's all he was doing. Let me tell you, he was not.
Yes, Jimmie Jones was a **** of a find. When he left the Cowboys, I think, he signed the largest free-agency contract for a DT in the NFL up to that time. So, he was displaced by Tez. Means nothing. We had a rotation in '89, with future NFL studs like Jimmie Jones and Shane Curry in the rotation at DT and DE, respectively. That was some kind of defense, probably the best DL we ever had and one of the best in CFB history. How many were big name recruits? Kennedy? Nope. Maryland? uh-uh. Shane Curry? well, maybe. Recruited out of Cincinnati Princeton HS (?) as a LB and started his career at Georgia Tech. Willis Peguese? Well, no name until his senior year and turned up on national lists. Probably one of the top two recruits in the state along with Darius Frazier out of Hallandale. We got both of those guys, but lost so many other blue chippers the year we got those two. Darius Frazier didn't last. Got arrested for dealing. Don't know what happened to him. I heard a report though that when he was at UM he was throwing OLs around "like matchsticks." Then when he was forced out after his arrest, some told me he was just a placeholder until Tez came in. I doubt that. Darius Frazier was one of the truly serious top recruits we got during an otherwise dismal mediocre era in our recruiting. It's a tribute to hard work by kids and great coaching that we had such good teams during that era.
Here's a story outlining Tez' history. I actually knew his mom. Spoke to her for the longest time after that huge win over ND in '89. She called him Kurt. That was really his nickname growing up. I found Tez' bio at NW Mississipi.
Here's some stuff:
How Cortez Kennedy became the NFL's premiere DT (1992)
Cortez "Kurt" Kennedy
Official Site of the Northwest Mississippi Rangers - Cortez Kennedy - Class of 1988 - Hall of Fame - Northwest Mississippi Community College
Those are some amazing memories....I also had a brief talk with Russ Maryland whom I ran into in the lobby of the Holiday Inn across from campus. I was staying there and Tez' parents were on the same floor. I ended up talking for the longest time to his mom. I don't think she told me, but she pulled him off the football team in 10th grade since his grades were so bad. He didn't have a 2.0 his senior year so he got recruited by no one.
Really a shame to lose this guy at such a young age. You could see from all the articles, hypertension, diabetes, edema in the legs, and possible early heart failure, the danger of being overweight. I hate to say it, and it's none of my business, but I hope that Big Vince finds a way to keep his weight down. He is huge and both his parents died at relatively young ages from weight-related diseases, such as stroke and diabetes. I hope his wife really works on him.
I remember back in the '70's there was a strike, I think, by the NFL players. They had publicized a statistic showing that the average life expectancy for an NFL alum was about ten years lower than the average male American.
Gotten way off topic, but I think a young prospect like Jordan Miller, with his natural size and quickness can develop himself into an amazing football player. That will take a lot of hard work but he's in the right place to do it.