Sure do remember him. He supposedly had a major attitude problem. But I read somewhere he's tearing it up at JUCO.
Defensive back Tony Grimes was among the top players in Florida coming out of Hollywood Hills High School in the Class of 2010.
He started three years at Hollywood Hills, and was rated a four-star prospect and the 16th-best cornerback in the nation by ESPN.
The 5-foot-11, 180-pound prospect had offers from schools all over the country, and eventually chose Ole Miss over Michigan and Maryland. Grimes played in nine games as a true freshman and received a start against Kentucky.
However, he was suspended for a violation of team rules near the end of the 2010 season and was dismissed from the team after just one semester on campus.
"Some things happened, and they thought it was best for me to move on," Grimes said. "I went to Hutchinson [Kan.] junior college for a semester, but there wasn't a connection between me and the coaches there."
So Grimes left Kansas without a place to go. However, Arizona Western College (Yuma, Ariz.) inquired about him, and he soon accepted a scholarship to the school.
Now back on the field for the first time in a year, Grimes doesn't look like he has lost a step. Through three games with the top-five NJCAA program, Grimes has 15 tackles, three pass breakups and a sack.
"I love it out here on the West Coast," Grimes said. "It's nice out here, and I'm happy to be on the field again. I'm getting a second chance to prove myself to everyone and I'm going to make this count."
Grimes will graduate in May and have two years of eligibility remaining. He promises he'll be a different man when he gets back into major college football.
"It took me to lose everything to realize what I had, what I earned and what I have to offer," Grimes said. "Now starting from the bottom and trying to get back to the top, there's no turning around. I made a promise to myself to be a better player on the field and better man off the field."
Grimes is preparing for what is expected to be a heavy recruiting push for him. He didn't want to disclose which schools have inquired, but he expects to have several major offers in the near future.
"At this point, I am letting the process handle itself," Grimes said. "I'm going to see what happens but I'm going to be open to several opportunities.
"I think I will have some good offers, but it's going to depend on me."
On the field, Grimes says he's a much better player than he was at Ole Miss but credits his experience there with helping him better understand the game.
"I feel like I'm prepared for a lot that I'm doing this season, and that came from being in a strong program," Grimes said. "My confidence level is high, and I'm playing well. I know things are just going to get better."
http://espn.go.com/college-sports/recruiting/football/story/_/id/7036649/tony-grimes-former-ole-miss-defensive-back-starting-arizona-western