bigbluetiger
January 20th, 2006, 03:49 PM
Tigers want big things from Carolina connection
North, South Carolina players transfer to TSU
By MAURICE PATTON
Staff Writer
It took a little time, but Tennessee State football coach James Webster finally reached across the Smoky Mountains and grabbed a player from his alma mater.
Mike Mason, a speedy receiver dismissed last month from the University of North Carolina football team, has transferred to TSU for his final season of eligibility.
"I've been around Mike Mason for three or four years, and he's a good person," said Webster, who came to TSU after four seasons on the coaching staff at North Carolina. "He comes from a good family, and he's a good football player. I'm sure there are some things he'd look back on and might do differently, but nothing he's done has been detrimental to anyone else."
Mason was dismissed for an undisclosed violation of team rules. According to the Greensboro (N.C.) News-Record, though, he had a court date last month to face charges of driving with a revoked license, possession of an altered or fictitious license and driving without a seatbelt.
Mason was the third-leading receiver for the 5-6 Tar Heels last season, catching 22 passes for 372 yards with a touchdown.
He also holds the UNC record for 40-yard dash time for a receiver. The 6-foot, 190-pounder, who also returned kickoffs, was clocked at 4.24 seconds.
"I'm excited to have Mike here," Webster said. "I think he'll fit well into our program. He has goals — to get his degree and to go into the NFL. I think we can offer him the opportunity to do both."
Mason's arrival appears to dovetail nicely with that of former South Carolina (and Memphis Melrose) quarterback Antonio Heffner, giving the Tigers a ready-made pitch-and-catch combination, though Webster put the brakes on any assumptions.
"Nothing's going to be given to anybody," he said. "They're going to have to earn what they get. But I think the addition of these two guys gives us two impact players, two guys that can make plays.
"We felt we needed an experienced quarterback to boost our offense, and we needed some speed, somebody that can go deep. Heffner is from Tennessee, so our fans know his accomplishments. He brings some name recognition and some leadership qualities.
"Mason wants the ball, and he wants to score anytime he gets the ball. He's a guy that can put the ball in the end zone any time he touches it."
Both Mason and Heffner are enrolled in classes for the spring semester, as is former Hillsboro High lineman Zac Atkins, a 6-3, 295-pounder who played on the Burros' 2003 Class 4A state championship squad.
Atkins originally signed with Miami (Fla.) but did not qualify academically. He has not played since then due to a series of injuries. Hillsboro Coach Ron Aydelott called Atkins "probably the best pure offensive lineman we've had here."
A couple of 2005 signees have also arrived on campus — defensive back Anthony Levine and receiver Carlton Sanders, both of whom did not enroll in August for academic reasons.
TSU has also gotten a verbal commitment from Tyrone Cobb, a 6-foot, 230-pound linebacker/fullback from Knoxville Fulton. The younger brother of former University of Tennessee and NFL running back Reggie Cobb, Tyrone suffered through an injury-plagued senior year and posted 51 total tackles with three sacks, while also rushing for 368 yards.
"I heard from a bunch of (Division I-A schools) earlier in the year, before I got hurt," said Cobb, who sprained both his ankles in the first half of the season. "But Coach Webster and Coach (Darryl) Bullock, who recruits up here, made me feel like family. I like what I see of the program, and when I visited, I felt like I was home."
Cobb selected Tennessee State over several schools, to include TSU's Ohio Valley Conference rivals Tennessee Tech and Austin Peay. He becomes the third TSU verbal commitment for the upcoming recruiting class, joining Pearl-Cohn linemen Robert Nevels and Joe Winslow.
If he can bring this young man in, he should look at the young man from Memphis.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Maurice Patton can be reached at [email protected] or 615-259-8018.
North, South Carolina players transfer to TSU
By MAURICE PATTON
Staff Writer
It took a little time, but Tennessee State football coach James Webster finally reached across the Smoky Mountains and grabbed a player from his alma mater.
Mike Mason, a speedy receiver dismissed last month from the University of North Carolina football team, has transferred to TSU for his final season of eligibility.
"I've been around Mike Mason for three or four years, and he's a good person," said Webster, who came to TSU after four seasons on the coaching staff at North Carolina. "He comes from a good family, and he's a good football player. I'm sure there are some things he'd look back on and might do differently, but nothing he's done has been detrimental to anyone else."
Mason was dismissed for an undisclosed violation of team rules. According to the Greensboro (N.C.) News-Record, though, he had a court date last month to face charges of driving with a revoked license, possession of an altered or fictitious license and driving without a seatbelt.
Mason was the third-leading receiver for the 5-6 Tar Heels last season, catching 22 passes for 372 yards with a touchdown.
He also holds the UNC record for 40-yard dash time for a receiver. The 6-foot, 190-pounder, who also returned kickoffs, was clocked at 4.24 seconds.
"I'm excited to have Mike here," Webster said. "I think he'll fit well into our program. He has goals — to get his degree and to go into the NFL. I think we can offer him the opportunity to do both."
Mason's arrival appears to dovetail nicely with that of former South Carolina (and Memphis Melrose) quarterback Antonio Heffner, giving the Tigers a ready-made pitch-and-catch combination, though Webster put the brakes on any assumptions.
"Nothing's going to be given to anybody," he said. "They're going to have to earn what they get. But I think the addition of these two guys gives us two impact players, two guys that can make plays.
"We felt we needed an experienced quarterback to boost our offense, and we needed some speed, somebody that can go deep. Heffner is from Tennessee, so our fans know his accomplishments. He brings some name recognition and some leadership qualities.
"Mason wants the ball, and he wants to score anytime he gets the ball. He's a guy that can put the ball in the end zone any time he touches it."
Both Mason and Heffner are enrolled in classes for the spring semester, as is former Hillsboro High lineman Zac Atkins, a 6-3, 295-pounder who played on the Burros' 2003 Class 4A state championship squad.
Atkins originally signed with Miami (Fla.) but did not qualify academically. He has not played since then due to a series of injuries. Hillsboro Coach Ron Aydelott called Atkins "probably the best pure offensive lineman we've had here."
A couple of 2005 signees have also arrived on campus — defensive back Anthony Levine and receiver Carlton Sanders, both of whom did not enroll in August for academic reasons.
TSU has also gotten a verbal commitment from Tyrone Cobb, a 6-foot, 230-pound linebacker/fullback from Knoxville Fulton. The younger brother of former University of Tennessee and NFL running back Reggie Cobb, Tyrone suffered through an injury-plagued senior year and posted 51 total tackles with three sacks, while also rushing for 368 yards.
"I heard from a bunch of (Division I-A schools) earlier in the year, before I got hurt," said Cobb, who sprained both his ankles in the first half of the season. "But Coach Webster and Coach (Darryl) Bullock, who recruits up here, made me feel like family. I like what I see of the program, and when I visited, I felt like I was home."
Cobb selected Tennessee State over several schools, to include TSU's Ohio Valley Conference rivals Tennessee Tech and Austin Peay. He becomes the third TSU verbal commitment for the upcoming recruiting class, joining Pearl-Cohn linemen Robert Nevels and Joe Winslow.
If he can bring this young man in, he should look at the young man from Memphis.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Maurice Patton can be reached at [email protected] or 615-259-8018.