Links: Damien Harris presents his mother with a nice surprise
Links for Tuesday:
Damien Harris surprises mother with new car. The former Madison Southern and Alabama running back had a surprise for Mom, reports AL.com. “New England Patriots running back Damien Harris gave his mother a car for her birthday. After an emotional response to seeing the Jaguar F-Pace for the first time, Lynn Harris gave her son a long hug.”
Scott Satterfield thinks players might be safer playing. Rick Bozich of WDRB reports, “In an ideal world, the University of Louisville football team would assemble for its first practice for the 2020 season Aug. 4. The players would strap on pads and start hitting several days later. They would kickoff the season on the evening of Sept. 2 when North Carolina State visited Cardinal Stadium.”
Satterfield hopes to keep UK-U of L alive. Jerry Tipton of the Herald-Leader reports, “If the Atlantic Coast and/or Southeastern conferences limit the 2020 football season to only league games, that would mean no Kentucky-Louisville game for the first time since 1993.”
[Kentucky’s future football schedules]
No good option for SEC football in fall. Mark Story of the Herald-Leader writes, “In an appearance Monday morning on Dan Patrick’s nationally syndicated radio program, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey walked back his self-imposed deadline of the end of July for deciding whether or not the league will play college football in 2020. ‘I am not now of the opinion I have to make a decision (next week),’ Sankey said. ‘The whole thing is fluid.’”
CJ Conrad returning to UK. Derek Terry of the Cats Pause reports, “Former Kentucky tight end C.J. Conrad is back with the football program. According to a UK spokeswoman, Conrad will be an off-the-field graduate assistant during the 2020 season. He’ll be working on a master’s degree in sport leadership.”
Alabama recruiting its best OL class. Hank South of BamaOnLine reports, “Alabama is currently putting together the top-rated offensive class in the Nick Saban era by a solid margin. BamaOnLine looked back at each of the Crimson Tide offensive line signing classes since 2007 and averaged the numerical grades for each cycle with at least three offensive line signees. The Tide’s 2021 class that consists of five-star offensive tackles Tommy Brockermeyer and JC Latham, along with Top 50 guard Terrence Ferguson, and the nation’s No. 1 center in James Brockermeyer currently averages .9713 per prospect.”
SWAC postpones fall sports. Andre Toran of the Montgomery Advertiser reports, “In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Southwestern Athletic Conference announced Monday it was postponing all games scheduled for the fall as well as conference championships. Football, men’s and women’s cross country, women’s soccer and women’s volleyball will move to the spring.”
Auburn forced to look for new season opener. Jason Caldwell of Auburn Undercover reports, “With the second game of Auburn’s 2020 football season against North Carolina in question because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Tigers are now looking for an opponent to open the season with the announcement coming from the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) on Monday that the conference has postponed all fall contests and championships ‘due to continuing concerns related to the COVID-19 global pandemic.’”
Mike Leach believes there will be college football this year. Tyler Horka of the Clarion-Ledger reports, “David Sparks’ audio cut out and Mike Leach’s face popped up, front and center, during the end of the Rotary Club of Tupelo’s virtual meeting Monday afternoon. Sparks, the club’s president, was thanking Leach, Mississippi State’s football coach, for answering questions for an hour when he accidentally muted himself. Leach alerted Sparks that nobody could hear him.”
Testing delays could be a problem. Marc Weiszer of the Athens Banner Herald reports, “Test results for the site in Athens operated by the Northeast Health District or its mobile unit typically take seven to 10 business days, Clarke County Health Department clinic manager Sarah Peck said Thursday. Against that backdrop, the Georgia football team is preparing for a possible season where increased testing and timely results will be needed.”
Tennessee no longer requiring COVID-19 form. Blake Toppmeyer of Knoxville News Sentinel reports, “Tennessee is no longer requiring athletes to sign the COVID-19 risk acknowledgment form that its athletes were asked to sign when returning to campus last month.”
Missouri football will be a mix. Dave Matter of the St. Louis Post Dispatch reports, “If the Missouri football team indeed holds its first preseason practice on Aug. 7, a handful of players probably will be missing a number on their backs. Don’t blame team equipment director Mike Kurowski. He’s under orders.”
This story was originally published July 21, 2020 at 7:36 AM.
