Yesterday I was sitting on my porch, just chilling, and got to thinking about the Goon Squad, our blind optimism this time last year, and what could-of-been. For those of you who don't know, the Goon Squad was the name Eric Berry and Demetrice Morley gave the VOLS secondary heading into the 2008 season. The name stuck with the fans, who were thinking the same thing, our secondary was going to be nasty and perhaps the best in the nation.
Demetrice Morley, who was a 5 star rated the #2 corner in the nation had worked his butt off at Pellissippi CC to get back in school after sitting out his sophomore year. The class below Morley's contained two 5 stars in Berry and Vinson in the secondary and Dennis Rogan who showed signs of becoming a great SEC corner his freshman year.
How was anybody going to throw against us?
Even when we lost pitifully in the opener against UCLA, the secondary gave us hope with their 4 first half interceptions.
Don't get me wrong, we all know that our entire defense was great last year. But collectively the Goon Squad wouldn't have been much without EB14. Morley and Vinson couldn't see consistent playing time for violating team rules, not to mention the injuries to Morley's hand and Vincent's shoulder.
For once, the fans' diappointment was not brought upon themselves for setting too high of expectations for 19 year old athletes. That's ironic too, considering the bar was set the highest that year for Eric Berry, who was given the "Best UT Safety EVER Award" after his freshman year.
This is where it get's hard to write, it becomes tragic. You had 3 guys with all the talent in the world, at the same place, at the same time, heading in the same direction.
Demetrice Morley was going to be the next Eric Berry before there was an Eric Berry. What Berry did from day one in 2007, Morley did the same in 2006. Started as a true freshman, made some huge plays, and made our secondary instantly better.
If you don't believe me, watch Morley ringing WR's heads going over the middle and returning interceptions for touchdowns in the 2006 LSU vs. UT game (video below). In my opinion, that game and the UF game the same year was the most effort I seen in a loss in a long time. Morley was fundamental in that effort, and what we know now will make you sick watching that video.
Then you got Vinson who was a basketball star in highschool and rated a five star athelte in football based purely on his speed and athleticism. Beside Berry he contributed significantly in 2007 and was a warrior battling a dislocated shoulder that popped out of place numerous times throughout the season. After having offseason surgery to repair the shoulder, we were finally going to get to see a 100% healthy Vinson. He was going to be the lockdown corner, so we thought.
A year later, Morley has been booted from the team after numerous academic and behavorial incidents and Vinson is on his way out the door after witnessing a Knoxville homicide last month.
And Eric Berry is still Eric Berry, oblivious to the expectations set for him but certainly capable of exceeding even higher ones. I see/hear Tebow, McCoy, and Bradford interviews all the time and commend them for what they do both on and off the field. Berry maintains a much lower profile and has only had permission to talk to the media for a year now. But like them, hard-hitting Berry could be very markable at the next level.
Regardless, EB14 has punched his ticket to greatness and deserves every bit of it for maintaining integrity and character along the way.
Indeed there was a fork in the road for these 3 potential superstars. One led to the heights of fame, the other one to pure shame. Maybe there is another fork for Vinson, however I unfortunatley doubt it. Does it ever seize to amaze you?
It's all good though, we got Berry for one more year and two headhunters named Janzen Jackson and Darren Myles coming in that could play immediately. It is my prediction that Janzen Jackson is the first 2009 committment to start for the VOLS, and it will be alongside Berry.
Might want to start thinking of a name.
