SEC Welcomes Another QB Named Manning

Aug. 2, 2001

By JOHN ZENOR
The Associated Press

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Vanderbilt linebacker Matt Stewart said it best.

"There's another Manning in this league. If he's anything like his brother, we're all in trouble," he said, when asked who is the league's best quarterback Wednesday at the Southeastern Conference Media Days.

Mississippi coach David Cutcliffe is in a unique position to compare Eli Manning with his older brother, Peyton. Cutcliffe was Peyton's offensive coordinator at Tennessee, and he knows their circumstances are different even if their styles and looks are similar.

Peyton was thrust into the starting role in his freshman year, while Eli has backed up Romaro Miller the past two years. Peyton was surrounded by talent, Eli is asked to lead a young team that lost star tailback Deuce McAllister.

"Comparing Peyton and Eli is sometimes difficult," Cutcliffe said. "Eli's been around the program two years now. He's a very prepared football player but he hasn't done it in games yet. Experience is a tough teacher. He's going to have some things he's going to need to experience as a player.

"I think the biggest deal about the whole thing is Eli loves his teammates," Cutcliffe said. "He enjoys being part of the Ole Miss football team. If he maintains that attitude, and he will, that won't be an issue with his team."

Senior offensive lineman Terrence Metcalf agrees.

"Eli is an intense competitor and an all-in-all good guy," Metcalf saidl. "We have a lot of confidence in him because he knows the calls and completely understands the plays. He is not your typical young quarterback."

------

VANDERBILT

Woody Widenhofer predicted big things out of Vanderbilt last season, and the Commodores won three games. It hasn't dampened his enthusiasm.

"I'm more optimistic now than ever before," Widenhofer said. "I'm real excited about our new Chancellor, Gordon Gee. "I think he wants to win. I think he's going to raise the bar. There's higher expectations in Nashville than ever before."

One big reason for that is senior quarterback Greg Zolman, whose 5,469 passing yards ranks second on the school's career list.

"We have all our skill guys back," Widenhofer said. "I'm looking forward to Greg growing with this talent and throwing the football better like we did a year ago."

Zolman is looking forward to it, too.

"For the first time, we have experience at wide receiver as well as offensive line and running back," Zolman said. "Experience team-wide is going to help us."

Widenhofer, who helped coach the Pittsburgh Steelers' famed Steel Curtain defenses, has changed his role on the team. He will be more involved coaching linebackers and the secondary.

"I think it's a great thing, because he's coached the best," linebacker Matt Stewart said. "The experience he has is phenomenal and for him to want to pass that on to us is a great thing."

------

FLORIDA

At first Zac Zedalis figured it would take two weeks to recover from the knee injury, then he'd be back on Florida's offensive line.

That wait stretched into two agonizing years.

"It was probably one of the worst experiences I've ever had to go through," said Zedalis, who hasn't played since suffering the mysterious knee sprain in the 1999 season opener.

The NCAA granted him a sixth year of eligibility last Dec. 23. Now, Zedalis is listed as Florida's No. 1 center. He's just happy to be playing again.

"I'm so glad and so appreciative that I got an extra year (of eligibility). I'm going to try to soak up everything I can in my final year," said Zedalis, who is the only remaining player from the Gators' 1996 national championship team.

He used bee sting therapy to help heal his knee on the advice of a former Florida player who said it worked for him.

"It sounds crazy, but I'm telling you it works," said Zedalis, who still uses bee stings for various nicks and bruises.

------

AUBURN

James Callier wants to get one thing straight: He's a Gerbers man, not a Gerbers baby.

"Some guys like to beat their head on a locker. I'm a calm, collected guy that likes to eat cherry Gerbers," the 6-foot 246-pound defensive end said. "That's just my thing. I'm still a man. I can still stick my chest out."

Callier said he wolfs down at least two cases -- six jars apiece -- of baby food each week. He used to satisfy his habit while road roommate Tavarreus Pounds slept.

But, he reiterates, "Just because I eat Gerber doesn't mean I'm less of a man."

Or less of a football player. Callier has made the move from linebacker and says he's completely over reconstructive knee surgery that hindered his play the past two years after an impressive freshman season.

"It was probably 90 percent mental," he said.

Moving to end will be an adjustment.

"I'll continue to get better and see if I can make some plays," Callier said.

QUOTABLE

"We tried it at Vanderbilt, and it hasn't worked yet. In this league in particular you've got to score points. There's too much talent and too much speed. The coaches are too sharp."

Vandy coach Woody Widenhofer, on the theory that defense wins championships.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

Related News

Related Videos