Green Grabs Felix McKnight Trophy

At 5-9 and 170 pounds, Marshay Green is, well, small in football terms. That didn't stop him from playing big and earning the Felix McKnight Trophy as the game's Most Outstanding Player on Defense at the 73rd AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic.

Green had motivation to play well along with the experience to know that he may have to be patient and consistent through the entire game.

Before 2008, Green's primary role was as a return specialist. He saw action as a receiver, and was moved to cornerback this year, starting ten games. He tied for the team lead in passes defended during the season, and had one interception. Early in the season, though, he had to face the challenges of a difficult position change.

"I struggled early in the year," Green said about his transition to the corner, "but I never lost my confidence."

On this sun-splashed day on the floor of Cotton Bowl Stadium, Green's education and confidence came to the forefront in a sort of microcosm of his 2008 season.

Green's number was first called for something the Rebels would rather forget. He slipped on the lush Cotton Bowl turf and surrendered a touchdown to the Red Raiders' record-setting passer Graham Harrell and receiver Edward Britton. Just like that, 7-0 Tech.

Things would get better.

The Rebels held a precarious 24-21 lead early in the third quarter when Green brought the Ole Miss faithful of the Cotton Bowl-record 88,175 in attendance to their feet. He stepped in front of a Tech pass bound for Michael Crabtree and outraced the Red Raiders to the end zone for a touchdown.

Green's touchdown seemed to change the Tech outlook on the game. From that point, their increased sense of urgency caused what Red Raiders coach Mike Leach called "a series of over-corrections."

Small guys have a habit of making their presence felt on special teams, and Green put his specialty to work a few plays later. The Bastrop (La.) High product took a punt 63 yards to the end zone on the next series. Replay called Green out of bounds at the Tech nine, but the damage was done. Tech saw the handwriting on the wall in small print. And the Rebels had another critical boost of confidence to urge them forward.

"They say I stepped out," Green deadpanned. "It was fun."

So how does an 8-4 Ole Miss team get ready to play the powerful once-beaten, No. 8 ranked Red Raiders? Motivation, as it turned out, was not an issue. The word filtering into the Rebels camp was that Tech would have an easy time this day. And the word was deafening. Green and his team were being dogged. They couldn't escape it.

"Ninety-one percent of the nation (a reference to the ESPN fan pool) didn't even give us a chance. Texas Tech this and Texas Tech that. But we believed in each other and we came out ready. I didn't need any more motivation."

While Houston Nutt is tickled about his team's reaction of the talk, Tech's Leach acknowledged hearing the same thing, didn't want to believe that the Red Raiders were affected. "If I had a nickel every time somebody told me how easy it was going to be to beat Mississippi...I never bought into that and I really don't think our players did."

Green's assignment was fairly simple to understand, but much more difficult to perform. "Coach told us coming in that we were going to basically play man. It was simple. Don't let the man in front of you beat you. Simple."

Simple? Hmm. He spent the day across the line from perhaps the best receiver in the college game, Michael Crabtree. For the record, Crabtree's suffered a "Green-out". Four catches for 30 yards, long of 11 yards and a score, hardly a decent half-quarter for the Heisman Trophy candidate this year.

Maybe the move to corner in his junior season, as Green sees it, was some sort of divine plan. He gives credit for the move to Houston Nutt and his staff, but feels they may have had an assist from somewhere higher because "I felt the reason I was moved to corner was to make big plays in a big-time game like this."

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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