1999 Tulane Football Outlook
Jul 29, 1999 | Football
NEW ORLEANS - First-year Tulane head coach Chris Scelfo faces a situation not shared by many of his predecessors. When his Green Wave takes the field this fall, last year?s 12-0 record ensures that Tulane won?t be overlooked by anyone on its schedule.
Now comes the good news/bad news scenario for Scelfo and his Green Wave. The good news: Tulane returns eight starters from an offense that finished second nationally in 1998 by averaging 45.4 points a game. The bad news: Scelfo must find a replacements for two-time Conference USA-Offensive Player of the Year Shaun King, who passed for 36 touchdowns while allowing just six interceptions last year, and eight defensive starters.
Scelfo hasn?t flinched while assessing these facts, but simply prepares to play the hand before him.
?One thing our players have to realize is that most of the players that won that bowl game aren?t here anymore,? says Scelfo. ?For example, we?ve got to have somebody step up and replace the two kickers we lost. One out of every six plays is a kick of some sort, so that?s a very important part of the game.
?We?re not 12-0 anymore. Somebody has got to take the leadership role to continue what we?ve started here and create an atmosphere where every time we take the field we?re going to win the football game.?
OFFENSE
?We?re going to be wide-open on offense, incorporate movement into our offensive system with the same tempo we?ve had here in the past. We feel good that our personnel fits what we want to do on offense.?
QUARTERBACKS
?Offensively, we?re losing one of the best quarterbacks to ever play college football in-Shaun King.
?You don?t usually replace quarterbacks overnight. It took Shaun King two or three years before he got going. We don?t have that long to wait, so who ever steps in and is the quarterback will be someone we feel good about. They?re going to have to perform week in and week out. A lot of pressure is going to be put on our quarterback.
?I think we have two different types of returning quarterbacks. In Patrick Ramsey (6-2, 225, So.), we have a kid who has great potential to throw the ball. He throws the deep ball well and throws it with a lot of velocity. He?s not as mobile as we?re hoping he can become.
In Derrick Joseph (5-11, 187, RFr.), we?ve got someone who is very athletic, fast and can run. He?s got to work on his velocity on the ball and being able to throw the deep ball. I think both of them bring a lot to the table and both of them can fit into our system. Our system is multiple enough that we can build it around whichever one emerges as the starting quarterback.
?We also have three incoming freshmen - J.J. Scott, Bret Brothers and Chris Peterson - who?ll be looked at hard in August.?
RUNNING-BACKS
Junior Toney Converse (5-8, 168, Jr.), 1998?s leading rusher with 871 yards, returns to spearhead the Green Wave ground attack. Joining Converse in the backfield is converted receiver John Wilson (5-5, 166, Jr.), ?a two-way threat at receiver and running back.? Another returnee is sophomore Genario Reshard (5-6, 183, So.), who saw limited action in 1998 as a true freshman.
A pair of newcomers - Jeff Sanchez and Darlvon Bracy - will also vie for playing time.
WIDE-RECEIVERS
Perhaps Tulane?s deepest position, two-time All-Conference USA-performer JaJuan Dawson (6-1, 201, Sr.) returns to lead this versatile group. -Dawson caught 68 passes for 947 yards and a team-high 12 touchdowns in 1998 and is on virtually every career receiving list for the Green Wave.
Another returning starter from Tulane?s three-receiver set offense is Kerwin Cook (6-1, 174, Jr.). Cook finished 1998 with 27 catches for 405 yards. However, in his final three games, Cook caught 19 passes for 389 yards and four touchdowns, including four receptions for 123 yards and a score in the Liberty Bowl.
?JaJuan and Kerwin are two guys who have played a lot and bring some experience to a position that we are counting on very heavily to be successful,? says Scelfo.
Adding depth to the receiving corps are returnees Adrian Burnette (5-10, 184, Jr.), Zander Robinson (5-9, 173, So.), Terrell Harris (5-11, 185, So.) and Adetunji Afonja (5-9, 159, So.) along with freshmen James Dunn and Nick Narcisse.
?Our receiving corps should be strong. Hopefully we can give those guys a chance to get into some wide open spaces and let them make something happen after they catch the ball.?
OFFENSIVE-LINE
Four starters return from the 1998 squad, and the group welcomes back a starter from 1997 who sat last season out.
?Our offensive line is very talented,? says Scelfo, ?and we expect a lot of big things from them.?
First-team All-Conference USA-tackle Bernard Robertson (6-2, 285, Jr.) and second-team selection guard Jerry Godfrey (6-3, 290, Sr.) headline this group.
?I think Bernard is one of the premiere offensive linemen in the country,? says Scelfo. ?And Jerry also brings a lot to the table.?
Center Kapua Conley (6-2, 290, Sr.) returns for his third year as a starter, while guard Corey Sewell (6-2, 260, So.) earned Freshman All-America honors last year in starting all 12 games.
Tackle Charles Caldwell (6-3, 285, So.) earned all-freshman honors two years ago before missing 1998 due to academic reasons. However, he regained his starting spot during spring drills.
A pair of impressive underclassmen - center Torie Taulli (6-0, 256, So.) and tackle Chrys Bullock (6-3, 313, So.) - provide depth., along with Derick Bugg (6-3, 285, RFr.), Bryson Westbrook (6-2, 267, Jr.), Tony Cunningham (5-11, 255, Jr.) and incoming frosh Renzi Sandras.
TIGHT-ENDS
Senior Mike Turner (6-2, 246, Sr.), heads this group, which includes fellow returnees Mike Truax (6-1, 248, Jr.) Joseph Akin (6-2, 238, So.) along with incoming freshman Tim Pinter.
DEFENSE
?Defensively, we?re going to be very aggressive and try to put a lot of pressure on offenses. Our defense is set up to create a lot of mistakes by the opponent?s offense.?
DEFENSIVE-LINE
Despite losing all four starters from a year ago, Tulane will put a talented, if inexperienced, defensive line on the field in 1999.
The most experienced member of the line is left tackle Mitch Mouton (6-4, 265, Jr.), who started against SMU last year when a regular was injured. He had two sacks and five tackles for loss as a reserve last year.
Right end Ryan Brewer (6-4, 248, So.) also played a reserve role in 1998, but will counted on as a starter this season.
A pair of redshirt fresmen round out the starting unit. Left end Kenan Blackmon (6-5, 235, RFr.) and right tackle Roxie Shelvin (6-2, 263, RFr.) both have tremendous promise and ability.
Backing up this group are ends Glenn Lemoine (6-4, 241, So.)-and Patrick Charles (6-0, 229, So.) and tackles Percy Branon (6-1, 272, RFr.) and Matthew Glapion (6-5, 265, Jr.). Kern Blackmon (6-4, 232, RFr.) is also in the mix.
Newcomers Alex Battard, Darryl Blappert, Floyd Dorsey, Terrence Tarver and Marlon Tickles should provide depth.
LINEBACKERS
Jerry Phillips (5-11, 232, Jr.), whose 104 tackles led Tulane in 1998, returns to his middle linebacker spot.
?We?re counting on Jerry heavily to run our defense and be a big-time leader for us.?
Phillips is backed up by Allen Davis (6-2, 222, RFr.).
Another returning starter at linebacker is strongside linebacker Sedric Clemons (5-10, 218, Sr.), who had 60 tackles, including three sacks, a year ago.
Behind Clemons are a pair of athletic youngsters, David Dunlap (6-4, 202, RFr.) and Chris Washington (6-2, 216, RFr.).
A tight battle at weakside linebacker has David Dorsey (6-1, 212, So.) leading heading into the fall. He is being challenged by Delando Davis (6-2, 196, So.). The duo contributed to a Tulane touchdown at SMU last year, when Dorsey blocked a Mustang punt in the end zone, where it was recovered by Davis.
Freshmen Daniel Nevil and Emmanuel Sewell will also be a part of the linebacking crew.
DEFENSIVE-BACKS
Technically, just one starter returns in the Green Wave secondary. Strong safety Sam Knight (5-11, 186, Jr.) started the Green Wave?s first 10 games at free safety before an injury ended his season.
His replacement following his injury was Meldon Barnes (5-11, 190, So.), who made 21 tackles in the game Knight was injured. Barnes starts at free safety this season.
Knight is backed up by converted linebacker Kevin Dukes (5-11, 205, Sr.), while Corey Jones (5-11, 198, Jr.) backs up Barnes. Both are considered adequate starters at their respective positions and should provide quality competition at those spots.
One of the biggest impacts of spring was made by left cornerback Tim Carter (6-0, 183, Jr.). Carter garnered a reputation as a big-play producer in a reserve role last season, and continued that presence during spring drills.
?Tim has a chance to be a big-time corner in our league.?
Right cornerback is manned by Ky Joseph (5-9, 167, Jr.), with Jamal Jones providing depth (5-11, 177, So.).
Incoming freshmen in the secondary are Quentin Brown, Burl Burns, Howard Fontenette, Terry Fontenot and Adrian Mitchell.
SPECIAL TEAMS
?Our placekickers are all untested, and that?s a concern of ours. Between the two kickers we currently have on campus and the incoming signee, I think we?ll be effective in the kicking game.?
PLACEKICKING/PUNTING
Casey Roussel (6-0, 223, So.) backed up at both positions last year, and is the favorite to take over both roles in 1999. He will be challenged by Matt Groff (6-1, 172, Sr.), who sat out last season after transferring from Kent, and incoming freshman Seth Marler.
