By Harry King
LITTLE ROCK — Laying down the parameters for a mythical award is difficult.
Southeastern Conference Newcomer of the Year is too broad because no freshmen are allowed and it’s possible that one or two of those high school phenoms are going to perform to expectations.
This honor, which shall go nameless, is restricted to older players starting for the first time in the SEC. The finalists are Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy, Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett and Georgia tailback Richard Samuel.
Leaning towards McElroy, former Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville provided the needed nudge.
Tuberville told the Little Rock Touchdown Club this week that he takes his son, Tucker, to the Manning Passing Academy every July in Thibodaux, La. The Web site, which features a picture of brothers Peyton, Eli and Cooper, says the four-day sojourn is the “Premier Offensive Skills Camp in the Nation.”
Tuberville said Colt McCoy of Texas, Sam Bradford of Oklahoma, Zac Robinson of Oklahoma State and McElroy were there as coach-counselors. So were Joey Elliott of Purdue, Jerrod Johnson of Texas A&M, Corey Leonard of Arkansas State, Thaddeus Lewis of Duke, T.J. Yates of North Carolina, Jevon Snead of Ole Miss, Adam Weber of Minnesota, Tyrod Taylor of Virginia Tech and Jonathan Crompton of Tennessee.
Peyton, Eli and many of the counselors participated in Air-it-Out at the camp, doing passing drills in front of fans. This year, the college quarterbacks tried to hit moving golf carts at various yard lines. They competed for several rounds and Johnson won the just-for-fun competition, but Tuberville came away impressed by McElroy.
“Watching him handle himself, the way he threw the ball, listening to the other quarterbacks talk about him, I think he’s going to be a very, very good quarterback,” he said.
Tuberville is all too familiar with the singular highlight McElroy accumulated during his first two years at Alabama. Late in last year’s 36-0 victory over Auburn, McElroy threw a 34-yard touchdown pass. It is one of his 16 career completions.
Before dismissing McElroy as a caretaker, note that he sat behind Chase Daniel for two years in Southlake, Texas, and then threw for 4,636 yards during his 16-0 senior season. His 56 touchdown passes set a Texas 5A record.
Assuming all three stay healthy, McElroy is the preseason pick for the award ahead of Mallett and Samuel because Alabama is more likely than the Razorbacks or the Bulldogs to have a big year.
Mallett will threaten or break several Arkansas one-season passing records, particularly 2,629 yards and 357 attempts. Records don’t necessarily equate to victories.
Samuel’s carries may be compromised by the rapid development of redshirt freshman Carlton Thomas, but Georgia will run the ball more often than last year when the offense was 426 runs and 400 passes. Samuel, who missed spring practice with a wrist injury, will also be the benefactor of a proficient and experienced offensive line.
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Harry King is sports columnist for Stephens Media’s Arkansas News Bureau. His e-mail address is hking@arkansasnews.com.
