Get to Know Your SEC Football Players

It's Wednesday, which means it's time to get to know a little bit more (or just anything at all) about one of the Southeastern Conference's football players. Now when this player succeeds, massively fails or is shown milling around in the background of a TV shot, you'll know that his greatest off-the-field accomplishment involves the sale and transportation of hobos. Or something like that.

The team of the player selected is chosen through a super-secret process which I cannot reveal, however, the number of the player is randomly chosen by visiting www.random.org and using whatever number is spat out from its random-creating machine.

Today's number: 30
Today's team: Ole Miss


#30 Jared Mitchell, WR, Ole Miss

Some background information: A product of the bastion of academia football factory known as Hargrave Military Academy, Jared arrived at Ole Miss as a defensive back and saw action in 2009 in three games.  This past spring however, coaches examined the depth chart and exclaimed, "Oh, shit!  We need more wide receivers."  So Jared was deemed competent enough to move from DB to the other side of the ball.  Either that or he was a terrible defensive back.  Until this writing, I had no idea Jared existed, so I'm not exactly an authority on his talents (or perhaps lack thereof).  Also, his dad's name is Stump, which is awesome to quite awesome.

Greatest on-field accomplishment:  To date, his solo tackle against Northern Arizona.  Unlike many Ole Miss fans, I was at that game (free ticket in the Rebel Club, not because I HAVE to attend every home game) and do not recall his appearance.  Perhaps because I wasn't paying attention and left in the middle of the third quarter (Had to get to a Son Volt show on the Square).  My apologies, Jared.

Greatest off-the-field accomplishment:  I don't know the qualifications, but Jared did make the UMAA Honor Roll for the Fall of 2009.

Way(s) in which he has embarrassed himself, his family, team and school:  None.  However, a former occupant of this space, Denarius Moore, got the attention of the Knoxville Police Department when he participated in the brawl at Bar Knoxville last week.  According to that report, he helped beat the holy dog shit out of one person (and potentially an off-duty police officer).  The words of Gary Russell, the man who claims he was beaten by Moore and teammate Montori Hughes:

"One of them was holding my head up, and they were punching me in my face while I was on the ground and stomping on my chest.  Finally, my friends were able to help get them off me, and the bouncers started dragging them outside."

And how about eyewitness Paige Whaley's account:

"I got pushed when it all happened and turned around and there were seven guys on top of [Russell] before you knew it.  They were beating the living crap out of him. I saw one come up and kick him in the head. It was ridiculous."

Asked if there was any way that Russell might have initiated the whole thing, Whaley said, "I'm sure that's what UT is saying, but there's no way. That guy [Hughes] was huge. Why would [Russell] go after him? It was scary to see that many big guys on top of one."

 But what about the cop, Robert Capouellez?  Let's go back to the story:

"Allen Morton, the owner of Bar Knoxville, said he wasn't outside in time to see Capouellez get hit. But he said he did see one of the football players kick at him after he was already lying on the ground unconscious.
"I couldn't tell which player it was, and there were a lot of people standing around," Morton said. "But I saw the kicking motion. It was like he was kicking a football. I didn't realize it was [Capouellez] he was kicking until I got down there closer.

Morton said after Capouellez was kicked that several players started to run, but others came back toward the bar with their shirts off and wanting to fight some more. He said there were at least 17 football players in attendance that night and that while they received VIP status and were able to get in without cover, several other regular students were also on the VIP list."

So, good luck with all that, Tennessee.

(Timeout for cackling and taking to the streets for celebration over this happening somewhere other than Ole Miss.)

/bracing for the sports gods' retaliation

Strengths:  Speed, size and coaches' belief that he's talented enough to change positions.  Although, I suppose that could fall into the weaknesses category if it is deemed that he's just not that good.

Weaknesses:  Experience and more experience.

What to look for in 2010:  Given Ole Miss' depth and talent at wide receiver, there's an outside chance he could see the field against lesser teams on the schedule.  Or hell, even against the good ones.  Even before Pat Patterson's dismissal, I, and just about everyone who follows Ole Miss, had little to no faith in the Ole Miss receiving corps, so I could be convinced a walk-on from Delta Academy has a shot to crack the rotation.  Most likely, Jared will be in the background of most shots of the Ole Miss sideline, perhaps even getting a little face time on special teams.  But if Jared is looking for playing time, he's found the right position.