University of Memphis Athletics
Memphis Bids Farewell To Eight Seniors
Nov 28, 2003 | Football
Nov. 28, 2003
The University of Memphis football program will bid a fond farewell to eight seniors on this year's Tiger squad. The group includes just one offensive player, six members of the defensive unit and one special teams player.
Playing their final home game as a Tiger will be wide receiver Darren Garcia, cat safety Derrick Ballard, linebackers Coot Terry, Will Hyden and Greg Harper, defensive ends Eric Taylor and Treveco Lucas and kicker Danny Haynes.
Garcia has appeared in 41 games for the Tigers since the 2000 season and has lettered as a wide receiver each year. He played in eight games as a freshman but had just one reception but as a sophomore, the Millington, TN, native had 63 yards receiving. Last year Garcia started two games and finished the campaign with 19 catches for 204 yards including a career high 45 yards against Army. He upped his totals to 20 pass receptions for 228 yards this season and is currently ranked as the team's fifth leading receiver.
Derrick Ballard came to the U of M in the fall of 2000 and immediately became an impact player for the Tigers. He started seven games as a freshman and was credited with 62 tackles. During his sophomore campaign, Ballard registered 60 tackles, including eight tackles for lost yardage and his first career pass interception which he returned for a touchdown against Southern Mississippi. The Georgia native totaled 101 tackles as a junior, intercepted three passes and was credited with 13 tackles for lost yardage. As a senior, Ballard is ranked fifth in tackles in his new position as a cat safety. He has 79 total hits, one pass interception, eight pass breakups and two fumble recoveries. The former All-Conference USA pick will finish his career with over 300 tackles.
Coot Terry was recommended to Tiger coaches by former Memphis defensive back Jeremy Williams, who coached Terry in high school and he more than lived up to his early billing. After redshirting during the 1999 season and making the change from running back to linebacker, Terry started six games as a freshman. He had 58 tackles that first season and added one pass interception and eight tackles for lost yardage in being named to the Conference USA All-Freshman team. During his sophomore year, Terry played in all 11 games and logged 40 tackles and increased his totals to 60 tackles and one fumble recovery before injuries shortened his junior season. He has been credited with 83 tackles in 2003, giving him over 250 career stops.
Greg Harper came to the Tigers as a walk-on candidate from Wooddale High School in Memphis. He redshirted as a freshman and immediately became a starter at linebacker in 2000. Harper recorded 46 tackles as a freshman and started nine games. He was the starter at linebacker in 10 games during 2001 and had 73 tackles, two fumble recoveries and one interception in the Southern Miss game. Battling a broken leg, Harper managed to play in seven games as a junior and recorded 37 tackles and a fumble recovery. He is currently ranked fourth on the tackle chart with 80 hits and has one pass interception and seven tackles for lost yardage. Harper will end his career with more than 230 tackles.
Will Hyden is certainly a candidate for one of the most improved players in the nation for 2003. The former walk-on from Franklin, TN, Hyden spent three seasons working as a special teams player. He had two tackles in 2002 while playing on the Tiger cover teams and as a sophomore, caught a 19-yard pass on a fake punt in the Tigers win over Army at West Point. But this season has been magical for Hyden. He earned the Chris Faros Most Player Award in the spring of 2003 and became the Memphis starter at inside linebacker this fall. He leads the team in tackles this season with 89 and has contributed five tackles for lost yardage, one quarterback sack and one pass interception which blew open the Houston game. Hyden picked off a Kevin Kolb pass and returned it 36 yards for a touchdown which led to the Memphis win.
Eric Taylor has been a mainstay in the defensive front for the Tigers for three years. He lettered during his first season with the Tigers and became a starter in six games as a sophomore. Taylor registered 32 tackles in his second season with Memphis and added for tackles for lost yardage and one quarterback sack. In 2002, he was credited with 30 tackles, 10 tackles for lost yardage and one sack despite playing most of the season with a broken hand. The Winchester, TN, native has had 64 total hits this season which include seven tackles for lost yardage, four quarterback sacks and one pass interception which he returned 52-yards for a touchdown in the Tigers' win over Louisville. His interception stopped all Cardinal momentum and helped the U of M to a 37-7 victory.
Treveco Lucas is another of the local success stories at Memphis. The Westside High graduate was a walk-on at the U of M and through hard work, has become a starter at defensive end. Lucas spent two years at Memphis before he appeared in a game. In 2001, he played in 11 games and was the starter in two of those contests. He had 47 stops as a sophomore and was credited with 43 as a junior. This year Lucas 38 hits and eight tackles for lost yardage which ranks second among Tiger defenders.
Rounding out the 2003 senior class is kicker Danny Haynes. Haynes came to the Tigers from East Central Mississippi Community College as a kicker and was slated as the starter in 2002 before a severe muscle pull held him out of action. The very popular Haynes played against Tulane this season and has provided support for Stephen Gostkowski at kicker.
