Heart With Attitude

NOTE: This feature first appeared in the Memphis GameDay program Nov. 2 when the Tigers hosted SMU.

The body has many parts. Every part has a function. Every function serves a role to keep the body in proper working order.

In sports, a team has many parts. Every part of the team has a function. Every function serves a role in the pursuit of a goal: to win games.

Although all the parts are important, one – the heart – is the driving force. The heart for the Tigers in 2019 is the defensive line.

"It's a group effort, but it starts up front," said Adam Fuller, Memphis' first-year defensive coordinator. "It's the heartbeat of our defense."

This season, the defensive line has made a resurgence for the Tigers. After consecutive seasons of numerous injuries cutting into the group's depth and productivity, the 2019 defensive line has been rejuvenated by the additions and emergence of junior college performers Everitt Cunningham, Desmond Hawkins and Morris Joseph.

"It's a 'put-together' group," said first-year defensive line coach Tim Edwards. "We brought in some new faces in (Everitt) Cunningham, (Morris) Joseph. Des Hawkins hadn't played a lot. It's still a work in progress, and we have a lot of work to do. Fortunately, we got more games to play, more opportunities."

The opportunities have increased as a result of the team's depth. The players and coaches both point to that as a main reason for the group's production on the field.

"Regardless of who's in the game, you have a group of guys that anyone can make a play at any given time," said Joseph, a junior who joined the team in August.

Cunningham, a junior, added, "It's something we take pride in because if the next man can do it, everyone can. The depth plays a big role in our production, and it also keeps fresh legs on the field."

The depth has produced in 2019. The Tigers are 7-1 and in the race for the American Athletic Conference West Division title. One reason Memphis is in the chase is the improvement on the defensive side of ball, in particular up front.

The Tigers are holding opponents under 400 yards of total offense per game (375.0, to be exact) eight games into the season. Memphis held its first three opponents to under 300 yards of total offense and also without a 100-yard rusher. In their decisive 47-17 victory over Tulane Oct. 19, the Tigers held the Green Wave to only 146 yards on the ground. Tulane had entered the game with 288 yards rushing per game, the nation's fourth-best average at the time.

In the words of Fuller, the "up front" guys fuel the entire defense.

"With how we play defense, it's critical that the group controls the line of scrimmage," said Fuller. "Our defense goes as our defensive line goes. That's a critical piece of how we want to play defense.

"If they're right, it allows everyone behind them to play fast. We're playing nine players up front in the course of a game. The depth is there. The quality of play continues to improve. We've had some guys step up, and I'm really proud of them."

Cunningham, Hawkins and Joseph are taking pride in their roles, which doesn't always end with them making the hit. A part of the line's job is to create holes for teammates to fill the gaps and make tackles.

"We embrace it," said Hawkins, a redshirt senior on the squad. "Another great part is they may miss the play, and we come in and clean it up. We work hand-in-hand."

Cunningham said, "We take pride in it. You got to have your brother's back and vice versa. It helps improve our overall play. It also helps our chemistry because when one starts making plays, then we all want to make plays. Once you see your brother make a play, you see all the hard work paying off."

Joseph concurred, "Everything starts with the front line. As long as we're fighting and laying it on the line for our brothers, we're fine."

It's that kind of brotherhood mentality all three learned from the junior college level, where they played on winning teams and against some great players.

"Junior college helped a lot," Joseph said. "The fact is one week you may go against a guy that was starting at Florida State, then the next week you go against a guy that was overlooked in high school, and the next week you play someone better that hasn't made a name yet."

Cunningham added, "Junior college is full of great high school players that didn't go Division I. There's a lot of great competition around you. The players there are getting after it and trying to get to the next level."

Junior college players also tend to bring an urgency with them, or an "edge" as Edwards likes to call it.

"They bring a little maturity, a little edge," Edwards said. "All three of them have brought an edge. They bring some toughness. They bring a sense of urgency. They know they got a short timetable. As we continue to play this season, I'm looking for that attitude."

It's the attitude that Cunningham, Hawkins and Joseph all are willing to bring to help the Tigers reach their goal.

"We haven't got it rolling yet," said Joseph. "But you should see that soon."

University of Memphis Athletics

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Everitt Cunningham

Desmond Hawkins

Morris Joseph

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