Monday, August 24, 2009

Which Commodores have swag? Jamie Graham knows


You’ve probably been wondering which Commodore player has the most swag. I know I sure have.

If you’ve never heard of swag, here’s how Urban Dictionary defines it: Apperance (sic), style, or the way he or she presents them selves (sic again). As in, “He got killa swag.”

So which Commodore looks the sharpest when he’s off the field? Based on his appearance at SEC Media Days, my vote would be cornerback Myron Lewis, who possessed considerably more swag than center Bradley Vierling, who nevertheless possessed a decent amount of swag for an offensive lineman.

Swag has been a topic of the excellent and often hilarious Ask-A-Dore interviews that the athletic department’s Brandon Barca has been conducting this preseason with Vandy football players. So far he’s interviewed Alex Washington and Jamie Graham and right now is taking fan questions for Larry Smith.

One fan submitted this question for Washington: “How does it feel to have the most swag on the team, but to still only have the second best dreadlocks in the SEC?”

"I think I may know who wrote this, actually," Washington replied. "Yeah, I mean, it feels good to have a lot of swag, I guess. I just do what I do — do me. If that's what swag is, then I guess I'm the definition of it. And I absolutely disagree on the dreadlocks part. I'm frying Dexter McCluster."

McCluster is the wide receiver and Rebel Back and just about everything else for the Ole Miss offense, but I prefer to remember him as the guy Chris Marve stripped the ball from last season in Oxford on the goal line in the fourth quarter.

Barca’s latest interview is with Jamie Graham, who’s an interesting, funny guy. Jamie says Washington is NOT frying McCluster. Because, Jamie reveals, Washington has extensions in his dreads. “If you have extensions it doesn’t count,” Graham said.

Jamie did say Alex Washington ranked first for swag, but he's tied with Mackenzi Adams. He recounted the care Mac takes pulling up his socks in the locker room.

He also ripped his defensive coordinator, Bruce Fowler, for having “no swag.”

Some other jabs, tips and thoughts from Graham:

• He said he was in the Top 10 of the fastest players on the team, but “probably not Top 5.” The fastest? “From what I hear it’s the freshman Eddie Foster.” He said Foster said he’d been clocked at 4.261, so every time Foster says something his teammates yell “4261.”

• He said he’s reached a personal high of 204 pounds and is at the top of his game. “I’m stronger, my speed’s better, my legs are stronger, my agility’s better than it’s ever been. I hate to say it but I remind myself of D.J. Moore, actually.”

• He hopes to go to the NFL and “make some money” but also plans to be a special education teacher and coach in metro Nashville.

• His favorite Vanderbilt class so far: Gender, Sexuality and Social References of Music.

• The best place to eat in Nashville: Precious Chicken. “It’s a great chicken place if you like hot food, but it’s very, very greasy.”

• His favorite nickname: The X-Factor, which he got from the student section. “If I see ’em (on campus) they give me the X and I give it to ’em right back. We know we connected just then.”

Maybe Vanderbilt’s got some players who aren’t smart, funny, great kids, but I haven’t found any yet. Well, maybe Mackenzi’s not a comedian. But he’s smart and by all accounts a great kid. And don’t forget he’s got swag.

1 comment:

lsmsrbls said...

Thanks for sharing this. I'm always so impressed when I find out more our athletes.