Police release new information about Bennett murder

This AJC article has new information regarding the shooting of Rajaan Bennett. Some rumors had been circulating on chat boards, but police revealed Tuesday that Bennett and his family were holed up in a bathroom when his mother's ex-boyfriend broke into the house. Rajaan called 911 asking for help and when police arrived, the boyfriend told Rajaan's mother to go to the door and say everything was fine. But she broke away and ran out of the house and the boyfriend went inside the dark bathroom and started shooting, hitting Rajaan in the chest.

Chris Nickson faces domestic violence charges

A Nashville TV station is reporting that former Vandy quarterback Chris Nickson was arrested on New Year's Eve after he held his girlfriend against her will for seven hours and then beat her up when she tried to escape.

Interesting that the Tennessean hasn't reported it yet. Surely they know about it. But the station, WKRN Channel 2, also linked to Nickson's player profile as a junior and reported that he started for Vandy his junior year and then was a part-time starter his senior year.

Actually, they're off a year. Nickson had a spectacular sophomore year, including an upset of Georgia in Athens, as a full-time starter, then was a part-time starter his junior year.

But WKRN wipes out all memories of Nickson's senior year, when he led the Dores to a stunning 5-0 start, came up huge in the win in Lexington that made Vandy bowl-eligible, and then while injured split time with Larry Smith in the Music City Bowl victory.

Yeah, they wipe out all memories of the Music City Bowl. Morons.

And Chris was a moron too if he did what his girlfriend says he did.

But if a station is going to get excited about the fact that he's a former Vandy quarterback — he's a thug just like the kids from UT, get it? — then the least they can do is get the facts right. Sure, he struggled and he had his problems, but Chris did something even Jay Cutler couldn't do. After a hot start and then a long losing streak, he stepped up and led us to victory against the Wildcats. It was a huge victory for the Vanderbilt program, and it was probably the best game of Chris' career.

I'll always remember him for that. Now it appears he's back in a slump and is in some trouble. People on chat boards are throwing around that word "heartbreaking" again.

Tomorrow, Bobby Johnson is speaking at Rajaan Bennett's memorial service. Now that's heartbreaking.

Chris Nickson is alive, and so is his girlfriend. Maybe he does time, maybe he'll find himself in an even deeper hole. But Chris Nickson has been down before and feeling the burden of being written off by thousands of fans. And he got back up and he played the game of his life.

This game's not over. Hang in there, Chris. You can do it.

Vanderbilt's loss to Kentucky was NOT heartwrenching

I've been hearing Vandy fans use "heartwrenching" and "heartbreaking" to describe Saturday's two-point loss to Kentucky.

Give me a break.

Yes, it would have been nice to see the Dores win, and yes, we came pretty darn close.

Yes, I was doing what all fans do, and that's second-guessing our coach and players. Why wasn't Jenkins in the game longer? Whoops, why did Jenkins take that three-pointer and get packed? Why can't AJ catch the ball? Where was Dolla? And yes, I thought more calls should have gone our way.

But we were in it at the end. Don't tell me we have more talent and a better team than Kentucky. We don't. You need a great point guard and a great big man to survive the NCAA tournament, and the Cats have arguably college basketball's best of each.

But we have a better team than anybody else in the SEC, and when could you say that? I'm not frustrated at all.

This is not heartwrenching. Heartwrenching is when you beat the No. 1 team at home and then a month later you lose to Siena 80-66 in the first round of the tournament. Remember that?

Our performance Saturday certainly didn't hurt our seeding in the tournament. What impresses me about this team is our defense and our ability to stay in games when in years past we would have folded.

This is not heartwrenching or heartbreaking. This is encouraging. Our guys our hungry and getting ready to make a run in the tournament.

In football terms, this could have been a body-bag game, where we get stomped and leave the game physically and mentally beaten down, and then we go on a losing skid. That happens when you've got inferior talent and zero margin for error. That doesn't apply to this year's Vanderbilt basketball team.

And while we're on the topic of football, I'll tell you what's really heartwrenching.

Rajaan Bennett.

Kind of puts things into perspective, doesn't it?

Bobby Johnson on Rajaan Bennett: Vanderbilt lost "an outstanding young man," not a football player

Win or lose, triumph or tragedy, I'm always impressed with Bobby Johnson and how much he cares about his players. Here's a video of Johnson talking about the death of Rajaan Bennett this morning. Particularly moving is his account of the challenges Rajaan faced and how the education and experience of Vanderbilt would have changed him.

Rajaan Bennett to Facebook friends: "Don't be scared"

Rajaan Bennett's last post on his Facebook page was at 8:10 p.m. Tuesday.

Via mobile phone, he wrote: "Dont be scared."

On Friday afternoon, as snow pelted Atlanta, Rajaan posted that he'd never seen anything like it and thought it was cool but he was also ready for warm weather.

And a few days earlier, he'd written: "I dare u 2 be yourself and not what people want u 2 be."

And just before signing day, when Tennessee and Kentucky and Vandy were still fighting for his signature, Rajaan posted this: "When GOD created me he was showin off."

He was telling the truth.

Now Rajaan Bennett is dead. A few minutes ago, one of his friends posted this:

"This world is so cruel. The people who have the biggest hearts are the ones who suffer the most. For all you SICK, DEMENTED BASTARDS out there, know that you CAN'T bring God's people down. Rajaan Bennett will always live! HE will always LIVE!"

Rajaan Bennett murdered this morning in Atlanta

News just starting to break that Rajaan Bennett, the Atlanta running back who was the jewel of Vanderbilt's recruiting class, was shot and killed this morning in his home, reportedly by his mother's former boyfriend, who then turned the gun on himself. Rajaan was 18 years old.

AJC.com apparently broke the story and has more details.

Bennett, the oldest of four children, was described on signing day by his high school coach as "a guy that has been the man in his household for quite a while, yet still worked to maintain a solid GPA in class and become such a great player."

Rajaan became the man in his family as a sixth-grader when his father died. Like Vandy running back Zac Stacy, Rajaan had a special-needs little brother whom he cared for.

Forget that Rajaan was a four-star recruit and Bobby Johnson's highest rated prep player ever. He was a hero who apparently died protecting his mother and the rest of his family.

This just hurts. Our prayers go out to Bennett's family and everybody at McEachern High School.

You liked Trey Wilson and Brady Brown last season, and now Jonathan Krause, Chris Boyd and Rajaan Bennett

Our Moral Victory! poll last season was pretty accurate at predicting which recruits would play as true freshmen. You thought Zac Stacy would play, but like most experts you favored Wesley Tate, who redshirted, over eventual Freshman All-American Warren Norman. Also, you pegged Trey Wilson and Eric Samuels as players, but you favored Javon Marshall over Eddie Foster, whom everybody thought was too light.

Here's a stroll down memory lane, with the results:

1. DB Trey Wilson (52%) PLAYED
2. WR Brady Brown (46%) PLAYED
3. RB Wesley Tate (45%) REDSHIRT
4. RB Zac Stacy (43%) PART-TIME STARTER
5. DB Eric Samuels (42%) PLAYED
6. RB Warren Norman (19%) SEC FRESHMAN OF YEAR
7. DB Javon Marshall (16%) REDSHIRT
8. TE Mason Johnson (12%) REDSHIRT
9. DB Eddie Foster (10%) PART-TIME STARTER
10. WR Collin Ashley (late signee) PLAYED

The remaining eight players received less than 10 percent of the vote, and all of them redshirted:
• DE Thad McHaney
• DE Walker May
• QB Charlie Goro
• OL Justin Cabbagestalk
• OL Mylon Brown
• OL Wesley Johnson
• DB Jay Fullam
• LB Blake Southerland

Now here's an early look at which freshmen you think will play right away:
1. WR Jonathan Krause (64%)
2. RB Rajaan Bennett (39%)
3. WR Chris Boyd (35%)
4. DB Kenny Ladler (32%)
5. WR Jordan Matthews (28%)
5. DB Andre Hal (28%)
5. DT Vince Taylor (28%)
5. K/P Carey Spear (28%)
9. DT Kyle Woestmann (28%)
10. LB Chase Garnham (17%)
10. OL Grant Ramsay (17%)

These guys are getting more than 10 percent of the vote:
• WR Trent Pruitt (14%)
• DB Andre Simmons (14%)
• DT Jared Morse (14%)
• DL James Kittredge (10%)
• TE/LB Fitz Lassing (10%)

And these guys got less than 10 percent:
• OL Andrew Bridges
• OL Logan Stewart
• OL Chase White
• DB Steven Clarke
• DB Karl Butler
• DE Thomas Ryan
• TE Blake Gowder

We think there's no way Garnham plays as a true freshman, and we think receiver Pruitt and guard Ramsay have a much better shot.