Upperclassmen set serious tone

Tulane’s upperclassmen took an active leadership role this summer in preparing their team for the season.

After an embarrassing 2-10 season in 2008, the upperclassmen — led by quarterback Joe Kemp and running back Andre Anderson — helped organize practices and film sessions over the summer and have become mentors for freshmen on the team. With the incoming freshman class forecasted to see significant playing time — especially at the skill positions of running back, wide receiver and defensive back — their success or failure could weigh heavily on the overall fate of the season. With a lack of speed hampering the team last year, Head Coach Bob Toledo focused on recruiting just that at the aforementioned skill positions.

“Running back, receiver, defensive back, that’s where we really needed some speed, and we got it,” Toledo said. “We’re really excited about that.”

Anderson went out of his way to mentor freshman running backs Stephen Barnett out of Florida and Payten Jason of New Orleans’ Jesuit High School. Barnett and Jason both demonstrated their natural talent and speed this summer in scrimmages.

With Anderson’s guidance, they seem on the road to make significant contributions this season and take some of the load off Anderson, who was the fourth leading rusher in the nation before he suffered a season-ending injury against Rice in the seventh game of the season. Anderson’s mentoring of the freshman running backs has not gone unnoticed by Toledo, who said that he, “[Anderson] was like a player-coach” during the summer.

Kemp — replacing incumbent Kevin Moore as the starting quarterback — took it upon himself to assert his leadership over the team and develop a rapport with his wide receivers during the summer. He organized workouts for the other quarterbacks and the wide receivers.

Specifically, he and wide receiver Jeremy Williams used the summer to develop some strong chemistry. Williams ranked second on the team last year in all-purpose yards despite getting injured after only five games. Kemp should look to Williams early and often in the passing game, especially with the work done over the summer.

“Sometimes at two in the morning we’d come out [to the practice field] and flip on the lights,” Kemp said.
Kemp understands the importance of being a leader, and proved that this summer.

”That was one of my big goals coming out of the competition in the spring and being named the starter,” he said. That way I could come out in the summertime and not feel like I was stepping on anyone’s toes. I like being vocal and I like getting these guys pumped.”

Tulane will need this sort of leadership if they hope to emerge from the cellar of Conference-USA this season.