JEWEL OF THE SOUTH: S. MISS DB BRANDON SUMRALL

Rick Figurin
pigskinpress.com

Cinderella’s time is upon us once again. Last year Boise State carried the hopes of underdogs everywhere as they shocked Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl, and before that it was the Utes of Utah running the table. So who wears the slipper this season? What about the boys from Hattiesburg, Mississippi? That’s right the Golden Eagles of Southern Miss may just fit the bill to crash the BCS party in 2007. They’ve got all the pieces: a stud running back: a great coach: and a schedule that just might work for a C-USA title and a possible BCS Bowl Game. Regardless of whether or not the Eagles live up to the hype, one big piece of their success puzzle will be DB Brandon Sumrall. If you haven’t heard of the all C-USA selection, you will when he rings the bell of you’re favorite offensive player. The senior leader took time out from two-a-days to share his insight on playing the big boys, the pressures of leading a defense, and what the crystal ball may hold for his life after the gridiron.

PP: You’ve been named as a pre-season candidate for the Bednarik Award for the nation’s best DB? Do pre-season honors serve as motivation for you or can they be a bit of a distraction?

Brandon Sumrall: “I don’t pay any attention. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great to be nominated, but I still have to make plays on the field. That ‘s the bottom line.”

PP: It looks like you’ll have two new starters at the cornerback positions. Does that put any added pressure on yourself or LeVance Richmond?

Sumrall: “No, actually I’ll be starting at one of the corners. A lot of the others will be young. There really is no pressure on me or the defense, you just go out there and get it done. The only difference is last year I played a lot at Nickel, and a little at safety.”

PP: How realistic is it for us to think that Southern Miss could find themselves BCS bound with an upset win over Tennessee and at Boise?

Sumrall: “It’s football and anything can happen. Were going to play our game, and they are going to play theirs. We’ll go out, give it our all, and who knows what’ll happen.”

PP: Describe how you’ve improved as a player and a leader over the past four years.

Sumrall: “I know more. I’ve learned and I’ve studied. On the defense you have to become the game in order to know what you’re doing. Knowing the little stuff helps. Like knowing what the other team is thinking, and certain elements of technique. It all ties together hand in hand.”

PP: Last season, you guys played at Florida and Virginia Tech. You lost, but played closer than the score would show. Is there anything you can take from those games, as you get ready for Tennessee in week #2 or Boise on the blue turf?

Sumrall: “You’ve just got to jump on them first. Teams like that are not used to playing from behind. They are used to playing ahead. So, you’ve got to jump ahead on them early.”

PP: Some scouting publications list you as the 10th-to-12th best “safety” for next year’s draft, even though you’ll play a lot of corner. Yet coming out of high school many didn’t list you as a high prospect. What does that say about these scouting reports?

Sumrall: “They don’t mean anything! It comes down to who is making plays on the field and who is not. I came from a small school, and there weren’t a lot of schools looking at me. That was just fine with me, I was glad to come here.”

PP: Looking at the defense, who are a couple of your teammates that you think are primed and ready to have a breakout year?

Sumrall: “It would have to be Justin Wilson or Eddie Willingham. They come out to practice everyday with maximum effort. They keep learning, and they are really getting better each day.”

PP: You have 3 division-one football teams in the state, yet Southern Miss is the only one that has won consistently over the last decade. Do you think that residents in the state are starting to think that maybe the little guys in Hattiesburg are actually better than the big guys at Ole Miss and Mississippi State?

Sumrall: “I can’t say. I don’t know about that. What it comes down to is heart. We have heart on out team, and in our coaching staff. That’s what we go by here and that’s why we win. I don’t know if people see us as the best in the state.”

PP: You’re majoring in coaching and sports administration. Is it possible that we will see you walking the sidelines in Hattiesburg someday?

Sumrall: “I don’t think so. I’d like to coach at my old high school (Perry Central HS in Beaumont).  I’m not interested in the collegiate level.  At the high school level you’re able to have more of an impact on a child’s life. I want to teach them everything I know and have learned and help prep them for the college level.”

PP: Fast forward to next year’s draft. Pretend I’m an NFL GM and I’m considering taking you in the mid-rounds. Why should I pick you over the other guy?

Sumrall: “I am a guy who will bust my tail every day! I wont be late, I will be responsible and I will not get into any kind of trouble. I am a hungry player, I don’t have a big head and most importantly I’m always eager to learn more about the game of football.”


Southern Mississippi kicks off its 2007 season September 1st with a home game against Tennessee-Martin.