The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Blazer Profile: UAB's Young Receivers
11/24/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 24, 2010
By Lorrie Beth Milton
UAB Athletic Media Relations
It may seem like bad news that senior wide receivers Frantrell Forrest, Mike Jones, Mario Wright and Roddell Carter will finish up their football careers with the Blazers after this season. But UAB has a group of young up-and-coming guys poised to fill their shoes.
The lone sophomore among the group of talented young receivers is Mississippi native Patrick Hearn. Hearn is joined by true freshmen Jay Davis, Jamarcus Nelson, Nolen Smith, D.J. Vinson, Jackie Williams and redshirt freshman Freddie Moore to comprise UAB's young receiving corps.
Wide receivers coach Tim Bowens expresses great confidence in his young players and feels they have what it takes to be a successful and mature squad despite their young age.
"I feel really good about all those guys," Bowens said. "We have a lot of talent in that group. For the most part, they got a lot of the basics and fundamentals in camp early in the year. Once when get in the offseason this spring and summer, I think those guys should have a really good grasp of what is going on."
Bowens is not the only one who sees great potential in the young receivers. Jones has great confidence as well that his successors lend a promising future for the UAB football program.
"I think the future is bright for our young wide receivers, especially with Coach Bowens being the coach," Jones said. "A lot of the receivers are athletic and fast. They are playmakers, and you can tell that they were good players at their high schools."
Hearn has had the benefit of being under the tutelage of Forrest, Jones, Wright and Carter for two seasons. Watching those four wide receivers lead is extremely important to Hearn because he knows that will be his job next season. Hearn will be the second-oldest wide receiver on the 2011 team behind junior Nick Adams, who was injured prior to the start of the 2010 season.
"I have never been much of a vocal leader, but I will lead by example," Hearn said. "I know I will have to step up and take on that role."
Stepping up is something Hearn already has done after he was called upon to start for the Blazers this season. Wanting to prove his capabilities, Hearn and grabbed the attention of the coaching staff during preseason camp.
"Coach (Bowens) had not really seen me in a game situation. He needed to see how I would react under pressure," Hearn said. "I came back in camp and proved that I could make plays and they saw it. They gave me a bigger role in the game. I knew they had big plans for me this season in the offense."
The Quitman, Miss., native has seen those big plans through with an average 16.0 yards per reception. Hearn ranks fourth on the team for most receptions with 32.
In spite of his accomplishments, Hearn continues to work hard because he knows there are areas to improve.
"I feel like I can do better. I know I need to be there to make more plays," Hearn said. "But I just play it week by week. If I practice well, I know I will play well. I try to be familiar with what's going on in practice and then carry that out to the game."
With the effort Hearn displays on a weekly basis, there is no doubt he is already leading by example to those coming up after him. One of those freshmen following in Hearn's footsteps is Jackie Williams.
Williams already has become an asset and key component to this year's offense. He hit the ground running in his first season with the Blazers, playing in all 11 games thus far and collecting three total touchdowns.
"When they told me I would need to step up because I was going to play a key role in the offense, I was excited," Williams said. "I always want to play."
Williams is a model teammate as he plays, talks and acts well beyond his years.
"When camp started, I would go and meet with (graduate assistant) coach (Tony) Haynes and we would go over plays or watch film whenever I had time away from my summer classes," Williams said. "I just tried to get a jump-start before the season started."
That extra work has obviously paid off, as he boasts 27 receptions for 288 yards and averages 10.7 yards per reception. Williams also has one of the most memorable catches in UAB history to his credit. Not only was his 44-yard touchdown catch against Troy the longest reception of his short career, it was the Hail Mary that capped of a 99-yard drive to give UAB its first win of the season.
The game against Troy was Williams' most dominant performance by far, as he had six receptions for 114 yards with two touchdowns through the air and one on the ground.
"That was my best game, but it didn't really stand out because you always play for the next down or the next game. So that next day, I just put it behind me and looked to the next game," Williams said. "I was excited about what I accomplished in helping the team get the first win of the season. I look at every game like I have to out-do what I did in the last game."
Williams simply looks at the leadership over him and tries to mimic what he sees.
"All I can do is go off the leadership that (the older receivers) left and try to pass it on to the other freshmen," he said.
Hearn and Williams aren't the only receivers that will bring experience to UAB's young receiving corps next year. Adams, who came to UAB in January of 2009, played in all 12 games of his first season with the Blazers. He caught passes in nine of those games and finished the season as the team's No. 4 receiver in receptions (15) and yardage (277).
Additionally, the Blazers gain five receivers who have been a part of the UAB system this season and will have the opportunity to contribute more next year. Moore has been with UAB the past two seasons, while Davis, Nelson, Smith and Vinson joined the Blazers in 2010. Though the five have combined for limited game action this season, their knowledge of the Blazers' offense will put them ahead of the curve for next year.
So while the Blazers are losing a special group of receivers in this year's senior class, the good news is there is a group of talented youngsters ready to carry on the legacy of their predecessors and establish one of their own.
