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  • The Wide Receivers are Looking for a Blend of the Veteran and the Rookie

    By: LONNY DEMAREE

    The human nature of the common fan is that they expect never to see a dropped pass, especially one that could be a difference maker. However if you follow college powers and the Pro's in most cases you see many drop passes. It's just that it means more when you are an underdog on the climb of competitive ladder of respectability.

    Senior to be Dorian Baker is the vet and Clevan Thomas is the thick bodied rookie. Thomas' father is a football player that was a defensive back at Florida State in the nineties and told him he wasn't going to be tall so he needed to slim down, and work on his speed for his more natural position. Thomas said he was chunky in middle school and his position was offensive line. So blocking comes more natural to him now. Both receivers are out to grab their chunk of the action. But Thomas has four years to get it done and this is Baker's last rodeo. Their plights and are reversed in that Baker was the same wide eyed rookie looking to make a splash and now it's Clevan Thomas in the same position. Thomas said he came in early to make that happen.

    Baker is attempting to put that first impression is the last impression syndrome to rest. When he drops his first catch-able ball and he will because he's human, there will be some fans that will say 'oh that's the same old Dorian.' Baker is fighting back from the rough season he had last year because most of the first half of the season he was trying to overcome a bad hamstring injury. "I think you erase the stigma when you make a big catch like he did against Louisville," Coach Lamar Thomas much in a defensive mode of Baker stated. "I can't even remember what happened before that. He worked his tail-bone off to become a consistent man player and I'm very proud of that young man. I can tell you this, the Georgia Tech catch was a beautiful catch, the Louisville catch was a beautiful catch. I told him after the Louisville game people will forget about everything before that. Let me tell something he saved a lot of people's job with that Eastern (Kentucky) catch - He save some jobs with that Louisville catch. I can tell you now he's a much better player now, he's a much better person now that when I first got here and I'm very proud of him." Thomas said they (he and Baker) talked about the noise. Meaning what the fans and some media might say. He said he told him that if you are going to be successful in this game there's always going to be noise. "If you are in the Pro's and turn on the radio they might be talking about getting rid of you - in the bars, the grocery store but you've got to be mentally tough. When you get in between those line you do your job and you do it to the best of your ability."

    "I think Clevan (Thomas) is great in that he is using the opportunity in front of him," Eddie Gran said. "I tell you he's pretty good, he battles, he's understanding it. Reminds me a little bit of Benny (Snell). His mentality and how he's going about it as a freshman. Now there's a lot of time left and all that but I sure do like where he's at right now." Gran said he is playing both the slots and wide-out and that pretty good for a freshman. "He's getting in there and mix it up. I do like his toughness," Gran enthusiastically said. "He's got a mental toughness about him."

    Lamar Thomas said he is one of those freshman that doesn't pay lip-service to wanting to learn. He said a lot of freshmen will say they are coming in to learn and don't follow through but Thomas will follow through. He want to learn and he's always asking questions.

    "I came here early for a purpose," Clevan Thomas who is a spring enrolle said. "I watch the film of myself and the players of last year to learn what can I do better to help myself. Thomas was surprised to know that Gran had said he had some of the similarities of Benny Snell. "It's a shock and to means I've actually got a chance to do something for Kentucky." He said that's encouraging. He said when the temperature got down in the thirties he was freezing but when he back home to Miami he was roasting.

    So now Thomas is prepping to make his mark at UK and Baker is trying to realize the potential we saw in him when he was in the Friday Night Light camp while still a high school star.
    Comments 1 Comment
    1. Darrell KSR's Avatar
      Darrell KSR -
      Thanks, Lonny.
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    Harlow

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