Johnson, Cutler, Haye to Appear at SEC Media Days Tuesday

Johnson, Cutler, Haye to Appear at SEC Media Days Tuesday

7/26/2004

Johnson, Cutler, Haye to Appear at SEC Media Days Tuesday 7-26-04

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Vanderbilt Head Coach Bobby Johnson and a pair of Commodore preseason All-SEC selections are scheduled to appear before several hundred writers and reporters Tuesday afternoon at the Southeastern Conference Media Days.

Johnson will be joined by quarterback Jay Cutler and defensive end Jovan Haye as the Commodores open Media Days activities with representatives from the Auburn football team. Later in the afternoon, Arkansas and Florida will appear at the festivities, which continue through Thursday in Birmingham.

Special coverage of the Commodores’ Media Days appearance, including player diaries and photo galleries, will be featured on this website during the coming days.

This marks the second consecutive year that Johnson, Cutler and Haye will make the trip to Media Days. In 2003, Cutler and Haye appeared as sophomore captains for the Commodores.

Johnson is looking forward to the opportunity of appearing before nearly 700 newspaper writers, radio sports hosts and television reporters. “It’s makes for a busy afternoon, but Media Days also is an enjoyable experience. Any time I have a chance to discuss our team and our student-athlete, I look forward to the opportunity,” Johnson said.

Little was known of Cutler and Haye when they participated in Media Days in 2003. This year, they are considered two of the SEC’s best athletes at their respective positions after conference coaches selected to the preseason second team All-SEC team last week.

Cutler is coming off the finest season ever by a Commodore sophomore quarterback. He passed for 18 touchdowns and 2,347 yards while completing 57 percent of his attempts in 2003. Cutler enters his junior season ranked among the top five Vanderbilt quarterbacks in nearly every career statistical category.

Haye is one of the conference’s top returning defensive players. An All-SEC pick last year, Haye shared the league’s regular season lead with 8.5 sacks in 2003, compiling one of the finest seasons ever by a Commodore defensive lineman.

The Commodores open preseason camp August 11, pointing toward the 2004 season opener against South Carolina on Saturday, Sept. 4. The opener is scheduled at Vanderbilt Stadium, with kickoff at 11:30 a.m.