May 28, 2010
Four Commodores were named preseason All-Southeastern Conference in Athlon Sports’ 2010 Southeastern College Football Magazine.
Linebacker Chris Marve, running back/returner Warren Norman, cornerback Casey Hayward and safety Sean Richardson were listed as all-conference Commodores when the magazine hit newsstands recently.
Marve, a junior co-captain from Memphis, and Norman, a sophomore from Stone Mountain, Ga., were named to Athlon’s first team All-SEC squad at linebacker and kick returner, respectively. Hayward, from Perry, Ga., and Richardson, of Linden, Ala., were third team recipients.
With Vanderbilt coming off a disappointing 2-10 campaign, head coach Bobby Johnson said he was happy for the four honorees, and hoped other Commodores were considered.”All four of those guys are very deserving preseason candidates,” Johnson said.”Warren and Chris are coming off tremendous seasons, and I thought Casey and Sean established themselves among the elite secondary players in a league full of defensive standouts.
“This team also has more players that should be candidates for individual recognitions, such as tight end Brandon Barden, defensive tackle T.J. Greenstone and placekicker Ryan Fowler. Those guys and others have a chance to become great players in this conference,” the coach said.
Earlier in the week, Marve, Norman and Hayward were named All-SEC by Phil Steele’s 2010 College Football Preview. This marks the first preseason recognition for Richardson.
In 2009, Richardson’s season-long performance served as one of the Vanderbilt’s top highlights. Installed as a first-year starter at strong safety, the 6-2, 210-lb. Richardson finished the year with 43 solo stops, 84 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble. He also quickly blossomed as a leader in the secondary after three-year starting free safety Ryan Hamilton suffered a season-ending muscle tear in the second game at LSU.
Norman achieved a remarkable season as a true freshman, setting numerous Vanderbilt and SEC marks, including amassing 1,941 all-purpose yards and returning three kicks for touchdowns. Norman’s 161.8-yard all-purpose average topped the SEC and ranked 14th nationally. League coaches recognized Norman’s accomplishments by naming him SEC Freshman of the Year.
Hayward also was a standout as a first-year starting cornerback replacing All-America D.J. Moore, now with the Chicago Bears. He finished the year with 40 unassisted stops, 58 total tackles, two interceptions and nine defensed passes.
The Commodores open the 2010 season by hosting Big Ten member Northwestern on Saturday, Sept. 4, in Vanderbilt Stadium. Kickoff for the opener should be announced by mid-June.
Vanderbilt’s schedule also includes seven home games. Besides Northwestern, the Commodores host LSU on Sept. 11, Eastern Michigan on Oct. 9, South Carolina on Oct. 23, Florida on Nov. 6, Tennessee on Nov. 20, and Wake Forest on Nov. 27.
Season tickets starting at $125 can be purchased through the team’s official athletic website, vucommodores.com, by phoning (615) 322-GOLD, or at the Vanderbilt Box Office in McGugin Center (2601 Jess Neely Drive) during regular business hours.