Jim Mora Jr. talks Alabama, suspended Razorbacks during Touchdown Club visit Monday.
Monday was former college football and NFL coach Jim Mora Jr.’s 57th birthday.
Nov. 19 is a day that is good and bad for the son of former New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts coach Jim Mora.
One year ago Monday, Mora was fired by UCLA after six seasons.
“It’s an interesting day for me,” Mora said at the Little Rock Touchdown Club’s final meeting of the 2018 season at the Embassy Suites in Little Rock. “One year ago [Sunday], we lost to USC. One year ago today [Monday], I get fired from UCLA.”
Touchdown Club founder David Bazzel told
Mora he’s in a better place Monday, then he helped lead the crowd in a rendition of “Happy Birthday” to Mora.
“I’m absolutely in a better place today now, thank you,” Mora said.
During Monday’s speech, Mora spoke about his coaching career in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons (2004-2006) and Seattle Seahawks (2009) as well as his tenure at UCLA (2012-2017).
But the main topic on the minds of Bazzel and several members of the Embassy Suites crowd was the suspensions of two University of Arkansas football players.
Arkansas Coach Chad Morris suspended starting defensive backs Ryan Pulley and Kamren Curl for Friday’s SEC finale at Missouri.
Before Saturday’s game at Mississippi State, Pulley and Curl were socializing with members of the Mississippi State spirit squad. After the Razorbacks’ 52-6 loss to the Bulldogs, Morris called their actions “unacceptable.”
Mora, who is a college football analyst with ESPN, called the suspensions a small victory for Morris, who is in his first season with the Razorbacks.
“He took a profound statement today by suspending those two young men” Mora said. “That’s always hard to do when you get close to your players.
“They are young men. They are going to make mistakes. But when you’re trying to establish a culture, you have to be strict to your standards. You can’t compromise your standards. You have to protect them with a vigilance.”
When asked who his top four teams in the College Football Playoff would be, Mora said Alabama, Michigan, Clemson and Notre Dame.
“They’re just different,” Mora said of Alabama. “I recruited [Alabama quarterback] Tua Tagovailoa [for UCLA] since he was in the eighth grade. He’s just a special, special person and a special player.”
Mora was high on Michigan, which is 10-1 heading into Saturday’s rivalry game with Ohio State.
“I don’t think there’s a team out there that can threaten Alabama like Michigan can,” Mora said. “They attack on defense. They rush the passer. They have the secondary that maybe can hold up to Alabama’s receivers.”