Memphis football cleans up for opener
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One by one, the University of Memphis football players stepped off the buses and onto Tiger Lane on Saturday afternoon, more than two hours before their season-opener against Southeast Missouri State.
The pregame “Tiger walk” among fans outside Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium has been a tradition for several years now. But the matching grey suits and striped blue ties worn by every player? Now that was something new.
Before the season, funds raised by a group of program donors were used to provide suits, ties and shirts for every Memphis football player. Coach Mike Norvell believes the new pregame attire is important for the perception of the program and the mentality of players alike.
“Heck, I was 22, 23 years old before I ever had my first suit,” Norvell said after Saturday’s 35-17 win over SEMO, his first game as a head coach. “And whenever you put a suit on, man, that chest comes out a little bit more. You know where you’re going is important.
“You should see our guys, the look in their eyes, how they prepared, the pregame — everything was very sharp because this is big-time college football. I thought the guys really liked that. And it presents a class of what our program’s all about.”
Athletic director Tom Bowen said he spent more time than he normally does on the sidelines Saturday to watch Norvell in action, and how players responded to him. He said he was impressed with the team’s discipline, organization and attentiveness during the game — as well as their appearance beforehand.
“That’s what the SEC