Death motivates Tigers’ Cullens
Xavier Cullens doesn’t just love competition. It’s an addiction the Memphis senior linebacker feeds both on the football field and off it.
Drills at practice? He has to do them the best.
Taking notes? He wants the most detailed notes. Playing video games with fellow linebacker Tyler Murray? Murray usually wins so they have to keep playing.
“It’s just natural. It’s something I’ve been doing since I was a kid. Everything I do, I like to compete,” Cullens said.
Even in film sessions, Murray marveled at Cullens’ intensity. If Murray points out something, it only makes Cullens hungrier to find something else to point out.
Sometimes the intensity can go too far. Cullens had nine tackles in last week’s win over Navy but will sit the first half against Arkansas State (1-1) on Saturday (6 p.m., ESPN+) due to a targeting penalty in the fourth quarter.
“It’s playing faster, getting takeaway, getting tackles” Murray said of their friendly competition. “If I beat him in Madden, he’ll always want to switch teams.”
Yet that same intensity is also fueling his final goals at Memphis (1-1). Leave a legacy with how hard he played.
As one of the last links to the Tigers’ Cotton Bowl team in 2019, he wants his teammates to see the same passion he watched in former linebackers Genard Avery, Curtis Akins and JJ Russell.
Even coaches have taken notice as first-year defensive coordinator Matt Barnes called Cullens’ play inspiring during spring practice.
“He’s playing on speed two and everyone is playing on speed one,” Barnes said. “When you see a person that executes at that high level and has some juice and some energy about the way he does it, it’s hard not to be inspired.”
Growing up in Mississippi, Cullens said he always motivated to prove himself in sports and outdo whoever he lined up against. He carried that attitude in high school where he played basketball and baseball in addition to football.
But another side of his drive comes from a place outsiders might see as morbid. Death, he said, can come at any moment, so why not go all out.
It’s not paranoia but Cullens states it matter-of-factly to remind himself not to waste time. He hasn’t experienced death recently among family members. It’s just something he’s mindful of.
“You see death all the time so you just got to try not to take life for granted and enjoy every moment,” Cullens said.
“You got athletes dying every day, whether it’s a car crash or just overnight. So that’s a big factor. Time ain’t guaranteed for nobody so I try to use that because time goes by fast.”
The feeling hit Cullens more heading into the spring. It was the last time he’d prepare for a full season at Memphis just like Saturday will be his final home opener. So, it spurred him to not just play harder but become a more vocal leader
Linebackers coach Jordon Hankins noted that Cullens’ style — which he called pure — motivates others to follow his lead. There’s just something about his passion that makes football feel fun and less business-like.
“He’s one of those players that he’s going to show you his actions and his energy on the field is contagious. How he plays and how he runs around in genuine,” Hankins said. “When you see somebody like Zay, he
loves playing the game of football.”
Murray noticed it after transferring from Charlotte before the spring. He wanted to be challenged in his final season and Cullens made it easier with his personality.
“I didn’t really have anybody to compete with at my old school so it’s just really good to have him,” Murray said. “He pushes me more to want to be like him and want to better than him.”
Football might end for Cullens this season or it might continue at the professional level. But until it does, he’s holding nothing back. Every drill, game or meeting is a chance to outwork his teammates so he can have the greatest impact.
It may be fun, inspiring or pure to those around him. But for Cullens, it’s just doing what he’s done for years and one more season means no chance of losing the same edge he’s always shown.
“I want to go out with a bang and I want to leave a legacy,” he said. “Whether it’s (my) character or how I played the game, take care of myself (or) what I do.”
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You can reach Evan Barnes on Twitter (@Evan_b) or by email at evan.barnes@commercialappeal.com