SPRINGDALE — The tight ends stole the show Friday at the Arkansas Razorbacks’ annual kickoff luncheon in front of a record crowd of more than 3,000 at the Northwest Arkansas Convention Center.
Coach John L. Smith made his debut at the head table for the event and gave what could stand as the team’s motto: “Our expectations are to win the [SEC] West, and the rest.”
Smith served as the concluding “interview” for master of ceremonies Jimmy Dykes, who had introduced Athletic Director Jeff Long and had witty exchanges with team captains Knile Davis, Alonzo Highsmith, Travis Swanson, Alfred Davis, Tenarius Wright and Tyler Wilson.
Long, who joked about his wife, Fanny, giving him a membership to the Fayetteville Athletic Club for their 20th anniversary, said the completion date for the new football operations center is still on target for the late spring of 2013.
As usual, the proceedings were spiced with humor, with tight ends Austin Tate and Alex Voelzke pitching in with glee.
Tate was chosen by Davis as the player with the best John L. Smith impression.
Instead of going with a vocal interpretation, as former Razorback Isaac Madison did in his imitation ofBobby Petrino, Tate chose a more physical approach. The junior out of Harrison crouched over, extended his elbows wide and mimicked Smith running a drill, starting with “Hey!” and ending with a big laugh and a round of applause.
Smith got back at the big tight end later when Dykes asked him what he’s learned about his team in camp.
“Tate’s going to run a lot more,” Smith said.
Voelzke took the microphone when Alfred Davis picked him for his impersonation of Tyler Wilson. Davis said a few players turned him down before he settled on the 6-6, 200-pound walk-on from Longview, Texas.
“This is Tyler when he brings the team together, maybe before practice or something,” Voelzke said.“He gets on his tiptoes like this, you know, to be above everybody: ‘Bring it up everybody, bring it up. Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey. All right. As y’all know, I was with Peyton Manning at his football academy last month. And I played a little golf with Brett Favre, OK? He told me we were going to be great this year. We’ve got to have agreat focus this practice because I’ve got a tee time in two hours.’ ”
The crowd erupted into laughter.
Wilson took the jokes in stride, saying when he took the microphone: “Just because I talk about golf a lot, doesn’t mean I get to play.”
Linebacker and team captain Tenarius Wright, who was called by Alfred Davis the best player to gather the team for a pep talk, prefaced his delivery with “excuse my ebonics.”
Davis also tabbed offensive lineman Austin Beck as the teammate least likely to win Dancing With the Stars, and he introduced Chris Smith, Tevin Mitchel, Matt Marshall and Kody Walker asthe team’s top singers.
Wright also let the crowd know the players are on the same page with their coach.
“There’s no greater accomplishment than an SEC title and a national championship,” he said.
Sports, Pages 15 on 08/18/2012