Robbie Caldwell Meets SEC Media; Comedy Show Ensues

By JOHN P. WISE
One Great Season

Urban Meyer, Nick Saban, Les Miles, Steve Spurrier and of course, Robbie Caldwell.

Who's Robbie Caldwell, you ask?

The first four coaches named above have won national championships, but new Vanderbilt boss Caldwell has been the highlight at SEC Media Days so far this week in Birmingham, Ala.

Bobby Johnson stepped down surprisingly last week, opening the door for Caldwell, who met the league-wide media at the conference's annual summer carnival Thursday. Here are a few gems that you'll surely see on "SportsCenter" tonight:

+ "People ask me, 'What about all the coaches? Have they congratulated you?' Not a one. They have no idea who I am."

+ "I go from lining the field to (being) a head coach in the SEC. I'm telling you ... What a thrill. It's a dream."

+ "I can still walk in places and nobody knows me. Last night I was opening the door for people and they gave me a tip."

+ "When I took a pay-cut to go to Furman as a full-time assistant, my dad said, 'You're an idiot.' I'm sure I've continued to live up to his words."

+ "I worked on a turkey farm. I was on the seminating crew. I worked my way to the top. That's a fact, man. It was the best job I ever had. Got paid by the hour for the first time."

+ "A wild turkey's one of the smartest animals in the world; a domestic turkey's the dumbest thing."

+ "If I told some of these ladies what they put in that lipstick ... "

For more great Caldwell quotes and other SEC Media Days coverage, Holly Anderson is doing a nice job for EDSBS right here.

Comments

[Steve S]

Great post, OGS. A refreshing contrast to the rest of the coaching curmudgeons. I'll root for the Commodores just because of this guy and his self-deprecating approach. Probably won't be much help during his SEC schedule, though.

[John P. Wise]

Thanks, and yeah, definitely a nice -- and sorely needed -- contrast to the handful of self-obsessed coaches in that league.