Few young men are granted the chance to play college football. Still fewer have a shot at playing in the Southeastern Conference.Munford’s Vincent Moss is vying for a shot at both distinctions this summer.
“I want it pretty bad,” he said Friday. “I’m working my tail off right now, and (my coaches) keep telling me it’s gonna pay off eventually.”
It’s an audacious undertaking for the 5-11, 185-pound rising sophomore, who has to prove himself all over again to a new coaching staff.
Moss came to Oxford in the fall of 2007, as an invited walk-on for then-head coach Ed Orgeron. Following a 2-8 season, Orgeron was fired, and former Arkansas head coach Houston Nutt took over.
“I had to try out all over again,” said Moss. “I did well enough that I was invited as a walk-on. Right now I’m trying to make the 105-man roster.
“It’s pretty tough, but it’s not impossible.”
The former Lion comes to the Grove highly recommended. One of the more decorated athletes in recent MHS history as a senior, Moss finished the 2006 season as the team’s leading receiver and one of its top rushers. Moss also led the Munford basketball and track teams in the spring.
The biggest change from high school to college, he says is the expectation level.
“They (the coaches) expect accountability,” he said. “In all areas. They expect you to be on time for practice, for class, for everything.
“My schedule is built around the program, 24-7, throughout the year. You have to be willing to work.”
That expectation level has only been raised since the arrival of Nutt, who won two division titles in 10 seasons with the Arkansas Razorbacks.
“He’s very involved with his players,” Moss said. “He wants to be part of our lives, wants to know what’s going on with us outside football. He wants us to have a relationship with him beyond just player and coach.”
The Rebels suffered a number of near-misses in 2008, including three losses — to Florida, Alabama and Mississippi State — by less than a touchdown.
“We definitely have the talent to turn it around,” said Moss. “It just comes down to how bad we want it. We need everybody on the same page.”
As for how bad Moss wants it, there’s little doubt.
“(The coaches) are telling me to keep doing what I’m doing,” he said. “I’m getting good news every day.”
