Believe it or not, there are Aggies besides Johnny Manziel at SEC Media Days. Jake Matthews, perhaps the country’s best offensive lineman, and Toney Hurd, a senior defensive back who made a number of big plays last year. This was Hurd’s gathering in the room before the main room:
Texas A&M’s Toney Hurd on Alabama’s weight room: ‘We have a lot of A&M too’
Hey, look! A non-Johnny Aggie!
Thomas Campbell-US PRESSWIRE
Toney Hurd, Jr talking Aggie football in front of a throng of media #SECMediaDays pic.twitter.com/bUDSexyrf0
— Texas A&M Football (@AggieFootball) July 17, 2013
It stepped up a bit in the central hall, but his attendance was still dwarfed by Manziel’s and smaller than Matthews’. He was just as well-coached and thoughtful and surely more entertaining, though.
Both Hurd and Matthews were asked about Alabama over and over, along with a couple LSU and Florida questions. Both answered in the following format almost every time: “Coach Sumlin and Coach [position coach] will have us ready, but we’re focused on Rice. We’re taking it game by game. Our first goal is to beat Rice, and then we want to win the SEC Championship.” I feel more aware A&M is playing Rice to open the year than I am of anything else in the world.
But asked about the Texas A&M fixation in Alabama’s weight room, Hurd said:
Toney Hurd on A&M logos in Alabama's weight room: "in our weight room, we have a lot of A&M too."
— Jason Kirk (@JasonKirkSBN) July 17, 2013
On a more personal note, Hurd’s known for his Landshark celebration, which he attributes to the Dallas Cowboys, not Ole Miss. (Speaking of Ole Miss, he says the game against the Rebels was the point at which people stopped asking if the Aggies could handle the SEC.) There could be an evolution:
Toney Hurd won't deny the Shark could develop into a Sharknado. (I didn't ask this question.)
— Jason Kirk (@JasonKirkSBN) July 17, 2013
He was also asked one million questions about Manziel, almost all of which he initially answered with, "Johnny Manziel is a great guy," just as Matthews did. He was even asked which celebrity most reminds him of Manziel, since Manziel had declared himself the SEC's Justin Bieber earlier. Hurd went with former A&M offensive coordinator and Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury, due to stylishness.
He went out of his way to big-up his other teammates, however, calling NFL-draftee Ryan Swope the SEC's best receiver last year, A&M's the best this year, and A&M's practice squad receivers the best besides A&M's active roster. Secondary-mate Floyd Raven is the Aggie he thinks deserves more national attention.
He did drop this scandalous nugget:
Hurd says Manziel likes to play foursquare in the locker room.
— Jason Kirk (@JasonKirkSBN) July 17, 2013
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