Knight discusses the most "unlikely"
Oct. 2—NEWBERRY — Todd Knight, Newberry College's head football coach, talked to the Newberry County Touchdown Club about the "unlikely" team during the group's first gathering of the season.
Prior to the season, Knight said the team started in Chapel with The Rev. David Coffman; during that sermon, Knight said Coffman spoke of how God calls the most unlikely of us to do the job.
"That made sense to me, I got to thinking about certain players, coaches and I said, 'that's us." We are the most unlikely, Newberry, me, our kids, and I want to give you some examples,' Knight said.
Ty'Ran Dixon
"He had a great career with us, this kid played at Columbia High School, he committed to go to Tulsa early. We didn't even talk to him, he's going to Tulsa, we moved on," Knight said. "Signing Day, his high school coach called me and asked if we had a scholarship left over. Tulsa called and dropped Ty'Ran on Signing Day."
Dixon was a wreck, according to Knight, he said no one had any money left, except Newberry College.
"I ran as fast as I could to the compliance office to get the paperwork on this kid and get him signed," he said.
Today, Dixon has two rings and has been to the playoffs multiple times. He also has a degree and is the first ever Newberry College football player to graduate with his masters.
"How unlikely is it, a kid going to Tulsa ends up in Newberry and have all that stuff happen to him," Knight said.
Dre Harris
Coming out of high school, Knight said Harris had no grades, no offers and college coaches were not stopping to see him.
"He didn't know what the future held for him," he said. "I looked at his film, this kid could play. All the coaches said we cannot get him in school, he doesn't have the grades."
Knight said he begged, borrowed and stole — calling in every favor he had. Knight wanted to give Harris a chance.
"In the recruiting process, every year it is my job to out recruit the kids playing for us. I have to find one better than Dre Harris, I brought in two Division I bounce backs at quarterback, they never touched the field," he said. "How likely is it that a kid with no grades, no offers, no future got his degree and will graduate in December as the second Newberry College football player with his masters."
Juwan Moye
"This kid played high school football in Georgia, committed to Virginia; you know what kind of grades you've got to have to get into Virginia? A very smart kid," Knight said.
Moye was playing ACC football with a bright future, Knight said, but then he ripped his knee.
"Virginia drops him," he said. "He transfers to James Madison, national champions, doesn't work out. He goes home to Atlanta, enrolls in Georgia Military Institute, doesn't work."
According to Knight, Moye ended up working at Jiffy Lube changing oil. However, it just so happens that particular Jiffy Lube was owned by a Newberry College Board of Trustees member who was a Newberry College graduate. They get to know each other and the owner calls Newberry College's president.
"The president wanted me to check him out; I call him, invited him up, he takes a chance and when he walks in the door I say, 'okay, we might have something,'" Knight said.
Before he began playing football for the Wolves, Moye had to do a year in residency, practice and take classes for a year, per NCAA rules.
"How likely a kid with that kind of story has helped us win and is continuing to help us win," Knight asked.
Noah Mangum
Prior to playing for the Wolves, Mangum was staring at Presbyterian College, Knight said he was all conference there and was a 4.0 student.
"In the spring, he decided he wanted a change. He entered the transfer portal, called us, we brought him over — we wanted him," Knight said. "He came out of spring football, he started at center, he plays guard and he has a 4.0 here. He looks better in scarlet and gray than he does in blue. How likely is it that a kid from Presbyterian College is at Newberry helping us win? One of the unlikeliest getting the job done for us."
Craig Barksdale
Barksdale is a defensive end for the Wolves, Knight said Barksdale has been told he is not big enough to play his entire life.
"This kid, week in and week out, goes against the biggest offensive lineman the other team has and I'm taller than Craig," Knight said. "Every week, this kid beats Bigfoot, which is the way I look at it. He goes against the biggest kid out there each week."
Although Barksdale is not the biggest, according to Knight his heart is the size of South Carolina.
"That is how he is beating them. This man right here is one of the unlikeliest, but he's getting the job done," Knight said.
Kody Varn
Varn's father is the offensive coordinator for the Wolves and 12 years ago, Kody Varn was the ball boy for the team on the sideline.
"Now, he's got his degree in his hand and he started for us the last couple of years," Knight said.
Now, as Knight pointed out, many may wonder what makes Varn one of the unlikeliest. He became one of the unlikeliest after he graduated and wanted to attend graduate school.
"We hadn't worked all the bugs out yet and they would not let me scholarship him," Knight said. "He came to me and said, 'I cannot afford grad school, I think I'll have to enter the portal and see if someone will help me pay for grad school and go somewhere else.'"
Knight told Varn, first and foremost, that he appreciated what he did for the team and that he thought he was making the right decision.
"He enters the portal, he gets visits and scholarships from William and Mary, The Citadel, Charleston Southern, Gardner Webb, Western Carolina, but then the school (Newberry College) got their act together," Knight said.
The school told Knight to go ahead and scholarship him and Varn cancels every visit.
"We are at camp, he's out there starting for us, Furman calls him in the middle of camp and tried to get him to pack his bags and leave in the middle of camp," Knight said. "He's the most unlikely because he didn't leave — that kid is loyal."
President Maurice Sherrens
Knight said that even the guy at the top of Newberry College is part of the most unlikely.
"This guy has never been a president before; he was at George Mason as a vice president. I've never heard of it, don't know where it is," Knight joked." This guy shows up from who knows where, no one knows him, he is the most unlikely candidate to get the job and look where we are today because he has been there with us."
Knight noted that thanks to Sherrens, the college has record enrollment, new buildings on campus with three more going up and so much more.
"Not just football, success on campus and the entire institution because our leader is one of the most unlikely. That is us, that is Newberry," Knight said.
Will Smith
"Anyone hear the term big doors turn on small hinges? I use it all the time, I think of our program, I have 209 football players running around out there and that does not count managers, trainers, coaches, etc. There are 209 guys with helmets on, that is a lot of stuff going on," Knight said. "Sports information, the media, all the stuff that goes around that, the small hinge that turns the big door is Will Smith."
Smith has been with Knight for a couple of years. He films every practice and he helps manage Knight's Twitter.
"Everything you see on social media about us is thanks to him," Knight said.
Coach Todd Knight
About 20 years ago, Knight said he was out of a job after being fired and he was waiting at home for the phone to ring.
"I was going through a second divorce, I was at rock bottom and when you don't have a job, the phone doesn't ring," he said. "Finally, the phone rang and it was Newberry College, they offered me an opportunity to volunteer. I got the truck and I volunteered; it was a blessing."
Knight said he was getting up at 4 a.m. to drive up to Newberry to open the weight room at 6 a.m. He stayed until the staff meeting was over and would drive back to Charleston. He did this four days a week.
However, Knight would go from volunteering to being hired as defensive coordinator to head coach.
"But 20 years ago, I was the most unlikely," Knight said.
Today, Newberry College football is ranked in the top 10 — the first time in the history of the program.
"How likely is that? No one expects us to be in the top 10," he said. "Being ranked in the top 10 puts a bullseye on your back. We are everyone's Superbowl, so we have to win. What you do today, you'll do on Saturday, go out today and practice and win so you can win on Saturday."
Reach Andrew Wigger @ 803-768-3122 or on Twitter @TheNBOnews.
