Speaking on his turn of the SEC media teleconference, Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt was asked about freshman linebacker D.T. Shackelford, a 2009 graduate of Austin High School. The coach no doubt had plenty of love for his young defender.
“Well, I’ll tell you, I’ve never seen a young man come in here as a true freshman in the summertime, and just fit in so well. Everything is ‘Yes sir, no sir.’ He’s so far ahead of so many of the freshman. (He’s) a tremendous leader, tremendous passion.
“His high school coach said that from Day 1. It’s the best player he’s ever coached. He hustles, his attitude. That’s what he has: He has tremendous attitude with tremendous passion and he caught onto everything.
“It’s a shame he got hurt. I hope he will eventually get back to full speed. He has a very high ankle sprain and he was an exceptional player on special teams and we’ve had him in the rotation.”
About Shackleford’s recruitment:
“He had originally committed to Tennessee and I think we won the family. We won the mother, the dad. We convinced him this was their best home, that we were going to treat him like he was our own son. He felt good. He’s always felt good about Ole Miss when he got on campus. He always felt good about our academic support group, but once I got in that living room there in that last week, and we convinced his mom and dad this is his home and this is where he needs to be.
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