LAZARRI MIDDLETON: Mustangs get their man
Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2011 5:12 pmTwo years ago, SMU secondary coach Derrick Odum recruited a heralded cornerback named Lazarri Middleton from one of the nation's most powerful high school football teams, Long Beach (Calif.) Poly. Middleton ultimately chose Nebraska, but two years later, he is a Mustang.
Middleton sat out the 2009 season as a redshirt before serving as a backup cornerback for the Cornhuskers last year. But the chance to be closer to family — he has relatives in the Metroplex and Houston — and to play for a promising team like the Mustangs inspired him to transfer to the school he said was "a close No. 2" two years ago. Middleton took the field with his SMU teammates for the first time Friday.
"SMU was my first offer coming out of high school," Middleton said. "I really liked Coach Odum when he recruited me. It really came down to Nebraska, UCLA and SMU, but Nebraska and SMU were really my top choices."
Middleton also had scholarship offers from Kansas State and Idaho State.
"I came to SMU to be a part of something," Middleton said. "There's so much going on at SMU. They have been to bowls the last two years, and we're going to more.
"Plus, I have family in DeSoto, Plano and Houston. I have lots of ties here."
Per NCAA transfer rules, Middleton will sit out the 2011 season. He will have three years to play two seasons, and plans to major in economics with a minor in business.
Middleton will spend the season practicing as a member of the scout-team defense. He acknowledged that watching all season could be frustrating, but also could benefit him in the long run.
"It's going to be hard (to watch)," Middleton said. "But at the same time, a lot of good could come with this. I can help the other guys on the team, and I'm going to get a full year to learn the defense.
"I think of myself as a really physical, smart cornerback. I like to understand my job and understand what everyone else is supposed to be doing, too. If you know the entire defense, you become a better player. You can't win off athleticism alone — you have to be a student of the game, too."
Middleton said he is six feet tall (even though the Nebraska athletic website listed him at 6-1) and weighs 190 pounds. He said that in addition to his work with the SMU defense, he hopes to get some work as a punt returner and kickoff returner.
Middleton sat out the 2009 season as a redshirt before serving as a backup cornerback for the Cornhuskers last year. But the chance to be closer to family — he has relatives in the Metroplex and Houston — and to play for a promising team like the Mustangs inspired him to transfer to the school he said was "a close No. 2" two years ago. Middleton took the field with his SMU teammates for the first time Friday.
"SMU was my first offer coming out of high school," Middleton said. "I really liked Coach Odum when he recruited me. It really came down to Nebraska, UCLA and SMU, but Nebraska and SMU were really my top choices."
Middleton also had scholarship offers from Kansas State and Idaho State.
"I came to SMU to be a part of something," Middleton said. "There's so much going on at SMU. They have been to bowls the last two years, and we're going to more.
"Plus, I have family in DeSoto, Plano and Houston. I have lots of ties here."
Per NCAA transfer rules, Middleton will sit out the 2011 season. He will have three years to play two seasons, and plans to major in economics with a minor in business.
Middleton will spend the season practicing as a member of the scout-team defense. He acknowledged that watching all season could be frustrating, but also could benefit him in the long run.
"It's going to be hard (to watch)," Middleton said. "But at the same time, a lot of good could come with this. I can help the other guys on the team, and I'm going to get a full year to learn the defense.
"I think of myself as a really physical, smart cornerback. I like to understand my job and understand what everyone else is supposed to be doing, too. If you know the entire defense, you become a better player. You can't win off athleticism alone — you have to be a student of the game, too."
Middleton said he is six feet tall (even though the Nebraska athletic website listed him at 6-1) and weighs 190 pounds. He said that in addition to his work with the SMU defense, he hopes to get some work as a punt returner and kickoff returner.
