Terrance Newman & Phil Bennett

[Big10Ponyfan]

While watching the Cowboys game, I'm watching Terrance Newman, thinking about his KSU days when Bennett was there.

Does anyone know if Bennett and Newman are close and depending Newman's schedule and NCAA rules, could he have come over during the spring or summer unsupervised workouts to work with our new CBs on a volunteer basis?

Thanks

[SMUltimedia]

Bennett has a lot of signed memorabilia from Newman in his office. He's referenced him more than once as a model player. I get the impression they're pretty close.

[PonyPride]

They are close. I wrote a story last year about Newman, and when I met him for the interview, he asked why I had an SMU golf shirt on. He asked if I knew Coach Bennett, and when I said I did, he asked about Coach, and Sam and Maddie (Coach Bennett's kids). Newman is something of a clown in the Dallas locker room, but he hates talking to the media. But when I started talking about Coach Bennett (who also is very close to Dat Nguyen from his A&M days and Roy Williams from his stint at OU), Newman really opened up. He said that after Kansas State (Newman's alma mater), the team he wants most to succeed is SMU, because of his fondness for Coach Bennett. He also said Coach Bennett is "a defensive genius." He said building a talent base takes a lot longer than most people realize, and that when Coach Bennett has the players he wants (he acknowledged that the talent is better -- he said he has been to Ford Stadium and seen the Ponies play -- but not yet where he knows Coach Bennett wants it), Bennett will have "a killer defense and will win a lot of games at SMU."

Newman doesn't know me from a hole in the wall, and had no reason to say all that. But now every time I'm in the Cowboys' lockerroom, he goes out of his way to come say hello and ask about Coach Bennett. He clearly thinks extremely highly of Coach Bennett.

[Peruna Knight]

They are close. I wrote a story last year about Newman, and when I met him for the interview, he asked why I had an SMU golf shirt on. He asked if I knew Coach Bennett, and when I said I did, he asked about Coach, and Sam and Maddie (Coach Bennett's kids). Newman is something of a clown in the Dallas locker room, but he hates talking to the media. But when I started talking about Coach Bennett (who also is very close to Dat Nguyen from his A&M days and Roy Williams from his stint at OU), Newman really opened up. He said that after Kansas State (Newman's alma mater), the team he wants most to succeed is SMU, because of his fondness for Coach Bennett. He also said Coach Bennett is "a defensive genius." He said building a talent base takes a lot longer than most people realize, and that when Coach Bennett has the players he wants (he acknowledged that the talent is better -- he said he has been to Ford Stadium and seen the Ponies play -- but not yet where he knows Coach Bennett wants it), Bennett will have "a killer defense and will win a lot of games at SMU."

Newman doesn't know me from a hole in the wall, and had no reason to say all that. But now every time I'm in the Cowboys' lockerroom, he goes out of his way to come say hello and ask about Coach Bennett. He clearly thinks extremely highly of Coach Bennett.

Wow it's a small world isn't it. I'm glad that he is still close to PB and that he wishes our program to get back to the old days.