Josh Tatum cleared by NCAA clearinghouse

This summer has been a difficult time for the All-State lineman out of Marbury (AL) but good things lie ahead.

The 6' 6", 330 pound Ole Miss signee's mother was going through terrible stomach pains. If that was not enough to handle, Josh was having academic trouble and had to go overtime in summer school to try and gain eligibility. OK, it does not stop there, Tatum also still had to raise his ACT test and only had one more chance to take the it.

And the beat does not stop there, as the big ole country boy fell off a pickup truck while traveling in the back bed and hit his head on a curb which gave him a severe concussion.

But who said good things do not happen to good people?

"My mother's colonoscopy came back clean and she does not have cancer," stated an ecstatic Josh Tatum. "Man, I can't tell you how relieved we are hear that. We thought she had some major problems. The only negative is that they did say that she will have to get a colonoscopy done every year because something does look like it is brewing and cancer could form in the future, but so far, so good."

And what about that academic news?

"Oh yeah, I was officially cleared yesterday. Darn, that felt good to say that. It is like a piano has been lifted off of my back."

How is the head doing?

"Actually, I was given a full bill of health and the doctor gave me the approval to start hitting again. He says I am back to 100%. That was scary falling out of that pickup truck. I hit it (my head) pretty hard. I have not been able to keep in the conditioning that I wanted to this summer because I have had so much going on, but I will report to Ole Miss next week ready to go. I know Coach Markuson can whip me into shape."



Academic News

The 31-member 2008 football recruiting class now has everyone cleared by the clearinghouse minus the two players who did not qualify in WR Horatio Williams and Qth Randall Mackey. It still has not been set in stone on what Horatio is going to do. He signed a letter of intent with Hinds CC's track program but still has the option of sitting out the semester with hopes of pulling up his ACT test so he can enroll as a full qualifier at Ole Miss in December. At this time, Williams is leaning towards going to Hinds CC.

Mackey has enrolled at East MS CC.

RB Andre Sterling will further his career at Hargrave.

S Hunter Miller has decided to walk on at Arkansas after being asked to greyshirt at Ole Miss.

LB Patrick Trahan is finishing up his second session of summer school at N' West CC and CB Demareo Marr has finished up his course work and is waiting to get stamped by the clearinghouse.