By Otis Kirk
FAYETTEVILLE -- Sam Pittman along with three players were present in Atlanta today representing the University of Arkansas at SEC Media Days.
Pittman was the first person to take the podium on Wednesday morning. Pittman touched on a wide variety of topics while at the podium. He touched on the accomplishments of last year's team, still enjoying the underdog role, Oklahoma and Texas coming to the SEC and much more.
"We brought KJ Jefferson today, Bumper Pool and Jalen Catalon," Pittman said. "Told the team yesterday if it was up to me, you know what I'm going to say, I wanted to bring the whole damn team. However, we're allowed to bring three. We're represented well."
"KJ Jefferson was our leading rusher, leading passer, MVP of the Outback Bowl," Pittman said. "He's a returning captain from last season. He's our quarterback. He makes us go. He sets the tone for our football team.
"Bumper Pool is what I would call a super senior, coming back, COVID senior year had 120 tackles at his linebacker position. Great leader. Great kid. I believe if he stays healthy he'll be the all-time leading tackler in the history of the University of Arkansas.
"Jalen Catalon we brought along as well. He was a captain last year for us. As we all know, he was hurt halfway through the season. Went ahead and had some surgery on his shoulder. He's the leader of the secondary. He gets everybody in alignment. He can run downhill. He'll hit you. Great kid."
The Razorbacks finished 9-4 in 2021, Pittman's second at Arkansas. They won all three trophy games plus the Outback Bowl for four trophies. The four trophies equals the number of games Arkansas won the two seasons prior to Pittman taking over.
"Most wins by the program since 2011," Pittman said. "Finished ranked in the top 20 in the Coaches Poll. Won four trophies. That was a big deal to our football team, big deal, to have all three of our rivalry trophies. Certainly the Outback Bowl trophy. No one on our team had ever had one of those trophies.
We were fortunate to have all three of them."
Arkansas defeated Texas A&M 20-10 on Sept. 25 to win the Southwest Classic Trophy. The Hogs followed that up by defeating LSU 16-13 in overtime on Nov. 13 to bring home the Golden Boot Trophy. In the final game of the regular season on Nov. 26, the Razorbacks routed Missouri 34-17 capturing the Battle Line Trophy. The Razorbacks defeated Penn State 24-10 on New Year’s Day to win the Outback Bowl.
The Razorbacks will open the season on Saturday, Sept. 3, at 2:30 p.m. by hosting Cincinnati. The game will be televised on ESPN and SEC Nation announced Wednesday they will be in Fayetteville that day.
"Excited about our non-conference opponents this year," Pittman said. "Week one we play the University of Cincinnati. Luke Fickell is the head coach there. They went to College Football Playoff, AAC conference champions, AFCA Coach of the Year. Week three we play Missouri State. Bobby Petrino, Arkansas coach, had great success at the University of Arkansas. Has been in the FCS Playoffs the last two seasons.
"BYU, they're 21-4. They have two top-20 finishes over the last two years, 20 returning starters. We go to BYU. Then. Liberty, they have three straight bowl wins under Coach Freeze. We all know about Coach Freeze."
Pittman pointed out being a Razorback means you represent the entire state not just the University.
"We'd like our program to reflect our state, the great state of Arkansas," Pittman said. "Loyal, tough, hard working. One of our goals every year is to make the state of Arkansas proud of the football team. In my office is a sign that says, You're not coming to play for the University of Arkansas, you're coming to play for the state of Arkansas. And it's true, true to the core."
Pittman was asked if his experience as a former high school and particularly junior college head coach helped prepare him for the changes in college football recruiting now?
"Yeah, I remember being the head coach at Hutchinson (Kan.) Junior College," Pittman said. "They said you had to have 120, 140 kids on your team. I went out west of Kansas, recruited, recruited. At a junior college you're going to recruit 85, 90 kids every year. It's kind of crazy.
"Yeah, I've been raised up with a lot of people. That's basically what's portal is doing now. With us, we signed 22 and 9. We signed 31 scholarships, which is unheard of, two years ago, if you know what I'm saying.
Change happens. It just depends on if you're willing to deal with the change or are you going to fight the change. For us, we're willing to do whatever we can to make our football team the best."
Pittman also was asked about Oklahoma and Texas joining the SEC and officially beginning play in 2025.
"It was fun playing Texas last year," Pittman said. "Obviously it was one year we had a nice game against them and those things. Have a lot of respect for Coach Sark and the Longhorns. Oklahoma would be another rival that would be pretty cool, to be honest with you. If we could play Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, that would be really neat.
"I'm not the schedule maker. I'm just a football coach. But to answer your question, that would be a really cool deal, growing up in the state of Oklahoma."
Pittman was asked if he had any advice for Texas and Oklahoma?
"But I would tell them what they already know: it's a hell of a league," Pittman said. "It's about big people and fast people. Not any different probably than the Big 12. Consistently each week you better have some depth. Those guys are great coaches over there at Texas, Oklahoma. They know that."