SEC Media Days: Day two takeaways

HOOVER, Ala. – Coaches and players from Georgia, Mississippi State, Tennessee and Texas A&M took the stage at the second day of the annual SEC Media Days on Tuesday. Plenty of topics were discussed, including both on and off the field topics. Here’s a breakdown of the three most buzzed about topics from a day full of questions.

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Background: The media had plenty of questions for the gathered players and coaches about discipline, with Georgia coach Kirby Smart and Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen taking the brunt of them. Mullen has come under fire for his decision to suspend former five-star Jefferey Simmons just one game after he appeared to strike a woman in a video that was posted to social media.

Quote of the Day: “I'm responsible for all of the actions for every one of my players. I'm responsible as a head coach. I can't be with them all of the time. All I can do is be a parent. My wife and I try to be parents to every one of the kids in our program. Not an individual. Just every single one of them. We try to be parents. And I take a great deal of responsibility of all of our players and actions that they do, good and bad.” – Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen

Background: There were plenty of questions about Tenneessee’s projection at the team to beat in the SEC East, especially considering the Vols were appearing on the same day as on of their biggest rivals in the division. But both the Vols players and coaches did their best to avoid a misstep when it came time to face the media, tossing out plenty of cliché’s when it comes to their approach to being the favorite rather than the underdog.

Quote of the Day: “You want those expectations. I think it's a compliment to everyone in our program of how far we've come. It's not where you start, it's where you finish. But I think it is a compliment in how we've grown and developed this football program.” - Tennessee head coach Butch Jones

Background: It’s been a few years since Johnny Manziel has played in the SEC, but on a day where Kevin Sumlin was meeting with the media it wasn’t surprising to see the former quarterback’s name come up. Manziel has been heavily discussed in the media this offseason as he has battled off the field issues. When Sumlin was asked about the topic he didn’t shy away from it and said Manziel will always have a home in College Station.

Quote of the Day: “I exchanged text messages with Johnny Manziel over the last two weeks. That's the extent of it. Look. Here's the bottom line. He's an Aggie and he's always going to be an Aggie. At Texas A&M, we take care of each other. So, you know, that has gone on. I have exchanged text messages with him, and really that's the extent of it.” - Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin