Eric Berry Never Ceases to Amaze or Amuse
I miss Eric Berry. Not only in a "yeah, it'd be nice to have a guy who can dominate a game" way, but just in a visceral, I'd expect anything out of him sense. Guys who make the game legitimately fun to watch are rare (recently, at least). Of our current crop, Tyler Bray (yeah, contain your shock) comes close. I think Justin Hunter can certainly get there (I've enjoyed him when he's been around, which admittedly hasn't been that long), but beyond that? It's a long way down, for me at least.
So when I get bored, wander over to Youtube, and see Eric Berry lighting up Marquis Maze coming across the middle on a three-yard crossing route, I giggle. 2008 wasn't a particularly fun season, but watching a Crimson Tide player doing nearly a 360-degree spin through nothing of his own volition? Yeah, that's fun.
It's cool, you can giggle thinking about it too. Or you can close your eyes, quietly suck your breath in, and envision Berry stopping a Knowshon Moreno run - and when I say "stop", I mean "he stopped running, tried to stand up, couldn't stand up, and had to stagger over to the sideline" stop. Enjoy this free clowning of Tim Tebow, or ...well, you get the picture. I'm pretty sure it wasn't the Rocky Top Talk Top Plays of 2008 and it was the Rocky Top Talk Top Eric Berry Plays of 2008, but Joel can confirm that. It's what it seemed like, at least.
And yes, it's a bit hard to hold Bray or Hunter or Da'Rick Rogers or Justin Worley or Coradelle Patterson or Zach Rogers or James Stone* to the same standard as a guy who was pretty clearly ready to the next level as a sophomore. As much as we love ourselves some Bray, he's not that kind of player right now. Matter of fact, Tennessee doesn't really have that kind of player right now, and that's kind of the problem, isn't it?
Okay, since I took three Eric Berry highlights, hit me with your top three. They don't have to be Berry, mind you; anyone will do.
*I have no clue what you running game people like, so I'm guessing it's an offensive lineman. (Kidding, Brad. Or so I'm telling you, at least. YOU DON'T KNOW.)
