HOOVER, Ala. -- Kansas City Chiefs safety Eric Berry has been a widespread inspiration in winning his battle with Hodgkin lymphoma, and you can count Tennessee cornerback Cam Sutton among those that the 2015 NFL Comeback Player of the Year has touched in an impactful way.
One of the Volunteers' top draft prospects, Sutton said Tuesday at SEC Media Days that Berry found time to visit UT players on the Knoxville, Tenn., campus during his recovery. Eric's twin brothers, Evan and Elliott, are entering their junior seasons at UT.
"He's spoken to the team and still continues to talk to guys," Sutton said. "It's amazing that he battled crazy adversity like that. Even though that process -- I have a great relationship with that family -- I never saw a dull moment from him. He had the same motivation each and every day, and worked tremendously hard to get back out there. That's a very special family ... our families are very close even beyond just football."
Berry was diagnosed in 2014 and left the Chiefs midseason to begin battling the illness. He returned for the 2015 season and earned Pro Bowl honors.
Sutton has 32 career pass breakups at UT entering his final season, one more than Berry -- the No. 5 overall draft pick of the Chiefs in 2010 -- had in three years at the school. NFL Media analyst Chad Reuter ranked Sutton the No. 59 player in college football.
Here are seven other othings we learned Tuesday at SEC Media Days:
Relatively speaking. Georgia DB Dominick Sanders revealed he's a second cousin -- through his mother's side of the family -- of Chicago Bears first-round draft pick Leonard Floyd. And not surprisingly, he talks with the former Bulldogs star a few times a month and any time Floyd makes his way back to the Athens, Ga., campus.
"Leonard was a man. He taught us a lot, on and off the field. We lost him -- he's doing big things right now -- but he left a message to stay focused, and everything will fall into place," Sanders said.
So what are Sanders' expectations for the Bears' rookie pass rusher?
"The man loves (sacking) quarterbacks. That man, coming off the ball, was just insane," Sanders said. "He's says it's intense (in the NFL), but I know he'll do great."
Garrett wants it all. Texas A&M DE Myles Garrett had plenty to say Tuesday, disclosing a pair of lofty goals: 20 sacks in 2016, and to be the No. 1 pick of the NFL draft. One, of course, would help beget the other. Garrett also revealed a surprising answer when asked whom he considers to be the best pass blocker he's faced in two years of SEC play. Hint: It's not former Ole Miss star and Miami Dolphins first-round draft pick Laremy Tunsil.
Manziel 'always an Aggie' to Sumlin. Troubled former Cleveland Browns QB Johnny Manziel, whose downward spiral this summer led to his father calling for the former Texas A&M star to get into a drug rehab program, has been in touch recently with TAMU coach Kevin Sumlin. The substance of the exchange, however, wasn't something Sumlin was willing to share.
"I have exchanged text messages with Johnny Manziel in the last couple weeks. Here's the bottom line: he's an Aggie and he's always going to be an Aggie," Sumlin said. "At Texas A&M, we take care of each other. I have exchanged text messages with him, and that's the extent of it."
Chubb on the mend. Georgia star RB Nick Chubb, who is finishing his recovery from a serious knee injury, should be ready to practice when fall camp opens, new coach Kirby Smart said Tuesday. And while he won't be immediately ready for full contact, Smart is more than pleased with his progress. As for RB Sony Michel, who broke his forearm in an all-terrain vehicle accident, Smart isn't quite as sure what to expect.
"It's an injury that they don't have a lot of experience with because it's not a normal football injury," Smart told the Athens Banner-Herald.
The Baker difference. New Mississippi State defensive line coach Brian Baker brings a wealth of NFL experience to MSU, having coached 19 seasons with eight NFL clubs, most recently the Washington Redskins. Baker coached eight Pro Bowlers in the NFL, including Robert Porcher, DeMarcus Ware and Julius Peppers. For Bulldogs DE A.J. Jefferson, it's a welcome addition.
"He's coached in the NFL a long time. So not only does he know what it takes to get there, he also knows what defensive line coaches want in their defensive linemen," Jefferson said. "That's something he can help me and the rest of the seniors with this year."
Reeves-Maybin eyeing Vikings' Barr. Tennessee LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin, one of the Volunteers' top draft prospects, is only 6-feet tall, but with the athleticism to play the pass and make open-field tackles, his skill set is well-aligned with the direction NFL linebackers are trending. That's not lost on the senior, whose third-down effectiveness figures to be an attractive asset to NFL scouts this fall.
"That suits my skill set. That's the kind of template I go into," Reeves-Maybin said. "But I pride myself on being a great football player, not an undersized guy or a hybrid or anything. I watch a lot of different linebackers. I watch NaVorro Bowman. I think Luke Kuechly is really good, and lately I've been watching a lot of Anthony Barr. I really like the way he plays."
Jefferson reveals Jones legend.Kansas City Chiefs second-round pick Chris Jones could dominate the Mississippi State offense on the practice field, and according to Bulldogs DE A.J. Jefferson, nobody knows it better that MSU's diminutive 5-foot-7, 165-pound running back, Brandon Holloway.
"One time we were doing an inside drill and (Jones) just picked up Brandon Holloway and (dropped him)," Jefferson said. "Holloway got up and tried to jump up and hit him in the back of the head. There were some times where Chris just shut (the offense) down."
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