David Heard, left, Andre Bennett and several of their Vicksburg High teammates are getting swamped with letters from colleges wanting them. (The Vicksburg Post/C. TODD SHERMAN)

[05/31/01] If the calls and letters are any indication, Andre Bennett and David Heard could go where no Gators have gone in several years directly to a Division I-A school.

Bennett, a 6-foot-5, 350-pound guard, and Heard, a 6-foot, 170-pound defensive back, are getting plenty of attention from major colleges across the country, as are several other Vicksburg High seniors.

But, unlike the ex-Gators who are currently on I-A rosters, Bennett and Heard can go straight to any school they sign with. Both have already met the NCAA’s minimum academic requirements.

Chris Rainey, who went to Mississippi State in 1995, was the last VHS player to sign with a I-A school and go straight there. The other ex-VHS players who have been on I-A rosters since then either went to Hinds Community College first or walked on.

“This year, we’ve got a lot of guys that are D-I quality,” first-year VHS head coach Alonzo Stevens said. “Having them already eligible is definitely a plus. If (recruiters) see them as students too, that helps enhance the program.”

There were plenty of college coaches on hand almost every day of VHS’ spring practice. Besides Bennett and Heard, they were also looking at offensive linemen Junior Nix and Charles Wilson, tight end Walter Warfield, linebacker Tim Brown, defensive back Chris Humes and running backs J.J. Brown and Reginald Wheatley, among others.

“We’ve got at least five that should go D-I … If we don’t have a good season, it’s the coach’s fault,” Stevens said with a chuckle. “The last two years, Madison Central and Clinton had all the talent, and it showed. This year, it’s Vicksburg’s time to break out. We have speed, we have size … we’re loaded.”

Bennett got calls from Michigan and LSU last week, the first week NCAA rules allow college coaches to call recruits. Notre Dame and Arkansas are the other schools that have shown the most interest, he said.

Heard said Mississippi State, Southern Mississippi, LSU and Kentucky have given him the most attention. so far.

Being qualified already is where their similarities end.

Bennett likes too talk on the field, while Heard is rarely, well … heard.

“I like to talk noise,” Bennett said with a laugh. “I’ll tell the person I’m lined up against I’m coming at you.’

“Sometimes I’ll tell them the play, like I’m going to pull’ just to have fun.”

Heard said Mississippi State is at the top of his list, as long as Florida State doesn’t come calling. But he won’t remind anyone of those school’s most famous cornerbacks ex-Bulldog Fred Smoot and ex-Seminole Deion Sanders when there’s a microphone in his face.

“I don’t trash talk, I just play,” he said. “I always listen to my coaches … I try to get tips from anybody.”

Bennett said he’s leaning toward Michigan and Arkansas, but both of them would be on the back burner if the Miami Hurricanes made an offer.

“Miami, that’s the one I’m waiting on,” he said with a chuckle.

Heard said his approach in the classroom and on the field in practice are the same, which is why he excels in both.

“I pay attention in school just like on the field,” he said. “You’ve got to be quiet and listen if you want to learn anything.”

Stevens said Bennett and Heard’s brains are just as important to their success as their physical gifts.

“(Heard) saved us 20 or 30 times last year,” he said. “He makes the read and understands what the offense is trying to achieve.”

Bennett, who bench presses 370 pounds and squats 500, also “has a good head on his shoulders,” Stevens said. “He knows how to use his arms and his hands are twice as big as mine. And he’s going to get even stronger.”

And with upcoming junior Justin Henry at quarterback, the Gators will likely pass more this year. That will allow Bennett and the other linemen to work on their pass blocking, which should also help improve their stock in the eyes of college coaches.

Heard and Bennett are looking forward to the recruiting process.

“You just can’t let it go to your head,” Heard said. “You know that they send letters to a lot of people. You’ve just got to be better than them.”

Stevens, who recruited as an assistant coach at Alcorn State for seven years, said he wants the process to be fun for the players, as long as it doesn’t become a distraction. He will try to establish some basic rules with the recruiters.

“We’ll try to keep them from calling after 10 and from sneaking up here without (players’) parents’ permission.

“We’re going to try to monitor everything.

“A lot can happen in recruiting. There are no morals when it comes to this.”