Terrence Metcalf Speaks Recruiting In Exclusive Interview

Terrence Metcalf started his career at Ole Miss in 1998 before being drafted by the Chicago Bears in 2002.

Terrence Metcalf is a popular name for many Rebel fans. Metcalf was a key piece on the Ole Miss offensive line for years before he spent years in the NFL. His son, DeKaylin Metcalf was a 4* WR who signed with Ole Miss in 2016.

Here we speak with Terrence about his time at Ole Miss and his son’s recruitment.

OleHottyToddy– Thank you for taking the time to talk to us.

Terrence Metcalf– Yea, man I appreciate it..

OHT– What schools were recruiting you?

TM-I was the number 1 recruit out of the state so pretty much everybody in the country. Anyone from Florida, UCLA, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Auburn, and Alabama. I was parallel to DeKaylin. It was the same process for me.

OHT– What attracted you to Ole Miss?

TM– The interest they showed me over everybody. How important they made me feel to be a part of the Ole Miss family and a part of the Ole Miss program.

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OHT-What is your favorite memory of being recruited?

TM-One of the craziest memories that I had during recruiting was I was at Ohio State, Eddie George and Orlando Pace’s senior year. They were practicing getting ready for the Rose bowl inside of their indoor practice facility.

I got a chance to meet Eddie George, and he talked to me about being a Ohio State Buckeye, and then they got me in front of someone I’ve been mimicking for ever in high school. I always wanted to be what Orlando Pace was when he was at Ohio State.

He built his career on how many pancake blocks he got while he was there. I started mimicking that as a Jr and Sr in high school. They called me up in front of everybody while they were at practice, they stopped practice, they put the camera on me and asked if I was going to be a Ohio State Buckeye. Before I left I committed to Ohio State.

OHT– What was it like playing in the SEC and for Ole Miss?

TM– It was awesome. Back then we were pretty successful offensively and had some key guys on defense like Derrick Burgess, Kendrick Clancy, Armegis Spearman and Ken Lucas. We could stop people because we had spot guys in different places but we didn’t have the total package on defense like we needed.

We were competitive when I was at Ole Miss. You look around at all the different amenities that the kids have now, we didn’t have that, but we competed at a high level, and I just remember the fun times. Walking through the Grove, getting a chance to meet the fans after the game, and just the comradery in the field house.

OHT– Did you enjoy your time at Ole Miss?

TM– Oh yeah!

OHT– What was your favorite memory during your time at Ole Miss?

TM-I was shown the indoor practice facility diagram as I was being recruited. I knew Ole Miss was headed in the direction where it is at now. They were trying to push to get the indoor practice facility done, and one of the fondest memories was one day coach Tubberville had us to go out underneath the press box on the west side of the stadium.

We were in full pads going at each other underneath the stadium, in bad weather, just to prove to them we still can practice so long as we had a place to practice. It seems like it was harsh, but it was a message to be sent. I’m grateful for that message because now my son gets a chance to play in an indoor practice facility.

OHT– What was it like being the father of a national recruit?

TM– It was awesome to see him go through the same thing I did.

OHT– There was a rumored friendship between DK and AJ Brown out of Starkville. Is that true and when did you know AJ was coming to Ole Miss?

TM– I pretty much knew A.J. wanted out of Starkville. I didn’t know about Ole Miss per se, but they’ve always been friends. You know the media, at one point, was trying to portray those guys as whose number 1 and who’s number 2. They never stopped talking. They never wavered not one second. To my knowledge they’ve always had a relationship since day 1.

OHT– What advice did you give your son?

TM– I had been down that road, and I could guide him through, not tell him, but guide him through the process. Just by telling him to be patient, trust in the lord and he will bring things his way. This is a business deal between you and whatever colleges are recruiting you.

You don’t have to give your heart to every coach that is talking to you to be a part of their program. You don’t have to give your heart and soul to any individual, but if you commit you are staying committed, and you do what you said you would do.

I'm blessed and honored to be able to stand in the Ole Miss Locker Room with my son next to The All-American Wall. pic.twitter.com/DM3H3x7hXt
— Terrence “Bigcat” Metcalf (@Metcalf79) January 31, 2016

OHT– Besides it being your alma mater, what impressed you about Ole Miss?

TM– I like everything from where Coach Freeze has taken this program from where it was under Houston Nutt. You can see the love and compassion that Coach Freeze has for Mississippi and Ole Miss. You can just tell the genuineness with him, and you can tell the genuineness in the program. You can’t hide it. When the head man is an open book, and carries himself in a godly manner, it’s hard to lose when you’re that type of individual.

OHT– Which coaches recruited DK?

TM– It started out as Matt Luke and we ended up with Grant Heard.

OHT– What was your impression of Coach Freeze and the coaching staff?

TM– Coach Freeze is a great guy, and of course, you look what he does on the field that speaks for itself. You talk about a team that can go out and win the national title and you can say we’re the only team that put a blemish on their record.

It’s obvious he’s doing the right thing offensively and moving the football around the right way and confusing defenses As far as Grant Heard as the position coach, I know you can have talent come in there, but you still have to coach talent to do the right thing and to be the right people on and off the football field. He’s proven that he can do that as he can do that well.

So that’s a no-brainer.

As to Matt Luke, that was my mentor when I was a freshman at Ole Miss. He guided me through all my freshman woes as starter on the field, and it continues to show how he’s dedicated to the game. He does a really good job with the offensive line, and its going to continue to get better as long as those guys stay focused and keep God first.

OHT– What advice would you give your son as an athlete starting his college career?

TM– Never practice and prepare yourself to play in college. Always practice and prepare yourself as a professional. You have to be a professional within the organization. That means going to class, getting your assignments in, when it’s time to be in the weight room be 15 minutes early, when you have treatment show up on time, studying when everybody else isn’t studying, know what you need to know before you get on the football field so that you can be as sound as possible and prepared as possible.

OHT– As a Ole Miss alum and having met Coach Freeze and his staff, what are your thoughts on what is being said about Freeze and his staff?

TM– The thing that is being said by rival fans is going to happen because everyone loves their school, and as far as the other stuff, I know the coaches as individuals, and I know the program itself, and God is going to see the program through it because it is what it is.

You can’t stop people from doing what they’re going to do. I don’t know about anything, but I just see and hear what the media is trying to push out there. I know these guys personally as fathers, as coaches, as friends and they’re good people. On the field and in recruiting, we see the product and that’s not changing.

OHT– If you could tell a recruit something about Coach Freeze and staff, what would it be?

TM– Listen to the genuineness, look at his track record, keep an open mind, remember this is a business interview between you and Coach Freeze.

OHT– What are your thoughts on what Coach Freeze has done to the Ole Miss program?

TM– It’s a sense of res-urgency. Look at where the program was under Houston Nutt, and I don’t want to beat a dead horse with that, but I know where the program was, and I know how people were divided.

There’s a togetherness at Ole Miss, period. I know all these other sports can be great, but football is what drives a university, and he brought the sense of togetherness back to the program, not just football, but all other sports as well.

You can’t really say Coach Freeze without Ross Bjork. He’s a young and innovated athletic director, and he sees the vision. It’s going to continue to get better.

OHT– What are your thoughts on this years team? What are your keys to the season?

TM– We lost some key guys defensively and offensively. I know they have some guys to fill the voids. It’s going to be based on if they continue to work this summer because I know they’ve been busting their tail. How fast the new guys can get out there and learn the verbiage and put it on the field.

OHT– I can not let you go without getting a prediction, what is your prediction for the Rebels this year?

TM-I’m not the right one for predictions because every year I predict us to go 12-0. Barring any injuries, I think with Chad Kelly at the quarterback position Ole Miss can compete with anybody

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OHT– Thank you for taking the time to talk to us.

TM-Thank you. You have a good one.

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