Syracuse Football: Get to Know Your Orange Man -- #43 Mario Tull

The countdown rolls on and we're finally at that glorious number: 44!

Wait, what?  There's no more 44?  So, Doctor Gross basically abolished a number (attention mathematicians: is this possible?) and stuck it on an oversized jersey hanging from the rafters that could only be worn by someone of Bill Brasky's measurements?

Well, shit. 

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PLAYER: Mario Tull

NUMBER: 43

POSITION: Running Back

YEAR: Sophomore

HEIGHT: 6'0"

WEIGHT: 208

HOMETOWN: Brooklyn, NY (probably hung out with Carles before it was cool to do so)

HIGH SCHOOL: Xaverian High School

2010 STATS: With the experience of last year's linebacking unit, it's not much of a surprise that Tull didn't get a bunch of work in the 2010 season.  It looks like Tull saw action in four games last year -- Colgate, South Florida, West Virginia, and Rutgers.  (Participation reports are somewhat spotty so, you know, take it easy there, champ.) On the year he registered seven tackles, one of the solo variety.

Those stats don't mean all that much, though, as . . .

2011 PROJECTIONS: . . . America's Favorite American moved Tull to running back during spring ball this year.  Currently, Tull is staring at a long road ahead of him if he wants to get carries in 2011: Antwon Bailey, Prince-Tyson Gulley, Steve Rene, and Jerome Smith are all taking up preferred positions on the post-spring depth chart.

That chart, of course, doesn't even consider a guy like Adonis Ameen-Moore that will probably get a long look in August.

Here's what Lyons wrote about Tull in his post-spring report card:

Mario Tull: (?) - Tull recently moved to the backfield from linebacker, where I thought he was very solid all spring.  I probably would have given him a B- grade as a 'backer.  However, the coaches apparently don't see Tull seeing the field as a linebacker, so he's been moved to offense.  How this works out is yet to be seen.

I'm totally filled with oodles of confidence now.  PLEASE GOD PROTECT ANTWON BAILEY!

Expect him to see time on specials in 2011.  I also wouldn't be totally shocked if he moved back to linebacker if depth there becomes a supermajorunbelieveable problem.  The Marrone quote below, however, indicates that Tull is going to be toting the bean while he's in orange.

Or blue. 

Or white.

Uniforms have different colors, yo.

HOW'D HE GET HERE: By default, of course:

"They were the only school really interested in me," Tull said of Syracuse. "I didn't want to let an opportunity like that go to a waste. I wanted to hold onto it, which is why I committed."

It's cool, baby. If you can't be with the one you love, Tully, love the one you're with.

WHAT DID SCOUT/RIVALS SAY?: Scout: 2 stars; Rivals: 2 stars.

Lather. Rinse. Repeat. 

"How was Citizen Kane, Scout/Rivals?"

"Eh, it was OK.  2 stars.  Might really do well down the line with some seasoning."

MONEY QUOTE: Not too many people want to talk to a backup, underclass linebacker that was recently moved to running back.

Shocking, I know.

So, instead, here's an excerpt from one of my favorite Jack Handey pieces:

We are gathered here, way far in the future, for the funeral of Jack Handey, the world’s oldest man. He died suddenly in bed, according to his wife, Miss France.

No one is really sure how old Jack was, but some think he may have been born as long ago as the twentieth century. He passed away after a long, courageous battle with honky-tonkin’ and alley-cattin’.

INTERESTING NUGGET O' INTEREST: His middle name is Alwyn.  According to this website, Alwyn means "friend of elves or magical beings."

He's totally going to bag Liv Tyler.

WHAT DOES MARRONE THINK?: He thinks that Mario Tull isn't a linebacker and is a running back.  End of discussion.  Wait, you have a problem with that, brother?  This fist in your ribs disagrees that you have a problem.

"We don’t see [Tull], as a staff, getting on the field as a linebacker," Marrone said.
"It’s not that we’re overstocked at that position – we’re not at all.

"When we look at our players, we’re always looking at places to put them where they can help our football team and give them an opportunity to get on the field," Marrone said. "I’m trying to do what’s best for Mario Tull."