The Southeastern Conference's only athlete who plays both football and basketball, Vanderbilt has quite a talent in Jamie Graham. The sophomore plays wide receiver for the football team while playing at guard for basketball. Graham spoke with the Vanderbilt Hustler about balancing his commitment to two sports, how he made the transition from defensive back to wide receiver and how he looks after his little brother.
Vanderbilt Hustler: You are the only athlete right now in the Southeastern Conference who plays both football and basketball. How do you manage the responsibilities of two very taxing sports while also keeping on top of your schoolwork?
Jamie Graham: I've been doing this since high school, so it's actually pretty easy for me to get through both. Coach (Bobby) Johnson lets me know that academics come first just as much as coach (Kevin) Stallings does. I know how important academics are, and I know it comes first, and it's pretty easy to juggle.
VH: Why did you want to play both sports in college instead of focusing on just one?
JG: I never like to limit my options. I never did that when I was younger, and my grandma never let me do it coming up. She always wanted me to be able to do what I wanted to do and have the option to pick what I wanted to do when I got older. You know, that's kind of my main thing, I just wanted to have the choice one day. You know, I might be able to have the choice to go to the NFL or the NBA.
VH: You're quite the fan favorite, especially on the basketball court. What do you feel you bring to the hardwood that makes everyone cheer for you so hard?
JG: I don't know. I guess that it's because I'm from Nashville. Some people kind of know my story and know the whole background behind my mother and me raising my little brother, but I was amazed when I walked on the court for the first time and heard everybody scream my name. I was just shocked. I just walked on the court and was looking around for a while and started smiling. I looked at Coach Stallings and he started smiling back and I was like, "Oh my goodness."
VH: In football, you were switched from the defensive side of the ball to offense during spring practice. How hard was it to make the transition?
JG: It was pretty easy. I played wide receiver and running back in high school, so the transition wasn't too hard. It was easier than I thought because it helped me being able to read coverages and figure out how defensive backs will play me. With me being a DB at one point in time, I know how I would play a certain coverage.
VH: Which side of the ball is tougher to play?
JG: I think it's wide receiver. The whole technique behind running routes, I don't think people understand that anybody can't just go in and run it - well D.J. Moore can, but he's a freak, and that's a whole different story right there. I need to be able to come over and run an efficient route and to be able to get into a good break is pretty hard.
VH: You played pretty much every position in high school, including punter. Do you think you could give Brett Upson a run for his money?
JG: (Laughing) Probably not now. In high school, my longest punt was 52 yards, so I probably could give him a run when I was in high school, but right now my hamstrings are real tight and my calves are real bad, so I probably couldn't stretch out to kick it that far.
VH: You had a breakout game against Georgia a few weeks ago (two touchdowns). What did that game do for you in terms of your confidence in your own abilities?
JG: It kind of just let me know that I'm meant to be out there with those players. I'm meant to be in the SEC and play against the type of players that I play against every week and practice with every day. It helped me out a lot, and I think it also helped the team because it let the quarterback and the coaches know that we have playmakers. We can spread the ball around. We did last year, but we had Earl Bennett and he was the main focus, so I think now it opens up the offense and we can distribute the ball more.
VH: What do you think the future holds for Vanderbilt football and basketball during the rest of your career?
JG: It can only get better. That's the most important thing. Vanderbilt basketball has been doing good for a while, but as far as Vanderbilt football, it can only get better from here.
VH: You serve as a sort of father figure for your younger brother (Jamonte, 13). How do you make sure that he is staying on top of his work and following the path that brought you so much success?
JG: I just try to call him every day and make sure everything's all right. If I don't talk to him, I at least talk to my grandma just to make sure that he's doing good. She basically gives me a report card on him. She lets me know his grades and how he's doing. He's also playing sports. He's playing football right now, and he had three touchdowns in the first half and a 2-point conversion in the last game they played, and they're going on to the city championship this week. I just let him know that I'm proud of him and I didn't only try to make the way for myself, I tried to make the way for him.
VH: Is he someone that Commodore fans should keep an eye out for in the future?
JG: Oh yeah, he's definitely someone Commodore fans should keep an eye out for. You never know what he might want to do. He likes Vanderbilt, he likes coming here and hanging out with some of the guys. D.J. gives him snacks and stuff all the time when he comes up here, so he may come to Vanderbilt because he thinks D.J. is still going to bring him snacks from the NFL.
