Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Friday Night Lights connection unites Windham, Hockman
8/11/2021 6:00:00 PM | Football
The McEachern lettermen have been reunited on the Blue Raider practice field
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — CJ Windham has a lot of great memories with Bailey Hockman.
It's hard not to have great memories as a high school wide receiver with your quarterback when your team won 10 games a year during your time together for the McEachern Indians. But even among all the memories, Windham still lights up remembering the touchdown against the Buford Wolves.
"He threw one to me down the sideline, I think it was my first time scoring that season," Windham said. "But it was a dime. Over the shoulder, I got to celebrate with the crowd down there in the endzone."
Windham buried the lead a bit — he did a great job beating press coverage to get open so Hockman could place the throw in a spot where only Windham could get it. And, by the way, Buford was the defending state champ and had its 42-game winning streak snapped that night with McEachern's 37-14 win.
So, a pretty good memory. The type of memory the two Blue Raiders hope can be made now that the pair are teammates once again.
"I just love being a part of it," Windham said. "It's good to see that over the years that I haven't been with him, that he's come back and improved."
Hockman, when he made a decision to transfer from NC State and join Middle Tennessee's program, was just happy to have someone he knew in the team meeting room he could ask questions, in addition to his old Florida State teammate Amir Rasul.
But, as time has gone on, it's been clear that the quarterback-receiver connection itself is pretty special, and hasn't gone anywhere in the five seasons since the pair last shared a field as teammates.
"He sent me a text yesterday like 'hey look man, we've got this, let's go get it!'" Hockman said. "It fired me up. It's been great, he's a great guy. Really humble, really great athlete."
Windham said it only took a few summer workouts for that familiarity between high school teammates to get back in sync, something he admits he was a little surprised by. But, he acknowledged, the fact that he came to MT and caught passes from a left-handed gunslinger like Brent Stockstill, made picking things back up with the southpaw Hockman even easier.
"The balls come a little different off the left side," Windham said. "Coming from high school to Brent, there wasn't a fall off."
Stockstill is still around the program, of course, now in his first year as the wide receivers' coach at his alma mater. Ironically, coaching many of the wideouts he was tossing touchdowns to in Floyd Stadium, given he last played for the Blue Raiders in 2018.
"Our relationship, it's a little different than a normal coach-player relationship. I'm 27 years old, and I embrace that." Stockstill said. "I love it every single day. It's such a cool thing to me, so special that I got to play with those guys and now coach them."
The younger Stockstill has gotten rave reviews early in camp, particularly for his energy and work ethic, carryovers from his days as the Blue Raider QB1, Windham noted. Given his background, he's well equipped to see things the rest of us can't when it comes to quarterback and receiver chemistry. And with this Georgia high school pair? Stockstill is already seeing the benefits of the old school connection.
"The thing we talk about in our room is just being true to the Q," Stockstill said. "Those guys have got to know where you're going to be, and we've got to be there at the right time, the right spot. We've got to be smooth, we've got to be easy to throw to.
"And when you've played high school ball with your former quarterback and now you get to do it again? There's already a little connection, you're familiar with each other, so it makes it a little easier."
Hockman is battling for the starting job early in camp, while Windham is seeking not to be complacent with what he's already done in a Blue Raider uniform as a deep receiver core pushes him every day in practice. But the potential is easy to get excited about, particularly given the fact Hockman and Windham ran run-pass option plays in high school under Hockman's father, Kyle, that are common in offensive coordinator Brent Dearmon's offense.
For his part, Bailey Hockman is focused on getting the chance to make more of those game day memories, by making sure he can win the position battle after being welcomed into the team as a transfer.
"They've accepted me with open arms and I'm loving it," Hockman said. "I love the team, love the atmosphere, and I'm proud to be here.
"I just need to keep focusing on my own process," Hockman said. "Making sure that I'm making the plays that I know I can make, and consistently making the right decisions for the team."
It's hard not to have great memories as a high school wide receiver with your quarterback when your team won 10 games a year during your time together for the McEachern Indians. But even among all the memories, Windham still lights up remembering the touchdown against the Buford Wolves.
"He threw one to me down the sideline, I think it was my first time scoring that season," Windham said. "But it was a dime. Over the shoulder, I got to celebrate with the crowd down there in the endzone."
Windham buried the lead a bit — he did a great job beating press coverage to get open so Hockman could place the throw in a spot where only Windham could get it. And, by the way, Buford was the defending state champ and had its 42-game winning streak snapped that night with McEachern's 37-14 win.
So, a pretty good memory. The type of memory the two Blue Raiders hope can be made now that the pair are teammates once again.
"I just love being a part of it," Windham said. "It's good to see that over the years that I haven't been with him, that he's come back and improved."
Hockman, when he made a decision to transfer from NC State and join Middle Tennessee's program, was just happy to have someone he knew in the team meeting room he could ask questions, in addition to his old Florida State teammate Amir Rasul.
But, as time has gone on, it's been clear that the quarterback-receiver connection itself is pretty special, and hasn't gone anywhere in the five seasons since the pair last shared a field as teammates.
"He sent me a text yesterday like 'hey look man, we've got this, let's go get it!'" Hockman said. "It fired me up. It's been great, he's a great guy. Really humble, really great athlete."
Windham said it only took a few summer workouts for that familiarity between high school teammates to get back in sync, something he admits he was a little surprised by. But, he acknowledged, the fact that he came to MT and caught passes from a left-handed gunslinger like Brent Stockstill, made picking things back up with the southpaw Hockman even easier.
"The balls come a little different off the left side," Windham said. "Coming from high school to Brent, there wasn't a fall off."
Stockstill is still around the program, of course, now in his first year as the wide receivers' coach at his alma mater. Ironically, coaching many of the wideouts he was tossing touchdowns to in Floyd Stadium, given he last played for the Blue Raiders in 2018.
"Our relationship, it's a little different than a normal coach-player relationship. I'm 27 years old, and I embrace that." Stockstill said. "I love it every single day. It's such a cool thing to me, so special that I got to play with those guys and now coach them."
The younger Stockstill has gotten rave reviews early in camp, particularly for his energy and work ethic, carryovers from his days as the Blue Raider QB1, Windham noted. Given his background, he's well equipped to see things the rest of us can't when it comes to quarterback and receiver chemistry. And with this Georgia high school pair? Stockstill is already seeing the benefits of the old school connection.
"The thing we talk about in our room is just being true to the Q," Stockstill said. "Those guys have got to know where you're going to be, and we've got to be there at the right time, the right spot. We've got to be smooth, we've got to be easy to throw to.
"And when you've played high school ball with your former quarterback and now you get to do it again? There's already a little connection, you're familiar with each other, so it makes it a little easier."
Hockman is battling for the starting job early in camp, while Windham is seeking not to be complacent with what he's already done in a Blue Raider uniform as a deep receiver core pushes him every day in practice. But the potential is easy to get excited about, particularly given the fact Hockman and Windham ran run-pass option plays in high school under Hockman's father, Kyle, that are common in offensive coordinator Brent Dearmon's offense.
For his part, Bailey Hockman is focused on getting the chance to make more of those game day memories, by making sure he can win the position battle after being welcomed into the team as a transfer.
"They've accepted me with open arms and I'm loving it," Hockman said. "I love the team, love the atmosphere, and I'm proud to be here.
"I just need to keep focusing on my own process," Hockman said. "Making sure that I'm making the plays that I know I can make, and consistently making the right decisions for the team."
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