Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
“It’s going to be a good emotional feeling” — Seniors reflect on their time in Murfreesboro ahead of Senior Day
11/16/2022 5:03:00 PM | Football
Twelve Blue Raiders will participate in Senior Day ceremonies on Saturday
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — The chill in the air on the turf of Floyd Stadium bit through the sweatshirts, the undershirts, the neck gaiters, and anything else the coaches and players of the Middle Tennessee football team wore out to practice on Tuesday afternoon.
The wind howled through the concourse of the stadium, a change in venue for practice necessary due to the steady rain all day. The rain had dissipated now, down to a mere drizzle. But for senior wide receiver Yusuf Ali, the rainy day gave him more reason to be nostalgic, as most seniors are the week of Senior Day.
"There was real bad rain or whatever, but we were still out there practicing," Ali recalled, when asked what his favorite memory of practice was as a Blue Raider. "But everyone was still excited and happy to be out there practicing."
There are so many little stories like that among the 2022 senior class, which includes 12 Blue Raiders that will be honored at 2:05 p.m. on Saturday ahead of MTSU's 2:30 p.m. kickoff against FAU at home this weekend. Of practices, of hanging out with teammates in the locker room, of big moments in big games, of quiet moments studying for exams.
It's also a group with a plethora of journeys, as Ja'Kerrius Wyatt noted with his own practice memory, from his first fall camp practice in 2017.
"My first day of fall camp, it was crazy man," Wyatt said. "I had guys like big Brew (Current Los Angeles Ram Chandler Brewer), going against them. It was crazy. When I was going through that, you would never think that would be where I am at now."
It's a small group, Head Coach Rick Stockstill noted, but one with a wide diversity of roads to Middle Tennessee that reflects so much of how college football works in 2022.
There are four sixth year captains, Jordan Ferguson, Chase Cunningham, Wyatt and Ali, that have been in Murfreesboro since 2017. Two of those captains, Cunningham and Ali, started in the program as walk-ons.
There are also FCS transfers, folks like Izaiah Gathings and Kyle Ulbrich, that started their careers at a four-year school and then made their mark over multiple seasons with the Blue Raiders. There are Junior College transfers, like Jordan Palmer, veteran rotation and starters like Jahlil Ryles, walk-ons like Aran Mohamad-Ali.
There's a host of Blue Raiders being honored this year that chose to use their final year of college eligibility with MTSU, guys like Darius Bracy, Christian Dixon and Preston Rice. Getting to wear the "C-USA Graduate" patch on their uniform as a graduate transfer.
It's a group that has battled back from injuries, set program records, and excelled off the field. It's a group that had to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic upending their entire career, changing how they had to go about their work as a team.
The fact that all of them have either graduated or will graduate is something that Stockstill is immensely proud of.
"To me, all of them have had a very positive impact on this program," Stockstill said. "All of them, to me, have matured and have graduated or will graduate this spring or this fall. And they're prepared, they're ready to take on this real world, outside of football.
"I love every one of them. I appreciate every one of them. I'm so thankful for every one of them for what they've given and sacrificed for this program. They mean the world to me. I'm just proud of them and the journey that they've embarked on."
For Jordan Ferguson, the whole season has been a stark reminder of all the lasts coming his way, driving him to keep putting it on the line week in and week out. Senior Day itself is an emotional exclamation point.
"I'm going to be emotional this Saturday, but it's going to be a good emotional feeling," Ferguson said. "I've seen a lot guys, when I was a freshman, seeing what it meant to them. Going out there and just putting everything on the line. Not just senior night, but the whole season itself, you just want to give it your all for those guys."
That sense of finality is not lost on his non-senior teammates either. Running back Frank Peasant spoke after MTSU's win over Charlotte last week about how much getting this group back to the postseason has motivated him this season.
The team certainly expects to keep playing several weeks after taking on the Owls, if all goes to plan. But Ali knows that the ceremonies on Saturday will definitely bring all of those feelings he and the senior class have to the forefront.
"It's going to feel good," Ali said. "Just knowing that I put in the work to actually get here, stay here and leave a mark. It's definitely rewarding knowing that I finally made it through."
The wind howled through the concourse of the stadium, a change in venue for practice necessary due to the steady rain all day. The rain had dissipated now, down to a mere drizzle. But for senior wide receiver Yusuf Ali, the rainy day gave him more reason to be nostalgic, as most seniors are the week of Senior Day.
"There was real bad rain or whatever, but we were still out there practicing," Ali recalled, when asked what his favorite memory of practice was as a Blue Raider. "But everyone was still excited and happy to be out there practicing."
There are so many little stories like that among the 2022 senior class, which includes 12 Blue Raiders that will be honored at 2:05 p.m. on Saturday ahead of MTSU's 2:30 p.m. kickoff against FAU at home this weekend. Of practices, of hanging out with teammates in the locker room, of big moments in big games, of quiet moments studying for exams.
It's also a group with a plethora of journeys, as Ja'Kerrius Wyatt noted with his own practice memory, from his first fall camp practice in 2017.
"My first day of fall camp, it was crazy man," Wyatt said. "I had guys like big Brew (Current Los Angeles Ram Chandler Brewer), going against them. It was crazy. When I was going through that, you would never think that would be where I am at now."
It's a small group, Head Coach Rick Stockstill noted, but one with a wide diversity of roads to Middle Tennessee that reflects so much of how college football works in 2022.
There are four sixth year captains, Jordan Ferguson, Chase Cunningham, Wyatt and Ali, that have been in Murfreesboro since 2017. Two of those captains, Cunningham and Ali, started in the program as walk-ons.
There are also FCS transfers, folks like Izaiah Gathings and Kyle Ulbrich, that started their careers at a four-year school and then made their mark over multiple seasons with the Blue Raiders. There are Junior College transfers, like Jordan Palmer, veteran rotation and starters like Jahlil Ryles, walk-ons like Aran Mohamad-Ali.
There's a host of Blue Raiders being honored this year that chose to use their final year of college eligibility with MTSU, guys like Darius Bracy, Christian Dixon and Preston Rice. Getting to wear the "C-USA Graduate" patch on their uniform as a graduate transfer.
It's a group that has battled back from injuries, set program records, and excelled off the field. It's a group that had to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic upending their entire career, changing how they had to go about their work as a team.
The fact that all of them have either graduated or will graduate is something that Stockstill is immensely proud of.
"To me, all of them have had a very positive impact on this program," Stockstill said. "All of them, to me, have matured and have graduated or will graduate this spring or this fall. And they're prepared, they're ready to take on this real world, outside of football.
"I love every one of them. I appreciate every one of them. I'm so thankful for every one of them for what they've given and sacrificed for this program. They mean the world to me. I'm just proud of them and the journey that they've embarked on."
For Jordan Ferguson, the whole season has been a stark reminder of all the lasts coming his way, driving him to keep putting it on the line week in and week out. Senior Day itself is an emotional exclamation point.
"I'm going to be emotional this Saturday, but it's going to be a good emotional feeling," Ferguson said. "I've seen a lot guys, when I was a freshman, seeing what it meant to them. Going out there and just putting everything on the line. Not just senior night, but the whole season itself, you just want to give it your all for those guys."
That sense of finality is not lost on his non-senior teammates either. Running back Frank Peasant spoke after MTSU's win over Charlotte last week about how much getting this group back to the postseason has motivated him this season.
The team certainly expects to keep playing several weeks after taking on the Owls, if all goes to plan. But Ali knows that the ceremonies on Saturday will definitely bring all of those feelings he and the senior class have to the forefront.
"It's going to feel good," Ali said. "Just knowing that I put in the work to actually get here, stay here and leave a mark. It's definitely rewarding knowing that I finally made it through."
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