Receiver goes to Southeast after his team disappears

Brian Matthews hopes that East Tennessee State's loss will be Southeast Missouri State University's gain in the form of a big, fast wide receiver who can help the Indians put up the kind of prolific offensive numbers they compiled in 2002.

"I'm excited to be here and I'm just trying to help out any way I can," said Matthews as the Indians wrapped up their first week of spring practice at Houck Stadium this week.

Matthews is at Southeast because East Tennessee State -- an NCAA Division I-AA program in Johnson City, Tenn. -- dropped football following the 2003 season. East Tennessee State players were then free to transfer without having to sit out a year, and Matthews is happy he landed in Cape Girardeau.

"I like it here," he said. "I wanted to come some place we could win a championship, and I think this is the place."

Matthews, who will have two seasons of eligibility with the Indians, is a 6-foot-3, 215-pounder who can move, which is what attracted Southeast's coaching staff to him.

"He's going to be a good player," head coach Tim Billings said. "He's big and strong, and he can run."

Matthews, from Georgetown, S.C., played in a run-oriented offense at East Tennessee State but still managed to be the Bucs' second-leading receiver last year, catching 19 passes for 282 yards and two touchdowns. The Bucs' top receiver caught just 26 balls as the squad went 5-7.

"They didn't throw the ball at East Tennessee State. He's probably caught more balls this week in practice than he did all last year," Billings said, laughing. "But we watched him on film and really liked what we saw."

Stunning developmentMatthews, who transferred to Southeast prior to the current semester, said he and his East Tennessee State teammates were stunned when they found out the school was dropping football only a few months before the 2003 season was about to start.

"It was hard to go anywhere," he said. "I knew it was best to play that season and then find another place to play."

Billings said he knew one of the East Tennessee State assistants, who provided Southeast coaches with a list of some players they might be interested in, which led the Indians to Matthews.

And now Billings believes Matthews will be a solid addition to a group that returns five of last year's top six receivers and has added several reinforcements.

Bill Coleman, a top receiver two years ago who was academically ineligible last season, is back. Junior college transfer Oge Oge is, like Matthews, big and fast. And the speedy Jamel Oliver, who was moved to tailback midway through last season because of injuries and wound up being the Indians' leading rusher, is back at receiver this spring, although Billings said he will probably split time between the positions.

"We've got a lot of really good receivers," Billings said. "I think that's going to be a real strong position for us."

And Matthews is glad to be a part of the program.

"The thing that turned me on about SEMO the most is they played in the OVC championship game and had most of those guys coming back," he said. "I think we can be really good."

Noteworthy

Jackson High School product Caleb Daniel, a starter on the defensive line the past several seasons, will spend his senior year on offense as he has been moved to tackle to shore up a line that graduated three players and is short of numbers.

"We think he's got a chance to be really good. He's got great feet and he can be a great offensive tackle," Billings said. "We wouldn't have moved him if we didn't plan on him starting."

Adam Jones, a starting defensive end the past several years, is being limited to non-contact work during spring drills as he continues to rehab from his second major surgery on the same knee. He should be 100 percent by the start of fall practice.