University of Memphis Athletics
Q&A With Taz Knockum
Sep 29, 2007 | Football
Sept. 29, 2007
The following Q&A with wide receiver Taz Knockum was featured in the Tiger Gameday Program for the September 15 game with Jacksonville State. It was written by athletic media relations intern Evan Elliott.
How did you get your name? Is it a family name, or is there a story behind it?
Ford used to make a car, the Tasmin 200. So basically my mom got my name from the car. And I just turned that into Taz. I told everybody to call me Taz because I liked that better than Tasmin.
What team(s) did you follow growing up, college or pro?
I was a big Florida Gators fan, back when Jacques Green and Steve Spurrier and Fred Taylor were there. At the time LSU wasn't really that good, so I was always a big Florida Gator fan. I was just a kid, and I was a Gator.
Growing up in Baton Rouge with LSU right there, what was it about the University of Memphis that got your attention?
When I came up here, I felt like I was a part of a family. I went to other schools, and I had fun on my visit, but there was something about Memphis that made me feel like I was at home. At the time, I was really kind of committed to Southern Miss, but when I came up here, everything changed. From the coaching staff, to when Miss Becky (Kolenbrander) was here and with Dr. Luckey in the academic department, everything just clicked and felt good together.
What are your fondest memories from the University of Memphis?
It was the season we went to the Motor City Bowl. Honestly, after losing two quarterbacks, I thought, "Man it's going to be rough on us," but we came through adversity with a receiver who hadn't played quarterback since his freshman year. DeAngelo was hurt a couple games. People were writing us off. But for us to finish hard and make it to a big bowl game, that's my most memorable time here. I'll never forget that season because it meant the most to me because we had so many injuries everywhere, defense and offense, and we still made it to a bowl game, and we still won.
If you could meet any professional athlete, who would it be? What would you want to talk to him/her about?
Terrell Davis. I used to be a running back. I'm a running back at heart. I was a big fan of TD when he was in his prime with the Denver Broncos and they won Super Bowls back-to-back. I would love to talk about his life, the things that he'd been through, the mistakes that he'd made, the things that he's learned so that I could better myself as a person. I feel like if you can talk to someone wiser that you, they can help you out with different situations so you can live a better life and make improvements in certain situations.
Same question, but expand the possibilities to include any historical figure, dead or alive? Why?
I'd like to meet Walter Payton, looking at his life and the way he carried himself, with being in the public eye...you know they called him Sweetness. He was such a kind-hearted person. I would love to sit down and talk to Walter Payton, just talk about life, things that he's been through, things that he could tell me as a young adult that could help me in my life.
What is your favorite class? Why?
Pilates. It took till my senior year, but Pilates is my favorite class, one because it's really not easy. A lot of people think Pilates is easy. It's not. Exercising your stomach and your core is really hard. But the main reason is because I'm the only guy, and there's 30 females in the class.
What's your family like?
My parents are divorced, but they both love and support me. I have two younger brothers, one that's playing high school football right now. My baby brother's playing baseball. My mom is my role model. She is everything to me. My dad was tough on me, and I appreciate it, but my mom means the world to me. I `m definitely a momma's boy.
Do your parents follow your career?
They've been coming to all my games, unless it was some place far away, like if we went to Marshall. But they came to all the bowl games. They're always there, and it'll be that way until the end.
What's life going to be like for you after graduation?
I'm going try the whole pro day thing and see if I can get somewhere, whether it's Arena (football), the Canadian League or whatever. You go to college with the dream of trying to make it to the next level. So it would be dumb for me not to take a year after college to try to make it somewhere. But if not, I'm sure I could go back to Baton Rouge and find a good job.
