Vanderbilt the Focus of ESPN’s "The Season - SEC Football" Tonight 11/7/02

ESPN will air a behind-the-scenes look at Vanderbilt student-athletes and the Commodores' preparation for last week's game against Alabama tonight at 11:00 CST.

The 30-minute program focusing on Coach Bobby Johnson's football team is the seventh in a 12-part ESPN series about Southeastern Conference football. The show airs immediately after SportsCenter.

A four-person independent film crew followed Coach Johnson and several student-athletes as they prepared for the Crimson Tide. Among the players featured are four seniors - fullback Bara Cola, safety Justin Giboney, linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer and wide receiver Dan Stricker - and a pair of true freshmen, tailback Kwane Doster and defensive end Antoine Morgan.

Johnson granted the film crew access to the player locker room and position meetings prior to game day, then allowed the cameras into the locker room after the Commodores' 30-8 loss.

The show is expected to include several scenes away from the football field, from Johnson's speech before the Gadsden (Ala.) Touchdown Club gathering to the players' mid-week bowling tournament. Vanderbilt Chancellor Gordon Gee also is captured during his pre-game conversations at Dudley Field.

The segment is the second time in two weeks that ESPN has featured Vanderbilt football on their network. The earlier piece, which aired on College Football GameDay Oct. 26 and SportsCenter through the following week, was a look at Coach Johnson's ban on profanity on the practice field.