Hey folks,
You'll find an identical headline and almost identical story over at Inside Pitch, but the news is the same: Bill Lynch has confirmed Andrew Means will return to the IU football team this fall for his senior season. Means has been spending his summer playing Minor League baseball in Billings, Mont.
Means' return bolsters a receiving core dealing with the loss to the NFL of All-Big Ten receiver James Hardy. Though he had no touchdowns last year, Means was second on the team in receiving yards and yards per catch, and fans will likely remember his one-footed sideline catch against Purdue as a key play in that dramatic win.
It's safe to assume Means will be competing for a starting spot with the likes of Ray Fisher, Terrance Turner and Tandon Doss, as well as other returners like Brandon Walker-Roby (though it's not like there's not enough to go around in the Hoosiers' spread offense.
Bill Lynch had this to say about Means' return: "He'll be back. He told me, I talked to him on the phone last week. We thought all along that he's wanted to play football. He's enjoyed his summer playing baseball. He feels good that we're going to be a good football team. He's looking forward to coming back."
I've been told before that Means' contract with the Reds had contingencies for his return because the Reds had it on reliable info that there are people in football of the mind that Means could have a professional future. A big year might be the needed trick for the NFL to come calling, but Cincinnati thinks Means has a future beyond IU in the pigskin as well.
So what do you think? Will Means be starting on Aug. 31 against Western Kentucky? Can he be an effective go-to receiver for Kellen Lewis? Could you see him at the next level? How does this change your expectations for the football team this fall? Sound off.
