Cats' Lyons dreams of Dog fight

HOOVER, Ala. — Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford will be happy to know someone is dreaming about him.

Until, of course, he finds out that person is Kentucky wide receiver Dicky Lyons Jr.

In one of the more humorous and bizarre meetings with the print media at SEC Media Days, Lyons described a recent dream about his fiancee that included Stafford, former Georgia quarterback Blake Barnes and Brian Hoyer of Michigan State. Barnes now plays at Delta State.

In his defense, Lyons did spend some time around those players earlier this month at the Manning Passing Academy.

“I’ve been having these crazy dreams about her leaving me. ‘Cosmo’ says it’s natural to have these dreams,” Lyons said with a shrug, referring to the magazine typically read by women.

And yet, an SEC receiver saying he reads that publication was one of the more normal admissions Lyons made during his session.

Here’s the setup: in his dream, Lyons is following his fiancee around at night due to his suspicions.

“So then I find her at the bar, and I go up to her and try to talk to her. I say, ‘What are you doing? I just want to marry you,’” he said. “And I’m trying to shake her, and then I slap some sense into her to get her to focus. And then I turn around and Matt Stafford punches me in the nose. Matt Stafford goes, ‘You never hit women!’”

Barnes and Hoyer join Stafford in the fight. Quarterbacks, apparently, defend each other.

“So I’m fighting all these quarterbacks, but I held my own, twisting their arms,” Lyons said. “I’ve got Army Ranger moves in my dream.”

Lyons didn’t stop there. On borrowing his uncle’s Bugs Bunny tie for the media event: “I thought it was kind of classy. Bugs Bunny’s a classy guy when he needs to be. He’s sort of like my personality. He’s going to wine and dine you, and he’s got some jokes, but you respect Bugs Bunny. He’s done a lot.”

Lyons also gave his thoughts on the transition from current Kentucky coach Rich Brooks to coach-in-waiting Joker Phillips. Brooks already announced that Phillips will replace him when he decides to retire.

Earlier this summer, Brooks’ drift boat capsized, but he escaped without injury.

“I was joking with him: He’s going to coach if he can stay afloat,” Lyons said. “I don’t know how long he’ll stay. It’ll be until Coach Joker comes along with that pin and pops his life vest.”

Not to be outdone, the King of Media Days Comedy, South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier, offered his own humorous remarks during the final session of the event — comparing recruiting to women.

“We all try to get the best we can, but at times, you know, he’s not quite as tall as we hoped, but we think he’s a good player,” Spurrier said. “We’ve got to go with who you can, sort of like going after girls. Got to go with the best you can, right? Some of these guys (pointing to some writers) actually have good-looking wives, which is unusual.”

Just don’t mess with them, or Stafford will start swinging.