ARLINGTON, Texas — Arkansas offensive coordinator Paul Petrino pulled receivers Jarius Wright and Joe Adams aside after the Razorbacks wrapped up another practice in preparation for the Cotton Bowl.
The two, along with fellow senior receiver Greg Childs, have accomplished plenty in their Arkansas careers. They’ve meant plenty to the program’s success under coach Bobby Petrino. But Paul Petrino said he expects one more thing from the wideouts before they headed off to professional football.
“I said, ‘It’s time for you two to go out there and shine in a bowl game,’” Petrino said of the conversation. “You’ve had too great a career and played so well … So let’s go put on a show.”
The influential receivers, all in-state products who came to Arkansas determined to help the program establish a new identity under coach Bobby Petrino, are aiming for a memorable send-off when they don Arkansas uniforms for the final time Friday night.
It would be appropriate and fitting for a group that has seemingly accomplished everything else during record-setting careers. They’ve combined for 452 catches, 7,252 yards and 55 touchdowns, playing a role in Arkansas’ emergence as one of the NCAA’s most prolific passing offenses.
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“It’s been great,” Adams said. “It’s the reason we came here so we could try to change the program around. Put it back at the top in the top 10. From the looks of it, we put it back in the top 10.”
The three seniors have been involved every step of the way, too. They were on the field immediately as wide-eyed freshmen, taking their lumps in 2008.
The learned, matured and worked throughout their careers, developing into playmakers that caused plenty of headaches for defensive coordinators.
They also gave Arkansas’ quarterbacks Ryan Mallett and Tyler Wilson plenty of comfort on the field.
“There’s been a lot of greats (at Arkansas),” Wilson said of the receiving corps. “But three at one time that were really special in an offense like this that throws it here? …
“I think when you look back at those three you’re going to look at this team and kind of this era of football. I know that’s what I’ll remember.”
Wright should wrap up his career as, statistically, the most productive member of the group. He turned a record-setting 2011 season into career records for receptions (165) and yards (2,846). He was recognized as an all-Southeastern Conference performer this season after catching 63 passes for 1,029 yards and 11 touchdowns.
But Adams isn’t far behind with 159 catches and 2,338 yards to go along with his all-purpose abilities as a punt returner, which helped him earn consensus All-America honors last month. He also has earned the reputation for being one of the SEC’s most dangerous players with the ball.
If not for the late-season knee injury in 2010, Childs might have finished his career as the best receiver in school history. He was on pace to shatter records before going down and has been slow to recover. But he still has managed 128 catches for 2,018 yards and 15 touchdowns in his career.
“When you’ve got them all together, it’s something magical,” Arkansas guard Grant Cook said.
“I can’t explain my gratitude to them for what they’ve done. It makes an offensive lineman’s job pretty easy whenever Tyler can sling it out there, and they run it down and go get it.”
There were opportunities for each to play college football elsewhere, something receivers typically did before Petrino’s arrival at Arkansas.
Adams was most notably courted by Southern California out of high school. But he said the opportunity to play at Arkansas and join the Warren trio of Wright, Childs and junior tight end Chris Gragg in the 2008 class was too much to pass up.
They wanted to do something special, helping to turn Arkansas into a destination for big-time receivers. Wright believes they’ve accomplished it with their performances the past four years.
“I think we’ll leave a great legacy behind,” Wright said. “I feel like us receivers kind of started something for the University of Arkansas.
“With (former coach) Houston Nutt, (Arkansas) didn’t have as many great receivers. They had Marcus Monk. But we’ve got three (seniors) now and I feel like we’re helping get better recruits for receivers and showing what we do as receivers.”
Their impact can be illustrated in other ways.
Paul Petrino remembered the early days at Arkansas, when he taught the young receivers by having them watch video of Louisville players running routes, catching passes and scoring touchdowns. Now, the three are the examples used when Arkansas’ receivers are taught, something Adams said he takes great pride in.
“We used to watch a lot of Louisville stuff,” Adams said. “But it helped us in the long run and some of the things he showed us helped.
“Now he can show our tapes and what we learned.”
Adams, Wright and Childs said they’re enjoying their final week with the Razorbacks in Dallas and are eager for what the future holds in the NFL.
But the immediate goal is turning in one more prolific performance, helping the Razorbacks wrap up the 2011 season with a big bowl win. Wilson said each deserves enormous success Friday because of what they’ve meant to the program since 2008.
“I’m going to try to send them out right,” Wilson said. “I think they know that as well. They want to have a great game and finish out their career. I’m going to do my best to send them out that way. I know everybody, the offensive line included, is doing to do their job to make that happen.”