http://thewizardofodds.blogspot.com/2008/03/truth-comes-out-clemson-ran-ray-ray.html The kid had some team troubles 'juggling academics' but with what?? He will graduate in 3 years, is raising his little brother and was still a member of the football team. It sounds like he might have had more trouble 'juggling football' than academics. Here is an article and text: http://www.charleston.net/news/2008/mar/09/ray_ray_finished_playing_tigers33202/ It looks like Tommy's "Christian values" get put aside when he picks up the clipboard. Of course, if you call someone out on this on the recruiting trail some jacka$$ administrator will think you are 'negative recruiting.' What a sad state of affairs college football has become.
BTW <r>I am sure there are some who will say "Hey that's college football, there are no free rides and those scholarships are year to year." I've noticed that a few Clemson fans on various boards have taken this approach.<br/> <br/> The reason the kid is being cut is that Tommy over-signed and RB is their deepest position. Tommy has let more than his fair share of suspect characters play in big games for Clemson. The fact remains that the kid honored his commitment to Clemson and did his job, Tommy did not honor his commitment.<br/> <br/> DUI charges can't keep their starting LBer out of the bowl game<br/> <br/> <URL url="http://www.andersonindependentmail.com/news/2007/dec/13/clemson-starting-linebacker-charged-dui/"><s></s><LINK_TEXT text="http://www.and...arting-linebacker-charged-dui/</LINK_TEXT><e></e></URL><br/> <br/> but graduating early leaves you exposed to having your scholarship pulled (not renewed) at the end of the year?<br/> <br/> I'm sure someone who will find a way to blame the NCAA for this, although they did grant this kid an exception so he could take control of his brother's trust so he could raise him, but I'm not buying. There is suppose to be something more than football to this.</r>
Tough situation. I feel for the kid and I condemn Bowden for his callous and self-serving approach to the matter. I hope the kid lands at another program and goes on to great success in his life. He deserves it. I like his class in not commenting publicly about it. I also hope his little brother grows up to have a good life. These two young men certainly have had the deck stacked against them and are fighting hard against the odds.
That's a shame, obviously I don't know all the circumstances but I hope he catches on someplace and I'm certainly glad he's going to get his degree. It doesn't sound like he was going to have a career in Pro Football.
Usually you don't see much of this because of the recruiting backlash that can occur. Schollies are one year contracts that have to be renewed... With that said... it doesn't make Bowden any less of a douche-bag.
its just wrong <r><QUOTE><s> </e></QUOTE> keep in mind, Im not picking on you here Terry. You make a valid point. I don't believe the kid has a career in college football especially after his season ending knee injury he suffered. That being said, the same could be true for the vast majority of Clemson's (or any team's) roster.<br/> <br/> For those of us who went to Damien HS, there is the Bieniemy curse. My dad could tell you this story better than I could since it started back when he was in HS or soon thereafter. Anywho, the Bieniemy's were a local african-american family.. Not really wealthy or poor, but a good blue-collared family. They all attended Damien HS.. One of them was kicked out for what I hear were sort of trumped up charges that had more to do with him being black than anything. Anyway, those kids grow up (as do we all) and they have their own kids..<br/> <br/> They sent those kids, and all of the families cousins and friends to Damien's rival school Bishop Amat. Keep in mind, most all of them lived in La Verne (the city where Damien is located) and actually drive the 30 minutes west to attend Bishop Amat. That one move had cost Damien HS roughly a dozen fantastic alumni and representatives of the school. About 6 or 7 of those dozen wound up going on to tremendous success in football. <br/> <br/> I hope something like that happens here. I am sure this kid will land on his feet and do well... He seems to have that character. I just hope that one day his family does produce that NFL 1st round, or Heisman worthy running back... and the kid goes to South Carolina.</r>
That's sort of why I said we don't know all the circumstances. I know for a fact that over the years some of the kids at Texas who left the program, willingly (wink,wink) were painted a very bleak picture purposefully to essentially force them to transfer. I'm sure that in some instances that the bleak picture included no scholarship if they didn't get the hint. The positive is he's going to have his degree, and if he is healthy and has some talent he might be able to move to a Div1AA school and go to grad school and play some football. If not he has his degree.
T and Terry <r>I'm with you. Its the system we all play within but I think it sucks.<br/> <br/> The kid is required to make what is essentially a full-time 4 to 5 year commitment to the school, the school should be required to do the same.<br/> <br/> I did have a bit of a typo in my last post, I meant to say the kid probably has no career in pro football. I'd bet he could play at a good number of Division I programs. From everything I've gathered, the kid isn't that bad.. Clemson is just loaded at TB.<br/> <br/> Perhaps what ticks me more than anything is the public image of "Tom the Baptist" out preaching the gospels and coaching a lil football along the way. I sincerely detest people who wrap themselves in the Jesus for fame, notoriety or to enhance their own credibility because their own personality is deficient. Lord knows I'm a bad Catholic, but I don't pretend to be anything more than I am either. The latest version of Pastor Bowden is just using Christ as a recruiting tool, and people keep eating it up<br/> <br/> <IMG src="http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e211/dfergie/JesusQuintana.gif"><s></e></IMG></r>
If I'm not mistake the whole scholarship thing is even more cut throat in college baseball isn't it? Produce or even your partial scholarship is taken away. In golf my nephew is on scholarship but the "fraction" that he gets only covers his books. I do seem to remember that new rules on baseball scholarships impact that fractionating of the scholarship money in some way though.
I got curious as to which sports are full only and which allow partials...found this article that lists the Head Count sports (full only) vs the Equivalency Sports (partial rides allowed). Partial vs Full No explanation for the rationale of what is a full only and what is partials allowed sport.
Here's a link to another great article on scholarships: It's a NYT article so you might have to be registered, I don't know for sure. Athletic Scholarships
I read that article earlier in the week and think what Bowden did is terrible. I hope this comes back to bite him big time.
partials <t>Thanks to Title IX, the hand is forced in a good many of men's sports to reduce aid to partial, and annual status. I would be that, if polled, most colleges would love the chance to pocket a kid for a year.. Let him mature.. let him learn to become a student and get well on his way to becoming a man. Title IX does not afford these programs that opportunity. The help is limited and the focus more intense on producing immediate results.<br/> <br/> Football does not have this problem.<br/> <br/> This whole system needs to be blown up. One aspect of this that very few are talking about, is that this situation is going to become the torch carried for those who want to 'pay/compensate' athletes.<br/> <br/> Tommy may not think its fair that he is singled out for doing something that happens everywhere, all across the country each year. At the same time, he wasn't turning those ESPN/ABC cameras away last year when they were running 'feel good' stories about the young man..If anything, this kid did more to reinforce the 'Tom the Baptist' image that Bowden likes to project for his program. Now, hopefully, it will expose him for what he really is.</t>
Interesting story. I'm not really sure what to make of it since it comes from the players girlfriend. But it certainly sounded underhanded on the part of his OL coach and Bowden. I do know this, at ND the 5th year is not a given for players. Which is why there is so much emphasis placed on the kids graduating on time. This year there were 7 or 8 players who were eligible for 5th years but I think only 3 or 4 were actually granted. They all will graduate in May, so that's a good thing and I think I've already read that some of those who weren't asked back for 5th years have made arrangements to play in 1AA. If they weren't asked back they have no future in the NFL.