The topic Corey started has become pretty cluttered up with other things and I want to post a new article that pretty well sums up my feelings. I'm posting a link to the article Corey referenced, one I referenced earlier and the new one. Read them and make up your own mind. Mine is made up and it's pretty well contained in this paragraph. If you don't recall Avery Atkins was a very good football player for Florida as a freshman but got in over his head with drugs and other life issues and ended up dead of an overdose. By all accounts he was a good kid when he came to Florida. First Corey's link. http://www.everydayshouldbesaturday.com/2008/08/01/ronnie-wilson-helps-florida-reload/?cp=2 Second my earlier link. Ronnie Wilson Then my new link. Something To Prove
Not just Urban, but college coaches all over would do well to give all these chances to no talent players who in no way could help the team. That would buttress claims of altruism.
I agree with that Terry. The thing about Wilson that is some different though is that he could have gotten a scholarship elsewhere but chose to pay his own way to Florida and try to get back. Also there have been several very talented players who were dropped and not given the chance to come back. Marcus Thomas, he was a senior, and Jamar Honrsby come immediately to mind. But your point is well taken.
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/9ljY-IV_g7o&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/9ljY-IV_g7o&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
I'm with Terry on this <t>call me when the 3rd string punter who gets booted for gun charges gets another chance.</t>
I had made up my mind to limit my remarks and let the articles and video speak for themselves. However Corey I do have to say this. That is pretty much what I expected from you.
I'm really not even familiar with this particular case other than reading a few posts in passing. I personally don't even think things like these are all that relevant when top programs from across America deal with decisions like these all the time. When these coaches' jobs truly depend on graduating players, fostering good citizens, and then winning football games, judge these guys all you want. But until then, take into consideration that winning pays the bills and you may feel differently if your family was depending on you and you were in the same situation as these guys. I agree that college football and all college sports need some serious reform with regard to off-the-field issues. However, until someone gets fired that goes 14-0 the season before because they won those games with players who do not graduate, discharge firearms, sell drugs, etc. it's best to not be so quick to pass judgment.
more ad hominem <t>I can actually say that I have been in the position to give college athletes a second or third chance with my name on the line. More than once even..<br/> <br/> One of those kids turned out great... The other kid turned out to be a panty sniffing, rapist in training. The funny thing is, my gut isn't often wrong but it was in both of those cases. The kid who panned out.. I didn't think would.. The kid who bombed, I believed in my heart he was wrongly accused. <br/> <br/> You can expect whatever you want from me. What I am saying is that many coaches (not just Urban Meyer) need to be as forgiving to the 3rd string punter as they are the blue-chip lineman...<br/> <br/> I'm not just talking about Urban here... I'm talking about the bulk of coaches. Until I see different... well, you know what to expect.</t>
Aquila <t>Word for word, a university president once told me this:<br/> <br/> "This is entirely on you. If this kid missteps, I'm throwing you the f*ck off this campus before I fire you and expel him."<br/> <br/> Don't tell me about pressure. Its relative. I never worried about winning. I always did. It really is something you control. Those who believe it is not, are usually the ones making excuses for being out-worked.<br/> <br/> Pressure is, IMHO, paying your mortgage and putting food in your kids mouths.. Its the kid staying out of gang life and working 2 part-time jobs to feed their mom because daddy's long gone.<br/> <br/> Character is something totally lost on us today. If you develop character, you build champions. Today, we rely too much on talent alone.. We reap what we sow.</t>
Well said, Corey. Well said. I hope Bill can momentarily put aside his issues with the O'Connors and see that you used the EDSBS/Meter topic to make a larger point. I see it.
Urban is not breaking any laws so it is what it is. I wouldn't do it but I'm not him. Of course, Omar Hunter showing up at 330 lbs with a bad back may have helped Urban see the light 8)
It's always nice to see a good ending to a story like Marty Johnsons. I hope he's still sober, he never made it in the NFL. Again Marty Johnson was a potential star for Utah, so if you wanted to make a case that a coach only cares about players who can help him win, then Marty makes that case. If Marty had been a kid who had never seen the field for Utah, was not in the plans to even see the field and Urban had gone out of his way to help him it would be impressive. Since that was not the case, it leaves it open to he helps those who can help him. Not necessarily a fair interpretation, but certainly one that it's easy to make until some coach someplace helps a kid who can't help the team. I don't know how many strikes I'd give a kid to tell you the truth. I'm more likely to give him a 2nd chance, with conditions, but less likely to give him a 3rd chance, and certainly it would end there as far as him being a part of the team in the future. If I were a saint I'd probably continue to try to help him even though he wasn't going to be a part of the teams future, but I'm not that good. Even Mom's and Dad's eventually give up on a kid.
Corey <t>I was not aware that you were a coach. I guess you have a reason for feeling the way you do. As far as I'm concerned, I try not to be so quick to judge people when I don't have a good idea about what they're going through and their reasons for making the decisions they make.</t>
Oh jesus <r>Terry speaks the truth. I was a terrible child. I treat my parents with the utmost respect these days because I realized as an adult what a horrid, piece of dung I was as a kid...hell, I still believe I am firmly responsible for my dad going silver haired at 30!<br/> <br/> That being said, I did have a lot of fun.<br/> <br/> Not to make this a boo-hoo pity party, but one thing that greatly affected me as a coach that lasted from my days playing were coaches that weren't willing to give me a 2nd chance. Every guy I played for in all 3 sports was a 'one and done' kind of guy. Even when you work your way back on the field, you don't work your way out of the doghouse... and sadly, HS coaches (esp in the 80s) hold a lot of sway and control over a young man's future.. I made my own.. Some of it good, some bad, but I've made it all from my own work. <br/> <br/> My current boss (a die hard "Bammer" as we refer to them on this site) has already referred to this job as my 'last stop before I say FTW and return to coaching again.' I can't say he's wrong...<br/> <br/> Aquila,<br/> <br/> Its ok, I've done lots of stuff I don't tell people about <E></E></r>
K. Tookes was a wide receiver at Florida who played but never was a household name and I kind of imagine few if any of you have heard about him. He had a similar situation as Wilson and earned his way back on the team. Steven Harris was a starting defensive lineman in 2005. He got in the doghouse with academics and living right as Meyer puts it. He was off the team for Spring practice of his senior year, but not off scholarship. He stayed with the team and was not a starter in 2006 but was part of the DL rotation. When Marcus Thomas was dropped from the team he played more of a role and played a big part in the Championship game and is on an NFL roster. Dallas Baker was always a good player but never lived up to his potential and was not on his way to graduating. He's the player who's head slap in the Tennessee game drew a penalty that ended up costing us the game. Meyer leaned on him, let him know that his teammates thought of him as a goof off. Meyer got in his head and Baker got his degree, had his best years as a receiver under Meyer and is now with the Steelers. I don't know if he will be successful with them but he's there because Meyer took an interest in him. It's not so easy to find names of players further down the depth chart that have problems and the results as they don't always make the papers but these are several examples that I do know of about people who have prospered under Urban Meyer. The Gators also have the best academic performance that I ever remember for the football team. I know this will not satisfy some and I probably don't intend to take it any further but this is what I do know.
I think that is fantastic! A track record to be proud of and I am sure beyond reproach. I was wrong to have even made the point.