re: Class of 2015 Recruiting MEGATHREAD - Twilight Edition

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We are going to take a public relations hit, and rightfully so.

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not really. maybe some fans of other teams will take some shots at us, but it's not like they have any moral high ground. This kid is not widely known by any stretch. The people who are aware of him are mostly just people who follow SEC recruiting. It's not like he's Jameis Winston, star QB and Heisman trophy winner.

Is a degree from Vandy less valuable today because of the rape scandals? My degree from UA is hanging in my office this morning. Im not taking it down because we admitted a football player who had an assault charge. The kid was punished. This is America. We give people second chances.

If you are worried about the value of your degree, go out and personally do something that makes it more valuable. Nobody is going to look at your college and say, "man that is the same school that accepted a defensive lineman who assaulted his girlfriend." What you do as an individual is more important than who is allowed on the football team. I didn't get a raise when Barret Jones was in school being a model citizen and I wont take a pay cut now that this guy is on the team.

I met him a few years ago at my cousins wedding. He's a great guy just got caught up in a bad situation. He knows he won't be afforded anymore second chances.

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wonder why we didn't go the Juco route for an ILB

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I would guess it is because our D system is predicated on having an ILB that is the QB for adjustments after the call. That requires a knowledge of the system over time (usually) and those high intellect type players are not often found in JuCo. By the time one of them knows the system well enough to run the D their two years are almost up.

It may be a good guess but a guess all the same.

New to the boards here but my take on the Taylor thing is this...

Though what he did was shameful, I do not see it as UA slighting women or placing importance of the football team over that of their safety. I see Taylor as an individual that made a tremendous mistake, and acknowledge that him being a football player is why he's getting this second chance.

But I see nothing wrong with the second chance he's getting. UA is showing that this is not a case of blind "forgive and forget." They're not simply handing this kid the keys to the kingdom so to speak. They're applying strict guidelines to his admission and taking great steps in rehabilitating this troubled individual so that he may become a better person and reach his potential. It's that or let him go off and potentially never truly learn from his mistake, which runs the risk of him becoming a perpetual woman beater for life.

People will say what they want and will pretend to ride their high horse. I care very little for that. It's easy to turn your back and give up on someone that presents a challenge. It's much more difficult to rehabilitate that person and attempt changing them for the better.

Pretty remarkable what UA is offering this young man. I hope he takes it seriously and full advantage of this opportunity, for it very well could be his last shot and becoming something worth being proud of (not just as a player but as a person).

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nb200016

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You made some great points. You mentioned you are new here, so a bit of advice from lessons I am still learning - Shorten the post & get point made faster. You made great points, but not many people read long posts (which about 75% of my posts would qualify as).

What time is Harris announcing Friday and where can it be watched?

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The way I see it, this kid is being granted an opportunity by UA to grow into a man and a productive member of society. You see it as putting UA women at risk today, I see it as putting any woman he becomes involved with in the future in a position where they don't live in fear. Required volunteering at a battered women's shelter should give this guy an entirely different perspective, and hopefully prevent him from committing the crime ever again because of the lesson he's being granted the opportunity to learn.

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At what point do we draw the line? We are letting someone who, according to police reports, choked his girlfriend have a second chance. I don't see my university as being a rehab facility for athletes.

If Taylor really wanted a second chance he should have to earn the opportunity to have one, not just having to earn it once he gets it. I've seen some say he has three years to play two. If that is accurate, make him pay for his education during his redshirt year and earn his way to a scholarship. There are thousands of kids who have never been in legal trouble that would do anything for a chance at a football scholarship. Taylor's already had that chance and he blew it. He should have to show that he deserves another chance.

I posted this in the other thread:

This is kind of like the DJ Pettway situation for me: I don't know this kid personally, I have no idea what happened with him and his girlfriend, havent seen the police reports, and I don't know exactly what kind of person he is. I DO know, however, that Saban is not an idiot, and that he knows WAY more about this situation than us.

If he accepts his commitment, I am cool with it. I trust Saban's judgement. Why wouldn't I? Pettway seems to be on the right path now from what little we know, and I will be really happy if he continues to keep on that path, and that Saban was able to help him turn into a functioning, respected member of society.

That being said, I respect anyone's decision to feel weary about it.

He is attempting to help him learn from his mistakes. What better place than a university...aka a place of higher LEARNING.

Wish Ridley was on Campus.