Aaron Douglas' death still pains parents, Alabama

#27
#27
I feel for his parents, but the blame is misdirected. He would have died at UT,.UA or anywhere else he went.
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#29
#29
To be honest, I can't feel sorry for someone in a pretty good situation who makes stupid decisions that lead to his or her death.

I feel bad for people who can't help their situation.
 
#30
#30
It is hard to read the part of the article where it details his family's routine the day of AD's death and the series of phone calls which eventually broke the news of their son's death.

It is heart-breaking and just simply unimaginable.

Moments like that always make me think of a quote from a Chuck Palahniuk book "This is how fast your life can turn around. How the future you have tomorrow won't be the same future you had yesterday."

Their lives turned upside down in an instant. Very sad.
 
#31
#31
My younger brother got busted for smoking pot at 16. My parents sat him down and said, "if that's what you want to do its your decision. But its our decision that you won't do it while you live here. Also no financial support. We love you, and we love your brothers as well, so we need to protect them."

He got it. He's still alive. My parents saw it as a danger and a gateway, not a "right of passage."

Some parents fail to properly discipline. The results are sad.
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#32
#32
I feel for the Douglas family. Losing someone you love is hard. Losing your child must be so much harder. But I agree with some that they seem to be directing blame(at least in part) to UT. So many points I would like to make, I'll probably forget some. First, while UT did dismiss Fulmer, there was a reason behind it it whether the Douglas family agreed or not. Second, UT did not choose for Kiffin to leave. Kiffin left due to freak circumstances and lack of testicular fortitude on his part. That should not be placed on the university. Also, Dooley was never given a chance by the family. It would have been interesting to see if Dooley's VFL program could have helped AD. We'll never know. And AD's mom talks of how going out west helped AD but makes no mention that one of the reasons he went out there was Dooley. Dooley recognized there was a problem and set up the distance stipulation in his release.

Generally, I feel the article was set up to be pro-Bama while subtly being anti-UT. That's to be expected by hometown writing, but a writer's agenda shouldn't be achieved using the unfortunate death of a young man. I feel bad because AD's death is somehow diminished by this. The young man is gone from this world and he shouldn't be used to fan the flames of a football rivalry. Life is more precious than that. It's sad.

The idea of the Douglas family wearing Bama colors at the game is hurtful. I understand their pain, but some of us fans supported them while they played at UT. In some ways, it's kind of like a spit in the face. I assume it is in support of their son, but the article makes it seem as if they are now lifelong tide fans. If that's the case, then that is just truly sad. They would be turning their back on their alma mater and on fans who supported them. I never booed AD. I always hoped he would get his life on track. I'll admit I wasn't happy when he chose Bama, but that didn't change my wanting him to overcome his addiction. He left this earth far too soon.

Addiction is hard. It starts with a personal choice, so yes, addicts are responsible for their actions, but when the disease takes hold, it's a completely different animal. It had its hooks in AD. It's hard to escape from those demons. They'll haunt you even after you overcome your problems. My mammaw was an alcoholic. In my entire life, I never saw her drink. She had overcome her problem before I was born, but she was always an alcoholic, afraid of slipping back into that darkness. She didn't put herself in the way of temptation because she was afraid she would cave in. Unfortunately, AD couldn't escape. So, so sad.

RIP AD
Condolences Douglas family- His Big Orange family misses him too.
 
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#33
#33
I spent a lot of time re-writing this to be as respectful as possible to all the parties here, most of whom I know very well.

The biggest issue that AD had was that he was allowed to use, both recreational and prescription for years unchecked.

I love his parents, they are both amazing people, but they refused to believe he was using in high school, even when those that personally witnessed his use expressed concerns to them.

The first time they recognized that he was using was when he failed tests for recreational drugs at UT during his freshman year while he was redshirting and rehabbing from his shoulder operations. They wouldn't have been notified abut it, per UT's policy, but members of the coaching staff they were close with made them aware. This is where their belief that he did not start using until college came from.

He attended counseling, per UT's policy, and somehow did not fail a test under Kiffin. He never tested positive for painkillers for the same reason Ainge never did, he had a prescription for them and the standard tests are only done for presence, not amount. His use escalated during the fall of 2009 to the point he started losing weight during the late part of the season. A member of Kiffin's staff told me later that he estimated AD was around 200 for the Chick-fi-la Bowl.

I do and always will have a great deal of respect for the way Dooley handled the situation. He saw some of the problems and wanted to help. Instead, it became an ugly public spectacle. Dooley hoped that by sending him far from his comfort zone, he would have a better chance of kicking his addiction. From all reports, he was clean in Arizona. Alabama vetted him HEAVILY before offering him. Saban spoke to several people from UT that had been involved in his coaching before taking him.

Ultimately, the draw of addiction haunted him until the day he died. I don't know if he used once he got to Alabama, but find it hard to believe he suddenly relapsed on vacation and ended up dead.

People look for someone to blame, but I don't think there is blame to be had in this case. A lot of people tried to help him, a lot of people failed. Might have helped if the issues were addressed earlier in his life, maybe not. No one will ever know, but it's senseless to try and assign blame to anyone.

May he rest in peace and both teams play in his honor Saturday.
 
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#35
#35
As a dad of two young kids, I think two things about this. One, I feel unspeakably bad for them. Two, I sure as hell hope I can figure out how to avoid being so willfully blind about what my own kids are up to. I don't know how the hell you avoid it though.
 
#36
#36
The most ridiculous line in the entire story.

"Karla and David both stressed Aaron had no issues with drugs at AWC or Alabama."

Really? Denial at least had a small part in Aaron's death.
 
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#37
#37
TlM said:
The most ridiculous line in the entire story.

"Karla and David both stressed Aaron had no issues with drugs at AWC or Alabama."

Really? Denial at least had a small part in Aaron's death.
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No, he wasn't using at all at Alabama. That's why he was found dead with multiple drugs in his system one weekend while he was a student there.

It terrifies me that parents can be so deliberately oblivious about their kids.
 
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#38
#38
this whole thing gets more pathetic as time goes on ....i'll be glad when its over and done with.....i definitely regret AD ever went to UT...there are no winners in this situation
 
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#39
#39
I talked to some on the staff about this over the summer. They said Dooley tried his best to help, but Aaron didn't want any part of it.
 
#40
#40
DeerPark12 said:
I spent a lot of time re-writing this to be as respectful as possible to all the parties here, most of whom I know very well.

The biggest issue that AD had was that he was allowed to use, both recreational and prescription for years unchecked.

I love his parents, they are both amazing people, but they refused to believe he was using in high school, even when those that personally witnessed his use expressed concerns to them.

The first time they recognized that he was using was when he failed tests for recreational drugs at UT during his freshman year while he was redshirting and rehabbing from his shoulder operations. They wouldn't have been notified abut it, per UT's policy, but members of the coaching staff they were close with made them aware. This is where their belief that he did not start using until college came from.

He attended counseling, per UT's policy, and somehow did not fail a test under Kiffin. He never tested positive for painkillers for the same reason Ainge never did, he had a prescription for them and the standard tests are only done for presence, not amount. His use escalated during the fall of 2009 to the point he started losing weight during the late part of the season. A member of Kiffin's staff told me later that he estimated AD was around 200 for the Chick-fi-la Bowl.

I do and always will have a great deal of respect for the way Dooley handled the situation. He saw some of the problems and wanted to help. Instead, it became an ugly public spectacle. Dooley hoped that by sending him far from his comfort zone, he would have a better chance of kicking his addiction. From all reports, he was clean in Arizona. Alabama vetted him HEAVILY before offering him. Saban spoke to several people from UT that had been involved in his coaching before taking him.

Ultimately, the draw of addiction haunted him until the day he died. I don't know if he used once he got to Alabama, but find it hard to believe he suddenly relapsed on vacation and ended up dead.

People look for someone to blame, but I don't think there is blame to be had in this case. A lot of people tried to help him, a lot of people failed. Might have helped if the issues were addressed earlier in his life, maybe not. No one will ever know, but it's senseless to try and assign blame to anyone.

May he rest in peace and both teams play in his honor Saturday.
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Man. Excellent.
 
#43
#43
SmokyVol said:
Aaron had lots of problems. Sometimes parents are the last to know & are in denial even if the signs are there. Hooking up with strangers on spring break& taking known illegal drugs are signs of real issues. Not giving Dooley even a chance to work with him was a mistake. All in all a very sad story. I know David & Karla personally, as well as Aaron's Uncle Steve, who also played for the Vols. I wish there wasn't so much animosity on the parents' part toward UT. Karla was a star for Pat & the Lady Vols. While I understand their grief, giving a scholarship to Alabama instead of Tennessee isn't the way I would've honored his memory. Perhaps warning others of the dangers of drugs & making sure interventions occur somehow would be more appropriate, since if excuses not been made for Aaron's behavior in the past, maybe he might still be with us. He was at the beach partying with people he didn't even know & not staying in touch with family or coaches while other Tide players stayed home & were helping Tuscaloosa tornado victims on their spring break. Drugs cause kids to do bad things & make poor choices.
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This is the dumbest thing I've ever read.
 
#44
#44
LA Vol said:
It's tragic, but I wish the parents would stop taking digs at UT. Their son had a drug problem and a high-risk lifestyle. UT didn't cause it, and he continued to make bad choices years after he left. If he had OD'd a year later, would it have been Bama's fault? I hate that the kid died, but misdirecting blame is unnecessary and unfair.
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The trash that Kiffin recruited while Douglas was here certainly didn't help out. Ultimately it is his individual failing and not UT's or Kiffin's, but it didn't help at all that the Fulmer Cup and the Pilot incident were recent or concurrent events during his time around and in the program. If the family has bad blood with the university then that is for them to deal with. No one else knows everything that they know. It could also be an important part of their grieving process.
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#45
#45
ellunitiko said:
This is the dumbest thing I've ever read.
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If by "hooking up with strangers on spring break" he means messing around with chicks, then yeah. But going to some random party in a strange city and taking a cocktail of different drugs around complete strangers isn't exactly the behavior of someone who has his life under control.
 
#47
#47
That article pissed me off.

His parents need to realize they and their son are the only people to blame, before they give another dumbass interview.
 
#48
#48
DrunkJohnny said:
That article pissed me off.

His parents need to realize they and their son are the only people to blame, before they give another dumbass interview.
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Phil Failure knew he was a heavy pot user while in highschool. I would assume he also knew about some prescription abuse as well.
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#49
#49
volfan_28 said:
I'm not responding to this prick. I will say he needs his a$$ whipped though.

inb4 "you just did"
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You can't be serious. AD wasn't murdered. He made a stupid choice that took his life. Blaming anybody else for a sons OD is ridiculous and selfish. I had a friend who OD'd and to this day I blame him and only him because it is ultimately his choice to lose cognitive control by taking a substance. Does everyone in here sympathize with the parents and their daily struggles in this? I'd say so. But it isn't bama's fault ( hurts to say that because everything bad is their fault) nor is it UTs fault. It's ADs fault. Only ADs fault.
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#50
#50
Interesting how Alabama is wearing his number on uniform when he never played for them.
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