Chris Simms question

#1
Outdors21

Outdors21

A new hope.
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#1
I did a search and couldn't find what I was looking for.

I was a senior in HS when he decommitted from Tennessee and went to Texas.

What was the full story there? Was Tennessee just being played? Did Mack Brown line some pockets?

This was in the days before I paid tons of attention to recruiting.
 
#2
#2
If my memory serves me, he and Casey Clausen were in the same signing class. I believe he went to Texas as their "top" QB recruit and was expected to supplant Major Applewhite in short order, as opposed to coming to UT and having to compete with another highly touted freshman, where eventually one or the other would have probably wound up transferring over playing time (or lack thereof) all the same.
 
#3
#3
Outdors21 said:
I did a search and couldn't find what I was looking for.

I was a senior in HS when he decommitted from Tennessee and went to Texas.

What was the full story there? Was Tennessee just being played? Did Mack Brown line some pockets?

This was in the days before I paid tons of attention to recruiting.
Click to expand...

I followed that recruiting season very close. That was a time frame when I enjoyed the recruiting season as much as the football season. (I now don't follow recruiting so much but rather get up to date with our signees on national signing day.)

Anyway, it's my opinion that we were played by Chris Simms during that entire deal. I think it was to keep other QBs from that class away from TN as much as anything, and I think he knew he was picking TX the whole time.
 
#4
#4
Regulator said:
If my memory serves me, he and Casey Clausen were in the same signing class. I believe he went to Texas as their "top" QB recruit and was expected to supplant Major Applewhite in short order, as opposed to coming to UT and having to compete with another highly touted freshman, where eventually one or the other would have probably wound up transferring over playing time (or lack thereof) all the same.
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Clausen was part of the 2000 class...Simms would've been in the 1999 class.
 
#6
#6
BJSforVols said:
I followed that recruiting season very close. That was a time frame when I enjoyed the recruiting season as much as the football season. (I now don't follow recruiting so much but rather get up to date with our signees on national signing day.)

Anyway, it's my opinion that we were played by Chris Simms during that entire deal. I think it was to keep other QBs from that class away from TN as much as anything, and I think he knew he was picking TX the whole time.
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What was the point of keeping other QBs away from UT? Was that Mack Brown's idea?
 
#7
#7
Outdors21 said:
What was the point of keeping other QBs away from UT? Was that Mack Brown's idea?
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It's just my opinion; but UT was a top power at the time and TX was a team on the rise. I think it was a way to try and start helping his school (TX) by hurting a top power team's (TN) recruiting in an area which they were in need.
 
#8
#8
I have no bad feelings. Clausen proved to be a pretty good QB, I dont think we would have been any better with Simms.
 
#9
#9
KYVOL77 said:
I was wondering this also.. did he switch on NSD or was it eariler?
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If memory serves me correctly, it was earlier than NSD, but late enough that we had little to no chance of getting in on another top QB for that class.

I believe we had a legitimate shot at landing Ken Dorsey that same recruiting season, but he picked Miami over us once Simms committed to TN. The TN staff showed a higher interest in Simms over Dorsey. If it wasn't Dorsey, it was another highly recruited QB.
 
#10
#10
Outdors21 said:
I did a search and couldn't find what I was looking for.

I was a senior in HS when he decommitted from Tennessee and went to Texas.

What was the full story there? Was Tennessee just being played? Did Mack Brown line some pockets?

This was in the days before I paid tons of attention to recruiting.
Click to expand...

There was a rumor and mind you just a rumor that one of the reasons he decommitted was because he said the team was split into two groups...Black and White...He said that there seemed to be no team unity and that the black players all sat together and the white players all sat together and didn't even talk to each other much...I personally find that hard to believe but that was the story I heard...I however can not confirm it.
 
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#14
#14
BJSforVols said:
If memory serves me correctly, it was earlier than NSD, but late enough that we had little to no chance of getting in on another top QB for that class.

I believe we had a legitimate shot at landing Ken Dorsey that same recruiting season, but he picked Miami over us once Simms committed to TN. The TN staff showed a higher interest in Simms over Dorsey. If it wasn't Dorsey, it was another highly recruited QB.
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happened during the week of January 25th
 
#15
#15
VOLnMiami said:
There was a rumor and mind you just a rumor that one of the reasons he decommitted was because he said the team was split into two groups...Black and White...He said that there seemed to be no team unity and that the black players all sat together and the white players all sat together and didn't even talk to each other much...I personally find that hard to believe but that was the story I heard...I however can not confirm it.
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Never heard this one, as I was sophomore at UT the year this happened. I wouldn't doubt there were cliques among the team, but not a racial divide. I ate at Gibbs alot and never saw a split team, white and black. I saw a very united team eating together and having fun. If anything, I would suspect that defensive players would sit with other defensive players and etc...
 
#16
#16
One of my friends is a big Texas fan and he told me he would have killed to have Casey Clausen starting at QB instead of Simms so it worked out okay. Texas fans couldn't stand the guy. The biggest problem was Clausen had to start as a freshman but Chris Simms would have gotten to sit a year behind Martin.

Clausen wasn't the greatest QB at UT but I definitely prefer him over Chris Simms.
 
#17
#17
He switched days before NSD. He didn't play us, I think Mack Brown just came in and "out-recruited" Phil in the last minute. I think Phil got lazy with Simms bc he had committed so early, like with most things, Phil just expected things to play out his way.

The angle I heard is that Mack really sold the "Cutcliffe is not there anymore to develop you into a Peyton Manning", and promised him a bright future at Texas that ended up being a disaster. Cut the kid a break, we have stolen tons of players on NSD over the years.
 
#18
#18
Ken Dorsey wanted badly to come to Tennessee, but went to the U when Chris committed. Sucks, because Chris bounced on us, this is why:It simply came down to Mack Brown and Texas screwing over Major Applewhite. They basicallly "promised" that if Simms went to Texas he was going to be there guy anyway. Major Applewhite was waaaayyyyyy better. I think the star power of Phil helped his case at Texas, Tennessee told him he would have to compete for job. He didn't like that. It would have been play Phil's boy or else momma and daddy would make a big stink.
 
#19
#19
VOLnMiami said:
There was a rumor and mind you just a rumor that one of the reasons he decommitted was because he said the team was split into two groups...Black and White...He said that there seemed to be no team unity and that the black players all sat together and the white players all sat together and didn't even talk to each other much...I personally find that hard to believe but that was the story I heard...I however can not confirm it.
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Mini Me said:
Never heard this one, as I was sophomore at UT the year this happened. I wouldn't doubt there were cliques among the team, but not a racial divide. I ate at Gibbs alot and never saw a split team, white and black. I saw a very united team eating together and having fun. If anything, I would suspect that defensive players would sit with other defensive players and etc...
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I remember reading this quote from Simms also, and thinking that it was a very odd comment .... Never believed it for a moment! However, I do believe that his decommitment had a negative effect on the Vols success during the next few years, while Texas and good ole Mack Brown(Vandy FB player) enjoyed rising sucess.
 
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#21
#21
He decommitted because David Cutcliffe was replaced by Randy Sanders..........Who could blame him?
 
#22
#22
rockydoc said:
He decommitted because David Cutcliffe was replaced by Randy Sanders..........Who could blame him?
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I doubt that was the reason beings he decommitted almost 2 months after Cutcliffe took the Ole Miss job. If that was his reasoning for decommitting, you would think he would have decommitted shortly after Cutcliffe left and not in late January. Cutcliffe left the program as soon as he got the Ole Miss position and started recruiting for Ole Miss. This was the reason Sanders had to be the OC in the championship game.
 
#23
#23
There are many reasons why he decommitted that have all been touched on here so I'll rope 'em together for you.

1. He wanted Cutcliffe's tutelage because of Manning's experience. The familys talked about this throughout Simms' recruitment. When he left for Ole Miss it was a major dent.

2. Fulmer never promised him a starting job, which was a very minor sticking point, but a point none the less. Mack Brown told him everything he wanted to hear.

3. AJ Suggs was already committed and was a decent prospect coming out of H.S. He wanted to be the only QB signee in the class because of the fact that the one that didn't win the competition would have to transfer.

4. The Dorsey comments throughout the thread pretty much cover it correctly regarding him. Dorsey was set to compete with Suggs, but Fulmer was obviously not bringing in 3 QBs.
 
#24
#24
BJSforVols said:
If memory serves me correctly, it was earlier than NSD, but late enough that we had little to no chance of getting in on another top QB for that class.

I believe we had a legitimate shot at landing Ken Dorsey that same recruiting season, but he picked Miami over us once Simms committed to TN. The TN staff showed a higher interest in Simms over Dorsey. If it wasn't Dorsey, it was another highly recruited QB.
Click to expand...

He announced his change two days before signing day.:furious3:
 
#25
#25
triadvolfan said:
One of my friends is a big Texas fan and he told me he would have killed to have Casey Clausen starting at QB instead of Simms so it worked out okay. Texas fans couldn't stand the guy. The biggest problem was Clausen had to start as a freshman but Chris Simms would have gotten to sit a year behind Martin.

Clausen wasn't the greatest QB at UT but I definitely prefer him over Chris Simms.
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Honestly, Casey Clausens skills regressed a little while he was here. He threw a much more accurate deep ball in 2001 than he did in 2002 or 2003. He also was better at putting the ball in tight spaces his first two years. I often think of him as the first example of the deterioration of player development that ended the career of CPF. I still think highly of him, however. He was trying to run the Sanders offense, and didnt do badly.:thumbsup:
 
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