So, who quit?!

[VFL-82-JP]

The juniors who declared for the draft instead of playing their senior year, by definition, quit on their team.

I entirely disagree on this point, 87&91.

Every player who joins a college team will eventually leave that team.

As long as they leave between seasons, that's not quitting. That's moving on to the next stage of your life.

Giving up on the team in the middle of a season, that's quitting.

Examples: Hurd quit. Kamara moved on.

Totally different things.

 

[cHiZzLeVOL]

Gaulden

Butchna I'ma give this a go.... are you from West Tennessee and did you play college baseball for a College now known as a University in West Tennessee? Personality seems like someone I grew up knowing who knew my dad in West Tennessee. Lol or I could be completely wrong.

 

[butchna]

Butchna I'ma give this a go.... are you from West Tennessee and did you play college baseball for a College now known as a University in West Tennessee? Personality seems like someone I grew up knowing who knew my dad in West Tennessee. Lol or I could be completely wrong.

You missed completely! Health department burned footage of my Dixie Youth baseball career. :w00t:

 

[cHiZzLeVOL]

You missed completely! Health department burned footage of my Dixie Youth baseball career. :w00t:

Well darn! I tried.

 

[Orangeredblooded]

I entirely disagree on this point, 87&91.

Every player who joins a college team will eventually leave that team.

As long as they leave between seasons, that's not quitting. That's moving on to the next stage of your life.

Giving up on the team in the middle of a season, that's quitting.

Examples: Hurd quit. Kamara moved on.

Totally different things.

JP, quit making sense on here, you’re making some look bad.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

JP, quit making sense on here, you’re making some look bad.

Heh, thanks, Orangeredblooded. Of course, I don't mean to hurt anyone's feelings about any of it.

Well, except Charger. I not only try to hurt his feelings, I'm constantly on the lookout for ways to use his credit card.

 

[gunner]

I entirely disagree on this point, 87&91.

Every player who joins a college team will eventually leave that team.

As long as they leave between seasons, that's not quitting. That's moving on to the next stage of your life.

Giving up on the team in the middle of a season, that's quitting.

Examples: Hurd quit. Kamara moved on.

Totally different things.

JP, I usually agree with you but this time I will differ just a bit.

If these kids finished their degrees then I have no problem with them "moving on". But, any kid that leaves with eligibility remaining and not having a degree is not simply moving on but rather a quitter imho.

I don't believe Gaulden, Kelly or Meckenzie graduated; therefore, all three of them should have returned imho.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

JP, I usually agree with you but this time I will differ just a bit.

If these kids finished their degrees then I have no problem with them "moving on". But, any kid that leaves with eligibility remaining and not having a degree is not simply moving on but rather a quitter imho.

I don't believe Gaulden, Kelly or Meckenzie graduated; therefore, all three of them should have returned imho.

I see what you're saying, Gunner.

I would only think of that as quitting if they INTENDED to get a college degree but gave up on that goal. And then they're not quitting on their teammates, but instead on themselves.

If the education was never their real bag, if they never held it as important, I can't really see that as quitting. Just shifting to a new stage of life.

Keep in mind: there's usually no guarantee from the university that the player will have a scholarship more than one year at a time. Those scholarships are renewed from year to year at the pleasure of the university. Likewise, the player has no obligation to keep playing for the university from year to year.

I personally believe that, once the season has started, it's a campaign, and no player (or coach) should quit until the season's over.

But in the off-season, both sides have complete freedom to renew, or not.

That's just how I see it.

 

[gunner]

I see what you're saying, Gunner.

I would only think of that as quitting if they INTENDED to get a college degree but gave up on that goal. And then they're not quitting on their teammates, but instead on themselves.

If the education was never their real bag, if they never held it as important, I can't really see that as quitting. Just shifting to a new stage of life.

Keep in mind: there's usually no guarantee from the university that the player will have a scholarship more than one year at a time. Those scholarships are renewed from year to year at the pleasure of the university. Likewise, the player has no obligation to keep playing for the university from year to year.

I personally believe that, once the season has started, it's a campaign, and no player (or coach) should quit until the season's over.

But in the off-season, both sides have complete freedom to renew, or not.

That's just how I see it.

Yeah, I hear you, and I completely agree that a guy like Hurd certainly quit on his team by not finishing the season.

That's much different than declaring for the NFL Draft after the season before graduating.

I'm idealistic in my belief that a player should finish his degree before moving on to the NFL.

Just my two cents.

 

[87&91ALUM]

If that was the deal up front, I agree but, the way it is today, players on schollys for four years or five if red-shirt. They can quit and Coach has to evaluate recruiting rules to see if he can fill that position. If I’m playing with men and giving my all and then they don’t show up, that is quitting. If they hang till graduate, they fulfilled their commitment. Shy Tuttle and McKenzie were like bookend DTs. Mac decided to bail on Shy. Understand that is legal, but that sure would change my feelings. Four to five years of blood, sweat and tears to win championships requires buy in. For some of you it is a me, myself, and I game so don’t blame anyone else for not winning championships. For a team stacked like Bama or UGA, losing good players may not be a big deal, just reload. For UT, the loss of those three players was huge. I’m thankful Tuttle, and others stuck it out for UT.

 

[Behr]

I wish they would stay, but I don't blame them one bit.

I sure would like to see how some of you guys would actually handle it if it was your son. Or you, back in the day.

 

[chargervol]

Heh, thanks, Orangeredblooded. Of course, I don't mean to hurt anyone's feelings about any of it.

Well, except Charger. I not only try to hurt his feelings, I'm constantly on the lookout for ways to use his credit card.

Ah dang.
JP is the dark web. I knew it.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

Ah dang.
JP is the dark web. I knew it.

As far as your CC is concerned, Charger, I'm the thing underneath the dark web that people haven't even given a name yet.

lol, j/k, I don't have any idea how any of that stuff works.

But it does remind me of Delta and the rangers...when deployed, they're almost always formed into a task force with an obscure name, like TF 120. And eventually, the press will find out that "TF 120" means Delta Force, and as soon as they do, the task force changes its name to something else. Keeping track of them as an outsider is like trying to pick up mercury with your fingers. :good!:

There is undoubtedly some deep-dark web below the dark web, that we're not yet aware of. That's just how it works.

 

[RavinDave]

I see what you're saying, Gunner.

I would only think of that as quitting if they INTENDED to get a college degree but gave up on that goal. And then they're not quitting on their teammates, but instead on themselves.

If the education was never their real bag, if they never held it as important, I can't really see that as quitting. Just shifting to a new stage of life.

Keep in mind: there's usually no guarantee from the university that the player will have a scholarship more than one year at a time. Those scholarships are renewed from year to year at the pleasure of the university. Likewise, the player has no obligation to keep playing for the university from year to year.

I personally believe that, once the season has started, it's a campaign, and no player (or coach) should quit until the season's over.

But in the off-season, both sides have complete freedom to renew, or not.

That's just how I see it.

I see it similarly JP. No doubt many of the players in college place a high value on getting their degree but the more talented ones in many cases are more focused on getting to the the NFL and not so much the sheepskin - for better or worse.

 

[gunner]

I wish they would stay, but I don't blame them one bit.

I sure would like to see how some of you guys would actually handle it if it was your son. Or you, back in the day.

If my son were in the position to be drafted or return for his senior season. I would advise him to finish his degree before moving on to the NFL.

 

[Behr]

If my son were in the position to be drafted or return for his senior season. I would advise him to finish his degree before moving on to the NFL.

And if he decide to go to the NFL anyway, would you consider him and call him a "quitter"?

 

[VolEngineer]

If possible I would like to address a point I made earlier in this thread about the O&W game and players quitting. Did anyone else feel the WR's kind of gave up on their routes? Maybe it was just a timing thing but it seemed to me a lot of the overthrown passes were due to the WR slowing down or giving up on the route. Am I wrong?

i said the same in one of these threads.

 

[gunner]

And if he decide to go to the NFL anyway, would you consider him and call him a "quitter"?

I would certainly be very disappointed that he quit college before graduating.

 

[jasonvol18]

I remember people saying he would only be here for 1 year, now it seems he's been here for an eternity with nothing to show for it.

He's only been here 2 yrs and has played in 17 games. They had him playing out of position and not one he was used to playing last yr. He hasn't played bad at all, not to mention he was being asked to playan unfamiliar DT position. He will do well under this staff.

 

[jasonvol18]

Pruitt needs to look in the mirror if players don’t want to play for him instead of blaming everyone around him (including the fans)for his lake of progress thus far.

If there are players who don't wanna play for him, then it's because those particular ones are used to the coddling and laziness they had under Butch. Pruitt has a reputation as a great developer, players love him and playing for him. If there's a lack of progress or some not wanting to play for him, then that's on the players. JP has earned the reputation he has at every stop he's been at. Same thing happened Saban's first yr at Ala. He went 7-6, lost to La-Monroe and had to clean house of the players who didn't buy in. That's common with every coaching change. We don't want the players who refuse to buy in and are still stuck with the Butch Jones philosophy mentality. If fans expect the best out of our HC and Players, then they have the same right to expect our best as fans. I see no problem with him holding the fans to the same expectations. It's refreshing to have a HC who isn't satisfied with anything less than 100%. You don't get a reputation as a players coach by having players not want to play for you.

 

[OnlyGodForgives]

There has to be some trolling going on here. If it is even a semi-close call, the athlete should always go pro as early as possible, especially in football. The degree thing will be there when one is ready for it. I've earned new degrees in three consecutive decades. If you want or need it, it's never too late, especially with an increasing number of legitimate online options. Advising someone to stay in school to get their degree is negligent and cruel.

 

[butchna]

I would certainly be very disappointed that he quit college before graduating.

What if he finishes his degree whilst banking money for his future?

 

[VFL-82-JP]

There has to be some trolling going on here. If it is even a semi-close call, the athlete should always go pro as early as possible, especially in football. The degree thing will be there when one is ready for it. I've earned new degrees in three consecutive decades. If you want or need it, it's never too late, especially with an increasing number of legitimate online options. Advising someone to stay in school to get their degree is negligent and cruel.

You are absolutely right, OGF, about being able to come back to finish a degree--or get another one--later in life. Absolutely an option open to our lads, and anyone else who needs more time.

Still, makes me laugh because I remember my sad self. Graduated with a bachelors in Engineering, and before I left college took and passed the Engineer-in-Training exam (first step toward a Professional Engineer's license). Note that you don't need this license to be a military engineer (officer or enlisted), 99% of the time.

So after the EIT exam, you're supposed to go out in the world and get 3-4 years of real world experience. No problem! I went to Germany for three years, then to Fort Bragg for another three.

About the time I met my beautiful bride-to-be, I was getting ready to start studying to take the final Professional Engineer exam. My future wife was hot (she still is, just in a much more relaxed and settled way), so I decided to take her to Myrtle Beach for a week of fun! She'd JUST graduated with a double major in math and physics, so I figured two birds with one stone, and tossed my prob & stats, thermo, hydro, integral calculus, differential equations, and several aero engineering texts into a bag. At the last minute, I figured better safe than sorry, and tossed in algebra book as well.

We got to the beach. I blew those books off for three or four days. Finally, one afternoon we decide to go down and sit in the hot tub by the pool, and she could quiz me on the algebra book--knock it out in a half hour, then on to the bigger subjects.

So we slide into the tub. "Explain the quadratic formula," she says.

...

That day, I quit in my quest for a PE license. Never opened another Engineering text book in my life to date. It's been 31 years and counting.

Haha.

I guess my point is, getting back to school to finish up a degree or get another one is huge, and important, but it takes discipline, which only comes with a real hunger to get it done. Big salute to the folks who do that.

Go Vols!

(yeah, yeah, i know, tl;dr)

 

[MSME Vol]

If my son were in the position to be drafted or return for his senior season. I would advise him to finish his degree before moving on to the NFL.

I think many schools including UT have programs set up to help their players who leave early later be able to come back and finish out their degree once that career ends. Of course there are some stipulations that must be followed, but by and large the University presents a commitment to them.

Given that, if I was Kelly and knew that average running backs only last a few years, I would go make bank, invest as much of it as possible, and come back to finish my studies in a few years. Compound interest is your friend, and financially speaking it makes a ton of sense.

 

[k-town_king]

If my son were in the position to be drafted or return for his senior season. I would advise him to finish his degree before moving on to the NFL.

What if he blows he knee out so bad it ends his career? You have never seen the ton of players that get their degrees in the summers?