Elijah Daniel to Ole Miss

[NoahBeanBizzel]

Originally Posted by StrangeGator

Agree strongly. Those minimum standards for UF are so far below what a non-athlete has to achieve to be admitted to UF. It must be hard to assimilate kids with a 920 into a student body who averaged a 1300 or higher along with a 4.0+ GPA. I'm glad UF requires the minimum writing score as well, even then, a 460 and 440 on the reading and writing sections is borderline illiterate. My acutely dyslexic daughter scored a 710 and 770 on those two sections without any accommodations. According to the Woodcock Johnson's verbal fluency test, she should be illiterate. I'm guessing these football players either didn't have adequate support in their schools, in their homes or both. Now those players who slip through with the minimum to get into UF have to play catch up with their classmates. I don't know how they do it, though some obviously do.

I know test scores aren't the same as grades, but if you score that low, you didn't learn what high school students are expected to learn to be prepared for college. Two-a-days are nothing compared to what they will have to do succeed in the classroom.

Whether you realize it or not, you just made a great case for why some of these kids go pro. Why deal with the stress of student life, finals, reading books you really don't understand (or care about), taking classes you have no interest in, and continue to play catch up with other students for four years when you can leave after your junior season, make 10-20 times as much as the average graduate who finds a job within a year of graduation, and focus soley on your career.

Janoris Jenkins was a complete fool. I'll never understand why he wanted to come back to UF for his senior season. He literally rolled up millions of dollars into a "J", sparked it up, and put it right into his lungs.

[StrangeGator]

Originally Posted by NoahBeanBizzel

Whether you realize it or not, you just made a great case for why some of these kids go pro. Why deal with the stress of student life, finals, reading books you really don't understand, taking classes you have no interest in, and continue to play catch up with other students for four years when you can leave after your junior season, make 10-20 times as much as the average graduate who finds a job within a year of graduation, and focus soley on your career.

Janoris Jenkins was a complete fool. I'll never understand why he wanted to come back to UF for his senior season. He literally rolled up millions of dollars into a "J", sparked it up, and put it right into his lungs.

Yea, but we gotta keep them in adequate shape academically for three years in football. Basketball is another story. How ironic that our second ever one-and-done in basketball left UF with a 3.8 GPA on a pre-med track.

[gatorr4life]

Originally Posted by elrongator

Ole Miss and several others take dummies.
Period, end of story.
Our academic requirements are a pain in the ass for our coaches sometimes, but I'd rather we have some basic standards and not deviate from them than fill our program with idiots that can't qualify.
And let's face it, to call someone that can't make the basic standards a "student/athlete" is an embarrassment. They are dumb or lazy or both.
Good riddance to anyone stupid enough to fail to make basic graduation requirements.

Ole miss and several others take dummies? Might want to go listen to a few interviews of some of our former players. Not going to name names, but we've had a few that sound like they've never opened a English book in their life.

[revthejedi]

Not everyone is a great student or are great speakers but there's no reason to name call. Everyone can't be smart and everyone can't run a four-four.

[elrongator]

And not everyone that can run a 4.4 should be allowed to play major college football.
Sorry, but UF has minimal standards for athletes to qualify. If you can't get that minimum you either aren't trying or your just dumb.
Kids with proven disabilities get extra consideration, extra time to take tests etc...
Can't make the minimum= dumb or lazy to me.

[NoahBeanBizzel]

Originally Posted by revthejedi

Not everyone is a great student or are great speakers but there's no reason to name call. Everyone can't be smart and everyone can't run a four-four.

Any 21-year old (Jenkins), who comes back to a university for his senior season and gets nailed (and kicked out of school for) twice for having pot, is a fool. I'm sorry.

Then he did everything he could to knock his draft down even more over in Alabama. Look at his antics before the draft. There's people who just aren't that smart; and there are people who just don't care.

[rserina]

Not entire sure what is gained by insulting some of these kids. Many come from extremely poor backgrounds, terrible schools, and parental situations you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy. I still remember the story of the Redskins DL in the 80s, Dexter Manley, who was completely illiterate. Yet somehow he got through high school and Oklahoma State without being able to read.

Do such kids merit a college education? Probably not. But fortunately they have the athletic skill and desire to impress someone on the football field and thereby get an opportunity to earn a college degree, or at the very least learn some basic intellectual skills and discipline along the way. I consider that a good thing.

[NoahBeanBizzel]

I'll say nothing more about the matter than this: bringing in kids with questionable character is something Meyer made a habit of doing. At first, it helped to win championships. However, once these kids saw what he was willing to overlook, the situation quickly spiraled out of control. UF became an embarrassment, with players routinely beating up women, getting busted for possession, players were getting away with all sorts of nonsense, and what happened as a result of what Meyer let carry on?

Do the words "broken program" ring a bell? If you really take pride in the University of Florida, then you can't act like the actions of these kids can't be called out for what they were.

Muschamp has given this program a complete makeover, and has brought us back to respectability. He's bringing in high-character guys, who put the team above themselves, and want to embrace the Gator nation. That should be embraced. That should be celebrated.

Players with questionable grades and/or questionable conduct should look elsewhere. We compromised on those standards under Meyer, and it was an embarrassment.

[DeBigLeezard]

North...
I totally, totally and completely agree with you.
The program won in the short run... but we paid a dear price in the long run.
But enough of that...

And I am very happy that we have Muschamp on board as our head coach.
Very happy.
We need someone who is attached to the University of Florida.
Meyer said that he was... actually... we were not, "... the top of the mountain" for Meyer.
For Muschamp... I feel that this IS his dream job.
Great recruiter...
Relates to the players...
Enthusiastic, young and gets fired up for his Gators!

[ETGator1]

The more I think about it, he'll probably be a sign and place, not in the enrolled class come summer.

[StrangeGator]

Character, grades and test scores are all different things. We make exceptions when a player compensates in one area or another. I guess everyone forgot that Tim Tebow had an SAT score in the mid 900 range. His grades were good, but I don't know how verifiable that is when a student is home schooled. He's obviously not very intellectually gifted, but made up for it with his leadership and determination. He worked hard, was an honor student and a great player. Our admissions people and our coaches obviously know what they're doing.

[atlantagator86]

So is Ole Miss taking him as a sign-and-place?

[ETGator1]

Somebody on another thread said he failed a required math course similar to what jucos have to have to get into the SEC. It doesn't look to me that he can get into any SEC school. If that isn't sign and place, what is it?

[Tebowism0823]

Originally Posted by NoahBeanBizzel

I'll say nothing more about the matter than this: bringing in kids with questionable character is something Meyer made a habit of doing. At first, it helped to win championships. However, once these kids saw what he was willing to overlook, the situation quickly spiraled out of control. UF became an embarrassment, with players routinely beating up women, getting busted for possession, players were getting away with all sorts of nonsense, and what happened as a result of what Meyer let carry on?

Do the words "broken program" ring a bell? If you really take pride in the University of Florida, then you can't act like the actions of these kids can't be called out for what they were.

Muschamp has given this program a complete makeover, and has brought us back to respectability. He's bringing in high-character guys, who put the team above themselves, and want to embrace the Gator nation. That should be embraced. That should be celebrated.

Players with questionable grades and/or questionable conduct should look elsewhere. We compromised on those standards under Meyer, and it was an embarrassment.

Well said.

[NoahBeanBizzel]

Originally Posted by StrangeGator

Character, grades and test scores are all different things. We make exceptions when a player compensates in one area or another. I guess everyone forgot that Tim Tebow had an SAT score in the mid 900 range. His grades were good, but I don't know how verifiable that is when a student is home schooled. He's obviously not very intellectually gifted, but made up for it with his leadership and determination. He worked hard, was an honor student and a great player. Our admissions people and our coaches obviously know what they're doing.

While that may be true, it does seem that you find a lot of guys who have questionable character, poor grades, and they get suspended early on for "disciplinary" issues. Whether that relates to cutting class, poor test scores or cheating, I'm not sure. That info isn't always given. On the other hand, a lot of guys with "high character" seem to do well in school, go to class, and do well on tests.

I'd like Daniel to be a part of this class just as much as anyone, but he failed to take care of business in the classroom. Like you said, admissions and the coaching staff seem to have a firm grasp on what's going on.

[IH8REFS]

I'm pretty sure you get a 920 on the SAT for writing in your name correctly. That said, this just proves that college prestige has much more to do with the quality of student admitted than with the faculty's ability to teach anyone anything.