augustabuzz
Helluva Engineer
- Messages
- 3,412
Jaylend Ratliffe is a grey shirt.
Any Interest in these Bama Transfers?
- Thread starter kg01
- Start date
Tdippp
Ramblin' Wreck
- Messages
- 535
- Location
- Marietta, Ga
He does now, but he was offered really late. Us and UGA were hard on him to get him to walk on, if you recall.
Yjacket82
Georgia Tech Fan
- Messages
- 78
- Location
- Greenville, SC
LOL - Could you imagine if he wasn't on scholarship and AJC found out....
I guess my point is proven.
franklinjacket
Jolly Good Fellow
- Messages
- 297
Tyler Melton was a gray shirt. Kirvonte Benson was scheduled to do the same but decided our trainers would help his rehab. Both of these were because of injuries, not stashing players for a later date.
Northeast Stinger
Helluva Engineer
- Messages
- 11,160
It's not the paper work that is the issue. It the difference between 2 approaches. One approach is when a player really wants to come to your school and you are over the scholarship limit but you say to him we can offer you a gray shirt now if you want it and we will give you a scholarship when one comes available. And then you keep your promise.
The other approach says we really want you and want to give you a full ride to school. We think you can be a starter in 2 years. You arrive and they say, sorry, we are overbooked right now and we don't have a scholarship for you. Take this gray shirt and maybe you can be on the practice squad one day, or you can just go ahead and find another school.
I will let you guess which approach Tech uses and which approach Alabama uses.
Blumpkin Souffle
Bidly Biddington III
- Messages
- 1,367
Lol you can't prove your point with a hypothetical
TheSilasSonRising
Helluva Engineer
- Messages
- 3,729
And Dodd NEVER had a player transfer out, leave school for various reasons, or just quit due to no longer wanting to play? And, of course, Dodd NEVER gave those ships to another player, right? And we still, to this day, always sell our 40,000 season tickets per year, right? And pro sports would never impact what we need to accomplish, right.
No doubt, none of this sounds familiar to you.
Yjacket82
Georgia Tech Fan
- Messages
- 78
- Location
- Greenville, SC
Good point Bumpkin - was a weak attempt at humor.
I guess what sticks in my craw is the intent for the grayshirting. I do realize that that are legitimate reasons for it, but that really does not seem to be the intent here. These coaches are screwing with the lives of these students.
In the Dodd era, the over-recruiting was blatant and I choose to believe that Dodd was an honorable man on this issue, as he was for many other issues. He saw what was being done to these students and he acted to fix it. The timing of Tech's departure fits my theory pretty well, as we left almost immediately after the vote. Further evidence for my position is the timing of the pitches that you mention. Nothing was ever said about Tech being an independent powerhouse until after the departure (at least I cannot find anything). It does not look like some kind of campaign was developed and executed before we left. It looks a lot more like we left and then had to put lipstick on the pig. I really think that Dodd believed Alabama was going to do as Bryant promised and when they didn't, he had to completely capitulate or follow through and leave the SEC. How much of this was pride vs. doing the right thing, not sure anyone knows. Looking at the decisions he made for his students prior to this decision, I choose to believe the latter.
Interestingly, you mention pro sports. In looking at Dodd's decision, I think he did take this into account. Going to college in the 50's and 60's was not something that everyone did and colleges were not on every street corner. A student/athlete that missed his chance to go to Alabama probably went nowhere else and it made a significant impact on his standard of living. Most of these men weren't going to school to "make it to the pros" as the pay (approx $4,000 per year, with free beer) was probably less than a typical lawyer or accountant. So when you screwed him out of the chance of a degree, that meant something.
Take a close look at who Dodd gave those "ships" to and how he chose to play the game. I fear his version of "what we need to accomplish" appears to be radically different than yours.
I guess what sticks in my craw is the intent for the grayshirting. I do realize that that are legitimate reasons for it, but that really does not seem to be the intent here. These coaches are screwing with the lives of these students.
In the Dodd era, the over-recruiting was blatant and I choose to believe that Dodd was an honorable man on this issue, as he was for many other issues. He saw what was being done to these students and he acted to fix it. The timing of Tech's departure fits my theory pretty well, as we left almost immediately after the vote. Further evidence for my position is the timing of the pitches that you mention. Nothing was ever said about Tech being an independent powerhouse until after the departure (at least I cannot find anything). It does not look like some kind of campaign was developed and executed before we left. It looks a lot more like we left and then had to put lipstick on the pig. I really think that Dodd believed Alabama was going to do as Bryant promised and when they didn't, he had to completely capitulate or follow through and leave the SEC. How much of this was pride vs. doing the right thing, not sure anyone knows. Looking at the decisions he made for his students prior to this decision, I choose to believe the latter.
Interestingly, you mention pro sports. In looking at Dodd's decision, I think he did take this into account. Going to college in the 50's and 60's was not something that everyone did and colleges were not on every street corner. A student/athlete that missed his chance to go to Alabama probably went nowhere else and it made a significant impact on his standard of living. Most of these men weren't going to school to "make it to the pros" as the pay (approx $4,000 per year, with free beer) was probably less than a typical lawyer or accountant. So when you screwed him out of the chance of a degree, that meant something.
Take a close look at who Dodd gave those "ships" to and how he chose to play the game. I fear his version of "what we need to accomplish" appears to be radically different than yours.
CHE90
Jolly Good Fellow
- Messages
- 436
Please explain this.
deeeznutz
Helluva Engineer
- Messages
- 2,329
Yeah, Jaylend was a greyshirt since he delayed enrollment, but that one had some pretty extenuating circumstances. It's not a bad thing to use greyshirts as long as you're upfront with it, which we have offered before (I think Kirvonte Benson was one recently too). The problem comes when you take a guy who you have already promised a scholly to then over-recruit his spot and force him to take the greyshirt because he's already lost opportunities at all the other schools he was considering. As with most things, the few bad actors ruin things for everyone else.
CHE90
Jolly Good Fellow
- Messages
- 436
Thanks for the explanation. I was thinking a grey shirt was always a bad thing but I think I held that view since I always heard about it in a negative context.
LongforDodd
LatinxBreakfastTacos
- Messages
- 3,262
Delayed enrollment or not he's on a free ride but probably will never put on a uniform. Is his scholly counted against the 85 or is his schooling paid from another source that allows us to fulfill our commitment and yet not count against the 85?
deeeznutz
Helluva Engineer
- Messages
- 2,329
He's on a medical scholarship now, not sure who pays it but it doesn't count against the 85.
FightWinDrink
Helluva Engineer
- Messages
- 2,377
He's on medical hardship scholarship which doesn't count against the 85
LongforDodd
LatinxBreakfastTacos
- Messages
- 3,262
Good thing. I guess I could see where the AA pays for it but also the school if it's likely he'll never play.