Jaylend Ratliffe Article

[swampsting]

I think PJ was frustrated by a couple of things with Ken: 1) That he published a story PJ didn’t want published and 2) PJ doesn’t think Ken knows football
I think Ken knows how much *work* football is, and the grind the players and coaches go through, though.
Ratliffe knows football, though.

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PJ got crossways with Ken when he went around him to get injury information.
There are a bunch of sports writers who don't "know" football. PJ's probably dealt with a lot of that before. Not every good college football writer played the game like Joe Person, formerly of Macon and last I heard at the Charlotte Observer, did (he was a tight end at William and Mary and sounds like a dead ringer for Adam Carolla).
But if you ask good questions - and show that you have a sense of humor - PJ was good with you. I know at some of his other stops, PJ wouldn't mind explaining to the media the offense or what he looked to do and why. At Tech, he may not have had that kind of time.
Anyway, Ken does a very good job of longer, personality-focused pieces.
Wish the AJC had more like him and fewer columnists.

 

[Milwaukee]

 

[Deleted member 2897]

Get that thing framed!!!

 

[g0lftime]

It would have been easy for him to pack it in and leave school but this shows how how he faced tremendous adversity and perservered. GT can be a grind and would have been easier to go elsewhere. Really happy for him.

 

[jgtengineer]

Ratliffe is one of CPJ's biggest success stories I feel. Kid literally went to school to learn coaching and get a degree. Most coaches might have dropped the scholarship after the injury especially at SEC schools. Honestly I can't remember an SEC team doing something like this.

 

[forensicbuzz]

Ratliffe is one of CPJ's biggest success stories I feel. Kid literally went to school to learn coaching and get a degree. Most coaches might have dropped the scholarship after the injury especially at SEC schools. Honestly I can't remember an SEC team doing something like this.

No school would have dropped the scholarship. His scholarship never counted against the 85 scholly rule, so there would have never been a reason to drop him. No coach would take on the PR nightmare of dropping a kid after an accident like that when there was no downside to keeping him on scholarship.

 

[jgtengineer]

No school would have dropped the scholarship. His scholarship never counted against the 85 scholly rule, so there would have never been a reason to drop him. No coach would take on the PR nightmare of dropping a kid after an accident like that when there was no downside to keeping him on scholarship.

We didn't drop his actual scholarship, giving him every opportunity to come back, he was even somehow cleared by the non GT medical staff. It is very possible a school would easily have just said "you have a medical if you come here" and hope it looked like the kids decision.

 

[UgaBlows]

Man great feel good story, I love and am proud that both CPJ and Collins are good human beings at heart.

 

[deeznats]

Glad he stuck with it, makes it worth honoring the scholarship. Lots of people would have given up.

 

[forensicbuzz]

We didn't drop his actual scholarship, giving him every opportunity to come back, he was even somehow cleared by the non GT medical staff. It is very possible a school would easily have just said "you have a medical if you come here" and hope it looked like the kids decision.

As I said, I don't think any coach would have dropped his scholarship. I guarantee you CPJ knew ahead of the class signing that Jaylend wasn't going to be attending GT the fall season after his senior year. If any coach thought there was a possibility Jaylend, with his talent level, was going to be able to play, they wouldn't have flushed him. It's all speculation, we did the right thing, we're all good.

 

[laoh]

Was this comment necessary? Sometimes I wonder at our own fans. What purpose does it serve to negatively qualify someone's positive comment?

I didn't find anything wrong with that comment. I was thinking the same thing anyway and since this is a forum where we actually put thoughts to keyboard, why not? Again, I didn't find it offensive or anything.

 

[forensicbuzz]

I didn't find anything wrong with that comment. I was thinking the same thing anyway and since this is a forum where we actually put thoughts to keyboard, why not? Again, I didn't find it offensive or anything.

LOL! I don't even remember that comment. I may have been drinking. But, having said that, I think we are way too negative when suggesting someone pump the brakes.

 

[85Escape]

I don't really think CGC had much of a choice. Since it's a medical scholarship it doesn't count towards the 85 cap and (IIUC) the GTAA determines eligibility for it. As HC, he could recommend removal for violations of rules, but short of that, I don't think it was really his call. Similarly, while CPJ advocated for the medical scholarship for JR in the beginning, it was the GTAA that had to buy off on it and find funding for it.

Plus, CGC would have looked REALLY bad if he comes in as a new coach and cuts a guy off a medical scholarship.

Why did you feel it was necessary to make this comment?

EDIT: I see now others asked the same question? Why? To make CPJ not look good? To say the he wasn't a good person or that Tech isn't really that caring? To hide your personal shame at being a less caring person? I'm not saying that's the case, but it does make one wonder. I just don't get it.

 

[Augusta_Jacket]

Why did you feel it was necessary to make this comment?

EDIT: I see now others asked the same question? Why? To make CPJ not look good? To say the he wasn't a good person or that Tech isn't really that caring? To hide your personal shame at being a less caring person? I'm not saying that's the case, but it does make one wonder. I just don't get it.

Why did you feel it necessary to make this comment? Because you have an opinion. If you read all the thread you will see I was trying to point out how it was the GTAA who did something awesome, and that's not something that is routine with the GTAA. I am as big a CPJ and CGC cheerleader as there is, but this is a win for the GTAA as a whole, and I felt like pointing it out.