Spring Practice 2016 News & Notes

[JacketFromUGA]

You guys are aware that you're talking about an actual human being right?

One that no one here knows on a personal basis but he's still a human being.

So often sports allow athletes to be objectified for their measurables and perceived contribution but please remember. This is an actual kid who no one here actually knows and very few here have actually seen him play this spring.

Please stop letting your perceived slight that he's not the athlete you have in your brain be a conduit for thinly veiled personal affronts.

 

[takethepoints]

Yeah, I couldn't agree more.

Nobody here knows (or, if they do, they haven't been saying) why Shamire reported over his best weight. By the same token, nobody here knows if he can get down 20 - 30 lbs by next fall.

I think he can and I'm pulling for him. He's got the talent and I think he'll show it again, given the chance.

 

[AE 87]

Seems to be an eating disorder for certain.

In the off season an attentive coaching staff would have gotten, or tried, to get him help. Maybe they did, idk.

Certainly there should have been someone riding his behind every day / week.

Again, maybe they did. But if it did not work, at least one of the involved party's should no longer be associated with the GY football program.

I'm pretty sure this falls into the category of "we recruited him." It's not like he's breaking laws that also happen to be against school/team conduct rules.

Going further on this issue is beyond the scope of polite public conversation. Hopefully those closest to him will encourage him to take advantage of the nutrition and fitness experts to whom he has access now. It's more important than playing 2016 season.

 

[DrJacket]

You guys are aware that you're talking about an actual human being right?

One that no one here knows on a personal basis but he's still a human being.

So often sports allow athletes to be objectified for their measurables and perceived contribution but please remember. This is an actual kid who no one here actually knows and very few here have actually seen him play this spring.

Please stop letting your perceived slight that he's not the athlete you have in your brain be a conduit for thinly veiled personal affronts.

This is a good call back to sanity. He's a fabulous kid, a person you would want to spend time around. Bright, friendly, articulate.

 

[flea77]

This is a good call back to sanity. He's a fabulous kid, a person you would want to spend time around. Bright, friendly, articulate.

Well said. He is a great young man, very smart. He will be fine. He is getting a ton of reps this spring. I believe he was sick heading into spring and that hurt him conditioning wise. I know he is working hard to reach his personal and the teams goals.

 

[Jerry the Jacket]

Yeah, I am all for giving guys second and even third chances but at some point you have to hold folks accountable. I think this example of lack of discipline sets a bad example for the entire organization. Perhaps they should put him on medical hardship and get him into some sort of weight loss program or even some sort of gastric bypass surgery. Not so much so he could hope to play football some day but just to have a shot at a healthy life.

Go Jackets!

 

[dressedcheeseside]

Yeah, I am all for giving guys second and even third chances but at some point you have to hold folks accountable. I think this example of lack of discipline sets a bad example for the entire organization. Perhaps they should put him on medical hardship and get him into some sort of weight loss program or even some sort of gastric bypass surgery. Not so much so he could hope to play football some day but just to have a shot at a healthy life.

Go Jackets!

If I'm not mistaken, all the players get nutrition counseling. Heck, they even take them shopping with a personal shopper and teach them how to pick out healthy food. Some take it to heart and others do not. At the end of the day, guys have to take responsibility for themselves, it's their life.

 

[SidewalkJacket]

Can we just take @DrJacket and @flea77 's words for it and move on to more general spring practice talk? I still haven't read or heard one statement from a coach insinuating that Shamire is not running with the 1's due to weight.

 

[ilovetheoption]

Can we just take @DrJacket and @flea77 's words for it and move on to more general spring practice talk? I still haven't read or heard one statement from a coach insinuating that Shamire is not running with the 1's due to weight.

I want to say Johnson said exactly that wednesday.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

I still haven't read or heard one statement from a coach insinuating that Shamire is not running with the 1's due to weight.

au contraire

“Certainly Shamire’s got ability, but he can’t play at 380 pounds,” Johnson said. “So we’re trying to do everything we can to help him. He’s got to help himself, too.”

http://www.ajc.com/news/sports/college/plenty-of-shifting-on-georgia-tech-offensive-line/nq5Gd/

 

[SidewalkJacket]

If that has been stated by coaches then I'll take their word for it. I don't listen to everything, especially during spring. But I do agree with others who have cautioned against our bashing of SD. I will just as disappointed as anyone if his weight struggles keep him from contributing at GT, but I think there's a difference between him and other "flame-outs" whose faults were more related to character and/or academics. The kid still had two more playing years, and I respect what DrJ and Flea have had to say on it, for obvious reasons. Let's see what happens.

 

[chewybaka]

Gotta have some real man help inside. I was very glad to hear about Will getting a shot in there - I've thought he looked like a road grading guard since watching his high school film, so this move makes a lot of sense and makes me feel better about the OL situation. Also glad to hear about the other adjustments - moving Morgan over, etc. Now, we just gotta keep 'em healthy, get 'em coached up, and hope we have some other guys who can get to the LB in space on the outside at OT ... Need Will to clone himself.

Did they also move Klock inside? Is that what I heard CPJ say?

Does anyone know if the Saturday AM practice tomorrow is open to season ticket holders ?

 

[dressedcheeseside]

If that has been stated by coaches then I'll take their word for it. I don't listen to everything, especially during spring. But I do agree with others who have cautioned against our bashing of SD. I will just as disappointed as anyone if his weight struggles keep him from contributing at GT, but I think there's a difference between him and other "flame-outs" whose faults were more related to character and/or academics. The kid still had two more playing years, and I respect what DrJ and Flea have had to say on it, for obvious reasons. Let's see what happens.

I don't think it's a character issue one bit. By all accounts he's a great kid. However, to be successful as a SA, particularly at GT, you have to have incredible "want to." Desire is the mother of work ethic and in Shamire's case, dietary discipline. It's the same whether it's academics or athletics. There are plenty examples of very smart guys failing out of Tech because they lacked the work ethic/desire to do what was necessary.

Likewise, if you don't have great desire to play the game, it doesn't matter how much talent you possess. I wish Shamire to get his weight under control for his health first, GT football second. As with any recruit, nothing is guaranteed, all we can really demand is best effort. If he's giving that, I'm fine with it.

 

[YJMD]

I cringe a bit when I hear "want to". It gets thrown around a lot as the reason for failure to achieve goals. "I just didn't want it enough", etc. It's very isolating and forces you to "suck it up" whenever you're having a hard time with something. We can all empathize with making bad decisions repeatedly when we know better, because it's hard. Often people who get stuck this way have a great deal of "want to", perhaps too much. Yet, the thought of actually making that next step and being responsible for your own success and testing whether your dreams really could come true is not easy for anyone. I think we really need Shamire to be responsible for himself; we can have that and support him in understanding how hard it is and that we value all of the other stuff about him even if he can't get his football career in the shape we imagine it could be.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

I cringe a bit when I hear "want to". It gets thrown around a lot as the reason for failure to achieve goals. "I just didn't want it enough", etc. It's very isolating and forces you to "suck it up" whenever you're having a hard time with something. We can all empathize with making bad decisions repeatedly when we know better, because it's hard. Often people who get stuck this way have a great deal of "want to", perhaps too much. Yet, the thought of actually making that next step and being responsible for your own success and testing whether your dreams really could come true is not easy for anyone. I think we really need Shamire to be responsible for himself; we can have that and support him in understanding how hard it is and that we value all of the other stuff about him even if he can't get his football career in the shape we imagine it could be.

Imo, "want to" is merely semantics and can be interpreted in different ways. It could mean drive or desire or simply interest. There's many an athlete who simply lack the love of the game. They may like the game, but truly loving the game has a deep motivational affect. Michael Jordan had the perfect combination of talent and love of the game. He had one of the greatest work ethics, too, when it came to basketball. To be elite in any sport, it takes more than talent, you have to love it. That's where I believe the disconnect is with Shamire and it's not a character flaw at all.

But that's just one guy's speculation. And before I get nailed for it, that's what sports discussion boards are for.

 

[JDjacket]

I don't know about all of you , but I remember when we were recruiting him I read a bunch of articles and the reason we were in the hunt (and landed him) is because his #1 priority was never football. I feel like a lot of articles always talked about us having the major he wanted and he wanted to focus more with school (I think it was like computer engineering or something that you wouldn't expect at first). So, maybe true to his comments made during recruiting he is focused on his school work. So maybe from the football side of things and the potential people are like.. well this is a bummer, but honestly I say good for him bc maybe it's possible he's just focused on school and more power to him.

 

[ilovetheoption]

I don't know about all of you , but I remember when we were recruiting him I read a bunch of articles and the reason we were in the hunt (and landed him) is because his #1 priority was never football. I feel like a lot of articles always talked about us having the major he wanted and he wanted to focus more with school (I think it was like computer engineering or something that you wouldn't expect at first). So, maybe true to his comments made during recruiting he is focused on his school work. So maybe from the football side of things and the potential people are like.. well this is a bummer, but honestly I say good for him bc maybe it's possible he's just focused on school and more power to him.

I have a hard time arguing with ANY of that. Frankly, football should almost always be a means to an end for college level players (and a computer engineering degree from GT is a heckfire of an end). I'd like to see the kid succeed on the football field, and I'd like to see the kid live a long, healthy life, but you'll NEVER hear me dog a kid for paying so much attention to school that his football play suffers a little bit.

 

[YJMD]

Imo, "want to" is merely semantics and can be interpreted in different ways. It could mean drive or desire or simply interest. There's many an athlete who simply lack the love of the game. They may like the game, but truly loving the game has a deep motivational affect. Michael Jordan had the perfect combination of talent and love of the game. He had one of the greatest work ethics, too, when it came to basketball. To be elite in any sport, it takes more than talent, you have to love it. That's where I believe the disconnect is with Shamire and it's not a character flaw at all.

But that's just one guy's speculation. And before I get nailed for it, that's what sports discussion boards are for.

Yeah. You have a really good point. I've seen it be a rationalization of "I'm afraid if I give it my all I still won't be good enough" as well.

 

[ATL1]

Shamire is a typical GT geek, who just happens to have NFL level talent to play football.

My concerns for Shamire extend beyond the football field and more about healthy lifestyle.

 

[Declinometer]

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