Vad Lee Interview on 790 the Zone

[Techster]

Let me clarify something. There are different gradients of developing a "good quarterback". The system we run is going to develop a different QB than the system Baylor runs. The Baylor system is going to develop a different type of QB than the system Stanford runs. So on and so forth.

Just because our QB doesn't pass for 3,000+ yards with 30 TDs isn't going to make him a bad QB. Josh Nesbitt passed for just 1700 yards and didn't pass over a 50% completion and was still first team All-ACC and was a big cog in winning us an ACC Championship and BCS bowl birth. Eric Crouch didn't put up monster numbers passing when he won the Heisman. No one is going to say Josh was a bad QB in 2009 or Crouch was a bad QB when he won the Heisman.

So when I speak in terms of Vad not developing into a good QB in our system, I'm speaking to what Vad thought he came here for as a passer. Vad wasn't a great QB in our system, but he wasn't a bad one either (or not as bad as some on this board want to make it). Ultimately what Vad wanted and GT needed were two different things.

 

[Buzzwax]

If already stated earlier in this or other threads, my bad......

IMO, here are the larger problems and opporunities with Vad's transfer and where his heart was this past season

1. Did CPJ know Vad was considering transferring as early as the Clemson game? If so, JT would have seem more playing time. JT didn't.

2. It seemed clear that Vad didn't like contact and the threat of him running diminished this year killing a huge 'option' in this offense. Hell, the lack of a running threat by the QB limits several offenses, especially at the college level. IMO, JT or TB improve our running game next year, even if the OL performs at the same level as this year. If there was any threat of contact Vad went backwards or fell down for a loss. Our TFL stats confirm this in a huge way. This put our O is more long yards to go per down than I can remember.

3. IMO, Vad's parents, or those who 'advise' Vad are potentially doing him a huge disservice. I don't give Vad much of a chance to get to the next level with the passing mechanics and ability to step into throws or step up into a pocket or accuracy. Nice touch, good arm, yes, NFL QB no. The return of playing in an offense you like at JMU for two years vs. the opportunity a GT degree can earn you for the rest of your life to increase your chance at playing in the NFL seems like very short sighted advice.

4. I looked at JT's highlights for the few times he got to play this year and he looks much better stepping into his throws. (Does this mean he will run the offense better, make less mistakes, make better reads, don't know) JT certainly will be more of a threat to run the ball and give DC' more to scheme around in our running offense next year. Vad's rushing total was crazy low for this system.

5. Two fumbles could have been the difference between 7-6 and 9-4. Vad's fumble against Miami in the first half and the fumble against Ole Miss. Both killed our momentum in those games. Yes this is a team sport so Vad is clearly NOT to blame for our overall record BUT now that we know one of the team leaders was not 100% engaged in wanting to be here.......as several have said Vad transferring is probably better for GT next year.

6. CPJ better have a good year next year, especially on offense or I fear our offensive recruiting could fall off of a shelf. Our short term pipeline seems promising with Custis, Devine and others at WR, OL and QB. But if we have another mediocre year I see us have an increased uphill battle to attract Justin Thomas and Custis type talent at the skill positions. IMO our overall talent on O next year will be the best since 09. Due to inexperience I expect us to struggle a bit early in the year, but I expect us to improve as the season progresses. Less turnovers, longer sustained drives, etc.

Like the offense, the defense could struggle early on but should improve as the younger players are hopefully coached UP. 2014 could be a make or break year for this staff. I hope it's a MAKE!!

 

[jeagt]

The point I was making with Nesbitt and Tevin (and Vad) is that they displayed the ability to be good passer on the HS level. Was it the QB or the system that created the passer we saw at GT? Looking at CPJ's past QBs, it's hard to argue that the system actually improves a QB on this level.

Vad will be an interesting case. Leaving this system and going into another system. If he lights it on fire at JMU, a really good case can be made it was CPJ's system and not so much Vad.

Alot of QB's light it up in HS, but are not considered good enough passers to make it as QB's at the college level. They end up being recruited as athletes and playing other positions. Vad was not a highly rated QB by the recruting services, Duke might be the only other school that wanted him as a QB, everyone else had him as WR. You can't just look purely at a guys HS numbers to say he'll be a good college QB. I mean do you really think the system made TW's arm weak?

 

[Techster]

Alot of QB's light it up in HS, but are not considered good enough passers to make it as QB's at the college level. They end up being recruited as athletes and playing other positions. Vad was not a highly rated QB by the recruting services, Duke might be the only other school that wanted him as a QB, everyone else had him as WR. You can't just look purely at a guys HS numbers to say he'll be a good college QB. I mean do you really think the system made TW's arm weak?

I thnk you need to analyze the entirety of my post and not just single out a sentence, particularly the last two sentences of the first paragraph.

 

[Animal02]

If already stated earlier in this or other threads, my bad......

IMO, here are the larger problems and opporunities with Vad's transfer and where his heart was this past season

1. Did CPJ know Vad was considering transferring as early as the Clemson game? If so, JT would have seem more playing time. JT didn't.

2. It seemed clear that Vad didn't like contact and the threat of him running diminished this year killing a huge 'option' in this offense. Hell, the lack of a running threat by the QB limits several offenses, especially at the college level. IMO, JT or TB improve our running game next year, even if the OL performs at the same level as this year. If there was any threat of contact Vad went backwards or fell down for a loss. Our TFL stats confirm this in a huge way. This put our O is more long yards to go per down than I can remember.

3. IMO, Vad's parents, or those who 'advise' Vad are potentially doing him a huge disservice. I don't give Vad much of a chance to get to the next level with the passing mechanics and ability to step into throws or step up into a pocket or accuracy. Nice touch, good arm, yes, NFL QB no. The return of playing in an offense you like at JMU for two years vs. the opportunity a GT degree can earn you for the rest of your life to increase your chance at playing in the NFL seems like very short sighted advice.

4. I looked at JT's highlights for the few times he got to play this year and he looks much better stepping into his throws. (Does this mean he will run the offense better, make less mistakes, make better reads, don't know) JT certainly will be more of a threat to run the ball and give DC' more to scheme around in our running offense next year. Vad's rushing total was crazy low for this system.

5. Two fumbles could have been the difference between 7-6 and 9-4. Vad's fumble against Miami in the first half and the fumble against Ole Miss. Both killed our momentum in those games. Yes this is a team sport so Vad is clearly NOT to blame for our overall record BUT now that we know one of the team leaders was not 100% engaged in wanting to be here.......as several have said Vad transferring is probably better for GT next year.

6. CPJ better have a good year next year, especially on offense or I fear our offensive recruiting could fall off of a shelf. Our short term pipeline seems promising with Custis, Devine and others at WR, OL and QB. But if we have another mediocre year I see us have an increased uphill battle to attract Justin Thomas and Custis type talent at the skill positions. IMO our overall talent on O next year will be the best since 09. Due to inexperience I expect us to struggle a bit early in the year, but I expect us to improve as the season progresses. Less turnovers, longer sustained drives, etc.

Like the offense, the defense could struggle early on but should improve as the younger players are hopefully coached UP. 2014 could be a make or break year for this staff. I hope it's a MAKE!!

I have to assume the CPJ played Vad, even knowing he was considering transferring because that put us in the best position to win that particular game. No different than if he were graduating.
I agree totally with #3

 

[collegeballfan]

Vad Lee is no longer a member of the team. Can we please drop the subject.

 

[Animal02]

Vad Lee is no longer a member of the team. Can we please drop the subject.

Considering that Vad is the topic of this particular thread.......no,

 

[awbuzz]

If already stated earlier in this or other threads, my bad......

...

5. Two fumbles could have been the difference between 7-6 and 9-4. Vad's fumble against Miami in the first half and the fumble against Ole Miss. Both killed our momentum in those games. Yes this is a team sport so Vad is clearly NOT to blame for our overall record BUT now that we know one of the team leaders was not 100% engaged in wanting to be here.......as several have said Vad transferring is probably better for GT next year.
...

Like the offense, the defense could struggle early on but should improve as the younger players are hopefully coached UP. 2014 could be a make or break year for this staff. I hope it's a MAKE!!

The fumble against OM was caused by an OM player's helmet smacking the ball as VL was getting wrapped up. Kind of hard to blame that on him. I guess he could have had both arms on the ball though...

 

[Boomergump]

The fumble against OM was caused by an OM player's helmet smacking the ball as VL was getting wrapped up. Kind of hard to blame that on him. I guess he could have had both arms on the ball though...

That fumble was caused by Vad slowing up and failing to lower his shoulder pads. He slowed up enough to allow the rear pursuer to whack his arm from behind at the same time the tackler in front of him delivered a helmet near the football. If Vad accelerates into the tackler, the guy behind him never catches up, and if he lowered his pads to deliver the hit the defender never gets his helmet near the ball. That fumble was a direct result of his passive play. I watched that play several times. It is a microcosm of the season for our QB.

 

[awbuzz]

That fumble was caused by Vad slowing up and failing to lower his shoulder pads. He slowed up enough to allow the rear pursuer to whack his arm from behind at the same time the tackler in front of him delivered a helmet near the football. If Vad accelerates into the tackler, the guy behind him never catches up, and if he lowered his pads to deliver the hit the defender never gets his helmet near the ball. That fumble was a direct result of his passive play. I watched that play several times. It is a microcosm of the season for our QB.

I trust your interpretation much more than I do mine!

 

[bke1984]

Superior education? Really... we are number 36 in US New college rankings which is very good. You can cry and moan about how biased those rankings are, but we are behind.

1) Stanford
2) Duke
3) Southern Cal
4) Northwestern
5) Vanderbilt
6) Notre Dame
7) UCLA
8) Virginia
9) Wake Forest
10) Michigan
11) North Carolina
12) Boston College.

All of whom play big boy football. We are a niche school that looks for engineering minds, which are extremely hard to come by, and are even further isolated by the perception of the offense we run. Our most visible recruit, just called out our offense saying he felt like he was misled on how the offense would adapt.

He put the nail in the coffin of any hopes that the offense is going to change from what it has been. If you listened to him on 790 Vad made the statement that the coaching staff told him this because they had never had a quarterback that could throw and run..

I wonder what Tevin and Nesbitt think when they heard that.

Wow, you've got to be kidding me. First of all, exclude all non-Engineering schools, because you need to make sure you're comparing apples to apples. Google "best engineering schools in the world." We're in the top 10 in every ranking that I pulled up (in the world). There are two schools that play major college football that are consistently above us on the list: Cal (Berkeley) and Stanford. Granted, Stanford has had incredible success in the past 5 years, but they've not exactly outperformed us on the football field all-time...and in fact, if you take out the last 5 years, they were kind of a joke of a program. Check out the two links below:

http://www.winsipedia.com/georgia-tech/vs/california
http://www.winsipedia.com/georgia-tech/vs/stanford

 

[bke1984]

I trust your interpretation much more than I do mine!

Fumbles are always the offense's fault. Sometimes they can be put on one or more players (i.e. botched snaps, botched exchanges, offensive tackle not blocking a blind-side defensive end, etc.), but in every case someone on the offense is to blame. In this case it was Vad not taking care of the football.

 

[bke1984]

Calvin Johnson says hello.

Calvin graduated in 3 years

 

[daBuzz]

Calvin graduated in 3 years

No he didn't. He still hasn't graduated. He has TALKED about coming back to get his degree but the only times he has come back to Tech has been to work out so far.

I think he MIGHT one day graduate, but he hasn't done so yet.

Link For Proof

Read the caption underneath the picture of Calvin. And that was from November 2013.

 

[bke1984]

No he didn't. He still hasn't graduated. He has TALKED about coming back to get his degree but the only times he has come back to Tech has been to work out so far.

I think he MIGHT one day graduate, but he hasn't done so yet.

Link For Proof

Read the caption underneath the picture of Calvin. And that was from November 2013.

Hmm...I stand corrected.