Thursday Thought Provoker: For the Love of Football

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As it is draft day, I found this tidbit to be of significant interest, another aspect of the college game that has shifted for the worst.

So by this logic, a guy who has made bank in college on NIL deals could now be seen as undraftable as their riches from their younger days impact their drive the be better. To that end, I can say I believe it, because to a young mind “I’ve got more than enough” and the effort to get paid any further or compete is gone. Case in point:

Interestingly enough, Lane Kiffin was just discussing this in a recent podcast and he called it out, too. Lane would, of course, know, since he’s made some successful waves in Oxford by utilizing the portal and NIL funds these past few years. He also mentioned that he’d rather recruit (from the traditional sense) the athletes that come from smaller homes and less money than the flashy five stars that already have tasted material success and hunger for more green and less drive.

“And I’m also recognizing it to say, I don’t believe long-term that’s good for the kids. So this has been great for players to make some money, but it’s so much money and it’s so much focus on the money that then it’s like, okay, well then what’s next? If I’m already getting the money when I’m 18, then then what?”

“It’s not really like a banker, but you spend so much time not coaching. And I think that’s part of the Nick Saban and, you know, getting out. It’s just like, it just changed, you know, because these conversations, these things, and you see the like greed for it, you know, like, but it’s unique because from someone that’s been fortunate to make money, have success, get to the highest levels, like, it’s like, I keep trying to tell them, like, that’s not going to be the answer.

Like, that new contract, getting that much more money isn’t going to change anything. You’re not going to, you know, be happier because of, but it’s like they don’t…

Kids can’t hear it.

Cannot. I can sit in these two chairs right here to some, some, most of them, some will, but most of them, and they just look at me like, there’s no one. I’m like, listen to me, until you fix these internal problems, until you fix how you think, that everybody’s against you or whatever it is, these issues that they each have, and I’ll try to like work through them.”

Head cases, in other words. The NIL era will compensate talent heavily but will destroy the drive and passion before the brighter light and bigger audience can see them.

I can see why Kirby has been emphasizing a “love of football” so much lately, as I’m sure Lane and Kirby aren’t the only ones witnessing the death of players the likes of Nick Chubb or Nolan Smith in college programs.

A two-fold question for you, Refugees…who would you say was the most passionate Bulldawg you can recall see playing and loving the sport…and which one do you recall being the guy that just phoned it in but had such massive talent that they ended up standing out anyway?

My personal bias on passion leans towards Hines Ward, who I think had a passion for the pure, unadulterated violence of the game, but again, that’s my personal bias. I can think of several that felt like they just didn’t have their heart in it, from Justin Fields to Julian Humphrey, but that could just be because they hit the portal and defected from my lens.

What’s your opinion on the matter?

31 thoughts on “Thursday Thought Provoker: For the Love of Football”

  4. Champ Bailey was the combination of the 2 things good in your question … love of the game and talent that made it easy.

    Love of the game … Hines Ward is an excellent choice, but I’ll go with David Pollack.

    Talent that made him standout regardless of his true love of the game or Georgia … Matthew Stafford. He did everything at Georgia with at least 1 eye on the NFL. I’m not sure he loved (or loves) Georgia as anything more than a passage to the NFL.

  5. Saban was approaching his mid 70’s and was unquestionably the GOAT. He bitched about a LOT of things over the years. I’m skeptical when writers cite NIL as the reason he retired.

    • He and the Bama fan base can deny all they want, but when he had to deviate away from the core of what Alabama was, he was having to adapt to no longer having Kirby as a DC and as a recruiting juggernaut. The momentum carried Alabama for some years, but as Smart’s footprint faded and he shifted to big offensive play makers, it was getting harder. He had a three deep and walk-ons that would make another coach look great if he started Alabama’s bench warmers, and that was dissipating in the portal era prior to NIL. Kirby made a huge difference…

      Some days I wonder…what if Richt had the resources that Kirby now has, and had he been able to bring Kirby in around 2010 and pay him a handsome sum and name him the head coach in waiting, would Richt have brought home some titles? Would Alabama be Alabama?

      • Not sure the powers that be ever spend the resources without the lesson the Saban/Kirby example provided.

        But in hindsight its pretty clear that an opportunity was missed when we didn’t match/exceed the investments in recruiting made by Saban.

        And truth be told, we came within a blink of beating one of their best teams doing it differently. To me, thats the bigger “what if?”

        What if we win that 2012 seccg?

        • Bobo and Grantham would have a credibility they’ve never achieved. Let that sink in. And yes, we would’ve beat the ever loving hell out of Notre Dame. Derrick Henry signs with Georgia, maybe get Kamara and Reuben Foster to Athens, too. 8-5 record in 2013 is replaced with another SECCG and Jeremy Pruitt never sets foot in Butts-Mehre. Bobo gets hired by Texas in 2014 instead of Charlie Strong. Of the world of possibilities and pathways that could’ve followed.

          • Tru dat concerning 2012 seccg, everyone involved (not BM nor the ad) with UGA football, their lives change at many different levels for ever, cause I’ll step out there and say, the winner of that game crushes nd for the title…GO DAWGS!!

    • Getting back to the question, Sean Jones and Jermaine Phillips turned into huge contributors after switching positions, a la Pollack. I think switching positions and becoming a top player really takes effort.

      I have to agree Brenton Cox lacked passion, and he was given opportunities far beyond what Kirby gives to most freshmen.

  6. 1. Stetson Bennett loved the game
    2. Rennie Curran – undersized LB that played like a giant.

    1. Brenton Cox – what a wasted talent.
    2. Brenton Cox
    3. Brenton Cox

  7. It goes to that line from antiquity: “10 are to sorry to be there, 80 are just trying to get by, 9 are the real fighters and you’re lucky to have them; and 1 is the hero that brings them all home.”

    Hines Ward. Is that Dawg. Full Stop.

    As for the non-Hackers: Just look at the transfer portal. More than likely the team gets the Dana White “Do you want to be a fighter” rant on a daily basis (with a sliding scale of vulgarity to make it stick) so the guys that leave probably see things a tad differently. Benton Cox comes to mind, although he made it to the league.

    Also, I get the sense George Pickens might have been a challenge if he were in the full blown NIL/Portal world.

    It’s interesting to me that Lance Kiffin and Coach Smart merge into the same lane on this and we get their different perspectives as to why. Probably, the two most open coaches from the Parcells/Belichek/Saban Tree.

  9. and his mom for stopping the bill that would have outlawed football in GA

  10. Love game: Chaz, Dirty Dan, Chubb, Michel, Stetson, Jarvis. Fortunately for us I could go on and on.

    Phoned it in: Brenton Cox, Trenton Thompson, Brandon Miller

  11. Hines Ward played hard all the time and his NFL success was deserved. Stafford never impressed me as a player and was more or less a more talented Carson Beck.

    • Go back and watch the absolute beating Staff took in the Kentucky game as a freshman. He gave a good bit.

  14. Not exactly passionate outwardly, but as far as loving the game by quietly working your ass off every single day, it’s hard to top Nick Chubb and Brock Bowers.

  15. Great – Hines Ward – Fell AGONIZINGLY short of having 1000 yards each passing, rushing, and receiving. Also had 740 return yards.

    Great pt 2 – SBIV – walk-on, JUCO, return to UGA, backup, TWO natty’s.

    Phoners – Mettenberger, thought he was untouchable.

    Isaiah Crowell – all the talent in the world, couldn’t give a shit.

  16. Any walk on ala Stetson Bennett, Dan Jackson, Tre Battle, Richard Tardits have to have a ton of heart and love for the game.
    The phone it in guys: TE that can from LSU with all world talent just no love for the game. Also Reshard Jones was talented but appeared to protect his draft stock. Tre Battle was an undersized safety and outperformed Jones.

    • Arik Gilbert? Last I saw he was in the portal again, though I was equally surprised he wasn’t in jail. What a waste of potential.

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