EE posted yesterday about the Marshall defections that resulted in the Thundering Herd’s decision to cancel their trip to a bowl game. I do believe the Senator warned us of days like these, and likewise Kirby warned the world last year after Conquering the Unconquered in Miami, calling on leaders to look at what happened and stating it needs to be fixed.
Then you have guys like Bear Alexander, kind of the picture of portal lunacy, seen below. Apparently NIL money doesn’t pick up the tab for removing tattoos.
Needless to say, it’s getting worse. It’s so bad that a Coach who utilized the portal to relevance this year – Lane Kiffin – mused that this is getting out of hand, that no other industry has a free market that allows players to start leaving teams before the season’s over. That won’t keep him from using the portal, mind you, but he has a point. And even the biggest of programs isn’t immune to it, with Alabama losing stars from their rosters like Haynes and now this:
And in no surprise, the Ole Miss Massacre’s social media casualty, Jake Pope, is about to head to his third program and has yet to record a tackle (that I know of). My guess is he wasn’t going to see the field at Georgia, and he definitely wasn’t after being caught on video celebrating with a friend in what was one of Kirby’s worst losses since 2017.
It got me to wondering, though – which Georgia great would have been most likely to not be a Georgia great if the portal were around in their day? Stetson Bennett used it, albeit to leave for playing time and return to Georgia, and the rest is history. But what about someone who became a DGD legend, but might have defected because of competition or limited playing time?
Would it have been Knowshon Moreno, who was a practice squad legend in his first year before he started seeing the field in his second year?
Would Michel or Chubb have left to not compete for more carries?
Would AJ Green have left for a better team instead of playing in the Independence Bowl?
Penny for your thoughts.
Shockley.
This was going to be my answer as well.
Terrell
Cox…no the other one meaning the ginger from Charlotte
Fran Tarkenton and Pat Dye. Both and others (Bill Godrey and Don Soberdash) actually quit the team 1959 preseason because they hated Wally Butts. Coach Whitworth, who the players liked, went to see all of them and convinced them to return. They had no other alternatives so returned and led us to the SEC Championship and the Orange Bowl Championship. If they could have enrolled and played elsewhere they probably would have.
Very true. Butts had pretty much run his course by that time.
Bear is at Pedo State now? Well, I hope he is investing that NIL money.
Maybe he’s hoping that he’ll get drafted by Green Bay so that tattoo will just work itself out.
There’s always Grambling…
That picture of “Bare” sums it up…”Can’t see the forrest for the weaves”…
Danny Ware. He was riding our bench with an average of 7+ yards per run, while starter Thomas Brown struggled to average slightly over 3 yards per carry. Ware went on to get a couple super bowl rings as a sub/special teamer and about 5 years in the nfl.
Richard Samuel for consistency in position
Pickens
Terrell Davis. I felt he was woefully underused after Garrison left.