Exit Ray Vinopal
This rumor had been bouncing around the internet for long enough that it was hardly a rumor anymore, but Hoke has just confirmed it and now it's really not a rumor:
Hoke on Vinopal: "Ray decided to go back Youngstown. That issue's more a family issue."
Michigan loses both a two-star recruit no one expected would ever play and a guy who started half his freshman season, which says all you need to about last year's secondary. The free safety spot is manned by… uh… definitely somebody. I think we can safely assert Michigan will put eleven players on the field this fall. That's all we know. Since the depth chart by class has exactly one other body at the spot, that true freshman Minnesota decommit Tamani Carter, it's safe to say the eventual starter is kind of up in the air.
bashing on the new staff. But they too, have lost players, no matter what the reason. People didn't seem to care about the reasons for people leaving before. They automatically seemed to pile on. It's called a double standard. Every ripped on RR for Mallet leaving, but nobody did that to Hoke for Tate leaving.
That being said, it's also a good thing, because at least Hoke won't have to work around a bunch of negative attention. That is pretty obvious.
Sort of a Jon Ames thing, if anyone remembers him. Had a solid start to his career and left school with depression issues, I think. It is a reminder that these are all just kids at a huge point in their lives. Some will exceed expectations, some won't ever become what they were hyped to be, and many will struggle with personal problems that the rest of us get to go through in relative obscurity. I hope it all works out for him.
His name is Jon Anes. He was my year at Michigan. I had a good friend on played baseball that was pretty close to Anes. It is true that he suffered from depression. He also coupled that with drinking a lot of hard liquor.
Damn, as a short white boy I was excited to see him play as he didnt have exactly the best football measurements but he did work out there.
Best of luck to him
I wish Ray luck and hope that whatever he and his family are going through right now, that it all works out.
Sad Panda is sad.
What would make you sad about losing a terrible player?
That is a shame. I'll always remember that (game saving?) tackle on Leshoure in the Illinois game.
I didn't know Vinopal was a Mooney, probably needs to go back home and get Deprogrammed from all the shoddy defensive principles he picked up at M.
He needs more Gibson. Ray is going to Pitt.
Huge shame. I really liked him and was looking forward to seeing him continue to develop. I hope for the best for him and his family, and here's hoping he gets welcomed back to UM with open arms in a year or so.
I hope he can lock down his family issues, and make it back someday. But if not, hopefully he can successfully continue on with his education.
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<br>The team will be alright. It may take a short term hit, but the way recruiting breaks down this year, an extra scholarship could be very useful.
Every play in my memory of him is basically the same as that video. I think he even gets up, runs down and dives over the pile in the end zone--hitting nothing. That's his patented move.
....every time I hear Coach Hoke reference the POWER PLAY I think that I ended up in an alternate universe wherein we hired Barry Melrose to coach football?
Really?? There is really this much love for this kid? He might be a great kid and I wish him and his family the best but as a football player you are really that impressed? Wow that is crazy. This kid was a terrible football player and in way over his head. Okay maybe a decent and gritty football player but by no means a D1 player. All I ever saw from him was missed tackles and his #20 jersey diving in late to a play that he already missed by at least 5 steps. Always around the ball way late. We lose nothing by him leaving, he would never have been a productive member of a good defense. Best of luck to him at Pitt but don't expect to see his name announced at an NFL draft anytime soon.
March 30th, 2011 at 10:19 AM ^
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