Gardner on The Journey

Submitted by DowntownLJB on
Last nights episode of the journey on BTN featured Devin Gardner discussing a little about the MN game, some time visiting his old school and his mom. It was nice... Until they added details from the MSU game. It looks like it reairs at midnight among other times. I recommend watching. Well the first couple segments with him anyway...

Moe

October 30th, 2014 at 9:39 AM ^

And we most likely won't even be bowl eligible, the fitting end to this season would be to go into Columbus and light up OSU.  The icing on the cake would be for them to have only one loss, and be strongly in consideration for the playoff, and having us crush those dreams.  That's my dream at least.

skurnie

October 30th, 2014 at 9:54 AM ^

He does deserve it, especially after last year's game.

You know, I was pretty angry last Saturday (I mean more than just in general) when Nuss called that run play into the end zone. Why not run a sneak and let DG get his Touchdown? Maybe it's meaningless, maybe not. Either way, why not let him score? That's probably dumb sentimentality but it angered me after all the crap that coaching staff have put him through this season. 

ilah17

October 30th, 2014 at 8:28 AM ^

I was disappointed. There's so much more they could have done with that. It seemed choppy. Basically, according to The Journey, he's a poor kid whose high school doesn't even exist anymore who made it to UM but doesn't do well there. No interviews with anyone except his mom. First time I didn't love a Michigan player's feature on that show. Taylor Lewan's feature last year was way better. I think Trey Burke's was my favorite ever. This did not live up to those.

Coldwater

October 30th, 2014 at 8:59 AM ^

Does he have a future in the NFL? Certainly not at QB, but can his experience at WR help him land a spot in The League?

My guess is he'll try to make the switch to WR after the season and give it a go.

MGlobules

October 30th, 2014 at 9:09 AM ^

come from people who have watched him closely, or just casual observers. He was the number one dual-threat guy out of HS, and the number two QB in the conference last year behind M's worst O-line ever. I know that he's pretty gunshy at this stage, and doubt that gets fixed in the next few games. But he had that QB guru gushing over him before last season. After a few months of counseling and overcoming the night sweats, might he still have a shot at QB?

I confess, I'm a great fan of his, and feel as annoyed at the higher ups over Devin as anything else.

GoBlueInNYC

October 30th, 2014 at 9:14 AM ^

After last year? Sure, I'd say that he had a very good shot at being an NFL QB.

After this season? I seriously doubt he'll get much consideration if he sticks with QB. One of the biggest red flags with college QBs making the jump is if they can't handle pressure. The past two years has spooked Gardner to the point that I don't think he can handle pressure, and that is going to sink his QB aspirations.

Sam1863

October 30th, 2014 at 11:14 AM ^

Devin has taken his share of lumps - and to be honest, he's earned some of them with his own mistakes. But it would be great - and well-deserved - to see him finish his career in a blaze of glory against OSU (especially after last year's oh-so-close loss on the broken foot).

Plus, sticking it to the Buckeyes is always a good thing - at least, as far as I remember.

Beaublue

October 30th, 2014 at 9:16 AM ^

This is my main compliant with the coaching staff.  They insist on using Devin as a dropback passer when that is not what he is.  His strength is as a duel threat run pass guy.  Was there even one designed run for Devin during the MSU game?  

maize-blue

October 30th, 2014 at 9:36 AM ^

Devin would be way better in spread, read option type offense. His career is going to be one big "What if.." type of career. He just doesn't fit the offense Michigan is trying to run. Also the fact that the O line was complete garbage last year and only a little better this year helps nothing. Can you imagine Gardner in Oregon's offense?  

MGlobules

October 30th, 2014 at 9:44 AM ^

supposedly uber-progressive U has had its head so far up its a** as far as the modern game is concerned. As far as I am concerned, from DB on down, the place has just been taken over by a bunch of reactionary yahoos. I mean, let's be blunt--what do you suppose Brady's IQ really is? This is a guy who barely got it done in the MAC. . .

The good news is that we're almost bound to better from here on. We cannot do worse.

flashOverride

October 30th, 2014 at 9:53 AM ^

Your last part is something I remember saying last year. Yes, I realize the team will almost certainly have a new coach next year, but that alone isn't 100%, to say nothing of the replacement being a messiah. My fear is that it's nothing more than Hoke with a thinner frame and more articulate speech.

g_reaper3

October 30th, 2014 at 10:30 AM ^

People all thought it was great when Hoke said his goal in college was to try to drink every beer in Podunk Indiana when he was in college.  And when he preached toughness.  Why does Michigan always want to win on physical play?  Being a strong academic school, shouldnt we try to win with smarts over physicality?  Bring back Fritz Crisler's Mad Magicians!

bjk

October 30th, 2014 at 10:12 AM ^

the proof that RR was the true Michigan Man to the end, as well as the complete anti-LLoyd, was that after the transition to Hoke, D-Rob and Gardner were both still in Ann Arbor rather than in Eugene. No one knows what would happen in what-if world, but it's hard to escape speculating that D-Rob and Gardner both would have come out miles ahead somewhere other than here in Ann Arbor. This suggests that RR took the opposite tack from what Carr took with Mallette and Weinke (recruit), and hence showed UM much more class than UM ever showed with him. I still don't think he gets enough credit for smoothing the path to Hoke's first season; I also thought it was dubious to ditch anyone after only three years, but this has been discussed elsewhere. I think we have taken our lumps and should round the corner sometime soon, and I think RR is better off in Arizona for now. Fortunately, Gardner is far more than just a brilliant HS QB prospect, and I think he'll find a deeper level of success overall due to the harder road he has been fated to travel.

bj dickey

October 30th, 2014 at 10:30 AM ^

You realize that he was fired, right?  And that even had he wanted, he couldn't have interfered with the players playing for Michigan, right? 

And as to Garnder, the book isn't written yet.  One of the things about playing at Michigan that not many other places offer is the opportunity to succeed in front of 114,000, or fail in front of 114,000.  That sets up players, especially quarterbacks, with a great wealth of experience from which to draw when heading to the league.  As Tommy Brady about that.

The other thing, if and NFL career isn't there, and it probably will be at another position for Devin, I can promise you that as a graduate of the University of Michigan, with a graduate degree, he will have no trouble finding a suitable career path after his professional career. 

AmishRule

October 30th, 2014 at 10:05 AM ^

That segment of The Journey should be on tomorrow for Halloween. Man Devin's journey has been a nightmare of sorts. I would love to see him run in for the winning touchdown against Ohio with no time left on the clock, but with our clock management I am only dreaming.

pwnwulf

October 30th, 2014 at 10:31 AM ^

Devin is a great person but he wasn't that great against elite high school competition (see his state championship games vs Lowell and vs East Grand Rapids.) so I don't really understand why people are saying he could have should have. He's a hell of an athlete but just not the greatest QB especially in a spread. I think RR just needed a QB so bad he just went all out to get him thinking he could turn the sows ear into the silk purse.

Avon Barksdale

October 30th, 2014 at 10:55 AM ^

Personally, I'll celebrate the career of Devin Gardner. He has been through so much at Michigan. He's had two head coaches, three offensive coordinators, two of the worst offensive lines in the history of Michigan football, played two positions, and given his life to the university basically.

If he can stay healthy, I could see him playing five or six years in the NFL at WR and then moving on to broadcasting or coaching. He's a great individual, and I definitely know he will succeed in whatever he decides to do.

Avon Barksdale

October 30th, 2014 at 2:32 PM ^

The bad thing is he had the talent to be one of the best. His seven game stretch from late 2012 to Notre Dame 2013 was on par with Heisman QB winning numbers. He lost confidence in his offensive line, and then he lost confidence in his WR's - other than Gallon. He also got banged up due to the offensive line in both 2013 and 2014 which took a huge part of his game away - scrambling.

I don't completely blame him "being a bad QB" on him. He was recruited for the spread. Of course, some of it is his fault. But let's be honest. He rarely has time to throw and when he does, we have nothing but 6'3 receivers that get no separation. He did miss Butt on the pick six vs MSU, but that was a rare occasion where he actually had a little time to throw and a receiver actually got open.

It's sad to see his career failing the way it is, but he will have a Master's Degree from the University of Michigan while facing insurmountable pressure and expectations on the football field. He will do great things. I'm sure of it.

Blue at SAU

October 30th, 2014 at 11:38 AM ^

Yeah we are down and the fans are unhappy with many fascists. But what do you expect? When our team is down that is when they need their fans the most. But nobody is going. Everyone just thinks that a new coach will solve everything. Well my question is who will we hire? Who is avliable? I hear Rex Ryan will probably be out of New York in the spring. Would we rather have him? I bleed blue but you fair weather fans have drove me over the edge. Go Blue!!

BornSinner

October 30th, 2014 at 1:49 PM ^

Only way I see Michigan beating Ohio State is if Hoke gets the Earl Bruce treatment before hand... 

 

 

 

HA as if Michigan has the guts to do that...  if anything I would expect the opposite to occur and a miracle at the Horseshoe leading to a 5th year for Hokester... 

 

 

fuck.