Harbaugh Pressures Pipkins to Retire

Submitted by 814 East U on

Should be interesting going forward. It is one side of the story, but we have seen these instances (OSU had a similar situation a few months ago I believe). 

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/13154115/ondre-pipkins-s…

"I don't want to sign the form. I wanted to play for my seniors and for the team. Coach Harbaugh said, 'I recommend you take the medical.'"
"College football is a business. New coaches have to win games. They want to go with guys they think can win. If I'm a victim of making room, so be it. But if there is no concrete reason to disqualify a player. He should have the right to keep playing."
"I feel bad I wasn't able to complete this journey with my classmates," Pipkins told ESPN. "I feel I am healthy and without pain. I believe Michigan wanted to free up the scholarship. I felt I was practicing well and could compete at a high level at the nose tackle and tackle positions."
"All I want to do is play football," Pipkins said. "I tried to finish my career at Michigan but I wasn't given the chance."
"Schmidt told me, 'Call it quits. Hang it up.' He said, 'You've had a good run'," Pipkins said of the Wolverines' head athletic trainer.
"I need you to sign this," Pipkins said Harbaugh told him of the medical form. "It's not fair to your teammates. Let's get it done."
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Danwillhor

June 26th, 2015 at 3:48 PM ^

even if he's being pushed out ITS WHAT WE WANTED/HIRED. What does damn near every winning CFB team do these days? The one thing they have in common? If a guy is either truly too injured to play, hurts the locker room or is just not good enough to play for a particular coach/system they get rid of them - period. Do we want to win or pretend we can be "Teddy Bear Hoke Club" members and win at the level Michigan should win at in modern day CFB? It's how the game is played & sometimes it's genuinely fit the good of the player and other times for the good of a program. Pipkins says he can play. The doctors and coaches say he can't. Time will literally tell if this is a sleazy bootjob or genuine concern for Pipkins. Either way, it's happening now. Nobody cares what a coach does wrt this stuff if they win. That's sad and equally the point.

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UMChick77

June 26th, 2015 at 3:52 PM ^

Some of you really need to calm yourselves. Seriously. Those who are saying this is a total dick move needs to think about these things:

  • Pipkins is a senior. His scholarship is done with at the end of the upcoming year. Therefore they are not making room for anyone in the 2016 class
  • Even if they were bringing in someone for THIS year to be included in the 2015 class, we still wouldn't be over the limit.
  • Putting Pipkins on Medical does NOT "help" anything.

So why are some of you doom and glooms pointing fingers at Harbaugh calling him Saban, Urban, telling everyone that they're hypocritical? If Pipkins had 1+ years, I could see your point  about this stinking as if something was rotting in Denmark,. Bottom line is that this move does NOTHING for Michigan. When you you're left with the only logical conclusion then you may just have your answer: He isn't medically sound to continue to play football.

In all seriousness, we won't ever know the whole story and truly what is wrong with Pipkins medically.....but given what we know and learned, the logical answer at this time is obvious.

 

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andrewgr

June 26th, 2015 at 4:22 PM ^

You can't possibly know whether taking the medical hardship would have helped with Michigan's scholarship count or not, because you don't know how many player Michigan may be trying to lure as transfers at this very moment. 

And even if it doesn't help the scholarship numbers, that still doesn't mean that the move was made based on legitimate medical reasons with Pipkins' best interest at heart.  According to Steve Lorenz, there have been rumblings for a while that Pipkins didn't really get along with the new coaching staff.  For all we know, Harbaugh wanted him gone because he didn't want him in the locker room, but (hypothetically) had been told by the AD that scholarships were for 4 years at Michigan, so he literally couldn't just cut the kid. 

We just don't know. 

I personally don't find anything particularly underhanded about this situation.  I'll be much more interested to see how it all shakes out when the blatant oversigning starts, which IMHO is likely to be with the class of 2016.

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pescadero

June 26th, 2015 at 4:52 PM ^

If they don't care about the scholarship... why bother medicaling him?

 

Just let him keep his athletic scholarship and never play.

 

The only reason to try and force a medical - is because you want the scholarship. If your concern is him getting a degree, you can keep him on athletic scholarship even if he never plays or practices.

 

 

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4EverBlueGirl

June 26th, 2015 at 5:14 PM ^

I read this as a parent of a young adult would. I heard disappointment, and not much acceptance. The young man sounds like he really wanted to play for Michigan and it's not going to work out. He sounds hurt, confused and maybe reality is beginning to set in for him that the NFL is not in his future. I'm not saying he is looking for sympathy, but in his mind ..he may not truly be listening to what he does NOT want to hear. Maybe he will step back and understand that retiring while he is healthy is the best call. As we mature, we tend to view the big picture much clearer.

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bronxblue

June 26th, 2015 at 5:30 PM ^

Yeah, that's how I read it as will. Pipkins heard for years be was a star, a given to be a success in college and play in the NFL. then, because of injury those dreams are probably done, and it had to hurt. I don't blame him for being upset, I just wished an adult would have stepped in and maybe tempered his public statements.

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sivaDavis

June 26th, 2015 at 9:06 PM ^

You do realize that as of a few days ago Michigan was at 86 on scholarships right? So other than the fact that if Pipkins does indeed take a medical hardship waiver, he isn't on a football scholarship anymore and gets Michigan to the 85 scholarship limit. Just because you put things in a point presentation doesn't take away from the fact that almost everything you said was false. This move does do something for Michigan, it gets them to the scholarship limit. They don't need to be bringing someone in for this to make sense. Are you really that clueless?

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Qmatic

June 26th, 2015 at 3:54 PM ^

Pipkins still was given the chance to get his education at U-M paid. The fact is that he will never play in the NFL, so getting a degree from one of the best university's in the world without any debt still is nothing to frown about.



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ADogNamedBo

June 26th, 2015 at 3:58 PM ^

If I were Pipkins, I wouldn't sign the medical, would not play, would finish my degree and take the next year to get healthy. As a 5th year Senior I would transfer...probably to someone on the schedule so I could see Harbaugh on the field. Not blaming JH for anything...to me it sounds like he is trying to do the right thing by protecting the player but as a player, I would want to play too. It's kind of a no win situation for both parties.

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Victor Valiant

June 26th, 2015 at 9:18 PM ^

There's a slight problem with your scenario...It's not possible. Pipkins can't sit out the season, not sign the medical, and also play next year unless Michigan applies for a medical redshirt for him to cover his not playing this season. Obviously that's not going to happen since he's been told he won't be on the team this fall. His eligibility would run out if he's, theoretically at least, still on the team but not redshirting. His only options are to medically retire or transfer.

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DHughes5218

June 26th, 2015 at 4:08 PM ^

This is the sort of thing it takes to be on an even playing field with other title contenders. I'm okay with it, because I have to be if I want Michigan to be competing on the same level as osu, fsu, and the sec teams. 

You can have a successful season doing things the right way all the time, but if you want to be a contender every year, you have to work the loopholes in the system. I'm not saying we need our own group of bag men, but signing 22 - 25 recruits each year, suggesting transfers, and issuing questionable medical hardships is practically required to keep up with the powerhouses of college football. I may be wrong, but watching guys like Urban Meyer and Nick Saban hoist the trophy at the end of every season makes me think doing things the right way just isn't enough.

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Victor Valiant

June 26th, 2015 at 8:45 PM ^

You're not wrong exactly. Exploiting every possible advantage is key to an extended stay as a championship contender in Division 1 football. Florida and OSU with Meyer, Florida State, LSU, Auburn, and Bama with Saban have been the dominant teams of the last decade or so. They all do things that snooty Michigan fans look down their noses at. With the exception of 2006, Michigan has been largely irrelevant over this same time. I'm not saying Michigan should break the rules, but exploiting every possible competitive advantage within the rules is essential to sustained success in today's game, it's that simple. Harbaugh appears to know this. Hopefully some of you guys will eventually start rejecting mediocrity and get on the train, because it's leaving with or without you.

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Umich97

June 26th, 2015 at 4:55 PM ^

Title of this post assumes what Pipkins says is true. I'm not saying it's not, but there are always two sides to the story. Let's not forget how Boren left because of "family values". Obviously in hindsight, he was picking the popular mantra at the time to justify his decision. It's not without possibility that it could be the case here too.



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harmon40

June 27th, 2015 at 2:11 PM ^

Imagine you were talking to one party in a divorce proceeding, and said party was going on and on about how horrible the other party is. Meanwhile, the other party is under a gag order and cannot comment. Do you really think you're getting the whole story? Maybe you are, but how would you know?

CFB coaches and staff are all under a gag order. It's called FERPA.

So unless a consistent pattern emerges over time, it seems best to withhold judgment when it's not even possible for outsiders to know the whole story.

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billybrown

June 26th, 2015 at 4:58 PM ^

I hope in 12 to 18 months when ondre pipkins hasn't played another snap at a d-1 school because he's too broken down we can all come back and laugh. The kid is done maybe and a big maybe he could catch on somewhere small but he is finished as a high level football player. Multiple concussions a neck injury and a torn acl. Alcs are harder to come back from when you're a big man. Good luck to him though.

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LV Sports Bettor

June 26th, 2015 at 5:28 PM ^

The thing is if we all just accepted the fact that college football is a big business plain and simple than oversigning and things like this wouldn't matter to us.

We don't get mad when teams cut players in the NFL over an injury so why do we get upset when it happens in CFB? I think it's beause a part of us want to believe that CFB is pure but it's not. 

It gets confusing though because the one thing pure about CFB is gameday. From the students, to the fight songs, traditions and the rivalries, etc.... No other sport comes as close to perfection as a CFB game. 

Don't get me wrong I wished it weren't like this (in fact I'm for paying the players but that's talk for another day) but this is the way CFB is played nowadays. I don't agree with it but I have accepted it and it's why I refuse to rip other schools for the way they "run their business".

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SMart WolveFan

June 26th, 2015 at 5:35 PM ^

Could've lost 50lbs., rehab'd at UM medical and absorbed everything from he could Harbaugh and the staff over the next year and a half. Than maybe he's able to get back up to playing weight with a fully repaired knee and fully healed head; than, since he would have made a powerful ally with the 68th most influential person in the NFL, he would've had plenty of help getting a camp tryout. Maybe in.............., I don't know, lets say Baltimore? Just spitballing /s

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YoOoBoMoLloRoHo

June 26th, 2015 at 7:54 PM ^

400 posts about 1 kid voicing his disappointment to a reporter. He clearly has/had serious medical issues, he tried to return last year and he was clear not healthy, the potential for a medical has circled for months, and he has 1 yr left when the roster is within the schollie limit. JH gave him an option for a medical to finish his degree for free. Other seniors have less potential. It's not a trend or a JH practice. Just seems like a frustrated guy and a reporter found a common story line. How many days until the Utah kick-off so we have real football content?

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AwlinBrutus

June 27th, 2015 at 3:21 PM ^

   Thats all great sir but how do you explain the doctors initially clearing him than the coaches send him back to the doctor and he is told to rest for 6 months? if the staff was so worried about his knee's why did they allow him to participate in spring practices? Its safe to say this happens everywhere for a multitude of reasons.

   In the case involving Jamel Dean and the defending national champions, is  similiar in several ways yet entirely different in eligibility.One is a senior the other a incoming freshman early enrollee. Both were top prospects with multible injuries. Both were offered medical hardship scholarships. Neither agreed with the doctors. Thats where the similarities end.  Both transferring to continue their football careers.

  Jamel Dean committed in the beginning of his junior season and shortly thereafter tore his ACL. rehabbed the rest of the year and played his senior season. Dean chose to participate in a HS all star game in January and tore his meniscus in the same knee. He enrolled early and shortly thereafter TOSU doctors did not clear him medically eligible and offered him a medical hardship scholarship despite the fact he hadn't even practiced let alone play in a game. He has transferred to Auburn and was re-examined by Dr James Andrew and wasn't cleared. Andrews recommended rehab and a re-examination before he can resume football ativities. There's no gurantee Andrews will clear him. Another case of a one sided story.Furthermore Dean was DQ'ed in january. TOSU signed Damon Arnett on Febuary 2nd to replace Dean in the class. Dean was not shoved out, he was medically DQ'ed. Pipkins was cleared and then miraculously DQ'ed after he refused to retire. So you see these 2 cases couldn't be more different.

  Just to be clear I don't think Harbaugh is a scumbag for trying to free up a scholarship for your early enrollee's in 2016. Its just an ugly situation thats not going to play well on the recruiting trail. If a player that has been in your program going on 4 years and wants to play after being cleared medically I think its in poor taste not to let him give it a go. One scholarship isn't going to make or break your program going forward. Bad move by Harbaugh.

 

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1blueeye

June 26th, 2015 at 9:17 PM ^

With all the nfl pedigree on this staff, it would be hard to dismiss their opinions on whether a guy has a future in the pros. While the truth may hurt, I don't find anything dishonest or shady here. I'm sad for pipkins as he was such a highly anticipated recruit. It's like will Campbell with an injury added on. But Harbaugh is not going to blow smoke up anyone. Just straight up.

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BigOzzy86

June 26th, 2015 at 11:01 PM ^

If they continued to let Pipkins play and he gets another concussion...  he could also sue the program for failing to look out for his health and well being.  Hard decision for the staff to make and hard decision for Big Pipkins to accept....    wish he would have taken the high road instead of making the ball coach sound like a used car salesman. 

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Bigfoot

June 27th, 2015 at 2:39 AM ^

So awesome of Pip to sandbag the university and the UM staff. Kid was a bust-- just like Grady,  but to Grady's credit he didnt throw the university under the bus with his issues. Point blank, Pipkins sullied his teammates and the school. Sorry you busted dude. Thanks for getting Hoke fired!

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umbig11

June 27th, 2015 at 8:23 AM ^

This will not be the last of the departures. During every coaching transition you have issues pop up. Some on the staff side and some on the players side. JH has made it clear to the players after evaluations. Each player knows where they stand.

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Honk if Ufer M…

June 27th, 2015 at 11:24 AM ^

For the sake of argument, what if the story is that while a technical case can be made for a med DQ, that's just a smokescreen for wanting to weed out soft under performers, according to the coaches opinions, regardless of roster management, simply not wanting guys like that around?

Would that be ok with you guys or not?

Aside from being ok ethically or not, if you think a guy has no heart or no fight in him, but he doesn't accept that and fights to have a chance to prove you wrong and fight for a position, does that in itself show a fight in him worth giving him another chance if you're truly not going to otherwise use his scholarship?

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