OT: NYT article on Wisky QB Russell Wilson
Interesting article about Russell Wilson. I'd never read anything about him before, but he sounds like a good kid from a great family. Might be good we don't have to face him unless/until it's the conference championship game.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/28/sports/ncaafootball/new-quarterback-p…
August 26th, 2011 at 4:41 PM ^
Every piece I've read on him paints him as a great guy so it's nothing personal against him, but I find myself resenting grad transfers simply because I don't like or agree with the rule.
August 26th, 2011 at 5:10 PM ^
In that offense. He's used to being called on for most of the offensive production. Now he has a great offense, all he has to do is make the plays and take advantage of space. Wisky might run the table.
August 26th, 2011 at 5:10 PM ^
August 26th, 2011 at 5:19 PM ^
When I first heard of the Wilson transfer rumors, I was admittedly jaded and thought this was nothing but a "gun-for-hire" free agent move for a college QB looking to up his NFL draft stock. Since I live in Badger Country, I admittedly made a few snide remarks to my Badger brethren about Bielema signing his soul away for a one-year band-aid solution to their shaky QB situation. But this kid is a solid citizen. He graduated in 3.5 years. It took me 4.5 years to graduate from UM, and I didn't play football (although I did work in the Couzens Hall cafeteria). As much as I despise the loopholish way that he was able to transfer to Wisconsin w/o having to sit out a year, I have to admit that I will not root against him in an OSU-fan "I-hope-you-tear-your-f#cking-ACL-because-you-didn't-come-to-my-school" kind of way.
Tidbit that I didn't know: Wilson is listed as 5'11". I didn't realize he was kinda short for a D1 QB.
August 26th, 2011 at 5:34 PM ^
I just think that if you're going to grad school, it should be a professional choice, not some way to maintain eligibility so that you can play football. Add in the collaborative nature of grad work in most programs and the difficulty of the first semester of the first year, and the grad transfer rule threatens to actively hurt the quality of education in whatever program these guys are in, if they're serious programs at all.
August 26th, 2011 at 11:42 PM ^
Yup. Grad school shouldn't be an eligibility pathway. I've spent 7 years in grad school in my lifetime...there's no way to get anything out of it by only doing 1 year of grad work. And that first year of grad school for me was the epitome of hell.
But maybe Wilson will surprise us and stay on for his Master's degree at UW. He certainly won't be staying to play baseball at Wisconsin.
August 27th, 2011 at 9:32 AM ^
At Michigan, if you have the undergraduate grades, you can get an MS in certain engineering programs in one year by doing the SGUS program. I think that is getting something out of one year of graduate work.
August 27th, 2011 at 7:17 AM ^
Can you help me out by explaining how this is any different than undergrads? I thought it was well accepted that
1) Undergraduate college should also be a choice based on your professional ambitions
2) Frequently, less academically qualifiied students got into a college and earned a degree from qualitity institutions if they were star sports players.
3) There are some very good 1 year grad programs, including masters in engineering and masters in education, which often incorporate summer work.
4) There is nothing stopping the graduate student football player from continuing his education once his eligability is up for an academic program that lasts more than one year.
5) Graduate programs are generally more expensive than undergraduate, thus providing more incentive to find free tuition via a sports scholarship.
6) Some atheletes are also scholars and make their academic programs stronger by their attendance and the school/program should be allowed to choose who meets their criteria for admission.
With these realization, I'm having trouble findng fault with the grad transfer rule that does not apply to college atheletics as a whole. Thanks you.
August 27th, 2011 at 11:04 AM ^
If Russel Wilson wants to be a professional football player, why is it wrong for him to go to grad school at a school that will prep him better than NC State will for his chosen profession?
I don't see a problem with it.
August 27th, 2011 at 10:52 AM ^
he passed for over 11,000 yards and took a weak program to a BCS bowl victory.
August 26th, 2011 at 5:24 PM ^
It might have been the personnel he had around him, but if you look at his numbers from last year, he wasn't terribly impressive as a QB. He threw a ton, didn't complete 60 percent of his passes, averaged an INT for every two T's and is short for a QB. He sounds like a nice kid but I will reserve judgment until I see him against the better B1G competition.
http://espn.go.com/college-football/player/_/id/238093/russell-wilson
August 26th, 2011 at 6:16 PM ^
and at least he chose a B1G school over an SEC one. I don't typically pull for Wisconsin but if it's them vs SEC team _____ in BCS title game, I'd say go Wilson.
August 26th, 2011 at 7:59 PM ^
He sounds like a ballerina to me.