RR's WVU Players - Silent?
Is it disturbing, or alarming, that there are no former RichRod WVU players coming to his defense... and not just for this latest incident, but over the last 2 years. I don't remember seeing any former RR player coming to his defense about family values, slave-driving-practices, belittling players, etc.
I guess Shaun King is the closest (but he played for RR when he was an Off. Coordinator and not head coach).
1) Has there been former RR players that have made statements (and that I'm not aware of); and
2) Is it alarming (as in... they are silent because they agree with the negative press);
3) Or disturbing (as in... they are bitter for him leaving and have nothing to say)
Discuss...
August 31st, 2009 at 10:36 PM ^
I believe that Ryan Mundy has been supportive of Rich in the past. I'm sure there have been others but that's the first one that came to my mind.
September 1st, 2009 at 12:59 AM ^
I know. It doesn't mean much. But Mundy's Facebook status earlier was "20 hours isn't enough..."
August 31st, 2009 at 10:37 PM ^
You could look at it the other way. Why have no WVU players come out with negative comments?
August 31st, 2009 at 10:42 PM ^
some old quotes from Pitt Post-Gazette that Brian posted:
FINDER: Who all went to Michigan to work with former West Virginia strength and conditioning coach Mike Barwis?
RIVERS: Antonio [Lewis] and I went up there for about a month. Last week, Owen [Schmitt] and Ryan Mundy got there. They got a nice setup. Spent a lot of money.
SLATON: I'm going up there. I don't know when. See what my schedule is, who else calls.
----------------------------------
FINDER: Did the coaches up at Michigan talk to you guys about what was happening back at West Virginia, with all the fan reaction?
RIVERS: They really don't care. They're up there. [After selling their Morgantown houses and moving their families], they're not trying to get their [butts] shot at here in West Virginia.
------------------------------------------
FINDER: Were you surprised by the fans' reaction over Coach [Rich] Rodriguez leaving and the buyout, lawsuit and everything?
REYNAUD: It did surprise me a little bit, but it's a business, man.
SLATON: You figured it would happen. But I think they should be happy for him. He's from West Virginia and he can make his mark at Michigan better and maybe one day be in the coaching Hall of Fame. I'm happy for him 'cause he gave me a chance to play running back when a lot of teams wouldn't have given me the chance.
REYNAUD: Did I have any anger about Coach Rod [leaving]? I never did. [The fans] took it the worst. After that victory in the bowl game, who cares?
----------------------------------------------------
FINDER: If you can change anything over the past three and a half months, what would it be? The outcome of the Pitt game? Coach Rod leaving?.Something else? . . .
REYNAUD: If Coach Rod had left for Michigan before that game, it still would be that game [they'd want to change].
RIVERS: I was right behind him coming into the locker room after that game. It was horrible ..., especially when he turned this thing around. '[Screw] you, Rodriguez.' 'Thanks a lot, Rod.'
REYNAUD: (chuckling) Yeah, I heard that: 'Thanks a lot, Rod.' ":
SLATON: Look what he brought to the program, too.
August 31st, 2009 at 10:39 PM ^
If you listened to his presser he said he had received many phone calls from parents, and former players supporting him and telling him to keep doing it the way he knows how. Now I assume the former players would be mostly WVU guys but I guess they could be former UM players as well.
August 31st, 2009 at 10:50 PM ^
I tried to post this as a board entry this morning right before the site went into low-bandwidth mode, but I'll present it here - from The Times West Virginian:
http://www.timeswv.com/wvu_sports/local_story_243011352.html
Most interesting quotes:
“I can honestly tell you — it was ONLY in Coach Rod's first fall as WVU's head coach (Sept '01 - Nov '01) that I felt we were at the stadium far more than the NCAA allowed. Coach Rod made the team report to the football office on Sundays during the season only and attendance was checked."
and
“The rest of my days at WVU were business as usual — and acceptable to all of the players. Of course, Sunday sessions at the football office were no longer implemented, in part, because of the obvious displeasure among players the year before and we were winning on Saturdays.”
August 31st, 2009 at 10:52 PM ^
It is curious that noone from the WVU days has chimed in on the negative. After the atrocities that occurred with his leaving, this is indeed pleasant.