This week's scouting report, as promised, is on that one guy whose name is a future Chris Berman abomination: Paramus (NJ) Catholic cornerback Jabrill Peppers. (LINK)
http://touchthebanner.blogspot.com/2013/05/scouting-report-jabrill-peppe...
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This week's scouting report, as promised, is on that one guy whose name is a future Chris Berman abomination: Paramus (NJ) Catholic cornerback Jabrill Peppers. (LINK)
http://touchthebanner.blogspot.com/2013/05/scouting-report-jabrill-peppe...
His high school mascot is the Paladins? That is awesome.
Wait--aren't you the guy who doesn't know what a dungeonmaster is? You can't truly appreciate a name like "Paladins" if you don't know what a dungeonmaster is.
I think Polska knew the dungeon master who could make cool maps using graph paper. Someone responded to him not knowing what a dungeon master is.
Oh, that's right. My bad. Sorry, Polska.
I had a paladin character, so yeah. I just automatically think of this movie any time I hear the word. Stand by Me is on my top 5 childhood movies list. "Chopper, sick balls" is still one of the best movie lines of all time IMHO. Then there was this (around the 1 minute mark is the best/worst part)
That was me and I got negged for it.
I'm sorry you got negged. I'm not sorry you spent your formative years doing something more productive with your life than playing RPG's with your unathletic friends like me! I thought I had died and gone to heaven when my friend Brock got a Commodore 64! Telengard was the greatest thing since sliced bread. Man, I am really thankful for that I grew a couple inches and lost like 40 pounds between 6th and 8th grade.
What is a Commodore 64? When I was a kid, N64 was the rage.
You have much to learn young grasshopper. Commodore 64 was a computer system that used 5 1/4 inch floppy disks. I don't know the specs, but it was sweet to me at the time. My gaming system, if you want to call it that, was an Atari 27.
You had floppy disks? You were lucky.
"Press play on tape"
if he was to commit, do you think he would start at nickel or just beat out Countess or Taylor for the corner spot?
this kinds of questions are just so premature man.
it's always fun to speculate, especially before a kid even makes his announcement... so how many NCs, Heismans, and Super Bowls will he win?
In 4 Seasons
We need a new category for you: glass half empty or glass half full won't do. How about a third option: Old Testament flood.
that being premature is never a good thing.
That's what she said.
Is it too early to start his announcement open thread??
I think he would be very good at the nickel position. If Dymonte Thomas takes over Thomas Gordon's voided spot in 2014, then that would certainly open the door for Peppers to start. Taylor would be a senior in 2014, so then perhaps Peppers could start at corner as a sophomore.
IMO, that's the ideal scenario. You rarely want to start true freshman, but you don't really want to start a sophomore without any experience either. The nickel seems like a great way to get both of them on the field for a good number of snaps and take advantage of their otherworldly athleticism, while preparing them for their fulltime safety or cornerback position in the future. And as you mentioned, with Gordon and Taylor graduating when they are, it would really work out.
That being said, someone's going to break their tibia or something because it's football, rendering all of this thought process moot.
Countess started as freshman and performed quite well so I see no reason why Peppers couldn't do the same. But, the need might(hopefully isn't) not be there to start him at corner as a freshman like Countess did. So it's good we are starting to get to that point as a program.
I'm excited about our secondary in the coming years.
Countess played CB in high school, apparently Peppers does not. Agreed he has the ability, but not sure there is a need outside of nickel, and depends on how fast he can learn the position. It should be quite an athletic backfield. I dream of Peppers, Westphal, Wilson, and Dymonte in the same backfield.
Countess didn't start hiss first game, and it's not like he beat out a guy who had been starting for three years. Countess started because we needed him to. Likely, we won't need that from Peppers.
That said - if he's the best, he's the best.
Woodson started as a freshman in 1995, even though he played RB in high school and was recruited as a WR. I don't know specifically who else was on the roster that year for corners, but I'm pretty sure he had to beat out at least one or two decent veterans--though, probably not multi-year starters (as Countess & Taylor will be in 2014).
It's a little hard to tell but an internet search showed he at least played some defense in high school so I'd assume he played some corner too.
"While in high school, Woodson first began to play on defense, having previously focused on offense. "Once I started playing it, it just started growing on me," he later told the Los Angeles Times. "I liked it a lot. I think it's a lot more aggressive. You have 11 people running to the football, trying to get there at the same time. There's a big celebration after the hit. It's kind of hard to describe."
But, I also heard someone else on the board say Peppers played corner at Don Bosco during his first two years of high school.
Source:
Woodson played running back and safety in High School. He also returned punts and kickoffs, obviously.
And he was Charles Woodson. And he wasn't even really Charles Woodson till after the MSU game. That's when he stopped looking like a talented freshman. He was also beating out Woodrow Hankins and Tyrone Noble.
I somehow have no memory of Tyrone Noble, even though I was at M when he played. But the other day I was watching Wolverine Historian's Youtube of the 1994 ND game, and remember seeing Noble a couple times after making tackles. Thing is, from just seeing him I thought he was a LB! Different game back then.
bored at work, I usually go through what I think might happen with lineups one day. Here's how I think the secondary plays out. Peppers commits on Sunday. This fall, Raymon Taylor and Blake Countess play CB while Jarrod Wilson and Thomas Gordon play safety with Dymonte Thomas holding down the nickel. Courtney Avery is the top DB off the bench.
Then next season, Thomas slides into a safety spot, replacing Gordon. Peppers fills into the spot vacated by Thomas. Wilson, Countess, and Taylor remain in their spots.
Then in 2015, Peppers moves to a CB spot, replacing Taylor. One of the current players then moves into the nickel spot. Maybe Richardson or Ross Douglas takes that spot. Either that, or Peppers remains a nickel and someone else moves into the CB lineup. Lot's of good options for the future though, that's for sure. I'm excited about the secondarys future.
that you failed to account for in your prediction of the future. Just saying.............
Is Peppers even an option at safety? I know he plays it in HS, so if needed, I don't see why he couldn't play safety. This seems like a kid you want to have on the field as much as possible, regardless of what class he is.
Peppers could play just about any skill position on the field. Heck, he makes some decent throws, too. If he came to college to play RB/WR, he could probably even take some direct snaps as a "Wildcat" type of QB. (I doubt they would do that with a guy playing primarily CB, but you never know...)
Of having Magnus starting the day with a board? Hell I'd pay for it.
I think he will be a game changer for any team. If it's us it will just increase the momentum of this already strong recruiting performance.
I thought the same thing as you did in his similarities to Reggie Bush. Sure he plays a different position, but his size, speed, and fluid movement out on the field, all while blowing by chumps and making them look silly are very reminiscent of Bush. I've also said he really looks like he could play pretty much any position other than along the lines. Seems as though you see the same thing.
FTR, I am no expert; however, it doesn't take an expert to see that this kid is a rare and special talent on the football field.
/buckled
Wow; add me to the "I watched the video and he reminded me of Reggie Bush" contingent. Maybe Peppers actually is Reggie Bush and he's doing a Leon Sandcastle thing?
Reggie Bush "signs" with the Lions but is mysteriously missing every Saturday. When the media asks why this is, everyone just says "don't worry about it" and slide backwards, disappearing within the hedge.
Peppa
Sorry had to
Go Blue
We could possibly have Peppers, Countess and Thomas in the secondary together for two full seasons.
the crazy thing is the other half dozen guy we have gotten for the secondary also those 2 years aren't a big step back. 2015 could be 1997 level of defence, and the peaces are there to have an offence that actually is as good as the defence will be.
From Canada, eh?
defence.
I hope that our defense can bring PEACE as well...
love,
jdon
ps. how crazy will our defenses be going forward? If we can get our linemen to develop i think we could be better than we've ever been. Sure, no one will ever be woodson, but the game has changed and with the speed, height, and talent we are putting in the back four/five it is gonna get real around here.
we want this backfield
As I recall, and I might be misremembering this, but in an article a few weeks ago, Peppers talked about how Mattison compared him to Charles Woodson quite a bit. I believe he also said that the Michigan staff has discussed using him in offensive packages as well.
I thought that it was interesting that he reminded you of Reggie Bush, but given the description and the highlight reels that have appeared here, that's really pretty apt. That, and a combination of Reggie Bush and Aeneas Williams (the CB you chose) would be a nice thing to have in the arsenal.
Thanks for sharing this, Magnus.
Here's him talking about Woodson, but only a little offense..
"I definitely want the ball in my hands," Peppers said. "My goal is to win the Heisman as a true freshman. People laugh when I say that, but that's my goal. It is not a dream because a goal is something that you can actually achieve. That's my goal — to win the Heisman as a freshman. I definitely want the ball in my hands, punt return, kick return, even if they allow me to play some offense, I'm all for it."
For Michigan's part, that sounds very similar to the way former Heisman winner Charles Woodson was utilized. That's a point Wolverine defensive coordinator Greg Mattison was sure to make.
"He compared me to (Woodson) a lot actually, but my goal is that I want to be better than Charles Woodson," Peppers said confidently. "I love the way Coach Greg Mattison uses his corners and his scheme. It absolutely fits into my style of play — aggressive (and) fearless. He wants his corners to be fearless. If he wants you to go lockup on an island, you had better lockup on that island. If he wants you to come off the edge, you better come off the edge ready to bring some pain."
Yes, Sir. Your #2 jersey awaits, Mr Peppers.
Can the #2 jersey for DBs become similar to the #1 jersey for WRs? That would be sweet and a nice little lineage if both Woodson and Peppers wore it (making the gigantic assumpion that Peppers winds us close to as good as Woodson).
One small comment: Peppers may not play CB for Paramus, but he did play CB his freshman and sophomore year at Don Bosco where he won national Freshman and Sophomore of the year. So learning that position will not be entirely foreign.
But you have to list SOME negatives. That's Scouting Report 101
If you can find something else to ding in this kid's game, I'm all ears.
Not tall enough to defend taller receivers such as Taco Pants or Burrito Britches.
That's OK, Tacopants never catches anything anyways. Worst hands ever.
Hey now. You try catching footballs when you are made of dreams.
if your are made of dreams? Nightmares, now, that's a different story. . .
Well, this may be nit-picking, but Peppers hasn't yet proven that he can shapeshift into a bear, eagle, or other North American fauna.
I'm gonna get bashed for it so whatever, but he basically said he's too cocky...poses to the crowd, jogs into the endzone etc. Not surprising from a guy that says he wants to be the best of all time. I still really want him, but think he needs some maturing and don't want to see him showboating at UM. Now, commence bashing.
If you want to say he needs to avoid celebration penalties/getting caught from behind on breakaways/generally showboating, sure. That's a legitimate thing. But by all accounts, this kid is as "mature" as anyone in the class, and has his head on as squarely as anyone you'd care to compare him to.
I think sometimes he shows some good levelheadedness in terms of how he's going about making his decision, wanting attention for his teammates, and doing his due dilligence. But, he also shows what seems like a little too egocentric dispositions by saying things like "I want to be the best of all time" etc. I think he should avoid celebrations, yes, but he should also avoid sounding so boastful in interviews and chose his words more carefully. I think it's great to be confident on the field, but I'd prefer it come off in a way that is a little more humble. But, that's just me.
He's not saying how good he IS. He's saying how good he WANTS to be. How can you not want someone to embrace that as a goal? There's never really a way to know if someone is a Tate Forcier want-to-be-great-but-don't-want-to-work-hard-for-it kind of kid, but JP is expressing a desire to improve, and is doing so in a frank and respectful manner. I'm cool with that.
In my mind, that's Tiger Woods' very public goal of beating Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 career majors. It isn't to denegrate Jack or his competition, but rather to say that if you want to be the best, you have to embrace the challenge such a mission entails.
I think goal setting is great, but wanting to be the best ever when you're still in high school is not exactly a quality goal. I'd prefer to hear him say his goals are to work as hard as he can, to be the best player he can be, be make the most of his ability, be accountable to his teammates, etc...these are goals focused on living up to your own abilities. He has goals that revolve around being recognized by others like being the best of all time. I don't think that's a good goal and it's more indicitive of a someone with an external motivating drive.
If you're talking Tiger Woods, look at how he turned out. He didn't exactly turn out to be the best guy in the world either did he? And, maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think Tiger was saying that publicly when he was 17 years old.
I like the goals, I like the confidence, I'd just prefer he be more humble in his approach. Don't get me wrong, he says some things I like. He mentioned how if kids from his community see him doing well he hopes they will too. So, he shows up on both sides of the fence there. But, I'd like to see him a little more like Denard and talk about the team and doing the best he can and less focused on what others think. But, as you said...agree to disagree.
Of ALL times in your life is when you should be hoping, dreaming, and hopefully working to achieve greatness. I don't really want to be around people who strive to be average.
I said I wish his goals were focused on living up to the best of his abilities by doing his best every day. What more can a person do than that? If his talent is there, and he doesn't get hurt, then doing his best every day to prepare, work hard, have a good attitude, etc. will be the best thing to produce results. If however, your ultimate goal is to achieve a result versus doing the little things it takes to reach the end goal, then it's very difficult to deal with problems when things don't go according to plan. It's harder to deal with setbacks, injuries, etc...basically life because life always happens. But, if your goals are action goals versus results goals you can be happy by knowing you've done all you can and then let the chips fall where they may. What more can a person do than that? How is that wanting to be average? This is the key mindset difference between results oriented and action oriented.
Beginning with the end in mind is essential to success. Sure, taking little steps to reach your goal is a goal in itself, but if you don't have a standard set, how do you know if you're going in the right direction or pushing yourself hard enough?
Your username is MGoStrength...if you want to increase your max in any particular lift, do you not quantify a goal? Without quantification, it's easy to increase slightly and say "good enough" or think you're pushing yourself when there's so much more left.
Since you quoted Stephen Covey I'm assuming you've read the 7 Habits. And while the key to "begin with the end in mind" is not just to always work harder than you did yesterday, and you must also have a long term vision to what you want to achieve, Covey also suggests creating a personal mission statement. However, he further cites that you must have private victory and mastery before you can have public mastery. He suggests you focus your goals and efforts on your "circle of influence" and minimize your "circle of concern". If your goals are based on end means, results, or what other people think about you then you are focuesd on your "circle of influence". If your goals are focused on little things like your behavior...things that are totally within your control, then you are focused on your "circle of influence". Basically you can control how hard you work towards a goal, you cannot however control if you actually win an award or are recognized as the best ever because you can't control how other people think, vote, etc. only how you behave. So, I think Covey as you quote, would suggest having goals that more focused on what can be controlled, like being the best you can be, versus things that can't be controlled, like being the best ever.
And, yes I am a college strength coach. Whehter it be my own training or my athletes training I am much more concerned with their effort and work towards a goal their their actual result. Sure I and the team's I work with track numbers like one rep max, but only test them twice per year. If you get too focused on the result it's easy to use shitty form, add on too much weight, get hurt, etc. in an effort to get a better result. Ultimatley the end goal again is more about effort and less about results. If you've put in the effort the results take care of themselves. And, that doesn't mean you should be ok with losing, but it does mean you shouldn't be afraid of losing. Losing is OK, not putting forth your best effort is not. Again is the difference between an action goal/inner focus and a results goal/outer focus. I think if you look at most sports psych and/or leadership material they promote this psychology.
Good lord you were able to glean a lot about Jabrill Peppers' motivations, training techniques, plans, and psyche from like 120 seconds worth of interview soundbytes.
I applaud your wisdom.
From a pretty wise source on quality cornerback play, what it takes to succeed as an athlete at the highest levels, and fitting in with Michigan football culture:
My favorite thing about [Peppers] is the passion and attitude he plays with, not cocky, but very, very confident, plays with swag and enthusiasm.
~MARLIN FREEKING JACKSON
Just so long as you try hard and maybe get close, that's good enough?
You shouldn't be afraid of losing. But you should hate it and do anything possible to avoid it. If anything it sounds like just trying your best is afraid of losing, because you won't set any standards of "winning." As long as you did your best, you won. That's being afraid of losing.
But you have the whole thing off kilter. If you actually achieve you don't do it to get awards, you do it to be the best and the awards and accolades will come. There are no awards handed out for trying hard. If only they gave points for heart.
We don't assign weights we want them at. We do have goals, which almost always have some number associated to them, whether it be 1RM numbers, body weight, body comp, etc. but they don't have to make weight. We allow them to make their own goals. We question their goals in one-on-one meetings in the offseason, but they make them. We beleive they are more invested in them when they decide what they want versus when we dictate what weight, strength, quickness, etc. they need to be at. They know after competing in practice and games and hearing us give them feedback what they need to work on. That way we hold them accountable for their own goals. Granted, that's the head coaches philosophy, I didn't come up with it, but I think it has worked well for us.
You shouldn't do anything to avoid losing. You shouldn't cheat. You shouldn't injur someone or yourself trying to get there. You shouldn't do anything unethical. I think it's improtant to remember we are coaching young men, not just trying to get results. I think you set standards for winning. But, if you come up short, yet did everything in your power, it's acceptable. That means the staff probably needs to recruit better kids. If the kids didn't live up to their ability, it means they weren't working hard enough or focused enough. Then, it's our job to get 100% out of them. It's OK to lose. You can't play with a fear of losing, that's when you make mistakes. Losing is a part of competition. Competition is all about doing your best and comparing your skills to someone else or another team. I think today's society and particularly American culture is too concerned with winning and results and I don't think it's a good thing. I bet Hoke and the staff would agree that accoutability, character, work ethic, etc. is more important than winning. That doesn't mean you don't expect to win, but it's not the most improtant thing.
What you don't seem to recognize is you have no control over results. You can't control if the other guy/team. You can't make a person give you an award. You can't control refs or calls. There are too many factors that go into end results that you simply can't impact. You can only control your behavior. So you focus your efforts on what you can control and not on what you can't. And, I believe you get better results that way. It's that simple
Cheating isn't winning, it's cheating, so it's a non-sequitur. And while there are certain things that are as important as winning, you don't really get to do any of them if you don't win too. Because you get fired. Hoke loves it because he gets to mold young men; that's why he's not coaching pros. But you can bet he's competitive, because that's why he's coaching at Michigan and not high school or pee wee. He's not afraid to call last season a shitty season. Because they didn't meet their goals. Every year they set goals of winning championships. That doesn't mean they can control what other teams do. They're just not into moral victories. That's why they're where they're at, and you're where you're at.
Did you just admit that Hoke thinks winning is not the most important thing? Well, at least that's one thing we can agree on. I think winning is critically important as is competitiveness. I just think you win more when you focus on the things you can control and not what you can't. Many great coaches feel this way. Saban would agree I gurantee. Wooden would agree. Most leadership texts would agree. As Lombardi says "winning is not everything - but making the effort to win is."
This is what our weight rooms signs say..."attitude and effort" and "commitment"...nothing about winning.
You REALLY suck at your job.
And if you don't think Nick Saban wasn't working the next day on winning another national championship....you know, setting a goal to be great...no, not great, the best....then you're kidding yourself.
Saban wants to win, but knows he only wins by focusing on the things he can control which is why he is all about systematically following a process that eventually gives you success versus focusing on end results. In his own words:
"concentrate on the steps to success rather than worrying about the result"
With having those steps as goals and not having any others. He also says things like McCarron “can be maybe the best quarterback in the country next year.” How is that any different than a kid wanting to be the best cornerback? He also tells the team the day after they win that they're not national champions anymore. Sounds like goal setting to me. Big difference in the minutiae of the steps needed to be successful and setting goals that those steps should help you obtain. You claim one should only do the former, not both.
I think if you watch this video you'll see Nick saying a lot of the same things I've been saying in this thread.
Rather than planning to succeed. I don't want someone who's happy with just the best that life gives them. I want someone who's always striving for more, and can always be better. "Be the best you can be" is for five year olds. You have to be willing to put in the action and effort to obtain the results, but as was said, you have to have that goal to know when you've obtained them. Just hoping for the best is a loser mentality. And this kid doesn't want a participation trophy. I, for one, like that.
Dreaming of conquering Nicklaus' record did not in any way, shape, or form contribute to Tiger Woods' clusterfuck. Linking the enthusiastic athletic dreams of a high school student to a batshit sex scandal is utterly absurd, and that's by far the nicest way I can put it.
Okay, NOW I call BS:
He has goals that revolve around being recognized by others like being the best of all time. I don't think that's a good goal and it's more indicitive of a someone with an external motivating drive.
Three things:
This kid is at the top of the universe for his age. He wants to project that forward and stay on that track. Whether or not that is realistic, and whether it is boastful, it is very positive.
Charles Woodson on @jabrillpeppers 'I want to better than Woodson' comment -- "I LOVE it! You gotta think like that"
— Sam Webb (@SamWebb77) May 17, 2013
There is no reasoning with MGoStrength. He seems to be out to bash this kid no matter what. He did so a month or so ago and continues to do so. I don't get it.
You say there's no reasoning with me, yet none of you will give an inch and moderate everything I say as flaimbait or overrated. Then there's M-Wolverine who is disrespecting me personally by saying my team is fat and "that's why I am where I am" as if I am some failure. And I'm the one being unreasonable? Apparently there's only one opinion that is allowed and if you go against it people want to bash you on a personal level and think you're being unreasonable. I expected more from the board.
Now, commence bashing.
You asked, the board delivered. Now you are going to whine about it
BiSB already referenced it once. http://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/scouting-report-jabrill-peppers#comment-2051401
For that you guys have outdone yourselves...dick.
is "Whine like a little bitch." It's "flamebait" by the way. And no one wants to hear you complain about people negging you when you went through the thread and negged everyone who disagreed with you. (I mean, any number of people could have negged me....nobody negged BiSB for responding to you but you). You have no problem disrespecting a high school kid and making grand claims on his psychology, not your professional area, but then get sensitive when someone does it to you? Please. You started disrespecting others when you were telling them that "you just don't understand" and "it's simple" and making grand claims that everyone in the field agrees with you, and anyone else just isn't smart enough to get it. You keep mentioning what you do as if it makes you some kind of expert, so you open yourself up to judgement on what qualifies you to read into the psyche of a teenager you have never met.
So here's a tip....don't bag on kids you don't know about things you're no expert on and act like anyone who disagrees with you is too stupid to get it, and maybe you won't open yourself up for the like in return. Because there are people on here who know a lot more about philosophy, psychology, and sports on here than you, but they're not waving their e-dick around and trashing recruits.
First off this dialogue began when another poster questioned Magnus on where the criticism was, saying that a scouting report should have both positives and negatives. I did not initiate the criticism, I was only answering the poster with what Magnus alluded to in his scouting report. That was not my criticism, it was Magnus'. Now, I will say that I had criticism for Peppers' disposition in a previous thread. And, regardless of how you view it, I consider it constructive criticism. I like the kid, think he's a great talent, think he's intelligent, and hope he ends up at UM. All of my criticism for him was supported by some other peice of evidence or accepted norm and I precluded all my criticism with the fact that he's young and can change and I am basing this off a small snippet of information...not exactly trashing as you say. I've said a number of complimentary things about him and only one criticism.
All criticism isn't inteded to inflaim. People should be allowed to give constructive criticism, especially when the criticism is based on accepted norms. I didn't just come up with this stuff off the top of my head. I quoted other coaches, authers, etc. Your criticism at me however was personal and intended to inflaim for no other reason than you don't agree with me and I won't let it go. The difference in the criticism is one is meant as constructive and the other is meant to be a dick.
So, I really don't care what you want to hear. I knew the public opinion on the topic and knew I'd get negged, which is fine. I didn't realize I'd be personally attacked for disagreeing with the public opinion. The only thing I take offense to is that personal attack. Give me constructive criticism that is valid and on topic and I'm fine with that. Make valid claims, cite research, cite expert authors or coaches, etc. that provide a conflicting opinion to mine and I'd appreaciate that discussion. Do it the way you did and I'll probably call you a dick, which is what you are. You come off all high and mighty and talk about not trashing people, yet you are the first one to personally trash me. You hold others to a higher standard than you hold yourself to, try practicing what you preach.
What they're saying is "I know I'm being an asshole, but I'm going to do it anyway, because I know more than anybody else and really, it's for your own good." I see a difference between trashing a kid because I think I understand how his mind works because I read some quotes on a website and calling a grown man on the Internet a loser for doing so to some kid he's never met. I'll be a dick to that guy all day, every day.
So here's some constructive criticism: if you're going to educate kids and quote debate etiquette, learn how to spell. And regardless of how you view it, I meant that constructively.
I never said any of that. I'm still boggled by the idea that you think I'm trashing him. I've said multiple complimentary things about him and provided one constructive criticism. The only person doing the trashing is you. Contrary to what you may think coaching, sports psychology, behavior change, education, leadership, philosophy, and motivation are all a part of my profession. And my curriculum proves it. Last time I checked they don't give out master's degrees for looking up quotes on the internet. What is your profession, now?
But they're basically an entry requirement to work at the University of Michigan.
And maybe one of the other posters calling you out can explain how questioning his character = trashing.
I questioned the focus of his motivation. Did you watch the Saban video I posted and do you have a comment on his philosophy of what one should focus on for success? The point Saban makes is the same point I am trying to make as one should focus on actions and behavior and less on results and comparing yourself to others.
I really liked how he came off in the interview. He seemed confident, but not cocky. He seemed grateful to be there and expressed so much. He also thanked God. I may have been wrong in my initial judgment and this eased my concerns…all small samples but I liked what I heard.
My tendency is to want athletes (and everyone else) to be reverential and humble. My model as a child was Bjorn Borg (yeah, I'm old), and I didn't like Jimmy Connors. But how much of this is really about our fear of standing out? Maybe we're all too cowed (myself included).
Here's my thought: It's okay to celebrate success. It's okay to say, "Hey, I'm pretty good at this," assuming that's accurate. In this case, he IS good, and it's okay that he knows it. As long as the kid is resilient and has the short memory required of a corner, I say, "Good on him. Talk as much as you want, but just make sure you bring the goods."
Do you want to win games or not? He is the kind of player you need to beat top 10 teams and to make them fear you. Quit nitpicking you old fogie. I hope he commits to us, becomes an all american and does all the ridiculous touchdown dances he wants.
Of Charles Woodson.
You must have hated him.
have had any experience dealing with cocky freshmen. Take a deep breath and back away from the ledge, you'll be fine.
Magnus, is the rap game a legit threat for Peppers, or do we feel he will likely go the conventional route and accept a college scholarship?
You can rap and be a professional athlete. Just ask Shaq.
I think he'll go the "conventional route" and go to college.
Bad example, as Shaq can't rap.
False.
Give Shaq a break. Remember, biological didn't bother, Phil is his father.
This is the essential footage of Shaq rapping:
And didn't want to search for at work.
He is a true fu schnick.
All that said, football is the top priority. That's how I'm planning to feed my family and it's my love so I train really hard at that every day trying to be the best player that I can.
I also read somewhere that he was smart enough to acknowledge that a rap career and education are not mutually exclusive, but I can't find that right now.
I know, I know... rule number 1... but how is this:
Magnus, is the rap game a legit threat for Peppers, or do we feel he will likely go the conventional route and accept a college scholarship?
... flamebait? Do I have to spell it out with a /s for any of the mouthbreathers on the board?
I love this kids cockiness and swagger. Michigan football has not had any swagger for a long time. He is exactly what we need
Tate stepped on campus. Kid was all about swagger. It was when his bubble popped an he was humbled that we saw the moping. I just hope and have no reason to think that Peppers bubble will ever burst... Kid is a machine.
I don't think his cockiness will affect the team in a negative way. If it starts to, you know Hoke will stop it immediately.
I agree. Probably some of his cockiness comes from knowing he is the best athlete on the field every time he steps on the field. I think once he gets to college and realizes there are other dudes that can hold their own against him that would tone down a little.
From the video I see a little cockiness, but nothing too terrible. I remember vividly our best CB in my lifetime being pretty cocky when he went up against top competition (specifically David Boston). Probably my favorite football moment was watching those two battle it out and having it come to a climax with the two of them wildly swinging for eachother.
I think Peppers is a little cocky, but don't see it being to egregious IMHE. I think he walks that line pretty well from what I saw on the video anyway. I can't wait until Sunday so this suspense can be over!
Probably my favorite football moment was... having... a climax with the two of them wildly swinging for eachother.
get yuor mind out of the gutter!
Marcus Ray and Sam Webb have told the story a half dozen times leading into the Mott takeover of how when Woodson was a freshman Amani Toomer was an upperclassman and on one play in practice gave Charles an elbow to keep the freshman in his place and the next play Woodson comes back and sticks it to Amani, and they end up fighting.
One of those coaching moments for Lloyd where you're going "ok, ok, break it up!" but thinking "Hey, I may have something here....!" Considering Hoke wants his teams "Tough" more than anything else, I don't think it'll bother him too much.
Something tells me with Mattison and others on staff it will get handled before it gets to Hoke.
Wow this guy is good, does he have any interest in Michigan???
who noticed the "showboating" in highlight vids. Don't get me wrong, I want Jabrill to commit as much as any other fan on the board. However, it does seem a bit excessive, and things like jogging into the endzone you can't get away with as easily at the next level. Buckle: engaged.
I expect Blake Countess and Raymon Taylor to yank him aside in practice if he's caught doing that...
I don't have a problem with the "showboating" or whatever you want to call it, but then again, I do come from the "if you don't like it, stop them" camp.
Very simple: you don't like what I'm doing, stop it. Plain and simple.
That said, only little people need to dog and run down weaker opponents. What I mean to say is that 'showboating' doesn't have to be derogatory, but a little boasting makes the game more fun.
My favorite NFL players: T.O. 85 R. Lewis (before the churchy whining last year) LJ and Woodson
Peppers seems to have a good head on his shoulders so I'm not too concerned with the showboating right now. Hoke will have him get it under control if it ever goes too far, but at least it shows that he has confidence in himself.
Magnus, this is the most positive scouting report you've put out that I can remember outside of the Da'shawn Hand one. That makes me extraordinarily giddy inside
See, I'm capable of saying nice things once in awhile...
Magnus, I'm beginning to think I see some correlation between you two http://imgur.com/X4Cyn
But in all honesty good piece.
Ron Swanson is one of my favorite TV characters...
With that statement right there I believe I can reject my null hypothesis.
I seriously can't wait!
I didn't realize he didn't play CB in high school. I have seen his highlight tapes before although never watched till the end. I knew he obviously played RB, but I assumed he played CB too. I feel like guys with his ranking typically are guys that come in and start immediately, but now I'm doubting if he can do that if he has never played CB before. It seems like his easiest transition would be nickel his freshman year once Dymonte moves over to safety and then replace Taylor when he graduates. Do you see him as a full time starter as a freshman and able to learn the position fast enough to play his freshman year?
BTW good call on Reggie Bush, very similar size, build, skill set. They even look alike.
He has played CB. His freshman and sophomore year he played CB at Don Bosco and won national freshman and sophomore of the year (probably partially because Bosco is a national HS powerhouse). He transferred to Paramus, and they have him play safety/nickel. I'm not sure why, but putting him there probably makes him more active in a high school D than just leaving him wide and having offenses just stay away from him.
Putting him at safety is so he can have a bigger impact on defense like you said. He didn't do that for Bosco since they had Yuri Wright and a much better secondary. Paramus doesn't have that good a secondry since they were pretty bad before he got there.
Magnus, curious if you could provide a comparison between Peppers and Woodson at this stage? Seems like he's the most dynamic DB prospect we've brougth in since Chuck, so it's odd the apples/apples comparison hasn't been made yet about Chuck coming out of high school to Michigan and JabReal.
I wasn't really following recruiting when Woodson came out of high school, so I can't really compare/contrast them.
JabRealDeal. Do I get credit for coining it?
No.
/saltymoodcomment
When rumors seemed to predict the coming of an honored #2 jersey, I was pretty certain it would go to Countess first. He is an unbelievable CB. Then D. Thomas signed up and had a marvelous spring and I was like, well maybe he could earn it instead seeing that Countess is coming off an injury. Now dreams of Peppers seem likely reality and his legend is already growing and I'm like... he's the perfect match for the new #2.
And here is where I'll state that I'm enjoying UM football and our future potential. Give me more.
Maybe Michigan can petition NCAA for three #2 uniforms so 3/4 of our defensive backfield can be legends?
player. If he comes to Michigan, he'll be an All-American almost for sure. Watching his film, he's a man among boys. If he does play corner, I can't remember a bigger, more physical one that we've had.
I think if he comes here, Hoke and Mattison will solve any showboating issue or problem very quickly.
Charles Woodson?
He's good.
I see peppers as more of a running back than a corner. I guess he could excel at CB but why put someone with his burst at CB when he could be a definite game changer at RB?
I would argue he would have a bigger impact at CB now and in the future (pros)
I have to agree, running backs in the NFL are a dime a dozen. Top notch DBs though, that's where the money is.
Woodson was a running back in high school, and was recruited as such by a bunch of schools. I'd imagine he'll see both sides of the ball, but the kid looks for all the world like what a corner would look like if you could mold one from scratch.
I suppose there are worse problems to have than "where should we put our freak athlete?"
Like, "where should we put ALL OF our freak athletes?!"
I am certain the coaches have seen all the film we've seen (and more) and have no doubt noticed the showboating. I think it obviously doesn't both them much and/or they've talked it through with him and said "That's not gonna fly here/at this level". I'm sure Jabrill knows the expectations at Michigan and we're still most likely his #1 choice
* If* Jabrill Peppers announces his decision to enroll at Michigan, there may be some questions about why he transferred to a different high school during the middle of his sophomore year.
After he was voted as the U.S. Air Force National Sophomore of the Year for his performance at Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, New Jersey (the nation's top-ranked high school football team after the 2011 season according to USA Today), he surprised a lot of people by transferring to Paramus Catholic.
At the time, Paramus Catholic wasn't considered on the same level as the other three major Bergen County, New Jersey Catholic schools' football programs (Don Bosco, Bergen Catholic of Oradell and St. Joseph Regional of Montvale). BUT, Paramus Catholic has something that those three other schools don't have -- girls (although that was not given as his reason for transferring.) http://www.northjersey.com/sports/Bosco_star_Jabrill_Peppers_says_hes_transferring_to_Paramus_Catholic.html
* Tempted to say, "When", but leary of jinxes.
He wanted to go to a normal high school. Don Bosco is basically a sports prep powerhouse in NJ so it doesn't have much of a high school atmosphere. I can understand why he would want to just be in a normal HS environment instead of staying at Don Bosco.
FYI - in case you don't know, Don Bosco basically takes the best prospects from other towns throughout the state of NJ. Then it trains them and pushes them into D1 programs (used to be mostly Rutgers and Penn State, but it's getting more national now).
There's going to be a ton of speculation on why he transfered, and only Jabrill really knows why. I know he did say that he just wasn't happy at Bosco. Had nothing to do with sports, but rather he had friends at Paramus that he felt closer to. Also mentioned Paramus' academics, but I have to think that all elite private schools in the area are pretty good academic institutions as well.
He has great grades, and was being recruited pretty hard by Stanford, and had Northwestern and Notre Dame offers. People seem pretty comfortable with that side of things.
You seem to be implying some weird/sinister motives on his part but did a really poor job of explaining what you're thinking. I don't even know why the reason would matter more after a commitment anyway. Actually I don't know why it would matter now either. In any case, there was an article some time ago where he said he just wasn't happy there.
You have a great career in politics ahead of you, since you have obvious ability to blow thin air up into a mysterious potential scandal.
He transferred because he didn't like the kids and stuff there. It didn't have much to do with football since he went to a worse football school compared to the Big 4. Some of my friends said he didn't want to go to those schools because he didn't want to make a bigger deal out of it since they're rivals with one another. That's what I was told and I believe it since we all kinda hate one another.
Neither "flamebaiting" nor "weird/sinister motives" nor implications of "political scandal" were intended. I’ll accept that the post should have been more carefully worded.
Better editing would’ve included: Despite any questions about his reasons for transferring from Don Bosco Prep to Paramus Catholic that may be raised by the schools that don’t gain his commitment, by all accounts, Jabrill Peppers appears to be a high-caliber young man who will fit in well at his chosen college.
Lesson Learned: Never assume that a post on MGoBlog linking to an article that mentions questions about a high school student-athlete’s decision to transfer to another school – even if that article includes the student-athlete’s answers to those questions – will be sufficient to properly express the reasons for the post.
There are some days when I feel like Costanza, Lord of the Idiots
The video and zoom in on his teammate. It's unmistakeable. He has the hand of a deer.
By the way, a few people have asked recently about Touch the Banner's 2013 Season Countdown. The first post will be up on Sunday (2 days from now).