Witty Enrolled!? Practicing?

Submitted by jtmc33 on

From MGoBlue.com - Football - Roster - Witty:

"Personal... Adrian Harrison Witty Jr. was born March 14, 1990 ... from the same high school as incoming quarterback Denard Robinson ... enrolled in the School of Kinesiology."

I haven't heard anything about him practicing (please inform me if I'm wrong) but seeing the site's statement that he is "enrolled" makes me assume that he qualified.

Anyone have any info on this?

Bleedin9Blue

August 19th, 2009 at 4:35 PM ^

Since we haven't heard anything from anywhere, including RichRod, I highly doubt that he's been cleared yet. That's the sort of news that we would hear about quite quickly. I suppose it's possible that the athletic department knows and we'll find out shortly, but I doubt it.

I would expect that whoever maintains that section of the site just put up the information that he had because he could.

Snidely Doo Rash

August 19th, 2009 at 10:37 PM ^

we took the young dudette and dude there this summer and had a blast. MAC's dune ride was surprisingly cool and educational (eg. a fulgarite is basically a rock formation that results when a forcier laser is melded to M Wideouts hands in the end zone).

So, there are were about 16 or so folks in the buggy and during the driver's opening spiel he asked everyone but me to remove there lids because they don't go back for them and he was trying to help me out. So, other than putting up with a little sparty level 1st grade trash talk, good times.

We spent time in Grand Haven/Spring Lake as well on our trip and it is nice as well. Ya sure, Ya betcha--Meechigan!

Quail2theVict0r

August 19th, 2009 at 4:46 PM ^

Being enrolled has to do with just the academic part - the NCAA doesn't have anything to do with him coming here for school. Since he hasn't been at practice yet I would assume nothing has changed.

J. Lichty

August 19th, 2009 at 4:49 PM ^

one can enroll in school i.e. be admitted to U of M, but not cleared by the NCAA to play football - each have separate standards. Indeed, the big ten also has some separate standards. You may recall that Artis Chambers was ineligble due to a big ten rule a few years ago, but was still in school.

I am sure we will hear when Witty - the only player not eligible right now - is cleared. The only issue now is whether he ends up at a prep-school or juco or at M as a redshirt.

chitownblue2

August 19th, 2009 at 5:51 PM ^

Right - "enrolled" means that he's been admitted to the University, and has had his enrollment fee paid. That has nothing to do with his eligibility on the field. Witherspoon was "enrolled" last year.

West Texas Blue

August 19th, 2009 at 4:50 PM ^

Again, we will not know anything until Rich Rodriguez tells us in the press conferences. There is no other way to find out. Just let the process play out and we'll find out soon enough.

willywill9

August 19th, 2009 at 6:41 PM ^

Have you read Outliers? There's a chapter that hints at this very topic. It makes the case that kids who just miss the cut off date and are the oldest of their "class" or "team" tend to perform better in their group, and ultimately have the advantage as they progress (both academically and athletically.)

teldar

August 19th, 2009 at 5:20 PM ^

Don't know if you have kids, but the current rage for the ultra sports-centric suburban parental units is to delay their child's school for a year or two. This 'increases maturity'. Boys are obviously not 'mature enough' to start school anymore at 6 (5 for kindergarten) like they have for the last hundred years.

The fact that it also helps them dominate at their grade level when they start playing competitive sports because they're bigger than everyone else is just a side effect.

Age+5=grade. But '13th' grade +5 would be 18. So he was held out a couple years somewhere.
I would imagine we'll see more and more of this as people feel the need to give their children even larger competitive advantages over those in the same class/year (but not the same age, necessarily)

WildcatBlue

August 19th, 2009 at 5:46 PM ^

there has even been evidence that being born closer to the cutoff date correlates with athletic success. (I.e. if the cutoff for kindergarten is Nov. 1, then those born in October of a given year will on average do better than those born in April or December.)

I'll see if I can dig up an article.

Blue in Yarmouth

August 24th, 2009 at 8:42 AM ^

It would be quite funny to see that evidence shows these parents are not doing their children any favours by holding them back (funny for them, a shame for the children who are the innocent vicitims). What would make it more funny is if you could actually prove to them that this is actually the case, but to do that they would have to be capable of rational thought, which I think they prove otherwise by doing this to their kids.

Blue in Yarmouth

August 24th, 2009 at 8:37 AM ^

Holding your children back to give them a competetive advantage in school and athletics. Some parents really need to stop trying to relive their childhood through their children and let them live their own lives.

FWIW this wouldn't work where I live as their is age restrictions on playing sports which would keep this from being a viable option for those crazy parents. To put it simply, you can only play Jr. High sports until you are 15 and Sr. High sports until you turn 18. Once you hit those ages you are ineligible in Nova Scotia anyway.

jrt336

August 19th, 2009 at 5:37 PM ^

False alarm. It'll be here when RRod announces it. Nobody will be clever and find some weird way to know about it. No more posts about Witty until RRod himself says something. That is all.

The King of Belch

August 20th, 2009 at 6:10 AM ^

I set the over/under on Witty threads at 9 about a week ago. Eight to go. I have no doubt we will surge past this number in the next 16 days and beyond. The cutoff for the over/under is going to be the third game. That is because if Claussen torches us, the OH Dear God! We Need Witty! cry will be thunderous!