Hoke: Williams and Avery back, Gardner gets encouragement from Manziel
Hoke: A.J. Williams and Courtney Avery are back
— Michigan Football (@umichfootball) September 18, 2013
Gardner: Johnny Manziel sent me a text after the game telling me to keep my head up
— Michigan Football (@umichfootball) September 18, 2013
I'm not sure how much to read into this:
Hoke on if same starting five OL will start Saturday "I don't know yet. We'll see what happens"
— angelique (@chengelis) September 18, 2013
September 18th, 2013 at 12:34 PM ^
Not usually, no.
September 18th, 2013 at 12:39 PM ^
encourage you to lighten up Francis.
September 18th, 2013 at 12:53 PM ^
This comment was pure awesome from 1981.
September 18th, 2013 at 12:32 PM ^
They're peers going through a very unique experience for someone their age (being a national figure for a major college football program) and they have to feel like they're out on an island sometimes. I'm sure they appreciate little things from their peers like that sometimes. It's not like Manziel is a total rando, they probably met at the Manning Passing Academy at least
September 18th, 2013 at 1:27 PM ^
Manziel and Gardner worked together when they were both counselors at the Elite 11. They spent like 2-3 days together out at Nike.
September 18th, 2013 at 12:32 PM ^
September 18th, 2013 at 12:35 PM ^
September 18th, 2013 at 1:06 PM ^
I think he was absolutely just trying to be nice. I wasn't commenting on his actual motives.
September 18th, 2013 at 1:18 PM ^
if you're in any high ranking position and don't take constructive criticism or encouragement well, you won't be in that position for any significant period of time.
September 18th, 2013 at 1:25 PM ^
I have no problems with constructive criticism, I do have personal trouble with things like encouragement, compliments, things like that.
Also, I recognize that my reaction isn't a good one. I'm not saying that others should have that reaction. I'm not saying that that's what Manziel intended. I'm not saying that's the reaction I want to have.
I made a stupid comment on the internet about my personal, unhealthy reaction.
September 18th, 2013 at 1:31 PM ^
Understandable. Hope for your sake you are able to seek help for it because that's no way to go about living life. You can end up hurting folks who care about you in the process.
September 18th, 2013 at 2:57 PM ^
September 18th, 2013 at 12:38 PM ^
Gardner and Manziel spent some time together at both the Manning Passing Academy and as couselors for the Elite 11. They also have both worked out with George Whitfield, the passing guru. They definitely know each other and probably sparked a friendship along the way. I actually think it's pretty good of Manziel to send that text during the biggest game of season. He was under a ton of pressure this past weekend the idea of him thinking about one of his fellow QB's is pretty cool if you ask me! I'm guessing you probably just don't like Manziel; what would your thoughts be had Denard sent that text? (and who knows he probably did!)
September 18th, 2013 at 12:46 PM ^
Woah, that got a lot of responses! I have nothing against Manziel. Honestly I think most college athletes are like him, he's just been really bad about hiding it from the press (who have turned it into an unfair narrative).
I didn't mean to suggest that I think that's how Manziel's text should be received, or how Gardner should have reacted. I just mean that's how I would have felt about it personally (which I acknowledged is much different from how most people would have felt about it, probably to their benefit).
September 18th, 2013 at 1:15 PM ^
That's because you're an owl. Humans respond differently to these things.
September 18th, 2013 at 2:12 PM ^
It's your shifty eyes. My pappy always taught me never to trust a fowl with shifty eyes.
September 18th, 2013 at 12:51 PM ^
at the Manning Passing Academy together.
IfyouknowwhatImean.
September 18th, 2013 at 1:42 PM ^
Idon'tknowwhatyoumean.
September 18th, 2013 at 12:42 PM ^
"Also, who the hell are you to be handing out advice? GTFO with your patronizing bullshit."
Umm the reigning Heisman trophy winner? Are you serious? And QBs and other players do this to each other all the time. They're friends -- hence why they have each other's numbers.
September 18th, 2013 at 12:42 PM ^
"Also, who the hell are you to be handing out advice? GTFO with your patronizing bullshit."
Umm the reigning Heisman trophy winner? Are you serious? And QBs and other players do this to each other all the time. They're friends -- hence why they have each other's numbers.
September 18th, 2013 at 12:43 PM ^
I bet you're a joy to work with.
September 18th, 2013 at 12:55 PM ^
September 18th, 2013 at 1:08 PM ^
My comment had absolutely nothing to do with it being Manziel, I have nothing against him. I also wouldn't have sent that reply, and would have known intellectually that he was just trying to be nice.
September 18th, 2013 at 1:08 PM ^
September 18th, 2013 at 1:09 PM ^
Did you know not all owls are wise?
September 18th, 2013 at 1:36 PM ^
Mike Jones?
September 19th, 2013 at 12:23 AM ^
September 18th, 2013 at 1:25 PM ^
September 18th, 2013 at 2:20 PM ^
Jesus christ. Lower that blood pressure.
September 18th, 2013 at 12:29 PM ^
Ojemduia might be limited in how much he plays on Saturday.
September 18th, 2013 at 12:33 PM ^
September 18th, 2013 at 12:47 PM ^
Shoulder?
September 18th, 2013 at 12:30 PM ^
Another site had mentioned that Bryant might (probably?) be starting this weekend. That may be the cause of Hoke's OL vagueness
September 18th, 2013 at 12:34 PM ^
I think Bryant starting should certainly be considered, if you wanted to get real drastic with changes up front then you could move Schofield back to guard and see what Magnuson could do at RT.
September 18th, 2013 at 12:43 PM ^
Wasn't Braden supposed to be the first tackle off the bench? I didn't realize Magnuson had passed him for that spot.
September 18th, 2013 at 12:53 PM ^
September 18th, 2013 at 2:26 PM ^
Braden has not been playing any center.
September 18th, 2013 at 12:55 PM ^
September 18th, 2013 at 1:45 PM ^
Magnusun, played some last saturday I beleave, was listening on radio and he came in for schofield they said on the last drive.
September 18th, 2013 at 2:27 PM ^
Hoke said that Magnuson is the next tackle in.
September 18th, 2013 at 12:30 PM ^
im interested to see where they play avery, is he gonna be the outside corner with countess in the slot, take back his nickel spot, possibly replace wilson for obvious passing situations, or just be the goto backup for the secondary? he's played some good football for us the last couple years, i think hes been good at nickel corner and that is his ideal spot
September 18th, 2013 at 12:38 PM ^
Well Wilson has been playing pretty well for his first year starting. Wilson in my mind has been a pleasant surprise. I think you leave him in and let him get through his growing pains. Where has Channing Stribling gone?
September 18th, 2013 at 12:52 PM ^
September 18th, 2013 at 12:38 PM ^
I believe that Devin Gardner and Johnny Manziel know each other from the camp circuit, so it isn't improbable that he would get such a text perhaps from someone, I would think. Actually, I remember seeing Bruce Feldman retweet that saying that Tajh Boyd, Gardner and Manziel do chat after games and know each other from the Elite 11 camp. All the same, it is nice of Manziel to provide some encouragement to a fellow QB.
September 18th, 2013 at 12:39 PM ^
I'm mostly worried that Manziel texting Devin somehow triggers an NCAA investigation on our campus.
Seriously though, this isn't all that surprising. While Manziel may be probably kind of a douchebag, he's also a college kid and a quarterback for a big-name school so he can appreciate the scrutiny that Devin got after The Almost Horror. If anyone can relate to what it's like to have everyone breathing down your back it's him. In this way, quarterbacks are an exclusive somewhat close-knit fraternity a la ex-US presidents.
And in this day, most players keep in touch via twitter or whatever and have made friends from summer camps and official visits. We probably have a lot of guys who have good friends on Ohio who they chat with every month but November.
September 18th, 2013 at 12:45 PM ^
September 18th, 2013 at 12:51 PM ^
Sorry, I should've turned on my facetious font. I was 99% kidding about that which I thought I qualified by saying "Seriously, though...' afterwards.
That said, given that both the NCAA and the Detroit Free Press exist, would my joking OH NOES scenario be entirely shocking?