Pipkins To Transfer, Says He Was Pressured To Sign Medical Hardship Papers
Pipkins got on the field late in the opener last year [Bryan Fuller]
Ondre Pipkins will attempt to use his last year(s) of eligibility elsewhere and he is not happy about it:
"I feel I'm healthy and ready to play," said Pipkins, who played last season after he was cleared to return from a torn knee ligament. "I don't want to sign the form. I wanted to play for my seniors and for the team. Coach Harbaugh said, 'I recommend you take the medical.'"
Pipkins said he felt constant pressure to retire. …
Harbaugh told him that he wanted "to make sure you graduate from Michigan" and that the coach did not plan to invite him to fall camp due in part to medical concerns. The lineman added that Harbaugh told him that he did not believe he would be drafted into the NFL for medical reasons.
"I feel bad I wasn't able to complete this journey with my classmates," Pipkins told ESPN. "I feel I am healthy and without pain. I believe Michigan wanted to free up the scholarship. I felt I was practicing well and could compete at a high level at the nose tackle and tackle positions."
First off, good for Pipkins for saying something about it—and apparently painting Harbaugh in a somewhat sympathetic light.
But this is a strange situation for a lot of reasons. I can't really figure out why Harbaugh would want to run Pipkins out of town:
- He was scheduled to be a senior and Michigan is at 85 scholarships right now, with the three former walk-ons (Kerridge, Glasgow, Glasgow) we think will get scholarships in 2015 accounted for.
- Pipkins thus doesn't impact the numbers in the 2016 class; the only reason he'd need to go this year is if Michigan was going to bring in yet more transfers.
- ND DE transfer Jhonathan Williams was just told no by Michigan.
- I'm sure at least one other player has a very legit medical hardship-inducing injury they haven't announced yet.
There were some rumors Michigan was looking at fifth year wide receivers that haven't come to fruition as of yet, but none of this really makes sense. Michigan seems to have room for him, and the move would appear to be a redshirt (that he should have gotten as a freshman /shakes fist at Hoke) so that he can be a fifth year somewhere else after getting his degree. That is unless he actually shouldn't play football.
Pipkins asserts in the article that Michigan wanted the scholarship… but for what?
Three concussions carry with them a higher risk of long term brain damage.
Without knowing Pipkins' history, it isn't possible to say whether that alone warrants quitting football. He would have more risk from playing if the symptoms lasted longer or if he had progressively worse impairments of thinking or mood with his 2nd concussion this spring. In that case, it could take less impact to cause a third one.
To understand why Harbaugh handled Pipkins as he did, recall the furor over Hoke's handling of Morris' concussion. That was potentially a far riskier situation---leaving Morris in the game and risking a second concussion in close proximity. But it is easy to see why a coach would want to err on the side of caution in recommending that a player hang up his cleats. And that's just based on Pipkins' concussion risk--not to mention the traumatic arthritis and ACL. As Brian suggests, Harbaugh's recommendation to Pipkins may have less to do with scholarships than safety.
We have a friend whose son played football and basketball in high school. Great athlete, he played varsity as a freshman and they were thinking he'd play in college, at least one of the two sports. He got two concussions while playing basketball (and who knows what his brain experienced while playing football) and he's now out of sports. Since the second concussion, he's had terrible headaches. He's been taking all sorts of medication, steroids (don't know why), etc...They've now put him on a regimen of eye exercises because they feel like that will help control the headaches. He just graduated from high school. The docs are telling his parents he'll have to do these exercises and see an eye specialist for years and it's all out of pocket because insurance won't cover it. Really scary stuff.
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Best of luck to Pipkins wherever he ends up at. We will always have the brady hoke impression. And that under armour all american game where he ran down the QB
it being a health risk issue. Awfully late in the game to add a transfer.
Plus 18-21 year olds aren't renowned for their ability to analyze the long term implications of their decisions.
It'll be intersting to see how the program responds. Do you think they'll discuss it in a press conference or issue a statement (doubtful)? I feel bad for Pipkins but I think the program has to say something, as all we have to go in is his version (which might in fact be true).
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