Where were Christian and Talbott?

Submitted by Ziff72 on

One of Troy's tidbits last night was this comment.

Courtney Avery is the only freshman corner Troy's seen. He learns fast though, and when he gets beat deep he's able to forget about it and move on to the next play

This seemed really odd to me considering we have Cullen Christian and Terry Talbott also coming in to play corner.  I assumed they were all there, I assumed that Troy being the senior leader would contact these guys, if I was a freshmen coming in I would contact the leader of my position group to get tips and get acclimated etc..,

On a side note he also noted that the Seniors are coming up with creative ways to get guys out, that is depressing.  I would think everyone would be there regardless.  How do these guys look their teammates in the eye when they were available to attend but just didn't show.  I would be hot.

I'm hoping Troy just made some poor word choices while he was talking

wordtoyourmother

August 4th, 2010 at 9:02 AM ^

He probably just mentioned Avery because he came to mind, I doubt it was a slight at Christian or Talbott, nor does it mean they aren't doing well.

Also I think you are looking too much into the seniors coming out with creative ways.  I think it is meant more as getting guys to come everyday as opposed to maybe half or 3/4ths of the practice.  Thats my guess at least.

Don

August 4th, 2010 at 9:26 AM ^

who's attending summer workouts and who isn't. We can also be sure that they will take all that into account when making decisions about who starts and who's a back-up.

IF there are guys who have the opportunity to be at summer workouts but are not participating regularly, then they've got nobody to blame but themselves if they end up on the bench when the season starts. If 8-16 isn't enough to motivate them, then I don't know what will.

wordtoyourmother

August 4th, 2010 at 10:06 AM ^

Im sure the coaches are allowed to be aware of what's going on, they just can't act on it. 

"But from talking to some of the players and some of the guys    I had the seniors over at my house this past week. We've got a small senior class, which a lot of times is a concern because you want a lot    if you have a big senior class, a lot of leads, you feel good.

But our small senior class of 15, 16 guys I think are a great group. They understand what it's like to be at Michigan. They're hungry. They're going to do a great job at leadership.

Talking to those guys they really feel excited about what went on this summer. I thought they did a great job of leadership. They thought some of the guys you mentioned like Cam really prepared themselves well."

Laveranues

August 4th, 2010 at 9:27 AM ^

Given that this year, if you can walk across the field without falling down, you can start at cornerback for us.

I keep hoping for some good news in re the CB situation (like that we have more than 1.5 that can play), and I never get any.

Laveranues

August 4th, 2010 at 10:50 AM ^

But I consider news hyping JT Floyd to be bad / indifferent.  Said reports are basically saying, 'this guy that (apparently) lacks the physical tools to be a Big Ten corner - but is still the 2nd best on the team - has improved somewhat in the offseason.'

Hopefully he can hold his own this year, or we're screwed.

WolvinLA2

August 4th, 2010 at 11:22 AM ^

That's a pretty sad way of looking at it.  Hearing that a guy, who by all accounts is our starter, is really improving over the off-season, is never bad news.  Like you said, he's still the 2nd best on the team.

If you were hoping for a true freshman to come in and light to world on fire, especially when none of them enrolled early, than you're being unrealistic.  Floyd is a guy in his 3rd year on the team, and he's one of two corners with starting experience (and one of three with any game experience).  Hearing him hyped should be very good, if not great, news.

Laveranues

August 4th, 2010 at 12:10 PM ^

And that is precisely what I was hoping for.  Maybe it is unrealistic, but it's also unrealistic to win 9 games (which I'm also hoping for) playing nothing but soft zones b/c of overmatched DBs. 

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad Floyd improved, and if he's the best we've got he should be on the field.  I would just be more confident if a young player seized the job and he could be a nickel or dime package CB instead of a starter.

*or redshirt freshman, i.e. Turner.

Double Nickel BG

August 4th, 2010 at 9:29 AM ^

you are reading way too much into this. Getting up and working your ass off every day sucks. I'm sure most are there almost every day. It sounds like the Seniors are trying to mold the team bonding and competitive aspects with the work.  If Seniors can find creative stuff to keep the offseason workouts fun while players are working their asses off, the more power to them.

Ziff72

August 4th, 2010 at 9:54 AM ^

This is their dream to play for Michigan.  They want to play.  They are a laughingstock around the country.  You are saying it is asking too much to get to the field and throw the ball around for an hour or 2 for 4 or 5 days a week to understand the play concepts and get their timing down?   If that effort is too much then they can head elsewhere in my book.

Transatlantic Flight

August 4th, 2010 at 9:55 AM ^

It's not too much, but strong leadership sure doesn't hurt. There's a strong difference between being willing to put in the work effort and having a good time while doing it, and that difference often comes from the leadership. In the end, it won't do any good to fret about any of this. It isn't as though we can practice for them.

CrankThatDonovan

August 4th, 2010 at 9:56 AM ^

These guys are also lifting weights 5 to 6 days a week.  Add on the 1 or 2 hours of skeleton plus summer school classes (freshman like Christian have likely never taken such rigorous courses) and general distractions associated with being a college freshman (parties, homesickness, girls, etc.) and you're talking about a whole lot of things on these kids' plate.  If guys are not coming to skele, it does not mean they aren't working hard.  I'm sure most of the team, including the freshman, are doing their absolute best to get better without burning themselves out

Double Nickel BG

August 4th, 2010 at 10:01 AM ^

that movies are made out of.

 

In a perfect world, all the kids that play for Michigan want to be out on the field on their own from dusk til dawn, working and striving to be the best. It's their dream to play for Michigan. You will have 100% attendance all the time and every kid turns out to be a super star.

That is not the real world.

Every kids dream wasn't to put on the Winged helmet. We have kids that wanted to be Buckeyes but didn't get an offer. We have kids that wanted to be Gators or Trojans or Hurricanes. And you know what? That's O.K. It's not a requirement to have been a life long fan.

Girlfriends, family, friends, money, classes, and stuff out of an athletes control can make it difficult to want to get up and put in that work every morning.  Sometimes your tired and dragging ass or injured.

Just putting in time doesn't mean we'll be a good team. Even if all 90 something guys busted ass all offseason, only a few very special kids put it all together.

Seniors stepping up and trying to keep it fresh so it's not a complete clusterfuck in the morning is a good thing. They are trying to get as many people out as possible. To look at the situation and say "since we don't have 100% attendance, its a bad sign" is trying to find negativity.

Ziff72

August 4th, 2010 at 10:38 AM ^

I totally agree that keeping it fun and being creative is a good thing for these quasi practices, but you keep talking about "work" and "grind".  RR has said time and again he wants kids that love football that want to be there, because it is a grind if you don't love it.   

I get up everyday at 4:45am so I can work out and practice my golf game before work so I can spend the time after work with my family.   It's hard but I do it because I love it and want ot be good at it.

Sure it is a hard life for these kids, but this isn't kindergarden.   If you want to be a National Champion you need to sacrifice a couple hours of playstation or partying or whatever to improve.   No doubt some kids want it more than others, no doubt talent overcomes sometimes, but usually the best teams are the ones with talented people who are self-motivated to be great.

Peyton Manning, Jerry Rice, Michael Jordan, Drew Brees, Tim Duncan......most everyone has heard the legendary stories about the work they do in the offseason........on the other hand we heard stories about Alex  Mitchell's work in the offseason.   Champions or 5-7?

 

 

 

CrankThatDonovan

August 4th, 2010 at 11:14 AM ^

Did you get up that early to practice golf when you were 18 years old?  Again, these guys are sacrificing.  They lift weights and run almost every day.  The workouts they do are extremely rigorous. 

Don't you think the fact that Courtney Avery shows up to all of these things just means that Avery is supremely motivated?  One of his high school coaches said that he could run for president someday, he is just that kind of hard-working, likeable guy. 

Hopefully, as these other kids mature and get used to college, they will put in more work in the fall, and as sophomores, juniors, and seniors.  But I will not fault every freshman who does not have the legendary work ethic of Jerry Rice.  Some guys just mature faster than others.

Ziff72

August 4th, 2010 at 11:59 AM ^

I'm more of a nature guy vs nurture, so I tend to think if you are not highly motivated, you will never be as good as you could be.  I'm not saying that kids don't mature or change,  you make a good point, it just scares me.

I look at M. Martin vs W. Campbell.  Martin was a monster in high school who also wrestled, he came in ready to play and contributed right away, I hear about him working out days after surgery, I never worry about M. Martin.    W. Campbell came in out of shape and undisciplined.   From all accounts he is working hard, but there are still doubts he can win the starting job this year. Until he graduates I'll be worried if he gained weight or slipped back.  Things look good for him, but it is always in the back of my mind.

We need corners desperately, we signed 3 and only 1 is at workouts.  2 guys that I'll tend to question more than Avery moving forward.

Doesn't mean they are bad kids or won't be great players, just doesn't make you feel as sure about this team or where it is headed.

Also, Woolfolk never mentioned freshmen explicitly, meaning there are Soph and Juniors that still don't get it.  Freshmen are easier to excuse because as you pointed out this is all brand new to them. 

 

CrankThatDonovan

August 4th, 2010 at 12:33 PM ^

I think we're more on the same page now.  I was just addressing the freshman part of this because the two players mentioned in the thread title are freshmen.  I will give those guys the benefit of the doubt, at least until fall camp starts. 

As far as upperclassmen, I'm right there with you.  Those are the guys that have to be showing up, whether they are #1 on the depth chart or not.  If guys haven't figured it out by their third or fourth year, they may never get it figured out. 

3rdGenerationBlue

August 4th, 2010 at 10:31 AM ^

Getting up and working your ass off every day sucks.....if you are doing a job you don't like. Let's hope all of the players like what they are doing (as hard as it may be). For what it is worth RR has said that one of the things he looks for beyond pure talent is guys that love the game.

coldnjl

August 4th, 2010 at 10:08 AM ^

I swear I saw Buck today on campus...riding his bike south toward the athletic campus wearing a Toy Story Backpack. I recognized him at first bc he was wearing a winter style hat high on his head and him being decked out in Maize and Blue

SysMark

August 4th, 2010 at 10:09 AM ^

Keep in mind that seniors have the whole college experience thing down now...the new guys don't and therefore are dealing with a lot more.  Sure this will all work out in the end.  Nice to see there is some outspoken leadership.

Clarence Beeks

August 4th, 2010 at 10:16 AM ^

Another possibility is that they have been working out at different times, considering that there are class schedules to take into account, and what not.  It appears that most everyone assumes that all the players do offseason workouts at the same time and together, which almost assuredly is not the case.