Vlad Emilien on family values
Tony Grimes was recently interviewed by Sam Webb, which can be found here http://www.detnews.com/article/20090716/OPINION03/907160440/1131/SPORTS…
Here is a piece of the interview...
"I was with Vladimir (Emilien)," Grimes said of his time in Ann Arbor. "That's my boy. He told me one difference (at Michigan) is once you get there, you are not just a piece of meat, you are a part of the family. That's something I can believe because he didn't play none of his senior year after he tore his ACL, but they didn't just cut him off. They kept his offer and he committed there. "
Unfortunately, you will never see a newspaper article with the title "Vlad Emilien says that Michigan football team is like a family," unlike the recent article on Kurt Wermers. For every player who believes Michigan's family values have eroded, I can find you 20 more players who want to be a part of something special...
Cullen Christian and Tony Grimes would be a very nice haul for Michigan at corner. And it sounds as though playing time is a big factor, so even if Florida offers, that is something that they don't have in the secondary.
has anybody else noticed that the players who are transferring, the majority happens to be lineman? Why is that? Here's my thoughts on the issue. When Boren left to go to tOSU he ripped RichRod for losing the family values and he was being harrassed by other teammates because he was a freshman starting on the O-line. I think he left simply because he didnt want to do the work out that RichRod introduced to Michigan. I think he was lazy and thought it was too hard to do and wanted to leave. Has Michigan never had a freshman offensive lineman start before? Lame excuse.
Now we have Kurt Wermer saying Michigan doesnt have the family values and is bringing in players that he wouldnt hang out with (take that as you want, but sounds to me he is saying RichRod is bringing in a bunch of low lifes and thugs). Its not like Wermer left to play at another big school but to Ball State. I see another Boren situation here. A lineman who was tired of the hard workouts that are now instituted here at Michigan.
there was a lot said about Carr's workouts, it was a country club type of style which resulted in tired lineman in the fourth quarter. RichRod is not having that. His lineman have the hardest work out because they have to be in superior shape to finish games.
Anybody agree or disagree with my assessment?
Boren wasn't a freshman, he was a senior. He left because Rich Rod did not give his brother a scholarship.
Boren was part of the '06 recruiting class. He was not a senior when he decided to transfer.
Opps, but I was right that he wasn't a freshman.
he did start as a freshman thou. He said that the other o-lineman gave him a hard time because they were upset that a freshman started over them
Agree 100%. Also, our offense will likely stop producing NFL linemen. That may drop the perceived value of our recruiting classes as we go after linemen that fit our system and scare off the more traditional linemen.
Henderson is the #1 overall recruit, and he will probably make the NFL in any system.
Thanks for the post.
Good find. Other schools, especially OSU, are going to regret passing on Emilien after he got injured. Emilien did quite well in spring practices and should get significant PT this season. I believe Emilien said he'll be 100% healed by the time fall camp rolls around (still was hindered a little during spring practices). Still need 2 CBs in this class, so let's land Grimes and Christian.
Thats something we needed to hear with regards to family values.
Thanks for the article.
are those that can't hack the work and/or refuse to buy into the program. Borin = fat and lazy and upset his little bro' didn't get an offer. Wermers sounds like he realized he was a Carr recruit (who never actually played under Carr)that would not excel (i.e. never start) in Rich Rod's system. I'm happy he saw the writing on the wall and transferred early in his career, but obviously have issues with taking cheap shots on the way out. I don't think we'll be seeing much more of this as Rich Rod brings in his own guys.
This whole "Boren=fat+lazy" thing is really getting old. The guy is a good lineman. OSU is certainly thrilled to have him. He started for you and will start for them. Him transferring was not about participating in workouts or being lazy. It was personal.
For whatever reason, Boren didn't get on with RichRod and his staff. Maybe because they didn't offer little brother (not that Little Brother). Regardless, Boren is a capable and talented guard who will almost certainly get to the NFL. He isn't lazy or fat or a waste of space on the roster.
It was a dick move of him to make his statements about family values. A classy guy would have said that he thought the right move was for him to go elsewhere, and then shut his mouth. But at the same time his mouth doesn't affect his ability as an athlete.
I hope with all the talent we have coming in that we can find a "lockdown" CB or 2 that we haven't had since Woodson. No, I am not comparing any of these guys to Charles, since that would be unfair. However, it would be awesome if Vlad, or JT or anyone else can turn into something special where we can put them on the opposing teams best WR and not have to worry about getting burned repeatedly.
Can't wait for the season to start!
in Emilien's case, since he's a safety.
To your point though, in 2011, the defensive backfield will include, hopefully:
CB - Cissoko (Sr.), Turner (Jr.), Christian (R-Fr. - hopefully), Ifill (R-Fr. - hopefully), Witty (Jr.).
S - Emilien (Jr.), M-Robinson (So.), Michael Williams (Sr.)
Now that, is a pretty darn good defensive backfield.
Hopefully.
Is Ifill being recruited as a CB, S, or (God forbid) WR?
Safety. Rivals, for some reason, classifies him as a WR, but we want him as Safety. I guess he could play either.
Yeah, I would slide Ifill into the Safety spot, I'm pretty sure that's where we're recruiting him. And we'll probably have one more guy for the "CB - hopeful" category as well (Mathis, Knight or Grimes).
Small quibble, but since Woodson, Marlin Jackson and Leon Hall were both excellent.
co-signed.
Jeremy LeSueur struggled as an underclassman (and some of our fans have seemingly never forgiven him for it), but he was a very good corner his last two years (2002 and 2003). As a senior, he was so good that the staff actually moved Jackson to safety so that he, Jackson and Hall could be on the field at the same time.
I think Warren and Cissoko have also showed a lot of promise, although they've been let down by poor safety play.
as it does to Mark Sanford.
Eliot Spitzer.
Or former CT governor James McGreevey.
Henry Hyde, Newt, Mark Foley....the list on both sides is a long one.
We'll be here all day if we really want to pursue it. So, let's not.
I like your analogy. Well done.
you are correct that a newspaper will never write an article saying that the players love Michigan's family values. Newspapers want those clicks or papers sold and a story bashing Michigan or any other team will get more readers than a feel good piece about how good Rodriquez is doing with recruiting and not catering to his players.
It didn't take long for them to pick up on Wermers leaving.
http://myespn.go.com/blogs/bigten/0-3-666/Michigan-s-Wermers-transfers-…
that article was actually the link to the Boren article.
"Oh my God, he's a crazy dude," Gibson said. "It's good to have him over there because we're lining up and he's screaming and cussing and [stuff]. He's a good guy to have."
According to the article, it sounds like he's fit right in, and that he's going to be a big stud for the Buckeyes this year.
http://myespn.go.com/blogs/bigten/0-3-261/Boren-brings-the-nasty-back-t…
Just goes to confirm that Boren's story on "eroding family values" was all bullshit. His brother didn't get a scholarship offer from Rod, Papa Boren complained, Rod ignored him, and then Boren left and made his parting comments. Fuck Boren.
especially after the mass of stories stating what a terrible person RR is and how he cheats on his wife etc etc etc....I would like for people to once state a source for the BS they spread. RR (through little fault of his own, not saying no fault, just little fault) could use some good publicity like this and it is a shame that more people don't get to see it.
I want to know why people expect a football coach to be a saint? Where did that sentiment come from?? Oh wait, it was that guy who hates people that swear.....Bluefront.
Not sure I'd call what he said a flame. I believe he said it was too much like a business.
Sounds more like he didn't get along with his co-workers.
If you read through the entire thing it's quite confusing.. half the time he contradicts himself in one way or another. Or sounds really stupid.
I wouldn't include Kurt Wermers in the same category as Boren. Boren took directed shots at Michigan and its staff. He knew what he was doing. He may have felt that OSU was a better fit, but he had too much pride to go quietly and I think he was too spoiled to deal with the changes in the coaching style. I'm sure even Tressel was taken aback by what Boren said. (I know I sound harsh on the kid, but I was 18 within the past decade too. Kids can be stupid.)
Maybe Wermers should have been careful with what he said--people will certainly read into his comments as they wish--but he merely seemed to be saying that he just didn't get along with the coaches for one reason or another (not impossible) and it wasn't the right fit.
Good point, Tim (and great username/icon). I can't speak for anyone else, but I definitely forget sometimes that we're talking about 18, 19, 20 year old kids and that it can be a pretty emotional situation for them. If Wermers has said his piece and is done with it, it won't bother me too much and best of luck to him. On the other hand, if it seems like he's reveling (sp?) in being a d-bag like Boren, well, I wish him nothing but underwhelming mediocrity.
Sometimes I forget how to speak my native tongue. Direct (back) shots would be more appropriate
Obviously this family values comment is pure bullshit. All sorts of recruits last year said they loved how it felt like a family. So any of this lack of family values is just talk, and just trying to smash a program that they didn't necessarily sign up for (as Brian says).
I don't think even half of the people who use the term family values actually know what it means.
If Boren really left because his kid brother wasn't good enough on his own to get a scholarship, that says a lot about his own "family values", which apparently don't include earning it on your own.