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Something needs to change.

  • I've followed recruiting for the last 10 years. Over that time, my life has changed greatly. I've become a youth pastor, high school teacher, and high school football coach. I work with kids everyday that are hurting, fatherless, broken; searching for somebody, anybody to believe in and trust. Many of the recruits we so desperately want to sign with UA are no different. It truly pains me to see how kids like Reuben Foster are treated. The Auburn boards are saying some pretty terrible things about a kid. Sadly, many Alabama boards would look like that if things had not gone our way. Signing day is around the corner, and we will all watch with great anticipation and excitement. Let us keep it in the forefront of our minds that these are children that are committing on Wednesday. If one chooses to go somewhere besides UA and some will; let us wish him the best, and turn our focus to the young men that choose our school. Roll Tide!!!

    pastordlc

  • If you don't want negative attention, committ early and decline interveiw requests. Don't hold multiple press conferences ala RF.

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    Run37

  • pastordlc said...

    I've followed recruiting for the last 10 years. Over that time, my life has changed greatly. I've become a youth pastor, high school teacher, and high school football coach. I work with kids everyday that are hurting, fatherless, broken; searching for somebody, anybody to believe in and trust. Many of the recruits we so desperately want to sign with UA are no different. It truly pains me to see how kids like Reuben Foster are treated. The Auburn boards are saying some pretty terrible things about a kid. Sadly, many Alabama boards would look like that if things had not gone our way. Signing day is around the corner, and we will all watch with great anticipation and excitement. Let us keep it in the forefront of our minds that these are children that are committing on Wednesday. If one chooses to go somewhere besides UA and some will; let us wish him the best, and turn our focus to the young men that choose our school. Roll Tide!!!

    I agree with everything you said Pastor, except for the children part. At 18 I certainly wasn't a child. Ignorant and perhaps a little stupid, but not a child. With that said, I can't even speculate how I would have handled so much attention and pressure.

    it's really tough, even a young man like Alex Collins who seemed to have a great attitude found it difficult.

    UApopeye

  • Run37 said...

    If you don't want negative attention, committ early and decline interveiw requests. Don't hold multiple press conferences ala RF.

    You really think Foster orchestrated this whole thing? Thank Trooper Taylor for the BS over the past 6 months. When Taylor left the equation, Foster settled down.

    BuriedAlive14 ●

  • pastordlc said...

    I've followed recruiting for the last 10 years. Over that time, my life has changed greatly. I've become a youth pastor, high school teacher, and high school football coach. I work with kids everyday that are hurting, fatherless, broken; searching for somebody, anybody to believe in and trust. Many of the recruits we so desperately want to sign with UA are no different. It truly pains me to see how kids like Reuben Foster are treated. The Auburn boards are saying some pretty terrible things about a kid. Sadly, many Alabama boards would look like that if things had not gone our way. Signing day is around the corner, and we will all watch with great anticipation and excitement. Let us keep it in the forefront of our minds that these are children that are committing on Wednesday. If one chooses to go somewhere besides UA and some will; let us wish him the best, and turn our focus to the young men that choose our school. Roll Tide!!!

    agreed

    "Formerly known as "crimsonbamakathy" RTR!!

    luvmybama

  • BuriedAlive14 said...

    You really think Foster orchestrated this whole thing? Thank Trooper Taylor for the BS over the past 6 months. When Taylor left the equation, Foster settled down.

    The portion of recruiting we see is only a small part of what goes on. Messy recruitment of high profile kids makes me nervous, that's all.

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    Run37

  • UApopeye said...

    I agree with everything you said Pastor, except for the children part. At 18 I certainly wasn't a child. Ignorant and perhaps a little stupid, but not a child. With that said, I can't even speculate how I would have handled so much attention and pressure.

    it's really tough, even a young man like Alex Collins who seemed to have a great attitude found it difficult.

    You weren't an adult at that age either. The op's point is lots of these recruits have no father figure or support system, so in many ways it is like a child having to make a decision they aren't prepared to do. Then adults make personal atacks on them for not choosing their school.

    foteen ●

  • Yawn. Forgive me if I have trouble sympathizing with star high school athletes who have their choice of schools climbing over one another to give them full rides.

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    BSEan

  • foteen said...

    You weren't an adult at that age either. The op's point is lots of these recruits have no father figure or support system, so in many ways it is like a child having to make a decision they aren't prepared to do. Then adults make personal atacks on them for not choosing their school.

    Foteen, not to detour from the point of this thread, but oh yes I was an adult at 18. With my background I had to be an adult at a young age. Albeit, an inexperienced and cumbersome adult, however nonetheless I was an adult. Sorry to play the ultimate trump card on you; but if young men and now women can tote a gun in battle defending our freedom then a young man making a choice about a free education for playing football can be an adult.

    I can have compassion for these young men, but I see no need in making ore than it is.

    Bottomline; I'm pround for RF making what appears to be a wise decision. Based on the facts as presented and as I know them to be he will most probably will be in a more favorable position to cultivate his future.

    UApopeye

  • pastordlc said...

    I've followed recruiting for the last 10 years. Over that time, my life has changed greatly. I've become a youth pastor, high school teacher, and high school football coach. I work with kids everyday that are hurting, fatherless, broken; searching for somebody, anybody to believe in and trust. Many of the recruits we so desperately want to sign with UA are no different. It truly pains me to see how kids like Reuben Foster are treated. The Auburn boards are saying some pretty terrible things about a kid. Sadly, many Alabama boards would look like that if things had not gone our way. Signing day is around the corner, and we will all watch with great anticipation and excitement. Let us keep it in the forefront of our minds that these are children that are committing on Wednesday. If one chooses to go somewhere besides UA and some will; let us wish him the best, and turn our focus to the young men that choose our school. Roll Tide!!!

    I truly get what you're saying, but at the end of the day, it's just words on a subscriber-based message board that most of these recruits don't even read. Any recruit who gets their feelings hurt over what a complete stranger says about them on a message board needs to grow some thick skin.

    BreakingTheCap

  • pastordlc said...

    I've followed recruiting for the last 10 years. Over that time, my life has changed greatly. I've become a youth pastor, high school teacher, and high school football coach. I work with kids everyday that are hurting, fatherless, broken; searching for somebody, anybody to believe in and trust. Many of the recruits we so desperately want to sign with UA are no different. It truly pains me to see how kids like Reuben Foster are treated. The Auburn boards are saying some pretty terrible things about a kid. Sadly, many Alabama boards would look like that if things had not gone our way. Signing day is around the corner, and we will all watch with great anticipation and excitement. Let us keep it in the forefront of our minds that these are children that are committing on Wednesday. If one chooses to go somewhere besides UA and some will; let us wish him the best, and turn our focus to the young men that choose our school. Roll Tide!!!

    First, let me say thank you for your service to your community by serving the Lord and working with young people at church and at school.

    Second, we all share some of the blame in participating in the recruiting hype...subscribing to sites like 247, etc.

    Lastly, I disagree that these are children. While not fully mature adults, they are given the same rights and responsibilities of someone twice their age with the exception of drinking (legally) they can pay taxes, vote, serve in the military, etc. And to these young men who have children of their own as we saw tonight with RF, you are a grown man with another helpless human being that depends on you to provide and protect them. Once you have a child of your own, you better remove the "child" tag from yourself and grow up and become a man (and a father) in a hurry.

    bamarich

  • It's "grown men" being butt hurt that is sad as well. What you see on the AU boards are exactly what you saw on this board not too long ago.

    The predators you speak of are real and sadly there are a lot more of them than there are like the OP.

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    Eat clean. Train Hard.

    SP105 ●

  • UApopeye said...

    Foteen, not to detour from the point of this thread, but oh yes I was an adult at 18. With my background I had to be an adult at a young age. Albeit, an inexperienced and cumbersome adult, however nonetheless I was an adult. Sorry to play the ultimate trump card on you; but if young men and now women can tote a gun in battle defending our freedom then a young man making a choice about a free education for playing football can be an adult.

    I can have compassion for these young men, but I see no need in making ore than it is.

    Bottomline; I'm pround for RF making what appears to be a wise decision. Based on the facts as presented and as I know them to be he will most probably will be in a more favorable position to cultivate his future.

    Yes I have seen many a young man 18 years old, that is proudly serving as a Marine, come into my office for article 15, "Office Hours". Without some compassion a lot of young men and women could have careers ruined and potential squashed. Believe me, these football recruits don't have the market on stupid 18 year old decisions and actions. Maturity and the ability to handle peer pressure and temptations, does not automatically come at 18 or when you are given an M-16 to carry into battle. I think much more harshly on the internet hero, no mater their fan base, that continues to rant and defame a recruit for picking a school other than theirs, even if they flip or in this case back flip.

    If RF signs his LOI then I with him success and welcome to the Crimson Tide, if he flips again and signs somewhere else, then I wish him God speed and career success. Roll Tide.

    kuwaitbamafan ●

  • I don't think many would take personal shots at him here other than he was naive and manipulated by Trooper. I place alot of that on his mom bit its also obvious trooper was a likeable person to some. But we take our program seriously. I mean would you hand over your finances to one of those troubled kids you speak of? Its kinda the same thing. We just want the most responsible players at Bama. We had reason to question that. I'm glad he chose us and Saban....and Kirby. Our locker room will give him the support and guidance you speak of. He seems like a good person...and yes a kid.

    As for the aubarn fools, what else did you expect. We could have all done without the circus show this has been, but we can thank trooper for that..both Bama and barn fans. And he was their man, so its on them really. But its almost impossible for us to have the opinions of trooper that we do and not let that rub off onto a recruit that falls for his bs. Its really hard to do.

    This post was edited by samdog91 on 2/5/2013 at 3:27 AM

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    "We're modern-day gladiators, and that mental toughness is really important to have in a good team." Nick Saban

    samdog91

  • Run37 said...

    If you don't want negative attention, committ early and decline interveiw requests. Don't hold multiple press conferences ala RF.

    This is exactly right. The recruits who keep quiet on where they are going, don't flip flop or commit and stick to it are not subject to near as much abuse. I agree with the OP's basic premise but a lot of these kids WANT the attention. Reuben Foster is a perfect example and like others have said, I'll believe he is going to UA when he sends in his LOI.

    RTR 65

  • Squeaky wheel gets the grease...

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    BamaSarge04

  • If these are "children," then why is there no sympathy for the millions of 18 year olds that are trying to choose which school they will owe $100,000. Not to mention, they are choosing the means by which they will provide for their future family.

    This seems like it's as much, if not more, responsibility than choosing which school will provide your free education so that you will be on their football team. Yes, even 18 year olds should be held responsible for there actions. Hell, it's not like this decision just jumped up out of nowhere.

    dcbass

  • I agree that we are not dealing with "children." That was a poor choice of words from me. However, they're not adults either. They are making adult decisions, but many times without any parental guidance.
    As for the ones making the decision on which school they'll pay to attend. Show me the place where butt hurt grown men will blast them because they chose UA's business school over Auburn's.

    pastordlc

  • It's actually funny how all of this has played out. Not too long ago Dee and Reuben were the biggest thugs in the state lol.

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    Eat clean. Train Hard.

    SP105 ●

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