wow...
I knew something was up when he was listed as a backup.
The guy was a lights out hitter and gave his body up, took a lot of punishment.
I would like to have him on the roster, never know what happens. Remember when our secondary got completely decimated...
He was a safety who could come up and tackle with ferocity. They practice with these kids everyday, so I trust the coaches judgement (unless notified otherwise like our old WR coach)
Stuff must have been building up though. You just dont quit like this.
imo , without knowing his at ude besides he just quit? , I would like him back. New coaching staff who just does not know the kids that well? Or he really is a head case. Sometimes a lack of communication results in impulsive actions... or, he may need to be gone.
It would be interesting to know what his teammates think.
You don't quit on your team and expect to come back. It's one of those unwritten rules in Team sports. He's more than likely done at UT. He's a good player and I wish him luck wherever he goes.
BJ Foster is super talented. Is it confirmed that he actually quit the team and it's final?
I’d let the team captains decide his punishment
Per TFB:
As you know, there have been reports regarding BJ Foster quitting the team and leaving yesterday’s game during the game.
I spoke with sources. Am told that he did indeed leave the game out of frustration.
But, I am told that he has already apologized to coach Ash. He is set to meet with the whole staff and it sounds like he is repentant for the decision and will express that to the coaches.
I know in the football world walking away from your team is seen as the unforgivable sin. And, I get that. But I do believe that when you consider the staff changes, the external pressures on the kids through Covid and social unrest and the fact the Foster went from being a star defensive player to a back up, it would be wise to consider this situation more carefully.
I do believe that if he does express his remorse (again, I’m told he has and will in a more formal meeting) the coaches will make path for him to redeem himself. And, I personally would agree with that position
I don’t understand how he became a backup to begin with.
He is not a great cover safety and is probably better suited to play LB (or perhaps for us the SPUR). But he reported at under 195, which was less than his freshman weight.
He's a LB/Spur playing safety. The coaches apparently want more speed at safety and that's why we're here.
He's a one trick pony. He goes for the hi-light reel big hit (poster-ing in basketball). Granted, last year he played hurt... but when you play hurt due to your own fault (shoulder & hand) you dont (and shouldnt) get a whole lot of sympathy. I dont know... but I'm pretty sure the new DC wasnt impressed with last year's tape where he looked sub-par having to depend on technique more than athleticism. He had a bad year which showed poor coverage skills, taking bad angles, and ton of missed tackles usually leaving his feet with head down, throwing his shoulder at air... over and over and over. Similarly to Eagles on offense, he'll show one or two dazzling plays and that's what people talk about instead of the whole game and risk/reward results.
What I saw was a defense that improved their fundamentals dramatically. When a players play fundamentally, you dont have to disguise things with complicated schemes. When things are less complicated, players dont have to think as much and can play fast. I saw a MUCH faster defense on Saturday than any regular season game last year. jmo
yes, he's an underweight hybrid LB who wants to play safety and start at safety even though the has poor coverage skills.
thanks for keeping this thread alive in the absence of Floss
As long as the guy is remorseful and is willing to work his ass off to get back to the team, you chalk it up as a mistake. Something all 18-22 years olds will make. Problem is their lives are more visible to the public so we hear and see about them.
When you are playing a position, and mostly at a high degree, you may not want to change positions. May seem small and minor but smaller guys get nervous when getting moved up closer to the line. He was a starter since probably freshman year, got bumped to second string with a new DC and position coach, and is most likely going to be forced to switch positions. Trust probably just isn't there with the current staff yet. Once that happens, he'll probably be flying around like he was before just at Will linebacker, where he needs to be.
I am in no way defending him, I just try to give a different perspective as to how the younger generations MAY be thinking. I remember being forced to change positions and I wasn't comfortable with it and eventually got moved back and played a lot more free-er at the position I wanted to be at. When you have to think too much, it makes playing well a bit more difficult. This would be equivalent to doing a job at work, a new boss comes in and wants you to change HOW you do that, most ppl gripe about it whether to the boss or not. Truly the same thing.
The "let the team captains decide" option mentioned above seems reasonable
A lot of super athletic players get away with a lot of sloppiness in high school because they are often the most athletic guy on the field and can make up for incorrect decisions or poor technique. Stating the obvious but, the athleticism gap is severely reduced in high-end D1 football and top end players dont get away with (or exposed with) what they did in high school. That is even more true the closer you get to the LOS. At safety, you can get away with taking a wrong step or two if you are athletic enough. However, a wrong step or two at LB puts you in prime position to be gobbled up by OL or causes desperation dives just to get the tackle in the lane for which you are responsible. You simply cant get away with a lot of sloppiness or bad technique at LB and be effective at this level, esp if you are undersized
Thoroughly agree and truly he may need a redshirt year to get adjusted to a LB roll. All in all, it has to be hard hearing and knowing you are good enough to be a starter but you are a backup. He needs to swallow his pride and take a year to gain weight and LEARN the LB position.
Meniscus tear and surgery for J. Whitt
The frustration of this must be crushing.
It is for me. I really liked this kid and thought he could do almost anything on the field.
This seems to indicate he cant be taught coverage skills. If he stays on our team he has to be taught something. Or we just made a big whiff on trying to recruit him as a football player. If he is ours, make an effort to teach him something that can get him on the field. Or let him go. The goal for all these guys should be they could see the field in an important role even though it might not become a reality. We got a bazillion grad assistants and ex players and coaches to help.
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