I pray that one day I find someone who backs me like Wale does Chase Young.
Its almost time @youngchase907 @GibsonTraining pic.twitter.com/rH18E8lQrj
— Wale (@Wale) January 31, 2020
Happy Friday, folks.
Word of the Day: Belabor.
“CAN'T DO NOTHING ABOUT IT.” I'm not going to speak for y'all, but I fear I'll be pondering "what ifs" about the 2019 season for the rest of my ever-winding journey towards the grave.
But one revisionist situation we can cross off our list is if Shaun Wade would have simply tackled Trevor Lawrence differently, because Wade doesn't really see that as a possibility.
“Uh no, I can’t do anything different,” Wade told Lettermen Row earlier this month. “I don’t know if they want me to get the head up more, but my head was still up. Really can’t do anything in that situation. [Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence] is already 6-foot-6, and I’m 6-foot-1. So, you just can’t do anything about it.
“I’ve watched it plenty of times. And it’s been on my Twitter feed so many times. Can’t do nothing about it. He ducked his head, he ducked his body, I was going full speed. I don’t know what they want me to do. I guess they’re going to have to adjust the rule some type of way or whatever, but they need to find something.”
I think the continued misconception here is the belief that he was tossed for helmet-to-helmet contact, and that's not the truth, according to the referees. He was tossed for leading with the crown of his head.
Either way, it's amazing to me that we don't have a tiered targeting system when basketball already gave them a blueprint long before targeting was even a thing.
“A PIECE OF CLAY.” Craig Young is the classic fellow who's just too damn athletic not to sign, even if you have absolutely no idea where he's going to fit on your team, or where he's going to play. Just get him here and figure it out later.
Well folks, it's later. And after a year of exploration, he's finally found a home with Al Washington and the linebackers.
“A year ago he’s running nine routes and playing corner, and now we’re in the trenches,” linebackers coach Al Washington said. “He’s been great and his attitude is great. I’m excited about him. He can fly.”
...
“Craig is a piece of clay and he’s starting to find his shape,” Washington said. “He’s another guy physically who is putting on so much weight and he’s going to be a big kid.”
Players find their shape at different speeds and Young is still working on getting there. Right now he’s just trying to soak up everything he can from Al Washington.
“Yeah, most definitely. I am learning from him every day,” Young said. “The way he teaches, the way he coaches, it’s just awesome. It’s more coaching than anything else. It’s more tough love and I know the person giving the tough love, it’s harder for them than it is for us. Coach Washington is a great coach and a great mentor. He’s everything you want in a coach. He teaches you the fundamentals, so everything has gone well.”
After seeing what Isaiah Simmons did to every team he faced last season (including mine), I have decided that I would like to have a large linebacker who can also run extremely fast. So all this "6-foot-4," and "putting on so much weight" and "he can fly" talk has me just a bit jazzed.
May Young become everything Michigan Michigan fans thought Jabrill Peppers was.
HEAL UP, FAT BOY. Ohio State's newest ball-runner went under the knife yesterday for surgery on his thumb, and by all accounts, he made it out the other end all good.
Surgery went well on my thumb pic.twitter.com/BLAgjR7s6p
— Fat Boy (@Miyann28) January 30, 2020
As an aside, I appreciate the hell out of Miyan's Twitter display name of "Fat Boy." When you run a 4.74-second 40-yard dash as a running back, you kinda have to just own it. And that's owning it.
SHOUTOUT TO DJ CARTON. Yesterday we got some pretty sudden and unexpected news that DJ Carton would be taking a temporary hiatus from the team to focus on his mental health. And we collectively at Eleven Warriors cannot respect him more for it.
Fully agree with this sentiment from Colin, and glad to see that the vast majority of responses to Carton's message seem to be positive and understanding, too.
— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) January 31, 2020
It's important for all of us including, and perhaps especially, college athletes to take care of our mental health. https://t.co/DfXpwzrzcq
Shoutout to Carton for having the stones to step away when he needed to despite what is probably enormous pressure to stay the course, and shoutout to the coaching staff for how understanding, helpful and supportive they seem to be.
Holtmann has mentioned a few times this season that he isn't going to chase wins at the detriment of his players, and it's refreshing to see him stick by that, even if it means suspending two starters before a must-win game or supporting a key player as he leaves the team.
Wins are cool and I'd like to see them cut downs some nets one day, but stuff like this should be celebrated too.
CHRIS PARTRIDGE HAD ENOUGH. Michigan's recruiting ace and special teams coordinator Chris Partridge has been loyal to Jim Harbaugh and Michigan for five years, even chastizing Al Washington and Greg Mattison for leaving to Ohio State.
But it seems he finally had enough himself, leaving Michigan for Ole Miss for the exact same amount of money.
Former assistant Chris Partridge left the Michigan football coaching staff for a more prominent role at the University of Mississippi, but he’s also doing it without a pay raise, records show.
Partridge signed a two-year agreement with Ole Miss on Jan. 2 to become co-defensive coordinator at an annual salary of $625,00, the same amount he was expected to receive at Michigan as special teams coordinator and safeties coach in 2020.
To be fair, he did get an improved job title on Joey Freshwater's staff as a co-defensive coordinator, but that's all it took to lure away. You just hate to see that.
NOT STICKING TO SPORTS. A New Jersey mayor admits to passing out drunk and pantsless in an employee’s bed... Florida hunters capture more than 80 giant snakes in the annual Python Bowl... Facebook won't remove this woman's butthole as a business page... Baby Yoda’s official life-size figure is here, and it’s fabulously expensive... No, drinking bleach will not ward off coronavirus... Man riding horse stopped by police for using his phone without a hands-free device.
