The guys at Addicted to Quack were talking yesterday about an interview Mike Bellotti did recently on ESPN. Bellotti told the story of the night he got a call just before midnight. LaMichael James, homesick and discouraged, was in his dorm room with his bags packed, ready to go home to Texas. College life, redshirting and languishing on the scout team, juking the first-team defense out of its socks day after day but getting no closer to playing, it wasn't what he'd imagined. The fall rains had started. He wanted to go home.
Coach Bellotti talked him down, and in one frantic hour of good coaching a legend was born, and saved. Coaching is way more than x's and o's. These are still young people. They need teaching, patience, correction, encouragement. The Ducks are fortunate to have had a succession of men who have excelled at all of these, going all the way back to Len Casanova.
Now it's Chip Kelly's turn for the occasional midnight phone call and heartfelt conversation. He faces the special challenge of choosing which freshmen to play, and which to ask to accept a redshirt season and a crucial extra year of development.
Eyes will especially be on the star recruits at tailback and in the secondary. Circumstances could certainly change over the next few weeks, but right now Lache Seastrunk, Dontae Williams, Dior Mathis and Terrance Mitchell all appear to be headed toward redshirt status. These young men were all highly sought after coming out of the prep ranks, and it's hard for former stars to accept a year of seasoning and obscurity.
The benefits can be huge if they do, however. John Boyett, James, and Kenjon Barner all redshirted in 2008. In 2009 they became stars as redshirt freshmen, playing key roles in the drive to a PAC-10 championship.
A little patience now can reap huge benefits just one year into the future. But not every nineteen-year-old is mature enough to look that far ahead.
Even if the coach comes over at midnight to talk it over.
I fully agree that Red Shirting a player with special skills will all but eliminate a player loosing confidense because they still learning and also adjusting to the college level. However guys like Seastrunk that are hight touted recruits are coming to Oregon for a college degree, but ultimately using Oregon as a platform to the NFL. Assuming Lache can grasp the offense, not playing him now will lead to one less year for Oregon to play him. He will leave his Junior year no matter what. So play him and give him a few touches and let him make plays now. He'll turn into a star next year, and the following year will be his proving year and on to the nfl.
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ReplyDeleteYou're absolutely right that the five-star guy with NFL aspirations is tough to hold back and tough to keep at school.
Seastrunk has a world of talent, one of those special backs loaded with speed and God-given ability. You see pictures of him running in practice and his feet are going one way and his shoulders are going another, and in one quick move he leaves defenders tackling air.
In fall camp he was alternately brilliant and overwhelmed. Gary Campbell has a tremendous track record as a developer of running backs, so if anyone can get Lache up to speed, it's Campbell.
Thanks for commenting and visiting The Duck Stops Here.
Dale
I think the players really destined for the NFL should not be red shirted. If the NFL is their future it's unlikely they will stay at school for 5 years. So maybe get 4 out of them by playing them as true freshmen. It's the players who are long shots for the NFL but facing an over crowding situation that I'd look to red shirt.
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