Jags begin 2011 Spring Practice
South Alabama was among the first programs in the country to start their spring football practice on Monday. The players hit the field at 7am for the first of 15 practices that can be held over the span of 5 weeks. The fifteenth and final of those practices, the annual spring football game, which is scheduled for 2pm at Ladd-Peebles Stadium on Saturday, March 26th and the only practice that will be held off campus.
Coach Jones has continued their short tradition of holding practice early in the morning. He says that the players concentration is much better at that time of day.
Coach Jones also commented about his decision to begin practice early in the spring. “From an academic standpoint, when we finish on March 26th our student-athletes will be getting into the meat of their schedule as the end of the semester nears. This gives them about six weeks where they can concentrate on academics, which I feel is a help to them. Secondly, if we were to have any significant injuries, it gives us a month or a month-and-a-half to help those individuals rehab so they can come back. I think those are the two main reasons why I like to practice this early in the spring.”
The Jags hit the practice field again on Tuesday then took Wednesday off. They will hit the field again on Thursday at 7:45am and will end the week with a 9am stretching session on Saturday.
Coach Jones commented on how the players have grown since last year. “When you walk in the weight room right now you see guys who are bigger and stronger,” he said. “Some of the guys have been here three years, and you can just see that the bench presses, squats and power cleans are going up. I want to see how that translates onto the field, that’s usually exciting.”
Coach Jones continued, “We want to be extremely physical. When people look at us and how we play, hopefully that is what they’ve seen. We want to continue that. I think we need to have physical teams to compete with these teams we will play next year like North Carolina State and Kent State, and on down the line. It’s also going to be interesting to watch the competition — there should be much more this spring because guys who have been in some slots the last couple of seasons are getting better, but we have some young players who are coming along as well as the transfers who will be on the field for the first time next week.”
The second week of practice will be similar to the first week of practice with a 7am practice on Monday and 7:45am practices on Tuesday and Thursday. Then they will have their first scrimmage on Saturday at 9am. Following three days off from Sunday March 6th through Wednesday March 8th, they will then hit the practice field for three consecutive days. Wednesday and Friday practices will be at 7am and Thursday’s practice will be at 7am. The Friday practice will be the second of the three scheduled scrimmages. Then the Jags will take off for spring break.
Once they return from spring break, they will practice at 7:45am on Tuesday March 22nd and Thursday March 24th before the final scrimmage on Saturday March 26th.
2011 Spring Practice Starts Monday
South Alabama Head Football Coach Joey Jones recently remarked that this has been the best off-season he has had. There is no better time to hear such words, considering the Jags will step up to visit two FBS teams this season in Kent State and North Carolina State.
Just to break down the line of scrimmage between these two teams as it stands right now according to the spring rosters, the average offensive lineman for NC State weighs 296.63 lbs while their average defensive lineman weighs 241.92 lbs. The average for the Jaguars offensive line is 290.29 lbs while the average defensive lineman weighs 252.5 lbs. The difference is that the Jaguars defensive line is outweighed, on average, by 44.13 lbs per player. While the NC State defensive line is outweighed by an average of 48.37 lbs per player. The NC State offensive line outweighs the Jaguar offensive line by an average of only 6.34 lbs per player, but the Jaguar defensive linemen outweigh the NC State defensive linemen by an average of 10.58 lbs per player.
What does this mean? Right now, not a whole lot actually. It does mean that South Alabama is getting players of equivalent size to FBS teams on the offensive and defensive lines. Coach Jones and his staff have done a great job with the players that they have brought in so far. They did go out and beat a much larger Hargrave team in their first game as a team and they haven’t looked back since. They faced good teams in Georgia State and UC-Davis last season and were able to show their determination and character by coming from behind in both games, most impressively against UC-Davis.
Several of the new recruits are already enrolled and will be practicing this spring. But the rest will join the team in the summer for fall camp. Brandon Ross will not be practicing as he continues to rehab his knee. BJ Scott will also be sitting out the spring practice while he recovers from his ankle surgery. At this time I do not know the progress of Darrow Fisher on his knee rehab, however the last time Coach Jones spoke he was very doubtful about Fisher’s ability to participate this spring. Another unknown is Ray Cotton’s availability this spring after his surgery to repair his torn labrum in his throwing shoulder, but he should definitely be ready by fall camp.
I know I cannot wait to get out there and watch some spring practice and I hope you are too. Continue checking back for more reports on South Alabama sports.
South Alabama’s 2011 Signing Class
Coach Joey Jones talked with WNSP’s Pat Greenwood at halftime of the Jaguars win over Georgia State.
Here is a breakdown of the players who signed Letter-Of-Intent for South Alabama:
- Akeem Appleton from Fort Payne, AL and Fort Payne HS. Akeem is ranked 10th among athletes in the state of Alabama by ESPN.com and rated a 2* by Scout. He is 5’11” and weighs 175lbs while playing running back.
- Demetre Baker from Orange Park, FL via Georgia and stands 6’1” and weighs 210lbs. He has been recruited as a running back, which he played in high school. But his time a Georgia was spent as a linebacker. He was a High School All-American by both SuperPrep and PreStar magazines.
- Jeffrey Dyson from Thomasville, GA and stands 5’9” while weighing 150lbs. According to Scout, he runs a 4.4 40 and played running back and defensive back at Thomasville HS.
- Ameriol Finley from Spanish Fort, AL stands 6′ and weighs 175lbs. He is a 2* recruit by Scout and lead Spanish Fort HS to their first state championship in 5A. He played quarterback in a zone read type offense. He has already enrolled and started classes at USA this spring and was recruited to play defensive back.
- Marquel Gardner from Prichard, AL stands 6’2” and weighs 200lbs. According to Rivals, he is a 2* recruit and runs a 40 in 4.6 seconds. He played Safety and is labeled as a defensive back for South Alabama. He was selected first-team All-Region as a Senior. Gardner transferred from Tuskegee.
- Cordivido Grice from Pensacola, FL stands 6′ and weighs 205lbs. He is listed as an Outside Linebacker. He was ranked among the top 25 Outside linebackers in the state by ESPN after recording 114 total tackles.
- Joey Hamilton from Northridge HS in Tuscaloosa, AL stands 6’2” and weighs 225lbs. He is listed as a Long Snapper and a Linebacker on Scout while being listed as a long snapper and full back by the Jags.
- Charles Harris from Charleston, MS from Coahoma MS CC stands 6’2” and weighs 190lbs. He is listed as a linebacker and a safety on Scout and is listed as a defensive back by the Jags. He lead Coahoma with 89 total tackles with 69 of them being unassisted.
- Maleki Harris is from Cordova, AL and stands 6’2” and weights 200lbs. He is listed as a 3* recruit and also is listed as the number 33 player in the state of Alabama by Rivals and is listed as running a 4.6 40. He had 142 tackles, 13 sacks and 5 interceptions in the 2010 season for Cordova HS at outside linebacker. Maleki had offers from Illinios, Kansas, Memphis, Mississippi State and Southern Miss.
- Kennedy Helms from Gulfport, MS and Mississippi Gulf Coast CC stands 6’2” and weighs 230lbs. He may sound familiar because his brother already plays for South Alabama. He helped MGCCC go 10-2 on the season and finish 3rd in the NJCAA poll. He plays tight end.
- Jake Howton is another player from Cordova, AL that stands 6’2” and weighs 180lbs. He is ranked 15th among athletes in the state of Alabama by ESPN. He totalled 1,363 yards of total offense in 2010. He is listed as a wide receiver for the Jags.
- DaMon Husband from Williamson HS in Mobile, AL stands 6’2” and weighs 315lbs. At Williamson he was a four-year starter and is ranked number 83 overall and 3rd in the state among guards by ESPN.
- Anthony Ingram from Jasper, FL stands 5’9” and weighs 170lbs. He is a 3* prospect according to Rivals and lead his team to a district title with a 6-0 record. His Scout profile has him listed as a wide receiver while he is listed as an Athlete by the Jags.
- Ceasare Johnson from Memphis, TN stands 6’6” and weighs 265lbs. He is credited with 70 total tackles, 51 being solo and six sacks while at Coahoma MS CC. He is listed as a weak side defensive end on Rivals and is simply listed as a defensive lineman by South Alabama.
- J.J. Keels from Melbourne, FL stands 5’10” and weighs 180lbs. Keels is listed as a 3* recruit and ranked 38th nationally and also in the top 10 in Florida at running back by ESPN. Rivals has him timed at 4.42 seconds in the 40 and 4.25 seconds in the shuttle while aslo having a 36” vertical and a 3.8 GPA. Plus looking at his highligh film, J.J. has great vision.
- Desmond Lavelle from Decatur, AL stands 5’11” and weighs 225lbs. He is rated second among inside linebackers in the state of Alabama by ESPN and is a 3* recruit according to Rivals. He has a 4.6 second 40 according to Rivals.
- Ramone Lewis from Eufaula, AL stands 5’10” and weighs 230lbs. He is a 2* recruit according to Scout and is credited with 84 total tackles during his Senior season. Ramone is listed as an inside linebacker and a running back in high school, but is listed as a linebacker at USA.
- Gabe Loper from Meridian, MS stands 6’2” and weighs 190lbs. He is a transfer from East Central MS. CC. He was named to the second-team All-MACJC after posting 39 total tackles and 3 pass break-ups. He will plays defensive back.
- E.J. May from McGill-Toolen HS in Mobile, AL stands 5’11” and weighs 175lbs. May is ranked 85th nationally as a cornerback and is among the top 5 in the state of Alabama at the same position by ESPN. Rivals has him listed as running a 4.47 40 and a 4.29 shuttle. He decommited from Kentucky and chose South Alabama.
- Dionte McDuffy from Shreveport, LA stands 5’10” and weighs 190lbs. He helped Evangel Christian Academy to win a 2A state championship in his senior year. He is listed as a 2* recruit by Scout. He is listed as a defensive back.
- Kolt Peavey from Molivar, MO stands 6’2” and weighs 180lbs. He helped Bolivar HS to a berth in the state playoffs his senior year with a 9-2 record. Scout has him listed as running the 40 in 4.7 seconds as a quarterback.
- Devin Robinson from East Limestone HS in Athens, AL stands 6’3” and weighs 220lbs. He is listed as a 3* prospect by Rivals and is among the top 50 recruits in the state of Alabama according to ESPN. He is listed as running the 40 in 4.5 seconds. Devin received offers from Arkansas State, Jacksonville State, MTSU, Southern Miss, Troy and UAB but decided on South Alabama.
- B.J. Scott from Vigor HS in Prichard, AL and a transfer from the University of Alabama stands 5’11” and weighs 205lbs. B.J. is already on campus and in classes. He is a top-10 recruit by position according to ESPN, Rivals and Scout.
- Damond Smith trasfers from Western Michigan and hails from Ecorse, MI. He stands 6′ and weighs 185lbs and transfers in as a sophomore. He was listed as a cornerback and a wide receiver out of HS but is listed as a defensive back by South Alabama.
- Robert Terrell from Russellville, AL and Russellville HS stands 6’1” and weighs 245lbs. Robert is listed as a 3* recruit by both Rivals and Scout but is listed as a 2* from ESPN. He is listed as an inside linebacker by Rivals. He is also listed as running the 40 in 4.6 seconds. He was offered by Louisville but chose South Alabama
- Carl Williams from Jacksonville, FL stands 6′ and weighs 180lbs. Rivals has him listed as running the 40 in 4.5 seconds, benching a 325 max, squatting a 455 max, a 4.2 second shuttle, a 36” vertical, a 3.0 GPA and an 18 ACT. He is a 3* recruit according to Rivals, Scout and ESPN. He also has an extensive list of offers: Arkansas, Cincinnati, Uconn, FIU, Iowa State, Kansas, Maryland, MTSU, Minnesota, Northern Illinois, South Florida, Texas Tech, Troy, UCF and UCLA but chose South Alabama. He played Safety and is listed as a defensive back for the Jags.
This is a solid recruiting class for Coach Jones and his staff. They picked up some players who were offered scholarships to SEC schools in addition to two transfers from SEC schools. Seven of the Jags players are rated as 3* talent and six players were rated as 2* players by recruiting services. B.J. Scott was a 4* talent when he was signed by Alabama as part of the 2008 class. Among the 26 players, seven enrolled in school last month and one more intends to join the program in the fall. Of the 26 players, nine of them are from within the state of Alabama, five are from Florida and three are from Mississippi.
As mentioned in the breakdown of the players, South Alabama recruited against several FBS schools. Some of the schools they recruited against are: Tennessee, Mississippi State, Mississippi, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, TCU, Boise State, Stanford, West Virginia, Georgia Tech, NC State, Maryland, Texas Tech, Illinois, Iowa, South Flordia, Connecticut, Louisville, Washington State, Southern Miss, East Carolina, Houston, Memphis, UAB, Troy and Middle Tennessee. Coach Jones said that the quote around the Field House is, “If we can just get them to Mobile, we will have a great shot.” Obviously, kids have been impressed by our facilities, the city of Mobile and the campus.
South Alabama definitely shored up their secondary by signing 10 players in the secondary. Unfortunately they lost a couple recruiting battles for some defensive lineman according to Coach Jones. Being out-weighed by NC State, it would have been nice to see a couple Offensive Linemen signed but Coach Jones seemed to be content with what they have.
On the offensive linemen note, several players will take some time in spring practice at center. After an injury last year left them very thin at that position, they do not want to repeat that. Actually Coach Turner remarked that he was on a team that had, I believe he said, six centers go down with injuries.
As of 7pm, Scout has Western Kentucky as the top class in the Sun Belt and number 81 overall. Earlier it looked as though FIU was going to have another year on top of the conference. However, a glace at WKU’s recruits according to Scout looks to be on par or slightly lower than South Alabama. But ultimately the true test is how they fit with the rest of the team and how well their talent is developed by the coaching staff.
Happy National Signing Day 2011
Today is when the coaches and fans will all know how their months of endless recruiting visits and phone call have all turned out. Today is the first day that recruits can sign on their National Letter-of-Intent to play for the school of their choice. Some teams will lose out on guys, others will land guys they may have not expected. All in all, today is one of the biggest offseason days of the college football year.
Check back tomorrow for a recap of the Jaguar signees.
GO JAGS!!
Courtney Smith Day 2 Of Senior Bowl
Tuesday saw more buzz amongst the NFL scouts for Courtney Smith.
A few updates from twitter said “small school wr Courtney Smith is a monster at 6-4, 220, runs well, limited route runner at this stage”, “Courtney Smith with a great deep ball catch…he’s arrived now, not a sleeper anymore…short, deep wherreever he’s been impressive”, “Courtney showing good focus on making the catch, looking it all the way in, showing athleticism” and “C.Smith is a bigger winner this week if the continues it today, which I think he will…Titus Young had 5 drops day one”.
Optimum Scouting wrote that Lenard Handerson has been their favorite all year long and could be a number two starter right away and going in the first round of the draft is not out of the question. But then they follow up with Courtney being “ultra-impressive” and with a frame that can dominate all day with great focus. He uses his body well to make plays and that he is flying up their boards quickly.
More written praise about Courtney comes from Sideline Scouting: “Great frame and above-average deep speed. During one-on-one drills, Smith ran a go-route and went up and over USC corner Shareece Wright for a beautiful leaping grab. His body control looks well above-average and he looks to be gaining steam here this week.”
NFL Draft Bible said, “The small school prospect has been flashing big-play ability early in practice and he’s surprisingly fast out of his stance for a 220 pounder. Smith had not problems gaining separation from the South corners and also flashed great hands, catching the ball away from his body consistently. Smith is looking like the sleeper wide receiver to watch this year in Mobile.”
Beacher Report says, “Playing in his home stadium (first South Alabama player ever to do so), Smith has sure made the most of it. At 6’4″, 220, he’s been able to win jump ball battles, blow past cornerbacks and has run efficient routes. He had some drops and Coach Chan Gailey was quick to point out, but talked a lot about how he’s a ‘raw talent’ and had great ‘potential’.”
Some not so glowing reviews of Courtney’s day on Tuesday, starting with Draft Insider. “Looks the part but only occasionally plays to it. Made some nice receptions but also dropped an equal amount of catchable throws. Poor route runner.”
Walter Football said “Courtney Smith was dropping passes throughout Tuesday afternoon’s practice.” While NFL Mocks said that “South Alabama Receiver Courtney Smith is struggling to keep up against the higher level of talent. Smith had multiple drops and was staying high coming out of his breaks. Smith did show flashes of brilliance with a few unbelievable catches. If he can adjust to the speed and level of play that he’s not used to facing, Smith can develop into a nice steal later in the draft.”
NFL radio had a nice interview with Courtney that aired around the 7:00pm hour. He spoke about getting the call from Steve Hale from the Senior Bowl to come down to the Hotel and meet with him. They then talked about Steve showing him around and how much fun he has been having being around great players from around the country. After that, they spoke about his size and how he has actually shaped up more by dropping about 10 lbs and that he could probably drop about five more to gain more speed yet keep his impressive frame.
Then they transition towards talking about he and his family relocating after the hurricane and how he couldn’t find his family for a while and the struggles they went through as a family. They spent a little time on how he came to play for coach Bill Clark at Prattville, then UAB and how he ultimately came to South Alabama via his ties to Bill Clark.
Posted shortly after noon, the San Francisco 49ers website had an article about Courtney Smith entitled “Smith takes road less traveled” which covers some of what was said in the NFL Radio interview. Read the article here.
South Alabama’s Courtney Smith marks first Jaguar ever invited to the Senior Bowl
Courtney Smith looks to the sidelines early in the Jaguars game against Lamar University.
South Alabama’s Courtney Smith has proven himself to the Jaguar Nation as a great receiver. He could have stayed at UAB but he believed that USA was the right place for him. He came in and helped the program to back-to-back undefeated seasons, 17-0, with wins over four FCS (AKA Division I-AA) programs. Additionally he has been a great face for the program’s short history, now he continues to represent the program in the Under Armor Senior Bowl.
In the first day of Senior Bowl week, Courtney has already impressed many scouts with his numbers. Online draft coverage by DraftDaddy, TalkNFLDraft, NFAuthority, DraftScout, OptimumScouting, Wes Bunting and Shane P. Hallam have all mentioned that Courtney is “quick and big”, “sleeper”, “real deal”, “built like a tank”, “Massive, completely looks the part” and “looked impressive” when mentioning him.
Additionally, the Sporting News mentions him in the second sentence of their article covering the Senior Bowl weigh-in.
Draft Daddy’s write-up of the South squads practice mentioned that Courtney wasn’t “wide-eyed” and that hey played very well by making several big plays and “impressive run-after-catch ability.” Also according to them, his speed as with all wide receivers and cornerbacks will dictate his draft value. But they also mentioned hs knack for getting open and according to them “looked big-time.” Then they asked the question, “We wonder what [h]is stock would be like were he wearing a helmet from a traditional football factory.” Story here.
We will try to bring you more good stories about Courtney Smith and his Senior Bowl experience. Go Quick6 and Go Jags!
Coach Rodrigue Moving On
Coach Mitch Rodrigue, who coached the Tackles and Tight Ends on the Offensive Line, has been hired to coach the Offensive Line at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette. Prior to his two year stint at South Alabama, Coach Rodrigue spent nine years in Hattisburg at Southern Mississippi.
On the field, Coach Rodrigue coached the Tackles and the Tight Ends, helping the Jaguars average 439 yards per game and just under 46 points per game. Off the field, Coach Rodrigue had been named in to the Rivals.com Top 10 list of best Non-BCS recruiters.
Good luck in the future Coach Rodrigue. Well, except when the Jags face off against your Ragin’ Cajun’s.
Jags announce two transfers from Mississippi Junior Colleges
Coach Jones announced on Wednesday that they have signed two junior college transfers from Mississippi. Kennedy Helms, the younger brother of Tight End Kevin Helms, and Gabe Loper have signed National Letter-of-Intent and will join the program in January.
Kennedy Helms is 6’3″, 240-pounds and will be a senior next season. He played for Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College team what has won 19 games the last two seasons and also finised in the top 10 in the final NJCAA poll each fall. He caught two touchdowns in 2010 as they went 10-2 but coach Jones was impressed by his blocking.
Gabe Loper played at East Central Community College and was honored on the second team all-MACJC for his 39 total tackles, 28 solo tackles and three pass break-ups. Previously, during his freshman year, he made 30 total tackles, 22 solo tackles and two interceptions.
Coach Jones said that Loper could play both Corner and safety, but would start him out in the safety position. He has man-to-man cover skills and good range so his play will definitely benefit the Jaguars secondary, which was very thin last season.
Senior Bowl for Courtney?
Courtney Smith talking with head coach Joey Jones in the programs first true road game in Beaumont, Texas versus Lamar University.
According to his facebook page, Senior Wide Receiver Courtney Smith has received an invitation to play in the Under Armor Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama on January 29th. When the Senior Bowl was contacted for confirmation, they said, “No, however invitation process is ongoing.” I put lots of stock in Courtney, so I will go with the story that he has received an invitation but the Senior Bowl was waiting for an answer before confirming.
Declan Sullivan incident being forgotten
Note: This article is an editorial from our head writer.
Since the allegations and inside information started leaking out about Auburn University quarterback Cam Newton, the Declan Sullivan incident has faded from the memory of college football fans. However, I felt like I should write something about this because I think nothing is happening up in Indiana to address this.
Yes, OSHAA is looking into this however it is clear as daylight that several layers of security was completely overlooked in his death. According to the Notre Dame Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick recounted his time at practice that day. He claims that when he was there, it was calm. However, it was known that the winds had been and were currently very gusty in the area as a very powerful low pressure system was moving through the area.
It was Coach Brian Kelly who decided to practice outside on that blustery day. Some in attendance of the practice said that it was very difficult to complete passes with the gusty wind. He should have been mindful enough to get the video cameras down off of the scissor lifts, however he did no such thing. Anyone who has watched Brian Kelly coach gets the sense it’s his way or the highway. He has no visible compassion for his players or his coaches. When the coach has a 5 yard buffer zone on the sidelines at all times, you know there is something about the guy the player and coaches do not like.
The next line of defense would be the equipment manager. As the name implies, he is in charge of all equipment from the footballs, the yard sticks, practice equipment and that would also include the scissor lifts. It is his job to know the safe operation of the equipment. If a graduate assistant, coach or player were on a golf cart and were using it in a manner that was unsafe, it is his responsibility to stop it and prevent it from happening again in the future. In this case, he was supposed to know that the scissor lift is only rated to be used in conditions where wind is speed is less than 25 miles per hour. Also I do not know where the scissor lift was being used, but I would harbor a guess that it is at least recommended if not required to be used on a solid, level area. Something like concrete or asphalt. Thus the equipment manager could have made the call at any time to get Declan and any other video camera operator off of those lifts.
Finally, probably the first line of defense would be the video coordinator. He could have stood up to the coach and told him that he felt it was unsafe for Declan to be up in a scissor lift in the conditions that they were suffering. Video, or football for that matter, is not worth a kids life. Was standing up to Coach Kelly that difficult? Was he afraid for his job? He was the first person in a series of responsible adults who could have avoided this tragedy.
Some people across the nation spoke out by saying that Declan should have refused to go up or got down on his own accord. Some people are mature at 20, others take a little longer. Twenty is an age where we are becoming adults but are still inclined to do some nutty stuff. Kids like Declan typically do what they are told to do, because they have a trust in their superiors that they would not put them into harms way. This trust was clearly broken.
Most kids would opt not to work while going to college. He could have pursued his love of film and video without working for the football team and making money. If he really needed the money to make ends meet while he was studying at Notre Dame, a responsible person would trust their superiors and do what they were told so they could continue their education. So I do not agree with those who would say that he was to blame entirely. I agree he could have came down or refused to go up in the first place. After all he did post the following messages on facebook and twitter: “Gust of wind up to 60mph well today will be fun at work… I guess I’ve lived long enough :-/.” and the following not long before his tragic death: “Holy f*** holy f*** this is terrifying.”
What I have been saying since shortly after this incident happened and what I continue to proclaim is that Athletic Directory Jack Swarbrick, Head Coach Brian Kelly, the equipment manager and the video coordinator should all be fired. A young life was cut short by complete disregard of duty by people who were in charge. Any one of those four people mentioned could have stopped the incident from happening. Is it the case that three of those four were afraid to stand up to “General” Kelly? Because head coaches have become the equivalent to Gods in some places, are people afraid to stand up to them?
One case in point is TCU and their coach Gary Patterson. Patterson ‘verbally accosted’ a TCU doctor over a player being diagnosed with a concussion. According to the AMA, if a player loses consciousness, he is automatically considered having a concussion. Additionally the player had an unsteady gait and a few memory problems. Which are two diagnosis points for a doctor to determine if a player has a concussion. However, Coach Patterson said that “As far as I’m concerned Wesley was fine 10 minutes after he was hurt.” However the doctor stood up to the coach, and rightfully so in order to protect this players health and potentially his life.
Notre Dame should hold the persons responsible for this tragedy. I would dare say that a fairly strong case could be made that Coach Kelly was guilty of willful negligence which caused a death or possibly even involuntary manslaughter.
Notre Dame should take action immediately and do the right thing. If all four are not fired, then at a minimum that Athletic Director and the Board of Trustees should step in and get rid of the rest. Kevin McGuire from Examiner.com posted that, according to a source, that a number of boosters pressured the AD to ask Kelly for his resignation. Then as many as 20 boosters asked Swarbrick and Kelly both for their resignations. Additionally, Notre Dame examiner Shawn Lewallen also posted a very similar article a day or so later with a similar number of boosters. In this case, I really hope the boosters put enough pressure on that they succeed.
What do you think?
Links to similar articles calling for Brian Kelly’s and Jack Swarbrick’s resignation or outright firing:
http://www.examiner.com/notre-dame-fighting-irish-in-south-bend/brian-kelly-asked-to-resign
http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2010/nov/06/moulton-notre-dame-brian-kelly-declan-sullivan/
http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/10/30/brian-kellys-crisis-of-conscience/