It’s been a rumor all summer that Elijah Fields — for all his talent and potential — may never see the field. The Sophomore Safety has been suspended at times (and is likely still suspended) and has struggled with maturity, academics and “other.” As the Big East Media Days are in full swing, Coach Dave Wannstedt is still not talking.
“He’s got to finish out his summer,” Wannstedt said, “but he’s doing everything he’s supposed to on and off the field.”
Fields could go down as a relatively obscure “what might have been.” He could be overwhelmingly forgotten in a couple years except for a few who remember what he could do in high school and what was expected at college.
Otherwise, right now, I’m just hoping Mike Phillips is truly and actually all the way back from his horrific ankle injury of a couple years ago.
“I’ve gone through a lot of hard work with Buddy, and I’m ready to go for camp,” Phillips said. “I think I can be a leader on this team and an inspiration for my work on the field, but also off it through my work ethic. I’ve worked very hard to overcome the serious injury I had a couple years ago.
“So, I’m all the way back now. And I’m ready to contribute to the team in every area. When I first broke my ankle, I tried to motivate from the sideline, but that wasn’t the same thing. And I wasn’t 100 percent until now, and I think I can really help the team in leadership and on the field.”
Depth will still be a major concern without Fields. Yet another spot where there is a real and steep drop-off on talent.
Pitt tidbits
Wannstedt announced several personnel moves, the most significant being that former Woodland Hills High School standout Greg Webster, a redshirt freshman middle linebacker, is probably out for the season and could be done playing football. Webster has been battling Crohn’s disease for the past year and has not been medically cleared.
Also, oft-injured redshirt freshman lineman Kevin Hughes has left the team and will concentrate on academics and redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Derrell Jones will transfer. Wannstedt wouldn’t comment on the status of sophomore safety Elijah Fields, who is dealing with off-field issues, other than to say “he’s got to finish out his summer [before his status for the season is evaluated], but he is doing everything he’s supposed to both on and off the field.”
All freshmen have enrolled except for running back Shariff Harris (Newark, N.J), who is finishing summer school and has yet to receive an OK through the NCAA clearinghouse. Incoming freshman receiver Kyle Hubbard has asked out of his scholarship because he wants to play basketball at Cleveland State, to which Wannstedt said, “If he truly wants to go play basketball, we will definitely release him.”
Seriously, how many kids got off without punishment for that affair? 20 or so? That gives Pitt 20 “credits” to dispense bullshit discipline. Make the kid pay with some drudgery, but don’t sacrifice his time on the field. If a violent riot warrants not even a microsecond of missed practice, then smoking a bit of doobage should warrant nothing more than an extra lap around the track.
No, it’s NOT the right way, but I’m disgusted with every school around us getting away with it … OSU, PSU, WVU, all sacrificing nothing when their goons run amuck. We ran off guys like Tyree Young, Monroe Weekley, et al, difference makers for a team with a bad defense, guys who were far less troublesome guys that Paterno makes his team captains. What good did it do?
link to philly.com