You know, a day ago when I said this: “One thing to watch after the spring practices — and the semester ends. Some more attrition. In Chryst’s first year there were some transfers slowly trickling out. But, it should not be a huge surprise to see a few more after the spring…”
I didn’t think that it would start immediately.
Defensive tackle Terrell Jackson of Columbus, Ohio, who was redshirted last year during his freshman season, intends to transfer and has been granted his release by the university.
Ugh.
Look, the sky isn’t falling. This is not the deathblow for Pitt football. Paul Chryst is neither purging the roster of malcontents, nor is he imperiously and foolishly driving off good players.
This is normal when coaching changes take place. It’s a little odd since so much attrition seems to be coming from the 2012 recruiting class. The same class that held together after Fraud Graham fled. But this is what happens. Players decide the system, the coaches, the personalities. They just don’t match with them.
At the same time, this is not nothing. Pitt is losing three very good players who were expected to help this team this year and for at least a couple more years.
Rushel Shell is a stud running back. A lot of the offense was being planned with him in the backfield. It isn’t simply plugging in the next guy, no matter what Chryst’s track record at Wisconsin may want you to believe. Shell was a tailback who everyone wanted, and plenty will try to woo him now.
Deaysean Rippy should have been in the mix at linebacker and expected to make an impact. The talent level at linebacker is a big question mark now.
Now Terrell Jackson. Expected to be a solid contributor at nose tackle. Not necessarily a starter, but in the rotation.
Depth is a concern at each of those spots. It’s more pressure on the players still there, and the coaches to find recruits that can take the spot in the future.
And as a reminder to those who can’t control your emotions online. Stay off twitter. No one thinks much of the alleged grown-up person that blasts crap at a college kid because he is transferring. It’s a bad look and other recruits notice the behavior.
As Chas indicated, there is no need to rip on these guys, we were lucky to get Johnson, Holtz and boud …. but why do these pending transfers it have to be in positions in need?
Is it more than just a coincidence that the same guy who hired one of his guys as DC even though he was unqualified appears to be now running off guys he didn’t choose to recruit?
Also, regardless of what you think of Shell he was a top talent, Chryst’s job was to sell Shell on the program and have him buy into it. If Shell leave, Chryst failed at that. Chryst is going to have to learn to do that because there are plenty of top talents that can be difficult to deal with.
Finally, I think Shell leaving will certainly have some impact on the 2014 class because I’m sure these guys talk to each other.
to college, and playing big time football. That is alot
to manage. It is his right to transfer. Imagine being told by
numerous coaches that you are a super star then get to
school and realize you have much to learn and work harder than you ever have.
The demands
from any college coach wil be similar to the demands Shell is facing at Pitt. Pitt and Shell will move on no matter his decision.
Superstars are idolized in high school and in their communities, they are a source of great pride in many. They are catered to and are given many breaks by the system. Their missteps are forgiven. They become used to getting their own way.
Even though universities give their student-athletes many advantages, special housing, special meals, tutoring, knowing which professors are easy A’s, there still is a great deal of work and discipline is required, it is not easy for most, overwhelming for many and impossible for a few.
Coaches sell kids on how great it will be, paint the best picture. Most kids adjust to the reality that faces them. A lot of hard work and pain for a few moments of glory on Saturday.
It must be different for the high school superstar who sees college as a stepping stone to the big money. Really does not care about education, college is a means to an end. Concerned about injury and just looking for a good time.
I’m not pointing fingers at any individual, everyone has their own reason for thinking the grass is greener or stewing over their own personal grievances.
As Pitt fans, it seems that, the hits just keep coming, the drama never ends. It’s kind of our thing.
It is apparent to me that Coach Chryst is an uncomplicated individual. He has demonstrated already that he is committed to his current Pitt contract when the Wisky HC job opened up, (even though he was never considered for the position seriously). He has very clearly layed out for all to see what his expectations are for his players. He doesn’t have an ego or other various agenda’s that could conflict with the program’s main goal of getting competitive in the ACC and I feel that he has the best interests of his players and the University as primary priorities.
Now on to Mr. Shell. So here we have a player with huge upside potential in the position to knock it out of the park this season. His team is depending on him, big time, while they move to a new conference that produced a primo schedule to highlight his talents for the coming season. Exciting right? So in response to all of these advantages and obligations that are squarely in Mr. Shell’s lap, his response to that is “I want out?!?!?! I don’t understand that in the least and no matter of explaining to me that he has issues that warrants such a desire to tranfer, it just does not past mustard.
So back to your last comment. People DO TAKE NOTICE OF BEHAVIOR and I can pretty much imagine that the behavior of Rushel Shell has been noticed by other team members and has been found to unacceptable to Coach Paul Chryst. If so, then what has resulted is a stand off between the HC and the team’s star player. In such a case there is only one logical result that can produce any good for the organization in the long run. Either Mr. Shell needs to wake up and get with the program or else he needs to leave. That option is HIS DECISION. No one is forcing his hand, in fact I’m sure the Coach Chryst is pissed off that he has been put in such a situation in the first place, BY SHELL’S ACTIONS (or inactions).
Others WILL take notice. Chryst will not let the inmates run the asylum. Change your attitude Shell or here are your transfer papers. In the long run it is the best thing for this team. And that is the most important thing, what is best for the team. And believe me that the other players will take notice, and that is a good thing!!!
While it would appear that Shell’s alleged diva attitude comes into play here, there is not much we can do by bellyaching .. and just wish him well on his new venture (even if we really don’t mean it.)
I do not buy this. How many times have you been sold on something that you don’t believe in? Yes, Chryst should make the effort to sell his program. But he can’t force Shell to buy into it. That is an unrealistic expectation. It’s like expecting Chryst to land every recruit he talks to.
The thing I don’t get in all this is does Shell really believe that coaches at other schools are not going to expect hard work too? Because it seems like that s what ths is really about. Chryst is hardly unique on that score. In fact, I would call it the norm.
And Rippy going to WVU… well I guess Gibson is that type of ‘slick’ sales guy… if someone chooses to go to a team with an HC that loses it all the time, coaches that tell you what you want to hear, and traveling 900+ miles to dust bowls to play teams that will rack up 40+ points on you every game… gee, you better enjoy coach burning…
… my point is these kids are showing who they are by their choices, and we should wish them the best and they are kids. They are just not Pitt Football players. An that is OK.
Finally, wow, really seeing how poisoned that locker room must have been for 2+ years… Chryst really is doing a lot of ‘hard’ work to get the foundation set for this team… not fun stuff to do but essential to having a hardnosed team.
Jackson and Rippy are depth, nothing else. If they were that spectacular they would have seen significant playing time as freshman like Shell did.
In Shell’s case, he is obviously not buying into expectations, which will not be any different at another school, he needs to man up.
By the way, I think it is wrong to assume that Shell transfering is a bad thing for him. Think about it, Shell transfers, sits out a year and then has a good year at say USC. His stock will definitely be hire with only say about 300 some career carriers as opposed to his stock if he has two 1,000 yard seasons at Pitt with a total of 600 some carries.
Hmmm, well, where ever he transfers……he’ll still be managing school, football and a girlfriend and kids.
Unless I’m missing something.
Whether this is a long term positive or negative depends who’s side the rest of the team is on. If the players see Shell as a truculent, lazy, prima donna, Shell’s departure could be a positive; the team pulls together and the groundwork is laid for this to be Paul Chryst’s program. If they see Chryst as being unreasonable and not trustworthy, the team falls apart and recruits stay away.
I have questioned Chryst’s decision making but I don’t question his motives or agenda. He seems like a pretty straight shooter. IMO, if Shell can’t abide at Pitt, the odds of him finding a better situation and achieving greater success elsewhere seem low.
I think the biggest issue for the team if he leaves is not talent but depth. Only two legit tailbacks? That’s just awful, and a recipe for disaster for 2013.
norocketscience, good point. other things are going on and these kids don’t want to study or something else. I don’t recollect seeing these other two kids in discussions about the 2 deep chart etc., but I may have missed it.
I read somewhere linking this back to Street’s recent statements a few days ago about people on the team not being intense and caring…
… this is about the team overall and Chryst getting everyone to realize no special privileges for anyone… otherwise he loses the other kids on the team busting their butts and watch stars slack off…
… hey, now I understand why this team lost games it should not have and played so ‘off’ at times… this locker room was a real mess and it has to be cleaned up.
Statement from Pitt Head Football Coach Paul Chryst on Rushel Shell:
“Like many college freshmen, Rushel is working through some challenges right now. As it is for all members of our team, my most important concern is his personal well-being. Rushel and his family have our full support. We are giving him time away from football to work through this situation but he very much remains a part of our family on a daily basis. We want to be sensitive and respectful of Rushel, and I would ask others to do the same.”
—PITT—
The team/program comes first before individual players. This is the crux of the situation. This situation started with RS and can only be resolved with him making a choice. He either humbles himself and gets with the program or he sits out a year, goes to another school and has to work hard anyways.
No hate towards him irrespective of his age. He is the captain of his ship and said ship will sink accordingly with his decisions and not vice versa…
If the HC has to sell his players, its almost inevitable that the message to the team will be scattered and incomprehensible to the team leading to mixed messages, problems in the locker room and a coach who gives his leadership responsibility over to 18 to 22 year old kids. A formula for failure.
The greatest players will be those which derive their motivation from the organs in their own body, their brains and heart. We need more Bisnowatneys and Streets and fewer players who wish to operate on their terms and not the terms laid down by the HC and followed by the rest of the team.
This doesn’t mean that the HC can be callous or ingnorant of the individual needs of each player and pat those on the back that need it and kick those players in the ass who need that. Understanding the personalities and providing the counsel, compassion and leadership to each player based on their personalities is just as important as the rest of the above.
Based on public statements, I think that HCPC is trying to be helpful and supportive to Shell, however he can’t abandon his priimary job and be inconsistent in his message just to satisfy one player, no matter how good the player is.
Hope Shell stays and lives up to his 5-star potential, but not at the cost of losing the respect of the rest of the team.
I think he is getting bad advice from somewhere.
Others have said, everything is set up for him to have a great season, a great college and potential pro career. Let’s hope he makes the right choice and has great success. I hope it’s at Pitt.
I my dreams, I envision Shell coming to his senses, thanking Coach Chryst for laying down the law for him and implimenting the structure in his routine to maximze his football potential. Rushel gets welcomed back into the Pitt football family as the prodical Son. He then goes forward into fall camp with a new found intensity and conviction that serves as an example for the rest of the team to emulate.
The energy in fall camp results in such team synergy that we go out on Labor day night and lay the lumber on the unsuspecting Seminoles as Rushel Shell runs for 200+ yds and a Pitt victory.
Pitt deserves a break like this after the last few years that we’ve had to endure, don’t you think? I believe!
But then again, I’m also going to be up before dawn this Easter morning in my attempt to see where the Easter Bunny hides my basket this year too.
I hope young Mr. Shell uses “the rope” that HCPC gave him to pull himself out of the ditch he has created.
link to pittsburghpanthers.com
at 11 minutes Chryst is talking about Shell so you see he is supportive and last comment interesting…
next in that tape is an interview with Poteat shows how Chryst is putting together a unique coaching staff.
and to this RS story here…
finally, overview of Aron Donalds…. all about how hard working he is and how focused to be the best he is… and this is the main point on this RS story…
Chryst has a responsibility to kids like this who are all in to make sure everyone on the team puts in 100% up to their ability. Otherwise he is letting these guys down (and us because our team will disappoint on the field).
Can we all think back to our freshman and sophmore years and the burdens each of us carried (many unwarrented)?
i dont like it.
if there are any more like this you must wonder
what the hell is really going on.