Okay, so it seems Rushel Shell’s transfer is a little more up in the air than it seemed yesterday. Coach Paul Chryst has issued the “back off” statement.
“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.”
This really says nothing, but that’s the point. Chryst can’t comment, but has to comment.
So, who knows. Maybe he comes back. Maybe he fences are mended with the coaches. Maybe the fences are mended with his teammates for the extra drama.
Pat Bostick left camp abruptly and suddenly several years ago as a freshman. He had his own things to work through. He came back, and made amends with coaches and teammates. He even managed to help the team when forced to play that season because of injuries and no one else even close to handling the quarterback spot being available.
So at this point, there’s not much to say or do.
And as an extra sidenote. Deaysean Rippy was at practice and participated.
Personally I would like to see your career develop here in Pittsburgh. Good luck either way.
if he can hang in there fo a year or 2 there will be pro money.
some one should make the familey see that they need to back off on the pressure.
or they will kill there golden goose.
Somebody should suggest he have a nice sit down discussion with Mr. Savage over a cup of coffee to get Tom’s opinion on how transfers worked out for him. That could be rather enlightening.
My unsolicited advice to Shell, would be identical to what I counseled my Son to do during his freshman year. Work hard and have some fun, just get it in the right order. Time to grow up, get responsible for yourself and get down to the business at hand. This advice is in spades for Shell since he has a mommy and twin girls he has to concern himself with as well.
Hope he doesn’t frick his life up with a stupid decision.
College BB is a mess in my opinion because of their one and done where kids do not even go to class.
Teenage kids with kids must have untold pressures.
… and if he transfers he sits a year which makes it 3 years instead of two.
McCoy won against the odds leaving before most people thought he was ready, not sure how it is turning out for Lewis??
Hopefully enough good people have gotten to him now to settle him down and get him to understand he is at a major ‘teaching moment’ in his young life.
Just can’t see how anything great comes out of it for him leaving… and now staying will force him to ‘man up’ because you know the players and the coaches are going to be even more wary of him than they already seemed to be. If he comes back focused and wins over everyone that makes him that much stronger a man… and a player over time.
Spin doctor, bespectacled guy to the left, allowed interviews with both Bennett and Crockett.
Shell is history.
the Draft, or otherwise be eligible for the Draft, until three NFL regular seasons have
begun and ended following either his graduation from high school or graduation of the
class with which he entered high school, whichever is earlier.”—–thats the current provision in the NFLPA CBA pertaining to RS. I think he graduated from Hopewell in June 2012, so he wouldn’t be draft eligible until the April 2015 NFL Draft. As stated above, he is far from a sure fire NFL draft pick right now. If he applies himself and stays here as our feature back, he may be in 2-3 yrs. Lets hope someone talks some sense into him. HTP
“Because there have been no indications of malfeasance by Howland, Guerrero and his athletic department minions needed to stand up, quiet the noise and just say no.
No, we won’t be firing a coach with a 10-year record of achievement, unless we think that coach has not done a good job of teaching and growing the young men on his team. No, we won’t bow to the noise and hysteria of anonymous Internet dweebs and unsubstantiated public opinion. We may have some empty seats in Pauley Pavilion next season, but we’d rather live with that than the perception that winning and money are all that matter to us.
No, we will not hide behind the pathetic and cliched “We are going in another direction” drivel.”
Yeah I found the Pitt site with all of the interviews… cool. very telling that the running backs both interviewed and talked about each other as a group…
Also is interesting to watch the Street interview in person from 3/21… really get the sense he was making a statement about player attitude… looks like he is stepping up in terms of leadership.
Several of the player interviews you also hear a hint about these guys making a break from last year’s team mentality. Interesting.
Too bad Ohio Fake didn’t lose too !
As for Shell almost 700 yards as a freshmen isn’t bad when the time was split with Ray Ray.
Definitely is the best returning (hopefully) Pitt back. No question about that. Chyrst played him in the bowl game not the other two and Shell was a true freshmen.
Stop the spin, most of us know the difference.
Neither game was even close, as neither Indiana or Miami got closer than 10 points the WHOLE 2nd half.
Perhaps sometime in the next 30 years PITT will actually play and crush teams like this in the NCAA.
I’d like to see it in this lifetime, Oy Vey !
There is going to be at least 1 BE team in Final 4 since Marquestte now plays the Cuse. (Don’t want to mention the last time 2 BE teams met in Elite 8)
Kind of hope that Lville gets to Final 4 also which would mean that the B10 could only tie for the most teams there.
I was very surprised when the transfer rumors initially surfaced that all of the Pitt fans in the world didn’t start belly aching about how doomed to dispair the Pitt football program was, once again. I fully expected there would be the normal contingent of “Fire Pederson”! and Coach Chryst “fricked up our star player’s future by mismanagement”! spin.
On the contrary, there was little of that, instead, this issue has come back to roost right in the lap of the individual that percipitated it in the first place, Rushel Shell. Mr. Shell’s football stock seems to be plummeting at the speed of Enron these last couple of days, IMO. The speculation is all about, his lack of commitment, poor work ethic, selfishness, etc. All on Shell’s head. And this isn’t Pitt sour grapes, it’s just people’s objective perceptions based on this situation and Shell’s previous track record regarding similar circumstances in his past.
I think that Rushel better take a good hard look at himself in the mirror this morning and try to imagine the person that he wants to become in the next 4 or 5 years because right now his previously held football fame and luster is beginning to tarnish, and fast! His future is jeopardy. He needs to get his head screwed on right, quickly!
This little transfer circus that he has created is taking on a life of its own and before you know it, a new reputation will be slapped on Mr. Shell whether it is actually accurate or not. There are those out there in the land of public opinion that are suggesting for calm and asking that the public not rush to conclusions, but in this society of instant information and communication, things move way too fast for such reasonable requests to be heeded.
I sincerely hope that Rushel is getting the correct counseling that he so dearly needs right now. It would be a shame to see a kid that had such a bright future waste that potential by making inprudent decisions that could derail his life at such a critical time in his maturation. Whether his future is at Pitt or elsewhere, he needs to get right with himself first and foremost.
I’d like to give Shell the benefit of doubt and try to find a reasonable argument in his favor on why HE is the victim in this soap opera. However, in the theater of public opinion the villians are labeled quickly, fair or not, and in this case, that opinion has its crosshairs aimed directly on Shell. For his sake, I hope that he can dodge the bullet, so ironic, considering that he was the one who pulled the trigger in the first place.
He is the #1 back with no real #2 pushing him.
He is the #1 back for a coach that loves to run the ball in an age where most schools run some sort of gimmick offense.
He is the #1 back for a coach that still pounds the ball when down 14 in the 2nd half.
He is the #1 back for a coach who is working on nothing but beefing up the O-line.
If he truly wants to transfer than it is on him. He won’t find a better situation football wise than where he is
…If Louisville and Michigan win tonight could say the same thing except it will 6 out of 9 losses against teams in the Elite 8.
Let’s hope he is getting good advice. Transferring would be very risky. It’s not easy for an athlete to sit out for a year and pick up where he left off. He could put on weight and lose a step.
If he gets injured the next year he either has to play one more year or take his depleted status to the NFL which could cost big bucks.
What if the school he transfers to recruits a superstar running back that is just good enough to put him on the bench.
This is a very odd situation. As Wbb said most guys tranfer in hope of more playing time. Maybe for homesickness. This is just the opposite and adding the family life makes little sense.
Is he being tampered with? Is someone trying to sell him a bill of goods?
Obviously Pitt fans want him to figure it out and stay put, come back with motivation.
If that’s the case, I hope he makes the right decision for him, whether or not that includes football. I certainly would love to see him on the field again next year in a Pitt uniform, but not if it’s at the expense of his family or an education and the ability to have a meaningful career in the real world.
However when I see how the Panthers carve up Syracuse’s zone, I know we have a good coach. In the Big East Touney loss to Syracuse, the Orange shot lights-out, but Pitt cme back in the 2nd half and out scored them by 10. The difference was the 3 point shot at the end of the 1st half that bounced off the rim and went up in the air and fell through. In the loss the Louisville on their home court, the Panthers only made 3 foul shots.
Seems to me that his football scholarship is the financial vehicle required to obtain that desired degree. Of course that is set. Considering that at Pitt he is also “The Man”, I would find it very hard to imagine that Shell would not be given every advantage in class scheduling and tutoring necessary to keep his academics on the straight and narrow if he was putting in the effort.
I’m just perplexed on what is the problem here. Could it be, like he might just be misguided or frustrated by all the issues of life on the larger stage of a major University that he is finding he has to deal with?
Why aren’t any of the front-line Pitt blogs reporting this (too)?
I can see only 2 things that are bothering Shell:
1) note that this all started after he was injured. Maybe he thinks he is too valuable to scrimmage, and doesn’t want to jeopardize his health.
2) he prefers ASU because apparently you don’t have to block in that offense since the QB usually rolls out and is required to unload the pass within 3 seconds.
Don’t think there aren’t some people who are stressing these facts, that playing somewhere else would be a lot easier
WSU, Syracuse, Marquette (2 times), Louisville and Michigan….Our other 3 losses were ND, Rutgers and Cinn.
As far as Shell…it’s possible he can’t handle the school part and grades are going to be an issue…he might think it will be easier at another school..which probably is true.
Bennett is an absolute class act.
Now how refreshing is that?
Wbb above is dead on with his assessment. Shell has a problem with certain things in PCs offense: blocking, practicing, accountability.
This youngster has lot to learn about life but people like Fraud just coddle and exploit him.
It will be interesting to see if the circus that surrounded Robert Foster continues at Alabama.
Imagine having two potential head cases like this on the same squad….
It just doesn’t add up, any way that you you look at it. With the emphasis Chyrst has placed on bringing in huge OL recruits, Pitt is poised to initiate a Wisky style running game in the not too distant future. A fullback led break through the defensive line with Shell following right behind would soon be a reoccurring nightmare that opposing defensive coordinators would have to deal with all season long.
If this is all about football, Shell is making a BIB, BIG mistake. If he stays healthy, decides he wants to buy into Coach Chryst’s system and is the running back that was advertised coming out of HS, this kid is going to have a hell of a season come his junior year. Then just watch his NFL stock sky rocket after a 1,500 yard season accumulating double digit TDs for the season. PAYDAY!!
If this is only about his future football fortunes, then he is getting very bad advice from somebody.
They might be glad to see him go.
I mentioned the perception that other team members (and coaches, for that matter) might hold about this Shell transfer drama in a previous post. It HAS to be detremental to team synergy as it relates to Shell directly. Others have opined that if this results in the feel that he has received some special treatment to resolve his issues here at Pitt, that it would negatively impact the team spirit and prevailing attitudes of those fighting for positions and playing time. I would find that difficult for this coaching staff to permit happening since it would bode very badly for team chemistry going forward.
Shell is on thin ice in that regard, IMO. If he doesn’t watch himself he may quickly find himself needing to transfer rather than wanting to transfer, if you know what I mean?
So learning that art at PITT would also help Shell.
ASU doesn’t do that.
Shell needs to think this thru, PITT is the school that will have him NFL ready, not ASU.
Just like PITT most recently put LeSean McCoy & Dion Lewis into the NFL as much smaller RB’s.
I do think Graham/McGee are tampering here and PC should file a complaint with the NCAA.
So Shell has a problem with Pitts… “pro style” offence because of the blocking, accountability, and practice.
And “Sun, Gun and Run” are seducing him to Fraud land…
Hey no problem, that makes perfect sense to me…
… for a kid that is focused on studies and ‘life after football’…get a job, raise the kids…
Oh, no, … sorry, thaaat’s right, Shell wants to play “Pro” football in the NFL where “blocking, practice and accountability” are what separates all the kid that can run fast from an NFL Professional Football Running back…
oops…
As for Shell….he’s nuts if he thinks he can avoid practice and pass blocking and have a chance on being drafted in the NFL. He’ll be a FA….he’s slow and won’t be that good on special teams either. He’s already dropped at least 2 rounds with this idiocy…don’t these kids follow at all what goes on in NFL drafts?
And no way he goes to ASU….Pitt will block that transfer.
Go Duke, Kansas & Wichita St. tomorrow.
He is to Pitt basketball what Johnny Majors is to Pitt football.
People make mistakes and Bens mistake was leaving Oakland. Face it: middle age bald men do not go over well in LA or Westwood.
As for Shell. He is a Dad twice. Man, at 18 I was chasing it (with moderate success): here he is saddled with twins! Of his own making it is true, but let’s not fool ourselves. Children having children is a bad combo.
FRANCKAN is right. Add walt to the staff.
Lastly…Emel…you jeep referring to OSU (one of my Alma maters) as Ohio fake.
Really?
Sweet 16’s by the handful in the last decade..a couple of final fours, several elite 8’s!
Results matter. Pitt would be wise to collect some results like that lest we fall far below your “fake” standard.
If he goes to another school and doesn’t work hard, and doesn’t nurture hs skills, he will get the same rsults. It’s simple and anyone trying to complicate the decision making process hurts the young man every day. He has an exceptional opportunity to interact daily with influential alumni so that if he does not make it athletically, he will have professional opportunities to support his family in the profession of life. He will not have local support at ASU, AZ, WVU or any other place, that won’t require a move of his family.
Life decisions are difficult especially when everything else sounds better than where you are when things aren’t going your way. The larger question is to ask yourself what you are doing to give your team and yourself the best opportunity for success. NFL Scouts will question the heart of a man when they ask this question. When things allegedly got tough, did you quit or did you work harder. LAst I saw, the NFL does not reward quitters.By the way, neither do regular employers!
Personally, I am confident in this young man. He needs good counsel and Paul Chryst should be a calming affect. What I expect of our head coach is to say this. “Rushel, if you want to be a panther, I wnat you here. You do have some work to do with your teammates to rebuild trust, but I need you to commit. Anything less than a full commitment and you need to go elsewhere and good luck”
To be honest with himself, Coach Chryst needs to inform Shell of this persomally, if no one else has, because I’m pretty sure that subconciously at least if not overtly, his abscence from the Spring discounts his value in Coach Chryst’s mind as well as to the team going forward. Others with less natural talent and ability will wave as they work their way past him on the depth chart if for no other reason than that they’ve worked themselves into that position by being better prepared to carry the load.
Rushell is going to have to learn sooner or later that his gift bestowed on him by God is nothing more than the toolbox required to become the complete player he dreams to become in the future.
There is no free lunch! Now is the time to open up that box, utilize those gifts given to him and to begin building himself into the NFL caliber running back, just like all the other Pitt running backs have that have preceeded him and are now active NFL players or alumni.
The train is leaving the station Rushel, either get on, or trade that ticket in for a transfer!
As I’ve said before, in everybody’s best interest, I hope that Shell makes the mature decision. It seems to be an obviously simple decision in my mind, but I’m not the one struggling with the internal demons that are plaguing Mr. Rushel Shell. Rushel, consider the BIG picture, think clearly and decide wisely.
