Talent vs. Character

[Mr2Bits]

Where do you stand on the whole Talent vs. Character issue? I'm bringing this up in response to Florida, Michigan, and FSU all saying no to CB Demar Dorsey. Dorsey was charged, but not convicted, in felonies in 2007 and 2008 in Florida. In 2007, Dorsey was sent to diversion, and he spent some of his high school time in a Lifeskills program. He's just an all around bad seed.

Are you type that doesn't mind if we have bad character players as long as their good and win? Or are you the type that would rather have good character players even if they're not as talented?

 

[O-town Gator]

After all the player arrests we've had in recent years, IMHO our coaches did the right thing in not keeping Demar dorsey as a commitment. If anything, Coach Meyer wants to avoid having to deal with any more unnecessary player conduct issues which are distracting.

Talent can be developed with top-notch coaching.

 

[Leakfan12]

Did Richardson committed any crimes before he went to UcheaT?

 

[O-town Gator]

FWIW, Dorsey wasn't admitted to Michigan (the last sentence in the ESPN-linked article is incorrect; UF no longer pursued Dorsey after his arrest record was revealed): http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=5268570

 

[AK Gator]

Without question character trumps talent. I would rather have a good to great team with a clean record than an upper echelon team with a number of bad apples on it. Wins are fantastic and championships are amazing, but when you can look at the stars of those winning teams and respect them off of the field as well, it makes each victory that much sweeter.

 

[Escambia94]

I honestly do not believe you can pack a team full of saints and good characters and win games. Take that any way you want, but winning teams in today's era have shady characters. I don't know why it is that way, but it is. I believe Florida can afford to be more selective on the level of shadiness on its characters with the understanding that it will get burnt on occasion.

 

[shandsgator8]

I honestly do not believe you can pack a team full of saints and good characters and win games. Take that any way you want, but winning teams in today's era have shady characters. I don't know why it is that way, but it is. I believe Florida can afford to be more selective on the level of shadiness on its characters with the understanding that it will get burnt on occasion.

I agree. While I prefer a player who stays out of trouble and always does the right thing, there's no way you can win BCS national titles and not have a few bad apples. Of course, I don't like hearing of our players in the media (and not in a good way) and I think we haven't been doing too good lately, but I'm not naive (at least I don't think so).

 

[O-town Gator]

Trying to find a college football program nowadays that hasn't had one player conduct issue to deal with is like trying to find a pink elephant.

I have to laugh at all the rival fans calling us out over the most recent incident involving UF (Frankie Hammond's DUI) when so many of their schools have had to deal with the same issues, but what really irks me is that we have some sanctimonious fans amongst our own fanbase (not in our community, but other Gator boards I've noticed from randomly lurking around who I won't name) who (1) keep pointing the finger at Coach Meyer each time somebody screws up and (2) don't stop and realize that the vast majority of these incidents are not acts of thuggery on the part of the players involved, they're because of stupidity.

These kids are growing up; there are some of them who can handle adult responsibilities given to them the first time better than others and those who don't - and the ones who don't are the ones who seem to get in trouble.

Still, it's impossible for our coaching staff to recruit a whole team of kids who share the same values and are at the same maturity level that Tim Tebow was. As far as Demar Dorsey is concerned, our staff saw the adverse stuff in his past and didn't want to take a chance on him. Looking back, it was a mixed blessing that we didn't take on Nu'Keese Richardson as well.

 

[Escambia94]

Trying to find a college football program nowadays that hasn't had one player conduct issue to deal with is like trying to find a pink elephant.

I have to laugh at all the rival fans calling us out over the most recent incident involving UF (Frankie Hammond's DUI) when so many of their schools have had to deal with the same issues, but what really irks me is that we have some sanctimonious fans amongst our own fanbase (not in our community, but other Gator boards I've noticed from randomly lurking around who I won't name) who (1) keep pointing the finger at Coach Meyer each time somebody screws up and (2) don't stop and realize that the vast majority of these incidents are not acts of thuggery on the part of the players involved, they're because of stupidity.

These kids are growing up; there are some of them who can handle adult responsibilities given to them the first time better than others and those who don't - and the ones who don't are the ones who seem to get in trouble.

Still, it's impossible for our coaching staff to recruit a whole team of kids who share the same values and are at the same maturity level that Tim Tebow was. As far as Demar Dorsey is concerned, our staff saw the adverse stuff in his past and didn't want to take a chance on him. Looking back, it was a mixed blessing that we didn't take on Nu'Keese Richardson as well.

I agree. DUIs are not thuggery--they are stupid acts done by stupid, naive, or ignorant people (depending on age and situation). In the military, police, and fire department, a younger person having a DUI gets the kid in trouble, but that kid gets a chance to learn from the mistake as long as nobody was killed. An older person will get the hammer dropped on them.

Sheer thuggery gets anyone, old or young, kicked out of an organization quickly. Football coaches, priests, drill instructors, and boy scout leaders have failed at fixing raw thugs.

Kids with problems still have hope. Coaches, priests, drill instructors can fix them. Nu'Keese was probably too far gone. There is still hope for Hammond. Future iterations of the Florida Gators may or may not equivalents of Nu'keese the Thug, Dunlap the Knucklehead, and Hammond (assuming he rights himself).

 

[O-town Gator]

I agree. DUIs are not thuggery--they are stupid acts done by stupid, naive, or ignorant people (depending on age and situation). In the military, police, and fire department, a younger person having a DUI gets the kid in trouble, but that kid gets a chance to learn from the mistake as long as nobody was killed. An older person will get the hammer dropped on them.

Sheer thuggery gets anyone, old or young, kicked out of an organization quickly. Football coaches, priests, drill instructors, and boy scout leaders have failed at fixing raw thugs.

Kids with problems still have hope. Coaches, priests, drill instructors can fix them. Nu'Keese was probably too far gone. There is still hope for Hammond. Future iterations of the Florida Gators may or may not equivalents of Nu'keese the Thug, Dunlap the Knucklehead, and Hammond (assuming he rights himself).

As critical as some Gator fans are of Coach Meyer, he sticks to his guns when there's a violation of one of the team's core values - break one of those and you're history. Thus Jacques Rickerson, Jamar Hornsby, Ronnie Wilson and Marcus Thomas (repeat offender) no longer wore Gator Orange and Blue because of what they had done.

 

[Escambia94]

As critical as some Gator fans are of Coach Meyer, he sticks to his guns when there's a violation of one of the team's core values - break one of those and you're history. Thus Jacques Rickerson, Jamar Hornsby, Ronnie Wilson and Marcus Thomas (repeat offender) no longer wore Gator Orange and Blue because of what they had done.

Urban is sticking to the plan in his book, with modifications. I think he envisioned being like Notre Dame and opening his home to trouble kids would "save" them. Maybe it worked at a predominantly Catholic Notre Dame where student-athletes enrolled understanding it was a Catholic atmosphere. In a public university, coaches have to realize they can only go so far to save a kid. The Gators will be fine--this will not be the last troublemaker in the news, nor the last time we have to defend Florida's players when others call us the next Thug University.

 

[O-town Gator]

Urban is sticking to the plan in his book, with modifications. I think he envisioned being like Notre Dame and opening his home to trouble kids would "save" them. Maybe it worked at a predominantly Catholic Notre Dame where student-athletes enrolled understanding it was a Catholic atmosphere. In a public university, coaches have to realize they can only go so far to save a kid. The Gators will be fine--this will not be the last troublemaker in the news, nor the last time we have to defend Florida's players when others call us the next Thug University.

After having read "Urban's Way" several times already, he's still heartbroken over Avery Atkins' downfall and eventual suicide. If anything, he never wants to see anything like that happen again to one of his players.

Perhaps now that he's starting to crack the whip (I posted a thread today based on an OGGOA post), we won't see very many more episodes of our guys getting in trouble.

 

[TenGator1]

i have also read Urban's Way several times and hope that the "one in trouble, all in trouble" mentality is a step in the right direction. The arrests must stop and i am in favor of making Hammond an example if it makes the team think before they act.