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Maurice Smith felt ‘ostracized’ by Alabama, had belongings thrown in trash

Started by jbcarol, August 03, 2016, 09:24:11 am

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jbcarol

https://twitter.com/Carvell_AJC/status/764615328651444224

QuoteSmith participated in his first practice for Georgia on Saturday, just one day after the SEC granted a waiver that allowed him to join the team after having played for Alabama.
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jbcarol

For the player and his family, it was a vindication of a decision not to accept Alabama blocking his transfer to the SEC rival.

Quote"We feel relieved," Samyra Smith, the player's mother, said.

Smith also said she was "grateful" to SEC commissioner Greg Sankey not only for his decision but his approach to it, which she said put academics first. That includes the stipulations Sankey put on the waiver:

Smith must take at least nine hours this semester towards his stated goal of a graduate degree in Public Health. If he doesn't pass those nine hours, he can't participate in the postseason. He must also graduate in Public Health within two years, or UGA cannot ask for a similar waiver for another three years.

Those stipulations are "acceptable," the player's mother said.

"They demonstrate their (the SEC's) commitment to ensuring that the intent of the permissions granted focused upon achieving academic success," she said. "We are in accord with the SEC and the outlined goals as Maurice and the University of Georgia aspire for him to reach the highest level of academic success possible for him to achieve."

Samyra Smith also praised UGA for being "supportive and objective" throughout the process.

"(UGA) knew we were in a dog fight, and in many ways they were too, but as we worked toward a successful resolution individually there was a seamless effort of support from every member of the UGA famliy," Samyra Smith said. "In our recent pursuit of a positive SEC ruling, we appreciate the trust that the institution placed in Maurice and our family to continue our 'commitment to excellent' to achieve it and to complete his graduate degree at the University of Georgia."

Finally, the player's mother hopes the situation leads to changes that prevent further controversies.

"It's important that Maurice and others who were successful in completing their undergraduuate studies, with remaining eligibility, are not penalized and instead are rewarded by empowering them with the opportunity to continue their education wherever they choose," Samyra Smith said. "Graduate transfer rules must be revised and transformed to provide empowerment to the student-athletes that achieve this level of success. And the rules should no longer allow entitlement to institutions to instead imprison or hold hostage the student-athletes who achieve or in Maurice's case over-achieve the desired goal for every student-athlete, a degree. ...

"The SEC should be the beacon for all conferences in this effort."
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tusksincolorado

Quote from: pigture perfect on August 04, 2016, 11:38:58 pm
I'm making this statement because, I'm kind of dealing with the same issues even within my family. Here goes; I believe that we are are developing physical strength in our youth today, but not teaching them to be emotionally strong. My son in law quit his job because he felt like his boss was too hard to work for. As for Mr. Smith, It is not a right that you have to play football at a University. It is a privilege. This kid knew he had a non-compete clause when he signed his LOI. I had to do that with some jobs I've taken through the years.

The question I have though, did he feel ostracized before of after his belongings were tossed? I don't condone that aspect of it. The boy should have had his opportunity to clean his own locker out.

Same happened with my family 6 months ago....hopefully your daughter rip his azz like my daughter ripped her husband!

I think that she did it before I ripped him.
Screw it! I'm an old angry male, live with it!

wildhogman

Quote from: DOGALUM on August 11, 2016, 12:14:18 pm
Bad move.   

All it teaches people is that if you don't like the rules that are in place and in this case agreed to, make enough noise and paint yourself as the victim, and you get the rules changed. 


Some of the best laws we have now are because of just this. Making enough noise.  I was born in 1962. Back in those days if you showed up to school with a black eye the only question asked was, "what did you do to make your dad that mad"?  Change aint always bad ya know.
The rules state if a kid graduates early, he can transfer to get a Grad degree. Why should the mighty SEC be allowed to interfere with that?  Because of this move this kid might go on to have a great career in his field of study and invent something important, that otherwise he may never have had the chance to dream up. You just don't know. There is more to student athlete then just football. To play devils advocate, he may also go on from Ga to a great pro career. Point is, change, even changing rules, isn't always a bad thing

DOGALUM

Quote from: wildhogman on August 14, 2016, 12:37:21 pm
Some of the best laws we have now are because of just this. Making enough noise.  I was born in 1962. Back in those days if you showed up to school with a black eye the only question asked was, "what did you do to make your dad that mad"?  Change aint always bad ya know.
The rules state if a kid graduates early, he can transfer to get a Grad degree. Why should the mighty SEC be allowed to interfere with that?  Because of this move this kid might go on to have a great career in his field of study and invent something important, that otherwise he may never have had the chance to dream up. You just don't know. There is more to student athlete then just football. To play devils advocate, he may also go on from Ga to a great pro career. Point is, change, even changing rules, isn't always a bad thing
The big difference is that this guy....and many others like him...knew the rules going into it.  They agreed to play by them.   

Your analogy about dad beating a kid has no relevance to this issue.   

Change works sometimes.....but IMO not when it's just because you don't want to live by the rules that you agreed to.   
A man who wouldn't cheat for a poke, don't want one bad enough!

jbcarol

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DeltaBoy

If the South should lose, it means that the history of the heroic struggle will be written by the enemy, that our youth will be trained by Northern school teachers, will be impressed by all of the influences of history and education to regard our gallant dead as traitors and our maimed veterans as fit subjects for derision.
-- Major General Patrick Cleburne
The Confederacy had no better soldiers
than the Arkansans--fearless, brave, and oftentimes courageous beyond
prudence. Dickart History of Kershaws Brigade.

jbcarol

https://twitter.com/aldotcomSports/status/773673472350380032

QuoteSmith only joined the Georgia football program in mid-August, but head coach Kirby Smart said Wednesday the Alabama transfer is already one of his team's defensive leaders.

Smith started at nickel back in his Bulldogs debut Saturday, totaling five tackles and two pass breakups in Georgia's 33-24 victory over North Carolina at the Georgia Dome. But more than his on-field play, Smart said Smith became a leader by example during fall camp, a trait the coach first noticed when both were at Alabama.

"There are so many different facets to leadership," Smart said during his appearance Wednesday on the SEC teleconference. "He is a leader by the way he practices. And course, we'd seen him practice for so long. He practices like he plays, super hard. He works every day, he doesn't an off day where he comes in moody and doesn't feel like practicing. That, to me, embodies what a champion should be. He does that. That element helps our defensive football team. They see that. Here's a guy that does it day-in and day-out. He's not the only guy who does that ... but the more guys you have that do that, it's contagious.

"He's a leader and is unique, but I think the culture that he came from, that's what he was brought up in. It's not going to change just because he left there."

Smith became a controversial figure in college football over the summer, when he sought to be released from his scholarship in order to transfer to Georgia after graduating from Alabama. Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban at first refused to allow Smith to transfer to a conference rival, before turning the matter over to the SEC office, which ultimately ruled in Smith's favor on Aug. 12.

Smart, Smith and Georgia defensive coordinator coach Mel Tucker all won national championship rings at Alabama last year...
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jbcarol

Jason Butt ‏@JasonHButt 1h1 hour ago

Maurice Smith again is fortunate to not give up the big play. Was beat and Fourcade put it too far to the sideline.
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

https://twitter.com/ByCasagrande/status/797589784415928320

Michael Casagrande ‏@ByCasagrande 25m25 minutes ago

Alabama clinches SEC West title after Georgia stuns Auburn
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jbcarol

https://twitter.com/Michael_Carvell/status/798236997139787778

QuoteATHENS — Alabama's game last Saturday was long since over by the time Maurice Smith hauled in that interception and ran it back for a touchdown. So by the time Smith, Georgia's senior defensive back, got to his phone, it was full of messages from friends on his former team.

"Oh yeah. They were all watching," Smith said Monday. "My (former) teammates, are relationships still hasn't changed."

It wasn't just teammates.

"I heard from fans, players, and a couple coaches as well," Smith said.

He didn't name the coaches...
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jbcarol

Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

https://twitter.com/Michael_Carvell/status/869644946395070464

QuoteSaban spent much of his Tuesday press conference challenging a rule that allowed former Alabama defensive back Maurice Smith to transfer to Georgia before the start of last season.

"I've never been a fan of free agency in our league," Saban said before joining his fellow coaches at the SEC spring meetings. "I don't think that's a good thing. I wasn't for it last year. I don't think I'll ever be for it. Why should guys leave your team, go play for somebody else and then you have to play against them? I don't think that's fair."

Per SEC rules, any player that wishes to transfer within the conference must be officially released by his current school.

When Smith graduated from Alabama last summer, he requested his release from the Crimson Tide and informed Saban that he wanted to play at Georgia. Saban rejected this request, and an ensuing behind-the-scenes conflict severely damaged Smith's relationship with school.

Alabama finally relented, and the SEC ruled that Smith was eligible to finish his career with rival Georgia.

Saban is still hot over the outcome.

"Look, I think we would benefit as much as anybody in our league if we said you could transfer (within the conference)," Saban said. "'Kentucky's got a good player? Let's see if we can get him to come down to Alabama.' Why do we want that? Why do we need that? How does that help the integrity of what we're trying to do as a conference or as a league? I'm not for having free agency in our conference."

The legendary coach noted that the SEC's graduate transfer rule was initially created to help players improve their academic situation, not their football career.

"We really always had that until last year," he said. "It was kinda understood, and we had rules that said we didn't want to do. But it got pushed, and we gave."

Despite the legislative loss, Saban insisted he keeps his cool when the league doesn't listen to him.
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jbcarol

Hard to let go:

https://twitter.com/aldotcomSports/status/869667784682328064

QuoteScarblog: Saban is not the first college football coach to oppose what he calls "free agency" for players. He did it again Tuesday at the SEC spring meeting.

Addressing the graduate transfer subject that will generate more formal discussion among league officials this week, Saban objected as expected.

"I've never been in favor of free agency in our league," he said. "Why should a guy leave your team and go play for somebody else and you have to play against them? I don't think that's fair."

He didn't want Maurice Smith to go from Alabama to Georgia a year ago, but he has no problem with Dan Werner coming to Alabama from Ole Miss this year.

It's a common disconnect among coaches. Free agency for players = chaos. Free agency for coaches = business.

Smith had to overcome Saban's objections and agree to SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey's stipulations to take his Alabama undergraduate degree to Georgia so he could enroll in graduate school and play his final college football season in Athens.

Saban's initial resistance aside, Alabama didn't have to play against Smith because Georgia wasn't on the schedule and didn't reach the SEC Championship Game.

In fairness to Saban, he did make an astute point on the subject Tuesday. He basically warned that if the rules are relaxed on graduate transfers within the SEC, Alabama "would benefit as much as anybody."

He's right.
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jbcarol

https://twitter.com/Michael_Carvell/status/870613132485545984

QuoteDESTIN, Fla. – Two years ago it was Jonathan Taylor. This week it's Maurice Smith. When it comes to SEC meetings, Georgia has a history of introducing legislation after some sort of issue involving it and Alabama.

The Taylor situation was much uglier, and led to a quick consensus: After Taylor was dismissed by UGA after a domestic violence arrest, accepted by Alabama and then arrested again, Georgia introduced and the SEC passed a rule stating its schools could no longer accept transfers accused of sexual violence.

But the Smith situation is much different. Last summer Smith sought to transfer to Georgia after graduating from Alabama, but was initially blocked. Alabama could do that because the SEC has a rule preventing graduate transfers within the conference. It took public pressure to make Alabama relent, then the SEC waiving its rule to allow Smith to transfer.

Unlike the Taylor situation, this isn't very clear cut. In fact, it's not even clear that Georgia's delegation here entirely agrees.
Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net

jbcarol

Curated SEC Infotainment and aggregated college sports updates where it just means more on Hogville.net