Arkansas' LeBron?

[rickm1976]

He was only offered one job at Arkansas and Houston Nutt demoted him after a 10-4 season (from 4-8 the year before). How is that a rejection of Arkansas?

This.  I'm not for or against Malzahn either way, but how so many can try to make him the villain in that situation is beyond me.  The man then took other jobs to better himself.  There is no blame in that.

[DLUXHOG]

Nutt is the evil villain.... not Malzahn...  Nutt rejected him as his ego could not handle Malzahn's success here.......

[PurpleBullHog]

I definitely would say dgb as arkansas' Lebron since he's from a different state. Brilliant!!!

Southern MO is closer to Fayetteville than several parts of the state.  The whole "close to the family" thing still applies. 

[Kendall]

Scottie Pippen

[BigBabyHog71]

Damien Williams
Gus Malzahn
Fitz Hill
Keith Jackson

[southeasthog]

Scottie Pippen

Was a 6'1" walkon at UCA that grew 7 inches in two years. He didn't have any offers out of HS so you can't call him one that left and hurt State pride.

[soowage]

Michael cage

[ArkansasI]

Eric Mitchell
Keith Jackson
OU took a very good lineman from Fort Smith at about the same time

Later, Tennessee became the nemesis...
Cedric Houston
Leslie Ratliffe
The WR from Osceola (or somewhere in East Arkansas)

Now it is the state of Alabama (Tide and Tigers) that piss me off...
Kodi Burns
Kiehl Frazier
Altee Tenpenny
Frazier - DT

It's a cycle thing in football.

The first defection I took personally in basketball was Richard Scott (went to KU)

Then the kid went to Minnesota...  our grip in state was slipping.

We've had several good Arkansas prepsters go to Oklahoma State during our b-ball drought.

I hate it when we lose anybody.  But there hasn't been a single coach that has "LeBroned" us - in my opinion.

[dj shanon "Notshavin" smeya]

Damien Williams
Gus Malzahn

Would love to hear this explanation.

[Dr. Starcs]

Here was part of the op -

Who's our LeBron?  The hometown guy who left and it hurt your sense of state pride?  Transfer, recruit, or coach.  We can even open it up to sports other than football. 


I don't understand why everyone is so sensitive about some of us even mentioning Gus, Damian, or frankly any other person from the STATE OF ARKANSAS who for some reason or another left. Nobody is faulting these guys for leaving, just noting that it happened just as Lebron left the state he played in. The situations are not the same, but that is one similarity.

[hawkhawg]

Keith Jackson.

[PurpleBullHog]

Here was part of the op -

Who's our LeBron?  The hometown guy who left and it hurt your sense of state pride?  Transfer, recruit, or coach.  We can even open it up to sports other than football. 


I don't understand why everyone is so sensitive about some of us even mentioning Gus, Damian, or frankly any other person from the STATE OF ARKANSAS who for some reason or another left. Nobody is faulting these guys for leaving, just noting that it happened just as Lebron left the state he played in. The situations are not the same, but that is one similarity.

I think you're on to it at the end there.  I also figured I'd get a little explanation of the thread in before August 1.  Guys make choices for themselves and their futures.  I can't judge or hold that against them.  I decided to go to law school outside the state for my own reasons, and I am very happy that I made the choice that I did.  But there are times when someone leaves and you think to yourself "man we should have held on to that guy" or "man I wish we would have recognized his talent while he was in our back yard."  Or, to answer Mike, "Man, I wish we would have given him a shot."  Honestly for me the big one was Mike Anderson.  I went to school with his daughter when the Nolan thing happened, and it was kind of personal when we didn't keep him.  I understand why we didn't, but I still wish we could have, and I'm very glad we got him back.  I was also very glad when Fred Gulley came home for similar reasons. 

It's not about being offended that the guys who leave didn't choose us.  This isn't a thread about all the times a lover didn't pick us.  It's that we, as a state or as an institution didn't seem to recognize or have the ability to take advantage of what these guys had to offer. 

[dj shanon "Notshavin" smeya]

1)  The way LeBron left:  Completely opposite of HOW Gus and Damian did it.  No flare, they took the high road and did not discuss why they were leaving in spite of the facts coming out later as to why they did.

2)  The reason LeBron left:  He felt he couldn't win without 2 other superstars and wanted the publicity involved.  Gus left because he was not allowed to run the offense as promised at it cost them games.  Then he was demoted to co-coordinator.  The last straw was the treatment condoned and even encouraged(Teresa having a sideline pass, the code red) of certain players, including Damian, by Nutt.  Nutt even encouraged his staff to harass them.  These are all facts that have been proven.

3)  LeBron knew he could come back.  Damian obviously can't and Gus has never been asked to.

It's not being sensitive about it, it's just is a terrible comparison.

[Dr. Starcs]

1. Did they leave?
2. Did it hurt?

That's all the op was stating. Good grief.

[Razorback_Mack]

Bear Bryant was offered the Arkansas job and was ready to accept, but the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor so he joined the Navy. There's nothing more significant in the history of the program than those chain of events.

[RNHog]

Bear Bryant was offered the Arkansas job and was ready to accept, but the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor so he joined the Navy. There's nothing more significant in the history of the program than those chain of events.

Just a fictional story.


As far as the topic at hand....there isn't one.

[Razorback_Mack]

Just a fictional story.


As far as the topic at hand....there isn't one.

I've read about 5 "non fiction" books about his life and they all mention it. It's common knowledge, not fiction.

I guess you just watched Forrest Gump.

[dj shanon "Notshavin" smeya]

1. Did they leave?
2. Did it hurt?

That's all the op was stating. Good grief.

If that's all it is, then LeBron is a terrible analogy.

[010HogFan]

got a bad feeling it's gonna be Malik

[jwpattyson]

What about Hall of Famer Willie Roaf from the PB?

[forrest city joe]

got a bad feeling it's gonna be Malik

Your bad feeling is wrong. and remember i told you so. Monk will be a Razorback.

[Bacons Rebellion]

Don Hutson

Donald Montgomery Hutson (January 31, 1913 – June 26, 1997) was the first star split end in National Football League history. He is considered by many to have been the first modern receiver.

In his senior season at the University of Alabama in 1934, Hutson was a first team All-American for six different organizations and a second team selection by one other. After his career at Alabama, he joined the Green Bay Packers in 1935 and retired in 1945 after 11 seasons. He Led the League in Receiving Yards in 8 of his 11 year Career. ...

Hutson is credited with creating many of the modern pass routes used in the NFL today. He was the dominant receiver of his day and is widely considered to be one of the greatest receivers in NFL history, holding almost all important receiving records at the time of his retirement.

[FATHAWG08]

Eric Mitchell of Pine Bluff. Went to OU instead of UA. OU won  NC with Holliway as QB when both were freshmen, never got a chance at OU? Would have been a star at UA.

[FATHAWG08]

No, but I met him at a jamboree before our senior season and it was clear to me and my teammates that he was convinced he was one.  Which that's fine - and I wasn't waiting at the border with a baseball bat when he came back to PB or LR looking for a job.  But it was pretty obvious at the time that there were quite a few potential employers who felt the same way.

I'm not saying Arkansas is the best place in the world to live or to go to college, because it isn't.  If I had the money I'd be living in the Keys right this minute.  But for Arkansas high school kids who have the privilege to be asked to be Razorback, and they don't think Arkansas is 'big time' enough for them - AMF.  And if you're gonna say that's a juvenile way to look at it then I'd say you're 1000% correct, because I've felt that way since I was a kid hoping to have a shot at wearing that Hog helmet.

just like Jackson, Eric's son played  or plays for the Razorbacks!  So I believe he now realizes he made a mistake not going to the UA.

[mlloyd4]

I'll say Bear Bryant.

I've always heard he was offered the head coaching job at Arkansas and was heading to Fayetteville to take the UA job and then war broke out - Pearl Harbor - so he joined the Navy, circa 1941.

Later in 1958, Frank Broyles took the job at Arkansas and that same year Bryant took the Alabama job.

[Big Papa Satan]

It'd be Cedric Houston and DeAngelo Williams if they were from NWA or the Little Rock area.  Unfortunately, we as a state tend to crap on the accomplishments of anyone from southwest, southeast and northeast Arkansas if they don't do it in Fayetteville.

That exists as well in high school coverage.  If you're not in NWA or Central Arkansas, it's as if you don't exist.

You usually have to win a couple state titles before you start getting press.

[bruisemeister]

It's Keith Jackson and it's not debatable.

We already had Theo Young on campus. Up until then, Theo, was the most highly touted TE prospect ever to be signed by UA.

[rusvegashog]

That exists as well in high school coverage.  If you're not in NWA or Central Arkansas, it's as if you don't exist.

You usually have to win a couple state titles before you start getting press.

It must be coverage area or different markets. I'm not sure how it works, but it works both ways. A few years ago I lived and worked in Hardy in eastern Arkansas at the grocery store there and Craig O'Neil was on vacation and came in three mornings in a row. No one had a clue who he was. I found that very odd because to me he is as recognizable a figure that there is in Arkansas. Not trying to play devils advocate, but there might actually be a reason for there perceived lack of coverage.

[Sanctified Swine]

not really a hometowner...but I remember when we lost out on Al Jefferson... he was set to be here and it bummed me out

[BatesvilleHOG]

Cliff Lee and Torii Hunter are having pretty successful MLB careers.

Mitch Mustain and Basil Shabazz had LeBron like potential coming out of high school here in Arkansas.

[KlubhouseKonnected]

I know. He was also born in Batesville and lived in Salem (Fulton County) while his dad coached there.

If I am not mistaken he actually lived on the Arkansas side in highschool as well. Or at least when they were first in Texarkana. I don't think he actually moved to go to Texas High.

[KlubhouseKonnected]

Tarvaris Jackson, even though he wasnt from here he played here and left because he wasn't good enough..He then went on to be an NFL quarterback.

Nobody who was a quarterback from year 4 of the HDN era until his departure makes my list.

[KlubhouseKonnected]

This.  I'm not for or against Malzahn either way, but how so many can try to make him the villain in that situation is beyond me.  The man then took other jobs to better himself.  There is no blame in that.

Malzahn doesn't deserve to be on this list because he did not reject Arkansas. He is a villain however.

[KlubhouseKonnected]

1)  The way LeBron left:  Completely opposite of HOW Gus and Damian did it.  No flare, they took the high road and did not discuss why they were leaving in spite of the facts coming out later as to why they did.

2)  The reason LeBron left:  He felt he couldn't win without 2 other superstars and wanted the publicity involved.  Gus left because he was not allowed to run the offense as promised at it cost them games.  Then he was demoted to co-coordinator.  The last straw was the treatment condoned and even encouraged(Teresa having a sideline pass, the code red) of certain players, including Damian, by Nutt.  Nutt even encouraged his staff to harass them.  These are all facts that have been proven.

3)  LeBron knew he could come back.  Damian obviously can't and Gus has never been asked to.

It's not being sensitive about it, it's just is a terrible comparison.

It is a terrible comparison but for far more simple reasons.

[KlubhouseKonnected]

If that's all it is, then LeBron is a terrible analogy.

Correct

[MountieDawg]

Bear Bryant was from Fordyce

[KlubhouseKonnected]

Bear Bryant was from Fordyce

Grizzly Adams had a beard.

[dj shanon "Notshavin" smeya]

Grizzly Adams had a beard.

Gus and Damian wanted to stay.

[KlubhouseKonnected]

Gus and Damian wanted to stay.

In a way. After a fashion.

[Chief Mac]

Not only that, but everyone probably has a different definition of pride.

When I saw Gus leave/forced out/or whatever the situation was, end up at auburn winning a title, playing for another, and beating arkansas along the ways, it hurt my pride as it did thousands of others in this state i'd assume.

To belittle my/our feelings and beliefs is a little....well prideful IMO.

did you have similar feelings when Arkansas native, Charlie Strong won a title, coached in another title game, and beat Arkansas along the way?  If not, why not?

[PonderinHog]

did you have similar feelings when Arkansas native, Charlie Strong won a title, coached in another title game, and beat Arkansas along the way?  If not, why not?

Did Charlie ever coach at UA?

[Chief Mac]

Did Charlie ever coach at UA?

Just asking based on his own rational or his interpretation of the op

Here was part of the op -

Who's our LeBron?  The hometown guy who left and it hurt your sense of state pride?  Transfer, recruit, or coach.  We can even open it up to sports other than football. 

[yraciv]

Historically Eric Mitchell, Keith Jackson, & Cedric Houston are the football guys that ring a bell.  Of the recent guys, none has really stung.  Dyer initially, but he was a headcase. I always like Allen better than Kiehl Frazier, so no on him as well. Zack Brooks, meh, we've always got running backs. Tenpenney and Josh Frazier still have time to be that guy, but right now neither hurt in my mind.

That being said, the one guy who chose Auburn over us that I wish we had was Kodi Burns.  He may have not been the best college football player, but he is a phenomenal individual.  I also got the pleasure to see him tear up Friday nights in Fort Smith.  I can't fault the guy for choosing Auburn, and Gus has done great things for him taking him under his wing and getting into coaching, but that stung initially. It left us signing Nathan Dick and Joe Chaisson.  He went on to contribute all over the field at Auburn and become a team captain for a national champion.

[KlubhouseKonnected]

Did Charlie ever coach at UA?

Irrelevant!!!

^^^^^^^^Not really. Strong doesn't belong in this conversation for the same reason Gus doesn't.