[NU Sports] "Persa Strong" Campaign

[Jonathan Hodges]

Note that Russell Wilson's situation was a bit unique: he wanted to play
minor league baseball in the spring (he was already drafted), but NC St.
head coach Tom O'Brien did not like that and said he would no longer be the
starting QB as of this season.  Wilson has been a solid student (he
graduated in 4 years) and is also a pretty solid guy off the field from
reports I've read.  He was essentially run off by his old school and used
the NCAA exemption that allows students with an undergraduate degree and a
year of eligibility left to transfer and study in a graduate program not
offered by their previous school and play immediately.  With coaches able
to break their contracts at any time I think students deserve some ability
to move without losing a year on the bench, and I think this is a
reasonable allowance towards that goal (especially since it requires the
player to graduate).

Now, not that it can't be abused - last year Jeremiah Masoli suited up for
Ole Miss after transferring from Oregon under the same exemption, but he
had essentially been kicked off of the Oregon football team due to off
field incidents.  The NCAA has looked into this situation but had to allow
it at the time as it was within the letter of the law.

I doubt this will lead to widespread use of this provision as it
essentially requires a player to have redshirted a year and graduate in 4
years while also wanting to transfer, and they must find a graduate program
not offered at their current school.  It will be interesting to see if this
ever comes into play for NU (which I doubt, especially now that NU can
offer mutli-year scholarships and will likely offer a full 4 years to most
recruits, thereby reducing chances of someone wanting to transfer).

Jonathan

--
Jonathan Hodges
Contributor, HailToPurple
Web: http://www.hailtopurple.com/jhodges/
Twitter: @hailtopurple
Email: j-hodges at alumni.northwestern.edu



On Fri, Dec 2, 2011 at 12:18 PM, Beamsley, Jeff
<Jeff.Beamsley at covisint.com>wrote:

> Mike,
>
> Couldn't agree with you more.
>
> There was a rent-a-player era in baseball in the late 70's where Bill
> Veck cobbled together White Sox teams of option-year players that other
> teams didn't want to resign.
>
> Seems like we are in a similar time with college ball where a player can
> transfer to play their last eligible season with a high profile team in
> order to enhance their NFL prospects.  How long before we end up with
> whole "dream" teams of one-year players cherry picked to make a run at a
> national championship.
>
> It just further undermines the whole concept of the student athlete, as
> if it wasn't pretty much a sham for many schools already.
>
> Jeff
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nwu-sports-bounces at tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces at tssi.com]
> On Behalf Of Mike Nolan
> Sent: Friday, December 02, 2011 12:06 PM
> To: hakirsch at aol.com
> Cc: nwu-sports at tssi.com; nwu-sports-bounces at tssi.com
> Subject: Re: [NU Sports] "Persa Strong" Campaign
>
> Thanks, Harry.
>
> As the Hypesman ceremony approaches:  55 minutes of tedium, 30 seconds
> of
> suspense and 4 minutes and 30 seconds of bad speechmaking, I can't help
> but look to major league baseball's MVP awards as what the Heisman
> SHOULD BE,
> honoring the player who MADE THE MOST DIFFERENCE TO HIS TEAM, not the
> one most likely to be a top draft choice.
>
> Remember when Andre Dawson won the MVP despite the Cubs finishing
> in last place and some writer commented that if it hadn't been for
> Dawson they might have finished the season in AAA Des Moines?
>
> Last year there was NO QUESTION in my mind that Persa was by far
> the MVP for any FBS division team, the way he won the Iowa game and
> what happened to the team after he went down demonstrated that.
>
> That's why RG3 should probably not win this year, despite having had
> some of the more memorable games and plays of the season.  But he went
> out with a concussion in last week's game and Baylor hardly broke
> stride.
>
> It's a good thing I don't have a Heisman ballot, right now I don't know
> who I'd vote for, probably NONE of the top 4-5 candidates on most
> lists deserve it.
>
> Sadly, I'm afraid I might lean towards giving it to Russell Wilson, even
>
> though Wisconsin laid an egg in two games and the school can't seem to
> decide
> whether to promote Wilson or 'Moneyball' as their best shot at the
> trophy.
>
> But then I'd be cringing waiting for the stories to start circulating
> about the reruiting abuses surrounding Wilson's transfer to Wisconsin,
> like the ones around last year's winner.
> --
> Mike Nolan
>
>
>
>
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