re: ***Tulane (3-8) Football News [19 Commits; See Page 1]***

Thanks for the bump!

Now go back to the Rant.

Freshman RB Payten Jason is impressing Tulane coaches - Times-Picayune
- Jason, who prepped at Jesuit last season, has displayed shiftiness and speed during the Green Wave practices, while working his way up the depth chart.
- "He ran 10.4 (seconds) for 100 meters. He broke one the other day for about 60 yards for a touchdown in a scrimmage. So he's very fast and quick. He has great vision, something you don't teach. He catches the ball well. He's really caught on to the offense. He doesn't make many mistakes. He's just impressive."
- Toledo said if the season started today, Jason, 6 feet, 194 pounds, likely would be the second-string running back behind starter Andre Anderson.

- With fellow freshman running back Stephen Barnett also showing flashes, Toledo said the coaching staff will have a tough decision to make soon. ...they'll likely have to redshirt one of the freshmen because Anderson, a senior, is expected to get the bulk of the carries...
- Tulane also returns sophomore running backs J.T. McDonald and Albert Williams.

2009: Payten Jason, RB (Jesuit; Waggaman, LA)
Rivals.com (2009) - RB Payten Jason
Scout.com (2009) - RB Payten Jason
ESPN.com (2009) - RB Payten Jason

the first two games are tough. my main concern is that if they lose both, which will likely happen, that losing mindset will take hold.

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count and name the players that left for academic reasons - no more than anyplace else....

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Prior to the 1998 season--like a week prior to the first game--we had four players suspended for the year for not meeting the school's academic policies.

I know of several other guys who have either been suspended, left, or were not able to enroll because of academics.

Prior to the 1998 season--like a week prior to the first game--we had four players suspended for the year for not meeting the school's academic policies.

I know of several other guys who have either been suspended, left, or were not able to enroll because of academics.

names.. names names... facts.

also name ONE student that was paying their tuition and was asked to leave....

I certainly remember my visit there very well... I was not a stellar student by any means.....

and when I asked if I would get in....the then TU coached chuckled.. and said.. don't believe that crap....

quote:

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count and name the players that left for academic reasons - no more than anyplace else....

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choupiquesushi, it's always easier to place the burden of proof on someone else, right?
Well, unable to spend hours attempting to provide you the raw data, consider the following:
- On or about 8/13/09, Senior C Kevin Leary was declared academically ineligible due to poor grades. Times-Picayune
- On or about 1/9/09, Tulane lost five players - one of which, DB Dominique Dade, was confirmed to have left due to poor grades. neworleans.com

[- ETA: FWIW, according to ESPN, Tulane has 15 seniors listed on its roster (no more than 14 actually remain due to Leary's departure).
A sample of the SEC - LSU has 24 seniors listed, Vandy has 23 seniors listed...and South Carolina has the least number of seniors w/ just 9.
Keep in mind that unlike many schools (see South Carolina), Tulane does not pull a player's scholarship to create roster space.]

That said, there is a clear spectrum on which D1 BCS schools fall re: student-athlete admissions, graduation rates, JC transfers, etc.
It's the same issue faced by Rice, Vandy, Duke, ND, Stanford, Cal, etc. For example, some schools take JC transfers, Tulane football does not.
The admissions standards for Tulane student-athletes are not a fatal flaw...simply a factor that does not exist at some schools.

BTW, choupiquesushi - a sincere thanks for regularly posting/bumping the thread.

I'm not throwing those kids under the bus.

BTW, when was your alleged visit?

Things have changed A LOT since then, in part because of the coach who recruited you.

You're basing your judgments on an experience from almost 30 years ago, where the landscape was much, much different.

Again, look at the current recruits, and the recruits since 2002-2003. You'll notice a trend. There is a reason for that, which you clearly don't want to acknowledge.

But again, thanks for bumping the thread with your vitriol.

The centerpiece of Tulane's offense is lineman Andrew Nierman - Times-Picayune
- Nierman, a former John Curtis center, rubs off on everyone. Ask any player on offense who the leader is -- receiver, tight end, quarterback, running back -- and you get Andrew Nierman.
- He has started all 24 games of his career and pushed his way onto a line that included NFL prospects Michael Parenton and Troy Kropog.
- "We're calling him the bell cow, " Green Wave Coach Bob Toledo said. "When he goes, they all jump in line behind him and start following. He is a great leader. He's a winner, he's a fierce competitor, he's strong, he's tough. He is here all the time. He organizes the guys in the summer. He's almost like a coach on the field."

- QUICK HITS: ... The football team had all but one player healthy from the flu outbreak that claimed 28 players Saturday. ... The pace will pick up considerably in the next two days as the team installs Tulsa plays for the scout team and has a "big" scrimmage Wednesday at 3 p.m. The team will do another closed scrimmage Saturday. ...The athletic department will host a student fan day Wednesday after the scrimmage. . . . Shakiel Smith, a freshman from Karr, is sidelined by NCAA red tape. His records from St. James High School did not arrive on schedule and though the NCAA has the records now, it's a matter of time before he can return to play. Smith is attending practice but not able to participate until he's cleared.