eulessismore

I just wondered if there were anyone who knew whether his being recruited was praised or criticized. According to that link, he only weighed 240 when he graduated from high school. If there really were few offers, was it due to segregation or that he really wasn't highly regarded as a player. After all, black players were being recruited by the big northern programs, weren't they?

After reading the "Todd Dodge failure as recruiter" thread and being disgusted by it, noticed most of the other threads seem to spring from this dead period for football news, so just thought I'd ask the question about the history of our recruiting our most famous athlete, if not alumni. Any other real info about Joe Greene and his North Texas experience and what was really expected of him, was it really a "risky" move, would be welcome. Here's a link which suggests he was not that highly recruited: Mean Joe Greene in his own words

Well, Bigntex did say that was "pure speculation". I just can't see Vizza going to rice, to sit out a year, at a school with no real winning football tradition, to get a chance to play 3 years after his friend leaves depending on who the coach is at the time and who else is recruited at QB. Of course Rice has a good academic reputation, but I don't see Vizza as someone who runs from competition. As for Todd Dodge favoring his son over someone else, only because he's Dodges's son, I don't see it. Dodge, as far as I can tell, wants to win. If playing Vizza increases the chances to win, I say Vizza will play. If someone else provides a better chance of winning, that someone else will play.

I couldn't agree more, and due to two of the players mentioned in the original post of this thread link never having played a down in college (correct me if I'm wrong), another having played in three games, and none of them being more than a college freshman at this point, ages 17, 18, maybe 19, I personally consider that thread to be in poor taste, and have no respect for the poster. If we have problems with the recruiting, is it too much to ask that we wait until the recruits have played more than three games on the field of play before calling them out by name as unworthy of their scholarships? After all, for whatever criticism we on this board level at Dodge and his assistants, Dodge himself will be given at least 3 years (5 if we use Dickey's tenure as precedent) before the UNT Administration starts expecting him to win. That particular post seemed to even dismiss taking a risk on a player (and aren't they all risks?) According to the well loved coach here in Euless, Steve Lineweaver, fear of taking risks only invites failure in life (in so many words).

Actually, that makes sense, since by any measure, we've been at or slightly below the midpoint of the D1 schools, which suggests that we were at or near a failing level in the pre-Dodge era.

I think Carlton Buckels will be a good coach for UNT; he certainly has some interesting credentials. I would have to agree with the "statistics can be deceiving" comment; when you've coached a safety who's getting impressive numbers of tackles, that's doesn't usually speak well for the rest of the defense. His background at LSU, the years of coaching at different levels, and the experience with special teams sounds good. By the way, the DC he worked under at New Mexico State, Woody Widenhofer (retired this last December), was the defensive coordinator for the Steelers during the last two seasons of the "Steel Curtain" years. That's kind of an interesting, if indirect, North Texas connection.

Ok, I like this facility (not sure what the sport is; soccer?). Once you click on the link, click on "Portfolio", then "Nuevo Estadio Santos Laguna". HKS design I like.

I guessed there was that Austin tie-in, anyway, I like it.

Welcome, and hey, I like your screen name!

He changed his mind (after he got injured, I think), and decided to graduate with his high school class.

I suppose that could be a good opportunity to break in our new defensive players!

If the Mean Green Nation doesn't have enough to feel good about right now, here's a little something that might warm your heart. One of my coworkers has a son (hs junior) who is a teammate of one the area recruits UNT signed today. The coworker informed me not long ago that his wife is a friend of the recruit's mother. She is a single mother who works three jobs to support her family, and had been worried because her son had only been offered scholarships to schools which were so far away that she would probably never be able to go to a game and see him play. Of course the important thing is that the young man has signed up for an expenses paid college education when his family would have been hard pressed to send him to college, but the opportunity to play close to home is something special, not to mention that I (and many others) think this recruit has everything it takes to become an excellent student athlete for UNT. Oh, and Gil Lebreton's suggested approach to being recruited (I don't follow Lebreton, but thought this was a useful perspective). Signing Day=Unparalleled Opportunity

QUOTE(LoveMG @ Feb 6 2008, 08:59 PM) oct. 25 troy, homecoming They could just switch the "Family Weekend" for "Homecoming Weekend"; everything could be green and good (no guarantee, since ULL beat us last year, but not as bad as Troy).

That was a very courageous performance by the New York Giants.

I thought this thread was about RV possibly going to La Tech?

I think he'll do fine at Cedar Hill. He's done well in that role in 5A high school football before, and Cedar Hill has been a good team. We should all wish Ron Mendoza well, and he should seek what is best for his players, whether sending them our way, or to whatever school is the best fit for them. A few head coaches who haven't done so well at North Texas, such as Corky Nelson and Dennis Parker, have enjoyed good careers after leaving here and returning to coaching high school or smaller colleges. One thing to remember is that Texas has some of the best high school football in the country, and it speaks well of those coaching it if they can succeed here.

I think we were extremely fortunate to hire a coach the caliber of Gary Deloach for that compensation package.

My nomination for underrated post of the week!

.............BUT, I think the thing that most of us would all agree is how Boise State was recruiting speed with all their low ranked recruiting classes and it did make a difference when they beat the vaunted Sooners of the University of Oklahoma. Well, that's the theory I've heard for getting the fastest improvement in a college football team...recruit speed!

I can't understand why we couldn't find something to like in this guy. Those who subscribe to Rivals could look at others Coach Lineweaver has graduating in 2008 and 2009 by clicking on a link "to read more". Josh Ayers is the only one of the O-lineman from that 2007 team that won the large school 5A championship who has already committed (as far as I know). I'd recommend taking these trojans 2 at a time, so they don't get lonely.

I'm basically saying they should have no felony convictions for anything that occurs while they're student athletes at UNT. I'm not saying that such activity is always preventable by coaching staff, but I believe that coaches who are good role models, such as Dodge, can help kids stay on the right track.

Three things, in order of importance: 1. No felony convictions (no exceptions). 2. Graduation within 5 years of entering UNT (exception: leaves after junior year to become first round NFL draft pick). 3. Most become starters; all get some meaningful playing time.

I think he was projected to play safety.

I'm not so sure that moving people from defensive to offensive line, and vice versa, as was the case with Peachey, is good unless that's really what a player wants to do. I honestly feel that UNT could recruit some of the truly outstanding offensive line players from here at Euless Trinity, even at this late date. Take two, they're not small.

One of my coworkers has been involved in Arlington Lamar athletics for about 3 years due to one of his sons, now a junior, playing football there. When I informed him of Tevinn Cantly being recruited by UNT, his reactions (generally) were as follows: 1. Cantly is AWESOME. 2. He is the Lamar player most respected by this coworkers son, and the most physically intimidating. 3. He is the best prospect out of Lamar in the last 2 or 3 years. 4. It's difficult to understand why Cantly has not gotten honors and recruiting offers. 5. His natural position has always been as a defensive lineman (end?), and he has always wanted to play on the defensive line, but has been used extensively as an offensive lineman, and was listed in Dave Campbell's Texas Football as an offensive lineman to start this year, so may not have gotten sufficicient attention for his defensive line play, which was mostly this season. 6. He sounds like he is from a situation that would require the kind of financial assistance that would come from an athletic scholarship in order to attend college. Just as an aside to those on this thread who have said "why should UNT make an offer to a kid when others haven't"; we should be aware that we don't get all the information about financial aid offers to athletes, especially those who have a "list" of schools, rather than an early commitment. Also, some of the schools, especially Fordham and Northern Iowa, have extensive alumni support networks which specifically provide financial aid to student athletes beyond what the schools themselves offer. Those interested in that topic could click on the link for Northern Iowa below, and click on the "Panther Scholarship Club"; however, nothing is mentioned as to how the aid gets to the student athlete. I suspect that some walkons can get academic scholarships and other similar assistance depending on merit, need,etc. I strongly urge anyone who thinks the football programs of the other schools mentioned as "expressing interest" are not up to the level of UNT to click on the following links to check that out; we might actually be able to learn a few things from them, especially Fordham and Northern Iowa; also, Missouri State beat UNT for one recruit last year, according to their website. Northern Iowa and Missouri State have recently played against Western Kentucky about as well as UNT did when it played WKU. Fordham football; playing well, recruiting in Texas University of Northern Iowa football, undefeated in regular season Missouri State football