'09 CA RB Cierre Wood

[NDdomer2]

Why? He graduated. He is going to be collecting a paycheck to play football. And most importantly he can be with his daughter now. Good move on his part IMO

this pay check you speak of isn't guaranteed. let's hope his degree was in a field of opportunity. unless you are one of the top 5/10 rbs in the league you are a dime a.dozen in todays league.

i say this thinking Cierre did make the better decision to move on. not that nd wouldn't have loved him to come back.

it is just a volatile business and position.

i wish him and his family good fortune.

 

[military_irish]

this pay check you speak of isn't guaranteed. let's hope his degree was in a field of opportunity. unless you are one of the top 5/10 rbs in the league you are a dime a.dozen in todays league.

i say this thinking Cierre did make the better decision to move on. not that nd wouldn't have loved him to come back.

it is just a volatile business and position.

i wish him and his family good fortune.

I was listening to the radio yesterday and they said although the contract as a whole is not guaranteed they do normally get around a 50-75 thousand dollar signing bonus. Even though that is not a lot, compared to other athletes. It may help him out tremendously to help provide for his family at this moment until a real contract comes around or a real job comes available.

Each individual has different issues, let's just hope this is the right path for him to take.

Being that I am in Houston hopefully he sticks around for awhile so I can watch him play a game or two.

 

[BMT]

Still say Cierre Wood was a great back and one of my favorites. He had a big part in winning many games for the irish all the way back to Sun Bowl. Was in Kellys dog houser for whatever reason and Alford as we know loves Riddick. Would not be surprised at all to see Wood become an impact back in NFL. If he came back he ould just be splitting a bunch of carries again because ND is now loaded at RB, he knew that. The contract difference between a 5th rounder and a free agent who makes the team I don't think is that different at all, they all make the minimum.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

this pay check you speak of isn't guaranteed. let's hope his degree was in a field of opportunity. unless you are one of the top 5/10 rbs in the league you are a dime a.dozen in todays league.

i say this thinking Cierre did make the better decision to move on. not that nd wouldn't have loved him to come back.

it is just a volatile business and position.

i wish him and his family good fortune.

e.e. cummings kind of thing going on.

anyone lived in a pretty how town
(with up so floating many bells down)
spring summer autumn winter
he sang his didn't he danced his did​

 

[irishpat183]

Should've clarified...didn't really do anything last year, given all the hype/expectations

Sporadic play, regardless of how good you are, will hurt. Not to mention, there may be some attitude issues there.

If all the praise you guys say about him is true, he would've been a 3rd rounder. There are obviously big concerns about him.

 

[irishpat183]

I still think he should've stayed (purely football decision)...but I understand why he left.

He may have had a shot at some real money next year with a good season at ND.

He's gotta tough road, but I hope he finds a spot.

 

[anarin]

I still think he should've stayed (purely football decision)...but I understand why he left.

He may have had a shot at some real money next year with a good season at ND.

He's gotta tough road, but I hope he finds a spot.

agreed

 

[Booslum31]

Hoprfully he gets multiple free-agent opportunities (offers) so he can pick where he thinks he has the best shot to catch on.

 

[rikkitikki08]

Always liked him, he just wasn't what we all expected. Im upset I was right in my prediction from earlier in the thread

 

[Whiskeyjack]

let's hope his degree was in a field of opportunity.

FT&T. So, not really.

 

[IrishJayhawk]

FT&T. So, not really.

But ROI, Notre Dame, and other such statements!

...

 

[Cackalacky]

Not suprised he didn't get drafted. Didn't do anything in college. Hardly played.

But good luck to him. After losing Forcett, he might get a look.

7th all-time in career rushing yards at Notre Dame.

5.4 career YPC is highest on the all-time rushing list of players ahead of him with more yards.

That's more career rushing yards than Tony Brooks, Ryan Grant, Lee Becton, Jermome Bettis, Rickey Watters, Reggie Brooks, etc.

And the "Ax" with the whiff.....

 

[GoIrish41]

....should've stayed....

100% agree with this. I don't think it is surprising at all that he didn't get drafted. he wasn't even ND's #1 back and he ran a pedestrian 40 at the combine, when everyone expected a sub 4.5.

 

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

How would he have benefited by staying?

 

[Bogtrotter07]

And, what was the chemistry like for him to return?

 

[dublinirish]

How would he have benefited by staying?

by improving his game!

he wasn't an everydown back so he wasnt like he had Ray Rice type carries on his body. And after a middling 2012 he could have come back and had a great 2013.

Think of someone like Jonathan Franklin, not a flashy player by any means but does a bit of everything, is well rounded and was a proven leader for UCLA last year on a very young and inexperienced team. Goes mid round to GB.

Not saying Cierre could have been Franklin but there is value to a RB staying for his senior year and becoming more draftable. But i understand he had personal reasons for going Pro, but i think he looked at it as a 1 year decision instead of a 10 year one.

 

[Emcee77]

How would he have benefited by staying?

This is what I'm curious about; I can't answer this question myself. If he stayed, he'd as likely as not had another year like 2012, splitting carries with other backs. I don't think he was going to dramatically change his fortunes, either on the football field or off (it's not like this was a guy who was going to get an MBA or anything).

Similarly, has he really lost anything by going? Does it matter that he didn't get drafted? It doesn't make him any less of a football player, so it doesn't mean his chances of making the team are less. Nor does draft position dramatically affect his finances, with the new rookie contract rules, right? (I could be way off on that; don't know much about the NFL salary structure myself, but everyone seems to be saying that you make your money with the second NFL contract now, not the first).

So all things considered, for Cierre, I think it was the right decision to leave.

 

[NDdomer2]

Sometimes it is best for a player to move on for reasons outside of football. Like say state of mind.

Cierre seemed dead set on being done with school before his senior year started. Well documented by some of his tweets.

If he comes back for another year and he isn't in the right head space it doesn't do ND nor Cierre any good.

This decision was best for both parties, and that isn't to say that his talents wouldn't have been welcome or useful, but would ND have got his best and would Cierre have got his best?

Hard to perform at the level needed when your head is somewhere else.

 

[Emcee77]

FT&T. So, not really.

But ROI, Notre Dame, and other such statements!

...

Hahaha. Yeah, don't be so pessimistic, Whiskey! JSapp was a psych/soc major, and look at him now! Object of reverence on this board, and primed to make big bucks selling medical devices. (Just teasing; you didn't say anything wrong.)

 

[dublinirish]

Texans taking 2 other RB's as FA's worries me. Ray Graham will be hard to beat out for a spot.

 

[koonja]

Sometimes it is best for a player to move on for reasons outside of football. Like say state of mind.

Cierre seemed dead set on being done with school before his senior year started. Well documented by some of his tweets.

If he comes back for another year and he isn't in the right head space it doesn't do ND nor Cierre any good.

This decision was best for both parties, and that isn't to say that his talents wouldn't have been welcome or useful, but would ND have got his best and would Cierre have got his best?

Hard to perform at the level needed when your head is somewhere else.

Well said.

 

[phgreek]

100% agree with this. I don't think it is surprising at all that he didn't get drafted. he wasn't even ND's #1 back and he ran a pedestrian 40 at the combine, when everyone expected a sub 4.5.

I was surprised

40 time was not bad. If we look just by way of comparison to his peers...

40 or so backs went to the combine. 11 had better 40 times than C...maybe 5 were his size or bigger...on its face, that's not pedestrian.

Why he wasn't taken probably has more to do with your other point referencing intangibles like his discipline issue, and the fact that he was generally relegated to no.2 back each of the last two seasons...regardless of the circumstances, he let it happen...

I think he'll be on a roster to open the season...and if he keeps his head down, and works w/o having any off field issues, who knows...kid is talented, and built to be a durable back.

 

[rocket66]

Honestly, I think Wood's tapes were pretty up and down for scouts. He had some great games and great runs, but he often ran soft and almost seemed to avoid contact at times. There's a reason why Riddick got the bulk of the carries at the end of the season as Wood wasn't hitting the hole hard, or would take a loss in important downs.

He had a nice career at ND, but I'm excited to move on and see what the younger guys can bring.

 

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

Here's what he gets by coming back

-13 more times to get injured
-Another year off of his career

Everything NFL teams have seen, they've already seen. He'd still split carries with Bryant, Atkinson, and Carlisle. Running backs should not come back for a 5th year if they have any chance of playing in the NFL. Another 150 carries would have cost Wood money.

 

[koonja]

Cierre is fast enough and has a big enough body to be a solid NFL RB, but it's not all about size and speed. He struggled with dancing too much and tried to juke rather than just make the one cut then finish the run. That is why he wasn't a great back.

GAIII has similar problems, but to a greater degree than Cierre. On paper, at 215 and running a sub 4.4, GAIII is an All-American. But he is indecisive and does not make a cut and go. Playing RB is about being quick, agile, decisive and tough (by tough, I mean finishing runs like Cam Mcdaniel). Make your cut, and get 1.5 yards after contact and you have a place in the league. Run straight up like GAIII does, and there's not a lot you can do at the RB position.

Personally, (and I've already taken my beating for thinking this, so please refrain, lol) I think GAIII should not play RB. But I understand that coach knows more than I and so I'm sure RB is best for him.

 

[irishpat183]

Honestly, I think Wood's tapes were pretty up and down for scouts. He had some great games and great runs, but he often ran soft and almost seemed to avoid contact at times. There's a reason why Riddick got the bulk of the carries at the end of the season as Wood wasn't hitting the hole hard, or would take a loss in important downs.

He had a nice career at ND, but I'm excited to move on and see what the younger guys can bring.

Agreed! I think those that are on here suprised that he wasn't drafted, are just defending their guy. Which is understandable.

To me, Wood never lived up to his hype. Barely cracked 1000 yards once, was never consistantly on the field....was never "the guy". I mean, just look at the other backs that were drafted and their production compared to Cierre....He's not even close. Taylor outta Stanford was taken in the 5th round and destroyed Cierre in production.

And ND isn't exactly a hot bed for RBs...so I'm not really all that impressed by being the "7th all time leading rusher" at ND.

That being said, I wish him nothing but the best and all the success.

 

[irishpat183]

Here's what he gets by coming back

-13 more times to get injured
-Another year off of his career

Everything NFL teams have seen, they've already seen. He'd still split carries with Bryant, Atkinson, and Carlisle. Running backs should not come back for a 5th year if they have any chance of playing in the NFL. Another 150 carries would have cost Wood money.

Or.....

- a solid year of production which leads to being drafted
- more guaranteed money to make up for that "year off his career"
- ask Lattimore about coming back from injury...he got drafted after two horrible injuries

"Cost wood money"?? What money? He didn't get drafted. It may have cost him money NOT to show that he could be a consistant back and do it for a whole year.


I totally understand why he left. But from a football standpoint, he should've stayed.

 

[rocket66]

I don't understand how you can defend him for not staying AFTER the fact that he didn't get drafted. If anything, he absolutely should have stayed to improve his stock.

 

[koonja]

To Cierre's defense, wasn't he given a 3-5 round grade? He was happy with that, and decided to go. I kind of blame the scouts for giving him that grade if anything.

If round 3-5 is where his talent is, he has a very good chance of staying in the league for 5 years. If he's smart with his money and lifestyle, he is set for life.

 

[Luckylucci]

First of all college production and where you get drafted don't go hand in hand. Ex. Ezekial Ansah. Second I'm not sure where you are getting he wasn't a productive college player from. He had almost 3,000 yards of total offense. That is pretty darn productive.