'12 CA CB Tee Shepard (Ole Miss Transfer)

[ChiRish]

Yeah, tell us about it. I'm really getting sick and tired of things "Not working out" with a recruit or in this case a COMMITTED player. I mean seriously, Notre Dame deserves much better than this. I'm getting so frustrated on the guys who flake out on us, good reason or just plain classless. It's getting on my last nerve! ND better pull off a top 3 class next year to make up for it. This class in a whole was very disappointing. Good guys, but WAYYYYY too much of this crap happening this year.

I do agree with this statement. We don't know what the deal is with Tee, and why he left. But what we do know is that sometimes in the crazy world of recruiting it gets lost that this process, and the ultimate signing of a letter of intent, is a two way commitment. Players who flake out on ND drop that commitment. Sometimes there will be legit excuses but until we know what happens, we just don't know. But it's definitely justified to be upset. These players commit to ND and then drop it at a moment's notice.

 

[Irish To The Core]

Not that I know any more than anybody else but my suspicion is that this is just a matter of the "perfect storm". First Deontay bails, then he is away from home for the first time, then he missses his girlfriend then his grandmother dies and midterms are low...the cumulative efffect is too much for a young guy and he has to go home where he has his family to support him.

Don't be angry with him, he is young and has had to go through some awfully stressful events. He is giving up a lot by doing this so I tend to believe that he felt he had no other choice. How can I possibly be bitter towards an 18 year old kid who needs his family's support at a time when the roof seems to be caving in.

I was as jacked as anyone about Tee playing at Notre Dame but I would bet that he is more crushed by this than anyone posting on this site.

 

[ChiRish]

This is also a situation where not oversigning like the dbags in the SEC and elsewhere puts us at a competitive disadvantage. Kiffin or Saban wouldn't even blink, they'd already have a guy signed to replace him. College football is ridiculous.

 

[Grahambo]

Time to move on people. Focus on what Notre Dame has right now, which is pretty damn good. Just because you haven't seen Jalen Brown play doesn't mean he can't ball. If Mike Floyd says he is terrific, then I for one will allow Brown to prove him right. Same with BJax, Lo Wood, and whatever BK decides to do. Let us not forget our safety corps is pretty good, our LB corps will be great led by Te'o, and our DL is sick. Add to the fact that Davonte Neal and Amir Carlisle will be suiting up for us along with Golson/Kiel/Hendrix. A healthy Cierre Wood, Tyler Eifert, Davaris Daniels, and company, we are more athletic on offense then we have been in sometime. I'm very excited for our defense and the growth of Nix, Lynch, Tuitt, and Ishaq; addition of Badger; Slaughter elevating his game; KLM coming back.

While the services of Tee would have been excellent, he bit off more then he could chew and I respect him for stepping away. It's none of my business why he left but as a ND fan, all I can do is support his decision.

Maybe, just maybe he comes back after being home and talking with some people. Maybe he doesn't. I still pray the best for him and his situation, whichever it may be. Belittling a kid for reasons that are unclear to all of us is immature, idiotic, pathetic, sorry, lazy, and frankly, inexcusable, especially from other grown adults.

Tee, on the off chance you read this, know that 99% of ND Nation does support you and will root for you. Here's to the future.

 

[Patulski]

Next.

 

[Rhode Irish]

I don't know anything about Tee's situation, so I won't comment specifically on that. I will say, though, that I'm getting tired of having to tip toe around when talking about a recruit for fear that it could have an impact on future recruiting.

I will say that if you leave school during your first semester - whether you're an early enrollee football player at a BCS school, a bio engineering major at an Ivy or a theater major at a community college - you've screwed up. Whether you just aren't built for the experience or you aren't mature enough yet to handle it, it is an indictment of your character. Tough it out. College is not always easy. That is how you grow up.

 

[tadman95]

I don't know anything about Tee's situation, so I won't comment specifically on that. I will say, though, that I'm getting tired of having to tip toe around when talking about a recruit for fear that it could have an impact on future recruiting.

I will say that if you leave school during your first semester - whether you're an early enrollee football player at a BCS school, a bio engineering major at an Ivy or a theater major at a community college - you've screwed up. Whether you just aren't built for the experience or you aren't mature enough yet to handle it, it is an indictment of your character. Tough it out. College is not always easy. That is how you grow up.

Hard to argue against this. I think a lot of these kids don't have realistic expectations or understanding of life after high school.

 

[GoldenIsThyFame]

@TayB_DaTruth: @tshepard08 damn bro you got fans back on my **** again smh lol

 

[Ultimate Penn St. Hater]

His tweeting at all hours of the night made me wonder if he would make it at ND. With classes, winter workouts, and studying, how could you possibly have time to tweet at 4am? Sad to see him go.

 

[gkIrish]

@TayB_DaTruth: @tshepard08 damn bro you got fans back on my **** again smh lol

not going to lie that's pretty funny

 

[STLDomer]

@TayB_DaTruth: @tshepard08 damn bro you got fans back on my **** again smh lol

Doesn't take anything serious it seems

@skhanjr: To this point, there has been no contact between Houston and former Notre Dame DB Tee Shepard, cousin of UH signee Deontay Greenberry.

Works for Houston

Not a surprise, wonder if the biggies (USC) will come calling even if it means using a scholly on a player who hasn't played in two years

 

[RubberSoul]

This is also a situation where not oversigning like the dbags in the SEC and elsewhere puts us at a competitive disadvantage. Kiffin or Saban wouldn't even blink, they'd already have a guy signed to replace him. College football is ridiculous.

What's ridiculoius in ND not adapting and ALLOWING themselves to be held at a disadvantage.

 

[gkIrish]

What's ridiculoius in ND not adapting and ALLOWING themselves to be held at a disadvantage.

...you are the fan of the wrong team if that's what you want ND to be

 

[johnnykillz]

What's ridiculoius in ND not adapting and ALLOWING themselves to be held at a disadvantage.

IMO, this is another example of why people think you're a troll.

One minute, I think I'm wrong about you, the next you reaffirm my thoughts.

Live by the sword, die by the sword: when it's the right thing to do...

 

[HereComeTheIrish]

I don't know anything about Tee's situation, so I won't comment specifically on that. I will say, though, that I'm getting tired of having to tip toe around when talking about a recruit for fear that it could have an impact on future recruiting.

I will say that if you leave school during your first semester - whether you're an early enrollee football player at a BCS school, a bio engineering major at an Ivy or a theater major at a community college - you've screwed up. Whether you just aren't built for the experience or you aren't mature enough yet to handle it, it is an indictment of your character. Tough it out. College is not always easy. That is how you grow up.

Couldn't agree more..

That said,

this WHOLE family officially gets the "Vagisil: Itchy Private Parts Make Me Make Crazy Decisions" Award of The Year Award. Just wow. Tee can't get laid and Greenberry is afraid of competition.

This whole family is bat $hit crazy.

 

[Irish YJ]

Although I disagree with RubberSoul about oversigning, I do think ND needs to open up the books to JC transfers. I was surprised to see them taking transfers period. Ultimately, we do disadvantage ourselves. Most of the time for the right reasons, which I support, but some things just make me scratch my head.
On JCs, why not reward a kid who went to a JC. If he couldn't get in before, butt has busted his but at a JC, why not give him a chance....

 

[RubberSoul]

...you are the fan of the wrong team if that's what you want ND to be

Honestly, some Notre Dame fans remind me of the big three automakers in detroit during the '70's and 80's. 'This is how we've always done it' 'This is how we'll always do it'. Meanwhile, the japanese were kicking the **** out of them in quality and price. 'It's not fair' the automakers sniveled. 'They have an advantage. What's QC?'

Men, how many BCS games(not titles, just games) has Notre Dame won by doing it the same old way? 0

Darby and Tee are exactly why you take more than two verbals at cornerback when cornerback is a need position that year. Especially when they are your shakiest commits.

We took 16 kids during a cycle where we could have taken 22. that is the equivalent of putting yourself on sanctions!

We have 4 cornerbacks on the roster now.

 

[irishandy]

I hope there is more to this story than just Tee leaving ND.
If it is grades, I hope he realizes that he can get the help he needs at ND. I remember during Aaron Lynch's recruitment he took a visit to Florida and Charlie Weis told Aaron he could get help with his academics if needed. If I remember correctly Aaron had a heck of a 1st semester.
If he has gone home, I hope that he goes home with an open mind coming back to ND. I remember Chris Stewart going back home to Texas, he came back, and look at the career he had.
I know our inquiring minds want to know what made that ring come off of Tee's finger. Good luck to him and I hope he returns to ND.

 

[gkIrish]

Honestly, some Notre Dame fans remind me of the big three automakers in detroit during the '70's and 80's. 'This is how we've always done it' 'This is how we'll always do it'. Meanwhile, the japanese were kicking the **** out of them in quality and price. 'It's not fair' the automakers sniveled. 'They have an advantage. What's QC?'

Men, how many BCS games(not titles, just games) has Notre Dame won by doing it the same old way? 0

Darby and Tee are exactly why you take more than two verbals at cornerback when cornerback is a need position that year. Especially when they are your shakiest commits.

We took 16 kids during a cycle where we could have taken 22. that is the equivalent of putting yourself on sanctions!

We have 4 cornerbacks on the roster now.

there are plenty of things im willing to change. jumbotron, field turf etc.

what im not willing to sacrifice is the programs integrity by offering kids scholarships only to cut them a year later

 

[Emcee77]

Although I disagree with RubberSoul about oversigning, I do think ND needs to open up the books to JC transfers. I was surprised to see them taking transfers period. Ultimately, we do disadvantage ourselves. Most of the time for the right reasons, which I support, but some things just make me scratch my head.
On JCs, why not reward a kid who went to a JC. If he couldn't get in before, butt has busted his but at a JC, why not give him a chance....

It's a good point. As long as the player did really well in JC, I don't see the problem with it. We take JC transfers in the general student population ... how many kids transfer into ND from Holy Cross every year (at least historically that was a junior college ... I think it's a four-year college now, right?). Why shouldn't we take JC transfer football players, as long as they have strong academics? Now I get that many JC transfers won't have strong academics, so as a practical matter I don't know how many kids we could realistically get this way, but there must be some juco players who are able to show that they have the tools to graduate from ND. No reason to shut them out categorically.

 

[rikkitikki08]

As much as this sucks, it is what it is........us as fans just have to continue to support the team. Now im going to go away for a few days before i get into an argument with someone and get myself banned lol

 

[DSully1995]

If a JC player can meet academic requierements, no reason to say no for me, just be firm on requirements

 

[Me2SouthBend]

What a cluster *uck this turned out to be.
Tee Shepard leaves Notre Dame, future in question | Inside the Irish

 

[HereComeTheIrish]

As much as this sucks, it is what it is........us as fans just have to continue to support the team. Now im going to go away for a few days before i get into an argument with someone and get myself banned lol

Isn't that what message boards are for? Let it rip... I don't give a damn if it's me or whatever...leaving to avoid things is the same thing that Tee is doing quite frankly. Suck it up and post.

 

[CarrollVermin]

I have to agree with many of you on here. I have come to the conclusion that I will not see a national championship in my lifetime. Notre Dame cannot compete with Alabama, LSU, Ohio State, Michigan, when it comes to recruiting and on the field performance. Stanford provided a model to follow for success, but still, many of our teams lack the true athleticism necessary to compete on a national level. This will not change until we sell our soul to the devil and start to make accommodations for our program. JC transfers, more academic exemptions, over-signing, these are all good places to start.

Kelly is firmly behind the 8-ball now.

 

[Walter White]

I have to agree with many of you on here. I have come to the conclusion that I will not see a national championship in my lifetime. Notre Dame cannot compete with Alabama, LSU, Ohio State, Michigan, when it comes to recruiting and on the field performance. Stanford provided a model to follow for success, but still, many of our teams lack the true athleticism necessary to compete on a national level. This will not change until we sell our soul to the devil and start to make accommodations for our program. JC transfers, more academic exemptions, over-signing, these are all good places to start.

Kelly is firmly behind the 8-ball now.

We're getting the athleticism back in the program, and to be honest, I don't think that was our main problem. We have had numerous NFL caliber players on our roster over the years and still did nothing. Changing the entire culture and getting rid of the entitlement thinking is what's going to make us contenders again.

Our defense was borderline elite last year, and I think they are ready to make that jump this year. I'm leery about our offense, but I have faith in Kelly to figure out something.

I don't believe we need to lower the academic standards or start over-signing to compete. ND is different animal, and I don't think we need to use shady tactics to get ourselves back.

 

[DSully1995]

It is possible, just much much harder, so we have to bear through the tough parts to get to the good, which is, such promise for our future offense and defense, except a few trouble spots

 

[GoldenIsThyFame]

..

 

[gkIrish]

The more I think about this the more I think it is definitely grades and the more I think it is grades the more I think it might not be Tee's decision (at least completely).

Just two days ago he tweeted his locker room number again and was working out with Sheldon at Waren Central, then two days later he is gone. Coincidently they same time midterms have come out. I don't see how Tee could/would make a knee jerk reaction while with Sheldon and his family that he didn't want to be at ND anymore. I think the more likely scenario is that his dad got his grades and said, "that's it get your *** back here this isn't working." Remember how his dad really wanted USC at the end because he thought with the hearing aid program that he would have a better chance to succeed? And how Denbrock told them to trust him? I am just envisioning when Tee's midterms came in his parents decided that Tee wouldn't be successful at ND and needed to come back home.

Who really knows though. The timing of it all just doesn't make much sense and it is all so confusing. I guess we will find out more judging by where he goes next. Just my opinion.

That's a hell of an overreaction to some bad midterm grades if true.

 

[NDPhilly]

To bad ND doesn't offer Kinesiology classes.