Urban denies transfer... EDIT: On second thought

[Irish Envy]

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida indefinitely suspended defensive back Avery Atkins following allegations that he beat the mother of his child, but declined the sophomore's request to be released so he could transfer to another school.

Atkins allegedly punched Benarah Sanford several times and held her against her will in her car in Daytona Beach over the weekend, according to a police report. Atkins said he only acted in self defense when she attacked him and he denied keeping her in the car. No charges have been filed in the case, which remains open.

Atkins, a possible starter, told the Orlando Sentinel he tried to leave the school, but coach Urban Meyer and school officials denied his request earlier this month.

"I asked, but they wouldn't give it," Atkins said Wednesday. "I feel like a person should be able to make his own decisions. They're trying to tell me what to do."

Meyer said Atkins is the first player to whom he has not granted a release in his five-plus years as a head coach.

Meyer indefinitely suspended Atkins on Monday, saying the player "has some issues to deal with before he can participate in any of our team activities."

Atkins missed the end of spring practice in April to tend to a family issue.

"I've talked to him, talked to his family," Meyer said. "We feel like it's in his best interest to try to fight through this and not be scared of the issues."

Atkins said he and Sanford are communicating, and neither expects to be arrested.

"It will probably be all over by the beginning of next week," he said.

 

[Irish Envy]

Urby could really have this come back to bite him. Never allowing a transfer but the rumor is he is about to accept one from his former Utah team?

 

[LOVEMYIRISH]

Good for Meyer...don't let this kid duck a big issue

 

[LOVEMYIRISH]

Urby could really have this come back to bite him. Never allowing a transfer but the rumor is he is about to accept one from his former Utah team?

He did not say that though...

He said that this is the first one he did not allow.

 

[Irish Envy]

Good for Meyer...don't let this kid duck a big issue

Unfortunately, I think it is more along the lines that he will not let his only quality cornerback go.... especially to Florida State, where he wants to transfer.

 

[Guest]

If this kid was at ND, ND would be more than happy to grant him his release, especially with his off the field problems. You'd think most schools would be more than happy to release him, so that they wouldn't have to deal with his off the field issues, which sound pretty serious.

Very tacky on Urban's part not granting this kid his release. I understand he may be a vital player for Florida, but when a kid wants off the team you don't hold him against his will for your own personal gain.

If I'm a potential Gator recruit I take a deep look into this. I'm not sure I'd want to go somewhere that holds me against my will if I wanted to leave. Its like the kid is in prison or something, very strange.

 

[LOVEMYIRISH]

If this kid was at ND, ND would be more than happy to grant him his release, especially with his off the field problems. You'd think most schools would be more than happy to release him, so that they wouldn't have to deal with his off the field issues, which sound pretty serious.

Very tacky on Urban's part not granting this kid his release. I understand he may be a vital player for Florida, but when a kid wants off the team you don't hold him against his will for your own personal gain.

If I'm a potential Gator recruit I take a deep look into this. I'm not sure I'd want to go somewhere that holds me against my will if I wanted to leave. Its like the kid is in prison or something, very strange.

How can he be holding him for his own personal gain if he's NOT ALLOWED TO PRACITCE???

 

[irishfan]

How can he be holding him for his own personal gain if he's NOT ALLOWED TO PRACITCE???

Well there weak at CB, not letting him leave, like said above, keeps him from going to FSU. Also, Im sure UM is hoping he can get things back together, even if its just temporarily, so that he can play for him.

 

[scooper]

I'm no big fan of Urbie, but I would NOT let the kid transfer to FSU. No way. I'd allow a conditional transfer to a lesser team that I'd never have to face. That's it.

Besides, why reward the kid for his behaviour?

 

[guff]

Weis wouldn't allow any of the players that transferred this year to transfer to a scheduled opponent. And I'm pretty sure he said as much.

I loathe Urban and wish him nothing but a team full of players that cause trouble.

 

[dankus]

Besides, why reward the kid for his behaviour?

Remember, this is an allegation, not a conviction. No reason to label this kid, even though the evidence suggests otherwise.

 

[LOVEMYIRISH]

Weis wouldn't allow any of the players that transferred this year to transfer to a scheduled opponent. And I'm pretty sure he said as much.

Yup...he has been very clear about that.

 

[ShivaIrish]

Remember, this is an allegation, not a conviction. No reason to label this kid, even though the evidence suggests otherwise.
Yep. I also am not as willing as some people are to criticize coaches outright for giving young adults a second chance. Who doesn't screw up? College can be (of course not always) a chance to actually be educted about life, even for football players. Perhaps Urban doesn't want to give up on the guy.

Out of curiosity, how many people here at Irishenvy actually wanted Urban to come to ND during the courting process?

 

[scooper]

I was honestly never crazy about the spread option coming to South Bend. My favorite coach for the job was Tedford. I also like the thought of Ferentz. I know, neither was coming, but those are guys I like.

I'll admit to getting caught up in the Urbie hype the week they flew out to talk to him, but he was never at the top of my list.

 

[dankus]

Out of curiosity, how many people here at Irishenvy actually wanted Urban to come to ND during the courting process?

I know I did.

We needed a change, and Urban was the trendy pick at the time.

The spread option did scare me, but another year under Willingham scared me more.

 

[LOVEMYIRISH]

Out of curiosity, how many people here at Irishenvy actually wanted Urban to come to ND during the courting process?

I did...in a big way. I really can't remember anyone who did not want him to come to ND.

 

[BGIF]

... of curiosity, how many people here at Irishenvy actually wanted Urban to come to ND during the courting process?

I did.

After Davie and Willingham, I wanted someone who understood football at Notre Dame specificially working the Administration and with Admissions. ND recruiting suffered after the departure of Vinny Cerrato and was never the same whether Holtz, Davie, or Willingham was HC.

I was hoping as a former assistant Meyer knew the importance of and how to work with Admissions without the hostility that existed in the latter Holtz years nor the roll over attitude that Davie and Willingham exhibited with Admissions/Administration.

My reservation with Meyer wasn't his offense; I didn't know whether it would work or not at ND. I was concerned with his coaching ability. I knew what he did at BG and Utah but while fans blame Davie for the lack of production of David Givens and Javin Hunter as ND receivers, it was Meyer that was their position coach. Joey Getherall arrived on campus as a more polished receiver than either of them. They had considerable size advantage over him but neither learned enough under Meyer to unseat Joey. Perhpas they lacked Joey's dedication and focus during those year. Regardless I didn't see significant improvement under his tutelage.

As for Weis I didn't know he existed. I glad the way things turned out.

 

[LOVEMYIRISH]

I did.

After Davie and Willingham, I wanted someone who understood football at Notre Dame specificially working the Administration and with Admissions. ND recruiting suffered after the departure of Vinny Cerrato and was never the same whether Holtz, Davie, or Willingham was HC.

I was hoping as a former assistant Meyer knew the importance of and how to work with Admissions without the hostility that existed in the latter Holtz years nor the roll over attitude that Davie and Willingham exhibited with Admissions/Administration.
...
As for Weis I didn't know he existed. I glad the way things turned out.

This is exactly it. I wanted someone who got ND...and Meyer had been around...so I assumed he did.

You are also spot on for my knowledge of Weis. I knew nothing about him until people started talking a bit about him.

Clemens came up a few times, but I felt he lacked the broader experience a coach would need.

 

[BGIF]

... Clemens came up a few times, but I felt he lacked the broader experience a coach would need.

I didn't think he was a viable candidate. I enjoyed Tom Clements as a versatile QB but I don't have the Clements to Weber kind of memories of Clements as a Coach. He was QB Coach at ND for 4 seasons coaching Mirer's last year, McDougal's year of glory, and 3 season for Powlus. His QBs seemed to more proficient with QBs in the running game than in the passing game.

He left while Holtz was trying to make the offensive transition from an option attack to a comtemporary passing game. Joe Moore didn't agree with the transition and I've always felt Clements wasn't comfortable with it either. But he has gone on to an NFL career. I suspect Powlus career would have reached the greatness expected if he had QB coaches/OCs like Weis instead of Clements/Roberts/Sanford/Colletto (and hadn't had the injuries). Regardless of the others, Powlus formative years were under Clements.

Then there was the letter writing incident when he wanted the HC job. It was a faux pas.


Meyer was the candidate that stood out when the vacancy occurred.

I had some insight at the time that indicated it was a slam dunk. A few weeks earlier Meyer had offered a coaching job at Utah to a former ND players I know. The young man has great admiration for Meyer as a coach and weighed the offer heavily but declined. Meyer told him he understood in words to the effect that not everybody wants to live Utah but he wouldn't have to come to Utah. He told him in October of that year, "How'd you like to go home to work? To South Bend? Keep your options open. Things are happening."

I was elated, Ty would be gone and a guy that knew how ND worked would be HC.

I didn't know Mrs. Meyer liked Florida better than Utah or Indiana.

But we did get a guy that knows how ND works.

 

[Irish Envy]

Atkins has been granted his release.

 

[AlbuquerqueIrishFan]

I wanted Meyer and I did not know about Weis until ND. Worked out just fine though.