With Pollack after the announcement, Drew will supposedly wear Pollack's legendary #47.More on Ray Drew, Georgia's HUGE 5-star defensive end commitment from yesterday...
I'll admit that I didn't know what to make of this kid when I first heard about all the fun he was having toying with all the media and recruiting nuts via Facebook and Twitter. At one point a week or so ago, he supposedly posted that Auburn and Georgia were both out of the running (though during his announcement yesterday, he admitted he'd settled on UGA two or three weeks ago) and that he'd "shock the world" with a completely unexpected decision (as I mentioned yesterday). He also posted something suggesting that he "hated red" and was coming after (UGA 4-star quarterback commitment) Christian LeMay. Then, I heard that he had wanted his announcement to be at a school-wide assembly (the school let him have a pretty decent sized gathering in a conference room with the whole school watching via closed-circuit TV).
It almost rubbed me the wrong way. "Who does this kid think he is?" I wondered. As a former teacher often outraged by trivial, non-academic disruptions by the very administrators that insisted my job hinged on test scores and teaching "bell-to-bell," a school assembly (or TV broadcast) during the instructional day for one student to announce his college decision seems a little ridiculous. You can't do it for everyone and it seems unfair (and a little exploitative, honestly) to do it for a few athletes, but I know that's how these things go and I digress. More to the point, as a Dawg fan, I began to wonder if this kid was just another arrogant, selfish diva that would soon begin a disappointing career with a DUI over the summer and a bar fight in the fall.
Of course, all of that is still a possibility, but I feel A LOT better about this kid's attitude after watching his announcement video (link below, but more of my thoughts first). I had hoped he was just being a kid and having some harmless fun and I think his comments and demeanor in the video suggest just that. I'm really glad I watched this and I recommend all Georgia fans watch this video for several reasons:
1. He is one of the highest ranked recruits at any position in the nation and he has committed to Georgia, instantly becoming the crown jewel of an already excellent recruiting class. If that doesn't make it worth watching to the average Georgia fan, you're not the average Georgia fan. But trust me, if you're as disgusted and sour as most of the Georgia fans I know, this video should lift your spirits a little and remind you of why it's still great to be a Georgia Bulldog.
2. More importantly, from a recruiting standpoint, you can see the immediate impact he is making and the tremendous potential for leadership he has. He's not wearing a Georgia hat more than a couple of minutes before he challenges Georgia's last few undecided targets. If you're a top recruit seriously considering Georgia, I don't see how you don't respond positively to this kid's challenge.
3. MOST importantly, it puts a human face on the recruiting process and the athletes we cheer and jeer every fall Saturday. If you're like me, you often forget that these are just kids. Really, really big, fast, and strong kids, but kids all the same. This monster of a physical specimen that has been the subject of endless internet speculation by middle-aged (and old) men around the country suddenly becomes a kid barely old enough to drive. I couldn't help but picture countless former students of mine. Imagining them in the same situation would be simultaneously exciting and gut-wrenching. Sure, I'd want my student that happened to be a superstar athlete to go to Georgia, but ultimately, I'd want the best for him. If Georgia wasn't the right fit, I'd respect that and be happy for him wherever he went (especially if my hypothetical student had the character the people in this video suggest that Drew does). Anyway, I can't begin to relate to the excitement and pressure these kids experience in the recruiting process, but you can certainly get a taste of both as you hear this kid's voice shake through much of his remarks, see him have just a little more fun with it, and feel the weight lifted as he finally lets it all out.
So, if you're in a hurry (why are you still reading?) and just want to see the actual announcement and him challenging undecided recruits to commit to Georgia, start watching around the 3:40 mark and watch to about the 6-minute mark (just before Godfrey and Pollack speak).
However, I HIGHLY recommend taking the time to watch from the beginning if you want to experience some of the suspense and have an even bigger grin on your face when he finally makes the announcement. The first six minutes will undoubtedly renew some pride for any Dawgs still disheartened by the 2010 season. I believe it also gives you a bit more perspective on just how difficult these decisions are for some of these kids as he describes a little of what he liked about each school and the very real relationships he built with the people at each. It's a good problem to have, to be sure, but it's never fun to disappoint people. Unless they're Gators. Or Nerds.
The rest of the video (former Dawgs and NFL players Randall Godfrey and David Pollack quickly speaking about Drew's character, etc. and Drew fielding questions from the crowd) is worth watching if you have time and it gives the impression that he really is a good kid. Amid cries that the program is "out of control" or that we have "character problems," it is refreshing to see our biggest recruit appears to be a good kid and is saying the right things. Here's hoping he backs it up on the field and in the locker room and that he brings some of the character, work ethic, and leadership that this program needs.
If you missed the link to his announcement in the text above, here it is again:
Oh yeah...he's also pretty good at football:
I simply can't imagine being the high school kid tasked with blocking that #99 kid that's about to be a star at Georgia (hopefully). It just doesn't seem fair. Go Dawgs.
Good Post Mikey. I like this kid a lot!
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the Family "Pastor of Disaster"!!!