N&O: Wilson Didn’t Want To Leave

NCS Football90

It seems that Brett Favre Russell Wilson wants Wolfpack fans to know that he didn’t “want to leave.” To me, this situation has some similarity to the Favre/Packers soap opera of a few seasons ago. It’s the whole – “will he or won’t he”, while the entire team is left in limbo.

If Russell Wilson truly didn’t want to leave, then he should have committed to the team and been present for spring practice.  There are no doubt varying opinions on this, but I support Coach O’Brien’s actions. Russell Wilson is an amazing talent, but football is a team sport and you can’t leave the entire team hostage to what one player might or might not do.

 

About SMD

SMD graduated from NC State at a time when beating UNC-CH in both major revenue sports was a regular occurrence. This was well before a time when I could express my frustrated attempts at being a writer on the "internets." When I'm not talking about the Pack, I'm probably arguing politics.

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90 Responses to N&O: Wilson Didn’t Want To Leave

  1. ncsu05mit10 05/01/2011 at 10:28 AM #

    This is very, very unfortunate.

    Justify it however you want to, TOB just pushed one of the top QB’s off all time in the ACC out of the program.

    TOB clearly has issues with RW– he never mentioned him at the NYC Caravan and talked about losing important seniors like Nate Irving. I thought it was strange to not talk about the guy that put the whole team on his back for the last 3 years.

    Even is he’s got a 5% chance of starting that first game, Russell Wilson should be on our sidelines until he no longer has eligibility to play.

    If Glennon struggles, this will be very, very bad.

  2. Lock 05/01/2011 at 10:36 AM #

    For once, I agree 100% with the SFN writer. This is not Wilson’s team, but if he wanted to be the leader of it, he should have been here. He knew the conditions. No matter how good he is, he’s got responsibilities to the team.

    Also, what is with all this ‘possibly the greatest qb in NC State history’ talk? He’s good, but Rivers good? He’s #2 at best, and a certain Mr. Gabriel might not take too kindly to that….

  3. Lunatic Fringe 05/01/2011 at 10:48 AM #

    I think we were losing a QB either way. I recall that Glennon is very close to receiving enough credits to graduate and I would not be surprised if he had enough this summer. He may have gotten the wondering eye regardless for his final year.

    TOB runs his program a lot like his friend Billichek and we see what indecision, demands from player, and claims for preferential treatment bought players at NE (Randy Moss, Seymour, etc).

  4. redwolf87 05/01/2011 at 11:00 AM #

    “because people are so focused on winning, we can’t see how this is an important lesson that is ALL about fairness and ALL about team…no one, not the Denzelle Goods, not the George Bryans, and not even the RWs are above the team…’

    Totally agree with this–a point that is getting missed way too often in this discussion.

  5. Jamie 05/01/2011 at 11:02 AM #

    To clarify, I’m not a troll, I bleed red and white just like the rest of you, I’m just really, really frustrated with this. It’s hard to be a Wolfpack fan.

  6. BladenWolf 05/01/2011 at 11:11 AM #

    TOB made the right decision to make Glennon the starter and stay with him. Football practice starts in the spring men. The QB is the leader and you have to be there to lead the team.

    The big difference in last season was the fact that Wilson was playing college baseball and coming back and said so. He discussed this with TOB. That was not the case this season as he was ambivalent about his decision to return and would not commit to the team. TOB was clear about the time frame. Wilson knew the time frame. It’s a TEAM sport gentlemen.

    That being said, I love Russel Wilson. He is a great player. He is a phenomenal athlete and I loved watching him play in Raleigh (and in the Birmingham and Orlando bowl games).

    HOWEVER, he wants to play two sports – professionally. The schedules of each forced him to make a choice. One which marginalizes the college team he was a part of. But HE MADE IT. Now he regrets it. I’m sorry, but I can’t see how this is anything but regret. If he truly wanted a final season of college football to show the scouts then why didn’t he commit to TOB (the Team) earlier?

    The net result was he wanted NC State Football to wait on him and his schedule and that is not going to happen. That is not fair to Mike Glennon or fair to the team.

    Wilson needs to display the character he has always shown by stopping the whining to the media. And we should show our character by supporting the right decision made by our coaching staff.

    Once MG is showing what he can do on the field this fall, most of those now chanting “Wilson” will be cheering “Glennon” the loudest.

  7. sundropdrinker13 05/01/2011 at 11:17 AM #

    As for Glennon, he will be a Redshirt JR, so the likelihood of him transferring and only playing one year would be slim. Now, if it’s true that he is close to having all his credits, then it is different as he could transfer for a Master’s. I for one will honestly be glad to see RW go. I cringed on almost all his throws. His Freshman year with just the 3 picks was his best. If he had put more time into it, like MG has, then his INT’s might have been half what they were. He threw more passes last year than most NFL QB’s do in a season, and played 3 less games than the NFL. He also rushed a lot. The offense was built that way, which is why we didn’t have a running back with a lot of yards. The offense has already been changed for MG, which will include more RB plays. If RW gets placed into that offense, he will flounder. Good luck to him in the future, but use this as a lesson. Pick something and see it through.

  8. wolfpackdawg 05/01/2011 at 11:24 AM #

    We will never hear the end of this. RW plays well somewhere else…Glennon throws 25 INT’s. Smucks again. I hope not but we are NCSU.

  9. BJD95 05/01/2011 at 11:24 AM #

    The three best Wolfpack QB seasons I have witnessed (and the order is debateable) are Kramer’s senior year, Rivers’ junior year, and Wilson’s freshman year.

    I will always be grateful for the memories of watching him lead the Pack. But his sophomore and junior seasons were not on the list. And this year he would have been even more distracted and less prepared, although he certainly would have given his best effort.

    It’s not about “choosing sides” anymore. Wilson is gone, and is not coming back. It’s Glennon or program failure at this point. I suggest everyone get used to that fact.

  10. Wulfpack 05/01/2011 at 11:40 AM #

    “It’s hard to be a Wolfpack fan.”

    If you are talking about men’s basketball, then I would agree. But there is nothing “hard” about a team that has a provn coach that builds a program, a team that by all accounts overachieved last year, and a team has a lot of returning talent, including a solid young QB that should be the starter for two years. That isn’t “hard”. Actually, it’s quite easy to pull for that team. That’s why there is usually not an empty seat in CF.

    What’s “hard” for me to understand is when fans value an individual player over the entire program. I love RW. But I do not value him over the program as a whole. Some people need to understand that decisions have to be made. Better a guy like TOB make it – a guy that clearly knows what he’s doing – than us fans.

    I will not question TOB’s rationale for making the decision. I trust it was made in good conscience with the input/support of his staff. I have no reason to believe otherwise. Case closed in my book.

  11. wolfpack_83 05/01/2011 at 11:41 AM #

    I certainly appreciate what Russell Wilson meant to NCSU football and his teammates. He was a great leader and a wonderful player to watch and cheer for, as he appeared to be a great kid. At the same time, he wanted to pursue his baseball career, and that’s admirable. But at this stage of HIS career, he should realize that the football program has to prepare for the fall. There shouldn’t be any hard feelings on either side.

    I don’t think Tom O’Brien had any ill-will or any alternate motives in making this call. A scholarship is a valuable commodity to a school, and this possibly opens up a scholarship for another gifted player.

    Is Wilson the best quarterback possibility on the team this fall? Possibly, but that’s not an option with the current layout and availability of Wilson’s time. Hand the ball to Glennon and let’s see how he copes. It should be a lot of fun. And please, let’s not obsess on the “what ifs” this fall, OK?

    Good luck to Russell Wilson in his future endeavors. He’ll always be “one of us”, and I hope to see him in the Majors (or the NFL) one day.

  12. 61Packer 05/01/2011 at 12:01 PM #

    Semper Fi. I agree with the coach 100% on this one. If Wilson wasn’t willing to remain faithful to Wolfpack football and stay on, then it was time for the coaching staff to move on, which they did. Being good at this game takes months of preparation and a year-round committment from its players.

    Wilson had the option to stay on instead of playing minor league baseball all summer. If he’s that good on the diamond (I don’t think he is), baseball would wait a year. And if he’s that great at QB (I don’t think he is), then he won’t have trouble getting on with someone else.

    To those of you who don’t see college football first and foremost as a team sport, then I suggest you go pull instead for the NFL (or better yet NBA), where individuals are showcased. The GD Panthers would be your best bet here. Me? I’ll stick with the Pack, and if we should be so lucky to run into a Wilson-led team in next season’s bowl game, I hope we kick his ass all over the field!

    It’s high time that SFN quit reading the N&O.

  13. tvp1 05/01/2011 at 12:05 PM #

    These are the types of decisions that kept TOB from getting over “the hump” and BC and will keep him from getting over “the hump” here. It’s just a felony stupid move born of slavish devotion to a set of unbending protocols.

    Only at NC State would we run off our best player and the finest example of a true student-athlete you could imagine. Sickening.

    And comparing RW to Favre is truly going full retard. Suggest you edit the post.

  14. wolfpack95 05/01/2011 at 12:23 PM #

    No one player, including RW, is bigger than the team or the system. RW could not commit to spring practice nor August practice. Thus, he could not commit to the team, and he was given release from his scholarship.
    To make exceptions for RW would invite dissension and breakdown of that system. If RW were allowed to not participate in either practice, every player on this team could make the same demands. At that point, a football team ceases, and there is simply a group of individual players. Favoritism led to catastrophic breakdowns for Amato’s latter teams.

    If you believe otherwise, the dynamics of a TEAM sport are lost upon you.

    The N&O article is chum, and the sharks are eager to bite.

  15. MarkPackAttack 05/01/2011 at 12:27 PM #

    If Russell desired an “equal opportunity” to compete, he should have showed up for spring practice. That is when you compete for starting positions. It seems like Russell wants to dictate when competition should occur. As an admirer of Russell, I am sad to say that he needs lessons in humility and teamwork. I am also disappointed that he publicly took an indirect shot at coach O’Brien.

  16. Rick 05/01/2011 at 1:08 PM #

    I think it is a disservice to RW to compare him to the media whore that is Brett Farve.

  17. WV Wolf 05/01/2011 at 1:18 PM #

    While it stinks that it had to come to this, I have to agree that TOB made the right choice.

    As far as all of the “ran him off” comments, Russell would actually be on campus and at spring practice to run him off. You can’t run somebody off that isn’t here to run off. That’s the whole point of this.

    But we also have to keep in mind that this has to be an awfully tough decision for guys like Russell Wilson and Andrew Brackman to figure out which path to take. It’s a good problem to have but a problem none the less.

  18. Wolfy__79 05/01/2011 at 1:32 PM #

    “I think it is a disservice to RW to compare him to the media whore that is Brett Farve.” ?

    really, i think it’s unfair for an NC STATE ALUMNUS to hold us hostage..i sure as hell haven’t seen this nonsense out of um say.. MR RIVERS!

    so from personal experience.. i’m young(31), RW just learned a timely lesson.. don’t try to take an old boy to school with indecision or lack of commitment.. you will not win. not that i tried it intentionally.. it just happened naturally.. part of the learning process.. hopefully he can learn and grow from this! and for pete’s sake, don’t try to flounder with a decision in front of sixty some odd year old MARINE..

  19. Wolfy__79 05/01/2011 at 1:42 PM #

    ..as far as RW matching up with our defense? he doesn’t stand much of a chance.. our defense will continually improve coached under TOB.

    are we suprised that the n&o was ready to print this drama against NC STATE?

    i understand the regret RW may have about his decision or lack thereof.. however, i was a little more than pissed that he didn’t get into camp LAST YEAR. you could see it on the field. if amato was still our coach, this is a mistake he would make.. TOB, um no!

    i’m glad we will have this year to ease glennon into the mix.. heck, our schedule is really built around getting a new qb into the roster.. my question is how long ago did TOB know that RW wasn’t coming back.. the fall?? i don’t really care. this season is ALL ABOUT building torward next year’s big opener against the vols rigth?? i hope the result will be a shot at an acc title this and next year. i feel strongly that the defense will be there.. now just q-marks on glennon and the wr corps. mustafa & co. should be stellar.

  20. blpack 05/01/2011 at 1:46 PM #

    TOB had to make this decision. He was very flexible with RW the past two years, sharing him with NCSU baseball two springs ago and not seeing him at all last year. Now RW is full time with the Rockies and I expect to see him there for foreseeable future. Glennon will have every opportunity to work with a new receiving corps this summer and get ready for what should be a big season in Raleigh.

  21. WolftownVA81 05/01/2011 at 1:59 PM #

    As someone once said (can’t remember if it was Mark Twain or Yogi Bera) “When you come to a fork in the road, take it”. Russell took it and it didn’t lead to where he thought it would take him. TOB took it as well and is giving MG his shot. I can’t fault either. That’s what life if about making choices. Time for us to move on, nothing to see here. Best of luck to RW, I appreciate what you did for the Pack and have always thought you had great charactor. Don’t let the media bait you into becoming someone you aren’t.

  22. elvislives 05/01/2011 at 2:15 PM #

    I blame the Colorado Rockies. They might be the only people in the universe convinced that RW is a better baseball prospect than college QB. Does anyone think they’d be in this situation if RW was a 15th Round pick with no bonus last year?

  23. StandUpAndHowl 05/01/2011 at 2:25 PM #

    “It wasn’t an issue when he didn’t commit to the team last summer.”

    Interesting observation. However, the difference is that last year the team had experienced senior receivers. This season we have inexperience at the WR position. As Coach O’Brien stated before Spring practice started, we need the starting QB to be in practice to work with them. TOB has done what is best for the team.

    I appreciate all that Wilson has done for both Wolfpack football and baseball.

  24. Tau837 05/01/2011 at 2:29 PM #

    1. Comparing Wilson to Favre does a disservice to Wilson IMO. I wouldn’t be surprised to see it in the comments, but I am very disappointed to see it in an authored post on this site.

    2. To those saying negative things about Wilson, and especially disparaging him in any way, please stop. He is one of the few greatest players in N.C. State history and one of the best QBs in ACC history. To say otherwise is ignorant, and more importantly, not appropriately appreciative and respectful of one of our greats, who always conducted himself in the finest manner on the field and off the field.

    3. IMO the issue is not about “commitment” or missing spring practice. Wilson missed spring practice last year and it was acceptable to O’Brien and worked out well enough for Wilson, O’Brien, and the team. And he has been through more practices and, more importantly, more games than Glennon has.

    IMO the issue was about having to choose between Glennon for two years or Wilson for one year. (Of course, this assumes that Glennon would leave the program if he wasn’t going to start this fall; not sure if this is a given.) It seems O’Brien believes Glennon has NFL caliber talent, and thus chose him.

    I happen to think it was a bad decision from the standpoint of how to treat a student athlete who has already given 4 strong years to the program. Only time will tell if it was the right decision from a competitive standpoint.

  25. Wolf74 05/01/2011 at 2:32 PM #

    I thank Russell for all he has given NCSU but it is time for one of tow things to happen. Either Russel commits to NCSU or NCSU football needs to commit to a QB. Russell and Glennon are different style QBs. The team needs to know who is going to be there. If Russell was going to be there he needed to commit a while back so the team and staff could plan and move forward. Not wait until August to decide and keep everything in limbo.

    Good luck to Russell where ever he goes or whatever sport he plays but I believe TOB had to do what he felt is best for the team.

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