Jaylend Ratliffe ready to enroll

Gotta love this kid. We might not ever be Alabama but I like who we are and how we took care of this young man.
 
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Good read, as far as what he might do at Tech:

“He said, ‘How’s that left hand coming around?’” Ratliffe said. “I said, ‘Coach, I don’t think I’ll be able to play quarterback.’”

Cook had been anticipating the possibility, Ratliffe said, and suggested B-back or outside linebacker. (Ratliffe is 6-foot-2 and 202 pounds.) Ratliffe’s dream has been to play quarterback in college, and he isn’t letting the dream die. He still tries to spin spirals to his twin brothers Javon and Davon in the front yard of their house. However, he accepts that he will likely have to play elsewhere.

“To be honest, at this point in my life, I don’t really care where I play,” he said. “I just want to play football.”
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My son coached against Jaylend's school in the state playoffs last year. The Scotland County coaches introduced Jaylend to me. He is a quality kid - he was an inspirational leader during the senior season he was injured. He had the highest praise for the Georgia Tech coaches and their commitment to him. Looking forward to his enrollment and joining our team.
 
Glad to see he's ready to get on with his life. The Tech diploma , if he sticks with school, will help him the rest of his life.

That said, no way would I let him play football again. It is just not worth the risk.
 
What a great "feel good" story for the end of the year and kudos to Tech for the way this has been handled, 1st class all around!
 
This is the kind of stuff that makes me proud to have graduated from Tech. But someone let the kid know that ability to throw, and certainly the ability to throw accurate spirals, is not a prerequisite to be a QB st Tech
 
Dirty Jacket said:
This is the kind of stuff that makes me proud to have graduated from Tech. But someone let the kid know that ability to throw, and certainly the ability to throw accurate spirals, is not a prerequisite to be a QB st Tech
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but pitching with your left hand on the option is...so QB is done i think. From what I understand his left hand is still limited/limp/kinda like a seizure after effect as an example.

very sad...but if he gets enough range of motion back he could tackle or play S, LB etc. I just don't see ball handling in the cards....
 
33jacket said:
but pitching with your left hand on the option is...so QB is done i think. From what I understand his left hand is still limited/limp/kinda like a seizure after effect as an example.

very sad...but if he gets enough range of motion back he could tackle or play S, LB etc. I just don't see ball handling in the cards....
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I think I've seen that on pitches already.
 
33jacket said:
very sad...but if he gets enough range of motion back he could tackle or play S, LB etc. I just don't see ball handling in the cards....
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No question. QB is out.

Then again, I think playing at all is out. I have to be honest - I would be scared to death every time he made contact. If he wants to play then fine - its his decision and I'll respect it but the very idea is deeply unsettling to me.
 
Very glad that our coaches honored their commitment to this young man. Whether he ever plays a down or not, he certainly seems to be a quality young man so best wishes for him.

However, one thing to note is that we are not the only school that does this. Pretty much every school tells a kid that the advantage of early commitment is that they're guaranteed a scholarship if an injury were to occur. The schools can put them on a medical scholarship so that it doesn't count against their 85 scholly limit for football. Alabama, Texas A&M and a few others have gotten similar positive press over the past couple of years when they've done the same thing.

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/recruiting/football/story/_/id/10413639/alabama-crimson-tide-honor-scholarship-offer-injured-elisha-shaw
 
daBuzz said:
Very glad that our coaches honored their commitment to this young man. Whether he ever plays a down or not, he certainly seems to be a quality young man so best wishes for him.

However, one thing to note is that we are not the only school that does this. Pretty much every school tells a kid that the advantage of early commitment is that they're guaranteed a scholarship if an injury were to occur. The schools can put them on a medical scholarship so that it doesn't count against their 85 scholly limit for football. Alabama, Texas A&M and a few others have gotten similar positive press over the past couple of years when they've done the same thing.

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/recruiting/football/story/_/id/10413639/alabama-crimson-tide-honor-scholarship-offer-injured-elisha-shaw
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Don't the facts get in the way of a good story!!!!
Go Jackets
 
Hoffie7 said:
Don't the facts get in the way of a good story!!!!
Go Jackets
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The difference is that multiple Alabama players have said that they were pretty much forced to take a medical hardship scholarship as a form of roster processing.
 
Looking forward to having Coach Jaylend on staff as the team's Mental Toughness Coordinator.
 
Nick Saban has asked one of Alabama’s top football commits – who is recovering from a knee injury – to delay his enrollment or take a grayshirt. (Bozeman, though a scholly eventually opened up for him)

Last year, Alabama was involved in two “grayshirt” controversies with kids who were both committed to the Crimson Tide and recovering from knee injuries. (taylor & philon)
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http://www.ajc.com/weblogs/college-...aban-switches-injured-recruits-scholarship-g/

LB Riley Cole Decommits from Alabama Due to Grayshirt Request... He did suffer a reportedly "severely sprained" MCL that he has mostly recovered from but is apparently not yet 100%
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http://www.rollbamaroll.com/2016/1/...commits-from-alabama-due-to-grayshirt-request
 
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