I have been reading repeated articles on the Hive where posters have berated some of the pro coaches for not giving Joe Hamilton a chance to play.
Personally, I think he has been given just as much chance as any other quarterback to win the job. He and other QB candidates are paid big bucks to perform and the coach needs to win to keep his job. It behooves the coach to play the better player. Some players are back-up in case a better player gets hurt, and it appears this was Joe's role.
I am sure every one has noticed many five star high school players, from excellent programs, come into the college game and never excel at the college game. Other one star players or walk-ons come to college from poor high school programs, become All Americans, and play at the pro level.
Many times a player is the beneficiary of a good coach and good supporting players on his team. The player appears to be better than his physical abilities allow.
Joe was excellent at Tech and helped us win many games, of which, I and other Tech fans are appreciative. However, just because Joe was efficient in our system under Friegden, that does not make him better than the other QBs trying for the same position in the pros.
Ralph Friegden is one example of a coach who can take a player and maximize the player's talents by building the team around his talents. Friegden did this for Shawn Jones, who may have been a better athlete than Joe. Friegden also did the same for Hamilton and Godsey.
He developed and used the talents of other QBs while at Maryland. It is easy to understand that part of the record built up at Tech by Hamilton can be attributed to the coach and the system. Friegden used the different talents of each QB and developed the offense to suit their talents.
Was Joe a good athlete and a good competitor? Yes, but maybe not as good as the records indicate. Some of the records achieved had as much to do with the coach and system as did the beneficiary of that system
Now, Joe was given a chance at the pro level. When you get to the pro level, all players have exceptional skills. If I am a pro coach and I have two or three QBs with the same relative skills, heart, ect., but one is 5'10" and the other is 6'3", guess which one I am going to play on Sundays.
Joe might fare a little better in the continental leagues because the players there are just a tad below the NFL players in athleticism.
This was not intended to put down Joe Hamilton, but to put things in its proper perspective.
Personally, I think he has been given just as much chance as any other quarterback to win the job. He and other QB candidates are paid big bucks to perform and the coach needs to win to keep his job. It behooves the coach to play the better player. Some players are back-up in case a better player gets hurt, and it appears this was Joe's role.
I am sure every one has noticed many five star high school players, from excellent programs, come into the college game and never excel at the college game. Other one star players or walk-ons come to college from poor high school programs, become All Americans, and play at the pro level.
Many times a player is the beneficiary of a good coach and good supporting players on his team. The player appears to be better than his physical abilities allow.
Joe was excellent at Tech and helped us win many games, of which, I and other Tech fans are appreciative. However, just because Joe was efficient in our system under Friegden, that does not make him better than the other QBs trying for the same position in the pros.
Ralph Friegden is one example of a coach who can take a player and maximize the player's talents by building the team around his talents. Friegden did this for Shawn Jones, who may have been a better athlete than Joe. Friegden also did the same for Hamilton and Godsey.
He developed and used the talents of other QBs while at Maryland. It is easy to understand that part of the record built up at Tech by Hamilton can be attributed to the coach and the system. Friegden used the different talents of each QB and developed the offense to suit their talents.
Was Joe a good athlete and a good competitor? Yes, but maybe not as good as the records indicate. Some of the records achieved had as much to do with the coach and system as did the beneficiary of that system
Now, Joe was given a chance at the pro level. When you get to the pro level, all players have exceptional skills. If I am a pro coach and I have two or three QBs with the same relative skills, heart, ect., but one is 5'10" and the other is 6'3", guess which one I am going to play on Sundays.
Joe might fare a little better in the continental leagues because the players there are just a tad below the NFL players in athleticism.
This was not intended to put down Joe Hamilton, but to put things in its proper perspective.
