14Jan 2018
Highlights: 2017-2018 Bowl Games, Part I
There’s at least one glitch in here, since it has CMU’s bowl game from last year and this year, but it’s still football and fun to watch:
There’s at least one glitch in here, since it has CMU’s bowl game from last year and this year, but it’s still football and fun to watch:
This turned out to be unexpectedly timely, but I recently finished reading Do You Love Football? by Jon Gruden. And not long afterward, he was announced as the new coach of the Oakland Raiders.
Do You Love Football? is essentially the autobiography of Gruden. Gruden is that rare coach who engenders a ton of interest from outsiders, even people who aren’t extremely invested in football. His look, his personality, his magnetism, and of course his winning of the Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers all contribute to a special fondness for him. As the former coach of the Raiders (1998-2001) and then the Buccaneers (2002-2008), he went 95-81 as a head coach in the NFL. Since that time he has mostly been an analyst for ESPN and on Monday Night Football.
This book was written in 2004, so it came shortly after his Super Bowl victory and before his coaching career took a long halt. It tells of his childhood, growing up as the son of a coach. He coached at Tennessee, Pacific, Southwest Missouri State, Pitt, with the 49ers, with the Eagles, etc. He’s been all over the place. He talks about leadership, how to handle players and other coaches, how to deal with the stresses of the job, and all kinds of personal hurdles. He has a genuine enthusiasm for football that not many people share.
As a coach I had hoped for more X’s and O’s stuff in the book. As a mainstream personality, perhaps he refrained from too much technical information in order to prevent people from getting bored or getting in over their heads. Maybe he left that stuff out because he was still in the midst of his coaching career. Despite the absence of football geek talk, his discussion of leadership and the choices that coaches face when dealing with players and fellow coaches were helpful.
Rochester (MI) Adams CB Vincent Gray
Vincent Gray – CB – Rochester (MI) Adams: Gray is a 6’2″, 180 lb. prospect with offers from Michigan, Missouri, and Western Michigan, among others. He’s a 3-star, the #60 cornerback, and #681 overall. Gray was committed to Missouri for several months before the offer from Michigan came in December, and he decommitted from Mizzou earlier this month. His Crystal Ball is now 93% in favor of Michigan, with only 7% picking West Virginia.
This is Elle Johnson. You can follow her on Twitter here (LINK). If you have any other pictures of girls wearing Michigan gear, drop me an e-mail. Go Blue!
Ramsey (NJ) Don Bosco Prep DT Tyler Friday (image via Rivals)
OFF THE BOARD
Ft. Lauderdale (FL) St. Thomas Aquinas defensive end Nik Bonitto committed to Oklahoma. Bonitto was very high on Michigan early, and then Michigan stopped contacting him. It seemed at one time that he would end up with the Wolverines, so it would be interesting to know why Michigan didn’t want him anymore, especially if he turns into a good college player, too.
Howell (NJ) Blair Academy defensive end Jayson Oweh committed to Penn State. He’s a relatively late bloomer since he has only been playing football for two years, but he was good enough in that time to get offers from Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Penn State, among others.
Moultrie (GA) Colquitt County linebacker J.J. Peterson committed to Tennessee at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Michigan was never really a factor.
Hit the jump for more on the 2018 class.