Walkons having signing ceremonies

Puppychow

Freshman
Nov 5, 2014
381
90
28
Is this a thing now? Noticed the two players from Tupelo held an extravagant signing ceremony as if they were signing national letters of intent to play at MSU. Of course neither of them appear on the signee list. My question is: when did this become a thing and what exactly are they signing? Happy for those kids that they have been invited to walk on, but that’s just not the same as signing a scholarship. Call me an old fart but it seems a little disingenuous and misleading
 

bruiser.sixpack

Redshirt
Aug 13, 2009
7,346
0
0
If they are an invited Preferred Walk On, don’t they have to sign a Pledge? Not sure it needs to televised or professionally video’d, but let em have their moment. When they earn that Scholarship next January, they won’t have any sort of ceremony.
 

hatfieldms

All-Conference
Feb 20, 2008
8,770
2,542
113
Who cares if they announce? Does it really matter if they have their moment?
 

WilCoDawg

All-Conference
Sep 6, 2012
5,264
3,654
113
You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry
Abraham Lincoln
 

aTotal360

Heisman
Nov 12, 2009
22,587
16,454
113
Lemme guess...you're the guy complaining about too many bowl games too. Let these kids and their families have their day.
 

aTotal360

Heisman
Nov 12, 2009
22,587
16,454
113
The Weedeater Bowl isn't for you. It's a reward for the kids. Even if they are a money sink for the university.
 

karlchilders.sixpack

All-Conference
Jun 5, 2008
21,160
4,931
113
6-6 or (5-7} to a bowl

is just stupid!

No, It's for the City hosting, and the school admins. (because we made a bowl)

Think we frequently lose $ in those situations.

Truth Hurts!
 

woozman

All-Conference
Nov 13, 2004
3,456
2,693
113
The better question is why are you concerned about a 17-18 year old kid that had a moment in front of teammates, family, and friends.

Good grief, man....
 

Zebrahater

Redshirt
Sep 1, 2017
57
0
6
These 2 kids are teammates of my son's. I'm a Ole Miss fan & I'll admit I wished they were still going to UM. Luke offered Hayes Hammond (Long Snapper) & Tripp Wilson (WR) preferred walk-on's. Luke also offer Jacob Horn (WR Joe Horn's son) a scholarship. With staff changes, none are now attending Ole Miss. Hayes is a 4.0 student with a 30 ACT score & a hellva player. He's the type of guy you want on your team. Tripp was a baseball commit to Memphis & just a freak athlete. Tripp junior year, we lost our QB early in the season. So that year we didn't throw the ball really any, so Tripp didn't get much attention from recruiters. He gained about 20lbs from Junior to Senior season & had a break out season. He's a super tough physical kid that simply makes plays. I have no doubt both with earn a scholarship & do well. I'll be cheering these kids on every time they're on the field. I'm hoping with Leach & Kiffin now coaching the rivalry will be some what normal. I think it's pretty obvious neither give 2 ***** about the "rivalry" & it'll be played as any other SEC Game. As far as the high school & players celebrating & making a "big to do"....... I'm all for it! I don't think many realize how much of a stud athlete you have to be & how much hard work one has to put in just to play D1 football, much less in the SEC. These kids deserve their moment & I'm proud the school admin helped. My son will be a senior next season. He's had 3-4 smaller D1 coaches visit him, some asked him to visit, come to camps, etc. You can bet your *** if my son accepts a scholarship to a smaller D1 school or does like Tripp & Hayes, accept a Preferred Walk On to play SEC. I'll make sure the same happens & I'll be posting, bragging about to everyone in every form possible. LOL
 

aTotal360

Heisman
Nov 12, 2009
22,587
16,454
113
I guess you'd rather take the revenue from the host and the joy from the kids because "you don't care". Not watching the games is always an option.
 
Aug 3, 2019
996
3
0
You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry
Abraham Lincoln
 

aTotal360

Heisman
Nov 12, 2009
22,587
16,454
113
If that's the case, then let's just do away with everything but #1 vs #2. Everything else is just a participation trophy after that. Your words, not mine.
 

Puppychow

Freshman
Nov 5, 2014
381
90
28
I just think it diminishes the achievement of the guys who did earn scholarships. I’m all for announcing your plan to walk on, but to mask it as a scholarship signing is not cool. For the record, I was a walk-on and I didn’t have a signing ceremony because I respected the guys who earned the right to have a signing ceremony.
 

karlchilders.sixpack

All-Conference
Jun 5, 2008
21,160
4,931
113
No

that's your words, not mine.

Bowl Games have a place, but what you want/like is not reasonable.

Karl, is checking out on this, my position is stated.
 
Dec 26, 2016
1,630
515
113
If ESPN broadcast it, I might be a little surprised but if the school wants to celebrate their kids, I think it’s great.
A lot of SEC walk-ons have turned down smaller conference D1 offers. If they would have taken those offers instead of playing for free for our university, well... they would have had a signing day. No reason to take that away because they want to (and have an opportunity to) play at the highest level.
 

Ralph Cramden

Redshirt
Jan 7, 2020
2,696
0
0
I don't see what the hell it hurts. No it's not a true scholarship but it's still pretty special. Its an invitation to play SEC west football. I never got invited and my guess is 90% of y'all didnt either. So yay !! Way to go kid.
 

coach66

Junior
Mar 5, 2009
12,712
334
83
Well said, I was a PWO QB at State and besides

My immediate friends and family no one knew it. In retrospect I probably would have stuck with it had there been more fanfare and love but in those days PWO’S weren’t treated anything like scholarship guys and that’s unfortunate. I think the fanfare is great.
 

Puppychow

Freshman
Nov 5, 2014
381
90
28
The truth is, there aren’t many kids willing to pay their own way to school and go through hell to get a shot at playing. A very slim shot at that. Coaches need scout team players naive enough to do it. So they recruit kids for that very purpose. Most kids who are willing - will receive an “invite” to walk-on. For the record, I think Trip Wilson deserves a scholarship. He’s pretty dang good.
 

Bud.sixpack

Redshirt
Aug 24, 2012
218
0
0
Me too, first thing I thought of was, Tupelo has a Walkons!! That's awesome, now I can go have a cold beer and some decent bar food and watch the ballgame
 

rynodawg

Senior
May 29, 2007
1,172
428
83
My daughter just had a ceremony this week at her high school, she is going to play at a Division 3 school, which doesn’t have athletic scholarships. She signed a paper on school letterhead (not scholarship), we bought a cake and took pictures with her team. There were also some football players, I have no idea if they had ‘real’ scholarships or not, but they were all going to play for JUCOs. Bottom line, the seniors seemed to enjoy it and that’s all that matters.
 
Feb 18, 2014
437
8
18
I'll never understand why some view giving an 8 year old a participation trophy or sending a 6-6/5-7 team to a bowl as the down fall of society.
 

dog12

Senior
Sep 15, 2016
1,950
592
113
Is this a thing now? Noticed the two players from Tupelo held an extravagant signing ceremony as if they were signing national letters of intent to play at MSU. Of course neither of them appear on the signee list. My question is: when did this become a thing and what exactly are they signing? Happy for those kids that they have been invited to walk on, but that’s just not the same as signing a scholarship. Call me an old fart but it seems a little disingenuous and misleading

I've said this before, and I'll say it again: why do we call football players whom are at least 18-years old "kids?"

I would say, generally, a "kid" is someone between 3 and 12-years old.

(I'm not sure why this bothers me, but it does. I guess I'm an old fart.)
 
Aug 5, 2011
1,222
0
0
is just stupid!

No, It's for the City hosting, and the school admins. (because we made a bowl)

Think we frequently lose $ in those situations.

Truth Hurts!


We/I had a helluva a time in Nashville last year, maybe you don't know how to enjoy yourself? Also, why the heck would you complain about CFB on TV when there is nothing else on TV? Bowl Games are awesome and a lot of times the small bowls are the best games.
 

Dawgg

Heisman
Sep 9, 2012
10,535
10,793
113
The truth is, there aren’t many kids willing to pay their own way to school and go through hell to get a shot at playing. A very slim shot at that. Coaches need scout team players naive enough to do it. So they recruit kids for that very purpose. Most kids who are willing - will receive an “invite” to walk-on. For the record, I think Trip Wilson deserves a scholarship. He’s pretty dang good.

You're absolutely right. There aren't many kids willing to pay their own way to school and go through hell to get a shot at playing.
Sounds like these kids are willing to bust their *** for a shot at a dream that will probably never materialize.
So why not 17ing celebrate them and their 17ing tenacity?
 

Dawgg

Heisman
Sep 9, 2012
10,535
10,793
113
I've said this before, and I'll say it again: why do we call football players whom are at least 18-years old "kids?"

I would say, generally, a "kid" is someone between 3 and 12-years old.

(I'm not sure why this bothers me, but it does. I guess I'm an old fart.)


The older I get, the more child-like 18-year-olds seem.
 

Puppychow

Freshman
Nov 5, 2014
381
90
28
Scholarship athletes put in the work and earn a scholarship. Whether it’s accomplished in high school or after he walks on. We celebrate that kid, not the kid who plans on putting in the work to earn a scholarship. Participation trophy generation ****.

80% of walkons quit during their first year.. Some don’t make it through the first week. Is that celebration worthy?. Celebrate the kid when he puts in the work and EARNS a scholarship.
 

karlchilders.sixpack

All-Conference
Jun 5, 2008
21,160
4,931
113
Yeah, it's aokay

to have a bowl game on at 11Am for about 10 days. Don't mind it at all.

But, as I have said, this many games is ridiculous. A trip like Nashville would be a plus.

But when you see games with no fans to speak of...it is what it is. BS.

It waters down the sport, what's left of it.
 

LeeDawg

Redshirt
Jun 18, 2019
97
0
0
Me too, first thing I thought of was, Tupelo has a Walkons!! That's awesome, now I can go have a cold beer and some decent bar food and watch the ballgame


You spoke it into existence and added a Starkville location
 
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