mom's decision... | Syracusefan.com

mom's decision...

B

BillSU

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If everyone knows this, apologies.

Two reasons we haven't won much and been the prominent team we were when Ben was coaching ahs been coaching turnover and recruiting. One of the seminal moments in Syracuse recruiting occurred back in 1999.

Donovan McNabb was on a recruiting trip with his father to Florida. There he met Bobby Bowden who asked if he was the next Charlie Ward.

“In the immediacy of the moment, McNabb seriously considered Florida State, but Tallahassee was just too far away from Chicago. Instead he choose to play both football and, for a time, basketball at Syracuse.

Ironically, “distance” would also come into play a few years later when McNabb himself was a recruiter at Syracuse and hosting Vick, who Syracuse hoped would be his heir-apparent at quarterback.

Like McNabb’s run-in with Ward, Vick grew up idolizing McNabb, and like Bowden in Tallahassee, the Syracuse coaching staff made no secret about wanting him. Scouts had Ronald Curry as the top player in Virginia that year. Syracuse’s coaching staff thought otherwise.

“Our coordinator told me personally, ‘He’s the best quarterback in Virginia,” McNabb explained. “This is the guy. We’ve got to have him. I’m like, ‘All right coach, I’ve got this.’”

For most of the weekend, McNabb did have it. Right before Vick was set to head home, he was ready to commit to the Orange.

McNabb just had to convince one more person.

“He’s like ‘Man, I want to come here,” McNabb said, describing a starry-eyed Vick. “But you’ve got to talk to my mom.’”

No problem, right?

“I get on the phone with his mom,” McNabb said. “She says, ‘You know, he talks about you all the time. I’m glad you guys got together. I really want him to make the best decision.’”

The problem: She didn’t make it clear whose decision it ultimately was.

“I really want him to stay in Virginia,” Vick’s mother, Brenda, said.

Unperturbed, McNabb went into sales mode.

“If he comes here, he’ll get a great education, we’ll win and it’s not far from you guys,” McNabb told her. “We’re like a family.”

Vick’s mother didn’t budge.

“We’ll see,” she told McNabb. “But I really want him to stay in Virginia.”

And it was at that point McNabb realized sometimes mama really does know best — even if her son hoped for something different.

“He was right next to me,” McNabb said of an eager Vick. “He’s asking me, ‘What’s she saying? What’s she saying?’”

She was saying her boy was staying close to home, a decision that obviously worked out fine for Vick. He went to Virginia Tech, where the school went 22-2 in his two years as a starter, and played for the 1999 BCS title.

But what if McNabb could have convinced Vick’s mother to let him play at Syracuse? Or what if Bobby Bowden had done the same with McNabb a few years earlier?

Those stand among the fascinating “what if” scenarios from Signing Days past.”

Aaron Torres is a show writer for Fox Sports Live and a contributor to FoxSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Aaron_Torres or e-mail at ATorres00@gmail.com.

//

We were spoiled with a succession of quarterbacks in Don McPherson, Marvin Graves and McNabb. When McNabb left, and we didn’t bring in anyone who dazzled like McNabb, who created a vibrancy around town that elicited hope against even the strongest of opponents.

A very critical point in Syracuse Football History. Mom made the decision and SU FB was never quite the same.

Now we are getting to the point where recruits are looking at us differently without all the brilliant coaching turnover, a great coach in Dino Babers changing things in a positive way and a decision “finally” coming this summer about the future of the DOME, turning it into a great facility.

I wonder who Vick could have recruited, and on and on?
 
If everyone knows this, apologies.

Two reasons we haven't won much and been the prominent team we were when Ben was coaching ahs been coaching turnover and recruiting. One of the seminal moments in Syracuse recruiting occurred back in 1999.

Donovan McNabb was on a recruiting trip with his father to Florida. There he met Bobby Bowden who asked if he was the next Charlie Ward.

“In the immediacy of the moment, McNabb seriously considered Florida State, but Tallahassee was just too far away from Chicago. Instead he choose to play both football and, for a time, basketball at Syracuse.

Ironically, “distance” would also come into play a few years later when McNabb himself was a recruiter at Syracuse and hosting Vick, who Syracuse hoped would be his heir-apparent at quarterback.

Like McNabb’s run-in with Ward, Vick grew up idolizing McNabb, and like Bowden in Tallahassee, the Syracuse coaching staff made no secret about wanting him. Scouts had Ronald Curry as the top player in Virginia that year. Syracuse’s coaching staff thought otherwise.

“Our coordinator told me personally, ‘He’s the best quarterback in Virginia,” McNabb explained. “This is the guy. We’ve got to have him. I’m like, ‘All right coach, I’ve got this.’”

For most of the weekend, McNabb did have it. Right before Vick was set to head home, he was ready to commit to the Orange.

McNabb just had to convince one more person.

“He’s like ‘Man, I want to come here,” McNabb said, describing a starry-eyed Vick. “But you’ve got to talk to my mom.’”

No problem, right?

“I get on the phone with his mom,” McNabb said. “She says, ‘You know, he talks about you all the time. I’m glad you guys got together. I really want him to make the best decision.’”

The problem: She didn’t make it clear whose decision it ultimately was.

“I really want him to stay in Virginia,” Vick’s mother, Brenda, said.

Unperturbed, McNabb went into sales mode.

“If he comes here, he’ll get a great education, we’ll win and it’s not far from you guys,” McNabb told her. “We’re like a family.”

Vick’s mother didn’t budge.

“We’ll see,” she told McNabb. “But I really want him to stay in Virginia.”

And it was at that point McNabb realized sometimes mama really does know best — even if her son hoped for something different.

“He was right next to me,” McNabb said of an eager Vick. “He’s asking me, ‘What’s she saying? What’s she saying?’”

She was saying her boy was staying close to home, a decision that obviously worked out fine for Vick. He went to Virginia Tech, where the school went 22-2 in his two years as a starter, and played for the 1999 BCS title.

But what if McNabb could have convinced Vick’s mother to let him play at Syracuse? Or what if Bobby Bowden had done the same with McNabb a few years earlier?

Those stand among the fascinating “what if” scenarios from Signing Days past.”

Aaron Torres is a show writer for Fox Sports Live and a contributor to FoxSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Aaron_Torres or e-mail at ATorres00@gmail.com.

//

We were spoiled with a succession of quarterbacks in Don McPherson, Marvin Graves and McNabb. When McNabb left, and we didn’t bring in anyone who dazzled like McNabb, who created a vibrancy around town that elicited hope against even the strongest of opponents.

A very critical point in Syracuse Football History. Mom made the decision and SU FB was never quite the same.

Now we are getting to the point where recruits are looking at us differently without all the brilliant coaching turnover, a great coach in Dino Babers changing things in a positive way and a decision “finally” coming this summer about the future of the DOME, turning it into a great facility.

I wonder who Vick could have recruited, and on and on?
Marcus Vick

In all seriousness, money talks to mama on occasion, and this was one of them
 
Sa
Marcus Vick

In all seriousness, money talks to mama on occasion, and this was one of them
says who? Not doubting it, but maybe she really wanted him home in VA. Because we lost a recruit doesn’t mean he was bought. What...is the basketball board?
 
Decision on the dome this summer? Is this in writing somewhere?
 
In retrospect I'm glad that we didn't get him.

It probably would have been a temporary boost at best...and the baggage wouldn't have been worth it imo.
 
Vick playing his college career in a Dome. My goodness.

When he broke that long TD run to ice the game in 2000, I couldn’t help but think how he would’ve ran absolutely wild on that fast track turf in every home game if he’d came to Cuse.
 
In retrospect I'm glad that we didn't get him.

It probably would have been a temporary boost at best...and the baggage wouldn't have been worth it imo.

Eh, the baggage came years later though. Some of our guys(Tommy Kane, Will Allen) have committed major crimes many years after they left SU...has no bearing at all on SU in my opinion.
 
Vick playing his college career in a Dome. My goodness.
Nothing says Vick like the short side option on a climate controlled field?
 
Eh, the baggage came years later though. Some of our guys(Tommy Kane, Will Allen) have committed major crimes many years after they left SU...has no bearing at all on SU in my opinion.

I think Vick’s (and his brother’s) best chance to avoid the trouble they had in their lives would have been to get out of Virginia altogether. But perhaps not.

And yeah, don’t forget about Marvin Harrison. Fun to watch running with a football in his hand. Not so fun to watch running with a gun in his hand. Or shooting your hand. With said gun.
 
Michael Vick remains, imo, the most dynamic college football player of all time. It was crazy to watch him at the college level. Every snap was must see tv. Talk about an influencer of the game.

I knew some Big East refs, they used to get giddy when they'd get VT games bc they'd have a front row seat to something incredible. They all unanimously agreed that they'd never seen and never have seen since a player that could do what he did.
 
Michael Vick remains, imo, the most dynamic college football player of all time. It was crazy to watch him at the college level. Every snap was must see tv. Talk about an influencer of the game.

I knew some Big East refs, they used to get giddy when they'd get VT games bc they'd have a front row seat to something incredible. They all unanimously agreed that they'd never seen and never have seen since a player that could do what he did.
That one decision changed the course of Syracuse football. With Vick we might have won a national championship.
 
Michael Vick remains, imo, the most dynamic college football player of all time. It was crazy to watch him at the college level. Every snap was must see tv. Talk about an influencer of the game.

I knew some Big East refs, they used to get giddy when they'd get VT games bc they'd have a front row seat to something incredible. They all unanimously agreed that they'd never seen and never have seen since a player that could do what he did.

Which made what Freeney did in 2000 all the more impressive.

But that one time he got away... sealed the game.

Although I'm sure the refs were still entertained when Nunes had his foot stepped on near his own goal line, fell backwards, and threw the ball up in the air. I mean, if you can't laugh at that...
 
In retrospect I'm glad that we didn't get him.

It probably would have been a temporary boost at best...and the baggage wouldn't have been worth it imo.


Could not agree less.

The loss of Vick was the eventual death knell of the modern SU Football Program.

We have never fully recovered from his decision.

If he had been the QB in 1999, we would have won 10-11 games and the program would have prospered into the future.
 
Which made what Freeney did in 2000 all the more impressive.

But that one time he got away... sealed the game.

Although I'm sure the refs were still entertained when Nunes had his foot stepped on near his own goal line, fell backwards, and threw the ball up in the air. I mean, if you can't laugh at that...

That play you described, the BC end zone interception, and the Michigan 30 yards backwards safety...I never came to a clear conclusion on which one was the worst play of the 3.
 
Could not agree less.

The loss of Vick was the eventual death knell of the modern SU Football Program.

We have never fully recovered from his decision.

If he had been the QB in 1999, we would have won 10-11 games and the program would have prospered into the future.

Well, Vick - followed by not getting Ray Rice after P got the axe.
 
That one decision changed the course of Syracuse football. With Vick we might have won a national championship.

And gotten into the ACC before VT. #DeltaBravo Mark Warner would have had less of an influence if Syracuse > VT at the time.
 
Well, Vick - followed by not getting Ray Rice after P got the axe.


I just can't put Ray Rice into the same category as Mike Vick.

Because Vick chose Va Tech, our 1999 team - a really good team - had to go with a gutty, smart but physically overmatched QB - Nunes - and a QB who seemed to have some tools but who was not at all effective - Williams.

However you might describe Nunes and Williams, that 1999 team suffered greatly because of our QB play.

Vick would have made that team a very good if not great team.

By the time Ray Rice was thinking of attending Syracuse University, the damage to the Program had already been done - it took years before we had a decent QB running the offense - Ryan Nassib.
 

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