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Kenneth Walker III Appreciation Thread

DeacAssured said:
Does KWIII really develop better at MSU for an NFL career than at WF?
Does Newman really develop better at Georgia for an NFL career than at WF?

Answer to second question is in but answer to first is very debatable. CBS may have the best answer before it’s over.
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Newman was at UGA for like an hour and a half. So not sure that's really fair.
 
Ball State Deac said:
Newman was at UGA for like an hour and a half. So not sure that's really fair.
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Had Newman remained at Wake I suggest he would have been weighing Covid against a better chance of actual PT than PT at Georgia. He made the decision to go and then made the decision to not remain on their roster in essence. With all of Clawson's strict Covid protocols Covid was not gong to be as big a factor for Newman playing his final year at WF. (WF works very hard to take care of its people.) If moving around plays into not playing I suggest that is very relevant regarding performance.
 
Georgia didn't have any Covid problems last year other than Vandy and Missouri canceling or postponing games.
 
DeacAssured said:
Had Newman remained at Wake I suggest he would have been weighing Covid against a better chance of actual PT than PT at Georgia. He made the decision to go and then made the decision to not remain on their roster in essence. With all of Clawson's strict Covid protocols Covid was not gong to be as big a factor for Newman playing his final year at WF. (WF works very hard to take care of its people.) If moving around plays into not playing I suggest that is very relevant regarding performance.
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We don't actually think Newman's decision was Covid related, right? I assume it was either about PT and/or he thought he'd be a better prospect working with a QB coach. Or he got paid early and had to go.
 
There was a newspaper article after he was picked up an undrafted free agent that stated that several of Newman's relatives were impacted by Covid. I don't recall the specifics of the article but I think it implied that there was a death in his family and that it impacted his decision to opt out at GA.
 
BiffTannen said:
Georgia didn't have any Covid problems last year other than Vandy and Missouri canceling or postponing games.
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Maybe the team ended up ok, but UGA and Athens generally was a mess this time last year.
 
birdman said:
Maybe the team ended up ok, but UGA and Athens generally was a mess this time last year.
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And two months later it was worse in Forsyth County than it ever was in Clarke County.

So Clawson had his guys out walking around W-S ?
 
I'm not sure why we're even debating this. Newman is full of crap no matter what excuse he offers up and I've become convinced that he was absolutely beaten out by both D'wan Mathis and Stetson Bennett.
 
The Newman saga really is amazing. I wish Dortch had stayed another year, but now I'm pretty much convinced that it would not have made any difference. I understand Surratt's decision as well. At least they're both cashing checks. At least Walker is playing. Jamie Newman will likely never play in another football game, and never earn a single dollar from playing football. Plus, he's alienated the two fanbases he was a part of. I think the lesson here is to never believe your own bullshit.
 
Newman graduated from Wake and committed to Georgia for a post-grad year to get more experience and raise his pro stock.

Then COVID hit.

And he hasn’t played football since.

“After I graduated from Wake Forest, I wanted to take my grad year and try to go to a pro-style offense,” he said. “Unfortunately, when COVID hit, it hit my family, it hit my community a little bit harder than others, I would say. It was just at the time it was a tough decision to make, a lot of variables, but I just went with what was best for me, what was best for my family and what was best for my future.”

That meant opting out and returning home to his family in Graham, N.C., between Greensboro and Durham.
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https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/eagles/eagles-rookie-camp-qb-jamie-newman-gets-rare-opportunity
 
BiffTannen said:
And two months later it was worse in Forsyth County than it ever was in Clarke County.

So Clawson had his guys out walking around W-S ?
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Newman decided to leave Wake when COVID was still contained to a test tube in the Wuhan lab. COVID levels in Forsyth County NC in October 2020, had nothing to do with his decision to transfer or to opt out of the season, but COVID levels in Athens and at UGA in August of 2020 may have affected his decision to suit up for the dawgs.
 
birdman said:
Newman decided to leave Wake when COVID was still contained to a test tube in the Wuhan lab. COVID levels in Forsyth County NC in October 2020, had nothing to do with his decision to transfer or to opt out of the season, but COVID levels in Athens and at UGA in August of 2020 may have affected his decision to suit up for the dawgs.
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Here's a list of 141 FBS college players that opted out of playing football in 2020 due to COVID. Some were starters, not all were entering the NFL draft. https://theathletic.com/1983461/2020/12/08/tracking-fbs-players-who-are-opting-out-of-the-2020-college-football-season/

They opted out at time when there were still a lot of unknowns about COVID (actually, there still are) and exactly how well the season would go (turned out, not great, with lots of games being cancelled). But hey, you guys can still hold grudges behind your computer screens and closed office doors when unpaid people decide not to get on the field and entertain you.
 
MichDeac25 said:
Here's a list of 141 FBS college players that opted out of playing football in 2020 due to COVID. Some were starters, not all were entering the NFL draft. https://theathletic.com/1983461/2020/12/08/tracking-fbs-players-who-are-opting-out-of-the-2020-college-football-season/

They opted out at time when there were still a lot of unknowns about COVID (actually, there still are) and exactly how well the season would go (turned out, not great, with lots of games being cancelled). But hey, you guys can still hold grudges behind your computer screens and closed office doors when unpaid people decide not to get on the field and entertain you.
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Like the passion in favor defending college athletes and calling out the pussies who critique them, but not sure Birdman's statement crossed the threshold for your assault.

Birdman said that:

a) Newman decided to transfer before COVID was a thing (that is accurate; Newman enter the transfer portal on December 31, 2019; so, COVID had nothing to do with the transfer)
b) COVID levels at UGA may have affected his decision to play football (statement acknowledging that COVID may have played a role in Newman not playing for UGA without criticizing the decision)

Not sure how Birdman's post could be characterized as reflecting a grudge toward Newman.

The bottom line for Newman is that he went from being: a) rated as the top transfer in college football after the 2019 season; b) a top 5 Heisman candidate by Sportsbooks in the Spring of 2020; c) a projected 1st to 3rd NFL draft pick

To a: UFA who didn't make it through the first week of minicamp.

Without questioning Newman's COVID concerns that was as quick a fall from grace as could be imagined.
 
Pilchard said:
Like the passion in favor defending college athletes and calling out the pussies who critique them, but not sure Birdman's statement crossed the threshold for your assault.

Birdman said that:

a) Newman decided to transfer before COVID was a thing (that is accurate; Newman enter the transfer portal on December 31, 2019; so, COVID had nothing to do with the transfer)
b) COVID levels at UGA may have affected his decision to play football (statement acknowledging that COVID may have played a role in Newman not playing for UGA without criticizing the decision)

Not sure how Birdman's post could be characterized as reflecting a grudge toward Newman.

The bottom line for Newman is that he went from being: a) rated as the top transfer in college football after the 2019 season; b) a top 5 Heisman candidate by Sportsbooks in the Spring of 2020; c) a projected 1st to 3rd NFL draft pick

To a: UFA who didn't make it through the first week of minicamp.

Without questioning Newman's COVID concerns that was as quick a fall from grace as could be imagined.
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Not calling out birdman necessarily, just replying. Calling out athletes who refused to play during a pandemnic is just loser behaviour in my opinion. But I also doubt COVID levels in a particular county was the basis for any player opting out. Moreso, the larger threat of exposure.
 
Not sure how we're spending as much time talking about Newman on a KWIII appreciation thread (which is a really silly thread to begin with, IMHO...almost as silly as those who took me seriously when I said Giannis was trash during the playoffs...although I totally agree that KWIII was/is a stud and will continue to dominate), but here we are. The only thing I have to add is that Jamie wanting a pro-style offense was a terrible take. He was being lauded throughout the year and even being compared to Cam Newton because he could hit deep routes and hurt defenses with his legs in mid-short yardage situations. He was super successful running Wake's offense. His *potential* as a pro-style QB is what would have gotten him drafted. He should have stayed put and been closer to home. Despite Covid, I think him being right down the road from his family would have led to him playing last year. And I think if he played, Sage would have chosen to play as well given their relationship.

Clawson & Co. deserve a lot of credit in handling last year's situation. They took a shit hand and played it pretty well. Hopefully we capitalize this year.
 
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I hope the football administration is at least conducting exit interviews to learn why our top talent seems to leave so consistently. It’s way beyond a coincidence now. We need to figure out how to keep these dudes in Winston.
 
myDeaconmyhand said:
I hope the football administration is at least conducting exit interviews to learn why our top talent seems to leave so consistently. It’s way beyond a coincidence now. We need to figure out how to keep these dudes in Winston.
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Exactly, you nailed it. That is why Duke had to force out Coach K before he was ready. He was not able to keep guys like Zion Williams, RJ Barrett, Cam Reddish, Okafor, et al in Durham for all 4 years.
 
Pilchard said:
Like the passion in favor defending college athletes and calling out the pussies who critique them, but not sure Birdman's statement crossed the threshold for your assault.

Birdman said that:

a) Newman decided to transfer before COVID was a thing (that is accurate; Newman enter the transfer portal on December 31, 2019; so, COVID had nothing to do with the transfer)
b) COVID levels at UGA may have affected his decision to play football (statement acknowledging that COVID may have played a role in Newman not playing for UGA without criticizing the decision)

Not sure how Birdman's post could be characterized as reflecting a grudge toward Newman.

The bottom line for Newman is that he went from being: a) rated as the top transfer in college football after the 2019 season; b) a top 5 Heisman candidate by Sportsbooks in the Spring of 2020; c) a projected 1st to 3rd NFL draft pick

To a: UFA who didn't make it through the first week of minicamp.

Without questioning Newman's COVID concerns that was as quick a fall from grace as could be imagined.
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Thanks, I wasn’t criticizing Newman. I am suggesting that all these people saying he opted out because he was not going to start are asserting certainty over something that is very uncertain. Covid was a mess in Athens last summer. It is entirely possible that he quit because he was afraid of a deadly disease.
 
Great pass blocking by Walker on that last play. Not! Walker dove for a block and rushers went left and right of him to sack the QB.
 
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