OK, this is just my opinion, but I feel that since I teach High School, I may have some experience that comes in handy.
I am kind of tired of people giving Beck the benefit of the doubt because he's just a "kid".
Kid or not, he made a decision to play football at NU. Not just a decision, a commitment. I don't care if he's 18, 18, or 108, he has to honor that commitment. If a kid is taught at a young age to accept responsibility for his/her own actions, things like this don't happen. Kids that are taught responsibility don't do things like this.
I have over 150 different students in my classes. Some are taught responsibility at a young age, it is easy to tell which ones those are. Some are not. The ones who are responsible do their homework (all of it, and on time), finish their projects on time, etc. It may not always be the highest quality work. But the student has put their best effort into it, because he/she was taught to do things in that manner.
Is this true in every case? No. Many parents have tried to instill this into their kids, but because of their peers or other outside pressures, the kid falls short. More often than not, however, the parents who instill an attitude of responsibility (among other qualities) at an early age in their kids are successful.
After reading Beck's mom's comments, I would surmise that she isn't a parent who instilled that type of responsibility in her son. She is making excuses for him, and sounding like the type of person who blames everything that goes wrong on someone else. We all know what rolls downhill, and it sounds as if this attitude may have rolled down to her son. Beck is acting like a spoiled kid, and his mother isn't helping the situation.
Case in point--LJax quitting this spring. His dad told him to grow up and finish the commitment he made. Kudos to him.
I have had students like Beck (Eric Crouch comes to mind as well), students like Brook Berringer, and students like the kid who will now probably start for OU as QB. Berringer gave up his spot as the starter, so did the QB at OU. They knew what was best for the team. The ones who have been successful in life are the latter two, not the former. Kids who live up to their commitments and don't make excuses or run away from their problems are the ones who are successful at ANY age, in all of their endeavors. I don't care how young a kid is, if a commitment is made, they should live up to it.
I have been a Beck supporter up until now.
Now? Eh, I could take him or leave him.