MICH player transfers, pressured to sign Medical Hardship

[zoogs]

http://mgoblog.com/content/pipkins-transfer-says-he-was-pressured-sign-medical-hardship-papers

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/13154115/ondre-pipkins-says-michigan-wolverines-coach-jim-harbaugh-staff-pressured-quit

'I need you to sign this,'" Pipkins said Harbaugh told the lineman regarding the medical form. "'It's not fair to your teammates. Let's get it done.'"

Pipkins said he knows of at least one other Michigan player who has been told that he must "get healthy by a July 1 deadline or sign a medical to retire."

I don't think Nebraska is or will be immune to this either. But I'm curious how the Michigan fans here are reacting.

 

[NUance]

But this is a strange situation for a lot of reasons. I can't really figure out why Harbaugh would want to run Pipkins out of town:

• He was scheduled to be a senior and Michigan is at 85 scholarships right now, with the three former walk-ons (Kerridge, Glasgow, Glasgow) we think will get scholarships in 2015 accounted for.
• Pipkins thus doesn't impact the numbers in the 2016 class; the only reason he'd need to go this year is if Michigan was going to bring in yet more transfers.
• ND DE transfer Jhonathan Williams was just told no by Michigan.

Looks like it has raised the eyebrows of at least some fans, including the author of that blog.

 

[huKSer]

One message board comment connects everything to Ohio St

I hope Harbsugh addresses this in some way because I'll admit, it looks real shady and crappy.



We can't pile on Meyer for doing the same exact thing to a player and then defend Harbaugh.

I really don't like this practice regardless of which school it is, or which coaching staff.

 

[Landlord]

Weird situation, but it really seems like more than anything it's health-related and the coaches/staff just don't think he should be playing.

 

[nic]

As a Michigan fan it bugs me. Its his last year. Due to injury and ability he hasn't contibuted much, but why not let him finish. Having him free up a scholarship this year makes zero sense unless there is a potential transfer they want. If so, that is dissappointing. If his health really is an issue and there is no transfer involved, then its OK.

 

[raw1]

Jim Harbaugh is going to treat the Michigan team like it is the 49ers. He is going to bring a win at all cost attitude and not give a crap about the welfare of the student athletes. Remember the movie, "Rudy" and how they protrayed Ara Parsegian? Jerk of all jerks, the players are mere cogs in the Notre Dame machine, easy to replace, play hurt, etc etc. That is exactly what Harbaugh is going to be. He will threaten kids with losing their scholarships if they don't play hurt. He will put them in situations that harm their ability to succeed in the classroom and make it the kids problem.

I don't know any of this for a fact but just seeing how he treated his professional players, I just see this coming. He is a headline maker and a hot head and a narcissistic sob and I think he will be bad for the University and the players.

 

[jaws]

Maybe the doctors and coaching staff really feel like this kid shouldn't be playing football for health reasons. I am going to puke now for defending Michigan.

To me, this situation and the one with osu a couple months ago don't add up to roster management type of moves.

 

[zoogs]

To me, this situation and the one with osu a couple months ago don't add up to roster management type of moves.

What happened there?

Yeah, I think you could well be right. A lot of times a player really should call it quits. But as part of their competitive nature, they struggle to accept it.

 

[jaws]

To me, this situation and the one with osu a couple months ago don't add up to roster management type of moves.

What happened there?

Yeah, I think you could well be right. A lot of times a player really should call it quits. But as part of their competitive nature, they struggle to accept it.

An early enrollee got on campus where the OSU docs were finally able to look at his knee and they did not clear him to play. OSU offered him a medical hardship scholarship and he didn't accept it. OSU let him walk and Auburn's team docs cleared him. I am sure others will say it was Meyer doing something shady or whatever. In the end, OSU docs didn't feel comfortable with the situation and Auburn's did.

 

[BlueInTheFace]

Obviously going to sound homerific coming from me, but here's how I feel like the situation went down:

• Pipkins comes to UM a highly regarded, 5-star recruit
• Is constantly injured, the extent of which includes 3 concussions, a serious neck injury and 2 ACL tears
• Harbaugh tells him that he's not going to play this year, there is no NFL team that is going to draft him, sign the medical and finish your degree at Michigan
• Pipkins is understandably upset, let's people know

Until we take some grad transfer or something like that I really believe that the coaching staff had the kid's best interest at heart. If we do take a grad transfer, well, then I guess a lot of Michigan fans, myself included, will have to admit we're hypocrites and live with that.

 

[jaws]

Obviously going to sound homerific coming from me, but here's how I feel like the situation went down:

• Pipkins comes to UM a highly regarded, 5-star recruit
• Is constantly injured, the extent of which includes 3 concussions, a serious neck injury and 2 ACL tears
• Harbaugh tells him that he's not going to play this year, there is no NFL team that is going to draft him, sign the medical and finish your degree at Michigan
• Pipkins is understandably upset, let's people know

Until we take some grad transfer or something like that I really believe that the coaching staff had the kid's best interest at heart. If we do take a grad transfer, well, then I guess a lot of Michigan fans, myself included, will have to admit we're hypocrites and live with that.

I don't think a grad transfer would mean the coaching staff wasn't looking out of the best interest of the kid.