re: "Russell has too much talent to sit" - resurrected thread (2006) Well, a coach looks at it this way. What he really needs is a quarterback with both brains and talent. He can take a QB with amazing raw talent and teach him to play smarter, more effectively, and more confidently with some time and coaching. But it is usually impossible for a coach to take a smart, confident QB and then make him amazingly talented.
re: "Russell has too much talent to sit" - resurrected thread (2006) If JR reads half the posts on half the boards on the internet then he knows that he is under the gun to perform this season. I believe he can have a record setting performance this year given the talent that is there. He has the ability,the players and coaches around him to make him one of,if not,the best SEC QB's ever to play ball. That said if everyone around him does not do their tasks,including coaching,it will make for a season of pointing fingers and saying "injured players,etc". If JR wants to be the best QB LSU ever had he can be. It is up to him because I do not believe the coaches will pull him as long as he is doing the job of starting QB. What makes it a little complicated is the talent we have at QB waiting in the wings. How long do you give your star QB before pulling him if he is not doing the job,do you pull him early in a game or early in the season? Unless a major hurricane hits S.Louisiana this year like last,and there are no major distractions, I honestly believe the LSU football team will have only 1 defeat this season. No other D-1 team will be undefeated this year which will make it 2004 all over again. I love my TIGERS.!!!
re: "Russell has too much talent to sit" - resurrected thread (2006) Actually tirk Russel doesn't win the whole team wins. running backs are judeged on individual performances and so are other players, regardless of wins. if you go by wins, Flynn is proven too. How do you know that if he had started all the games, we wouldnt have won them all? If you just got by the TEAM acomplishments, then the thrid string water boy is excellent. As far as internet folklore about him reading defenses go... it could be folklore or could be true. Eventually the cream rises to the top, in a few years he'll either be one of the best in the NFL or a back up somewhere or maybe not even that, time will tell. All we have to do is watch and wait. At times he looked like he was "right on" at others, he looked like a space cadet. did he "look off his read" ? who knows. Consistancy is a HUGE plus for QB's ( the good kind not the bad ) but I do know what you mean about unfounded rumors gaining ground. I just couldnt say one way or the other myself. I can say he lacks consistancy, and leadership. My personal opinion is he has the physical tools to be great. This might be the year he puts the "mental" aspect of the game up where his pyhsical strengths are. if he does, I don't see how anyone else could replace him. Last year however, as far as Pocket commander/ ie having his "head" in the game.... Flynn looked better what few times we saw him, every time. The boy has pocket prescence, ray charles can see that, he just doesnt have that gorrilla arm that Russell has. One thing for sure, injury non withstanding, assuming he can over come that.... this would be HIS year.. His year to Prove the detractors that say he lacks poise. He may not "lack" poise but he certainly doesn't exude the confidance Mauck did or even Flynn does. This would be the time to relax in the pocket and take that crucial step to being a leader and QB and basiclly relegating his back ups to back up. given his physical talent, IF this happend and it is a big IF.... it could mean a hiesman. if not then he is no better than an average smaller QB that doesnt throw the ball 100 yards on his knees, but has leadership, consistancy, and poise and maturity. Looking at it, he has developed slow in My opinion, but this year, if he improves could be the year. Maturity, that's all he needs, and every year he gets it. I just hope he steps up and plays the kind of caliber ball he was always touted as doing..... WE all hope so I know. Good luck to him.
re: "Russell has too much talent to sit" - resurrected thread (2006) I really do not feel like wading through all the post of this thread so I apoligize beforehand if this has already been posted. A player can have all the talent in the world: Cecil Collins, Ricky Williams, T.O. but if you dont have a level head to UNDERSTAND the concepts of the game it wont matter. You can only go so far on god given talent, sooner or later you have to be smart enough to play the game. If Russell has used this offseason to get his head into the game and has a better grasp mentally of the gameplan, then I say give him the chance to screw up. But at the same time he needs to be put on a very short rope and needs to know that Flynn is more than ready to step up into his slot.
re: "Russell has too much talent to sit" - resurrected thread (2006) One more year of experience under the belt can make a HUGE difference. Not that I'm comparing the two, but people in Texas weren't exactly thrilled about the play and decision making of Vince Young (despite his running ability). Young came back this year and was tremendously improved. For this reason alone, I think Russell is the obvious choise. He has far more experience in this system than the other two QB's. That to go along with his incredible talent. Assuming he comes back at 100% or close to it, JR will and should be the starting quaterback at LSU. We should be thankful that we have such a talented and capable backup, as well as an incredibly talented 3rd stringer.
re: "Russell has too much talent to sit" - resurrected thread (2006) I have no interest in debating this thread, but the title reminded me of an all-time favorite Rickey Henderson moment. "Sometimes Rickey has too much speed in his mouth." Rickey Henderson on why Rickey Henderson says crazy things
re: "Russell has too much talent to sit" - resurrected thread (2006) Vince Young just learned how to throw a forward pass. He still makes JR look like Einstein.
re: "Russell has too much talent to sit" - resurrected thread (2006) :hihi: :hihi: you ever hear tony gwynn's stories about rickey when they were teammates? his impressions are hilarious. the 3rd person references are too much. Had one im trying to remember when he broke his cleat. Ill think of it if i think hard enough.
re: "Russell has too much talent to sit" - resurrected thread (2006) Rickey never used Tony's first name, he just loudly called him "Gwynn" all the time (only a Hall of Famer can do that to another HOFamer). Gwynn also said that Rickey was the only player he'd ever seen snap cleats off his shoes while running - his legs are so strong that he snaps off his own cleats! Gwynn said that Rickey would be changing to a new pair of shoes during a game and would be yelling, "Man, Rickey can't do nothin' without breakin' a cleat!"
