Did Greatness Just Quit?

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Greatness doesn’t quit Temple football but, unless something changes, Sean Ryan apparently has. Credit: Alamy

Just about every Temple fan was disappointed when Sean Ryan’s name appeared in the transfer portal but, when you take a step back and look at it objectively through blue eyes and not cherry ones, it’s almost amazing how the Owls have only one significant guy thinking about a transfer.

That’s a good thing, not a bad one.

Look at it this way: Some of these guys have been through three coaching changes now so what’s the difference in a fourth? Or maybe some of these guys might think there’s a little too much instability in the coaching offices at the Edberg-Olson Complex and want out.

My only problem with the transfer portal is that it opens another opportunity for the rich to get richer and the poor to get poorer. If this turns out to be an avenue for some of the better G5 players to find their way into the P5, then college football–already dying from the disparity between the Power 5 and those below–is truly finished.

That doesn’t appear to be the case here. If Ryan ends up at Georgia Tech, I might change my mind but I don’t think that will happen.

Temple head coach Rod Carey took a step toward nipping future portal problems in the bud when he said: “As soon as you go in the transfer portal, you are not on the team anymore.” That’s a powerful thing for an 18-year-old kid because he established relationships and a bond with his brothers and breaking that is hard to do.

First, from all appearances, Carey is here to stay for the long haul and there would be no reason for any Temple player to leave.

Ryan’s case is particularly puzzling. He had a nice freshman year (12 catches for 162 yards and a touchdown) but those stats are nothing spectacular. He also seems to have established a rapport with quarterback Anthony Russo and wherever he would go he probably has to establish a similar connection and that would be problematic at best.

For Temple, though, the effects are minimal. While Ryan was a projected starter, Jadan Blue returns from a fall off after catching a pair of touchdown passes in last year’s Cherry and White game and was arguably the Owls’ best receiver last spring in a strong group that included Ventell Byrant and Isaiah Wright. It’s entirely possible that Blue, having another good spring, could have beaten Ryan out.

The Owls can still switch Wright to running back because they have a formidable group of receivers that include Branden Mack (44 catches, 601 yards, five touchdowns), Blue, Randle Jones, and Freddie Johnson.

Hopefully, Ryan will take heed in the Temple motto “Greatness doesn’t quit.”

Or transfer.

Monday: Carey greets the Alumni

 

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14 thoughts on “Did Greatness Just Quit?

  1. I applaud Carey for his statement and hope the same applies w/SRs and bowl games.

    You are not on the team anymore if choose not to play in the bowl game. Stay home and turn in your jersey.

    Back to Ryan, what happened? Or, is this another Kareem Ali case?

    One thing that is readily apparent. You can’t be immature and play big time college football. And, at some point in time reality must set in. You are not going to play in the NFL if you can’t win a starting job. So why transfer?

    Ryan is gone and it appears the team has moved on. Let’s hope Ryan lands on both feet with head high.

  2. Go with the thought he saw the handwriting on the wall (second team) and just wants to play….anywhere.

    In Tuscaloosa, the transfer portal has been dubbed the “quitter hole.”

  3. I have no problem with the transfer portal when a player is blocked from ever seeing playing time by a much better player. I know all about trying harder to get better but there are some players that are so good, that no amount of trying will result in playing time. Take Joe Klecko for example. No backup was ever going to supplant him on the field no matter how much that person tried to get better. A player has a very limited time to play and should be able to leave. Nevertheless, I do not support players leaving when the level of play between the player who wants to leave and the starter is essentially equal. Quitting should not be an option in that situation. With regard to G-5 players going to P-5 teams, it seems to be a stretch except in the situation where the player is a grad and is going to a school that has specific need for the player, who is almost guaranteed to start. . It’s delusional for a kid to leave for a school in a P-5 conference when the kid wasn’t able to play at a G-5 school.

    • And that’s exactly what he did.. Leave a g5 school for a p5 one. Don’t see how he could have started over Mack or blue and that’s even with Wright moving to rb

  4. sounds like TUFB does not have a true starting RB entering the final Spring practice.., what’s up w/Gardner?

    also sounds like all the starting LBs can be all-conference..,

    IMO lack of depth at DT and the OL are areas to watch all season long…,

    F. Brown has real trouble if H.Hand is not eligible

  5. Watched the abbreviated scrimmage today. They had Wright at tailback for several plays, which says to me that the coaches have some idea about best using personnel and that they know what they’re doing. Raynor had a 60 yard run and Dobbins looked very good at tail back. Linemen looked light. Heard that Boomer is leaving. Russo and Centeio had some really nice throws.

    • thanks for posting

      maybe the game is changing before our very eyes, but IMHO it is very difficult to impose your will in the 4th quarter w/a light OL.., where is the beef? We are giving opposing defenses an easy early edge w/o a dominant RB and beefy OL.

      Russo will start but if he falters look for Centeio earlier rather than later.

  6. One more thing. All the bling was no where to be seen. No team DJ, music blaring, or any of the the other hokey crap Collins was so fond of. One of the coaches told me that many of the players are happy about that because they were sometimes embarrassed by that crap especially the money down stupidity which too often resulted in the other team being paid.

  7. Boomer was part of the 2016 cohort class, which might be the best recruiting class in the last 15 years of TUFB.

    17 of the projected 22 starters in 2019 will be from the 2016 class, amazing.

    Can Carey recruit a class of similar pedigree? Sooner is better than later.

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