As some turn on Crowell, Marshall becomes next great thing
Isaiah Crowell dazzled when healthy, rushing for 132 yards against Auburn. (Brant Sanderlin)
(UPDATED: 4:30 p.m.)
Just 10 months ago, Isaiah Crowell was the star of this strange and creepy obsession we call college football recruiting. He put on a Georgia hat. He raised a bulldog puppy up in the air with an ear-to-ear smile. He was all but designated the next savior of Athens, a running back of immense talents who would help turn around a sinking program and maybe help the Bulldogs to an SEC title, or three.
With his first season not yet complete, Crowell is something less than that, at least in terms of perceptions.
On Monday, the Associated Press designated Crowell as the SEC’s freshman of the year. He rushed for 847 yards and five touchdowns, despite playing in really only nine full games. He is, all baggage notwithstanding, one significant reason Georgia has won 10 games this season. But the honor was not universally embraced by Bulldog fans, many of whom referenced Crowell’s injuries, drug suspension and rumors of him being a discipline problem in comments on blogs, Twitter and Facebook. They believed wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell was more deserving.
This all strangely dovetailed into Tuesday, when the Dogs landed the nation’s most sought-after running back (again), Keith Marshall of Raleigh, N.C. A segment of the same fan base that did everything short of bow at Crowell’s feet now is doing the same for Marshall, while hoping Crowell transfers or is thrown off campus.
What gets lost in all of this is that we’re talking about 18-year-old kids.
Isaiah Crowell held up a puppy at his news conference.
I’m not going to get into whether this is fair or unfair. Certainly, Crowell has maturity issues. He deserved criticism for the failed drug test. I’m among those who mocked him over the reported marijuana use during the season. He was suspended for one game and benched for the start of another (for undisclosed reasons). He was frequently injured — and never given the benefit of the doubt when it came to his pain threshold.
There were boos in the Georgia Dome when Crowell kept taking
Keith Marshall is next touted running back headed to Athens. (247sports.com)
himself out of the SEC championship game against LSU because of an ankle injury. Boos. That’s how far his star has fallen. If another player was trying to play through the pain of an injury, he would’ve been celebrated for trying to gut it out. But some now view Crowell as soft, a malingerer, a problem child.
The oversize, mutant stage of college recruiting creates this. Fans and media obsess over the decisions of teenagers. It’s non-stop pampering. There’s an automatic expectation that those who’ve seldom been subjected to criticism, let alone carry a major college football program, will be able to handle growing up in a spotlight. But it doesn’t always work that way.
During Crowell’s official visit to Georgia, coach Mark Richt went to the extent of lining up “players” in an offensive set, leaving the tailback spot vacant for him to see. (It was a brilliant recruiting device, except that it turned out to be a NCAA secondary violation.). But that same Richt was non-committal Monday about who his starter will be in the Outback Bowl.
There are a blur of unconfirmed rumors about Crowell. Nobody is certain if he even wants to come back. He certainly didn’t look like the happiest kid after the SEC game, and seemingly not just because Georgia lost.
I’m not deluded enough into thinking that college athletes should be shielded from criticism. But a little more perspective is in order. Crowell obviously has maturity and discipline issues, but he hasn’t exactly been an abject failure.
Are we so completely lost that we can’t even wait to see if a young man matures when he hits 19 or 20?
It’s possible Marshall will live up to expectations. He came off as a bright and level-headed young man at his announcement Tuesday, when he donned a red Georgia hat with a white “G” on it. He has a 4.29 grade point average. He plans to enroll at UGA in January.
But what if Marshall doesn’t live up to expectations? Georgia hasn’t had the best record when it comes to hyped running back recruits. Do we build up the next guy and lobby for Marshall’s exit? Is the SEC just too important to wait?
Some perspective, please.
By Jeff Schultz
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1,264 comments Add your comment
Remember Lattimore ?
December 6th, 2011
11:37 am
Jeff, that’s a poor excuse to say he’s (Crowell) 18 years-old. Murray’s what 19 ? M.Mitchell 18 ? Its not about age its about him as a person. You can choose to smoke weed at 10,11,12,13,14,up to 95 years-old. This is about character. I remember reading where Crowell NEVER played a full game (usually only 1st half) in high school due to his team blowing other teams out. This means that he didn’t get the stamina and normalcy to play hard 4 quarters. So yeah, if Keith Marshall is a normal football player without the off-field issues then the UGA Nation wants him.
Dr. Phil
December 6th, 2011
11:37 am
Jeff, you are correct about the pampering and drama that surrounds recruiting. I disagree that Richt’s “missing man” drama was brilliant. It reinforced the idea, in Crowell’s head, that he was “special” and sent that same message to other Georgia players. The argument that “he is just 18″ is not valid. Compare Crowell’s performance to Dyer and Lattimore, both of whom were 18 and carried their teams (along with Newton) last year. From what I saw, Crowell was overrated to begin with. He prefers not to block. Imagine what would have happened if a player turned away from Saban when being “talked to.” I think it is tacky to boo your own team, regardless of the circumstance. I don’t agree with “freshman of the year” honors for Crowell. His suspensions should have negated that honor, and his yardage was gained against some very soft defenses. I don’t think that Crowell will accept the demotion that appears to be in the recruiting plans. He would probably do better in a two-year program, anyway.
Johhny Hammersticks
December 6th, 2011
11:39 am
@evil empire.. If you criticize a black person its racist… No matter what.. LOL.. A bad egg is a bad egg
BobDawg
December 6th, 2011
11:39 am
I remember I was worried I would flunk out my 1st qtr… On the UGA tennis team also… Made a 2.8 selah… We have been tough on the kid and have to remember he is a Frosh…. They are going thru alot that 1st year….
Mobile Dawg
December 6th, 2011
11:39 am
18 year olds go to war, and die. Would you want to be in a fox hole with IC? Football is war, can his fellow players depend on him?
DBAG TROLLS!!!!!
December 6th, 2011
11:40 am
JEFF is drinking the ajc blog kool-aid! You really think that UGA fans have turned on one of their own? You should try trash detail for the DOT buddy.
Shad229
December 6th, 2011
11:40 am
Wow…all the kid does is rush for almost 900 yrds and everybody is ready to run him out of town. Does the Kid need to grow up? Yes he does. How hurt was he? IDK..but what i do know is that after I sprained my ankle i was on crutches for about a week and wasnt up to full speed for another 3wks. All Im saying is give the kid some time because the talent is there. He has potential to be a game changer. And if Malcome Mitchell stays healthy and catches that pass then maybe he is the SEC FOY. And if we get those two from NC then UGA will the best set of skill players in the NATION. Root for the kid, encourage the kid but dont try to run him out of town!!!
AltamahaDawg
December 6th, 2011
11:40 am
Nobody is claiming that his reaction to Richt chewing him out was fine on the surface. But I’ve seen that scene plenty of times before, and I don’t read too much into it. I am positive that Richt dealt with it afterwards for what it was. Clearly the kid is having to learn some lessons, and that was one of them. It’s a process, not a point in time.
OkieDawg
December 6th, 2011
11:40 am
WOW, Jeff included some big words in the article….”travails”, “pariah”, “malingerer”, “abject”
He does realize who is audience is, doesn’t he?
Utah Dawg
December 6th, 2011
11:40 am
Niner Fan…are you both a Dawgs fan as well as a San Francisco 49er fan? I thought I was the only one with this less than common connection. Grew up in the ATL but moved to NoCal in college but never left behind either the Dawgs or the Braves. Been a very good year for both programs…it’s like the 80’s again.
Patrick
December 6th, 2011
11:40 am
Dr Phil – Who’s talking about demoting Crowell? Do you really think adding 2 new backs to the system means a demotion for Crowell? I think you’re crazy… If Crowell gets it done in the classroom, he’ll be UGA’s starter next year. Period. If we learned one thing from LSU this past weekend, it’s that DEPTH is the key to winning the SEC. Crowell will need help, but we certainly still need him.
This stuff is all so ridiculous.
evil empire
December 6th, 2011
11:41 am
i always heard the tennis team was for cheerleaders who were afraid of heights…
Remember Lattimore ?
December 6th, 2011
11:41 am
And Jeff, ask Richt what’s up with all these running backs that he recruits with so many off-field isuues (drugs,alcohol,academics) ? We had Caleb King & Washaun Ealey just last year and now Crowell & Thomas are doing the same things. Can Richt sign a Christian (like himself) running back that lives a normal life ? It seems like most NCAA teams do it.
DBAG TROLLS!!!!!
December 6th, 2011
11:42 am
bobdawgs: 96.8% of this blog never went to college so they have no idea what you are talking about.
SSIgator
December 6th, 2011
11:42 am
Dr. Phil -
“his yardage was gained against some very soft defenses”
This is a story about a UGA player and responses from members of the UGA KoolAid Club. Logical statements like yours have no place here.
Dawg Fan
December 6th, 2011
11:43 am
I SUPPORT ISAIAH CROWELL! BUILDING TOWARD 2012 STARTS TODAY…
GO DAWGS!
some sense
December 6th, 2011
11:44 am
Two words…Jax State.
Mobile Dawg
December 6th, 2011
11:44 am
Agree with 11:40, my question is will he get it, I have my doubts.
observer
December 6th, 2011
11:44 am
My son broke his ankle 3rd game of his senior year this past fall. Did everything doctor, trainer, coaches asked of him because he wanted to play and he did make it back for last two game to finish the year. He is not a big time/ big money player but just loved the game and wanted to work hard to get back on the field. Crowell was faster than everyone in High School and now he is getting caught and hit and is not comfortable with it. He may should have attended a few more classes on heart, character and attitude.
RAWdawg
December 6th, 2011
11:44 am
Crowell has proven to be a polarizing player this season. I know “fan” is short for “fanatic”, but people have to remember that the kid is 18 years old, one year removed from a high school campus. Lots of kids have trouble adjusting to the rigors of being a high-profile student athlete. It’s not as cut and dry as “wanting it”. He likely faces more temptation in any given week than I EVER did as a UGA freshman. Let’s cut the kid some slack and see how it all turns out.
Secondly, didn’t the “boos” coincide with Ken “Boo” Malcome entering the game for Crowell. I say this because I remember being appalled at hearing the boos, but then I remembered seeing Malcome come in the game and figured the boos were actually cheering for putting him in the game. I could be wrong, but maybe that is some of the reasoning behind the booing.
Remember Lattimore ?
December 6th, 2011
11:44 am
Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson are top running back recruits that just played football. Isiah Crowell wants to run with his drug using homies…
DBAG TROLLS!!!!!
December 6th, 2011
11:44 am
empire: eat another donut and ask your mom “whats for dinner”
Mister Drysdale
December 6th, 2011
11:45 am
Jeff, nice job trying to trash UGA before Marshall signs with them, but it won’t work. Even better job of trolling. You must be one of the highest paid Internet trolls in sports.
Patrick
December 6th, 2011
11:45 am
You’re absolutely right SSIgator… The UF defense was pretty soft this year. I saw some nice running from both Crowell and Samuel back in Jacksonville…
Telling too Much
December 6th, 2011
11:46 am
If there is one thing that a 5 STAR Football player has over every other freshmen entering college is the fact that they are afforded special tutoring, class monitoring, and a study center that other non athletes will never be allowed into.
For a kid to be struggling his first semester in college is typical, but with the support IC is afforded it shows that maybe he was not prepared for college to begin with.
Texas Dawg
December 6th, 2011
11:46 am
IC is talented and he could be very….very good if…..he gets his head on straight and works hard…he as it stands right now is on the UGA fans hit list…why…. attitude and off the field issues…we as fans have seen the decline of our football program because players that deem themselves more important than the program….. these energy vampires need to go!
To all you folks that say”freshman” i say how many other freshman were suspended not just once but twice………………… if he doesn’t work his butt off this summer and stay out of trouble he needs to be booted off the program!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Banned Poster
December 6th, 2011
11:46 am
Definitely not in any rush to run off Crowell. I want the kid to succeed and believe he will. I want Keith Marshall as well because the kid provides something we didn’t have this year and that is depth at the RB position. Look at LSU and you will see that you can do great things with a talented stable of RBs. With both Crowell and Marshall in the backfield with Samuel and Malcome taking snaps as well, the RB issues of this year are not a problem going into 2012.
proud
December 6th, 2011
11:46 am
Why wouldn’t he be at UGA next year? Some of you guys really need to think before you type. SEC Freshman of the Year and people saying they want him gone. Makes sense!
DBAG TROLLS!!!!!
December 6th, 2011
11:47 am
raw: you are correct sir. I was sitting down low and that is exactly what happened. Not sure I like the Boo for Boo!
Gunny
December 6th, 2011
11:47 am
Crowell lacks the proper motvation. A 13 week stint in Gunny’s motivational Platoon would do him good. We specialize in converting alibi Ikes, primadonnas, foul balls, softbodies and momma’s boys into warriors! When Gunny and his boys get through with Mr. Crowell he will be born again hard!
georgedawg
December 6th, 2011
11:47 am
Schultz, You are beyond pathetic. it’s the AJC that gets all this started. You can’t come up with anything interesting or insightful so you criticize and drum up controvercy.
WE NEED NEW SPORTWRITERS – YOU AND BRADLEY ARE OLD NEWS AND BORING!!!
Bama Mike
December 6th, 2011
11:47 am
Wonder if these issues would have surfaced had he been under the care custody and control of Burton Burns Alabama’s running back coach. Bet IC father is kicking himself now for letting Richt’s recruting circus act change IC decision in chosing UGA over Alabama. Remember Crowell had been a solid Bama committment up until about 30 days before national signing. He would be preparing for a BCS Championship game versus having to read and hear all the cruel comments now being directed. Here is where real leadership kicks in. Have not heard one word of support from CMR during the last two days of the crucifiction of IC in the media and blogs.
DBAG TROLLS!!!!!
December 6th, 2011
11:48 am
Again, 98.6% of the blogs are not UGA fans!
2uga 9fan0
December 6th, 2011
11:48 am
Gotta be reminded of Atticus Finch’s quote “Don’t judge a man until you try on his shoes and walk around for a while”
SSIgator
December 6th, 2011
11:48 am
Patrick -
Agreed
can't spell THUGA without UGA
December 6th, 2011
11:48 am
don’t expect any changes
Banned Poster
December 6th, 2011
11:48 am
TexasDawg…he was only suspended for the New Mexico St game and not any other game. Sure Richt held him out for a quarter in the Vandy game, but that was more team punishment than a real suspension. The kid has some issues, but they will get worked out over the spring and summer.
Remember Lattimore ?
December 6th, 2011
11:48 am
Don’t compare Crowell to the bloggers here. Just compare him to other running backs straight out of high school. Like M.Ingram,T.Richardson,M.Lattimore,Demps,etc. Its not about being 18. Its about the player’s character.
evil empire
December 6th, 2011
11:49 am
@dbag trolls…do you count your time at the Cobb County school of Cosmetology and male Brazilian Wax College as time spent in a university setting???…
DBAG TROLLS!!!!!
December 6th, 2011
11:50 am
IC was never a BAMA commit! drink another one dude!
Deserves what he gets
December 6th, 2011
11:50 am
IC deserves what he gets from the media and the fan base….nothing but another thug/punk recruit of Richt’s that won’t be around too much longer.
DawgDad
December 6th, 2011
11:50 am
Where Crowell goes from here is largely up to him. If he hasn’t been attending classes he may be through at UGA, regardless.
The biggest problem at tailback was Ealey and King. They should have been there carrying the rock and providing leadership for the kids, but alas . . . then Samuel goes down and Crowell/Malcome rise to the top of the depth chart on talent alone.
SSIgator
December 6th, 2011
11:51 am
Hey, it is almost 2012. Isn’t it time for the UGA fans to start making up their posters for their pre-season #1 ranking?
evil empire
December 6th, 2011
11:51 am
well said Bama MIke…
Dawg1906
December 6th, 2011
11:51 am
Crowell will be one of the best backs that came through UGA. He is a true freshman and I can’t believe people are questioning his injury. He is a running back that does a lot of cutting to get open. If your ankle is not healthy it’s hard to be productive. When I watched the game, I saw him obviously limping but still trying to play. Last time I checked a player getting any type of SEC honors should be celebrated in the best division of college football.
Swampdawg
December 6th, 2011
11:51 am
“Over-hyped at the start of the Year” Georgia coaches said he had “IT”!
He did have “IT” but not like Knowshown or Herschal had “IT”! He never broke the big one did he? GA Fans like to see a RB go the the house once in a while. They remember those runs. They soon forget about the 15-20 yd runs.
WDE
December 6th, 2011
11:51 am
@Telling too Much and none of it the truth…do me a favor there genius give me one SEC school that doesn’t have kids come in every year and not pan our either on the field or in the classroom..go ahead enlighten us genius.
Newman
December 6th, 2011
11:51 am
“…only a freshman”? Wasn’t Herschel, Tim Worley, Keith Henderson, Rodney Hampton, Garrison Hearst, Knowshon (redshirt), et al “only freshmen” when they got it done their first year???
beenthere b4
December 6th, 2011
11:52 am
The general assumption is that Crowell is lacking. On the other hand, what is the University doing to prepare him to be successful? The production on the field makes it clear that Crowell brought his talents to the table. Has Coach Richt ever invited Crowell to attend church services with him? I would guess NOT. Has a university professor ever met with Crowell to explain the logic behind the educational process? I would guess NOT. Has any of the fraternities reached out to Crowell to offer him a support system outside of football? I guess NOT.
Obviously, the guy with the weed showed him LOVE.
Bear Bryant greatness can be witnessed by the former players that have become successful as the General Manager of a great NFL team, another,the first Black Coach in the SEC, and other successful business leaders.
Who has UGA produced? Do not say Hershel, he was a stud when he walked through the door, that credit goes to his high school program, not UGA. And I also mean success off the football field.
I love UGA Football, however, as a parent, who has a gifted child on the order of Crowell, I would get him out of UGA as quickly as possible. The recruit that is considering UGA should also take heed. UGA plays with a one sided coin!
As supporters, we should demand better.
Telling too Much
December 6th, 2011
11:52 am
If anyone is really naive enough or just too dumb to realize it, the extra benefits and family support for Crowell was the reason he went to UGA. Every school has boosters that do it and anyone who thinks their school has boosters who do not do it please think again. Most coaches do not get involved with it, but also know how the game is played. With the exception of Oregon St. paying for scouting reports and services these kids know how the game is played by the time they are in the 10th or 11th grade and scouting services are asking them for their information.