Nick Saban meets with Justin Taylor, promises to “stand by his word”
Alabama's Nick Saban met with now-2013 commit Justin Taylor on Tuesday (AP)
Nick Saban and Justin Taylor sat across from each other for about an hour at North Atlanta High School on Tuesday. It was the first face-to-face meeting between the two since it was reported that Taylor can’t sign with Alabama this year. It was surprising news for Taylor, who has been committed to Alabama since last February (he was the 7th of Alabama’s 27 commitments). The Crimson Tide wants Taylor to “grayshirt” because of a knee injury and wait to enroll in 2013, while others speculate that it was creative “roster management” by Saban. You can catch up by reading HERE and HERE and HERE. What’s the latest with Justin Taylor? He remains committed to Alabama. That’s never changed since last February. Purdue is interested but hasn’t offered a football scholarship. At this point, Taylor’s top options appear to be attending a prep school next fall or simply sitting out of school altogether until he is permitted to enroll at Alabama next January. We talked to North Atlanta football coach Stanley Pritchett, the ex-NFL RB who is also Taylor’s legal guardian.
- How did it go? “We had a good conversation with Coach Saban. He told us exactly what the plan was with Justin. It was basically the same things he told us a couple of weeks ago on the official visit to Alabama. Coach Saban really wants him. He said he wouldn’t be coming to the school and sitting in the room if he didn’t want him. Coach Saban said Justin is part of the Alabama family. They just think it’s best for his football career to grayshirt and get his knee back right.”
- What is Saban’s plan for Justin? “The plan is to make sure he gets some rehab for his knee. They said he can take some classes at a community college in the fall, three or six hours, where he won’t be a full-time student. Or he can go to a prep school if he wants. Actually, it was Justin who brought up the idea of a prep school. Coach Saban is fine with it as long as the doctors clear him to play. They don’t want him to get him injured again. They don’t want him playing again until he’s 100 percent. Alabama said they have contacts at prep schools if he wants to go there in the fall. But Justin is already academically qualified. He doesn’t really have to go to a prep school.”
2013 Alabama RB commit Justin Taylor (AJC)
- Did Saban mention anything about the public reaction to the situation? “Yes. He said he caught a lot of flak for it and took a lot of criticism. He wasn’t mad at Justin for anything. He said stuff like this is just the nature of the beast. That’s really all that was said about it.”
- Could Taylor still sign with Alabama next week? “I don’t think so. Now Coach Saban did say that they could bring him in down the line [with the 2012 class] at a later date if something becomes available. But he doesn’t feel like Justin’s knee is going to be healthy enough or ready to do something like that, even if a spot did open up.”
- What’s your advice for Justin as his legal guardian? “Coach Saban made it clear he is going to stand by his word. As Justin’s guardian, I can only go by a man’s word. I’m going to hold Coach Saban to those words. There’s going to be a problem if he doesn’t stick by his word [and sign Taylor in 2013]. That’s when it would be a problem for me. As long as the kid signs next year, I’m fine with it because I only want what’s the best for Justin. This is his life and his decision. He wants to go to Alabama next year, and I’m going to support him with that decision.”
SINCE YOU LAST LEFT YOUR COMPUTER …
- Mark Richt goes to JAIL for recruiting
- Is JaQuay Williams on the verge of flipping from Auburn to UGA?
- How will Paul Johnson react? Georgia Tech recruit declares last-minute visit to Miami
- Florida Gators may be next to offer ex-Georgia Tech recruit Junior Gnonkonde
- Josh Harvey-Clemons: Wins award for inviting most guests to church
- Nick Saban meets with Justin Taylor, promises “to stand by his word”
- Josh Harvey-Clemons: Is there new competition for UGA?
- Georgia QB flips to Penn State
- Eastside DE Sheldon Rankins commits to Louisville
- UPDATE!!! Now we KNOW why OL Chester Brown de-committed from UGA
- Guess which college sent assistants to observe Dalvin Tomlinson?
- Georgia State’s prized QB commit will stick by Panthers
IN CASE YOU’VE BEEN IN A COMA THE LAST FEW DAYS …
- Guess who is waiting on state’s No. 1 WR after finishing his UGA visit? Yes, Gene Chizik
- QB Kyle Sloter flips from Tulane to Southern Miss
- Josh Dawson says it’s “50/50″ between UGA and Vanderbilt
- Ex-Georgia Tech recruit talks with UGA, Florida, UNC, others
- Surprise! Moody commits to rival SEC school and may play some QB
- After “getting it right” with God, WR picks Virginia Tech
- Special teams help on the way to Georgia Tech with commit No. 17
- DT from “Down Under” pledges the Georgia Tech
- Georgia Tech withdraws scholarship offer of its first 2012 commit
- Will UGA be able to flip the commitment of one of Auburn’s top recruits?
- More on Georgia Tech’s “top secret” recruit from AUSTRALIA
– By Michael Carvell, AJC Recruiting Blog
Got an item? mcarvell@ajc.com
- So much is happening so fast. Have you missed anything over the last few days? Catch up with our feed by CLICKING HERE
- BOOKMARK the NEW AJC Recruiting homepage here
- Want to see a list of all the players in the state of Georgia who have either been offered by or are committed to D1 schools? It’s looong. Go here.
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494 comments Add your comment
BEARBRYANTISDEAD
January 25th, 2012
11:32 am
Alabama = 0 Pro Teams
Alabama = 14 national titles when counting the ones the ap gave them not earned (like this year)
Alabama- Home to George Wallace
Alabama – Home to segregation on city buses
Alabama- Home to worst educational state
Alabama- No major cities, coughs I mean Birmingham
Alabama- 0 baseball titles, uga has more golf, tennis, gym titles and baseball titles
Alabama- Home to subsistence living
SECIsFootball
January 25th, 2012
11:33 am
Jacket Man….what difference does it make if he has a scholarship now or in January 2013. He is still getting a scholarship. Its not like his scholarship was yanked and he is going to be forced to pay his own way. Enough with the dramatics already.
BEARBRYANTISDEAD
January 25th, 2012
11:34 am
oh i wish i was in the land of cotton where bammer fans are forgotten-look away look away look away scandal u
BEARBRYANTISDEAD
January 25th, 2012
11:34 am
bear bryant was a racist
BEARBRYANTISDEAD
January 25th, 2012
11:35 am
Alabama = 0 Pro Teams
Alabama = 14 national titles when counting the ones the ap gave them not earned (like this year)
Alabama- Home to George Wallace
Alabama – Home to segregation on city buses
Alabama- Home to worst educational state
Alabama- No major cities, coughs I mean Birmingham
Alabama- 0 baseball titles, uga has more golf, tennis, gym titles and baseball titles
Alabama- Home to subsistence living
Alabama < DOG DUNG
BEARBRYANTISDEAD
January 25th, 2012
11:36 am
bama- where a tornado is the big event of the year
SECIsFootball
January 25th, 2012
11:36 am
BEARBRYANTISDEAD….congrats on those golf, gymnastics and baseball titles. I cant believe you left off equestrian. That said, I would not trade one football title for a title in golf, baseball, gymnastic(we are defending national champs) or horse riding. I would say you wouldn’t either but you guys dont really have enough to be giving those away.
BEARBRYANTISDEAD
January 25th, 2012
11:37 am
ALABAMA- IS THE CESSPOOL OF THE SOUTH
George Stein
January 25th, 2012
11:37 am
I know he isn’t, BAMA dude. Again, that’s the whole friggin’ problem.
I wonder what other former players think of Saban. Oh, wait! We have that information, too.
http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424052748703384204575509901468451306-lMyQjAxMTAwMDIwNDEyNDQyWj.html
BEARBRYANTISDEAD
January 25th, 2012
11:37 am
WE HAVE 6 USING THE SAME MATH OF ACCEPTING EVERYONE LIKE BAMA DOES
JB
January 25th, 2012
11:37 am
Thanks for that SECIsFootball………..nice someone remembers……I don’t know about Jealousy. I grew up loving Georgia football…and wouldn’t trade it for Bama football just so you’ll know. And yes, and as a state that has more D1 talent than Bama ever will and the second most profitable program in the country, we are all disappointed we haven’t had better results over here
BEARBRYANTISDEAD
January 25th, 2012
11:38 am
BAMA- WHERE THE LONELY GO TO DIE
George Stein
January 25th, 2012
11:38 am
A grayshirt actually does require that the player pay his own way, at least temporarily. And why would anyone believe Saban will have a scholarship available? He said a year ago that Taylor would have one.
SECIsFootball
January 25th, 2012
11:38 am
BEARBRYANTISDEAD….Athens, GA. The city college football championships have forgotten about.
Alabama….home state of the last 3 college football national champions.
BEARBRYANTISDEAD
January 25th, 2012
11:39 am
TORNADOES AND BAMA FOOTBALL BABY = ALL THERE IS TO DO IN THE SORRY STATE OF ALABAMA
dmr
January 25th, 2012
11:40 am
I’m a Georgia fan, but listening to people bitch about grey-shirting is like listening to Obama bitch about the “rich”. Saban is playing by the rules as they have been laid out. If you don’t like it, don’t kill the man, change the rules. There was a very good article written by Schultz not too long ago referencing an EARLY SIGNING PERIOD would eliminate some of this nonsense.
Why should a kid have his entire senior season be interrupted when he may know exactly where he wants to go and makes a “verbal” commitment in his Junior year. It is time for the NCAA to address this issue and allow kids and coaches to have a smoother transition by allowing for an Early Signing Period.
SECIsFootball
January 25th, 2012
11:41 am
George Stein….If he doesnt take any college courses until then, he will not have to pay for any courses. As for why anyone would believe he would have a scholarship available….because as I have explained numerour times, EVERY PLAYER WHO HAS EVER RECEIVED A GRAYSHIRT FROM ALABAMA HAS ENROLLED THAT FOLLOWING SPRING. You conveniently skip over that every time it is mentioned because you don’t want to recognize the truth.
Paul in NH
January 25th, 2012
11:42 am
SECIsFootball
January 25th, 2012
11:33 am
Jacket Man….what difference does it make if he has a scholarship now or in January 2013. He is still getting a scholarship. Its not like his scholarship was yanked and he is going to be forced to pay his own way.
————
If Justin wants to go to UA this year he will have to pay his own way – and with out-of-state tuition to boot.
JB
January 25th, 2012
11:43 am
Good link George. Bout say’s it all. I have no idea why the NCAA allows it. Everyone knows he does it.
I’m sure it crosses some players minds, but he’ll get his players every year.
The Truth
January 25th, 2012
11:43 am
This kind of crap needs to be illegal. That is ridiculous.
SECIsFootball
January 25th, 2012
11:44 am
Paul in NH…he does not need to enroll now at UA. He can wait until January where he will have a FULL SCHOLARSHIP!
harold
January 25th, 2012
11:45 am
NICK SABAN IS A CHAMPIONSHIP COACH AND BAMA IS A CHAMPIONSHIP PROGRAM PERIOD! UGA IS NOT A CHAMPIONSHIP PROGRAM AND RICHT ( WHO HAS NEVER EVEN BEEN IN THE BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME) IS CLEARLY A “DREAMER” NOT A DOER.
SABAN, SPURRIER, MILES, AND CHIZIK ALL HAVE WON A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP. THEY ARE CHAMPIONSHIP COACHES AT CHAMPIONSHIP PROGRAMS.
5150 UOAD
January 25th, 2012
11:45 am
Saban can say anything. The kid has NO Guarantee he will be there in Jan 13. the only thing now in the kids favor is that there is a HUGE amount of attention on the situation and Saban almost can’t afford not to get the kid in Bama.
Bama Mike
January 25th, 2012
11:45 am
Well there you have it. Proof that we all have that dork little cousin that always shows up dumb, intoxicated, more dumb and then passess out. Georgia Bulldogs please welcome your very own BEARBRYANTISDEAD to the forum.
BEARBRYANTISDEAD
January 25th, 2012
11:46 am
MY NAME BE PAUL BEAR BRYANT…I BE A GOOD FOOTBALL COACH FOR BAMMER….WE HAVE UGLY WOMEN, RACIST GOVERNORS BUT WE HAVE SOME HISTOWIC FOOTBALL HERE IN THIS HERE GREAT STATE….EVEN THOUGH OUR PLAYERS STINK AND WE BE STEALIN EM FROM THAT DIVERSE STATE OF JAWGA….SOME PPLS BEEN ASKIN ME WHAT WE DO HERE FOR FUN…I BE TELLIN EM THAT WE HAVE COW TIPPIN, TORNADO WATCHIN, AND SOME FINE TOOTHLESS GIRLS…EVEN THO WE DONT HAVE ANY OF THEM PRO TEAMS WE THINKS BAMMER IS A PRO TEAM AND AUBURN IS OUR MINOR LEAGUE TEAM….DONT LET THE BAD ENGLISH FOOLS YA- WE REALLY EDUMACATED IN THESE PARTS….WHY I JUS LEARNED HOW TO OPERATE ONE OF THEM THERE COTTON ENGINES THE OTHER DAY-ELI WHITNEY WAS A GREAT MAN…I BET HE WILL CHANGE SOUTHERN SOCIETY FOR EVEYONE- COS YOU KNOW WE BAMMERS THINK EVERYONE BE EQUAL…OUR RECORD ON CIVIL RIGHTS BE GOOD YA KNOW- I MEAN IF YOU DONT COUNT THE BIRMINGHAM, SELMA AND MONTGOMERY INCIDENTS…
Son of Roaring Dan
January 25th, 2012
11:46 am
George: Taylor would enter school in January 2013 instead of in August 2012. I stand corrected — it would be 4.5 months instead of 4 months.
BAMA dude
January 25th, 2012
11:46 am
George, did you read that old, tired piece? None of them say anything negative about Saban. They all got their educations paid for, and all say that the decision was ultimately theirs. The one kid got his grad school paid for in exchange for giving up football. Where’s the problem?
BAMA dude
January 25th, 2012
11:47 am
5150, does Saban have any guarantee that the kid would sign?
SECIsFootball
January 25th, 2012
11:48 am
5150 UOAD….he as the knowlegde that every grayshirt BAMA has ever given out has signed with Alabama the following spring.
BEARBRYANTISDEAD
January 25th, 2012
11:50 am
MY NAME BE PAUL BEAR BRYANT…I BE A GOOD FOOTBALL COACH FOR BAMMER….WE HAVE UGLY WOMEN, RACIST GOVERNORS BUT WE HAVE SOME HISTOWIC FOOTBALL HERE IN THIS HERE GREAT STATE….EVEN THOUGH OUR PLAYERS STINK AND WE BE STEALIN EM FROM THAT DIVERSE STATE OF JAWGA….SOME PPLS BEEN ASKIN ME WHAT WE DO HERE FOR FUN…I BE TELLIN EM THAT WE HAVE COW TIPPIN, TORNADO WATCHIN, AND SOME FINE TOOTHLESS GIRLS…EVEN THO WE DONT HAVE ANY OF THEM PRO TEAMS WE THINKS BAMMER IS A PRO TEAM AND AUBURN IS OUR MINOR LEAGUE TEAM….DONT LET THE BAD ENGLISH FOOLS YA- WE REALLY EDUMACATED IN THESE PARTS….WHY I JUS LEARNED HOW TO OPERATE ONE OF THEM THERE COTTON ENGINES THE OTHER DAY-ELI WHITNEY WAS A GREAT MAN…I BET HE WILL CHANGE SOUTHERN SOCIETY FOR EVEYONE- COS YOU KNOW WE BAMMERS THINK EVERYONE BE EQUAL…OUR RECORD ON CIVIL RIGHTS BE GOOD YA KNOW- I MEAN IF YOU DONT COUNT THE BIRMINGHAM, SELMA AND MONTGOMERY INCIDENTS…I MEAN WE BE WINNIN THEM TITLES COS THE MYTHICAL GODS AT ESPN AND THE PRESS LOVES US…HOW MANY TITLES WERE WON WITHOUT BEING UNDEFEATED…TAKE THIS YEAR FOR INSTANCE WHEN HERBSTREIT AND ESPN DECIDED IT WAS OK FOR A NON-DIVISION NON CONFERENCE WINNER TO PLAY IN THE TITLE GAME AGAINST A TEAM THAT ALREADY BEAT THEM-UNLIKE IN 07 WHEN UGA WOULD HAVE PLAYED BUT ESPN SAID A NON CONFERENCE WINNER SHOULDNT-WELL AT LEAST MY COUSINS WIFE IS MY SISTERS FORST COUSIN WHO IS MARRIED TO LORRAINE WHO HAD THREE KIDS WITH MIKE WHOS DONNAS BROTHER AND UNCLE
Rocketman
January 25th, 2012
11:50 am
Sounds like A1 is a whiney little girl whose program is suffering,
You guys need to read what NFL GM’s and Coaches think about Nick Saban and his system.
They know a “little” more about Football than some of you jock sniffing fantasy league GM’s.
http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2012/01/nick_sabans_alabama_system_pav.html
Brown Dog
January 25th, 2012
11:51 am
Boy, this thread went south in a hurry, as in one Deep South state accusing another of racism.
George Stein, JB: I don’t like the way this was handled. Our recruiting philosophy allegedly has been to let kids know from the start where they stand. Justin Taylor got wind of a change of plans too late in the game, in my opinion. (Of couse, his coach may be overstating the progress of his knee.)
In the future, I hope we don’t have any more late surprises. Saban has never backed out of a grayshirt offer. Look it up. His word is platinum on that point. Taylor, if he chooses, will have a place in Tuscaloosa a year from now. It’s the difference of four or five months.
Granted, there is a larger point. But if a coach is as cavalier in his treatment of players as many of you say, he would have stopped getting players a long time ago. RxDawg, feel free to drop by and see how we do on Feb. 1. Families are very comfortable sending their kids to Tuscaloosa.
Jefferson Davis Hogg
January 25th, 2012
11:51 am
Seems to me that Saban could have just signed him then redshirt him…..Whats the difference between this guy and all the other athletes he will redshirt this year…After all, he was the 7th verbal commit.
Paul in NH
January 25th, 2012
11:52 am
SECisFootball
Is the guarantee for a FULL SCHOLARSHIP in 2013 similar to the guarantee for the FULL SCHOLARSHIP in 2012?
BEARBRYANTISDEAD
January 25th, 2012
11:55 am
BRYANT IS DEAD-LOL
BAMA dude
January 25th, 2012
11:55 am
43-6 in the last four years. Let the butthurt flow, ladies and gents. We’re basking in it.
BEARBRYANTISDEAD
January 25th, 2012
11:55 am
ALABAMA = BORING
Son of Roaring Dan
January 25th, 2012
11:56 am
I have a sneaking suspicion that “BEARBRYANTISDEAD” isn’t really the Bear. Almost sounds like an insecure Atlanta loser who props himself up by saying “at least I am better than all those rubes over in Alabama.” Nah, probably not.
SECIsFootball
January 25th, 2012
11:56 am
Paul in NH….Like every other prospect who has ever accepted a grayshirt, he will also enroll on a FULL SCHOLARSHIP. Justin has the opportunity to look elsewhere. He can go to prep school, juco or even with another D1 team. He wants to play for Alabama and will hold off his enrollment. What I do know is in January 2013, when he enrolls at Alabama, a lot of your will look stupid for making this so much bigger than it is. Keep up the good work!
Rocketman
January 25th, 2012
11:57 am
BEARBRYANTISDEAD
January 25th, 2012
11:35 am
Alabama = 0 Pro Teams
Alabama = 14 national titles when counting the ones the ap gave them not earned (like this year)
Alabama- Home to George Wallace
Alabama – Home to segregation on city buses
Alabama- Home to worst educational state
Alabama- No major cities, coughs I mean Birmingham
Alabama- 0 baseball titles, uga has more golf, tennis, gym titles and baseball titles
Alabama- Home to subsistence living
Alabama < DOG DUNG
Lets Continue….
1. Home to The last 3 …YES 3 BCS Champions
2. Home to 2 of the last 3 Heisman Winners.
3. Home to Redstone – the folks who keep your Satellites in orbit
4. Home to Real Beaches- unlike those on the Georgia east coast Mud.
Thank you for playing
sarcasm detector
January 25th, 2012
12:00 pm
That was so nice of Nicky to let Justin know that he wasn’t mad at him. As every clear thinking individual knows, he definitely had reason to be.
RxDawg
January 25th, 2012
12:00 pm
“Signing day is just around the corner and we need fax paper…Lot’s of it….”
LOL
martin
January 25th, 2012
12:02 pm
mark richt recruits illegal aliens. the saban bashing is way out of line. just jealous because he’s a winner.
BAMA dude
January 25th, 2012
12:05 pm
martin, they just have a hard time understanding the concept that a bunch of top-flight recruits are beating the doors down to play for Saban since their coach has to beg and plead just to keep the in-state talent from bolting. It ain’t Saban’s fault that the NCAA imposes scholarship limits, nor that a whole lot more than 25 elite kids want Bama’s schollys.
BAMA dude
January 25th, 2012
12:08 pm
In fact, few realize the hypocrisy of the holier-than-thou oversigning crowd. Scholarship limits actually HURT kids, not help them. They’re designed to help the programs who can’t recruit as well to keep things competitive.
Blackoutanyone?
January 25th, 2012
12:12 pm
Stein is a GT fan… you know the program that just informed a commit last week they were pulling their offer. Gave the kid two weeks to find new plans. Yet stein is on here complaining about Saban. A cow h who is the only one giving this kid a scholarship.
BEARBRYANTISDEAD
January 25th, 2012
12:12 pm
alabammer- WHERE FOOTBALL IS GREATER THAN RACE RELATIONS
BEARBRYANTISDEAD
January 25th, 2012
12:13 pm
GEORGIA- HOME TO MLK
BAMA- HOME TO RACIST GEORGE WALLACE
Blackoutanyone?
January 25th, 2012
12:22 pm
Rxdawg…lol
Rocketman
January 25th, 2012
12:24 pm
The same MLK who was sleeping around., the part of the story no one wants to talk about.