Charlie Weis and Terrelle Pryor (Article)
Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2008 9:14 am
Can you believe the arrogance of this guy? Do you want to take a pic of my Super Bowl rings? LOL LOL
chicagotribune.com
Charlie Weis alienates Irish supporters
Losses, criticism piling up for Irish's Weis
Teddy Greenstein
ON COLLEGES
1:02 AM CST, November 14, 2008
The guy who once boasted he "could get hoodlums and thugs and win tomorrow" strolled into Jeannette High School in the spring of 2007 to recruit superstar quarterback Terrelle Pryor.
Jeannette coach Ray Reitz knew a bit about Charlie Weis and his reputation. Still, he was stunned by what he describes as a level of conceit he never had seen from the dozens of college coaches he had visited with over the years.
Weis certainly made a lasting impression.
"Arrogant as hell," Reitz said.
When Reitz told Weis that Pryor might attend a USC quarterbacks camp, he remembers Weis replying: "Why send him there? If he's with me for one day he'll be good, two days he'll be great and three days he'll be incredible."
Later, unprompted, Weis asked the Jeannette coaches if they wanted to take a picture of his Super Bowl ring. "I did it, just to be polite, and then gave [the picture] to one of the kids," Reitz recalled.
Everyone who comes into contact with Weis, it seems, has a story—and they're rarely complimentary.
Many former players and alums are down on him for what they perceive as his arrogance, but they're reluctant to speak for the record.
Why? As one prominent alum explained it, "A lot of things at Notre Dame hinge on your being a friend of the university."
Alumni are fearful that if they speak out against Weis, they might lose their football tickets or their parking spots, or hinder their kids' chances for admission to the school.
Yet they paint a picture consistent with a coach who referred to himself as "an obnoxious, sarcastic guy from New Jersey" in a "60 Minutes" profile that aired in 2006.
In the story, Weis screamed at a referee for a "bull----" call and yelled at one of his coaches to get the "[expletive]" off the field.
If Weis were arrogant, foul-mouthed and winning, few Notre Dame alums would grumble.
But his record is 27-19. Gerry Faust went 25-20-1 through 46 games against tougher opponents.
"And at least he was a good guy," one alum noted.
Notre Dame is a special place, with a mix of football tradition and academic excellence matched perhaps only by Michigan and USC.
But Weis is not a special coach and certainly hasn't seemed worthy of walking in the footsteps of Rockne, Leahy, Parseghian and Holtz.
The sooner Notre Dame admits its colossal mistake and sends Weis back to New Jersey, the better.
Weis is incredibly lucky. In his first season, using Tyrone Willingham's players, he parlayed a hot start—plus real or contrived interest from NFL teams—into a contract extension through 2015.
Months earlier Weis had said he "didn't come here to take a job in the NFL in three years." But Irish officials, desperate after the George O'Leary and Willingham flops, threw at least $30 million and six more seasons his way.
Although some believe that fat contract is serving as Weis' shield, a source with Notre Dame ties insists a costly buyout would play no role in whether the school keeps him.
Other coaches should be so fortunate. Kansas State pulled the plug on Ron Prince after only 21/2 seasons, and Prince's Wildcats beat then-No. 4 Texas in 2006.
What is Weis' signature win? There isn't one. His program peaked in 2005, when the Notre Dame Stadium clock hit triple zeros with the Irish leading USC 31-28. But seven seconds remained and Reggie Bush pushed Matt Leinart into the end zone on the next play.
Notre Dame beat a bunch of mediocre teams in 2006, arguably had its worst season in history last year and its five wins in 2008 are against teams that are a combined 12-37.
First-year athletic director Jack Swarbrick said this week that he sees "progress." Really?
Weis' supporters point to his extensive charity work with his daughter's foundation and his supposedly stellar recruiting.
Rivals.com ranked his 2006 class eighth nationally. The 28-man class does not have one great player. Seven are no longer on the roster, including last season's original starting quarterback, Demetrius Jones. An eighth, tight end Will Yeatman, has been shelved by legal issues.
What has Weis accomplished? He earned three Super Bowl rings—maybe he will let you take a picture of them—with the Patriots, but New England's success from 2000-06 is forever clouded by "Spygate."
How did Bill Belichick's tactic of videotaping defensive coaches' signals help Weis call plays and make second-half adjustments? We don't know because Weis won't say.
How have the Patriots fared without Weis? In 2007 they arguably had the most dominant regular season in NFL history.
When Weis visited Pryor's school in 2007, Reitz recalled, he said that if Pryor couldn't cut it at quarterback, "we'll use him on the outside."
No other school introduced the idea that Pryor might play receiver.
"Here's the best part," Reitz recalled. "He says to Terrelle: 'Call me tomorrow at 6. I'll be watching where Brady Quinn gets drafted.' "
Pryor never called. He chose Ohio State.
[email protected]
chicagotribune.com
Charlie Weis alienates Irish supporters
Losses, criticism piling up for Irish's Weis
Teddy Greenstein
ON COLLEGES
1:02 AM CST, November 14, 2008
The guy who once boasted he "could get hoodlums and thugs and win tomorrow" strolled into Jeannette High School in the spring of 2007 to recruit superstar quarterback Terrelle Pryor.
Jeannette coach Ray Reitz knew a bit about Charlie Weis and his reputation. Still, he was stunned by what he describes as a level of conceit he never had seen from the dozens of college coaches he had visited with over the years.
Weis certainly made a lasting impression.
"Arrogant as hell," Reitz said.
When Reitz told Weis that Pryor might attend a USC quarterbacks camp, he remembers Weis replying: "Why send him there? If he's with me for one day he'll be good, two days he'll be great and three days he'll be incredible."
Later, unprompted, Weis asked the Jeannette coaches if they wanted to take a picture of his Super Bowl ring. "I did it, just to be polite, and then gave [the picture] to one of the kids," Reitz recalled.
Everyone who comes into contact with Weis, it seems, has a story—and they're rarely complimentary.
Many former players and alums are down on him for what they perceive as his arrogance, but they're reluctant to speak for the record.
Why? As one prominent alum explained it, "A lot of things at Notre Dame hinge on your being a friend of the university."
Alumni are fearful that if they speak out against Weis, they might lose their football tickets or their parking spots, or hinder their kids' chances for admission to the school.
Yet they paint a picture consistent with a coach who referred to himself as "an obnoxious, sarcastic guy from New Jersey" in a "60 Minutes" profile that aired in 2006.
In the story, Weis screamed at a referee for a "bull----" call and yelled at one of his coaches to get the "[expletive]" off the field.
If Weis were arrogant, foul-mouthed and winning, few Notre Dame alums would grumble.
But his record is 27-19. Gerry Faust went 25-20-1 through 46 games against tougher opponents.
"And at least he was a good guy," one alum noted.
Notre Dame is a special place, with a mix of football tradition and academic excellence matched perhaps only by Michigan and USC.
But Weis is not a special coach and certainly hasn't seemed worthy of walking in the footsteps of Rockne, Leahy, Parseghian and Holtz.
The sooner Notre Dame admits its colossal mistake and sends Weis back to New Jersey, the better.
Weis is incredibly lucky. In his first season, using Tyrone Willingham's players, he parlayed a hot start—plus real or contrived interest from NFL teams—into a contract extension through 2015.
Months earlier Weis had said he "didn't come here to take a job in the NFL in three years." But Irish officials, desperate after the George O'Leary and Willingham flops, threw at least $30 million and six more seasons his way.
Although some believe that fat contract is serving as Weis' shield, a source with Notre Dame ties insists a costly buyout would play no role in whether the school keeps him.
Other coaches should be so fortunate. Kansas State pulled the plug on Ron Prince after only 21/2 seasons, and Prince's Wildcats beat then-No. 4 Texas in 2006.
What is Weis' signature win? There isn't one. His program peaked in 2005, when the Notre Dame Stadium clock hit triple zeros with the Irish leading USC 31-28. But seven seconds remained and Reggie Bush pushed Matt Leinart into the end zone on the next play.
Notre Dame beat a bunch of mediocre teams in 2006, arguably had its worst season in history last year and its five wins in 2008 are against teams that are a combined 12-37.
First-year athletic director Jack Swarbrick said this week that he sees "progress." Really?
Weis' supporters point to his extensive charity work with his daughter's foundation and his supposedly stellar recruiting.
Rivals.com ranked his 2006 class eighth nationally. The 28-man class does not have one great player. Seven are no longer on the roster, including last season's original starting quarterback, Demetrius Jones. An eighth, tight end Will Yeatman, has been shelved by legal issues.
What has Weis accomplished? He earned three Super Bowl rings—maybe he will let you take a picture of them—with the Patriots, but New England's success from 2000-06 is forever clouded by "Spygate."
How did Bill Belichick's tactic of videotaping defensive coaches' signals help Weis call plays and make second-half adjustments? We don't know because Weis won't say.
How have the Patriots fared without Weis? In 2007 they arguably had the most dominant regular season in NFL history.
When Weis visited Pryor's school in 2007, Reitz recalled, he said that if Pryor couldn't cut it at quarterback, "we'll use him on the outside."
No other school introduced the idea that Pryor might play receiver.
"Here's the best part," Reitz recalled. "He says to Terrelle: 'Call me tomorrow at 6. I'll be watching where Brady Quinn gets drafted.' "
Pryor never called. He chose Ohio State.
[email protected]
