O'Brien to RW: "Give it Up!"

[scutterhawk]

Ehh, that story sounds like BS, IMO.

Kinda funny because Wilson is getting slammed for all his fibbing in that speech about his baseball career at N.C. State, but this one isn't actually verifiable or not. O'Brien's response to it is pretty hilarious, though: "Good for him."

I can see O'Brien telling him to give up baseball, or telling him to pick one of the two sports. I can also see O'Brien telling him that Glennon was going to be QB #1, or telling him that he'll never make the NFL unless he gave up baseball and dedicated all his time to football. Those all seem like reasonable things to say (particularly given that Wilson did give up baseball at Wisc).

Telling his QB (even his #2 QB) to just give up football, though? Why would he do that? Even if he's a prick who is entirely selfishly motivated that doesn't make a lick of sense.

We also know that he wasn't just a selfishly motivated prick though because we already know O'Brien was still putting in work and trying to get him an NFL combine invite after he had rescinded his NC State scholarship.

I think something else is going on with this story (and the baseball stories) which exlplains why Wilson would be gussying up the details a little bit, but that's probably a topic better left for the shack.

So...You're saying that Wilson made up a BS story? :roll:

 

[RichNhansom]

Ehh, that story sounds like BS, IMO.

Kinda funny because Wilson is getting slammed for all his fibbing in that speech about his baseball career at N.C. State, but this one isn't actually verifiable or not. O'Brien's response to it is pretty hilarious, though: "Good for him."

I can see O'Brien telling him to give up baseball, or telling him to pick one of the two sports. I can also see O'Brien telling him that Glennon was going to be QB #1, or telling him that he'll never make the NFL unless he gave up baseball and dedicated all his time to football. Those all seem like reasonable things to say (particularly given that Wilson did give up baseball at Wisc).

Telling his QB (even his #2 QB) to just give up football, though? Why would he do that? Even if he's a prick who is entirely selfishly motivated that doesn't make a lick of sense.

We also know that he wasn't just a selfishly motivated prick though because we already know O'Brien was still putting in work and trying to get him an NFL combine invite after he had rescinded his NC State scholarship.

I think something else is going on with this story (and the baseball stories) which exlplains why Wilson would be gussying up the details a little bit, but that's probably a topic better left for the shack.

Me thinks someone is looking a little to hard for flaws.

Just because it doesn't make sense to you doesn't mean it wasn't said and the coach could have denied it but did not.

It was after his junior year and just like a ton of so called experts, many (maybe even most) didn't feel Wilson could succeed at the NFL level.

It really was his senior year that made the difference but even then after walking on and stealing the starting job, being named team captain and learning a new play book, many still didn't believe he could make it in the NFL.

Might be the ex marine coach thought Wilson's success was due to his system and that is part of why he was willing to move on to Glennon so easily.

 

[brimsalabim]

Don't get me wrong. Coach O'Brien is a good man. He is a navy man. A man of few words, strong opinions, and direct to the point. I liked him but he didn't turn out to be a very strong coach for the program. He was a horrible recruiter because a lot of kids could not relate to him. He made a commitment to Mike Glennon and his parents. He did not recruit Russell Wilson. The former staff made the promise to Russell about allowing him to play two sports not O'Brien. Russell never fit the mold of the QB TOB wanted but our oline was so bad we needed his mobility. The spring before Russell's senior season Glennon was on the edge and O'Brien had been unable to recruit anyone else to take over in the event Glennon left and Russell stayed with baseball. He made a coaching decision. It worked out great for Russell. On to Wisconsin and the NFL. O'Brien had meager success with Mike Glennon at the helm but was unable to recruit any one to take over once he left and is now sipping lemonade in Charleston.

 

[kearly]

It's believed that Glennon would have transferred if Wilson had come back for his final year. I think the baseball thing was just an excuse for O'Brien to push Wilson out the door. O'Brien preferred two years of Glennon over one year of Wilson.

 

[Cary Kollins]

I'm just gonna leave this here http://www.backingthepack.com/nc-state- ... 1452714352

 

[hawknation2016]

Ehh, that story sounds like BS, IMO.

Kinda funny because Wilson is getting slammed for all his fibbing in that speech about his baseball career at N.C. State, but this one isn't actually verifiable or not. O'Brien's response to it is pretty hilarious, though: "Good for him."

I can see O'Brien telling him to give up baseball, or telling him to pick one of the two sports. I can also see O'Brien telling him that Glennon was going to be QB #1, or telling him that he'll never make the NFL unless he gave up baseball and dedicated all his time to football. Those all seem like reasonable things to say (particularly given that Wilson did give up baseball at Wisc).

Telling his QB (even his #2 QB) to just give up football, though? Why would he do that? Even if he's a prick who is entirely selfishly motivated that doesn't make a lick of sense.

We also know that he wasn't just a selfishly motivated prick though because we already know O'Brien was still putting in work and trying to get him an NFL combine invite after he had rescinded his NC State scholarship.

I think something else is going on with this story (and the baseball stories) which exlplains why Wilson would be gussying up the details a little bit, but that's probably a topic better left for the shack.

 

[blue 22]

I'm just gonna leave this here http://www.backingthepack.com/nc-state- ... 1452714352

I don't believe anything anything Russell says after his recovery water claims so this story does not surprise me. Just cuz he's a hawk and does a lot of wonderful things doesn't mean he isn't a story teller.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

Russell was trying to inspire and excite a big crowd, of course he's going to embellish a little.

Did Russell stretch the truth? Probably? But was it a great speech? Yes, it was.

I was just glad to see Russell open up, cut loose and have a self deprecating sense of humor............a side of him we don't see around here. Usually we get robot cliche Russell.

 

[Popeyejones]

Ehh, that story sounds like BS, IMO.

Kinda funny because Wilson is getting slammed for all his fibbing in that speech about his baseball career at N.C. State, but this one isn't actually verifiable or not. O'Brien's response to it is pretty hilarious, though: "Good for him."

I can see O'Brien telling him to give up baseball, or telling him to pick one of the two sports. I can also see O'Brien telling him that Glennon was going to be QB #1, or telling him that he'll never make the NFL unless he gave up baseball and dedicated all his time to football. Those all seem like reasonable things to say (particularly given that Wilson did give up baseball at Wisc).

Telling his QB (even his #2 QB) to just give up football, though? Why would he do that? Even if he's a prick who is entirely selfishly motivated that doesn't make a lick of sense.

We also know that he wasn't just a selfishly motivated prick though because we already know O'Brien was still putting in work and trying to get him an NFL combine invite after he had rescinded his NC State scholarship.

I think something else is going on with this story (and the baseball stories) which exlplains why Wilson would be gussying up the details a little bit, but that's probably a topic better left for the shack.

He's been getting heat for fibbing details in the same speech about the same time in his life in order to make his "climb the mountain" story a little more compelling for a college graduation. That this might also have some embellishment on it (particularly given that it contradicts what we already know and doesn't really make any sense from O'Brien's perspective) can never actually be known, but pointing that out is FAR from trolling.

It only makes him look bad if you believe St. Russ is totally infallible, but for the other 99.9% of the world that he may have possibly fibbed a little bit for the sake of a story (right after definitely fibbing a little bit for the sake of another story) is totally meaningless.

 

[scutterhawk]

I'm just gonna leave this here http://www.backingthepack.com/nc-state- ... 1452714352

Well Mr. "Cary Kollins"......Screw that ^^^^
IF you're a Quarterback that stands at 5' 10-3/4'' , and you don't have a "ME" player attitude?, you're going to get shoved aside to make room for a Quarterback that fits the QB prototype mold.
Hell, even if they don't always go on to make it in the NFL, they will automatically get the preferential nod because they check almost every other measurable box.
Wilson WASN'T just handed the starting job with the Seahawks, he was the "Work Harder Me Player" that was good enough to take it away from Flynn & Jackson, and he did it all with HIS TALENT.

 

[RichNhansom]

This is really dumb. Folks trying to make this more than what it is are reaching horribly. He should have said he had a lot of at bats. I'm pretty sure that was the point. He wasn't trying to sell himself. He was trying to motivate a crowd of young kids that may very well think the world is stacked against them and they don't have a shot.

Sorry popeye and anyone else trying to make this something you can grab onto as proof RW is evil and a liar. Your just making yourself look dumb.

He also said the pitcher was throwing 125 mile per hour fast balls. Do you think he was lying there too or maybe just exaggerating to get a point across?

I really can't believe how dumb some are acting about this. Sorry but yeah just dumb.

 

[razor150]

This is really dumb. Folks trying to make this more than what it is are reaching horribly. He should have said he had a lot of at bats. I'm pretty sure that was the point. He wasn't trying to sell himself. He was trying to motivate a crowd of young kids that may very well think the world is stacked against them and they don't have a shot.

Sorry popeye and anyone else trying to make this something you can grab onto as proof RW is evil and a liar. Your just making yourself look dumb.

He also said the pitcher was throwing 125 mile per hour fast balls. Do you think he was lying there too or maybe just exaggerating to get a point across?

I really can't believe how dumb some are acting about this. Sorry but yeah just dumb.

Embellishment is one thing, like the 125 mph bit, but when it makes other people look bad to make his story look better isn't normal. Wilson should receive some criticism for this, what he did was wrong.

That said I don't think this is all that indicative of his character unless it becomes a part of a pattern of him making others look bad to make himself look better, which I don't see happening. Wilson has done enough, whether you think it is fake or not, to give him the benefit of the doubt to assume this was just an unintended mistake.

 

[Popeyejones]

Sorry popeye and anyone else trying to make this something you can grab onto as proof RW is evil and a liar. Your just making yourself look dumb.
.

I never claimed he was a liar, and certainly never said he was evil. :lol:

You should calm down a little bit.

If you want to see someone call him a liar you can check his old teammate from NC State tho:

http://thebiglead.com/2016/05/16/russel ... speech-bs/

(for the sane: this is a fun offseason story, nothing to actually care about, obviously)

 

[TwistedHusky]

We got lucky.

Some things had to fall our way to get the guy, and they did.

I don't really care if all the great stuff he does is real, fake or part of some crazy branding experiment. For the people he touches, he makes a huge difference for them - some for a short time, some for a long. That matters more. Perception is reality for the most part. At least it is the reality we are aware of.

What his coach and he said, nobody can be sure. It wouldn't be hard to imagine an ex-military guy that is already "my way or the highway" feeling that dividing his sports would divide his commitment + demanding different. It also wouldn't be shocking to have someone try to point out to Wilson that his size just wasn't conducive to a successful NFL career.

It wouldn't be shocking for Wilson to grasp onto that bad advice and use it as in internal motivator. Or even remembering it wrong in hindsight, colored by his bias/predilections and his emotions. I have been guilty of mis-remembering things I felt strongly about, I doubt I am the first.

And with all his focus on building his brand, it wouldn't be shocking to find Wilson embellished or miscommunicated the truth to get an emotional response or to align with his brand. Does that diminish the value of the advice?

There was a great quote by a sportwriter (who I forget the name of) that paraphrased is basically:
If you had Russell Wilson's life, you would believe all the things he is saying too.

Whether his life begat the philosophy or the philosophy begat the life? Probably a combination of both.

Not sure why this is a reason for anyone at NC State to feel slighted (if this is a dig at O'Brien who other players and fans did not like either) or a reason for Seahawk fans to be sensitive. As in most athletes/public personas - there is the Character and there is the person. Wilson is probably no different, so what?

 

[blue 22]

He also made the whole don't throw an interception joke on the one yd line against the pats at the commencement speech but didn't he say GOD himself told him to throw that interception?? Why is he making light of what GOD himself told him to do? :twisted:

 

[fenderbender123]

I'm sure he was just trying to motivate him.

lol. Are you a teacher?

 

[McG]

After reading through this thread and reading the link to the story over at NC St "homerland" all I have to say is, get over him. Is the man perfect? No, far from it, but show me a man who is and I'll show hundreds of millions that aren't. To me it all seems like they are bitter about him being successful and giving NC St little to no credit for him being where he is. Which to me makes all the sense in the world. NC St was not were he played an NFL level of football. His "lack of success" could have been based on the fact that he was playing two sports or it could have been based on the level of coaching, either way that school was not responsible for putting him in the NFL and they need to get over it.

Also, to the people who think he is fake, I think you are crazy. He's not out getting high (like a lot of players on the Hawks or other NFL teams have gotten caught for), he's not beating his wife/girl friend (at least I highly doubt it), he's not out wasting his fortune on B.S., etc. He is spending his time trying to help people. This is the classic case of trying to find something/anything wrong with "Mr. Perfect". I wish these people would end the witch hunt and let the man be who he is, instead of trying to find something wrong with him. Why not just be happy with who he is and celebrate what is right with him?

 

[AVL]

This all comes down to the importance of spring practice in college football programs an someone trying to be a dual sport quarterback.

Would you be ok with Wilson skipping preseason?

Everyone did what needed to be done. Wilson was not providing starting quarterback leadership while playing professional baseball. That's a problem for some.

I wonder if Wisconsin gave him an honorary degree for his speech? He sure didn't get one while playing there.

 

[Cartire]

Would you be ok with Wilson skipping preseason?

Spring Programs in College ≠ Preseason for a professional sports team.

You get paid to be at one. You get exploited to be at the other.

Horrible comparison.

 

[scutterhawk]

This all comes down to the importance of spring practice in college football programs an someone trying to be a dual sport quarterback.

Would you be ok with Wilson skipping preseason?

Everyone did what needed to be done. Wilson was not providing starting quarterback leadership while playing professional baseball. That's a problem for some.

This isn't College, and he isn't splitting his time playing Baseball, or anything else.
and since becoming PRO, he hasn't skipped ANYTHING, and in fact, he has gathered in the offseason with a bunch of his teammates both in California, and Hawaii to build on continuity.
And he has EARNED his job as Starting Quarterback by beating out Flynn & Jackson.
Are people expecting him to snivel to a bunch of Grads? ya, me neither.