DB Eugene Clifford (official thread)

[SEREbuckeye]

The Clifford's entrusted Tressel to supervise the growth of their child into a man. Giving up on him, instead of teaching him will result in a loss for both parties.

Okay, so you want Tressel to go to every city with every player every day to ensure that his players don't get in trouble. Yes, these are kids in a sense that they are underclassmen, but they are adult enough to chose their college as well as their destinations. Clifford was adult enough to go into a bar, so he is adult enough to make the decisions following that. Tressel can only teach doing the right thing when around his players, its up to the players to show their true character and what they have taken away from Tressel. Obviously, Clifford hasn't taken much away and has decided to make poor decisions as an adult. His punishment should fit accordingly to his actions.

 

[buck2006]

You can only help those who want to be helped!!

 

[Buckrock]

Considering the manner in which the staff handled the Henton situation, I expect Clifford will be suspended from the team any second now. The big difference is that Henton was by all accounts a great kid who just ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time. Clifford was told after the spring incident that he had to keep his nose clean or face game suspensions. He didn't even make it to fall camp. Apart from Henton, I believe that Clifford was involved in all the disciplinary matters that occurred last season. I hope that this whole thing might just be a misunderstanding, but sometimes you have to believe the writing on the wall. If the alleged events turn out to be true, I think it would be best for the team to remove a bad influence quickly and permanently.

Where there is smoke, there is fire. :(

 

[CHU]

I don't think this will happen and believe Clifford will be dismissed from the team:

But, I recall Julius Jones having problems at Notre Dame causing Ty Willingham to kick him off the team for the 2002 season. Jones remained at Notre Dame, earned his spot back on the team and played in the 2003 season.

Again, this won't happen with Clifford (because I doubt it will be an option due to his past), but just a thought.

 

[OregonBuckeye]

But, I recall Julius Jones having problems at Notre Dame causing Ty Willingham to kick him off the team for the 2002 season. Jones remained at Notre Dame, earned his spot back on the team and played in the 2003 season.

90% sure Jones was ruled academically ineligible. Big difference from being kicked off the team.

 

[*OSUBucknut10*]

It's not fair that you can be so blessed with the talent he has and opportunities hes gotten, all to just be a moron and mess it all up.

I'd kill to of been gifted with the skill to play D1 football, especially for a full ride at The Ohio State University, a respected school not just for sports but for academics..... so how can someone be so stupid (Mo C lol) and throw it all away? Just sickening.

 

[osugrad21]

CPD

Ohio State DB Clifford formally charged

By Doug Lesmerises
The Plain Dealer

Tuesday, July 08, 2008
According to police, Ohio State defensive back Eugene Clifford reportedly punched two bar employees in the face while they were trying to break up a fight, then threatened to get a gun and shoot them.
That led to Clifford's arrest at 1:29 a.m. Friday, July 4, outside a Cincinnati bar. He was arraigned Monday in Hamilton County Court on two misdemeanor charges of assault. Clifford posted a $2,000 bond and a court date was set for July 29.
The 20-year-old played in four games on special teams during his first season in Columbus, but was suspended for the national title game against LSU for what sources said was a failed drug test. The former five-star recruit also was suspended from action during spring practice for reasons the Buckeyes would not disclose.
OSU coach Jim Tressel is aware of Clifford's arrest, but Ohio State spokeswoman Shelly Poe on Monday had no comment on Clifford's status with the team.
There could be news on that today. Attempts to reach Clifford were unsuccessful.
Cont..

 

[osugrad21]

Dispatch

OSU football notebook: Clifford gets July 29 trial date

Tuesday, July 8, 2008 3:13 AM
By Ken Gordon


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH



Ohio State defensive back Eugene Clifford faces a July 29 trial date and an unknown future with the Buckeyes. Clifford, 20, pleaded not guilty to two misdemeanor counts of assault yesterday in Hamilton County Municipal Court. Clifford was arrested and charged Friday in Cincinnati after allegedly punching two employees of the Holy Grail sports bar while the employees were trying to break up a fight.
Clifford is a Cincinnati Colerain High School graduate. His trial will be before Judge Russell Mock, rather than a jury.
The incident was the fourth time in 16 months that he has been in some sort of trouble, either legally or in terms of team discipline.
Ohio State has yet to respond to Clifford's arrest. Repeated attempts to reach school officials have been unsuccessful.
Cont...

 

[cincibuck]

It's not fair that you can be so blessed with the talent he has and opportunities hes gotten, all to just be a moron and mess it all up.

I'd kill to of been gifted with the skill to play D1 football, especially for a full ride at The Ohio State University, a respected school not just for sports but for academics..... so how can someone be so stupid (Mo C lol) and throw it all away? Just sickening.

While I can appreciate your frustration, there are somethings I feel strongly about 1) Clifford wasn't born with those skills. He worked long and hard to get to the level where college coaches paid attention to him. In my long tenure at Moeller High School I saw a lot of talented kids. Out of that group I saw only one "natural" athlete good enough to be oferred a scholarship and he never made it beyond freshman year at OSU because he didn't have much of a work ethic. 2) getting a scholarship is no walk in the park. It's a full time job with some academic requirements thrown in and the number of kids who can actually handle both and walk out with a real degree in something that will actually attract employers is very small. 3) We expect kids who have grown up with a minimum of adult supervision, support and mentoring and great amount of dysfunction, chaos and values far different from the middle class norms we hold to suddenly "straighten up and fly right." That's a bigger transition than going from high school ball to Div 1A.

 

[DaddyBigBucks]

...We expect kids who have grown up with a minimum of adult supervision, support and mentoring and great amount of dysfunction, chaos and values far different from the middle class norms we hold to suddenly "straighten up and fly right." ...

There may be some who have such expectations, but I am not one of them.

What I expect is for the coaching staff to identify kids who fit your description and to bring in a limited number of them. Enough that you can make a difference by offering a real opportunity for growth; but not enough that they take over the team (think Miami). By taking the right number of such kids, you will have some dramatic success stories (Troy Smith); but you will also have a few that eschew the "opportunity for growth".

Given our current rate of success/failure with such kids, I believe that the coaching staff is doing an exemplary job.

just my opinion

 

[CONGERSBUCKEYE]

I believe frustration comes from those of us that are not blessed with size, speed and ability to play at the D1 level. The frustration is that hard work you speak of is being flushed down the toilet. This is the wrong path and a pattern is being developed. Stay out of the situations that can lead to trouble. Not to hard of a concept for anyone no matter their home life. If that can not be understood then a privilage should be taken away because the message is not getting through. I wish nothing for the best and hope it is all a misunderstanding. I love what the NFL is doing and think College should follow their lead it is a privilage to play not a necessity.

 

[RB07OSU]

For those calling for giving Clifford another chance (only one that I saw), consider this: There is much more than what meets the eye here. We all know that Clifford was arrested for possession of marijuana before he got here, failed a drug test near the NC game, and also had an unspecified run in right before the Holy Grail fight happened. The Holy Grail is the 4th strike that we know of. However, it seems Gene never quit smoking and never intended to. On top of that, Gene never quit getting into trouble, and never seemed motivated to stay out of trouble. He has been in at least 4 incidents and I'm willing to bet that in between all of them, the staff was aware that Gene wasn't staying out of trouble. The same can be said about other former players. If the charges pan out, as they almost assuredly will, you can say goodbye to Eugene Clifford and hope he gets his act together elsewhere.

 

[Steve19]

I believe frustration comes from those of us that are not blessed with size, speed and ability to play at the D1 level.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I am sitting here thanking the dear Lord that we tied down JCOSU. Imagine how bad this would be if we hadn't tied down the best all-purpose, offensive/defensive talent of the century!

 

[Ttown]

I don't know about the rest of you, but I am sitting here thanking the dear Lord that we tied down JCOSU. Imagine how bad this would be if we hadn't tied down the best all-purpose, offensive/defensive talent of the century!

As good as having Ty Willingham on the field!

 

[Oh8ch]

While I can appreciate your frustration, there are somethings I feel strongly about 1) Clifford wasn't born with those skills. He worked long and hard to get to the level where college coaches paid attention to him. In my long tenure at Moeller High School I saw a lot of talented kids. Out of that group I saw only one "natural" athlete good enough to be oferred a scholarship and he never made it beyond freshman year at OSU because he didn't have much of a work ethic. 2) getting a scholarship is no walk in the park. It's a full time job with some academic requirements thrown in and the number of kids who can actually handle both and walk out with a real degree in something that will actually attract employers is very small. 3) We expect kids who have grown up with a minimum of adult supervision, support and mentoring and great amount of dysfunction, chaos and values far different from the middle class norms we hold to suddenly "straighten up and fly right." That's a bigger transition than going from high school ball to Div 1A.
______

Great post as always because it stimulates discussion. A couple of points.

1. I agree that you don't get here without hard work. But my son in law was all OCC and had an invite to Michigan's summer camp out of HS. When my grandson was 4 he played his first soccer game. Every time he saw the ball he simply exploded after it and nobody could catch him. And if they did they better be careful because he was half a head taller than any of them. If he doesn't develop solid work habits that talent will be wasted. And he has a better than average chance that he will develop those talents because he is rewarded by his efforts at every turn. But at the age of 4 he did nothing to earn it. And if he gets a schollie at the age of 17 you can make a solid argument that it was because his Dad's athletic genes trumped my dufus genes.

2. I also agree that it is unreasonable to expect kids from severely challenged backgrounds to react as many of us might. But fixing that issue is two pronged. One part is to address the cause. But the other is to hold the person accountable. You HAVE to do that - for them and for everyone watching.

3. For every kid who lands a schollie at OSU there are a dozen more who worked just as hard but were half a step slower. If you blow your chance step aside and learn from your mistake. Nobody is cutting off your legs - they are simply withdrawing an opportunity that you no longer deserve.