MaliBuckeye;1751053; said:
Welcome back. Thoughts on the article above your last post- oversigning.com?
Wesley Responds to Dismissal at Miami
By Tom Zebold
THE LEDGER
Published: Tuesday, August 17, 2010 at 12:36 a.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, August 17, 2010 at 12:36 a.m.
Steven Wesley isn't bitter about his exit from Miami, but he certainly isn't happy about it.
The senior defensive end from Bartow High School was dismissed from the Hurricanes football team last month and made sure his message about his time at Miami was loud and clear Monday.
"If I had a chance to do it all over again, I wouldn't play for coach (Randy) Shannon," he said in a phone interview with The Ledger.
Internet reports have said Wesley was released because of reasons ranging from academic issues to the 6-foot-3, 250-pounder being out of shape.
Wesley was quick to dismiss those as well.
"It didn't have anything to do with me being academically ineligible. It didn't have anything to do with me not being in good shape," he said.
"It didn't have anything to do with that," he continued. "That came down (to) a decision from coach Shannon personally. It was nobody else."
Wesley didn't go into detail about Shannon's reasons.
"I didn't get in any trouble at all. I didn't have any off-the-field issues when I've been down there," Wesley said. "It was really a personal issue between coach Shannon (and I). I guess he had a personal issue dealing with me. For what reason, I don't know."
Wesley's career at Miami started with a redshirt season in 2006. He played in nine games the following year and started 11 of 13 games in 2008. He played in 11 games last year and started in six of them.
Wesley said the news of his release was not taken well by some of the team.
"When all of this happened, certain coaches on my team, they were mad about what happened and they were mad about coach Shannon releasing me," he said. "Players on the team also were mad about coach Shannon releasing me. That should really let you know... whether or not is was a good choice or a bad choice."
Wesley hasn't been sitting around stewing about the decision. It took him about two weeks to find a new home at North Alabama with coach Terry Bowden, son of former FSU great Bobby Bowden and the former head coach at Auburn.
"He had just called me one day and he told me, 'I have a full scholarship here waiting for you if you want to be a part of a team,'" Wesley said.
Wesley had a different tune about what he thinks of his new coach.
"Coach Bowden, he's a player's coach," the 22-year-old said. "He's one of those type of coaches where it's easy for you to approach and talk to about any certain situations. He's always talking and always communicating with us."
Playing time probably won't be an issue for Wesley now the he's settling in at left defensive end.
"I already talked to coach Bowden, and my defensive line coach told me I would have a chance to start," Wesley said.
The biggest adjustment from the move has nothing to do with football for the former three-year starter at Bartow.
"This is a real drastic, total lifestyle change," he said. "From Miami, you go from seeing palm trees and 70-degree weather every day to coming to trees that are bigger than all the buildings, to 100-degree weather."
This story was posted on a miami board so i dont have a link.
