The Recruitment of Elisha Shaw
Another signing day has come & gone. And in what has become the norm, Alabama has the #1 recruiting class, signing phenoms like Bo Scarbrough & Rashaan Evans. Rival fanbases have already begun the annual discussions of which players on Saban's roster will be "processed" to make room for all the incoming 5 stars. Ya know... Because the leader of the evil empire doesn't care about players. He only cares about winning.
While ESPN is ooing & awing over what might possibly be the best signing class ever, the best story of National Signing Day has gone virtually unmentioned. The story of Elisha Shaw. Outside of my fellow recruiting junkies, I doubt anyone's even heard his name. At one time, Shaw was one of the top defensive tackle prospects in the nation. With 17 scholarship offers on the table, programs like Georgia, auburn, & Florida State were all fighting for him.
But Shaw's situation changed drastically when he suffered a severe neck injury last August while going low on a tackle. Unable to play his senior season & with his future in question, one by one, schools began to back off his recruitment. And last December when he received the unfortunate news that he would never play football again, every school pulled his scholarship. Well, every school but one.
Yesterday, Elisha Shaw took the stage at Tucker High School with 15 fellow athletes & committed to The University of Alabama during their Signing Day Ceremony. Even after the tragic news of his injury, Saban was the only man who never wavered in his commitment to Shaw. Though he'll never play football for the Crimson Tide, Shaw will receive a full medical hardship scholarship. Like the other 16 schools who turned their backs on this young man, Saban could've taken back his offer & nobody would have thought twice. But our coach isn't like everyone else.
Alabama signed one-third of the 5 star recruits in the country yesterday. And with that kind of success, people will continue to talk about Bama's ruthless coach. The one who manipulates the system by using medical redshirts to process players (I'm looking at you auburn fans). And next time they do, ask them if they've ever heard of Elisha Shaw. I can't even imagine what yesterday must have meant to a young man who's been through so much. The talent Saban's staff just added to Alabama's roster is unreal & yesterday gave Alabama fans so much to be excited about. But the story of Elisha Shaw is the best story of National Signing Day... And why I'm so proud to be an Alabama fan.
Welcome to The Capstone, Mr. Shaw. Roll Tide!!!
Thanks for stopping by, y'all!!! Roll Tide!!! Roll Saban!!! Roll Elisha!!!
While ESPN is ooing & awing over what might possibly be the best signing class ever, the best story of National Signing Day has gone virtually unmentioned. The story of Elisha Shaw. Outside of my fellow recruiting junkies, I doubt anyone's even heard his name. At one time, Shaw was one of the top defensive tackle prospects in the nation. With 17 scholarship offers on the table, programs like Georgia, auburn, & Florida State were all fighting for him.
But Shaw's situation changed drastically when he suffered a severe neck injury last August while going low on a tackle. Unable to play his senior season & with his future in question, one by one, schools began to back off his recruitment. And last December when he received the unfortunate news that he would never play football again, every school pulled his scholarship. Well, every school but one.
Yesterday, Elisha Shaw took the stage at Tucker High School with 15 fellow athletes & committed to The University of Alabama during their Signing Day Ceremony. Even after the tragic news of his injury, Saban was the only man who never wavered in his commitment to Shaw. Though he'll never play football for the Crimson Tide, Shaw will receive a full medical hardship scholarship. Like the other 16 schools who turned their backs on this young man, Saban could've taken back his offer & nobody would have thought twice. But our coach isn't like everyone else.
Alabama signed one-third of the 5 star recruits in the country yesterday. And with that kind of success, people will continue to talk about Bama's ruthless coach. The one who manipulates the system by using medical redshirts to process players (I'm looking at you auburn fans). And next time they do, ask them if they've ever heard of Elisha Shaw. I can't even imagine what yesterday must have meant to a young man who's been through so much. The talent Saban's staff just added to Alabama's roster is unreal & yesterday gave Alabama fans so much to be excited about. But the story of Elisha Shaw is the best story of National Signing Day... And why I'm so proud to be an Alabama fan.
Welcome to The Capstone, Mr. Shaw. Roll Tide!!!
Thanks for stopping by, y'all!!! Roll Tide!!! Roll Saban!!! Roll Elisha!!!
This is awesome. Somtimes Coach Saban surprises even me. His heart is bigger than they give him credit for. RTR!
ReplyDeleteI just broke down and cried. This is incredible. Thank you Coach Saban for giving this deserving young man this incredible gift! Shame on the other schools for turning their back on him. If it had been one of their sons, they would of gotten a full scholarship. Bear Bryant would of given him a scholarship. The tradition continues! ROLL TIDE ROLL!
DeleteI bleed purple and gold for LSU but I will still say Saban is the best coach in college football! I have never fallen for all the garbage his detracters heap on him. He is a really good man as well as coach!
Deletethat's MY Crimson Tide. . .it's no wonder this story isn't popular. The media, since the demise of Bear (I am a Bryant era alum!) has been quick to point out the negative but ignores giving us our due respect and props! Thanks for shining the light on this! Coach Saban has a heart of Crimson!!!
Deletei agree it's very heartwarming but that scholarship is mostly being financed by taxpayers. I could do a lot of heartwarming stuff with other people's money.
DeleteGo FISH. Use your cruddy attitude for bait.
DeleteWhat a pitiful statement pmpockets. Thank God the rest of the world doesn't have your piss poor attitude. Shame on you.
DeleteWell, since you refuse to give our name a capital letter, I am sure you are being unsophisticated. However, I am proud of your coach for doing the right thing. Just needed some of you to know that Gus Malzahn has just signed a second player with cancer. This young man is still having treatments. So don't talk about us for turning our backs. There's good in all of us.
DeleteI agree, Matt. Stories like Rashaan Evans are fun but this one just warms your heart. Love that coach of ours! RTR!
ReplyDeleteLove this!
ReplyDeleteMrs. Karen, it's the BEST story! So proud of our coach for doing this!!
ReplyDeleteI've been a Bama Fan for all 51 years of my life...but this made me more proud than any Crystal Ball or Championship EVER could!!! Thanks Coach Saban....for being the class act that you are. We love you!!!
ReplyDeleteGreat story, and not unexpected from a person like Saban. Wish we had him. War Eagle!
ReplyDeleteShows great character for sure....congrats to the Alabama faithful for a great class....HOTTY TODDY!!
ReplyDeleteGreat story. Nice job
ReplyDeleteThat's great and all, but everyone IS talking about this. It's also not unexpected. I love Alabama but it's not like other teams don't do things sometimes even greater. Like this story.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2013/9/9/4711644/shon-coleman-auburn-football-player
Im just saying, RTR.
Its a medical hardship, if it counted against Alabama's scholarship limit then you can count on Saban cutting them or asking for a greyshirt.
ReplyDeleteOther fanbases are talking about how saban waits until the week of signing day to tell a player that's been committed to him for months that he no longer has that scholly....he needs it for someone else.
ReplyDeleteThere are exceptions to most things, but when offered a scholarship, Coach Saban explains right of front where they stand as far as getting the scholarship, like for example what grades and scores to ge that scholarship by a certain time before signing day. They can not afford to have it otherwise with a marginal prospect grade wise and not get them into school and they lose a scholarship because of poor grades. That is just smart in today's system.
DeleteIt isn't about a marginal prospect "grade wise", it's about a marginal prospect that got dumped for a less marginal prospect PLAYING wise.
DeleteHats off to a great coach with a big heart! He does love winning just like everybody else. He also does care about the players. Coach Saban has my vote! Happy for Elisha Shaw. Roll Tide!
ReplyDeleteThis life isn't about anything but serving God and others! I believe Saban understands the secret to a life well lived! Blessings on Shaw, Saban and everyone who did the right thing!
ReplyDeleteAll in all. the state of alabama rocks. We just happen to have a bad a#$ football team with a great coach and football players who are strong in there mental game. and no how to play the game ROLL TIDE.
ReplyDeleteRoll Tide!!
ReplyDeleteThis is an awesome story. I had so much respect for James Franklin at Vandy until he used Vandy money to recruit and then decides to move schools but takes the recruits with him that Vandy paid him to recruit lost respect.
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ReplyDeleteThere's more to "The Process" than even us Bama Fans truly understand, its not all about college football, it's about given you men an opportunity some of us can only dream about & it's about doing the right things no matter what life throws at us.
ReplyDeleteCmon people, read between the lines. The author here says this story has gone unmentioned? ESPN, Facebook, this article! It is being talked about, everywhere.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, you here ruthless things about Nick Saban, because they are true! You should here what Nick Saban says to the kids that choose not to play for him! This is pure and simply a PR move that is working brilliantly because of the overall intellect of my generation. Yes, it is a great thing that this kid gets a free education and it is well deserved. But please don't think that Nick Saban is doing this for anyone other than himself.
I "here" ruthless things? With my "eres", maybe? And you speak of intellect?
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DeleteWhen I published this post yesterday morning, there was nothing about this in mainstream media. I didn't write this to change anyone's mind about Saban. This blog post was intended FOR Alabama fans because it's a wonderful story & no matter the intent, it was the right thing to do. However, if honoring the scholly was purely self-serving & such good publicity, I am curious why the 16 other schools revoked theirs.
ReplyDeleteNice
DeleteCome on Josh! Learn basic English. Hear NOT Here.
ReplyDeleteGreat to see something like this. Thank you coach for all you and Mrs Terry do not only for the university, but the state of Alabama. RTR!
ReplyDeletethe same thing was done for darius paige last year after he failed his physical (after the letter of intent).
ReplyDeleteNeeded this recruit for good press coverage because a bunch of players will be processed to make room for the new recruits. Saban is a great coach no doubt, just not a coach with a heart of gold.
ReplyDeleteIs this a football scholarship changed to a medical scholarship or is there a separate pool of medical scholarships? If they are separate, there is now an extra football scholarship available.
ReplyDeleteMedical hardship schollies won't count against the numbers. That's why he didn't sign an LOI.
DeleteNice story,RTR!
ReplyDeleteAgree!!! RTR!!!
DeleteIN THE NAME OF JESUS , BLESSING TOO ALABAMA AND COACH NICK SABAN...........ROLL TIDE FOREVER .............
ReplyDeleteGreat article!!! Extremely well written!!! I enjoyed every word!!!! Thanks for posting this!!!!
ReplyDeleteYes, this is a heartwarming story. But the bigger story relates to the unpaid players at Alabama and elsewhere. While coaches make millions, the players get a pittance, many suffer injuries, the kind the NFL agreed to pay 785 million dollars for, and which an appellate judge has found insufficient. This while college players get nothing. Free labor, and they play at their own risk. Why Northwestern's players have filed with the National Labor Relations Board seeking classification as employees, which they are, unpaid ones. So while we're bestowing pity, well deserved by this large young man, let's don't forget the hundreds of others who risk their own injuries game after game, year after year.
ReplyDeleteCharacter- Nick Saban.
ReplyDeleteSome journalist you are - you can't even use proper capitalization. Don't lower your own standards!
ReplyDeleteReminds me of Coach Bobby Dodd.
ReplyDeleteGreat story! Reminds of the player who was diagnosed with cancer after he signed with Auburn. He got to keep the scholarship and the Auburn coaches told him was a part of the family. They visited and kept tabs on him until he recovered.
ReplyDeleteSaban is a great coach. The story is a nice one for certain. I wouldn't go and lump the other 16 schools in the same category and say they disowned this kid though. These other schools may have weighed the "cost" of running with this for PR purposes and figured it to be a situation without as much gain for their program. Also...with Alabama's recent domination in college football, Nick has a lot more flexibility to "burn" a scholarship for something good because he has 8 or 9 kids who might start elsewhere, committing to take a grey-shirt to sit on the bench at Alabama. This IS a business folks! It's a nice story and for a nice kid, I'm sure. Just don't try to make it sound like other schools left a kid out to dry and Nick Saban is a better man because he was in a much more feasible position to do what he did.
ReplyDelete