[Rebel55]

Wow, doesn't impress you from that window seat at Hardee's with your other cronies? We all stand in awe. :worthy:

BTW, he's played with several other elite players. It's called the All-American Bowl and the Nike Camp at Ohio State, not the Border Bowl. :biggrin:

Hatz your on a roll! :notworthy

[Pigskinman53]

I doubt Dudley Hilton said that. As for all the great things Tee Martin has done look up USC staff and do some reserach on those guys and see how it compares to UK staff, well if you want to call it a comparision

[know1]

If they couldn't read the writing on the wall then UK is in serious trouble then. From what I gathered they knew they had a slim chance to land him. When you schedule an in house visit and he shows up an hour late and then proceeds to send text messages throughout the whole visit should probably be one sign that you have a slim chance. Maybe they should over recruit instead of sticking all of their eggs in one basket.

Wow - that doesn't present a very favorable picture of Lamar. Regardless of whether he was going to UK or not, he should be a little more respectful than that.

I read a quote from his mother that he decided on Sunday. So why wait 3 more days before telling those other schools?

[BoyleRebel]

Wow - that doesn't present a very favorable picture of Lamar. Regardless of whether he was going to UK or not, he should be a little more respectful than that.

I read a quote from his mother that he decided on Sunday. So why wait 3 more days before telling those other schools?

A favorable picture of Lamar?? Please...the kid handled the recruitment process with more class than you can ever imagine.

All schools were informed at least the day before the press conference. The schools were not left out of the loop before the press conference. He had every right to take as long as he wanted to make a decision.

[EKUAlum05]

Supposedly Dawson has already been told he will wear #55 at USC>

This is a BIG deal...

[Ultimaterebelfan]

Supposedly Dawson has already been told he will wear #55 at USC>

This is a BIG deal...

He's had #5 since 7th grade, so that should make him happy.

[MSU Eagle]

doesnt impress me...
lets wait and see what he does with other "elite" players and then we will see if hes the real deal.
best of luck.

One of the best college football schools of all time does not recruit players that "aren't that good," as you claimed. You have to be an elite player to play at USC.

[Rebel55]

Supposedly Dawson has already been told he will wear #55 at USC>

This is a BIG deal...

55 is a great number! Al Right! :Thumbs:

[EKUAlum05]

#55 at USC is like the #12 at Alabama.. this is a very prestigious honor and shows a huge amount of confidence that Dawson will be the next "great" Linebacker.

[SportzAnimal]

If wearing that number is true, then that's a HUGE honor in itself....

IT TAKES A SPECIAL USC LINEBACKER TO BE A MEMBER OF ... CLUB 55.

[SportzAnimal]

If wearing that number is true, then that's a HUGE honor in itself....

IT TAKES A SPECIAL USC LINEBACKER TO BE A MEMBER OF ... CLUB 55.

Nice artice to read. Then, it coulda been a ploy to get him to sign. We shall see...

[Beetle01]

Well this will cost Chuck Smith his job, thankfully. Guy just cant get it done, especially for being the recruiting coordinator. I can hardly think of any recruits tied to his name.

Id take a bet that in 2 years or less Dawson will regret this decision. USC's campus is like a fortress because it is surrounded by some of the worst neighborhoods in LA. Place is not safe, students are scared to leave campus.

Plus USC is gonna get smacked with more penalties for what Kiffin did at UT.

[jbwill2]

Arguing about how good this kid will be at the college level is basically pointless... there are plenty of guys who weren't high school All-Americans who became dominant college players, and plenty of four-star recruits who could not translate their high school success into collegiate success. Unless somebody here is psychic, no one can really say.

What is a fact is that this kid was clearly a first-rate player in high school and all the scouts thought he was cut out to play major D-I football.

Is somebody here really gonna try to make the case that this kid was not an outstanding high school player??? Come on...

[SportzAnimal]

More current.....


#55

A recent tradition has a selected linebacker wearing the number 55. The number cannot be taken but is assigned by the head coach. Pete Carroll had, at times, refrained from assigning the number if he did not think any player was worthy of it. The linebacker wearing #55 is typically regarded as the anchor of the defense.

Notable players who have worn #55 for USC include Junior Seau, Willie McGinest, Markus Steele, and Chris Claiborne; Seau, McGinest and Claiborne were all top-10 picks in the NFL Draft.[37] Senior Keith Rivers is the most recent #55 to be selected in the top ten. The Cincinnati Bengals made him the ninth overall selection in the 2008 draft. The last non-linebacker to wear #55 was offensive center John Katnik in 1989.

[know1]

A favorable picture of Lamar?? Please...the kid handled the recruitment process with more class than you can ever imagine.

All schools were informed at least the day before the press conference. The schools were not left out of the loop before the press conference. He had every right to take as long as he wanted to make a decision.

Really? Showing up an hour late for a meeting and texting the entire time is showing class?

[Benchwarmer]

If they couldn't read the writing on the wall then UK is in serious trouble then. From what I gathered they knew they had a slim chance to land him. When you schedule an in house visit and he shows up an hour late and then proceeds to send text messages throughout the whole visit should probably be one sign that you have a slim chance. Maybe they should over recruit instead of sticking all of their eggs in one basket.

How do you know these things?

[64black&gold]

I doubt Dudley Hilton said that. As for all the great things Tee Martin has done look up USC staff and do some reserach on those guys and see how it compares to UK staff, well if you want to call it a comparision

I don't doubt for a minute that Coach Hilton said that. Lot's of talk at the border bowl from a bunch of coaches that Coach Hilton was not shy in his assessment of Lamar as overrated. Told almost every coach that would listen that his son was every bit as good as Lamar.

I have nothing against his son and he is a very good and tough football player but I disagree.

[Hatz]

Many have debated the wisdom of Lamar Dawson, a LB'er, going to USC versus an SEC school. Many want to look at the SEC has a conference then compare it to a single school (USC). But you have to look at each individual school for it's merits.

Doing a cursory look at the list (It's Saturday morning and everyone's still asleep so I can do these sorts of things :biggrin::

Schools with LB's in the NFL

Georgia has 8 LB's
Georgia Tech has 7
Florida has 6
Florida State has 5
Ohio State has 9
Tennessee has 6
Alabama has 3
Auburn has 6
LSU has 5
Miami has 9
Michigan has 6
Ole Miss has 3
Miss. State has 3
Penn State has 9
Purdue has 7
According to this site, UK has 2

Now, the only schools who have more LB's in the NFL than USC are Penn State, Ohio State and Miami. (By 1 I might add)

Other than Georgia, no other school in the SEC has as many LB's in the League as USC.

Add to that the fact USC is a lifelong favorite team for the young man, it's plain to see why he could and did choose the Trojans.

[Hatz]

I don't doubt for a minute that Coach Hilton said that. Lot's of talk at the border bowl from a bunch of coaches that Coach Hilton was not shy in his assessment of Lamar as overrated. Told almost every coach that would listen that his son was every bit as good as Lamar.

I have nothing against his son and he is a very good and tough football player but I disagree.

Well, if that's the case, I would say I would be more than disappointed in Coach Hilton. Since Lamar was not at the Border Bowl I see no need for him to comment on another player. Since it was his son I would say some Fatherly eye sight was getting in the way. (Couple that with two recent disappointments at the hands of Boyle and Lamar and you see someone who is speaking from that disappointment rather than from their head)

As to John Dudley Hilton, I hope he has a good career wherever he goes. As to the father, good luck to him. :Thumbs:

[bigperm47]

I dont know this kid or have a dog in the fight. If it was my child and he had the same choices and opportunities, UK would be last on my list. I have pulled for the UK progam forever, but I see no future success with the current coaching staff.

I do think that he may get lost in the talent pool that is USC and would have been noticed more at UK even though UK wont have a winning season in the next 4 years.

[Rebel55]

I dont know this kid or have a dog in the fight. If it was my child and he had the same choices and opportunities, UK would be last on my list. I have pulled for the UK progam forever, but I see no future success with the current coaching staff.

We see things alot a like. :Thumbs: I too have thought if my son had these choices where would I 've liked for him to go. USC, Oregon, and I hate to say it Tennessee would all have been ahead of UK. As a father anyone would want the best for their son and IMO UK would not have been ahead of the choices Lamar was given.

From all that I've heard about Lamar and Kentucky. The only reason Kentucky was even on his list was because of Coach Chuck Smith. Without Chuck, Kentucky would have had a ZERO chance and not even been looked at. According from what I was told Chuck did everything he could, but there was no connection between Lamar and the new D coach.

[Hatz]

We see things alot a like. :Thumbs: I too have thought if my son had these choices where would I 've liked for him to go. USC, Oregon, and I hate to say it Tennessee would all have been ahead of UK. As a father anyone would want the best for their son and IMO UK would not have been ahead of the choices Lamar was given.

From all that I've heard about Lamar and Kentucky. The only reason Kentucky was even on his list was because of Coach Chuck Smith. Without Chuck, Kentucky would have had a ZERO chance and not even been looked at. According from what I was told Chuck did everything he could, but there was no connection between Lamar and the new D coach.

I think you are correct Rebel55. People forget that with the success of Aumiller (so far) and Tamme (even Begley) that somehow Boyle was pipeline to UK. But UL has done as good or as great a job getting the best talent from the Rebels (see the Bobby and Travis Leffew).

I might also add that I saw much less vitriol from some when Chester Ford signed with Tennessee over UK.

[Rebel55]

Hatz what shocked me this week was was reading that Bobby and Travis had talked to Lamar about attending Arkansas under Petrino instead of Louisville. That was suprising. I know alot of people hate Lane Kiffin on how he left Tennessee, but how Petrino left Atlanta was way more bad in my eyes as how he told the players.

[vundy33]

Let's not badmouth the guy just because he picked the real USC over us. I absolutely hate USC, but put yourself in his shoes, just imagine being lucky enough to be afforded that chance to go pretty much wherever you want, if you weighed the pros and cons, none of you would pick UK over the other schools. You just wouldn't. The ONLY reason he would have went to UK is because of loyalty and being a fan, that's it. And he has absolutely no commitment to UK, it's his choice.

So chill out. This kid needs our support. Our high schools take precedence over a state college anyway, and so do the kids when it comes to needing our support. You can't blame the kid for going to a school KNOWN for dominating and sending kids to the NFL, unlike our own school, UK. Also, there's a low low chance that we'll ever play them. So, take a chill pill and wish him well and don't be childish about the matter. Screw Lane Kiffin and screw USC, but GO Lamar Dawson! Get it in son, represent the state well.

[SportzAnimal]

Let's not badmouth the guy just because he picked the real USC over us. I absolutely hate USC, but put yourself in his shoes, just imagine being lucky enough to be afforded that chance to go pretty much wherever you want, if you weighed the pros and cons, none of you would pick UK over the other schools. You just wouldn't. The ONLY reason he would have went to UK is because of loyalty and being a fan, that's it. And he has absolutely no commitment to UK, it's his choice.

So chill out. This kid needs our support. Our high schools take precedence over a state college anyway, and so do the kids when it comes to needing our support. You can't blame the kid for going to a school KNOWN for dominating and sending kids to the NFL, unlike our own school, UK. Also, there's a low low chance that we'll ever play them. So, take a chill pill and wish him well and don't be childish about the matter. Screw Lane Kiffin and screw USC, but GO Lamar Dawson! Get it in son, represent the state well.

I absolutely agree 100%!!!:Thumbs:

[BlueRaider4Life]

Congrats Lamar... I saw you at a passing leauge game and you are a beast. Keep working and have fun at USC. I am glad to see a Kentucky guy get as much attention as you, now don't let it go to your head and work,work,work,and help your team win.

[Benchwarmer]

Let's not badmouth the guy just because he picked the real USC over us. I absolutely hate USC, but put yourself in his shoes, just imagine being lucky enough to be afforded that chance to go pretty much wherever you want, if you weighed the pros and cons, none of you would pick UK over the other schools. You just wouldn't. The ONLY reason he would have went to UK is because of loyalty and being a fan, that's it. And he has absolutely no commitment to UK, it's his choice.

So chill out. This kid needs our support. Our high schools take precedence over a state college anyway, and so do the kids when it comes to needing our support. You can't blame the kid for going to a school KNOWN for dominating and sending kids to the NFL, unlike our own school, UK. Also, there's a low low chance that we'll ever play them. So, take a chill pill and wish him well and don't be childish about the matter. Screw Lane Kiffin and screw USC, but GO Lamar Dawson! Get it in son, represent the state well.

I agree. I hope USC looses every game for the next four years. I just wish the young man would have showed a little class with his recruitment from his on state. Post 113. But good luck to him in the future.

[LClion4life]

A favorable picture of Lamar?? Please...the kid handled the recruitment process with more class than you can ever imagine.

All schools were informed at least the day before the press conference. The schools were not left out of the loop before the press conference. He had every right to take as long as he wanted to make a decision.

Showing up late to an in-home visit and texting the whole they're there doesn't show a favorable picture for him. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Even if he wasn't too interested in UK he should at least have enough respect to show up on time and enough respect for the guy that drove to his house to visit to listen to him and not text the whole time the guy is trying to talk to him. But, congrats to the kid, I hope he has a GREAT career at USC.

[LClion4life]

Well this will cost Chuck Smith his job, thankfully. Guy just cant get it done, especially for being the recruiting coordinator. I can hardly think of any recruits tied to his name.

Id take a bet that in 2 years or less Dawson will regret this decision. USC's campus is like a fortress because it is surrounded by some of the worst neighborhoods in LA. Place is not safe, students are scared to leave campus.

Plus USC is gonna get smacked with more penalties for what Kiffin did at UT.

Smith is from Boyle, right? How in the world did he not get a kid from his own neck of the woods?!?!!?? :HitWall:

[Benchwarmer]

Showing up late to an in-home visit and texting the whole they're there doesn't show a favorable picture for him. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Even if he wasn't too interested in UK he should at least have enough respect to show up on time and enough respect for the guy that drove to his house to visit to listen to him and not text the whole time the guy is trying to talk to him. But, congrats to the kid, I hope he has a GREAT career at USC.

:Thumbs: