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Biggest "insider miss" in recruiting history?


aushrink

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This is a while back,but I remember back in the 1980's, AU thought they had a good shot at bringing in a RB from Pensacola named Emmett Smith.

Someone with more knowledge to his recruitment might know if we were really close to getting him or not.

From what I've heard (which may or may not be accurate as it predates my existence by a good bit), Emmit was very high on Auburn and vice versa, but when Auburn planned to take on other running backs as well in that class (one of whom a local kid colloquially referred to as "Bo Peep", I believe), he decided to go elsewhere.

I was there on signing day when Emmitt walked in wearing all Auburn, which he peeled off to show all UF. He legendarily and verbally later stated he regreted not going to Auburn, even (fwiw) said Auburn would have won a national title with him there. The Pensacola paper did a story after he left UF early for the NFL (after going 0-3 vs Auburn) about Emmit and his family receiving death threats & hate mail (ostensibly from Gators) for years which may explain his not even MENTIONING his time in Gainesville during his inducation speach to the NFL Hall of Fame. I've actually found him to be a very approachable, down to earth (for a football player) guy that without drawing attention to it, spends lots of time with kids in the Pensacola area. He must have been an awkward fit during the blowhard, chip on their shoulder ("Go to Hell SEC" Gator chant), pay & still lose Galen Hall era at UF .
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This is a while back,but I remember back in the 1980's, AU thought they had a good shot at bringing in a RB from Pensacola named Emmett Smith.

Someone with more knowledge to his recruitment might know if we were really close to getting him or not.

There was a little last minute hanky panky in that one.
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This is a while back,but I remember back in the 1980's, AU thought they had a good shot at bringing in a RB from Pensacola named Emmett Smith.

Someone with more knowledge to his recruitment might know if we were really close to getting him or not.

From what I've heard (which may or may not be accurate as it predates my existence by a good bit), Emmit was very high on Auburn and vice versa, but when Auburn planned to take on other running backs as well in that class (one of whom a local kid colloquially referred to as "Bo Peep", I believe), he decided to go elsewhere.

I was there on signing day when Emmitt walked in wearing all Auburn, which he peeled off to show all UF. He legendarily and verbally later stated he regreted not going to Auburn, even (fwiw) said Auburn would have won a national title with him there. The Pensacola paper did a story after he left UF early for the NFL (after going 0-3 vs Auburn) about Emmit and his family receiving death threats & hate mail (ostensibly from Gators) for years which may explain his not even MENTIONING his time in Gainesville during his inducation speach to the NFL Hall of Fame. I've actually found him to be a very approachable, down to earth (for a football player) guy that without drawing attention to it, spends lots of time with kids in the Pensacola area. He must have been an awkward fit during the blowhard, chip on their shoulder ("Go to Hell SEC" Gator chant), pay & still lose Galen Hall era at UF .

Here is the quote you are referring to: http://www.thewareag...nation-but-why/

He never actually stated he "regretted" not picking AU so much as he sounds like he didnt like UF.

And it appears he was not wearing all O&B on signing day - apparently Nebraska was the team he was leading everyone to think he was committing to. http://www.pnj.com/a...tt-s-trick-play

In making the biggest decision of his life at Escambia High, Emmitt Smith left people gasping with his change of direction.

Not with his feet, of course, but a choice of apparel.

He showed up for school on national signing day in 1987 wearing a red-and-white ensemble.

Nebraska colors.

Whispers spread. Rumors flew. Even in this pre-cell phone, pre-text message era, word still spread quickly around Pensacola. He was going to sign with Nebraska, a community surmised.

"He had told everyone at school that whatever colors he wore, that's where he would be signing," said Johnny Nichols, laughing, the team's quarterback that season and one of Smith's best friends. "So the entire day, everyone was talking about it."

Even his parents were in on the hoax. Auburn and Nebraska, both power running teams back then, were considered the co-finalists for Smith's signature.

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Hate to say this, but my info had been saying RE to UAT for the past couple of weeks. Look at my previous posts about RE. Hate to be right on this one. UAT got a good one. This really hurts Auburn....

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Seems to me the Evans family played the AU coaching staff like a cheap fiddle. Too bad, too, but his dad put his son in the exact same position he was in when he signed at Auburn. I'll be surprised if he sees much early PT with 15 or 16 other LBs on bama's depth chart

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How our "insiders" miss on an Auburn legacy in our backyard is absurd. We either got played or the insiders know even less than they say.

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Also, Auburn fans should be really upset with a former coach who I will not name who influenced RE to UAT....

Nah, it's all on the player and his family. I dont begrudge his choice one bit but his duplicity is troubling. Why hang out with AUs HC the weekend before NSD?

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Grady? and King? Over on BOL have been calling Evans to bammer since last weekend! And, they were posting detailed info over there...

How do bammer insiders get this inside info, when our insiders tell us not to believe that crap...? 4 years straight????

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@BlueVue: Not getting in the family thing because it will not be tolerated here, however, I know for a fact a certain or two former coaches were in RE's ear during the whole time telling him not to go to Auburn....

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Yep, I'm not going to sweat losing this guy. look at previous guys that tried to play our staff. TJ and CK have been good but Foster, Liner, Calloway etc haven't done jack squat.

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Grady? and King? Over on BOL have been calling Evans to bammer since last weekend! And, they were posting detailed info over there...

How do bammer insiders get this inside info, when our insiders tell us not to believe that crap...? 4 years straight????

This is what I want to know. Either Rashaan played somebody or our insiders aren't much of insiders. I mean it is a public forum, but every time anyone said anything about Bama it got debunked as complete BS from people who were "in the know"

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@BlueVue: Not getting in the family thing because it will not be tolerated here, however, I know for a fact a certain or two former coaches were in RE's ear during the whole time telling him not to go to Auburn....

OK but dont really see why former coaches who aren't even with the staff should have that much influence. That falls on the folks doing the listening. As far as what will and wont be tolerated here, I haven't said one disparaging comment about anybody. If what I've posted gets me in trouble with the mods I'll have to wonder what their problem is.

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This is what I want to know. Either Rashaan played somebody or our insiders aren't much of insiders. I mean it is a public forum, but every time anyone said anything about Bama it got debunked as complete BS from people who were "in the know"

He played everyone. "Insiders" hear what coaches are being told. When a kid tells a coach that he's coming and that trickles down to "insiders", that is what gets reported to you.

Believe it or not kids lie. We already had a Rashaan Evans profile up on the Auburn site, don't you think that is odd unless they had very good indication that he was coming?

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This is what I want to know. Either Rashaan played somebody or our insiders aren't much of insiders. I mean it is a public forum, but every time anyone said anything about Bama it got debunked as complete BS from people who were "in the know"

He played everyone. "Insiders" hear what coaches are being told. When a kid tells a coach that he's coming and that trickles down to "insiders", that is what gets reported to you.

Believe it or not kids lie. We already had a Rashaan Evans profile up on the Auburn site, don't you think that is odd unless they had very good indication that he was coming?

Not to mention the two current 2014 signees he invited to the announcement. Kid is a punk. He and his whole family can take a long walk off a short pier.

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This is what I want to know. Either Rashaan played somebody or our insiders aren't much of insiders. I mean it is a public forum, but every time anyone said anything about Bama it got debunked as complete BS from people who were "in the know"

He played everyone. "Insiders" hear what coaches are being told. When a kid tells a coach that he's coming and that trickles down to "insiders", that is what gets reported to you.

Believe it or not kids lie. We already had a Rashaan Evans profile up on the Auburn site, don't you think that is odd unless they had very good indication that he was coming?

THIS^^^ is what Im talking about. From all appearances, AUs staff got played by a HS kid who did it just because he could. He chose wisely.

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saw tweets where he chose bama last night but brought an AU cap just in case. Almost seemed like he really didnt know where he was going to choose and had to make a choice due to the expectations. I will say this though...either we were trolled pretty hard or bama made a serious close on this kid...maybe he pulls a Cyrus and never sends in his loi.

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