Dear Everyone: Good question. Wish I had an easy answer for you.
If you haven’t read the story in today’s Blade, click here to read about Anthon Samuel not being enrolled at BG to start the spring semester.
Let me address some of the questions people keep asking about this situation:
- Was Samuel dismissed from the team? No, coach Dave Clawson said, he was not. In fact, Samuel is welcome to return to school and return to the team.
- Is Samuel ineligible? Again no, according to Clawson. In short, while no one is speaking on the reasons Samuel remains in Florida, I’m pretty confident the reason is the one I allude to in the story: Samuel wants to be with his wife and year-old son.
- Can Samuel return to the Falcons and play in 2013? This is where things get a little tricky. My understanding is that the answer is yes, as long as Samuel remains academically eligible, he can return to BG and play this fall. I would assume Samuel would have to take classes somewhere this spring and/or summer to maintain eligibility.
The way this situation has been explained to me is this: Since Bowling Green is Samuel’s “initial” school, he can return to the school (provided he retains eligibility) without penalty of the loss of a year’s playing time.
- How does the potential loss of Samuel affect the Falcons in 2013? If Samuel does not return for the coming season, a position of depth suddenly becomes a position with needs. BG already has lost John Pettigrew to graduation, and two other options at this position –- senior-to-be Jordan Hopgood and junior-to-be Jamel Martin –- are coming back from injury. Look for Andre Givens, a sophomore next season who showed flashes of brilliance during limited opportunities this season, to get a good, long look this spring. Also look for the Falcons to sign more than one running back on National Letter of Intent Day.
While I’m thinking of it, here are a few other housekeeping notes regarding the BG football team.
- I asked Clawson about injuries as the team begins prep for spring ball, and he mentioned two. One injury was something I suspected all season but could never confirm: junior quarterback Matt Schilz was suffering from back problems, an injury that plagued him from the time following the Virginia Tech game until the end of the regular season. The second was a shoulder injury by freshman defensive end Bryan Baird, an injury that was severe enough that Baird already has had surgery to repair a torn labrum. Also, Clawson confirmed that junior tight end Alex Bayer never was 100 percent after suffering a knee injury against Miami.
- At the risk of having a post that confirms and strengthens my nickname as the “Prince of Darkness” -– it’s a shot at all the negative news I write, not to mention a jab at me always mentioning the black uniforms –- here’s a little good news: The Falcon football team had an excellent semester, grade-wise.
Bowling Green had a 2.8 team GPA for the Fall 2012 semester, the program’s best since such statistics were kept (more than 10 years, I am told). What’s more, BG’s last three APR scores have broken the school record.
The Falcons did not have a single scholarship player who was ineligible for the bowl game because of grades. Congrats to the Falcons for that.
See? I can say something nice …
Thanks for writing, John.
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