Nebraska football player under fire for signing day antics
One of the newest Nebraska football players had some fun on signing day, and some people are mad about it.
When Caleb Tannor announced he was going to be a member of the Nebraska football, he did it with panache. The four-star linebacker out of Georgia had a table that had a number of different team hats lined up on it.
During his presentation, he took one hat after another, put them on his head and then tossed them away. Eventually, he shoved all the hats off the table and pulled out a Cornhuskers’ hat from his lap, slipped it on and announced he was headed to Lincoln.
While most people who saw the video thought it was an entertaining way to announce his school choice, there is a segment of the population that believes Tannor somehow “disrespected” the coaches of the programs he didn’t choose.
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Trevor Woods, a writer for Maize N Brew, a Michigan Wolverines site, apparently believes what Tannor did was beyond the pale. Woods explained why he feels what Tannor and another recruit Quay Walker (who announced in a similar way) did was disrespectful.
"“The teams that Tannor and Walker threw on the floor were programs that spent time in their homes, had meetings with their families, spoke with many times in person and on the phone. The programs had a bond with these recruits, to varying degrees, but they showed these kids kindness in different ways.”"
Woods also posited that Huskers’ head coach Scott Frost and Georgia head coach Kirby Smart were likely upset with their new players because it’s a “distraction that takes away from what the day is about.”
And here is where the Woods really lost the thread. The day is about players picking the schools they want to attend.
Dozens and dozens of players sat behind tables with hats lined up. Dozens and dozens of players chose a hat and put it on.
Where Tannor and Walker diverged from the norm is that they threw the hats on the ground. The purpose of the ceremony was still for both players to announce where they were doing. It didn’t distract from that purpose.
Further, this day, as Tannor pointed out on his Twitter account Thursday morning, is about the recruits. It’s about letting them have the spotlight for a moment while they make the biggest decision of their young lives to that point.
Telling these kids that they don’t get to celebrate how they want, when what they did was not a distraction and likely not really noticed by the coaches Woods claims were disrespected seems to be a “get off my lawn” kneejerk reaction.
I have a feeling Nebraska football head coach Scott Frost spent zero time worrying about how Caleb Tannor announced he was coming to Lincoln. I think I can say the same for Kirby Smart.