Miami Dolphins draftee Vontae Davis: My character is not an issue
16 replies
Sceetoforum_veteranOPDecent read:
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/sports/epaper/2009/04/30/0501vontae.html
"Please tell the Dolphins fans how I really am," he said, wrapping up a phone conversation from his grandmother's home in Washington D.C. "I'm the total opposite of what they say."
. the most physically gifted cornerback in the draft,
coach Ron Zook, the ex-Florida coach and tough-love disciplinarian, benched Davis for a couple of opening plays against Iowa last year.
Zook wanted to teach him a lesson about always giving all-out effort. Now, he's wishing he didn't.
"If I would've known that it would've caused all this, I might not have done it," Zook said.
"Vontae is a great player, so he gets graded a little bit differently," Zook said.
"Two plays gets you that criticism of 'bad character,'" Davis, 20, said.
"It got blown out of proportion, but things happen for a reason," Davis said. "It got me down to the Dolphins and coach Parcells at No. 25, so it was good."
:D Coach Sparano ;)....I know what he meant. :D
For what it's worth, recently on NFLN, I heard Mayock say how he thinks Vontae is a top 10 talent and he thinks that he's the only corner worthy of being such. He had him on his list of the biggest surprise fallers in the draft. He couldn't understand how Vontae could have dropped that far. Just a little shout out for Vontae. :)
anlgpNew MemberI'm sure Vontae will appreciate the shout.
If he were to sign up here and see this I hope he helps lock down the corner position for years to come.
He says he is getting bad press but if he proves it on the field and with a decent enough attitude off the field (doesn't have to be NFL man of the year or whatever) he will have a huge dedicated fan base. Especially if we send him on a blitz and he knocks sanchez on his ass :D
"A man's suffering is similar to the behavior of gas. If a certain quantity of gas is pumped into an empty chamber, it will fill the chamber completely and evenly, no matter how big the chamber. Thus, suffering completely fills the human soul and conscious mind, no matter whether the suffering great or little. Therefore, the "size" of human suffering is absolutely relative." - Viktor Frankl
Sceetoforum_veteran"anlgp wrote:
I'm sure Vontae will appreciate the shout.
If he were to sign up here and see this I hope he helps lock down the corner position for years to come.
He says he is getting bad press but if he proves it on the field and with a decent enough attitude off the field (doesn't have to be NFL man of the year or whatever) he will have a huge dedicated fan base. Especially if we send him on a blitz and he knocks sanchez on his ass :D
I really LOVE the sound of that! :D
I think the deal with Parcells and "high character" guys gets blown out of proportion a bit. Sure he wants high character guys, but I'm sure he wants talented, tough, smart football players first and foremost and Vontae's character issues have seemed to have also gotten blown out of proportion. We shall see. ;)
anlgpNew Member"Sceeto wrote:
I really LOVE the sound of that! :D
I think the deal with Parcells and "high character" guys gets blown out of proportion a bit. Sure he wants high character guys, but I'm sure he wants talented, tough, smart football players first and foremost and Vontae's character issues have seemed to also have gotten blown out of proportion. We shall see. ;)
if parcells can handle lawrence taylor he can handle vontae davis.
"A man's suffering is similar to the behavior of gas. If a certain quantity of gas is pumped into an empty chamber, it will fill the chamber completely and evenly, no matter how big the chamber. Thus, suffering completely fills the human soul and conscious mind, no matter whether the suffering great or little. Therefore, the "size" of human suffering is absolutely relative." - Viktor Frankl
Sceetoforum_veteran"anlgp wrote:
if parcells can handle lawrence taylor he can handle vontae davis.
:D.....That's exactly what I was thinking. ;)
brandon27subscriberI don't think were going to have anything to worry about with this guy. He's going to be an outstanding player IMO
1972 Miami Dolphins-The ONLY undefeated team in NFL history!!!
Superselfforum_veteranVontae is a guy who I hope will absorb what the coaches are teaching.
He is a great athlete but he has to minimize the inconsistent lapses in his performance at this level.
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the 23rdNew Memberrumors of bad character & drug issues are much exaggerated
cost him dearly in the draft. dropped from a sure top ten pick to #25. he was a steal @ 25.
has the potential to be a shut-down corner
our DB's have been significantly upgrade through free agency & the draft
- Competition is the Elixir of Success -
Strikingforum_veteranThat interview does not make me feel better about the entire situation. HC Zook decides to discipline a player for failing to give all out effort but because there are consequences for both parties he regrets it? This is smelling more like damage control with Zook trying to cover himself and avoid the negative association between him, the player and school because potential recruiting difficulties that may result. I highly doubt it was "two plays" as quoted that led a coach to sit a player, that would be extreme overkill. It simply don't add up.
I'll take the word of the guys here who watched lots of film on him but were still not convinced he gives 100% effort often enough because they did so with a critical eye and no conflicted interest in the outcome.
And before the invisible line drawers decide I hate Davis let me clearly state I do not. He is a Dolphin and I will support him until he leaves or does something so stupid that it cannot be forgiven. I'd wish Davis luck but he has the opportunity and power to put this issue behind him very quickly in mini-camps. It will not take long for word to slip to the press or a goading Bill Parcells type statement to make it clear that he failed to take advantage of that opportunity.
surferosaNew MemberGreat article on Davis. So many people are talking about our other draft picks - particularly Pat White and Brian Hartline - that we forget how fortunate we are to have drafted this kid at 25. His selection was by far our best pick in the draft - a stellar player at a position of great need. In the weeks before the draft, Davis was considered by most a top 10-15 pick. Cant help but be excited at the prospect of having Davis man the secondary in the coming years.
i won't defend Davis, but lets just say that since teams tried to avoid going his way ... and he rarely got any action -- he loafed ...
not a justification for sure ... this regime and Bowles won't let that happen -- to add, he will be continuously challenged at this level ... so taking plays off or not playing hard will cost him dearly here.
gafinfansubscriberWhy does this remind me of the Danny Marino pick of '83. If Davis turns out to be in the same mold we just made the steal of this draft. I wish him all the best, and why?, because he is a DOLPHIN of course!!:up:
BTW his Granmom sounds like one heck of a lady!:up::wink2:
This is the only thing I’ve learned: There’s only us. There’s no them. Despots and authoritarians need to make a “them” to have a straw man whom you are against. If you need to make an enemy of “them,” you’ve lost the spirit of us. - Ken Burns of PBS
OnehondosubscriberWell we all know the rumour of drug use was false and if what Zook did to motivate him is the worst thing we have to worry about then we are really fortunate. There was a whole lot more baggage floating around in this draft class than what Davis is accused of.
I believe we are going to be mighty grateful in his pick when all is said and done but thats JMO.
GridIronKing34forum_veteranI believe people just threw the character concerns on Vontae simply because he had a brother named Vernon Davis.
Alex44New Member"Striking wrote:
That interview does not make me feel better about the entire situation. HC Zook decides to discipline a player for failing to give all out effort but because there are consequences for both parties he regrets it? This is smelling more like damage control with Zook trying to cover himself and avoid the negative association between him, the player and school because potential recruiting difficulties that may result. I highly doubt it was "two plays" as quoted that led a coach to sit a player, that would be extreme overkill. It simply don't add up.
I'll take the word of the guys here who watched lots of film on him but were still not convinced he gives 100% effort often enough because they did so with a critical eye and no conflicted interest in the outcome.
And before the invisible line drawers decide I hate Davis let me clearly state I do not. He is a Dolphin and I will support him until he leaves or does something so stupid that it cannot be forgiven. I'd wish Davis luck but he has the opportunity and power to put this issue behind him very quickly in mini-camps. It will not take long for word to slip to the press or a goading Bill Parcells type statement to make it clear that he failed to take advantage of that opportunity.
Because Zook didn't think he was going 100% in practice. I'm sorry but stuff like that happens. When I was a player I always gave my best, but some days your best isnt as good as others for personal reasons. I don't think it is or ever was an issue. It's not like he even sat for a whole series of plays.
On the draft Quentin Rollins bandwagon.
the 23rdNew Membera very strong defensive backfield is shaping up fo 09
- Competition is the Elixir of Success -
CalifinNew MemberTaking a play off could be as simple as a brief bout of youthful arrogance.
Picture the match up of talented, and confident, if not cocky Davis, lined up opposite a tomato can reciever, he's absolutely dominating, and otherwise blanketing his every move. Toying with the receiver, he slacks a couple plays, and Zook (appropriately) goes off.
Undisciplined? Perhaps, and perhaps exactly what Zook might have intended to instill, "and", regretable if it was ultimately blown out of proportion.
