The Sum Of All Fears: Mike Williams Quits Syracuse Football
by Sean Keeley on Nov 2, 2009 12:50 PM EST
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I...
I don't...
I just...
Please...just hold me.
Multiple sources are reporting that Mike Williams, the star WR and arguably the best player on the Syracuse football team has quit. Doug Marrone made the announcement today.
The story is literally developing right now so start rubbing some jalapeno in your eyes now, it's going to be a rough one.
As a reminder, Williams was suspended two weeks ago before the Akron game for undisclosed reasons though it was widely rumored to be an academic issue. Williams was particularly evasive when asked about the specifics, saying "It was just between me and Coach Marrone." Williams was a nominee for the Biletnikoff Award, given to the best receiver in college football.
Update 1: Donnie Webb posts the official story.
Syracuse University wide receiver Mike Williams quit the Orange football team this morning, head coach Doug Marrone said.
Williams, who was the team's leading receiver and a semifinalist for the award given to the nation's top receiver, went into Marrone's office and said he was leaving the team immediately.
Wow. This day is about to get crazy. Especially as apparently Marrone just gave a "tear-filled" defense of Greg Paulus.
Update 2: "[Mike Williams] came up to me and voluntarily took himself off the team. That’s it.” - Doug Marrone (via D.O.)
Update 3: More from Doug Marrone on his meeting with Mike Williams: "I'm not going to discuss the conversation from my end. Obviously, I told you that he came up to me and voluntarily took himself off the team. That's it....I've been in this business long enough not to get surprised by a lot of things."
Update 4: According to Ryan Maloney, Williams made a preemptive strike. He says via Twitter: via starter on #Syracuse D: Mike Williams got into off field trouble this weekend & was to be suspended for Pitt. Chose to quit instead.
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Hold on, hold on.
This is all very sudden and confusing. Let’s let all the information come out. And then we can accuse him of being stupid and ungrateful.
No. No. NO.
The Phillies are about to lose the World Series. I don’t need this right now! What. The. Fuck. God-motherfucking-dammit.
I know this kid on my street
that runs a great post pattern with decent speed. I am going to have him fill out a SU football application.
*said while I am opening my first beer today.
Yep, the Phillies are about to lose the World Series smile
Dear. God. No.
This season just went from “moderately depressing” (an upgrade from Groobers) to “no chance in hell of winning another game.” I hope Doug at least laid some tremendous whoop-ass on him before he left.
Oh yeah, Go Yankees!
Not so fast
If G-Rob could win a game without Mike Williams… I think we can too.
Just another quitter in the end.
disappointing, but not the end of the world. Sales did a good enough job filling in for Williams against Akron, and Catalina has demonstrated the ability to be a deep threat.
sad day for su
This is an incredibly sad day for SU. Without Mike these next few weeks are going to be incredibly challenging.
Its really a sad story for Mike Williams two. Heres a player that got his second chance and took full advantage of it and seemed well on his way to a first day in the NFL draft pick. But somehow he couldn’t understand how lucky he was to get this chance and now he can probably say goodbye to his future. No one in the NFL wants a guy with an attitude problem like this. Mike will be regretting this decision for the rest of his life.
CUSE '13
A wise man once said...
“Never go full retard.” Mr. Williams, you have gone full retard.
How much $$$ has this cost him.
Just amazing.
It was only a matter of time
It’s too bad, because he’s a great receiver. But it seems that he forgets the whole “student” part of “student-athlete” that permits him to get a free education and, more importantly for him, a showcase to display his considerable running and catching skills. Unfortunately for him, and Syracuse football and its fans, is that he has also showcased his considerable immaturity. This kind of nonsense doesn’t play well with NFL scouts and he will likely be dinged quite a bit come draft day. First a full year suspension, then a 1 game suspension, and finally he has earned the title of Quitter. From what it seems, Marrone is well respected in the NFL and I can’t imagine many scouts or coaches, at least among those that know him, will be giving Williams much benefit of the doubt.
So long, Mike. Whatever.
ezcuse is right...
…he was gone after this year anyway, and there are only four games left. It’s not like he was the point guard we were counting on to lead our basketball team for four years like, say, Billy Edelin.
In fairness to Edelin...
He was there for the 2003 national championship. Also, he supposedly struggled with depression and some other problems that really took a toll on him. As opposed to Williams who seems to struggle with stupidity and honesty. Also, Edelin kinda got screwed that year he got suspended for like 10 games by the NCAA for playing a game of rec basketball with 40+ year olds since they said it was “organized” basketball. Which is really a generous thing to say about a game where he was half the age of the rest of the players and likely the only one who had played beyond high school.
by DMF on Nov 2, 2009 1:08 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I hear you
Yes, I heard he was depressed and I think there were family issues too. And I will always be grateful for his contribution to the ’03 team. But he did leave the team in the lurch in the middle of the next two seasons.
by el_bresidente on Nov 2, 2009 1:17 PM EST up reply actions
Update frequency...
I don’t think they update that very often. Especially if he really did just quit, Marrone’s first priority is probably not getting on the line with the webmaster or whoever updates the site (maybe Dr. G does it himself? Would explain a lot…).
by DMF on Nov 2, 2009 1:11 PM EST up reply actions
you can't fix stupid..
maybe he wanted NASSIB to be the starting qb and was upset paulus kept coming out throwing those soft lob passes. maybe not tho. either way bad news for the football team. i dont get this move one bit.
On the other hand...
Maybe he was about to get kicked off the team? Not that it makes this any better, but it would explain why he would quit effective immediately. Or maybe he had done something so stunningly stupid that he was certain he would get kicked off the team? Like I said, not any better and not any less stupid.
In related news, is it me or is the Greg Paulus experiment over? He could have been a real good one if he played for 4 years, but the fact is that it seems that Nassib is at least as good and it could really help for next year to keep giving him more game experience.
Too bad, because it was a nice story while it lasted for those first few games where he really came out gunning.
Wow
I couldn’t agree with DMF more… this is clearly a case of someone who does not want to be a student, and just wants to be an athlete. What he fails to realize is that NFL scouts are going to take this as a BIG NEGATIVE. Seriously, what is he going to tell the scouts in the interviews? I just don’t like school? What does that say about your work eithic your ability to learn complex offenses and reading defensive schemes. The NFL is 10 times more complex than any system he has ever been in, yet he can’t even manage taking electives for a year and getting a C at least. He is an idiot. Wouldn’t be surprised if he bombs in the NFL too.
This hurts - but not where you first thing
Losing Mike Williams the football player hurts, but it’s not like this team was a BCS contender with him in the line up. They lose their best offensive weapon, no question, but even with him getting to 5-6 wins was an optimistic goal – I still think it is.
The defense has kept them in 3 games against quality opponents where either the offense was inept, turnover prone, or both.
I make the argument here that starting Ryan Nassib at QB will more then compensate for losing Mike Williams. Getting a better player involved on EVERY play (QB) helps the team more then losing their best player who impacts 20-40% of a game.
Where this hurts, is in SU’s reputation. The fading of the Greg Paulus story wouldn’t have hurt too much, but now you’ve got a story of a busted up PG playing QB terribly and the best WR leaving the team.
What bowl game wants that story, plus an apathetic fan base? What weekend does SU get picked up nationally now, with nearly no marketable asset on the team?
Whatever good will and media recognition was out there early, this could really kill it. And that can effect recruiting in a big way.
I think Coach Marrone can spin this correctly but winning 2 of the final 4 games is huge now. Hard to see a W against Pitt this weekend, though the final 3 are 50/50 I think all the way.
Hmmm......
I guess the beatdown Cincinnati put on Mike did him in. Interesting. Did Mardy Gilyard quit too? He got held below his average.
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