Tyler Bray should have stayed.

[sanddune50]

He played after Stabler.

And that's a solid correction, but still doesn't back 'the real UT' sentiment that future QBs may avoiding coming here due to the length of time it has been since we put someone of quality that made an impact in the NFL.

 

[TVOLS]

Anyone that thinks Tyler Bray should have stayed I suggest you go back and watch the Vandy game again. Pay attention to some of his throws and his demeanor on the sideline.

 

[dan4vols]

If Bray had Kiffin, I think its safe to say he would have been drafted.....thats just my opinion though, but he did wonders with Crompton

Possibly so, because apparently Kiffin is a better QB coach than Cheney.

 

[BearCat204]

Possibly so, because apparently Kiffin is a better QB coach than Cheney.

Was never debatable IMO

 

[vol66]

I don't get all the "feel bad for Bray" stuff. Want to feel bad for someone, feel bad for Herman Lathers. In his time, his DC's were Chavis, Kiffin, Wilcox, and Sunseri, at least as many position coaches. He separated his shoulder in the NC State game, put on a brace and played the rest of the year after sitting out GA. State. He finished 3rd on the team in tackles and played his best against the best in October when he averaged 11.7 tackles over that 3 week stretch. He had 15 tackles and an INT against SC. Remember the sack/forced fumble in the UGA game, giving the offense the ball at the UG 8 yard line, yeah that was him. Maybe more importantly, after his final game had been played he received the Chancellor’s Citation for Extraordinary Community Service.

He's too short. He's not fast enough. His hips are too tight. Looks like he's not gonna get a shot, he fought through a broken ankle. sat out all of 2011 I believe, a lot of guys, at that stage in their career, would've quit right there, he did not.

Tyler had it made compared to Lathers. "I thought I was above the law at Tennessee", 1 OC for the vast majority of his career, one offense to master and not only did he not master it, he didn't even try.

Life isn't always fair, Lathers found that out when he was 10 and it's been reinforced over and over throughout his college football career. All Tyler had to do was look over at the defense, look at Lathers. He couldn't be bothered.

It's enough to make your stomach ache.

 

[mtowntim]

Good post vol66!

 

[Spartacavolus]

If Bray had Kiffin, I think its safe to say he would have been drafted.....thats just my opinion though, but he did wonders with Crompton

Crompton always gave effort though and cared. Bray didn't.

 

[BearCat204]

Crompton always gave effort though and cared. Bray didn't.

True, but perhaps with the right motivation he may have and that motivation normally comes from a coaching staff. Not giving Bray too much credit though, he is ultimately responsible for "mailing it in"

 

[UTProf]

From a friend following the draft:

"@NFLosophy
If Andy Reid can’t fix Tyler Bray, no 1 can. Told not FB issues. Deep personality issues. Actually heard term “sociopath” in relation to Bray"

So... maybe the mental part was a lot worse than we thought.

Bray may be a lot of things. One thing he seems to be is a lightning rod but he's no sociopath and I question anyone calling him that. I really do hope that Tweet is from a youngster tweeting trash rather than an actual reporter because that's borderline slander.

 

[Spartacavolus]

True, but perhaps with the right motivation he may have and that motivation normally comes from a coaching staff. Not giving Bray too much credit though, he is ultimately responsible for "mailing it in"

Could be. But some players just don't have it upstairs and every coach has them. Hell, if families have 3+ siblings, there is a good chance one of them leaves the other two shaking their head.

 

[82_VOL_83]

He played after Stabler.

Nearly everyone played after Stabler.......

 

[82_VOL_83]

gosh, i just hope he comes back to Knoxville and starts his own radio sports talk show some day :dry:

It would only be on the air 75% of the time......

 

[1972 Grad]

If Bray had Kiffin, I think its safe to say he would have been drafted.....thats just my opinion though, but he did wonders with Crompton

Crompton's parents gave a lot of credit for Jon's improvement to his working with Sam Wyche , former Super Bowl coach of the Cincinnati Bengals, and a former qb himself at Furman.

 

[82_VOL_83]

Without being certain of that much, I would say that D. Rogers and T. Bray abused their talent as power to rebel against the coaching staff, to the point of open mutiny.

This^

 

[1972 Grad]

Nearly everyone played after Stabler.......

It was about Alabama qb's who had significant playing time in the pros after Stabler. Bart Starr and Joe Namath didn't play after Stabler.

 

[82_VOL_83]

There is a real answer at least. Attacking me for no reason based off something I didn't say adds to the trollness of the board and I would think as a mod you would defer from doing so. And no I would never like Tyler Bray. Of course if he won more games I would like it, but that guy just didn't care. I sat right behind the team at the UK game in Lexington when we lost and that guy did not give a flip if we won or lost. I will not respect that and do not care what happens to him. If you are going to wear my schools logo do it with pride and effort. Even if your bad I will at least respect you. I have 10x more love for Zach Rodgers than I do Tyler Bray.

Even if it is vitriolic, many on this board agree with at least some of this. I lost any and all respect for Bray and Co. after the KY loss in 11. I don't care if we had won the NC last year, I still would not have liked Bray. Doesn't mean that I would not have been overjoyed, it just means I wouldn't like Bray.

 

[82_VOL_83]

I just feel bad for Bray. He was recruited by Kiffin under the pretense that he was going to come here and play for some of the best coaches in the nation and for a team that was on the rise. Instead, he ended up playing for some of the worst teams in UT history under one of the worst coaches in SEC history. It always sucks to see guys get screwed over like that, but I guess that's just part of the business.

Transfer anyone? The only one that screwed him over was himself. Why didn't Kiffy take him with him?

 

[82_VOL_83]

i don't get all the "feel bad for bray" stuff. Want to feel bad for someone, feel bad for herman lathers. In his time, his dc's were chavis, kiffin, wilcox, and sunseri, at least as many position coaches. He separated his shoulder in the nc state game, put on a brace and played the rest of the year after sitting out ga. State. He finished 3rd on the team in tackles and played his best against the best in october when he averaged 11.7 tackles over that 3 week stretch. He had 15 tackles and an int against sc. Remember the sack/forced fumble in the uga game, giving the offense the ball at the ug 8 yard line, yeah that was him. Maybe more importantly, after his final game had been played he received the chancellor’s citation for extraordinary community service.

He's too short. He's not fast enough. His hips are too tight. Looks like he's not gonna get a shot, he fought through a broken ankle. Sat out all of 2011 i believe, a lot of guys, at that stage in their career, would've quit right there, he did not.

Tyler had it made compared to lathers. "i thought i was above the law at tennessee", 1 oc for the vast majority of his career, one offense to master and not only did he not master it, he didn't even try.

Life isn't always fair, lathers found that out when he was 10 and it's been reinforced over and over throughout his college football career. All tyler had to do was look over at the defense, look at lathers. He couldn't be bothered.

It's enough to make your stomach ache.

+1000

 

[82_VOL_83]

True, but perhaps with the right motivation he may have and that motivation normally comes from a coaching staff. Not giving Bray too much credit though, he is ultimately responsible for "mailing it in"

I disagree, that motivation comes from within......

 

[82_VOL_83]

It was about Alabama qb's who had significant playing time in the pros after Stabler. Bart Starr and Joe Namath didn't play after Stabler.

I was just being a smartA........

 

[DC Vol]

I'm going to guess Bray went into the Combine with a roughly 3rd/4th Round grade and lost all stock with interviews. I thought Bray was a lot like Ryan Mallet even before the season began. Ryan Mallet had atrocious interview sessions but still was drafted 3rd Round.

And this was with cancelling pre-draft interviews, bombing half of the ones he did attend and with a public intoxication arrest on his record.

He still got drafted in the 3rd.

Bray had to do something really really off to push so many teams away. It isn't happenstance that a guy with that much talent doesn't get drafted. Scouts found something and it got around.

 

[GAVol]

I'm going to guess Bray went into the Combine with a roughly 3rd/4th Round grade and lost all stock with interviews. I thought Bray was a lot like Ryan Mallet even before the season began. Ryan Mallet had atrocious interview sessions but still was drafted 3rd Round.

And this was with cancelling pre-draft interviews, bombing half of the ones he did attend and with a public intoxication arrest on his record.

He still got drafted in the 3rd.

Bray had to do something really really off to push so many teams away. It isn't happenstance that a guy with that much talent doesn't get drafted. Scouts found something and it got around.

Agree on all counts.

 

[Samit23]

I don't think anybody outside of Knoxville realistically thought that Bray would get drafted. The guy was a disappointment on and off the field and his measureables were vastly overstated by the Vol faithful.

 

[darkgable]

i'll do a little exercise here and plead a case on behalf of mr. bray.

1. the physical talent is there. i think most agree on that. in the nfl, that typically trumps all at various points in the draft. i am not going to list all of the guys who were drafted who had character issues. they are numerous. and bray's issues don't involve drugs or a jail cell. but, these teams who research everything apparently didn't know erik ainge had a current drug problem or that danny wuerffel's arm wasn't strong enough, etc, etc, etc. or maybe they did and they were still drafted.

bottom line, someone drafted akili smith with the #3 overall pick. yet, tyler bray never was drafted.

2. what's so great about tennessee? again, think about this from bray's perspective.

year one. i start late my freshman year. probably my happiest year in knoxville.

year two. my offensive line can not run block. like on a comical level. yeah, it's fun slinging the ball around, but some help would be nice. oh, and i was injured.

year three. we fixed the offensive line. however, the defense decided to be this year's comedian. there were four occasions where we score 31 or more in conference games during the year and we lose those games. we gave up 48 to troy. i am the main guy people want to speak to in press conferences to explain why we are losing and i am the best damn thing going on this piece of crap squad.

after year three, coach moron is fired. while that's great, i have to deal with a new staff who is bringing in a new system. how much is he really going to worry about my future. i am a senior. we are going to get killed anyway. is he going to worry about the future of his program or is he going to worry about me? when the losses pile up (and they will), will he choose to bench me and move forward with the future of the program?

3. z. rogers, rivera, hunter, and patterson are all gone. well isnt that awesome

4. speaking of my attitude. surely people will remember i am 21 years old and my attitude can change. especially, if i am not put in a royally screwed up situation like tennessee where there was no leadership from the coaching staff and no leadership in the locker room. i mean who was i supposed to learn from about what it takes to be a great player. the minute i showed up to campus i was the best qb the school i had. my job was never threatened. it's hard for a young player to have the mental strength to put forward the extra effort when i am surrounded by a bunch of suck. so, yeah, excuse me if it got old being one of the few players who actually did his job at a reasonably high level and i didn't handle the culture of dooley very well.

5. it's still not going to be a good football team at tennessee.

6. it's a weak qb year in the nfl draft. really weak. like, somehow ryan nassib, tyler wilson and mike glennon were all rated ahead of me. do you really want to tell me that you'll draft bj daniels and a qb from southern utah over me because of immaturity at the age of 21. a 5th or 6th rounder is that much of a gamble?

3 kickers were drafted for crying out loud. from teams with a combined record of 17-31. teams that suck took picks on kickers, but there wasn't a team that would take a chance on da'rick rogers.

players may fail. but, that's not the point. there are players who were drafted who have no talent and will definitely fail.

sorry, i thought actually having talent was enough to have people take a chance on me since i never have been arrested or been linked to a drug problem. i'm sure no one with my issues was drafted

I also gave up during the Kentucky game and told my teammates I didn't care about going to a second rate bowl. I also gave up during the Vanderbilt game. I didn't put forth the effort to study defenses because winging it is better than studying . When i blew games i didn't watch tape to see where i could improve because its never my fault when we lost. I tried to work on my footwork but when it came to games and a passrusher was coming screw footwork . I mean we're talking about footwork not a game footwork . You guys don't understand how hard it is to be me.

 

[notabed22]

I don't think anybody outside of Knoxville realistically thought that Bray would get drafted. The guy was a disappointment on and off the field and his measureables were vastly overstated by the Vol faithful.

Everyone thought he was going to get drafted.