Chris Donald

[mustang2]

Any word on how Donald's trip to Notre Dame went?

 

Any chance he might go to the fighting Irish?

[jndfan]

Any word on how Donald's trip to Notre Dame went?

 

Any chance he might go to the fighting Irish?

I read on rivals where he just got back from his visit to Notre Dame. Pretty much said the visit gave him a whole lot to think about, and that ND and UT are dead even now....Might come down to the wire, but I still think he's TN's to lose. Presonally, I would like to see him go to a school like Notre Dame....however, he'll shine regardless of where he goes.

[mustang2]

I read on rivals where he just got back from his visit to Notre Dame. Pretty much said the visit gave him a whole lot to think about, and that ND and UT are dead even now....Might come down to the wire, but I still think he's TN's to lose. Presonally, I would like to see him go to a school like Notre Dame....however, he'll shine regardless of where he goes.

 

 

Just read the article. Instead of coming home and announcing a verbal to UT, he has decided to take a couple more weeks to consider. Sounds like south bend does not seem so far from home for him now. I hope he goes to Notre Dame. They are first class in academics and athletics. He is a good kid and wherever he goes I'm sure he will do well.

[ckyfan]

That was an Irish Illustrated article, do you expect him to say the visit was awful? He is a Vol.

[jndfan]

That was an Irish Illustrated article, do you expect him to say the visit was awful? He is a Vol.

No...but he did go on to say that he was really high on Tennessee and if he didn't feel it on his Notre Dame visit he was going to come home and commit to UT. He said "dead even"....and in two weeks he commits. Take it for whats its worth man, but ND has really given him something to think about. Like I said, pretty much everyone thinks he is UT's to lose, but you never know. I don't think that Chris is the type to make up things and sugarcoat his feelings just because he is talkin to a certain reporter. However, I think they're even right now but once he gets home and his visit wears off, he'll be a vol for good. The guy grew up wanting to be a Vol and there are a lot of UT fans around here...so ultimately, he will more than likely be a vol. But Notre Dame is a special place, and once some recruits step foot on that campus they feel "it." I'm sure Chris was impressed but I guess we'll find out just how impressed he was in roughly two weeks. Charlie Weis and Co. have made things a little more interesting than I thought they would.

[VolunteerGeneral]

No...but he did go on to say that he was really high on Tennessee and if he didn't feel it on his Notre Dame visit he was going to come home and commit to UT. He said "dead even"....and in two weeks he commits. Take it for whats its worth man, but ND has really given him something to think about. Like I said, pretty much everyone thinks he is UT's to lose, but you never know. I don't think that Chris is the type to make up things and sugarcoat his feelings just because he is talkin to a certain reporter. However, I think they're even right now but once he gets home and his visit wears off, he'll be a vol for good. The guy grew up wanting to be a Vol and there are a lot of UT fans around here...so ultimately, he will more than likely be a vol. But Notre Dame is a special place, and once some recruits step foot on that campus they feel "it." I'm sure Chris was impressed but I guess we'll find out just how impressed he was in roughly two weeks. Charlie Weis and Co. have made things a little more interesting than I thought they would.

 

bah...notre dame ain`t that special.

[jndfan]

Volunteer[/url]General' post='826086011' date='Jul 31 2006 - 06:38 PM']

bah...notre dame ain`t that special.

You've been there?

[VolunteerGeneral]

You've been there?

 

Nope..cause it ain`t that special. It might be to some folks, but I could care less. Let me run through that T in front of over 100,000 fans. Now that is special.

 

 

I hope Donald just goes with his heart wherever it is. He`s a great high school player and his college career looks promising, but there`s way too much hype on him. Meaning he is being built up to be an all-american. There have been a lot of very high profile high school kids who never did well in college. There have also been a lot of kids that went under most everyones radar like Patrick Willis that have exceeded expectations. I`m just gonna wait and see where he wants to go and thenjust wish him the very best of luck at the next level.

[Solomon]

Volunteer[/url]General' post='826086165' date='Jul 31 2006 - 08:26 PM']

Nope..cause it ain`t that special. It might be to some folks, but I could care less. Let me run through that T in front of over 100,000 fans. Now that is special.

I hope Donald just goes with his heart wherever it is. He`s a great high school player and his college career looks promising, but there`s way too much hype on him. Meaning he is being built up to be an all-american. There have been a lot of very high profile high school kids who never did well in college. There have also been a lot of kids that went under most everyones radar like Patrick Willis that have exceeded expectations. I`m just gonna wait and see where he wants to go and thenjust wish him the very best of luck at the next level.

 

Chris Donald is good. When he was a sophomore you could tell he was a man among boys on the field.

 

I think a lot of the hype is because as many talented athletes West Tennessee produces, for various reason very few of them ever make the big time recruiting news like he has. Kelsey Williams for example. That is probably the most talented player to come through west Tennessee in my lifetime, but because he had trouble early on off the field and the system he played in, he never was a high profile recruit. Kids from Memphis, middle, and east Tennessee are recruited all the time, but kids from rural west TN aren't.

 

People west of the river tend to really stick together and take pride when something like this happens because it is so rare. I think that is the reason he has gotten so much hype. Personally, I think he'll actually come close to living up to it.

[montague1]

Chris Donald is good. When he was a sophomore you could tell he was a man among boys on the field.

 

I think a lot of the hype is because as many talented athletes West Tennessee produces, for various reason very few of them ever make the big time recruiting news like he has. Kelsey Williams for example. That is probably the most talented player to come through west Tennessee in my lifetime, but because he had trouble early on off the field and the system he played in, he never was a high profile recruit. Kids from Memphis, middle, and east Tennessee are recruited all the time, but kids from rural west TN aren't.

 

People west of the river tend to really stick together and take pride when something like this happens because it is so rare. I think that is the reason he has gotten so much hype. Personally, I think he'll actually come close to living up to it.

 

You are right on about Donald. He gets a lot of hype, but I think he will have no trouble living up to it. I've seen him play a few times now, and he just looks like he's on another level at times on that field. For a kid to produce the stats that he has, especially last year in what was one of the hardest regions in the state, is just amazing. Other teams look helpless trying to block this kid sometimes.

 

Solomon, I think Kelsey Williams must have hit you too hard if you think he was more talented than Al Wilson. You should have been at LHS when I was a sohomore and and Big Al played QB against us.

[Augielio]

Lets just put it this way ....if Notre Dame is recruiting a kid and really wants him at Notre Dame ....then the kid has the grades. If they are just in the running for a kid and the kid wants to go th ND but ND is lukewarm on a him ...then grades could be the deciding factor in him not going there. But if they want him bad enough ...just like any other Div I college program ....they will take him ..grades or not and help him make it in school.

 

I resent your statement about Notre Dame's recruiting tactics. Let's see or hear your proof that Notre Dame fixes the grades of recruits. Look at the graduation rates of Tennessee football players and you will see that you are talking about a case of pots and kettles. Then, look at the graduation rates at Notre Dame. It was Tennessee who was in the news for getting players eligible by sending them to a diploma mill in Miami (since closed), and it is Tennessee which has remained consistently near the bottom of the SEC in its football graduation rates. It may well be that all Division 1 college programs do things to get the desired athletes eligible, but you need to be able to prove things you allege before you accuse people or institutions.

I am a Notre Dame fan, and I am also from Huntingdon and very much a fan of their football program. I hope Chris Donald goes to Notre Dame--but if he doesn't, I hope he does well wherever he plays--and I hope he earns his college diploma.

[jndfan]

I resent your statement about Notre Dame's recruiting tactics. Let's see or hear your proof that Notre Dame fixes the grades of recruits. Look at the graduation rates of Tennessee football players and you will see that you are talking about a case of pots and kettles. Then, look at the graduation rates at Notre Dame. It was Tennessee who was in the news for getting players eligible by sending them to a diploma mill in Miami (since closed), and it is Tennessee which has remained consistently near the bottom of the SEC in its football graduation rates. It may well be that all Division 1 college programs do things to get the desired athletes eligible, but you need to be able to prove things you allege before you accuse people or institutions.

I am a Notre Dame fan, and I am also from Huntingdon and very much a fan of their football program. I hope Chris Donald goes to Notre Dame--but if he doesn't, I hope he does well wherever he plays--and I hope he earns his college diploma.

I agree wholeheartedly. Tennessee consistently graduates 40 to 50% percent of their football team. Whereas, Notre Dame consistently ranks near the top of Division I-A football teams with graduation rates in the upper 90's. Also, take a look at the SAT/ACT averages for football recruits who sign with Notre Dame and Tennessee. Lets just say Notre Dame's standards are a lot higher than Tennessee's. Notre Dame has to recruit Student-Athletes, and Chris seems like a good one. I would love to see Chris Donald go to ND, get a top of the line degree, and play on NBC or ABC every Saturday.

 

If you are Chris' parents Notre Dame has to seem awfully appealing. I mean I wake up this morning and see where another UT football player has been arrested. It is ridiculous how much trouble this football team, as a whole, has gotten into the past couple of years. I know Chris is a good guy and probably wouldn't have any trouble, but I knew Daniel Brooks and I didn't think he would end up kicked off the team after multiple incidents. Ultimately, Chris has to make his own decision and I hope it works out for him whatever he chooses. I know his parents will support his decision 100%, but lets just say if Donald doesn't end up at UT (like everyone expects him to) he will end up at a great school.