WCU football player convicted of drug charges

I remember the time when Western Carolina football players walked proud and went out of their way to set a good example. Looks like all that has been recruited in recent years are a bunch of Hoodlums. Bob Waters has to be rollinhg over in his grave.

time to clean out the closet.huh?

It's really sad that these young athletes get hooked on drugs, steroids, or what ever. He is now marked for life.

I smell another 1-10 finish!

Upstatecat88 wrote:

I smell another 1-10 finish!

It would seem to me that getting rid of players such as this might INCREASE the team's chances of improvement rather than continue it's current path. But you had to say something negative, didn't you? Just like the ultimate Cat basher Keith Jarrett, who hates the WCU programs because he flunked out of school there, everyone feels the need to jump on the bandwagon.

i have met and spoke with coach wagner some this summer. sounds to me whether he goes 0-10 or whatever, that he's going to clean house and start over. can't expect a miracle the first season. but i bet the guys that are on the team will respect the man and they'll be competitive!

test him weekly and if he fails the 1st time, kick him out off the team as well as out of school. This should be standard practice for all schools.

Sorry "Sports Fan" from Hendersonville, but I'm a realist first and an optimist second which doesn't equate with "bashing." Lumping me in with Jarrett is a huge misstep; since I actually want the team to SUCCEED!

The AD and coach need to step up and quash these players , Just a few weeks ago several Western football players were at O'Malleys in Sylva drinking and began fighting eachother , If they've got that much energy left then the coach isn't working them hard enough , These young men represent Western and Western N.C. whenever off campus they should be dressed in shirt and tie if not in jersey , Theres a dark cloud over campus and these men need to clear it up instead of contributing to the storm !!

It's so funny most would like to "squash" or put this young fella out to dry! Wise up airheads! If you only knew what "your" children, grandchildren, neices or nephews were doing behind closed doors! Give the kid a chance to clean up his act! All players need to be tested, not just those who run into trouble!

I use to play football against this dude and he really is a great guy. MJ is stupid, but is drinking any better? We are trying to find our way and will make some mistakes along the way. We are under alot of pressure to be successful in the eyes of adults. Give us a freakin break,we are only human. I'm sure we have all done something we're not proud of, right?

Raz Lemons wrote:

The AD and coach need to step up and quash these players , Just a few weeks ago several Western football players were at O'Malleys in Sylva drinking and began fighting eachother , If they've got that much energy left then the coach isn't working them hard enough , These young men represent Western and Western N.C. whenever off campus they should be dressed in shirt and tie if not in jersey , Theres a dark cloud over campus and these men need to clear it up instead of contributing to the storm !!

You've got to be kidding me ... dress in shirt and tie whenever off campus??? Is this all athletes or just football players??? Either way, that is stupid! So a player needs to run out to Wal*Mart before practice to pick up some deodrant, you suggest he put on a shirt and tie first? Give me a break! I am the parent of a high school senior athlete and I support them dressing nicely on game day, but I would NEVER ask or expect or support him having to put on a shirt and tie whenever he was off campus. What you suggest is that wherever these athletes are people should be able to judge them and point them out because of how they dress. You sir, if you were a coach would have zero players or you would have players running extra sprints everyday for noncompliance.

And how do you know that several football players were out drinking and fighting one another (were they dressed in dress shirt and tie?). The reality of the world is, young people drink and when you are in college, you are considered grown and obviously they were over the age 21 to be able to buy and consume alcohol at O'Malley's (by the way, I do know the owners and I do know they abide by the law). And, if what you suggest is true, just because they are team-mates doesn't mean they must like one another. Yes, it is the right thing to do, but past respecting each other on the field and doing his there, friendship isn't a requirement. And just like anyone else who had a hard day on the job (and for these athletes their job is class and practice), they are entitled to go out to the local spot and relax. It doesn't matter if they had four-a-days with each practice lasting four hours, tempers can flare and in my own personal experiences, tempers seem to flare more when you are tired and frustrated then when you are rested and fresh.

My suggestion to you is to get in touch. These young people are trying to make something out of their life. Yes, all of them will make mistakes, some more serious than others; yet that doesn't mean they can't or won't be productive members of society! I am in no position to pass judgment on anyone and you know what, YOU aren't either!!!

CJOHNNY wrote:

It's really sad that these young athletes get hooked on drugs, steroids, or what ever. He is now marked for life.

But you do realize why this is true a lot of the time don't you? It's because fans expect you to be stronger, faster, better than the next guy or team you play. They expect your team to win every game or at least 90% of those games. The pressure placed on student-athletes is incredible - for a lot of them they feel the only way to be successful is to take "something" to make them better. It is a sad situation, yet, it is the reality of our world.

Crazy Comments wrote:

<quoted text>
But you do realize why this is true a lot of the time don't you? It's because fans expect you to be stronger, faster, better than the next guy or team you play. They expect your team to win every game or at least 90% of those games. The pressure placed on student-athletes is incredible - for a lot of them they feel the only way to be successful is to take "something" to make them better. It is a sad situation, yet, it is the reality of our world.

Somewhat true statement, but don't forget the fathers/parents that expect the child to win. Or those that could not afford college tuition, so sports scholarships were the only answer. Seen alot of that.

You guys make me laugh.

The person you all are refering to is my nephew and I taught him a long time ago that just by being an athlete, he would have a lot of people coming after him, so his only friend was himself.

I also told him he could be guilty by association, to watch the girls, and the fact that people love you while you're winning, but your true friends would show themselves when you were losing.

I have long since deduced that the thinner the population of an area, the thinner the level of intelligence, and that they were directly proportional. You all have verified my statement hands down.

All of you don't know the specifics of this case, so I don't see why you're judging him at this point, especially in a public forum. I'd bet a million dollars that you all have never played football anywhere, but the armchair league.

Why would anyone come after a bunch of losers with absolutely nothing to offer? You don't even know what it's like to win. In fact, schools bring in athletes so you all can live the thrill of victory through someone else. You'll never be an all-stater, or have a woman throw herself at you because of who you are, or have anyone ask for your autograph.

He might even be playing after today, but even if he is exonerated, I don't know that he should play up there anymore. To be honest, I'd rather tell him to sit out a year and transfer to a place with some self-respect and loyalty. This is why the Catamounts are not winning.

He could have attended any school in the nation, not only because he's a great athlete, but because of his mind, but he selected to come up there. It made me happy that he thought that much of me, but I'm sorry as hell now.

Although I'm an alumnus of WCU, I talked with Tyrone Willingham and had him a full ride to Stanford, but he wanted to do something to make me proud of him. He could have gotten into an Ivy league school on his grades alone.

I do know he would have encountered a whole lot less riff raff had he done what I asked him to do, but kids are going to do what they want. I'm going to pray for Brandon, but I think he is finally going to learn a lesson about people that is going to snap him into reality.

In closing, my two sons will go somewhere to play football, ane of them is 5'8 and 160lbs in the 7th grade already, but it won't be there.

The youngest runs 5 minute miles and he's only 10 years old. I have three little girls that are great athletes as well. Brandon's mother was a state level runner and excellent athlete, and boy does it run in our family.

I'm certain my boys are going to be someone's Ivy league or military academy line backer, or strong saftey, or receiver, or lineman, but they won't be coming up there!

Joe, sounds like you are really trying to convince yourself, more than any of us!! Give it a break - jeezzzzz.

I know this athlete personally and I know the facts of the case. Speaking on this case this athlete stayed with regular students. It just so happen that his roommate had marijuana in her room and the police who didn't have a search warrant enter his residents. Ron mathis the asshole detective who entered his residency without a search warrant offered to drop the charge against him if he did "Buys" for the sheriff dept in sylva. "Buys" are when the sheriff gives a person money to buy drugs from those who sell them. Brandon and the coach felt that wasn't a good decision so they charged him, and he appealed the case because he was innocent, and the coaches wanted the appeal case to occur before the season and the DA wasn't going to speed the case up so he was suspended. So those of you who judge this guy without even knowing what happen are small minded people who have no life.