How on earth can a kid who is so highly touted coming out of high school have academic problems? That is the first priority and getting into Michigan is not so easy even for an athlete. Walker also attended a Catholic school back in NJ so he must have brains. He enrolled early so either he is majoring in nuclear physics and needs to quit football to study OR he partied, missed class, and come within a cats whisker of being booted back to Jersey like his buddy Ahmir Mitchell. Even before he committed to UM, Mitchell was rumored to be a great athlete who was spoiled in high school and was not very coachable. It is a shame. I hope Walker embraces his second chance and learns to prioritize. Maybe he can jump back in the mix at RB BUT his absence leaves the door open for a highly touted recruit like Najee Harris,
Walker and Academics
- Thread starter scfanblue
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There are plenty of people who have difficultly at Michigan without partying. Let's not make aspersions on his character based on him having academic difficulties. The mods have been clear that his issues were not related to Mitchell in any way.
New students are frequently shocked at what is required at UM when they first arrive. I know I was!
It's not just as Michigan, but many kids who do well in highschool struggle the first couple of years in college. Sometimes it's an inability to adjust to being away from home for the first time, and for some as the OP mentioned it's self inflicted. That doesn't include the pressures and time constraints as placed on a football player at a program like Michigan.
One of my best friends had a very easy time in Highschool with AP courses, great GPA, and in the National Honor Society. He went to college and thought he could just breeze by like he did in highschool. He actually got put on probation for academic performance, but got his act together enough to graduate. He now sits as an executive at the Director level for a Fortune 500 Company.
Every person handles things differently, hopefully Walker figures it out for his own good.
One of my best friends had a very easy time in Highschool with AP courses, great GPA, and in the National Honor Society. He went to college and thought he could just breeze by like he did in highschool. He actually got put on probation for academic performance, but got his act together enough to graduate. He now sits as an executive at the Director level for a Fortune 500 Company.
Every person handles things differently, hopefully Walker figures it out for his own good.
Lots of people struggle at Michigan. Not just football players. I remember how some colleges aim to weed out students into other majors, especially if they aren't serious students.
I've heard college professors even talking about how unprepared kids are today for college. Many of the problems now stem from the fact that high school curriculum is watered down and kids are not allowed to FAIL today. I have been teaching for 23 years now and we cannot give a kid lower than a 60 the first 9 weeks even if they sit in class and do nothing. School today is a big social experiment instead of learning how to grow and COPE with issues as young adults. We have produced a generation of whiners instead with very little work ethic who want to run to guidance every time their feelings get hurt. There is also a push to minimize athletics and get rid of football because it shows "violence" Clint Eastwood was right when he called it a "pussy" generation.
It's starting to look like he likely won't play a game in a Michigan uniform. Sounds like this one may be headed toward a transfer or a medical, but remains to be seen.
At this point anything is possible. This upcoming offseason will be interesting.
Got a source on any of that? That would be 3 NJ boys that didn't make through the UM door.
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Balas has also said that he's not convinced Walker will ever play for Michigan, so that general feeling is definitely out there.
