Benjamin Picks Up Offer from UL

[Turbine]

_ And it is quiz time ------Name UL's greatest all-around athlete---most letters in different sports!!!!!!!! _

Alvin Dark, 5 different letters.

No he didn't get the most letters since he was only on campus (playing) for one year 1943-44. But while at UL he lettered in "5" sports.

Alvin Dark lettered in Football, Basketball, Track, Golf, Baseball

Back then it was much easier to play multiple sports because players benefited from very short seasons.

[SlappyCajun]

A lot of guys play multiple sports in high school. A lot of football played play AAU basketball. Almost none of them play both football and basketball in college. The seasons overlap and unless your are an incredibly elite athlete. It just doesn't work out. Just b/c this kid plays AAU basketball doesn't mean he could play D1 ball. Ezekiel alsander played AAU ball and hoops at Southern Lab. He is no way good enough to play basketball (even at Tech)

[zephyr]

_ While you're all concerned over his health & well being he is busy running track the day basketball is over. Then the second school ends he is playing AAU basketball all over the country, until football starts. I don't think you even understand the calliber of athelete a guy like this is to be able to excell at all of these sports. The biggest problem with college atheletics is people acting like its all about hard work & dedication, when it's all about hard work, dedication, & atheletic ability. Anybody who doesn't think playing basketball is conducive to being a better football player has never played basketball before, & has no appreciation for how hard basketball players have to work at their respective trade. _

Yes, I've played both and in high school it is done all the time. However, you have removed yourself from a conversation by jumping from the argument of whether it can be done on a collegiate level (which we are all talking about), to trying to show us that many do it all the time on a high school level which is nowhere near the same. In college, football and basketball run right into one another. Even in high school, if you played football and made the playoffs, you miss the first month of the season. College athletics requires much more of a committment to a given sport than high school does and that's the bottom line.

[Zeebart21]

_ A lot of guys play multiple sports in high school. A lot of football played play AAU basketball. Almost none of them play both football and basketball in college. The seasons overlap and unless your are an incredibly elite athlete. It just doesn't work out. Just b/c this kid plays AAU basketball doesn't mean he could play D1 ball. Ezekiel alsander played AAU ball and hoops at Southern Lab. He is no way good enough to play basketball (even at Tech) _

HA HA!

[playincajun]

I think its easier for a D1 basketball signee to play football then the other way around. The stamina and indurance to go 40 min high speed vs getting offense/defense breaks are way different. There is no way I can see it unless you are the 6'5-6-8 WR/FS/TE type person even then you are off bench and dont play because of football schedule until almost conference time. Basketball is the hardest sport to be a college student athlete as there is little down time the season is almost the full college year. Oct-March. There are no holidays for these kids. They got 4 days off between Thanksgiving and New Year.

[Turbine]

I agree playincajun, basketball players could move to other sports with less transition time. (jmo)

The reason you don't don't see kids in multiple sports more often is to protect coachs egos and hold down players egos, not to mention the fear of losing team chemistry because of Mr. Prime Time. (Deon Sanders)

[Just1More]

This thread suggested a pretty decent question. And I didn't take it to be directed at Benjamin alone. Should we honor an athlete's request during recruiting to attempt participation in multiple sports? Why are so many of you arguing over whether IT CAN BE DONE? It has been done. With football/basketball, at the collegiate level, it is unreasonable... no doubt... but that is not the question at hand.

Should UL honor a "super athlete"'s request, that has unquestionable starter potential at both UL football and basketball, and allow him to try participation in both programs... when his other offers are from much larger programs that are only offering in a single sport?

If it isn't a "hard to recruit super athlete", I am going to steer him away from the thought. If I am Hud and a guy says "hey coach, I'm going to talk to Marlin about basketball"... I'd say "talk all you want... dribble a basketball in front of him... and your scholarship goes to the next hungry football player". Now, if one of my DBs wants to run the 100 meters... I probably don't really care. There are worse things an athlete can do when he's not around you than hanging around another program.

I like the question when it's prefaced with "a super athlete that we cannot successfully recruit otherwise". These other scenarios being discussed are way too subjective.

[Turbine]

The way a football coach should look a it is . . .

'Would I take a super contributing player if I "KNEW" he would get injured after 8 games.' Or should he say I can't give you a scholarship because you will only be playing for 8 games.

..to be continued

[sportsfanatic21]

If a kid is good enough to do both, and the coaches for both programs are willing to let him try it (especially the one who is giving up the scholly), then what's the big deal? AND, like has been discussed, if the oppurtunity to do both sways his decision to come here, and the above being true, why would you not want it to happen? How cool would it be to watch a guy score a few TDs in the fall, then watch the same guy score 15 points in the Cajundome in January? It has been done before (Charlie Ward for example), it can be done again. Is it likely? No. But to just dismiss it is VERY short-sighted. Ward won a Heisman trophy and had a pretty good run in the NBA. Please stop with the "football and basketball cant be done" thing.

Thing is, this is all probably a moot point with the kid that this thread started with. Has he stated that he wants to go to a school that will accomodate him playing multiple sports? And if so, is he good enough to do it?

Geaux Cajuns!

[Just1More]

_ The way a football coach should look a it is . . .

'Would I take a super contributing player if I "KNEW" he would get injured after 8 games.' Or should he say I can't give you a scholarship because you will only be playing for 8 games.

..to be continued _

We've had athletes get injured in the offseason while riding four-wheelers. You cannot marry injury and the question of whether you allow an athlete to participate in mutliple sports. As for your earlier comment about "super ego athletes" and multi-sports. You will find that a super ego athlete is a cancer in the single sport they participate... you don't have to spill his spew into more than one sport to have a problem.

My opinion is... UL coaches probably do disallow or strongly discourage an athlete they recruited (on scholarship) from participating in a second sport. I maintain that at UL we would and should be open-minded toward a super athlete that is considering UL for multi-sport, but would go to a much larger program if he is told that it will not be allowed at UL. I do not see it as a great thing... I see it as a recruiting thing.