My two cents on the Kelly Situation

Apr 17, 2014, 2:03 PM

First I hope he gets it together and can return to this team, or find a good fit elsewhere where he will be held accountable to his actions and grow as a person.

Second, I for one second do not doubt that this is also an indicator that Watson will be ready to go this year, and or they feel confident in Nick S. While keeping discipline on the team teaching accountability are important, these coaches still get paid millions to win games. They would not have let Kelly go if they did not feel the other 3 could win and win big.

Now comparing Kelly to Watson. Watson had to grow up in a hurry, he was the man of the house and watched and helped his mother battle cancer. I imagine this has given him a tremendous level of maturity and perspective at such a young age and i am sure has everything to do with his attitude and being "grateful" to have a chance to compete. He also learned at a young age that life can be cruel and does not always work out the way you want it. This is a tough lesson we all have to learn in order to become adults.

On the other hand, Kelly was raised with a sense of entitlement. He came up in what most would consider the ideal home, both with money and influential and successful family members driving him. But at some point his success did not have to be earned, although this is not to take away from his tremendous talent and hard work he has put in. But he just could not seem to handle the notion that he may never be the starter at Clemson and that undermined his inner belief that he was in some how destined, or deserved to be the starter. I think this affected his attitude tremendously, especially with all the Attention Watson is getting from the media and his team mates.

This will be a tough lesson, and one that unfortunately should have happened sooner than his 3rd year in the program.

Watson truly believes in his heart that he is blessed to be a part of this team, and that he is not guaranteed success. This will drive and motivate him in the right way, and will mold him into the kind of leader that you want in the heat of battle.

I do not blame Kelly for one second for his up bringing, it is how he responds that will be important in defining the rest of his life.