Tavon Bryan commits to Florida

[WYCowboy]

If I was Bryan I would pick Florida over Wyoming or Nebraska in a heart beat.
He is 18.
He might end up living in Wyo forever after college, why not get out and explore? Go somewhere new? Meet new people?
And it's not like he owes UW anything.
Let's see, go to an SEC school where he will get to play in some of the best and biggest stadiums with over 100K people every saturday for 4 years, be a part of a truly great program, and conference that serves as the NFLs minor leagues, play with and against the best players in the country, get to spend time in hot sunny florida with tons and tons and tons of babes vs. Same old Wyoming that he has known for 18 years, playing against crap MWC teams in front of 18K people.

I think it is funny that people on this board are already in the early stages of criticizing him. Saying "Well I would have picked Wyo over Florida" and "Florida is too hot and stuff".
It's ridiculous. Laramie, WY/MWC over Gainsville, Florida/SEC?
Really? No one in their right mind is picking Wyo over Florida as a team to play college football.

Beav, you need to relax. No one is knocking the kid. Florida is too hot. It's flat too. But, If you read my post I said, I'd pick Wyoming over Florida, but I'm not a college age kid anymore. Meaning, I've been to both places a few times and Florida isn't my cup of tea (for more than a couple days anyway). Of course it's a no brainer....just like it would be a no brainer to pick Florida over Nebraska and Oklahoma.

I think we all wish him luck.

Go Pokes!!

+1 It was his choice and he made it. UW tried everything they could to recruit him. We even put a recruiting billboard sign right outside Natrona High School to try to get him to come to UW. Maybe if it doesn't work out for him at Florida, he can transfer back to UW. The best recruiting tool we can have at UW is a well coached winning program.

 

[J-Rod]

Good stuff guys.....all this said, lets remember its June. Kids bounce back and forth on schools all the time. Not saying that means he'll end up at Wyoming.....just pointing out that 8 months is a long time.

 

[SLCPoke]

Good stuff guys.....all this said, lets remember its June. Kids bounce back and forth on schools all the time. Not saying that means he'll end up at Wyoming.....just pointing out that 8 months is a long time.

fingers crossed!

 

[NowherePoke]

If I was Bryan I would pick Florida over Wyoming or Nebraska in a heart beat.
He is 18.
He might end up living in Wyo forever after college, why not get out and explore? Go somewhere new? Meet new people?
And it's not like he owes UW anything.
Let's see, go to an SEC school where he will get to play in some of the best and biggest stadiums with over 100K people every saturday for 4 years, be a part of a truly great program, and conference that serves as the NFLs minor leagues, play with and against the best players in the country, get to spend time in hot sunny florida with tons and tons and tons of babes vs. Same old Wyoming that he has known for 18 years, playing against crap MWC teams in front of 18K people.

I think it is funny that people on this board are already in the early stages of criticizing him. Saying "Well I would have picked Wyo over Florida" and "Florida is too hot and stuff".
It's ridiculous. Laramie, WY/MWC over Gainsville, Florida/SEC?
Really? No one in their right mind is picking Wyo over Florida as a team to play college football.

Florida is a quality school, but not that difficult to get into for a quality student. Why didn't you attend Florida instead of spending time in rainy Corvallis or snowy Laramie?

 

[BeaverPoke]

If I was Bryan I would pick Florida over Wyoming or Nebraska in a heart beat.
He is 18.
He might end up living in Wyo forever after college, why not get out and explore? Go somewhere new? Meet new people?
And it's not like he owes UW anything.
Let's see, go to an SEC school where he will get to play in some of the best and biggest stadiums with over 100K people every saturday for 4 years, be a part of a truly great program, and conference that serves as the NFLs minor leagues, play with and against the best players in the country, get to spend time in hot sunny florida with tons and tons and tons of babes vs. Same old Wyoming that he has known for 18 years, playing against crap MWC teams in front of 18K people.

I think it is funny that people on this board are already in the early stages of criticizing him. Saying "Well I would have picked Wyo over Florida" and "Florida is too hot and stuff".
It's ridiculous. Laramie, WY/MWC over Gainsville, Florida/SEC?
Really? No one in their right mind is picking Wyo over Florida as a team to play college football.

Florida is a quality school, but not that difficult to get into for a quality student. Why didn't you attend Florida instead of spending time in rainy Corvallis or snowy Laramie?

LOL because Urban Meyer never offered me a scholarship to play football at Florida hahaha.

If he would have, I'd be down there!

Bryans choice probably had nothing to do with academics, and was all athletic. My decision had ZERO to do with athletics.

 

[MrTitleist]

When I was a wee lad graduating from Worland a few years ago I really really wanted to go to Florida and be a Gator. It looked fun. Ended up in Laramie instead. It's much colder in Laramie.

 

[Cornpoke]

If I was Bryan I would pick Florida over Wyoming or Nebraska in a heart beat.
He is 18.
He might end up living in Wyo forever after college, why not get out and explore? Go somewhere new? Meet new people?
And it's not like he owes UW anything.
Let's see, go to an SEC school where he will get to play in some of the best and biggest stadiums with over 100K people every saturday for 4 years, be a part of a truly great program, and conference that serves as the NFLs minor leagues, play with and against the best players in the country, get to spend time in hot sunny florida with tons and tons and tons of babes vs. Same old Wyoming that he has known for 18 years, playing against crap MWC teams in front of 18K people.

I think it is funny that people on this board are already in the early stages of criticizing him. Saying "Well I would have picked Wyo over Florida" and "Florida is too hot and stuff".
It's ridiculous. Laramie, WY/MWC over Gainsville, Florida/SEC?
Really? No one in their right mind is picking Wyo over Florida as a team to play college football.

If that's your idea of how an in state recruit should think of Wyoming why are you even here? Or a fan of UW for that matter? I guess the same could be said for a top recruit in the state of Florida. Why shouldn't he go to Wyoming and explore somewhere new?

I grew up in the heart of SEC territory and I don't give one shit about their conference or their stadiums (and I have been to them all) You can continue to put down Wyoming and the MWC. So again why are you here? You piss me off more than anyone who has ever been on this board and there have been some real idiots to grace this board

 

[laxwyo]

I would have chose Florida but for the booty, solely for the booty

 

[BackHarlowRoad]

It doesn't happen often, but I have to side with Beav on this one. Florida football over Wyoming football is an absolute no-brainer. I don't think it's a put-down on Wyoming at all to say it either, it's just the way it is.

I'll always be a Poke fan til the day I die, and I won't ever give a damn about Florida football. But they are waaaaaaaay better than us.

 

[BeaverPoke]

It doesn't happen often, but I have to side with Beav on this one. Florida football over Wyoming football is an absolute no-brainer. I don't think it's a put-down on Wyoming at all to say it either, it's just the way it is.

I'll always be a Poke fan til the day I die, and I won't ever give a damn about Florida football. But they are waaaaaaaay better than us.

That is my point Cornpoke.

I love UW, grew up going to games, listening to Dave Walsh on the radio and making trips to Provo and SLC to watch the Pokes play the Utes and Cougars, screamed like a little girl at a Bieber concert when Wyo was the final team selected for the Big Dance in 2002, and it was even more loud after they upset Zaga. Laramie was my favorite place in the universe. Seeing the small reflection of the AA when I was driving in on i80 from the west got me excited for Pokes games, and with me getting in-state tuition and not really knowing what major I was going to select, all of that lead to me coming to UW.

But, I will tell you one thing, there are not many people that DREAM of coming to UW like I did. Most kids in Wyoming do not dream of coming to UW. Wyo football is just meh, wyo football, the only team in the state that sucks year after year with an occasional good year.

Sorry I piss you off more than anyone for "putting down UW and the MWC" but wake up and realize Wyo from an athletic standpoint is a fucking joke, and so is the MWC.
It is a hard place to recruit to, it is a small town, and Wyo sports haven't been that good as of late so why would a big time recruit want to come here?

Sorry that addressing the fact that Florida football is better than Wyo football, and that pisses you off.

 

[MrTitleist]

Would you guys hate me if I said that seeing a game at the Swamp is on my bucket list?

 

[fromolwyoming]

Would you guys hate me if I said that seeing a game at the Swamp is on my bucket list?

Blasphemy!

 

[BeaverPoke]

Would you guys hate me if I said that seeing a game at the Swamp is on my bucket list?

How dare you want to see a game at a place other than War Memorial!

 

[Cornpoke]

So by the logic in expressed in this thread the only conclusion I can come to is that 1.Wyoming football should never rise above where we are now as a below average team 2.Wyoming football should be an afterthought to in state high school players. 3. and the worst part is.... That our fans are ok with this and encourage players to attend other schools and congratulate them for doing so.

Why even be a fan if you can accept such things?

 

[BeaverPoke]

So by the logic in expressed in this thread the only conclusion I can come to is that 1.Wyoming football should never rise above where we are now as a below average team 2.Wyoming football should be an afterthought to in state high school players. 3. and the worst part is.... That our fans are ok with this and encourage players to attend other schools and congratulate them for doing so.

Why even be a fan if you can accept such things?

Lol if that is what you got I think you should re-read everything that has been written.
Wyoming football SHOULD rise above where we are now, but it isn't an overnight thing and we aren't going to compete with a Top 5 program in the country who plays in the SEC!
Wyoming football should not be an after thought to local players, but to SEC players regardless of where they come from Wyo football will never compete!
The reasons most of us not you, but most of us rational ones are okay with the kid going to play for the FLORIDA GATORS of the SEC realize the SEC is so much better than the MWC and Florida is such a better program than Wyo. It's not that hard dude. We are not an SEC program. We get 25K to a big game, they get 100K. They win conference championships in the best conference in football, they win BCS Bowls, they win National Championships, they send players to the NFL every season. We go to a bowl games every couple years, and send like 1-2 players to the NFL in a good year.

Why be a fan if I can accept that? Why are you a fan if you can NOT accept that?
Life must be hell for the Wyoming fan that expects us to compete with the Florida Gators, Oregon Ducks, and Oklahoma Sooners for recruits.

 

[MrTitleist]

Things like this happen pretty regularly.. if a state has a once in a lifetime type player it's hard to keep them in-state. Montana sees it all the time. Matt Miller from Helena was the top prospect in Montana a couple years ago.. had offers from both UM and MSU and they made a hard push at him.. he ended at Boise and is their star receiver. Brock Osweiler from Kalispell was very heavily recruited by both local schools, and Gonzaga for b-ball... went to Arizona State, now plays backup to Peyton Manning. Josh Huestis from Great Falls was the top basketball recruit from the state, and probably one of the most recruited in a very long time (except for my homie gopokes1399!) and he ended up at Stanford. Kids see the lights of a bigger opportunity and jump all over it.. very hard for the local school to get a commit like Tavon Bryan to stay home. The SEC, and Florida, aren't going to wow you with academics (like Stanford), but the thought of playing in front of 90K at home, and 100K on the road (Bama, TAMU, LSU, etc) has to be pretty exciting for a 18 year old kid. Good on him.. and if he flames out at Florida because it's not his cup of tea, or misses home, I'm sure UW would welcome him with open arms.

 

[BackHarlowRoad]

So by the logic in expressed in this thread the only conclusion I can come to is that 1.Wyoming football should never rise above where we are now as a below average team 2.Wyoming football should be an afterthought to in state high school players. 3. and the worst part is.... That our fans are ok with this and encourage players to attend other schools and congratulate them for doing so.

Why even be a fan if you can accept such things?

1. No one said Wyoming should never rise above where they are now. Simply that we are not currently at Florida's level.

2. In-state players should and do consider Wyoming, and Wyoming should do all they can to recruit them.

3. We should be encouraging in-state players to go where ever they feel is best for them. They're their own person. Obviously if they chose Wyoming that'd be fantastic.

It's sad and very petty to hold grudges against kids for not choosing Wyoming. Kid accomplished something we never could, I'm happy for him. I'm completely ok with being a Wyoming fan and accepting that a local kid is going to be doing great things with his life, even if it doesn't make my Brown & Gold tingle.

 

[laxwyo]

So by the logic in expressed in this thread the only conclusion I can come to is that 1.Wyoming football should never rise above where we are now as a below average team 2.Wyoming football should be an afterthought to in state high school players. 3. and the worst part is.... That our fans are ok with this and encourage players to attend other schools and congratulate them for doing so.

Why even be a fan if you can accept such things?

1. No one said Wyoming should never rise above where they are now. Simply that we are not currently at Florida's level.

2. In-state players should and do consider Wyoming, and Wyoming should do all they can to recruit them.

3. We should be encouraging in-state players to go where ever they feel is best for them. They're their own person. Obviously if they chose Wyoming that'd be fantastic.

It's sad and very petty to hold grudges against kids for not choosing Wyoming. Kid accomplished something we never could, I'm happy for him. I'm completely ok with being a Wyoming fan and accepting that a local kid is going to be doing great things with his life, even if it doesn't make my Brown & Gold tingle.

This

 

[Cornpoke]

So by the logic in expressed in this thread the only conclusion I can come to is that 1.Wyoming football should never rise above where we are now as a below average team 2.Wyoming football should be an afterthought to in state high school players. 3. and the worst part is.... That our fans are ok with this and encourage players to attend other schools and congratulate them for doing so.

Why even be a fan if you can accept such things?

1. No one said Wyoming should never rise above where they are now. Simply that we are not currently at Florida's level.

2. In-state players should and do consider Wyoming, and Wyoming should do all they can to recruit them.

3. We should be encouraging in-state players to go where ever they feel is best for them. They're their own person. Obviously if they chose Wyoming that'd be fantastic.

It's sad and very petty to hold grudges against kids for not choosing Wyoming. Kid accomplished something we never could, I'm happy for him. I'm completely ok with being a Wyoming fan and accepting that a local kid is going to be doing great is things with his life, even if it doesn't make my Brown & Gold tingle.

What is this we never did? I was recruited and signed with an SEC school coming out high school. Hal Mumme recruited me heavily to come to UK. Had I not been an idiot that summer after my senior year I would have played SEC ball. Not by choice mind you, but because it's where I grew up. Had Wyoming offered me, I would have signed in a heartbeat.

But back to my point, It's easy to see why Wyoming athletics have fallen so far. I'm not saying we are going to be Florida but we should at least try to emulate the success of other schools. It all starts with the proper mindeset. Its like me going into a kick a field goal and "hoping" I make it. I go in there knowing I'm going to split the uprights. Frankly the mindset of our ahtletic dept and many fans is downright crap. One thing I give CDC credit for is that he operates our football dept like it's a big time program but he is only one man. Maybe I am jaded because I grew up going to SEC games. But our lack of effort from our athletic dept is just sad. I used to speak regularly with our director of football operations and even he got fed up with the lack of effort from our AD and fans that he left us for Arkansas St. LET ME REPEAT THAT: Arkansas st.

Furthermore it's even the little things I notice like UW rarely having cheerleaders at away games and our marching band only attends 1 away game. Again maybe I'm jaded because I grew up attending SEC games. I guess trying to instill that culture with our fans and ahtletic dept is a losing battle and it's sure as hell frustrating.

 

[BackHarlowRoad]

Sorry, I'm a shit fan. College football will never affect my life to the point I get depressed or have a heart attack over it like SEC fans do or where coaches have to cheat to have a chance to compete. Football is a past time, a hobby. If I'm a simple fan and I let a game adversely affect me, I have a very dull life.

We can agree to disagree.

Congrats Taven on your accomplishment, don't do anything stupid this summer.