Overcoming adversity
Andrew Bone
TideSports.com Senior Recruiting Analyst
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Ty Flournoy-Smith, Alabama tight end signee, received the much anticipated phone call in the same week as National Signing Day. It's all about second chances.
"Coach Smart, Coach Kiffin and Coach Saban talked to me on Monday," said Flournoy-Smith. "Coach Kiffin let me know what was going to happen earlier that day. He talked to me earlier that morning. I called Coach Smart. He gave me the heads up. He told me Coach Saban was going to talk to me after he got finished speaking at a convention.
"I talked to Coach Saban that night. I told him right off I was ready to commit. Before he offered me he asked me one question. He asked me am I ready to commit. Not only ready to commit to do great on the football field, but also ready to commit to being a better person. I told him, 'Hell yeah coach, let's do it.'"
The former Georgia Bulldog is thankful for the new opportunity. He is eager to make the most of his second chance.
"It definitely meant a lot to me," he said. "A lot of questions were coming at me as to where Ty will end up. Will I ever see the lights of a D-1 school period. Everyone was asking me my next move. They thought I had given up on football.
"I went ghost after it all happened. What is my motivation now? Losing the scholarship at Georgia it made me realize what was more important. It was the best move I received in a minute. I was extremely happy when Coach Saban offered me.
"I am going to hit the ground running. Nothing is going to change. I am going to continue to take steps in the right direction. Hopefully, with this I can show kids you can overcome that adversity. If given a second chance you can run with it. It's something I am willing to prove the next two years. I want to make an impact on the field and positive impact in life."
The 6-foot-3, 245-pound signee wasn't sure his fate leading up to signing day. He didn't receive any interest until after Georgia Military played in the junior college national championship against East Mississippi.
"It was after we played our national championship game," Flournoy-Smith said. "That's when a lot of coaches started contacting me. They wanted to know how much I weighed and my height. I wasn't nervous. I just stayed humbled with it. If God wanted me to go back to D-I he would lead me there. Another thing, people didn't know if I was going to go back to Georgia or not. I just put everything in God's hands."
Alabama hired a new offensive coordinator this year in Lane Kiffin. There is a lot of excitement among players and prospects about the Tide's new play caller including the talented tight end.
"I am very excited to see what he is going to bring to Alabama's offense," he said. "He and Coach Smart were very high on me. I felt like they wanted me. They stuck their neck out for me. I am ready to see what Coach Kiffin will bring to the offense. I am ready to see how it's going to go. I know Coach Smart will have the defense on lock down."
The University of Alabama signed the No. 1 class in the country on Wednesday. It was the highest rated class in the history of Rivals.com. However, even prospects/signees know it's not where you are ranked on signing day when it comes to winning championships.
"We are all coming for one purpose, and that is to win a national championship," Flournoy-Smith said. "A top class is great. It's all about who grinds the hardest and who works the hardest. You can have the 10th best class and still win a championship. It's all about who is going to grind. We still have to get after each other at practice."
http://alabama.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1607977
Andrew Bone
TideSports.com Senior Recruiting Analyst
[TABLE="width: 208"]
<tbody>[TR]
[TD="width: 202"]
[TD="width: 6"]
[/TR]
</tbody>[/TABLE]
Ty Flournoy-Smith, Alabama tight end signee, received the much anticipated phone call in the same week as National Signing Day. It's all about second chances.
"Coach Smart, Coach Kiffin and Coach Saban talked to me on Monday," said Flournoy-Smith. "Coach Kiffin let me know what was going to happen earlier that day. He talked to me earlier that morning. I called Coach Smart. He gave me the heads up. He told me Coach Saban was going to talk to me after he got finished speaking at a convention.
"I talked to Coach Saban that night. I told him right off I was ready to commit. Before he offered me he asked me one question. He asked me am I ready to commit. Not only ready to commit to do great on the football field, but also ready to commit to being a better person. I told him, 'Hell yeah coach, let's do it.'"
The former Georgia Bulldog is thankful for the new opportunity. He is eager to make the most of his second chance.
"It definitely meant a lot to me," he said. "A lot of questions were coming at me as to where Ty will end up. Will I ever see the lights of a D-1 school period. Everyone was asking me my next move. They thought I had given up on football.
"I went ghost after it all happened. What is my motivation now? Losing the scholarship at Georgia it made me realize what was more important. It was the best move I received in a minute. I was extremely happy when Coach Saban offered me.
"I am going to hit the ground running. Nothing is going to change. I am going to continue to take steps in the right direction. Hopefully, with this I can show kids you can overcome that adversity. If given a second chance you can run with it. It's something I am willing to prove the next two years. I want to make an impact on the field and positive impact in life."
The 6-foot-3, 245-pound signee wasn't sure his fate leading up to signing day. He didn't receive any interest until after Georgia Military played in the junior college national championship against East Mississippi.
"It was after we played our national championship game," Flournoy-Smith said. "That's when a lot of coaches started contacting me. They wanted to know how much I weighed and my height. I wasn't nervous. I just stayed humbled with it. If God wanted me to go back to D-I he would lead me there. Another thing, people didn't know if I was going to go back to Georgia or not. I just put everything in God's hands."
Alabama hired a new offensive coordinator this year in Lane Kiffin. There is a lot of excitement among players and prospects about the Tide's new play caller including the talented tight end.
"I am very excited to see what he is going to bring to Alabama's offense," he said. "He and Coach Smart were very high on me. I felt like they wanted me. They stuck their neck out for me. I am ready to see what Coach Kiffin will bring to the offense. I am ready to see how it's going to go. I know Coach Smart will have the defense on lock down."
The University of Alabama signed the No. 1 class in the country on Wednesday. It was the highest rated class in the history of Rivals.com. However, even prospects/signees know it's not where you are ranked on signing day when it comes to winning championships.
"We are all coming for one purpose, and that is to win a national championship," Flournoy-Smith said. "A top class is great. It's all about who grinds the hardest and who works the hardest. You can have the 10th best class and still win a championship. It's all about who is going to grind. We still have to get after each other at practice."
http://alabama.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1607977
