Not a new Canes Fan but new to this board posting (But I have followed the board for a few years).
On the CB Position - I went to the Spring game at Lockhart stadium about 6 or 7 years ago I believe, (Team was under Randy Shannon) at that time. This was when he first converted Sam Shields to CB and watching Shields during the Spring Game, he struggled (getting abused) because he was new to the position. The one thing I saw about Shields was how tight his coverage was, he was on the hip of the receiver every time.
I told the group I was with (one of the group that I was with is a HS head Coach that has won it all down here) that he struggling now but he will be good once he get the reps, then his technique will come and then the confidence will come.
My Point - If you take an athletic Kid, with Speed and Twitch hips (like Shields) and a good CB coach you can make a good CB out of them a lot of the time. A lot of you clowns downing on MIKE RUMPH and you don't know the game. All Sam Shields needed was The Reps, The Coaching and then came the Confidence.
If the coaching staff keep practicing at this intense level and giving Ryan Mayes and Malek Young The Reps they need and the Coaching for the next 3 weeks before opener, the Confidence will come for both and we will have 5 CB's who can play for this season. Mayes and Young are both Athletic and Rumph will prove many of you clowns wrong.
Sam Shields may prove to be the best CB to ever come out of U of M. (He struggled badly at that Spring game), look at him now.
I don't see Jackson and Henley doing much, but I see it in Mayes and Young.
Wish Rumph could have coached Tracy Howard, Artie Burns, and Gunter (Even DVD, Brandon McGee, Shields and Brandon Harris) for that matter going back further. Like Manny Diaz said they want CB's who can play Man (Fast athletic aggressive dudes).
Rumph will have Mayes and Young Ready, I see it coming. Some of you jump gun way to soon. By the way Marco Wilson may be scared to come to UM because he knew Bandy, Henderson, Edwards, Blades and Ivey are locked in and worried about playing time.
Stop blaming Rumph, Judge the man by the product he puts on the field this season.
My impression has been that no one has blamed Rumph's coaching ability. They have blamed him for being a failure so far as a recruiter.
