SI article on Peppers
Worth a few minutes of your time. Saw this posted over on SI.com and decided to give it a read while drinking my morning coffee. If you didn't already respect the kid, you damn sure will after reading this.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-football/news/20130726/michiga…
I like Jabrill Peppers way more than I should any 18 year old kid
GET TO JAIL NOW
got weird when you said it like that.....
I want to see this kid on the field in all 3 phases of the game, right from the first kickoff of the 2014 season. It's rare that a true freshman can come in and make that much of an impact, but I suppose if anyone can do it, it's Peppers.
I was about to make a sarcastic comment about him playing kicker on top of his other duties. Then I remembered that he plays RB, WR, and QB in high school. So basically he can play as many and whichever positions he wants, laws of physics and rules of game play be damned!
Peppers fakes the handoff to Peppers...looks left, but, there's no one there! He rolls right, dodges a blitz by Peppers and chucks the ball deep! He has Peppers alone at the 20, but what's this, here comes Peppers! And it's going to be interecepted by Peppers! He dodges one tackler, then two, and he's going to take it to the house! Now Peppers is on, to add the extra point, Peppers to hold. And it's good! The game is tied!
Jabrill Peppers is pretty much the Being John Malkovich of football recruits.
"When asked what it will be like for opposing quarterback and wide receivers to have to face someone of his size and agility at cornerback, his smile disappears, replaced by a competitive, all-business-like glare.
"It's going to be scary," he says"
That was my favorite line of the whole thing. This is getting me so excited and I'm just upset that I have to wait a whole year. The drive and determination.. Just wow
What's that USC assistant doing around my Jabrill? Shove it, Boss.
Partially kidding. But actually, go away.
Also, they can't have Michigan coaches discuss prospects and/or commits by name without it being a violation until they sign an LOI. So they had to have another coach drooling over him. I bet Mattison can't wait to coach this guy.
And I bet Borges can't wait, either.
But it is interesting to hear the USC guy drool all over himself!
I'm only used to players and coaches from Ohio drooling all over themselves, so this is a nice change
This is why I am so optimistic about Fournette. He and Peppers are kind of like carbon copies of each other. Both had terrible hardships they had to overcome. Both seem to want to surround themselves with a solid family structure. Know who offers that? Not LSU or Bama. I'm sure there is a comraderie at those schools, but I can't think of another premier institution that is so geared towards being a family first. Is that just because I am more aware of how Michigan is run? Are there other bigtime schools that have the same set of values?
At the end (of the first page - thanks to the poster below for the correction), there was this:
"I'm not just trying to be the best high school player," Peppers says. "I'm looking at what [Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Darrelle] Revis is doing. How is he doing in his backpedal? That's who I'm looking at. I'm trying to be better than Revis right now."
This was a great passage, I think. I really admire Peppers' drive and determination to be better at every turn - he seems like he expects 100% from himself and everyone around him each day, and that's part of why I think he would fit so well in the culture that Hoke and his staff have created at Michigan as it seems to be exactly how this staff operates.
That wasn't the end. You missed the second page.
The legend begins...
Random serious question though: What actually is a "weapons charge?" Is that like Plaxico shooting himself in the leg or more like having an unregistered gun? I can't think of anything that seems like it should warrant a ten year sentence when so many other things get shorter ones.
This is pure speculation, but if he had priors (especially felonies), that could warrant a longer sentence.
"Peppers gives everything he has every time he steps on the field because it's the only way he knows how to play. His passion has no off switch."
Future team captain, right there.
Only Michigan men can play for Michigan football. I'd say this kid qualifies.
"I've only seen two players in high school with a body like that," the USC coach says, "and both of them are named Peterson [Adrian and Patrick]."
and:
Back at the Paramus Catholic track, Russo looks at the USC coach and mentions off-handedly that he must have a plethora of athletes who look like Peppers on his roster.
"We don't have anyone who looks like that," the coach says.
I am a bit worried about the SKY HIGH expectations for this kid, esp coming to this school where we have Woodson as a model. I looked back 5 classes or so at top 5 CBs each year and frankly half of them I have not heard of and I am a pretty rabit CFB fan. Not that I think he will be a bust but Woodson is once in a generation. Patrick Peterson is of similar ilk. Other than Champ Bailey and Deoin Sanders there is no one else really in that class for the past 25 years at the college level. (Revis bursted on the scene in the NFL). So let's try to keep it somewhat realistic - if he comes in at does a Ty Law type of career with some offensive snaps to boot we should be tickled but I am worried some will think that is a bust since they are instilling Woodson (Peterson) onto him. Very difficult bar for anyone.
just wow....that's all I got. This kids is going to be special.
Watching the kids highlight tape he reminds me of a strong, more explosive version of Reggie Bush. I would imagine by his SO year that the coaches are goingto get him some touches on offense. Our backfield is loaded, especially after Fournette joins, however maybe out of the slot??
Did you watch USC during the Bush years? A MOAR explosive version? Again lets keep this in perspecitve - you are watching a kid play against HS competition. Bush and Vince Young were two of the most explosive players in history - Denard was just behind them. Yikes... this guy is going to be expected to move mountains by the time he gets here.
I feel like I take him for granted more than other omg top 10 guys still available. He's probably going to be incredible when he gets here and I keep forgetting we have arugably the top high school player in the country out there recruiting for us
Such a case of heartburn..... I can't wait!
Wishbone attached with Green, Peppers, Shallman, Gardner. LOL
Michigan is already good but they are going to be scary for teams with these recruits coming in and the coaching we have.
before Peppers transferred to Paramus Catholic Central, which featured Peppers (then a Freshman/Sophomore!) as the star of the story:
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/01/02/120102fa_fact_mcgrath
I'm so excited about Peppers, can't believe it's going to be another year until he's on campus. So much drive and motivation, guy's going to be beast.
as excited as I am to have him join the team, I am almost as excited to think about what the whole Michigan experience can mean for him. Talk about a person who deserves the opportunities a launching pad like UMich can give him.
This may be common knowledge on this board, but I wasn't aware he hadn't lifted a weight until his sophomore year.
neither did Bo Jackson. He was a true freak of nature to be more fit than everyone on the field with no weighlifting regimen.
Unreal to think of a secondary consisting of Peppers, Dymonte, and Countess.
and can't wait for the kid to take teh field for us, but the author seemed a little hot and bothered when decribing the kid's shirtless sweating body, gold necklace pecs, and traps.
"He is shirtless and sweat beads on his forehead. The gold chain he wears around his neck curls as it contours around the muscles bulging in his upper chest and traps."
Was I just reading a romance novel?
One thing I find extremely enlightening is how complete of a team player Jabrill is. He challenges a teammate, who he thinks isn't working hard enough and the next instance he's helping an underclassmen who is struggling to finish the workout. Those are those intangibles you can't measure. I have no doubt in my mind that Mr. Peppers will make more than one trip to the Heisman presentation.