Rashan Gary's mom post-OV update Part 1

Ira was talking? Did he mention Maryland? Or D.C.?

Definitely not a guy feeling.  Sam said on the air that things are not at all wrapped up.

Rashan and his mom live in New Jersey so I don't know where you're getting the Southern angle from, also he goes to Paramus Catholic High School so I strongly doubt he has a problem with Catholics.

Alex Kozan says hello from the Auburn campus chapel.

Danwillhor is totally correct in that for those players/families where a religious connection is a big deal, the southern schools have a huge leg up.

I'm not sure we know enough from Sam Webb's interview as to have a good sense on how big a deal that really is to Rashan and his mom.

Rashan's Mom wasn't interested in the usual rah-rah athletics approach to recruiting, and seemed most impressed with the interviews with the academics, the support folks, and, a surprise to her, with Pres. Schlissel.  "Why do I need to talk to the President?"  She understood why after sitting down with him.  Sam added it's not that she didn't enjoy the 5-star dinner, but that wasn't what the trip was about for her.  And Rashan has said he's listening to Mom.

Having heard Schlissel at an alumni event when he was first hired, he said one of the things that drew him here was the diversity of the University, and he wasn't just talking about ethnic & religious & international diversity of the students and faculty, though that was obviously part of it, but the diversity of educational opportunities.  I'm sure Mom heard that too, and was apparently impressed.  Not to say he's a sure thing, but it doesn't sound like your qualms are a concern.

Is he Catholic?  It's not unusual for non-Catholics to attend Catholic high schools, especially when they're big sports schools.

Being that I'm a pastor, these questions are really interesting to me. They typically don't come up a lot on the board, and are kind of frowned on. That's mostly good. We don't need or want religious debate here. However, there is an intersection point on the board, when faith issues for coaches or players are made public by the same coaches or players. When there are articles and quotes about faith in the media that are published, they become a legitimate topic of discussion. There are several observations I'll make.

First, I'm not Catholic, and so I can't say a whole lot knowledgably about Catholics. However, it strikes me that Harbaugh is more engaged in his faith than many Catholics. He doesn't talk about it a whole lot, but if you do a search on his mission trips to Peru, you'll find it there. The fact that he takes time for a mission trip is very interesting. Harbaugh appears to be more than a cultural Catholic. I don't know how often he worships, and it is absolutely none of my business. But I'm guessing there's a possibility Harbaugh really respects faith issues more than some Catholics do. Just saying, if he was a Chreaster (go to mass Christmas and Easter, skip the rest of the year), he probably wouldn't be going on a mission trip. One aside:  I find it fascinating that Beilein is also a very devout Catholic. Again, there are plenty of articles on this.

The second point was already made, so I won't belabor it. But Gary is from NJ and from a Catholic High School. Point is, mom and Gary would be familiar enough with Catholics.

Third, I know there is a significant subset of the team for whom faith life is important. And I know there are other coaches for whom their faith life is important. I don't know how many, I don't know who, for the most part, and again, it is really none of my business. But here's the thing. If there are a decent number of football players and coaches for whom faith is important, that makes it easier for someone like Gary (and his mom) to feel comfortable. You don't necessarily want to be the only person on the team who believes in God.

Fourth, and maybe most important, Greg Harden and his wife are key to Gary's recruitment. There is both a racial and a faith component. Rashan's mother Jennifer Coney was quoted saying:

I met with (Michigan Director of Athletic Counseling and his sixth year as Associate Athletic Director) Greg Harden and his beautiful wife,” said Coney. “I met with them on game day. I was completely impressed by her and her degrees. Oh my gosh… I was so impressed. That’s truly a power couple and I’m so impressed by both of them.” “We talked about church and that’s an important part (the process) for Rashan… just that spiritual part… praising, worshipping, honoring God for all of his blessings. They’ll provide the avenues for that for Rashan if he goes to Michigan. I don’t know if Rashan will ever need to talk to (Harden) about things going on, but I believe he would be an inspirational, motivational shoulder. Someone who can motivate, give Rashan some encouraging words, and have something to back it up. That’s what I got from Greg. He’s just a great person to talk to.

Harden and his wife Shelia are trump cards. And maybe even support person Mom Lyons. Jennifer Coney and Rashad Gary are interested in a number of things, among others:

• Athletics
• Academics
• Support System
• Faith Life

Harden and others really provide for the support system and for faith life. If Michigan didn't have any one of these components, they would lose to Alabama or Auburn. Because they can support all four, I think it is going to be harder for Bama and Auburn. We shall see.

rah-rah kind of stuff which she wasn't interested in and gets everywhere.  She didn't realize he was all about the education until she met him, learning he came from Brown and Johns Hopkins, which aren't known as hotbeds of football.  And she was very impressed.