(This note comes courtesy of correspondent Fletcher Page.)
Junior linebacker Marcus Dowtin says he’s frustrated over a lack of playing time. Dowtin has been rotating at inside linebacker with Akeem Dent and Christian Robinson. Of those three, Dowtin has seen the least amount of snaps.
Dowtin doesn’t think the coaches are comfortable with him on the field at all times, he said.
“Yeah, I would say I feel like they don’t trust me,” he said. “What their reasons are, that’s between them. But you know, like I said, I’m just asking that they keep coaching me and eventually one of those days give me a shot to do what I can do.”
Having recorded six solo tackles with five assists on the season, Dowtin was visibly frustrated leaving the locker room following Saturday’s loss at Mississippi State.
He was quick to point out that his attitude was not for selfish motivations. He is unhappy with the team’s 0-3 start in the SEC.
“I mean, I would say everybody is frustrated because we’re not where we’re supposed to be at,” he said. “Even the coaching staff is frustrated trying to find the right way to go about things. I would say I’m right in saying I’m frustrated.”
Frustration is the word Dowtin kept repeating, and he refrained from saying he was angry or upset over the lack of playing time.
“I would just say my competitive nature just makes me a little frustrated,” he said. “My competitiveness and the skills that I have that I believe in probably have made me a little frustrated. I wouldn’t say I’m pissed off. I mean, that’s something I can’t control. There is no need in me getting pissed off because that will just make the situation worse. All I can do is listen and try to go about it the right way and hopefully they’ll call my name.”
Monday, September 27, 2010
Marcus Dowtin expresses frustration
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9 comments:
There are more than a few players performing at a level that is less than what was expected this year. Despite what everyone thinks about the job the coaches are doing, it is their job to evaluate talent and allocate playing time. A student-athlete complaining about the number of snaps he sees a game to a member of the media given the current public sentiment seems anti-team at the worst and self serving at the best. I am sure that he has a much better grasp of the new scheme and is an absolute o-linemen shedding machine and would do much better than his fellow teammates. But then what is to be made of his lack of p.t.? Take your frustration out on the field and maybe you will get more snaps.
Bench this guy or kick him off. Enough of the prima-donna attitude.
Bwaaaaaah Bwaaaaaah Bwaaaaaah
I don't see anything wrong with Downtin's comments. He said it himself, he's competitive! I for one am glad to see some fire in our players.... I'd much rather have that than them not caring..which is something we're all afraid has happened.
@ 2:12 AM - Bench the guy or kick him off the team? For saying that he is frustrated because he hasn't gotten more snaps? And when he at least acknowledges that he has to be better to get those snaps? You are a lunatic.
Hey Dowtin, how bout knocking the crap outta a rb, qb next time you get in the game..and make it improssible for anyone to block....with no penalty or missed tackle or blown coverage.
That's the fastest way to get some playing time
correction: impossible
too much Lou Holtz on TV
I think what Dowtin said was fine. He is competitive and human. Negative comments from the peanut gallery to bench him or kick him off just reinforces why it is so important to attend classes while in school. Grow up!
There's a fine line between competitive/team focused, on one hand, and selfish, on the other. Everyone wants to play, but is that desire focused on helping the team or helping yourself? In reality, it is both. The issue is what dominates, and how you portray that to the media. This player's comments come off as if he's more focused on himself than the team. Not saying that he's not team focused, but that what appears is the attitude "ME > TEAM".
I think that is somewhat of a pervasive attitude the last few years. Celebration penalties (AJ's vs LSU aside) are a symptom of that attitude. Personal foul penalties can also be. Those have been cut down the last few years, but it still shows in some respects. Returning the ball out of the endzone when the upback tells you to down it is another (opening kickoff MSU). Going for the big kill hit vs wrapping up is another. Sometimes, its small things that end up with bigger consequences - typically bad field position for us and better field position for our opponent. With a young defense learning a new scheme, that spells trouble.
A big part of college coaching is getting these finely tuned, competitive athletes to play at their potential (or even beyond) without having the selfishness that helps create that athlete dominate. The best find that balance; others are lost in it. We've had it in the past, and still have some of it today. But, clearly there needs to be some changes in this area.
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