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8timechamps
4/18/2012, 09:16 PM
If you follow recruiting, you know all about Laith Harlow. If you don't follow recruiting, here's the story in a nutshell:

Laith Harlow, a 3 star TE out of Florida committed to the Sooners (for the 2012 class) over offers from Alabama, Notre Dame, Miami and others. During his senior season in high school, Harlow suffered an injury that resulted in back surgery. The offer from the Sooners had been accepted by Harlow in the summer of 2011. Before the injury and subsequent surgery.

Here's the latest on the situation:


Harlow, who suffered a back injury during his senior season at Godby High School in Tallahassee, Fla., that resulted in nerve damage, was told by Oklahoma coaches on Wednesday evening they would honor his scholarship and place him on a medical hardship. Harlow had hoped to rehabilitate from his injury and play again, even if he had to redshirt in 2012.

I never doubted that Stoops would "do the right thing". I feel bad for the kid, and hope he can find a way to be part of the team.

You can read the full story here: LINK (http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/7830161/oklahoma-sooners-tight-end-laith-harlow-placed-medical-hardship)
LASooner
4/18/2012, 09:40 PM
He's lucky he didn't choose Alabama.
Sooner in Tampa
4/19/2012, 05:59 AM
He's lucky he didn't choose Alabama.
^^^^ THIS
miesvander
4/19/2012, 06:48 AM
I'm a Cowboys fans, so needless to say I'm against all things "Sooner." I'll be watching and cheering for this guy next year, and I wish him the best. <under my breath> I do sort of cheer for you guys when you play anyone out of conference. I wonder why the Oklahoma media seems to jump at a story about an athlete getting in trouble, but they see no value in a story like this???
Boomer.....
4/19/2012, 07:14 AM
That's the way news is in general. Sad.
dwarthog
4/19/2012, 10:07 AM
Ok, true story related to this.

I'm on business down in Austin and went to Pappadeaux Seafood, (great place), which was very busy and ended up sitting at the bar to eat. Next to me was an older gent with an OU cap on. He and I started talking and he was telling me about his granddaughter that plays volleyball in the Houston area and that she had just committed to playing for OU and how excited they were etc. and I mentioned something about OU honoring this guys scholarship that had gotten injured after he signed with us etc. the guy said they knew all about that and this was a big reason they made the call to commit to OU.

Young lady's name is Harley Kelly and apparently had offers from every volleyball powerhouse in the country.

Anyway, good deeds do get rewarded!
Boomer.....
4/19/2012, 10:13 AM
Is she hot?
dwarthog
4/19/2012, 10:24 AM
Google man.... Dunno, just the grandpap and grandma there.
C&CDean
4/19/2012, 10:26 AM
http://c365781.r81.cf2.rackcdn.com/datas/21232905/original/Z7Kelly.jpg
C&CDean
4/19/2012, 10:27 AM
The first person who makes one of the standard SF.com pervoid comments gets some time off.
Crimsontothecore
4/19/2012, 10:31 AM
I don't want to seem cold or anything but I think it's debatable on whether it's the "right" thing to do. A "nice" thing to do? absolutely, but football scholarships are given based on a players ability to play football. If, for whatever reason the player can no longer perform on the field then I'm not sure it would be wrong to give that scholarship to another kid who can. Especially since the injury happened before he was even enrolled at OU. If he was already here, on the team, and taking classes then I would feel differently.
rock on sooner
4/19/2012, 10:42 AM
I don't want to seem cold or anything but I think it's debatable on whether it's the "right" thing to do. A "nice" thing to do? absolutely, but football scholarships are given based on a players ability to play football. If, for whatever reason the player can no longer perform on the field then I'm not sure it would be wrong to give that scholarship to another kid who can. Especially since the injury happened before he was even enrolled at OU. If he was already here, on the team, and taking classes then I would feel differently.

I might be wrong but I don't think a medical skolly counts against team total
so I don't think anyone loses out on a scholarship. The kid committed to OU
and walked away from other offers, none of which would be forthcoming now
given his back situation. I kinda think it's the "right" and "nice" thing to do.
70sooner
4/19/2012, 11:42 AM
it won't count against the total and regardless, OU did the right thing....
PrideMom
4/19/2012, 11:49 AM
A free education is nothing to sneeze at. I hope he will appreciate it and do well in his studies. OU takes care of its own if you follow the rules.....
StoopTroup
4/19/2012, 12:00 PM
OU takes care of its own if you follow the rules.....

Not always but it's a nice dream.
LASooner
4/19/2012, 03:22 PM
I don't want to seem cold or anything but I think it's debatable on whether it's the "right" thing to do. A "nice" thing to do? absolutely, but football scholarships are given based on a players ability to play football. If, for whatever reason the player can no longer perform on the field then I'm not sure it would be wrong to give that scholarship to another kid who can. Especially since the injury happened before he was even enrolled at OU. If he was already here, on the team, and taking classes then I would feel differently.

We've given plenty of football scholarships to guys who couldn't play football.
TheHumanAlphabet
4/19/2012, 03:31 PM
We've given plenty of football scholarships to guys who couldn't play football.
As well as a job to a guy who couldn't coach... ;)
OU_Sooners75
4/19/2012, 05:03 PM
I don't want to seem cold or anything but I think it's debatable on whether it's the "right" thing to do. A "nice" thing to do? absolutely, but football scholarships are given based on a players ability to play football. If, for whatever reason the player can no longer perform on the field then I'm not sure it would be wrong to give that scholarship to another kid who can. Especially since the injury happened before he was even enrolled at OU. If he was already here, on the team, and taking classes then I would feel differently.

You do know that a Medical Hardship Scholarship does not count against the 85 allotted to a team, right?

Stoops could have very easily said to him sorry for your luck but we are not going to grant the scholarship to you, ala Alabama. But he didnt. He kept his word to the young man...and to me, that is more than anything else that can happen....even if it did count toward OU's scholarship #'s.
OU_Sooners75
4/19/2012, 05:05 PM
Not always but it's a nice dream.

Example of OU not taking care of one of its own?
VA Sooner
4/19/2012, 05:59 PM
Agree with PrideMom... free education is nothing to sneeze at.

And we've definitely given a lot of schollys out to players who were mediocre at football but showed heart. Would rather see this go to a student-athlete who worked his tail off and tried and couldn't rather than one who expects to have everything given to him, doesn't try and ends up giving the university a black eye as a parting gift.

It was the "right" and "nice" thing to do. Good luck to Mr. Harlow and hope he does everything he can with the education he gets at OU. And I hope that Ms. Kelly has a very, very, very successful career at OU on the volleyball team.
Crimsontothecore
4/19/2012, 08:05 PM
You do know that a Medical Hardship Scholarship does not count against the 85 allotted to a team, right?

Stoops could have very easily said to him sorry for your luck but we are not going to grant the scholarship to you, ala Alabama. But he didnt. He kept his word to the young man...and to me, that is more than anything else that can happen....even if it did count toward OU's scholarship #'s.

Ok, I changed my mind. As long as it won't affect the football team then I totally agree it was the right thing to do.
BoulderSooner79
4/20/2012, 01:14 AM
Many players get injured and end up on medical hardship. In this case, it happened extremely early in the players career - technically before it started. But to use that technicality as an out wouldn't be good for the schools' reputation for future recruits. This was the right and smart thing to do.
OKC-SLC
4/20/2012, 02:38 AM
We've given plenty of football scholarships to guys who couldn't play football.

heh.
OU_Sooners75
4/20/2012, 07:13 PM
Ok, I changed my mind. As long as it won't affect the football team then I totally agree it was the right thing to do.

I dont think it would matter anyway to be honest with you. Not all 85 scholarship players will see the field. And not all of that class will be here til the end.

Like I said, even if it did count, I am glad that Stoops proves to many people that he does have intergrity b honoring his committment to a player that showed a committment to him!
StoopTroup
4/20/2012, 09:53 PM
Example of OU not taking care of one of its own?

Nothing good would come from me announcing the name of the Player.

There are enough examples of the University doing the right thing that I and the Player who went on to graduate are the only ones that need to know and if he wanted to come public over it...I guess he could but I think he shocked them by not raising hell with them.