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Vonn Bell knew his choice was going to ruffle some feathers, but in making the biggest decision of his life the Ridgeland High School five-star football recruit did the most basic of things.
He listened to his parents.
Bell ignored the pleas of friends and area fans -- and his own heart -- on national signing day when he chose to continue his football career at Ohio State. The top-50 national recruit chose Urban Meyer's Buckeyes over the program he's always rooted for, Tennessee, and the two-time defending national champion, Alabama.
"It was difficult," said Bell, noting that the Volunteers were his second choice. "I had to really block out everything. My parents kept telling me that this is your decision, you're the one that has to go play, so don't let other people make it for you."
Continue reading and watch a video at the Chattanooga Times Free Press.
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 18
bobbyutvol writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
podjo#230743 writes:
Way to show some true class.
bigal728 writes:
and you wonder why your program is in the crapper. I'm sure other recruits have seen your childish post and will think long and hard about going to ut.
flatrock writes:
I wish Vonn Bell nothing but the best. He seems like a quality young man. I hope he reaches his lofty personal goals. I also hope he realizes that helping rebuild his favorite homestate team would say more about him than any NC ring could ever say...Congrats to Coach Withers for work well done...Unfortunately, I will join Urban Meyer's former teammates at UCincy and ex-SEC coaching colleagues in warning both young Mr. Bell and Coach Withers in saying you have hitched your wagons to one of the most disrespected men on earth.
AHOUSE writes:
I don't think YOU are a VOL fan. A VOL fan would not make such a statement. Whoever you are you have a real problem.
ncvol11 writes:
Obviously the best coaching staff in the country was not enough to impress Von Bells parents. The recruiting that this staff did was mediocre at best. Sure we flipped a few recruits but how many of the top tier recruits did we close. Butch Jones could have added Tee Martin (considered by many as extraordinary national recruiter) to his staff but he would not match his salary at USC. That is pathetic and it has already showed up in the result. Right now we are on par with Kentucky as Vandy has passed us up so we are still on the bottom in the East. I don't know how you spin that result any better than it is.
LrgOrngFan writes:
We start winning games and we will get players like Bell. I have never seen a team have a losing record and get a top 5 recruiting class the following year (although Auburn got close). Its all about winning folks, kids want to play for a winning program, not a .500 to sub .500 program. So he got away,good for him. I hope he does well and the only games I want him to lose are games against us if that ever happens.
volwest54 writes:
With the time Coach Jones and his staff had to recruit, they pulled in a good class. The class of 2014 will let us know what kind of recruiting they can actually do. Getting the best players in Tennessee to stay home will be key.
SeaBassHauling writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
SeaBassHauling writes:
If your heart was Tennessee then at least why couldn't you make the phone call instead of your uncle on the day of...!!! Out of respect
budd#207344 writes:
I wish the kid well but if I have a choice between Bama and OSU and my goal is to get to the NFL & win a NC, I am Bama bound. Saban works with the DB and has a few in the league. And as far as winning an NC in the next three years, I'll take Bama hands down.
Sovol writes:
And how many SEC games has Ohio State won? A true fan would helped his home team.
TheRealDragonSlayer writes:
You, sir, are an idiot.
The Buckeyes had an entire season to recruit Bell, and they did. UT had an awful season while the Buckeyes went undefeated. Regardless of what Bell may have wanted to do earlier in his life, or how big a fan of UT he was, considering how bad a season we had and how good a season OSU had, there was no chance that he would have leaned UT's way.
But guess what. With only a month left to signing day, Butch Jones and his staff still got to Bell, still got him to thinking about coming to UT, and still managed to make it a signing day decision. That shows how GREAT this coaching staff is at recruiting.
You say we could have added Tee Martin, and you ridicule this coaching staff for not closing big players...well, explain to me what you make of Tee Martin losing USC commit Jalen Ramsey to FSU? So if we had matched USC's salary and brought Tee Martin here, and he lost that recruit to FSU, you would have been first in line to criticize us for paying so much to bring Tee here.
People like you do not deserve to be allowed to have "vol" in their screen names.
pcorange writes:
Vonn Bell choosing OSU is not a knock on Butch Jones' staff, rather it reflects the fact that Tennessee has not had a winning season since 2009, and just barely had one then. Really, we've just come off five years in a row of substandard football. We're not going to haul in a top 5 recruiting class until we go out and start winning again. These coaches will definitely have to earn their money this fall, but as long as they can pull off a winning season and a bowl, a full year of recruiting should pay off with a better class next year.
nocleats writes:
Dont forget, you can smoke weed with Urbie, he dont care bout that stuff.
tovolny writes:
John Adams...Louisiana
Wiedmer...Kentucky
Climer...Johnson City, Life dedicated to promote Steve Spurrier.
You do the math.
OrangePride writes:
The kid made the logical choice considering his ultimate goals. I wish he had gone with his heart because with his talent, he might well have become a centerpiece of the defense. Even on a non-NC team, you can impress NFL scouts and go extraordinarily high up in the draft....ask Eric Berry. But I wish the young man well, and now we move on.
Shake_Bake writes:
Enough of this! Take this story off the website already! Geez!
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