Walk-On GPA requirement

[bluehaze]

[bluehaze]

Has that 3.4 GPA requirement always been there? Coach gonna get his bonuses 😃

[AggieMac]

https://www.instagram.com/p/CoVk5nwPyX_

So walk-ons are a thing of the past. Looks like coach is only looking to boost the team's overall gpa.

[aggie94]

Feb 7, 2023 8:54:29 GMT -5 AggieMac said:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CoVk5nwPyX_

So walk-ons are a thing of the past. Looks like coach is only looking to boost the team's overall gpa.

No... it means that if you are suiting up for us he has to be able to depend on you. Can't play if you are not eligible. He is raising the bar.

[AggieMac]

Feb 7, 2023 9:33:24 GMT -5 aggie94 said:

Feb 7, 2023 8:54:29 GMT -5 AggieMac said:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CoVk5nwPyX_

So walk-ons are a thing of the past. Looks like coach is only looking to boost the team's overall gpa.

No... it means that if you are suiting up for us he has to be able to depend on you. Can't play if you are not eligible. He is raising the bar.

Yeah I get that, but you don't need a 3.4 gpa just to be eligible. You do if you want to be on the Dean's list though.

I don't have a problem with it, I'm just pointing out that our team's focus is on high academic standards now, especially if you want to walk on.

[Aggie One]

In fairness to Coach Brown, he's offered at least two preferred walk-on invitations to a couple of high school kids since signing day. Everyone was chirping over the last three or so years about instilling more discipline into the program both on and off the field. Well, this is how it begins and this is what it looks like.

[A&T AGGIE 96]

Feb 7, 2023 10:00:24 GMT -5 Aggie One said:

In fairness to Coach Brown, he's offered at least two preferred walk-on invitations to a couple of high school kids since signing day. Everyone was chirping over the last three or so years about instilling more discipline into the program both on and off the field. Well, this is how it begins and this is what it looks like.

I know I'm an old head at 50, but I've had to deal with enough young people (Work, got two teens at home, and life in general) to say that this transition will be hard for a lot of our young players. It will require an attitude adjustment and a "waking up" to reality. They many of these players have been good at football their whole lives...and have been told as much. They excelled in high school, were recruited by multiple colleges, and signed on with a Div I team.

They made it, they did good...but they still have so much to learn.

Those of us on the outside saw it...we saw the potential they had. We saw them make the best of athletic plays, only to "showboat" and talk junk then lose yards on the resulting penalty. We saw them jump out to big leads, only to get passive and sloppy. Next thing you know the team they were beating handily is back in the game. We saw them "play down" to the competition instead of playing to their potential. We saw them rack up unnecessary game changing penalties at critical moments due to undisciplined play.

We have the talent...I've seen it in other sports...volleyball, basketball, track & field...but talent alone won't get us where we want to be. These new crop of coaches have been where we are trying to go and know full well what is coming when it comes to the competition we will be facing, and they are not giving lip service to being good on and off the field. Be discipline in your play and in your life.

[A&T-roy]

Feb 7, 2023 9:42:43 GMT -5 AggieMac said:

Feb 7, 2023 9:33:24 GMT -5 aggie94 said:

No... it means that if you are suiting up for us he has to be able to depend on you. Can't play if you are not eligible. He is raising the bar.

Yeah I get that, but you don't need a 3.4 gpa just to be eligible. You do if you want to be on the Dean's list though.

I don't have a problem with it, I'm just pointing out that our team's focus is on high academic standards now, especially if you want to walk on.

Yeah. He's talked about it quite a bit...even in the news conference introducing him, if I remember correctly.

[numberonebrave]

Having taught for 38 years and been around athletics longer, I am perplexed by 3.4 gpa as a condition for trying out and see no reason for it except to limit tryout numbers.

[DOOMS]

I have a buddy who wanted to walk on to the basketball team under Corbett. Corbett asked him what his grades looked like and when he responded Corbett said something to the effect of "sheeet boy, I need basketball players not scholars. Your grades are too high. Go back to class."

It looks weird at first glance, but I like the emphasis on academics. It sets a tone for the whole team. You can't even walk on here without a 3.4.

We'll see if it works or ends up being some type of hindrance.

[Maxell]

The interesting piece to me is why 3.4? Why not 3.0 or 3.5?

[AggieMac]

It says two things to me:

1. Academics is priority #1
2. Walk-ons are nice to haves, but the focus is recruiting "student" athletes out of HS/Portal

[marchingband1969]

Let me be upfront, I had to scramble to maintain a 2.5 at A&T so I could pledge so 3.4 is a pipedream for me! That said, this is coach Brown's first season at A&T and first head coaching job so give him some slack. Maybe he's checked the numbers and realized that he doesn't need a lot of walk-ons this season to fill out his team so he figured to set the bar high. Not sure during lean times, that 3.4 will slide down some. But for his first season here, let him set the bar where he wants it.

[oleschoolaggie]

Feb 7, 2023 12:23:27 GMT -5 numberonebrave said:

Having taught for 38 years and been around athletics longer, I am perplexed by 3.4 gpa as a condition for trying out and see no reason for it except to limit tryout numbers.

very perplexing to me too! i think we all agree that academics are priority #1. but a 3.4? hail, i graduated cum laude with honors but even my gpa didn't meet those requirements...

[Maxell]

It's a typo! LOL