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After reading in The Good News in Chester Schools blog that Rondae Jefferson is being considered for the quarterback position on this years Chester High School varsity football team, I have to wonder who is advising this athlete.
Yes, football is fun to play and Rondae probably has the skills to be a good quarterback, but...
This guy is one of the top 20 basketball players in the country. His blue chip status has the top division 1 college basketball programs eating out of his hand. He has the potential to be earning a great living as a professional basketball player in the next 4 to 5 years.
Why play football when every basketball scout is advising him that if he develops a jump shot, his ticket to the top of the basketball world is already punched.
I may go along with football if Chester High had a top caliber football program, but we don’t. He can expect to become the target that opposing teams will find joy in coming after with guys who eat and sleep football only.
Rondae has absolutely nothing to gain by playing football. Even if he does well, he’ll come into basketball season out of shape for basketball, not to mention the potential for sustaining an injury.
If he was an average basketball player, or even a good one like Maurice Nelson was, I wouldn’t have a problem seeing this 6’7”ish athlete looking over the line and tossing a football up and down the field. I can’t deny that he just looks like he’d be a good quarterback.
But, this is Rondae Jefferson we’re talking about. He is built to play basketball and he’s playing it better than 99% of his contemporaries.
Come on parents, coaches, athletic directors, and people who should know better. DO NOT Let Rondae Jefferson play Football.
Focus on your jump shot and run. That’s all you need to be doing until November.
I expressed similar concerns during my interview. But I was just reporting on the story. I was reassured that some athletes played multiple sports during the school year. I hope all will go well. Thank you for expressing your concerns also.
ReplyDeleteI completely understand where many are coming from with there concerns. However, young people often want to do what their peers are doing and he may just want to participant in another positive activity. I say let him make the choice under the guidance of his immediate family.
ReplyDeleteWhy can't he play football, I didn't read once in the article if he was just as good a Football player as he is a Basketball player....I say if he CAN play football as well then let him do it if that's what HE wants to do...Heck he might even be just as good at Baseball....bottom line is this is his and his parent's decision but ultimately his......
ReplyDeleteWhy shouldn't he play football? He is a great athlete and can the football get back to what it use to be. We have some great athleles in this city, most kids want to basketball becasue of winning program. If we can get these same kids to play football imagine how great the football team will be..
ReplyDeletei hope this kid dont get hurt...who in thier rite mind would wanna play for chs football team...and im from chester this kid got nba talent he could be working on his stenght and jump shot smh...NOBY CARES ABOUT HS FOOTBALL IN CHESTER NOT 1
ReplyDeleteYou people are crazy there is noway Rondae should be playing FOOTBALL. He has been given a gift by God to be able to play basketball at a very high level. Why would you play for a losing team where you could get hurt. Rondae is going to Italy in sept to play basketball all expense paid for and your telling him to have fun play football. FOR WHAT FOR WHO?
ReplyDeletethis is the problem with our community! we always set our goals low and often dont look at the total picture. if rondae had never played football, i would not be in favor of this but, its not the case. this is a big time athlete who could probaly be a success at any sport he desires. WHY STOP HIM? how many of us would have benefitted from another sport growing up? i myself, was steered away from football, who knows if i could have been orlando pace or not. one thing i know is, i regret not exploring the opportunity. how about zain shaw. is rondea a better athlete than he was at the same stage? that can be argued. what cant be argued is that, in many circles he was considered a jump shot away. zain has since become a positive member of our community and helps our youth tremendously but, how would he have looked in a football uniform? randy moss, t o, ocho, macklin, art monk, micheal irving etc...... my point is who really knows? if the kid wants to play, let him play but, only after advising him & his family of all thats involved. we do know that he can have a career ending injury on the basketball court also, it happens!
ReplyDeletethis is just crazy go look at all the other top recurits in espn class 2013 ranking thier not playin football this is just nuts....
ReplyDeletewhy is this crazy? they are probaly not playing because they cant! he can! terrell pryor was a top 25 basketball player, how did it work out for him?
ReplyDeleteterrell pryor was on a state campionship football team with many d1 players... chester hs football team dont have that why risk injury playin for a bad football team it just dont make sense
ReplyDeleteWow for me to sit here and have to read this I'm shocked... And I'm not playing football because its fun I actually work harder in football .. and I love to do it... Know to all of you guys that are doubting me should be ashamed because you don't know half the reason I am playing but its just that you see someone thts being told he's NBA material you think its guaranteed well listen nothing is guaranteed even with all that work.. and do any of you know what school I wanna go to ??? How do you know I'm getting recruiting by them ?? But me being a 6"6 wideout could get me into that school and I could walk on the basketball team ... But you guys don't look at the big picture your just one dimensional I'm tryna make moves and get me out of here and away from this non sense !!!!!!
ReplyDeleteGod Speed Baby! You and your family do what is right for you...no one else's opinion matters
Deletethats my boy rondae! im glad u decided to chime in for your own defense. im proud of u because, u have come a long way and this proves it. as for mr. anonymous, remain that way. continue to think the glass is half empty and u will not get much out of life. whos to say that the team isnt going to be a success? you?
ReplyDeletethink about this, why is there not an arguement for the other basketball players on the team? r we saying that they r not important? if a coach is telling rondae or his parents not to play, why r the other athletes not being told? do we not care about those guys? what message is that sending? how do i react to that as a parent?
My son is going off to college soon. He will be continuing his interest in track and field. But he also played some high school football. Sometimes he goes out on the court with his friends and play real hard basketball. Nothing wrong with playing different sports at all. But it doesn't stop a parent from worrying. Some sports are just rougher than others that's all. I'm glad he gave up football for track. But I still get worried about track too.
ReplyDeleteLook what I started.
ReplyDeleteI wish we would have this type of response on posts that are more important than whether Rondae plays football or not.
To Rondae, don’t get upset. All this chatter is nothing more than barbershop talk. What it proves is that a lot of people sincerely want the best for you.
You’ve got to expect that there will be some who want you to become the best basketball player you can be and they see football as a risky distraction.
Others will argue that you should do what kids do, play. You only get one shot at high school so do it all if you have the opportunity.
Neither side is right or wrong. It’s just opinion. Get used to it.
My only recommendation is to have fun. Soon, if things work out, these games you are playing now will become jobs and that has a tendency to spoil the fun.
Funny thing is many of the most successful athletes often played and excelled at multiple sports! Deion Sanders, Bo Jackson, A.I., Lebron James, Randy Moss was west Virginia's Mr Football and Basketball, Deion was allstate in 3 sports in florida basketball being the 3rd. Those are just a few off the top of my head, but how about the fact that if some of the great athletes would have played football the program wouldnt be in the shape its in today! Just speaking from time in school we would have benefited greatly from guys that i know could play football at a very high level such as Pooh Evans, Ray Carroll, James Winbush, Jamar Milsap, Randy Maultsby etc. Not to mention the guys who had great success like Jamai Springfield, Howard Maxwell, Greg Hollman, Derrick Spence, Najeeb and Jameer Rasheed! The funny thing is thinking back to when I was that age I would have resented the people that were trying to keep me from doing something I wanted to do, and probably would have rebelled! Talk about uneeded pressure on a young kid!
ReplyDeleteRondae i have seen you play basketball and football you are a heck of a athlete. Big Haz I know you have coached Rondae and you have your opinion, to that I say you are wrong. Terrell Pryor was a football player playing basketball, like all the other athletes your mentioned. You did not mention Labron James who stopped playing football after his jr year and he was a ALL STATE football player, I wonder WHY? LOL. You can not compare Zain and Rondae, Zain was a tweener Rondea can play all positions. Rondae young man dont get caught up trying to prove people wrong you have to make some very important decisions at this young age. I pray it all works out for you but you are taking a chance playing a physical sport. Maybe North Carolina will come knocking on your door when you develop that jump shot not when you play football. Understand this their football program is going through some major sanctions right now who knows how many scholarships they will have available.
ReplyDeletelets begin by saying, the fact that ive coached rondae isnt a factor in my opinion. in fact, wouldnt that make my opinion go the ohter way? after this, i will post no more comments to anyone that doesnt want to be identified. rather pryor was a football or basketball player isnt relevent, HE PLAYED! labron james was gauranteed to be the number 1 overall selection in his jr. year of high school. the kid wasnt top 50, he was the best on the planet outside the nba! why cant we compare zain? u just said yourself rondae plays multiple positions. that means hes a tweener! i played along side zain and, he was never cosidered anything but a sg. dont know where u got tweener from? the comparison is only the fact that, he was also a jump shot away! as for my opinion being wrong, it cant be because its just that, MY OPINION!
ReplyDeleteJemeer Nelson Played CHS baseball And was good!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteWow.. This post just shows how ignorant people are. For you to get on here and talk down on the CHS football program is purely selfish. Further, for the folks that stated Rondae will be out of shape are just pure clueless and are speaking out of anger. Football without a doubt will make Rondae a tougher more agressive basketball player. It is more football scholarships than basketball schollys. Let rondae make his own decisions. If the NBA is for him he will make it...
ReplyDeleteFreak No.., This Dude Is TRASH In Ball.., Hes Just Big And Thats About It.., When It Comes To Skills This Nigga Sucks... Let Him Play Football And Get Sacked For All I Care...
ReplyDeleteHATER!!!!!!!!!!!^^^^^^^^^^ CTFU
ReplyDeleteARE YOU MAD CAUSE HE BALLING
OR HE'S BALLING & YOU MAD?