Drew Phillips reports he's gone.

I'm really disappointed we don't get to see Drew play - at all. I think he would have been a spectacular Kick Off & Punt Return specialist. His speed is rare. It is too bad he did not apply himself Academically. As a primary RB I think he was a bit light - would probably have gotten beat up & injured. But you never know. Now we won't know. Disappointing.

Further evidence that BYU shouldn't red-shirt non-LDS players. They may not be ready as true freshman, but our record of keeping non-LDS guys who redshirt is low. Or at least keeping them if they RS first.

Here is what I now know:



Drew was not kicked off the team, and is still officially on it. However, his scholarship was pulled. From what I was told was just pulled recently. Drew was told he can come back so long as he is willing to pay his own way for this school year. Similar to OC and Gaines. Drew comes from a humble background, so the lack of a scholarship puts stress on the family because they can not pay for him to attend. I assume loans and grants are being looked at. but am not sure.



Sounds as if Drew is upset and felt that he was told that if he did good in school this summer he was back, and did not expect his schollie to get pulled. I do not know what was communicated to him and when and this part is unclear, other than that it was pulled. Do not know if he was just told or not, but by accounts I have been told from family, it was just pulled, with an extension for him to come back and prove it.



I think this resulted in some family upset and issues because they now have to deal with Drew scrambling to attend school wit hloans or grants.

If the family is upset, then take their accounts with a few grains of salt, especially if it just barely happened because their initial response is going to be very emotional and biased towards protecting their own.

Remember the only people we're going to be hearing from are on one side of the story. The requirements for Drew could have been laid out as clear as day for months, but with only one version of the story (remember Kessman?) we'll only get very lopsided stories about what happened.

SpiffCoug wrote:
If the family is upset, then take their accounts with a few grains of salt, especially if it just barely happened because their initial response is going to be very emotional and biased towards protecting their own.

Agreed. However, if BYU had all summer to pull the schollie, and just did, that timing is legitimate cause for upset.

Lawboy wrote:

If the family is upset, then take their accounts with a few grains of salt, especially if it just barely happened because their initial response is going to be very emotional and biased towards protecting their own.

Agreed. However, if BYU had all summer to pull the schollie, and just did, that timing is legitimate cause for upset.

Unless the schollie was pulled for some action committed or failed to be committed at this time, the requirement of was made clear earlier, but either not taken seriously or not believed. In which case Phillips own family may not know the truth.

hawkwing wrote:

SpiffCoug wrote:
If the family is upset, then take their accounts with a few grains of salt, especially if it just barely happened because their initial response is going to be very emotional and biased towards protecting their own.

Agreed. However, if BYU had all summer to pull the schollie, and just did, that timing is legitimate cause for upset.

Unless the schollie was pulled for some action committed or failed to be committed at this time, the requirement of was made clear earlier, but either not taken seriously or not believed. In which case Phillips own family may not know the truth.

This is what I think. Drew may not have fully understood everything that was asked and may not have relayed everything that was asked of him (especially if there are things he didn't meet, or things he didn't meet at a level requisite to Bronco's satisfaction.)

hawkwing wrote:
Remember the only people we're going to be hearing from are on one side of the story. The requirements for Drew could have been laid out as clear as day for months, but with only one version of the story (remember Kessman?) we'll only get very lopsided stories about what happened.

Yes - Bingo! IMHO, there is NO way Bronco & his Staff blindsided Drew with this decision.

1. I believe they communicated clearly to Drew what was expected of him - and how he needed to perform.

2. I believe the University - Academically communicated clearly what needed to happen - grade wise to Drew.

3. It is very plausible that Drew did not communicate 100% with his parents about his school grades, and his effort to "right the ship." ( I know - my kids have pulled that with me).

4. Ultimately - Bronco made a decision - based on information we will never be privvy to. I believe Bronco did all he could do to help Drew - it just got down to "decision time" and the scholarship was pulled.

5. I hope Drew remains @ BYU - he can still make an impact & contribute. It's up to him.

I realize that a school tuition is nothing to sneeze at, but seriously. BYU's tuition is less than most school's room and board costs. It is NOT impossible to get a job and put yourself through four years at BYU. I wonder how I know that....



especially when we're looking at one year and not four.



Drew. Dude. Get a job.

Quick get OC to call him and explain how to make this work. If he wanted to stay he could go to a local CC or get a job for the year and then return.

CougarClaw wrote:
I realize that a school tuition is nothing to sneeze at, but seriously. BYU's tuition is less than most school's room and board costs. It is NOT impossible to get a job and put yourself through four years at BYU. I wonder how I know that....



especially when we're looking at one year and not four.



Drew. Dude. Get a job.

That's only partially true, assuming we're talking about the same price tag. LDS students get a hefty discount at BYU (the rationale I was always given is that LDS kids will more than make up for it over a lifetime of tithepaying). Take away the discount and BYU is still decently priced, but not nearly as ridiculously cheap.

New info being tweeted by Wrubell:



"Bronco says' Drew Phillips' family was notified earlier in the summer that scholarship was being withdrawn; offered chance to earn it back. "



"Bronco doesn't think Phillips will return; says he struggled with "consistency" while at BYU. Hopes Phillips can find place to be happy. "



From Dick Harmon:



"Drew's scholarhip was pulled after spring for policy consistency says BM. Has struggled with some challenges"



"Mendenhall said Phillips' issues were centerd on consistency in following policy. Wished him well. Didn't elaborate on what issues. "



And Jay Drew



"coach Bronco Mendenhall addressed the Drew Phillips situation after practice. Said scholarship was actually pulled after spring ball."



"Bronco said Phillips' issues were with consistency. Said a letter sent to Phillips' home in July informing family he wouldn't be reinstated "







Seems strange Drew is getting upset now even though all this happened months ago. Sounds like Drew misunderstood Bronco on the earning it back part.

There are a few things about this whole Drew Phillips saga that I find interesting. The first being Drew going home for the summer when he had academic issues to work through. I understand you can do classes online but why not stay in Provo, get your schoolwork done and workout with the team at the same time? I also find it interesting that Drew was still on Twitter. Bronco told the team to delete their Twitter accounts and it seems as if the only person who didn't comply was Drew Phillips, until late last night anyway.



My hope is that Drew does student loans and grants to stay in school and on the team. Early tweets from today's practice make it sound like he is gone though.

Dcr36 wrote:

I realize that a school tuition is nothing to sneeze at, but seriously. BYU's tuition is less than most school's room and board costs. It is NOT impossible to get a job and put yourself through four years at BYU. I wonder how I know that....



especially when we're looking at one year and not four.



Drew. Dude. Get a job.

That's only partially true, assuming we're talking about the same price tag. LDS students get a hefty discount at BYU (the rationale I was always given is that LDS kids will more than make up for it over a lifetime of tithepaying). Take away the discount and BYU is still decently priced, but not nearly as ridiculously cheap.

This. Also BYU isn't in the same league as JC's and community colleges pricewise, LDS student or no.

Although I have been drooling over Drew highlight vids for 9 months or so, I REALLY LIKE TO SEE THIS. It sucks that it is happening to a non-lds kid, especially one as solid as Drew was (I remember when he got warned about taking excess visits he cancelled them all).



I like to see that our schollies are premium property, and that you have to play by the rules to get them / keep them.

BlueIsBetter wrote:
Um... Chambers is reacting like a total stud now. Pretty unfair to compare Chambers a year after the fact to Phillips in the moment.



Chambers was very reactionary, just in case you all forgot lockergate, etc etc.

As more info comes out, it looks like it is pretty fair to compare Phillips to Chambers, as Phillips has had a least a full summer to get his ducks in a row, and didn't. Now it almost seems like he's acting like a spoiled kid.



But of course at the time BlueIsBetter made this post, we didn't know that Drew had had all summer and multiple chances.

CannonCougar85 wrote:
There are a few things about this whole Drew Phillips saga that I find interesting. The first being Drew going home for the summer when he had academic issues to work through. I understand you can do classes online but why not stay in Provo, get your schoolwork done and workout with the team at the same time? I also find it interesting that Drew was still on Twitter. Bronco told the team to delete their Twitter accounts and it seems as if the only person who didn't comply was Drew Phillips, until late last night anyway.



My hope is that Drew does student loans and grants to stay in school and on the team. Early tweets from today's practice make it sound like he is gone though.

Once his schollie was pulled after spring, staying became more costly. Was cheaper to go home and take courses online. And BYU knew he was doing this and was fine with it since he could not participate until August 29 anyway. Plus, getting away from Provo might be what was needed. From what I hear, he and a roommate we basically broken up. The roommate should be back August 29 as well. The roommate went home and got a summer job himself, and will not be on schollie for 2011-12, either. Basically, same situation as DP.



Sounds as if the ship has sailed, but I hope cooler heads prevail in a day or so, and that loans, grants, etc. get looked into. I want him back. We all should, because if he does and earns it back, another example that even though it might be hard, kids can rise above self-made challenges.

Lawboy wrote:
Here is what I now know:



Drew was not kicked off the team, and is still officially on it. However, his scholarship was pulled. From what I was told was just pulled recently. Drew was told he can come back so long as he is willing to pay his own way for this school year. Similar to OC and Gaines. Drew comes from a humble background, so the lack of a scholarship puts stress on the family because they can not pay for him to attend. I assume loans and grants are being looked at. but am not sure.



Sounds as if Drew is upset and felt that he was told that if he did good in school this summer he was back, and did not expect his schollie to get pulled. I do not know what was communicated to him and when and this part is unclear, other than that it was pulled. Do not know if he was just told or not, but by accounts I have been told from family, it was just pulled, with an extension for him to come back and prove it.



I think this resulted in some family upset and issues because they now have to deal with Drew scrambling to attend school wit hloans or grants.

According to Bronco, someone in the Phillips family isn't telling the whole story, whether its Drew or someone else. Schollie was pulled after Spring, letter informing the family of the fact was sent out last month.

Or perhaps there was a misunderstanding on what it would take to earn it back for Fall or after. Really do not know.