StereoBros

Imagine the following:

• waiting two years for an opportunity to showcase your talents
• doing everything that was asked of you in your job
• doing your job well enough to be the top person on your team at your position
• you outperform the new recruit in training but lose your position based on metrics
• you are informed of your demotion and decide to change jobs
• the new recruit gets hurt on the job
• the old manager, industry analysts and company supporters call you selfish and a quitter

This is the reality of Clemson football and the Kelly Bryant situation.  He waited for two years behind Deshaun Watson (rightfully so) and started last year amassing a 16-2 record as a starter.  He was not been spectacular, but definitely didn’t cost his team many games.  I think college fans and analysts get confused as to what issues are at play in these cases.  I figured I would paint that hypothetical first before diving into the key issues.  Kelly Bryant absolutely should have transferred regardless of whether he has NFL potential.  He wants to play and in his mind has done everything right on and off of the field.  Yes that is the basic expectation, but if it is not enough, let him go somewhere it will be.  Let’s dig a little deeper on some key points.

Trevor Lawrence is the future of Clemson football.

All summer, analysts and some fans wanted Lawrence to start because he is a 6’5 kid that they think is their next cool quarterback.  While he does have some skills and was highly recruited, he lacks Bryant’s experience.  He will develop and he may do well, but we will never know what impact a year of Bryant’s leadership could have had on his game.  That is not Lawrence’s fault, and if he is the best QB on the team he does deserve to start.  I do think some overzealous analysts and fans jumped the gun on crowning him the king based on limited action while he played in tandem with Bryant.  I hope for his sake he can handle the pressure on his shoulders.

Kelly Bryant did the right thing for himself

Dabo Sweeney said that he is playing the best player but still wanted Bryant to contribute to the team.  That is a nice way of saying “I’m starting the freshman, but I want you around as an insurance policy.”  College sports is a game of numbers and shiny objects.  A big school like Clemson has a national spotlight and reach and can attract a lot of talent.  Coaches at that level care about winning and the millions at stake.  I have no problem with any of that.  However, I don’t think that coaches can demand a pseudo loyalty from their players and not reciprocate it.  Absent a senior playing really badly, why make a position change?  It’s not like he has a ton of eligibility left.  Coach Sweeney gave Bryant the opportunity to leave, and he took it.  Both parties are parting ways as amicably as possible.  Bryant can still transfer, play elsewhere for a year, and earn another degree for free.  If he never plays at the next level, he still has a great education to fall back on.  He also frees the locker room of any potential distractions and gives Trevor Lawrence the opportunity to lead the team as Clemson so badly wanted.

 Fans and analysts are way off for criticizing Kelly Bryant

To hear former players, never players and “fans” call Kelly Bryant selfish, loser, moron and a ton of other names displayed the lack of empathy and understanding that is common in today’s world of free opinions.  Yes, mine is free too, but I’m objective.  You cannot say that Kelly Bryant has to buy into team concept and culture and be loyal to a team if he does all of those things and still loses his job.  If Trevor Lawrence had not been knocked out of the Cuse game no one at Clemson or their fan base would care about Bryant leaving.  If Clemson had not almost lost the game no one at Clemson or their fan base would demand loyalty or anything else from Kelly Bryant.  Because he was essentially kicked to the curb when he was no longer deemed useful and because the new prize pony may be out of commission, the demotion and transfer is now all Kelly Bryant’s fault.  That right there is the problem.  Big, big, big, big problem in my eyes.

Clemson fans, coaching staff, and biased analysts: you can’t have your hand and your chest out.  You wanted to commence the Trevor Lawrence era, now take the good and the bad that comes with that decision.  No more Kelly Bryant criticism.  No more one sided loyalty.  In college sports or real life.

Drop us a comment below, and let us know your thoughts.

acc, clemson, featured, kelly bryant, ncaa, sports, trevor lawrence

By K B

---

---