Trouble for UTEP football

The UTEP football team has had a relatively event-free offseason. That is, until now. 

UTEP coach Mike Price announced today that senior quarterback Trevor Vittatoe, as well as senior wide receiver Pierce Hunter and senior offensive lineman Alex Solot, have been suspended for the start of spring football for unspecified violations of team rules.

“They won't be a part of the team for the next two weeks,” Price said. “They won't be in the weight room, on the sidelines or in the locker room. They will be punished accordingly through physical activity.”

This is the latest in a series of damning developments in the past 13 months that paint this team as undisciplined and unfocused on football. 

There was the Valentine’s Day fight between linemen Aaron King and Austin Shaffer on campus.

There was the the June robbery that Daniel Palmer and Nickolas Sampson received probation for last month. Both are no longer part of the team. 

Now comes this. 

We’re not gonna know what rules these players broke, nor will we speculate. But you figure they’ve gotta be somewhat severe if they’re gonna miss more than a third of spring football. 

I was a Trevor Vittatoe backer last season. I think he shouldered more blame than he deserved when you consider that several of his receivers were busier making cameos on rap songs than working on catching passes. And let’s not forget that several of the seniors on last year’s roster were part of a melee outside a Downtown El Paso club in 2007 that ended with two players receiving felony charges. One of those was part of the aforementioned receiving corps that had a case of the drops during the 2009 season. It should be stated that the felony charges were dropped. 

Given all this, I thought Vittatoe would step up this season and become the leader this team needs. But it doesn’t look like he’s it. And now the Miners’ locker room stands to suffer from it. A team that doesn’t believe in each other doesn’t win. 

Now, coaches and players are gonna say all the right things from here on out. But make no mistake, this team will not be successful if it doesn’t buy into discipline, work ethic and building character. It’s up to the coaches to instill this and weed out those that don’t fall in line. 

Kudos go to Mike Price for indicating that he’s not gonna stand for any off-the-field problems from this year’s squad. And if you want to look for a silver lining here, it may be that we’ll get a good look at Corey Trisby under center. 

Even so, it’s still a bad day for UTEP football. 

Comments

[RocketScientist]

"It’s up to the coaches to instill this and weed out those that don’t fall in line."

He's probably weeding it up... But I agree, one of the things I was angry about was that this team lacked discipline... looks like that isn't going to change.

[Steve Sampsell]

Good way to get their attention! They will still have plenty of practice time!
I like it!

[CLEOFITZWITZ]

Sorry but Vittatoe was the problem last year. The same issues that kept him from having a great junior season are still here today. RocketScientist is spot on. We will have a terrible season is Vittatoe doesn't clean up his act and become the leader he was destined to be.

[True El Pasoan]

A team cannot be successful with players that arent fully committed and disciplined. If Coach Price has to only play with 22 players out of the whole roster so be it. He needs to set the tone with these players and what he did to Vittatoe and the rest is a good start.

[Andy Springer]

Lou Holts said " the way to instill commitment is
to get rid of those that are NOT commited. I think Coach Price has done the right thing. I agree every team needs discipline. Every team needs a leader. That leader should be the quarterback. If the team looks up to him, then they will follow his lead. Hopefully he will shape up and do the job he was recruited to do.
Let's not write the team off just yet.

[just a thought]

Note to these players:

MP is doing you guys a favor. If you're not just slightly embarrassed you should be. And this little issue will come up during Pro Day evaluations. You are all seniors. Yes, I played ball at UTEP and did everyone and everything you ever thought was cool. But like your tattoos a police department record or memory of getting kicked off this team is hard to erase. I know you don't see it but there is life after UTEP.

"I am not young enough to know everything."
Oscar Wilde (1854 - 1900)

Note to UTEP fans:

If sitting your starting QB for disciplinary reasons isn't a mark of a good man I don't know what is. MP could have said it was an injury. MP could have done nothing. And yes he could have made it a permanent removal but again he's a smarter football coach than you are. Give him a break.

Note to MP:

Good job.

[Orangefever]

This all good. Coach Price, the rest of the UTEP squad and assistant coaches are committed to winning this season and no better way to get one's attention than to suspend those who aren't.
Having played ball, I can tell you that actions this severe are due to recurring offenses. If these 3 suspended players don't get it now, they will soon be off the team permanently. And Pablo is correct, this is now part of their record and will be talked about in interviews at Pro Days and any other job searches. This is indeed serious stuff. Make no doubt about it. But it is all good for those who are commiteed to winning !Go 2010 Miners ! Yes We Can !

[Mr Hate]

Who cares? These players are that good anyway. Coach Price needs to take another swig off his bottle of Jack and find somebody who can step up and throw a freakin football. By the way there is a basketball recruit who plays both football and basketball. His name is Jamison Sterns. One hell of a running back. He could compliment Donald Buckram in the backfield.

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how good do u think marques colston gunna do this year and and on ben hes did relly bad last year