Rumor Mill: Me'co Brown kicked off of the Huskies?

by Jerry Burnes on Feb 4, 2010 1:15 AM CST in Football Comment 17 comments

Will Me'co get snagged from behind? Only time will tell. (via Mike Greene)

Sources have told me that when the Spring roster comes out next week, sophomore running back Me'co Brown will not be listed, and has been kicked off the team by NIU head coach Jerry Kill.

Brown was in Kill's doghouse at the end of the 2009 season. He did not travel with the team to Toronto for the International Bowl against South Florida. The original reports were that he had some 'family issues' to deal with in Mississippi. He wouldn't have played anyways due to injuries.

We have reason to believe there were some more serious issues that Me'co had to deal with regarding himself and his status on the team.

Brown's dismissal has not been made official and it is believed to be related to the running back's academics and/or a violation of player conduct policy. There is no word yet, if Brown is kicked off, that he will have a second chance to rejoin the team if his grades improve; or if this will be a final decision by Kill.

No evidence supporting other undisclosed rumors has been found, so the assumption now is that this is a purely academic issue and any other issues have been or will be handled on a strictly internal basis by the NIU coaching staff and Brown.

NIU gave away 23 scholarships on Wednesday, Feb. 3 during National Signing Day, a bigger class than was expected. The departing class was around 15 seniors on scholarship, along with Jake Coffman. Brown's reported departure would be No. 17.

This may also explain the addition of incoming Junior RB Jasmin Hopkins, who was named player of the year last year in the JUCO ranks.

Assuming that all 17 departures were on scholarship, that would leave six more scholarships given away this season unaccounted for. NIU is allowed 85 per NCAA regulations. I'm assuming all 85 were used last season. So are more Huskies from 2009 on their way out?

If so, fans can only hope none of them top the potential loss of the future starter Brown.

Poll

If Me'co Brown is really gone, what impact will it have?

Huge. He was a playmaker.

25 votes

None. NIU has Chad Spann.

59 votes

Minimal. At best Brown was the poor man's Garrett Wolfe. Unlike Wolfe, he was nothing special.

88 votes

172 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

Need to reword that poll.

Missing:

D: Huge, means the superior back will now get all the carries.

by Grinder in Training on Feb 4, 2010 9:36 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

I like it.

I was kind of hinting at that in B, though.

by Jerry Burnes on Feb 4, 2010 9:53 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Aha

I SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE

Red and Black Attack - Northern Illinois Pride

by Mike Breese on Feb 4, 2010 9:53 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Walk ons?

I thought originally it was reported that of the 25(26) that it included some walk ons? I see Hayes for instance listed as one of the 25. Are we sure that there were 25 scholarships handed out?

by NIUSlumo on Feb 4, 2010 10:54 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

The final count is 23

Hayes & Santacaterina will be preferred walk-ons. Boenzi won’t be on scholarship until 2011.

Still, 23 is a lot more than the 15 or so seniors graduating who were on scholarship. + Coffman and Jefferies leaving.

That leaves you with 5-6 guys leaving the program, but we don’t know exactly which ones until the spring roster is released.

Red and Black Attack - Northern Illinois Pride

by Mike Breese on Feb 4, 2010 11:10 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

thanks

plus theoretically there could be a current walk on or two that could’ve been given a scholarship going into next season. So, that 5-6 number could even be higher.

by NIUSlumo on Feb 4, 2010 11:32 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Did I miscount the number of seniors? Damn Journalism degree.

by Jerry Burnes on Feb 4, 2010 11:33 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Frank the Tank

I think Boenzi is a huge long shot to make the team after I heard that he is taking the ACT for the 5th time to try to get in and has to take summer school. I hope he makes it!!

by SRprepfootball on Feb 4, 2010 2:12 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

I'd think the opposite..

Kid doesn’t give up, he’s shown that much. If he can get here.. it sure would be a good story, and a fun guy to root for.

by Grinder in Training on Feb 4, 2010 2:39 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I'm hearing Tense is gone

Red and Black Attack - Northern Illinois Pride

by Mike Breese on Feb 4, 2010 2:59 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Well that's not good..

Quite a bit different then losing Me’Co. Plenty of guys to play running back.

by Grinder in Training on Feb 4, 2010 3:22 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

probably for selling crappy weed

trust me

Praise Him!!

by Hawk is God on Feb 4, 2010 10:36 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Rumors

With the rumors of meco and tense and possible others being gone is it maybe a case of removing cancer from the team?

by jcsportsfan21 on Feb 4, 2010 5:18 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Kill

During his first two seasons I always felt a tension between him and some Novak guys, mainly some tension with him and Justin Anderson. Justin will be the last one to say there was but his lack of playing time after a stellar 2007 season has been odd. Since I’ve always viewed Kill as a ‘my way or the highway’ guy, even when his way might not be whats best for the team. Thought I might be wrong after this year, but maybe not.

by Jerry Burnes on Feb 4, 2010 5:26 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

my way or highway

well so far i can understand why kill would want a my way or the highway philosophy trying to get this niu program to be the way he wants it. The anderson situation was very odd and i think that was a mistake by kill. If kill has to get rid of players to get this program winning bowl games then i would back him. Hopkins looks like he is better then meco so that isn’t a big deal and i would much rather have chad the man spann getting the ball much more this year. I am interested about anybody else leaving or being dismissed though.

by jcsportsfan21 on Feb 4, 2010 5:38 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Isn't Me'Co the definition of a Kill guy though?

Unfortunate Justin got screwed out of playing time from a lesser back by a guy who ended up getting kicked off the team.

by Grinder in Training on Feb 5, 2010 9:38 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Meco

Couple of comments

1) It is good that Jerry Kill is not letting the inmates run the asylum. Not to long ago an NIU coach lost control of the program and it took years to right the ship

2) It is always sad to see a young kid give up the opportunity for a college degree and to fail to appreciate and take advantage of their scholarship

by bikechuck on Feb 4, 2010 9:17 PM CST reply actions 0 recs