About a year ago, rumors started circulating that NFL clubs were interested in enticing Charlie Weis to leave the sidelines in South Bend for the “greener” pastures of the NFL. A 10 year contract extension for Weis soon followed in an attempt to try and put an end to any such motions from NFL owners and eliminate the possibility of opposing coaches using the NFL against the Irish in recruiting. Well, here we are a year later, and there’s rumblings that some NFL owners are back at it.
From Adam Scheffer on NFL.com
“At least two owners contacted Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis in the past week to see if they could entice him to leave South Bend, Ind., for the richer confines of the NFL, Weis confirmed over the weekend.
Weis told each owner thanks, but no thanks. He’s very happy at Notre Dame.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Weis said.
About this time last year, Weis signed a 10-year contract extension with Notre Dame. But NFL owners were skeptical about whether he would remain at the school. At least two NFL owners were curious enough that, within the past week, while Notre Dame was on its bye, they contacted Weis. They thought the bye week would be the proper time to reach out to him. Plus, their actions were spurred on by the play of their own teams. Their teams clearly were not performing up to expectations.” (LINK)
What will it take for NFL owners to realize that Weis is happy where he is at? Maybe most NFL owners, who tend to be money grubbing ego maniacs, just can’t comprehend someone not being for sale and being happy coaching college kids at their alma mater. Maybe they think whatever team they own is more prestigious than coaching at Notre Dame. Who knows?
But seriously, if these stories keep popping up every year it’s going to get quite annoying. These owners are starting to look like that girl in Van Wilder who chases around Tara Reid’s boyfriend and just can’t take no for an answer.
The problem with stories like these is that they can create just the slightest bit of doubt in the mind of high school recruits. It’s impossible to predict what a 16 or 17 year high school recruit will think when an opposing coach tells him Weis won’t be there when he graduates because he’s leaving for the NFL.
Maybe Weis needs to have a press conference where he tells the NFL, “Look, I like you, but I’m not IN like with you,” and “I don’t like you like that.”
Or, NFL owners can just listen to the countless interviews Weis has given where he stops the questions regarding leaving for the NFL before they start and simply stop making overtures for his services.
