Matt Hayes article: former UF assistant says dismissing Grier was Butters downfall

BMF

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West Virginia's Will Grier and the Decision That Transformed His Career

West Virginia's Will Grier and the Decision That Transformed His Career

(from the article):
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One decision, and so many fluttering reverberations.

Grier led Florida to a 6-0 start during his redshirt freshman season in 2015, including a 28-point win over No. 3 Ole Miss in a game that announced the highly touted recruit's arrival in college football. A week later, the NCAA suspended him for the year for using the banned supplement Ligandrol, which was an ingredient in a protein enhancer he bought from a nutrition store.

During the press conference to announce the suspension, McElwain declared he would stick by Grier and that his starting quarterback would be back on the field with the Gators in a year. "An honest mistake," he said of Grier's supplement use.

Away from the press conference, Grier said McElwain told him he probably shouldn't be around the team for a while. When Grier returned in November to discuss his future, McElwain was more direct, telling him maybe it was time to move on.

McElwain, who was fired at Florida 28 games after his decision to part ways with Grier—with a 16-12 record in those games—is now the wide receivers coach at Michigan. He wasn't available for comment but told Bleacher Report in 2016: "I'm glad he found a home. I feel horrible about what occurred. I'm excited that he has a place where he can go make a difference."

But several former Florida assistants on McElwain's staff said Grier's departure had nothing to do with a banned supplement.

"It had everything to do with Mac wanting to win with his own guy," one former Florida assistant told Bleacher Report. "Grier was [former Gators coach Will] Muschamp's recruit. We were floored by it. You've got a guy that can win big in this league at that position? Those dudes are rare. Who cares if [Grier] liked hanging around his girl more than his teammates? That was the big knock on him; he wasn't a team guy. Come on, man—because he liked spending time with his girl? We scored 38 on that Ole Miss defense with all of those NFL players!

"We knew right then it wasn't just a big gamble—it was a decision that was going to bite us all in the ass."

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Ironically, Grier said the last time he met with McElwain to try to clarify his status at Florida, the coach was two hours late because he was recruiting quarterback Feleipe Franks, whose high school was three hours away in the Florida Panhandle.

Franks was benched last weekend in the middle of yet another home loss (this time to then-SEC-winless Missouri) for a program that once had one of the best home-field advantages in college football.

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Muschamp said Grier would've eventually won the starting job as a freshman, and the Gators would've become a different program were it not for the injury. Then he took it one step further.

"We'd still be [at Florida] if he hadn't got hurt," Muschamp said.

But Grier did get hurt, and Florida continued to struggle at quarterback, which eventually cost Muschamp his job. Then McElwain arrived, Grier made a mistake and everything changed.
 

BMF

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the thought of the chump or butters still being here from Grier's success is a real doozy

I imagine had Grier stayed we would have been an 8 to 10 win team the whole time he was here....meaning, Butters would still be here. This was a blessing!
 

Concrete Helmet

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banned supplement Ligandrol, which was an ingredient in a protein enhancer he bought from a nutrition store.
:lol2: Ligandrol?....Creatine? What's the difference?
I don't agree about Butters still being here....He would have found a way to lose with Grier anyhow....and we would probably be a playoff team this year with Grier. Thanks Butters.
 

GatorTruth133

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I will echo my previous comments everywhere on this. I don’t think Grier does what he is now under MacNuss. I agree with you BMF, I’m glad he’s gone if it means Nuss is gone too
 

Swamp Donkey

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No amount of talent can overcome McSharkfvkk.

He had all the talent in the world at Bammer and scored 6 points vs LSU.

There were many rumors that Grier was calling his own audibles at Ole Miss in the first half. Butters shut him down in the second half. That game, the next game vs Mizzu and every other, the offense still looked like shyt even w Grier playing.
 
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NOLAGATOR

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I'd love this staff to have Grier BUT if that meant we had to keep Butters MacShark, ButtNuss, and NORDO?

I rather forfeit the season.
 

SGG

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Impossible.

He told us at his introductory press conference that he could win with Clarabelle at qb.
 

InstiGATOR1

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The idea that Grier would have had any where near the success at UF with any of the coaches he might have played for is just silly. It also ignores how QB have regressed under the so called coaching they have gotten at UF and the success of UF QBs who have transferred.
 

Renard904

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I can't give Mac that excuse. That wasn't his downfall. Yeah, I'm sure losing Grier had an affect on his tenure, but he was doomed from the start. Early on, when he made the statement about being able to win with his dog and all that crap about playing 15 games(insinuating that he would win a title), the writing was on the wall. IMO, he was done then. Even though we didn't know it at the time.
He should have brought his fat, lazy ass in here and went to work. Don't come in with all of that nonsense only to turn out to be the worst coach in program history, by far.
For that, his downfall will always be the first time I laid eyes on the sorry SOB.
 

Zambo

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If Butters wasn't an idiot, Grier would still be here and we would have won a lot of football games. But Mac was in fact a colossal idiot, Grier is gone, and we sucked.

Grier may not be the best QB to ever play the game, but he was special and guys like him don't come around very often. Sending a guy like that packing is a travesty.
 

UForFU

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I don't know why everyone thinks our ceiling would have been so much higher with Grier. Not because he wasn't a good QB but because look at the culture we had with McElwain and his staff and look at the offense we ran. Look at our recruiting. We got rid of a ****ty coach early and we're lucky. Had Grier stayed we still wouldn't have won anything of note while delaying the inevitable McElwain exit. Not to mention Grier landed in an offense that's perfect for his skills and that will give him a great chance to be drafted. It worked out for all involved.
 

rogdochar

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Any real HC should never sabotage one of his players. Can't accurately say Grier is not a team player, when he's flipped to a school he did not pick and there has been their dedicated leader. Grier's a top-5 QB. How often will UF get that?
 

Musclepug

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my friend always said grier was a cokehead.... but what the hell do i know
 

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