- Jun 9, 2014
- 78,498
- 110,970
Founding Member
Frost #1 on UF's list
- Thread starter Marianna-FL_Gator
- Start date
- Jun 11, 2014
- 21,137
- 33,954
Founding Member
That isn’t that hard to do. Just have JBoss post when he’s a little bit drunker.
- Jun 13, 2014
- 12,702
- 22,997
Founding Member
Wow. That's a name from the past. I remember him being quite prolific but I can't remember his schtick.
- Jun 9, 2014
- 78,498
- 110,970
Founding Member
He was a groovy stoned dude. Posted crazy stuff. Waaay worse than Rog or coked up Boss. Like sometimes unintelligible.
Last edited:
- Sep 8, 2014
- 25,449
- 59,472
Another solid article on Frost:
UCF is unbeaten, and coach Scott Frost is in demand; can the Knights keep him?
http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nca...an-the-knights-keep-him/ar-AAuk4XF?ocid=ientp
ORLANDO — In his first days as the new athletics director at the University of Central Florida two years ago this month, Danny White embarked on a coaching search that focused on one particular type of candidate: coaches with backgrounds in an up-tempo, spread-based style of play.
His vision for the Knights’ football program was influenced in no small part by TCU, which had nudged aside in-state powers in Texas and Texas A&M and earned a spot among the elite programs in the Big 12 Conference by being different, particularly with its offensive approach. TCU, like UCF, was an upstart in a state rich in talent and bluebloods. It was an interesting case study to consider.
“If they would’ve tried to do that running the same stuff Texas and Texas A&M were doing, I don’t know if that would’ve been nearly as effective,” White told USA TODAY Sports. “I think a big part of their (TCU) national trajectory is they got really good in football consistently, and the way that they did that was in a talent-rich state playing a little differently.”
White’s search led him to Scott Frost, then an assistant coach at Oregon well-schooled in Chip Kelly’s spread scheme, and results quickly followed. After reaching bowl eligibility in his debut, Frost and the Knights enter Saturday’s matchup with SMU at 7-0, the only unbeaten team left among the Group of Five conferences, and ranked No. 18 in the first College Football Playoff standings, again atop the Group of Five.
But the success has come at a cost. In short order — quicker than even the most optimistic expectations — UCF is faced with the possibility of losing its second-year head coach to a Power Five program: Nebraska was the first name to pop on the radar, because of Frost’s background, but Florida has since become a second realistic contender following Jim McElwain’s dismissal.
Those two schools have their draws. Nebraska is home. Florida has the talent base and recruiting draw. There may be another choice, Tennessee, should the Volunteers decide to end the Butch Jones era. Frost will have no shortage of options.
“I’m not going to be in a hurry to leave a good situation,” Frost said to USA TODAY Sports. “One reason I took this job is that this place has a chance to I think maintain a level of competitiveness and excellence because of the advantages we have here.”
UCF, meanwhile, is doing what it can to keep the coaching staff intact. In the background of the greatest start in program history, White and the university are taking steps to maintain the status quo, hoping that increased salaries and new facilities will join Frost’s own track record of carefully weighing his future in keeping the second-year coach at least through the 2018 season.
Dating to Marcus Mariota’s final season at Oregon, when the Ducks reached the national championship game, Frost has been at or near the top of the most-wanted list for several job openings on the Group of Five level. That he waited for this current position speaks to some degree of foresight: UCF wasn’t only smack in the middle of some of the nation’s most fertile recruiting space but also coming off a winless season, handing Frost floor-level expectations heading into his debut.
“He’s just a level-headed guy. I don’t think he needs that big-school brand to feel like he’s doing important work and impacting the lives of young people,” White said of Frost. “And ultimately, long term, he can win at the very highest level and eventually win a national championship. You can do that right here. You’ve got the best recruiting base in America right in our backyard and a situation that’s growing really fast.”
The first step — and “the most pressing issue,” per White — is to increase the salary pool afforded Frost’s coaching staff, bringing that total in line with the Power Five level.
“I have every expectation that’s exactly what we’re going to do,” White said.
That increase has been on Frost’s own list of priorities since he arrived; meeting that wish would be positive in UCF’s favor.
Simultaneously, the university has embarked on a series of upgrades to its athletic facilities. There are plans to remake the existing space behind the south end of Spectrum Stadium into a nutrition center for all student-athletes. There have been improvements to the existing field house across from the football offices. The largest project, a headquarters for the entire athletic department, will include new team meeting rooms, locker rooms and recruiting area. The goal is to convince Frost that UCF is a destination, not a stopping point.
“I think he can be the Bobby Bowden of this place, or the Steve Spurrier of this place,” White said. “We can every bit as good as Florida or Florida State, we’re just younger. The state is plenty big enough to have more than two or three major, national brands.”
But UCF is realistic: Frost isn’t staying here forever. At some point, whether it’s Nebraska, Florida or another, he’ll trade in the Group of Five for the Power Five, continuing a fast-moving coaching career that seems unavoidably destined for a high-profile promotion.
Just keeping Frost through 2018 could be a game changer for UCF, however. It would mean another season in this offensive system, with a more experienced cast of personnel and continuity among the coaching staff. If this season stays on the same path — UCF is headed for a New Year’s Six bowl — next year’s team will begin with the benefit of the doubt in the polls. Many non-major programs have burst onto the scene once; doing so twice, and in successive years, could dramatically alter the Knights’ trajectory.
“We’re confident that we’re going to build a heck of a football program, a nationally elite football program,” White said. “I think he realizes the potential to do that. I know he does.”
UCF is unbeaten, and coach Scott Frost is in demand; can the Knights keep him?
http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nca...an-the-knights-keep-him/ar-AAuk4XF?ocid=ientp
ORLANDO — In his first days as the new athletics director at the University of Central Florida two years ago this month, Danny White embarked on a coaching search that focused on one particular type of candidate: coaches with backgrounds in an up-tempo, spread-based style of play.
His vision for the Knights’ football program was influenced in no small part by TCU, which had nudged aside in-state powers in Texas and Texas A&M and earned a spot among the elite programs in the Big 12 Conference by being different, particularly with its offensive approach. TCU, like UCF, was an upstart in a state rich in talent and bluebloods. It was an interesting case study to consider.
“If they would’ve tried to do that running the same stuff Texas and Texas A&M were doing, I don’t know if that would’ve been nearly as effective,” White told USA TODAY Sports. “I think a big part of their (TCU) national trajectory is they got really good in football consistently, and the way that they did that was in a talent-rich state playing a little differently.”
White’s search led him to Scott Frost, then an assistant coach at Oregon well-schooled in Chip Kelly’s spread scheme, and results quickly followed. After reaching bowl eligibility in his debut, Frost and the Knights enter Saturday’s matchup with SMU at 7-0, the only unbeaten team left among the Group of Five conferences, and ranked No. 18 in the first College Football Playoff standings, again atop the Group of Five.
But the success has come at a cost. In short order — quicker than even the most optimistic expectations — UCF is faced with the possibility of losing its second-year head coach to a Power Five program: Nebraska was the first name to pop on the radar, because of Frost’s background, but Florida has since become a second realistic contender following Jim McElwain’s dismissal.
Those two schools have their draws. Nebraska is home. Florida has the talent base and recruiting draw. There may be another choice, Tennessee, should the Volunteers decide to end the Butch Jones era. Frost will have no shortage of options.
“I’m not going to be in a hurry to leave a good situation,” Frost said to USA TODAY Sports. “One reason I took this job is that this place has a chance to I think maintain a level of competitiveness and excellence because of the advantages we have here.”
UCF, meanwhile, is doing what it can to keep the coaching staff intact. In the background of the greatest start in program history, White and the university are taking steps to maintain the status quo, hoping that increased salaries and new facilities will join Frost’s own track record of carefully weighing his future in keeping the second-year coach at least through the 2018 season.
Dating to Marcus Mariota’s final season at Oregon, when the Ducks reached the national championship game, Frost has been at or near the top of the most-wanted list for several job openings on the Group of Five level. That he waited for this current position speaks to some degree of foresight: UCF wasn’t only smack in the middle of some of the nation’s most fertile recruiting space but also coming off a winless season, handing Frost floor-level expectations heading into his debut.
“He’s just a level-headed guy. I don’t think he needs that big-school brand to feel like he’s doing important work and impacting the lives of young people,” White said of Frost. “And ultimately, long term, he can win at the very highest level and eventually win a national championship. You can do that right here. You’ve got the best recruiting base in America right in our backyard and a situation that’s growing really fast.”
The first step — and “the most pressing issue,” per White — is to increase the salary pool afforded Frost’s coaching staff, bringing that total in line with the Power Five level.
“I have every expectation that’s exactly what we’re going to do,” White said.
That increase has been on Frost’s own list of priorities since he arrived; meeting that wish would be positive in UCF’s favor.
Simultaneously, the university has embarked on a series of upgrades to its athletic facilities. There are plans to remake the existing space behind the south end of Spectrum Stadium into a nutrition center for all student-athletes. There have been improvements to the existing field house across from the football offices. The largest project, a headquarters for the entire athletic department, will include new team meeting rooms, locker rooms and recruiting area. The goal is to convince Frost that UCF is a destination, not a stopping point.
“I think he can be the Bobby Bowden of this place, or the Steve Spurrier of this place,” White said. “We can every bit as good as Florida or Florida State, we’re just younger. The state is plenty big enough to have more than two or three major, national brands.”
But UCF is realistic: Frost isn’t staying here forever. At some point, whether it’s Nebraska, Florida or another, he’ll trade in the Group of Five for the Power Five, continuing a fast-moving coaching career that seems unavoidably destined for a high-profile promotion.
Just keeping Frost through 2018 could be a game changer for UCF, however. It would mean another season in this offensive system, with a more experienced cast of personnel and continuity among the coaching staff. If this season stays on the same path — UCF is headed for a New Year’s Six bowl — next year’s team will begin with the benefit of the doubt in the polls. Many non-major programs have burst onto the scene once; doing so twice, and in successive years, could dramatically alter the Knights’ trajectory.
“We’re confident that we’re going to build a heck of a football program, a nationally elite football program,” White said. “I think he realizes the potential to do that. I know he does.”
- Sep 8, 2014
- 25,449
- 59,472
From theathletic.com:
Friday, November 3, 2017
By spreading the wealth, No. 18 UCF's payoff could be huge
Chris Vannini writes:
UCF’s offense leads the nation in scoring, but you won’t see many individual skill players near the top of the county in stats.
Sophomore quarterback McKenzie Milton leads FBS in passer rating, but the ball is spread out to so many different players.
Five different UCF players have at least 24 carries — including Milton’s 43 — and none has more than 54. Adrian Killins leads the team in rushing with 430 carries on 53 carries.
Five different Knights have at least 15 catches, and none has more than Tre’Quan Smith’s 26 for 500 yards and nine touchdowns.
“We don’t have the type of offense where we’re designing to get one guy the ball,” Scott Frost said this week. “That happens on Sundays (in the NFL) a lot, when you have mismatches. We’re able to run an offense where we’re going to attack what they give us, and wherever the ball is supposed to go, McKenzie’s getting it there.
“This year more than last year, we have guys at every position that are capable of doing something when the ball is in their hands.”
That can sometimes be a problem if someone doesn’t think they’re getting the ball enough. But the Knights are focused on each week and an undefeated season, and a trip to SMU this weekend will be a big test.
The Mustangs are allowing 31 points per game, No. 95 nationally, so another big day for the deep UCF offense may be on the docket, and the ball will be spread around.
“One of the best parts about coaching here right now is the unselfishness,” Frost said. “I haven’t seen one hint of anybody disappointed for lack of touches or somebody else having success instead of them. That’s the mark of a good team.
“Having to keep the kids happy hasn’t entered our mind for one second because everybody is happy for one another and doing their role. That’s unique and unusual on a college football team, but we’ve had it this year as good as any place I’ve coached.”
Friday, November 3, 2017
By spreading the wealth, No. 18 UCF's payoff could be huge
Chris Vannini writes:
UCF’s offense leads the nation in scoring, but you won’t see many individual skill players near the top of the county in stats.
Sophomore quarterback McKenzie Milton leads FBS in passer rating, but the ball is spread out to so many different players.
Five different UCF players have at least 24 carries — including Milton’s 43 — and none has more than 54. Adrian Killins leads the team in rushing with 430 carries on 53 carries.
Five different Knights have at least 15 catches, and none has more than Tre’Quan Smith’s 26 for 500 yards and nine touchdowns.
“We don’t have the type of offense where we’re designing to get one guy the ball,” Scott Frost said this week. “That happens on Sundays (in the NFL) a lot, when you have mismatches. We’re able to run an offense where we’re going to attack what they give us, and wherever the ball is supposed to go, McKenzie’s getting it there.
“This year more than last year, we have guys at every position that are capable of doing something when the ball is in their hands.”
That can sometimes be a problem if someone doesn’t think they’re getting the ball enough. But the Knights are focused on each week and an undefeated season, and a trip to SMU this weekend will be a big test.
The Mustangs are allowing 31 points per game, No. 95 nationally, so another big day for the deep UCF offense may be on the docket, and the ball will be spread around.
“One of the best parts about coaching here right now is the unselfishness,” Frost said. “I haven’t seen one hint of anybody disappointed for lack of touches or somebody else having success instead of them. That’s the mark of a good team.
“Having to keep the kids happy hasn’t entered our mind for one second because everybody is happy for one another and doing their role. That’s unique and unusual on a college football team, but we’ve had it this year as good as any place I’ve coached.”
- Sep 8, 2014
- 25,449
- 59,472
UCF has a LB that has only 1 hand. He made 92 tackles last year. "Pretty cool" story:
https://theathletic.com/144943/2017...linebacker-shaquill-scott-frost/?source=email
Shaquem Griffin has one hand, and UCF has one heck of a player
ORLANDO — At UCF, they call it “City ball, Country ball.”
If there are a lot of players around a fumble, it’s a city ball, and you have to jump on it. But if there is open space, it’s a country ball, and you try to scoop it up.
UCF linebacker Shaquem Griffin doesn’t have a left hand, but he executed country ball to perfection last Saturday, scooping up a fumble with his right hand and returning it 20 yards for his first collegiate touchdown in UCF’s 73-33 win over Austin Peay.
“It was bouncing, and I might miss it, but I could jump on it still,” Griffin told The All-American. “Once it stuck to my glove, I said, ‘Oh, man, just keep going.’ I didn’t know if there’d be a flag. I didn’t know if it’d count. I just kept running until I got in the end zone. I had to do my celebration in the end zone. That was awesome.”
Griffin’s left hand was amputated when he was four years old, a result of being born with amniotic band syndrome. It kept his hand from fully developing and caused his fingers to constantly have a burning feeling.
But it never kept him away from football. Last year, Griffin was the American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year. This year, he leads a Knights defense that leads all AAC teams in scoring defense (19.7 points per game, No. 25 nationally). No. 18 UCF is sitting at 7-0 and eyeing an undefeated regular season and a New Year’s Six berth as it heads to SMU on Saturday.
“My whole thing was, when I had an opportunity to play, just give everything I’ve got and let it do the talking for me,” he said. “I was never a guy to brag or talk about how good I am. I just want to give everything I’ve got and let that do the talking for me. They gave me a chance, and I just played as hard as I can.”
===
Last Saturday may have been Griffin’s first collegiate touchdown, but it wasn’t the first touchdown of his life.
His twin brother Shaquill is currently a starting cornerback for the Seattle Seahawks, but he was a fierce fullback at 10 years old, constantly opening holes for Shaquem when they were growing up in St. Petersburg.
“Every time I got the ball, he’d make a good block and I’d take off to the end zone,” Shaquem said. “It’s crazy when you’ve got your brother in front of you and you know if I stick behind him, he’d sacrifice his body to let me get free. We’d come back and celebrate.”
Before this year, the Griffin brothers had played on the same teams ever since they were four years old. Shaquill is the slightly older twin and always played the role of the protective older brother. When Shaquem lost his hand, that only amplified.
“I remember he got the ball, and I was blocking anybody in front, making sure they didn’t touch him,” Shaquill told The All-American. “That’s one thing I’ll never forget, when I got to really protect him. That’s what it felt like blocking for him.”
Growing up, they made a pact that they’d always be there for each other.
“I felt so protective of him,” Shaquill said. “We made a bond that we’d stick together, no matter what. We were going to have each other’s backs. It’s something we’d stuck by since we were little. I wasn’t going to let a college or coach separate us doing that. We stuck by each other’s side, and we had a chance to take care of each other.”
Coming out of high school, Shaquill was a three-star prospect with a number of impressive offers and interest. Shaquem didn’t get the same attention, in part due to only having one hand. But if you wanted to recruit Shaquill, you also had to take Shaquem. The older twin wouldn’t have it any other way.
“He had to protect him sometimes. He had to speak up for him at some times,” sister-in-law Ronke Griffin told The All-American. “Not to say Shaquem wouldn’t speak up for himself, but it was that protective big brother role. ‘He’s no different than you. He can do anything you can do. If you’re going to go through anyone, it’s me first.'”
So a young defensive backs coach at UCF had an idea.
Kirk Callahan joined George O’Leary’s UCF staff in February 2012 in his first full-time coaching job, so the class of 2013 was his first opportunity in putting together a recruiting class. He saw two talented players in the Griffins. He needed to make sure the rest of the staff did, too.
“When I presented the film to our defensive staff, it was a no-brainer for Shaquill, and they said it was a no-brainer for Shaquem. The funny thing was I didn’t inform anybody that Shaquem had one hand,” Callahan told The All-American. “I did the same thing presenting it to George O’Leary.”
Eventually, Callahan had to explain the full story.
“At the time, I was 26 years old, the secondary coach, and I went to George O’Leary and told him I wanted to sign these twins, and one has one hand. He looked at me like I had two heads coming out of my neck and said, ‘You’re telling me, on your first recruiting class, you want to sign a kid with one hand?’ I said I did.”
The Griffins were invited to camp and lived up to the tape, whether with two hands or one.
“The best thing that sold them on coming was that Coach O’Leary said he wouldn’t recruit one without the other,” Callahan said. “He wouldn’t take a commitment from one of them unless both were coming.”
Shaquem was originally signed to play safety, but it didn’t click. He redshirted as a freshman, while Shaquill played at cornerback. Then Shaquem played in one game as a redshirt freshman and 12 as a sophomore, but mostly just on special teams. That year, UCF went 0-12, and O’Leary retired during the season.
Shaquem wanted an opportunity to show he could do more. A new coaching staff would give it to him.
===
UCF defensive coordinator Erik Chinander didn’t watch much film before arriving with head coach Scott Frost after the 2015 season. He asked retained assistants Sean Beckton and Travis Fisher about players who could use a position change, and Shaquem’s name came up.
“They said his effort was unbelievable and they couldn’t block him on scout team for two years. I said, ‘Great, let’s do it,’” Chinander told The All-American. “Then they said, ‘By the way, he’s got one hand.’ I was like, what? What does it actually mean? I had no idea what to expect.”
“Then you meet the kid, his personality is contagious, and you don’t know what to think. I was probably just like everybody else for a while. Let’s put him out there, but I don’t think it’ll work.”
It finally clicked for Shaquem.
“Then he starts to play, and you move him up to second string. He makes a lot of plays, and you move him up,” Chinander said. “Before long, you forget he has one hand. We don’t say in our staff room, ‘I can’t believe he did that with one hand.’ He does everything.”
As a junior linebacker, Shaquem recorded 92 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, one interception and two fumbles forced and recovered, earning AAC Defensive Player of the Year honors.
“I didn’t know how he could function with one hand, to be honest with you,” Frost told The All-American. “The amazing thing is, after two practices, you forget that’s even an issue. It just never shows up. I haven’t seen one play on the field that he should have made but couldn’t because he has one hand. He’s a special kid. There’s a little more grit inside him because of who he is and what he’s been through. He’s one of our leaders and a guy we’re counting on.”
https://theathletic.com/144943/2017...linebacker-shaquill-scott-frost/?source=email
Shaquem Griffin has one hand, and UCF has one heck of a player
ORLANDO — At UCF, they call it “City ball, Country ball.”
If there are a lot of players around a fumble, it’s a city ball, and you have to jump on it. But if there is open space, it’s a country ball, and you try to scoop it up.
UCF linebacker Shaquem Griffin doesn’t have a left hand, but he executed country ball to perfection last Saturday, scooping up a fumble with his right hand and returning it 20 yards for his first collegiate touchdown in UCF’s 73-33 win over Austin Peay.
“It was bouncing, and I might miss it, but I could jump on it still,” Griffin told The All-American. “Once it stuck to my glove, I said, ‘Oh, man, just keep going.’ I didn’t know if there’d be a flag. I didn’t know if it’d count. I just kept running until I got in the end zone. I had to do my celebration in the end zone. That was awesome.”
Griffin’s left hand was amputated when he was four years old, a result of being born with amniotic band syndrome. It kept his hand from fully developing and caused his fingers to constantly have a burning feeling.
But it never kept him away from football. Last year, Griffin was the American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year. This year, he leads a Knights defense that leads all AAC teams in scoring defense (19.7 points per game, No. 25 nationally). No. 18 UCF is sitting at 7-0 and eyeing an undefeated regular season and a New Year’s Six berth as it heads to SMU on Saturday.
“My whole thing was, when I had an opportunity to play, just give everything I’ve got and let it do the talking for me,” he said. “I was never a guy to brag or talk about how good I am. I just want to give everything I’ve got and let that do the talking for me. They gave me a chance, and I just played as hard as I can.”
===
Last Saturday may have been Griffin’s first collegiate touchdown, but it wasn’t the first touchdown of his life.
His twin brother Shaquill is currently a starting cornerback for the Seattle Seahawks, but he was a fierce fullback at 10 years old, constantly opening holes for Shaquem when they were growing up in St. Petersburg.
“Every time I got the ball, he’d make a good block and I’d take off to the end zone,” Shaquem said. “It’s crazy when you’ve got your brother in front of you and you know if I stick behind him, he’d sacrifice his body to let me get free. We’d come back and celebrate.”
Before this year, the Griffin brothers had played on the same teams ever since they were four years old. Shaquill is the slightly older twin and always played the role of the protective older brother. When Shaquem lost his hand, that only amplified.
“I remember he got the ball, and I was blocking anybody in front, making sure they didn’t touch him,” Shaquill told The All-American. “That’s one thing I’ll never forget, when I got to really protect him. That’s what it felt like blocking for him.”
Growing up, they made a pact that they’d always be there for each other.
“I felt so protective of him,” Shaquill said. “We made a bond that we’d stick together, no matter what. We were going to have each other’s backs. It’s something we’d stuck by since we were little. I wasn’t going to let a college or coach separate us doing that. We stuck by each other’s side, and we had a chance to take care of each other.”
Coming out of high school, Shaquill was a three-star prospect with a number of impressive offers and interest. Shaquem didn’t get the same attention, in part due to only having one hand. But if you wanted to recruit Shaquill, you also had to take Shaquem. The older twin wouldn’t have it any other way.
“He had to protect him sometimes. He had to speak up for him at some times,” sister-in-law Ronke Griffin told The All-American. “Not to say Shaquem wouldn’t speak up for himself, but it was that protective big brother role. ‘He’s no different than you. He can do anything you can do. If you’re going to go through anyone, it’s me first.'”
So a young defensive backs coach at UCF had an idea.
Kirk Callahan joined George O’Leary’s UCF staff in February 2012 in his first full-time coaching job, so the class of 2013 was his first opportunity in putting together a recruiting class. He saw two talented players in the Griffins. He needed to make sure the rest of the staff did, too.
“When I presented the film to our defensive staff, it was a no-brainer for Shaquill, and they said it was a no-brainer for Shaquem. The funny thing was I didn’t inform anybody that Shaquem had one hand,” Callahan told The All-American. “I did the same thing presenting it to George O’Leary.”
Eventually, Callahan had to explain the full story.
“At the time, I was 26 years old, the secondary coach, and I went to George O’Leary and told him I wanted to sign these twins, and one has one hand. He looked at me like I had two heads coming out of my neck and said, ‘You’re telling me, on your first recruiting class, you want to sign a kid with one hand?’ I said I did.”
The Griffins were invited to camp and lived up to the tape, whether with two hands or one.
“The best thing that sold them on coming was that Coach O’Leary said he wouldn’t recruit one without the other,” Callahan said. “He wouldn’t take a commitment from one of them unless both were coming.”
Shaquem was originally signed to play safety, but it didn’t click. He redshirted as a freshman, while Shaquill played at cornerback. Then Shaquem played in one game as a redshirt freshman and 12 as a sophomore, but mostly just on special teams. That year, UCF went 0-12, and O’Leary retired during the season.
Shaquem wanted an opportunity to show he could do more. A new coaching staff would give it to him.
===
UCF defensive coordinator Erik Chinander didn’t watch much film before arriving with head coach Scott Frost after the 2015 season. He asked retained assistants Sean Beckton and Travis Fisher about players who could use a position change, and Shaquem’s name came up.
“They said his effort was unbelievable and they couldn’t block him on scout team for two years. I said, ‘Great, let’s do it,’” Chinander told The All-American. “Then they said, ‘By the way, he’s got one hand.’ I was like, what? What does it actually mean? I had no idea what to expect.”
“Then you meet the kid, his personality is contagious, and you don’t know what to think. I was probably just like everybody else for a while. Let’s put him out there, but I don’t think it’ll work.”
It finally clicked for Shaquem.
“Then he starts to play, and you move him up to second string. He makes a lot of plays, and you move him up,” Chinander said. “Before long, you forget he has one hand. We don’t say in our staff room, ‘I can’t believe he did that with one hand.’ He does everything.”
As a junior linebacker, Shaquem recorded 92 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, one interception and two fumbles forced and recovered, earning AAC Defensive Player of the Year honors.
“I didn’t know how he could function with one hand, to be honest with you,” Frost told The All-American. “The amazing thing is, after two practices, you forget that’s even an issue. It just never shows up. I haven’t seen one play on the field that he should have made but couldn’t because he has one hand. He’s a special kid. There’s a little more grit inside him because of who he is and what he’s been through. He’s one of our leaders and a guy we’re counting on.”
- Oct 5, 2014
- 7,099
- 16,067
Scott Frost's offense and how it works.
I like the video found in the link where Number 7 goes under center in practice to show the players how to run and defend the option play. This is a high energy coach that gets down with his players and actually teaches them.
Might take awhile for the videos to load.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.sb.../10/23/16501428/scott-frost-ucf-coach-offense
I like the video found in the link where Number 7 goes under center in practice to show the players how to run and defend the option play. This is a high energy coach that gets down with his players and actually teaches them.
Might take awhile for the videos to load.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.sb.../10/23/16501428/scott-frost-ucf-coach-offense
- Jun 19, 2014
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Man, all this talk about Frost is getting my hopes way up. Seeing that offense, seeing that energy and that swagger reminds me of the time we were all hoping for Meyer! This has the same feeling! I did not het that at all with the last two hires. Really hope our admin pulls the trigger and makes a solid hire.
daytonacane
RIP
- Jun 2, 2015
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UCF has a LB that has only 1 hand. He made 92 tackles last year. "Pretty cool" story:
https://theathletic.com/144943/2017...linebacker-shaquill-scott-frost/?source=email
Shaquem Griffin has one hand, and UCF has one heck of a player
ORLANDO — At UCF, they call it “City ball, Country ball.”
If there are a lot of players around a fumble, it’s a city ball, and you have to jump on it. But if there is open space, it’s a country ball, and you try to scoop it up.
UCF linebacker Shaquem Griffin doesn’t have a left hand, but he executed country ball to perfection last Saturday, scooping up a fumble with his right hand and returning it 20 yards for his first collegiate touchdown in UCF’s 73-33 win over Austin Peay.
“It was bouncing, and I might miss it, but I could jump on it still,” Griffin told The All-American. “Once it stuck to my glove, I said, ‘Oh, man, just keep going.’ I didn’t know if there’d be a flag. I didn’t know if it’d count. I just kept running until I got in the end zone. I had to do my celebration in the end zone. That was awesome.”
Griffin’s left hand was amputated when he was four years old, a result of being born with amniotic band syndrome. It kept his hand from fully developing and caused his fingers to constantly have a burning feeling.
But it never kept him away from football. Last year, Griffin was the American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year. This year, he leads a Knights defense that leads all AAC teams in scoring defense (19.7 points per game, No. 25 nationally). No. 18 UCF is sitting at 7-0 and eyeing an undefeated regular season and a New Year’s Six berth as it heads to SMU on Saturday.
“My whole thing was, when I had an opportunity to play, just give everything I’ve got and let it do the talking for me,” he said. “I was never a guy to brag or talk about how good I am. I just want to give everything I’ve got and let that do the talking for me. They gave me a chance, and I just played as hard as I can.”
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Last Saturday may have been Griffin’s first collegiate touchdown, but it wasn’t the first touchdown of his life.
His twin brother Shaquill is currently a starting cornerback for the Seattle Seahawks, but he was a fierce fullback at 10 years old, constantly opening holes for Shaquem when they were growing up in St. Petersburg.
“Every time I got the ball, he’d make a good block and I’d take off to the end zone,” Shaquem said. “It’s crazy when you’ve got your brother in front of you and you know if I stick behind him, he’d sacrifice his body to let me get free. We’d come back and celebrate.”
Before this year, the Griffin brothers had played on the same teams ever since they were four years old. Shaquill is the slightly older twin and always played the role of the protective older brother. When Shaquem lost his hand, that only amplified.
“I remember he got the ball, and I was blocking anybody in front, making sure they didn’t touch him,” Shaquill told The All-American. “That’s one thing I’ll never forget, when I got to really protect him. That’s what it felt like blocking for him.”
Growing up, they made a pact that they’d always be there for each other.
“I felt so protective of him,” Shaquill said. “We made a bond that we’d stick together, no matter what. We were going to have each other’s backs. It’s something we’d stuck by since we were little. I wasn’t going to let a college or coach separate us doing that. We stuck by each other’s side, and we had a chance to take care of each other.”
Coming out of high school, Shaquill was a three-star prospect with a number of impressive offers and interest. Shaquem didn’t get the same attention, in part due to only having one hand. But if you wanted to recruit Shaquill, you also had to take Shaquem. The older twin wouldn’t have it any other way.
“He had to protect him sometimes. He had to speak up for him at some times,” sister-in-law Ronke Griffin told The All-American. “Not to say Shaquem wouldn’t speak up for himself, but it was that protective big brother role. ‘He’s no different than you. He can do anything you can do. If you’re going to go through anyone, it’s me first.'”
So a young defensive backs coach at UCF had an idea.
Kirk Callahan joined George O’Leary’s UCF staff in February 2012 in his first full-time coaching job, so the class of 2013 was his first opportunity in putting together a recruiting class. He saw two talented players in the Griffins. He needed to make sure the rest of the staff did, too.
“When I presented the film to our defensive staff, it was a no-brainer for Shaquill, and they said it was a no-brainer for Shaquem. The funny thing was I didn’t inform anybody that Shaquem had one hand,” Callahan told The All-American. “I did the same thing presenting it to George O’Leary.”
Eventually, Callahan had to explain the full story.
“At the time, I was 26 years old, the secondary coach, and I went to George O’Leary and told him I wanted to sign these twins, and one has one hand. He looked at me like I had two heads coming out of my neck and said, ‘You’re telling me, on your first recruiting class, you want to sign a kid with one hand?’ I said I did.”
The Griffins were invited to camp and lived up to the tape, whether with two hands or one.
“The best thing that sold them on coming was that Coach O’Leary said he wouldn’t recruit one without the other,” Callahan said. “He wouldn’t take a commitment from one of them unless both were coming.”
Shaquem was originally signed to play safety, but it didn’t click. He redshirted as a freshman, while Shaquill played at cornerback. Then Shaquem played in one game as a redshirt freshman and 12 as a sophomore, but mostly just on special teams. That year, UCF went 0-12, and O’Leary retired during the season.
Shaquem wanted an opportunity to show he could do more. A new coaching staff would give it to him.
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UCF defensive coordinator Erik Chinander didn’t watch much film before arriving with head coach Scott Frost after the 2015 season. He asked retained assistants Sean Beckton and Travis Fisher about players who could use a position change, and Shaquem’s name came up.
“They said his effort was unbelievable and they couldn’t block him on scout team for two years. I said, ‘Great, let’s do it,’” Chinander told The All-American. “Then they said, ‘By the way, he’s got one hand.’ I was like, what? What does it actually mean? I had no idea what to expect.”
“Then you meet the kid, his personality is contagious, and you don’t know what to think. I was probably just like everybody else for a while. Let’s put him out there, but I don’t think it’ll work.”
It finally clicked for Shaquem.
“Then he starts to play, and you move him up to second string. He makes a lot of plays, and you move him up,” Chinander said. “Before long, you forget he has one hand. We don’t say in our staff room, ‘I can’t believe he did that with one hand.’ He does everything.”
As a junior linebacker, Shaquem recorded 92 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, one interception and two fumbles forced and recovered, earning AAC Defensive Player of the Year honors.
“I didn’t know how he could function with one hand, to be honest with you,” Frost told The All-American. “The amazing thing is, after two practices, you forget that’s even an issue. It just never shows up. I haven’t seen one play on the field that he should have made but couldn’t because he has one hand. He’s a special kid. There’s a little more grit inside him because of who he is and what he’s been through. He’s one of our leaders and a guy we’re counting on.”
The Griffin twins are fantastic young men who have great parents. My son graduated from high school @ Mainland in Daytona Beach with their mother. He recently met up with the Griffins @ Annapolis for the UCF vs. Navy game and after the game the Griffins were on their way to NY to see the Seattle Seahawks and Shaquill play.
- Jun 9, 2014
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- Jun 9, 2014
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I nominate all longcat quoters for 1 day bans.
Even though we like Daytona. Edit that girl and delete most of the quote.
- Sep 9, 2014
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We just fired the laziest coach on God’s green earth. He hasn’t coached a player up in the whole 2 1/2 years. He brought no energy to the program what so ever. Scott Frost is the exact opposite. I look for us to play better tomorrow simply because he’s gone. Mr. Stricklin it is time to close the deal.
Don’t let this one slip away.
- Jun 8, 2016
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- Jun 9, 2014
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Rambling, unintelligible posts. Sort of like us as students at 2 a.m. on a Sunday.
- Jun 9, 2014
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That is pretty cool. There is a lot of stuff going on in that offense.
- Jun 9, 2014
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