All-PL safety transfers to Georgia Southern

[FCS_pwns_FBS]

Darius Safford is enrolling in a graduate program at GSU and will use his last year of eligibility here. This is sort-of old news, but I was wondering what you Lafayette or other PL folks could tell me about this guy. I think some GSU fans might be overlooking him. I don't follow the PL all that closely but I get the impression that even though the talent level top to bottom in the league isn't all that great the PL produces its fair share of first-rate FCS talent.

http://www.thecoastalsource.com/2013/08/01/five-transfers-join-georgia-southern-football-program-for-2013/

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Darius Safford is enrolling in a graduate program at GSU and will use his last year of eligibility here. This is sort-of old news, but I was wondering what you Lafayette or other PL folks could tell me about this guy. I think some GSU fans might be overlooking him. I don't follow the PL all that closely but I get the impression that even though the talent level top to bottom in the league isn't all that great the PL produces its fair share of first-rate FCS talent.

http://www.thecoastalsource.com/2013/08/01/five-transfers-join-georgia-southern-football-program-for-2013/

You answered your own question. He sucks. xlolx

Safford was a starter at Lafayette and a very strong player. He'll be a starter for the Eagles.

[RichH2]

He is very good,smart player. You will be pleasantly surprised

[FCS_pwns_FBS]

You answered your own question. He sucks. xlolx

Safford was a starter at Lafayette and a very strong player. He'll be a starter for the Eagles.

Maybe you misunderstood me. Let me put it to you this way...I wouldn't be all that surprised if he is all-SoCon knowing that he is all-PL and I think he will be more successful than any transfers we have ever gotten from non-BCS FBS teams.

For the record, I think he will start and his experience alone will give him a leg up on the other safeties on our roster. I expect certain GSU fans to disagree. Could make for some entertaining reading. xnodx

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Maybe you misunderstood me. Let me put it to you this way...I wouldn't be all that surprised if he is all-SoCon and knowing that he is all-PL and I think he will be more successful than any transfers we have ever gotten from non-BCS FBS teams.

For the record, I think he will start and his experience alone will give him a leg up on the other safeties on our roster. I expect certain GSU fans to disagree. Could make for some entertaining reading. xnodx

So you feel that way. What's the need then to bash the rest of the PL?

My own take on Safford is that I'm glad Lehigh won't need to line up against him again.

[Bogus Megapardus]

Safford likely will be one of your best defensive secondary players. He can cover, he can hit, he can tackle, he has tremendous instincts and he has deceptive speed.

Watch Safford outrun the entire Colgate offense in a 100 yard pick six at the start of this video:

http://youtu.be/0q_XJhpf6V0

Safford is a Georgia native as well.

[dbackjon]

Is he getting a full schollie?

[blueballs]

Safford likely will be one of your best defensive secondary players. He can cover, he can hit, he can tackle, he has tremendous instincts and he has deceptive speed.

Watch Safford outrun the entire Colgate offense in a 100 yard pick six at the start of this video:

http://youtu.be/0q_XJhpf6V0

GSU lost both starting safeties from last year.... Darius Eubanks, who is in the Vikings camp, and JJ Wilcox, who was the 3rd round pick of the Cowboys.

Safford is a real good pick up for them, albeit for only one year. I expect him to start and be a huge contributor.

[FCS_pwns_FBS]

So you feel that way. What's the need then to bash the rest of the PL?

My own take on Safford is that I'm glad Lehigh won't need to line up against him again.

My basic point is that I think our fans might overlook the guy because he is from the Patriot League but even on years when the PL is weak they always have some good players.

[blueballs]

Is he getting a full schollie?

Yes... Once GSU accepted the SunBelt invite and went into the transition period they went to 85 scholarships, which basically means that all of the guys on the roster who were on partial scholarship are now on full scholarship. Safford is a graduate student transfer so he is eligible immediately.

[dbackjon]

Yes... Once GSU accepted the SunBelt invite and went into the transition period they went to 85 scholarships, which basically means that all of the guys on the roster who were on partial scholarship are now on full scholarship. Safford is a graduate student transfer so he is eligible immediately.

So if GSU had stayed FCS, he may not have transferred to GSU, but to another school that could give him a full ride - is that correct?

[Lehigh Football Nation]

So if GSU had stayed FCS, he may not have transferred to GSU, but to another school that could give him a full ride - is that correct?

Not sure that entered into it because it was always an FCS-to-FCS transfer, right? Rules state he needs to sit out if so.

[dbackjon]

Not sure that entered into it because it was always an FCS-to-FCS transfer, right? Rules state he needs to sit out if so.

As a grad student, he can transfer with no penalty if the school offers an advanced degree his current school doesn't offer. Just curious if the ability to get a full-ride played a part in school selection.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

As a grad student, he can transfer with no penalty if the school offers an advanced degree his current school doesn't offer. Just curious if the ability to get a full-ride played a part in school selection.

Lafayette doesn't have a grad school, so you're right, this could apply. Yeah, that's interesting. I would imagine it could.

[blueballs]

So if GSU had stayed FCS, he may not have transferred to GSU, but to another school that could give him a full ride - is that correct?

Potentially... I have no way of knowing for sure. A lot of players at GSU have been on the HOPE scholarship through the years and that has really helped out the the athletic dept. in filling in the financial gaps.

I don't know his major so there might be been grant funds available.

[cmaxwellgsu]

As a grad student, he can transfer with no penalty if the school offers an advanced degree his current school doesn't offer. Just curious if the ability to get a full-ride played a part in school selection.

Yep, there have been a couple of QB's who transferred from one BCS school to another under this rule. I can't remember the names, but one went from Oregon to Ole Miss and another went from playing basketball at Duke to starting at QB for Syracuse.

[Bogus Megapardus]

Lafayette doesn't have a grad school, so you're right, this could apply. Yeah, that's interesting. I would imagine it could.

Correct - since Lafayette does not offer graduate degrees, players in a number of sports have graduated with remaining eligibility and have stepped directly in as graduate students at other schools. I recall that LB Ben Eaton transferred to Towson as an eligible graduate student (though I'm not certain that he actually played). And get this - Steve Serling, one of Lafayette's best-ever lacrosse players, graduated from Lafayette, transferred to Hofstra as a graduate student and actually got a "graduate redshirt" his first year at Hofstra after he was injured early in the season. Talk about extending your eligibility!

[blueballs]

Yep, there have been a couple of QB's who transferred from one BCS school to another under this rule. I can't remember the names, but one went from Oregon to Ole Miss and another went from playing basketball at Duke to starting at QB for Syracuse.

The most notable has to be Russell Wilson, who graduated from NC State, transfered to Wisconsin and led them to the Rose Bowl.

The kid who went from Oregon to Ole Miss (he was a thug and his name escapes me) got kicked off the team at Oregon. He never graduated.

The player who went from Duke to Syracuse and switched sports was Greg Pawlus (sp).