Janzen Jackson decides to become a McNeese Cowboy

[FormerPokeCenter]

All conference defensive back Janzen Jackson, who was dismissed from the University of Tennessee squad earlier this week enrolled at McNeese today and will play for the Cowboys this fall...

Janzen's dad is Western Kentucky DC Lance Guidry,a former McNeese player and assistant coach. Janzen grew up around Cowboy Stadium and has a special relationship with the McNeese staff.

Janzen, who was a HS All-American at Barbe High School in Lake Charles, will begin practice with the team on Sunday, but won't make the trip to Lawrence, Kansas for the Cowboy's opener against the Jayhawks....Depending on how quickly he picks up the McNeese system, he might be see some action against Sioux Falls on September 17.....

Let the snide comments begin...

[Catatonic]

All conference defensive back Janzen Jackson, who was dismissed from the University of Tennessee squad earlier this week enrolled at McNeese today and will play for the Cowboys this fall...

Janzen's dad is Western Kentucky DC Lance Guidry,a former McNeese player and assistant coach. Janzen grew up around Cowboy Stadium and has a special relationship with the McNeese staff.

Janzen, who was a HS All-American at Barbe High School in Lake Charles, will begin practice with the team on Sunday, but won't make the trip to Lawrence, Kansas for the Cowboy's opener against the Jayhawks....Depending on how quickly he picks up the McNeese system, he might be see some action against Sioux Falls on September 17.....

Let the snide comments begin...

I have not done a search, but didn't you recently post that with his problems it might be best for Janzen to have some time away from football to get his life together? I recall thinking that this was a really astute comment.

I wonder how YOU feel about the decision of the coaching staff to take on a troubled player, one who really has not had time to demonstrate a change of heart from the behavior that led to his dismissal from the Vols?

[Jacked_Rabbit]

Why is McNeese playing the University of Sioux Falls?!?!

[msusig]

Why is McNeese playing the University of Sioux Falls?!?!

I'm still trying to figure that one out too.

[FormerPokeCenter]

I have not done a search, but didn't you recently post that with his problems it might be best for Janzen to have some time away from football to get his life together? I recall thinking that this was a really astute comment.

I wonder how YOU feel about the decision of the coaching staff to take on a troubled player, one who really has not had time to demonstrate a change of heart from the behavior that led to his dismissal from the Vols?

Ordinarily, I'd object to it, and in the comment you referenced, I DID say that I thought that there are things bigger than football that have to come first. I'd rather see him sit, but....idle hands can be the devil's workshop. It may be that having something to focus on will help him. I think we'll figure out pretty quickly what's going to happen.

After the Cecil Collins debacle, I know the staff wouldn't undertake this lightly...So, how do I feel about it? While I personally believe the world would be a better place if everybody followed my advice, I must - ultimately - come to terms with the dissapointment that it's not likely to happen ;)

Having said that, I know the guys on the staff who made the decision to give him a second chance. Several of them are my former teamates...and, they've known the kid most of his life and they've talked to him face to face before making the decisiion. First and foremost, he's family. Ive never met the kid, but I've traded war stories with his Dad when I've been at the field house to visit a buddy. His dad played after I did and was a helluva player at McNeese and a great coach. If he's not going to play for his Dad at WKU, then I TRULY believe that he's in the best possible place he could be with a staff that - to a man - cares more about him as a young man than they do as a player....I truly believe they're more interested in helping him overcome his issues than with his talent.....

And, yeah, I iknow he's got talent to spare, but - really - that's of secondary importance....

[TTUEagles]

Talk shows in Nashville suggested he had trouble passing drug tests whilst at Tennessee....JUST WHAT I HAVE HEARD...

[Skjellyfetti]

He only got about 3 chances at Tennessee. xsmhx Probably should have been kicked off the team for robbing a convenience store his freshman year.

Best of luck to him at McNeese. He's a hell of a player. No one can question that.

http://www.gifsoup.com/webroot/animatedgifs/18890_o.gif

[Twentysix]

Why is McNeese playing the University of Sioux Falls?!?!

To prove vicariously they can beat UND by beating USF, which UND is incapable of. xlolx

[crossfire07]

Why is McNeese playing the University of Sioux Falls?!?!

Have to schedule somebody to play. The phones are not exactly ringing off the wall from FCS schools to get a home and home going.

[Twentysix]

Have to schedule somebody to play. The phones are not exactly ringing off the wall from FCS schools to get a home and home going.

Should home and home it up with NDSU. Or maybe 2 for 1 (not a knock at you, we just really like our home games)

[FormerPokeCenter]

If we didn't agree to a two for one with Georgia Southern, Montana or App State, I see two chances at a two for one with you...

Slim....and NONE

That's no knock on you, you're just not in a position to get that sorta deal ;)

[JohnStOnge]

As I posted on the McNeese Delphi board: Just PLEASE make sure he doesn't have any eligibility issues lurking somewhere before he plays in any games. I say that because I think that's a risk with ANY big time recruit who played at a big time school like Tennessee. I just think there's lots of temptation with respect to things like selling stuff to get a little money on the side, being offered benefits and gifts, etc. To me any FCS school that takes a transfer who was a top of the line player in a BCS league needs to be extremely careful with respect to that issue.

Otherwise I'm not put off by somebody doing recreational drugs. Yeah, it'd be smarter not to when you're in that position. But the doing drugs stuff itself doesn't bother me unless it was a perfromancing enhancing drug issue and I don't think it was. Sure, I hope he stops so he doesn't get in trouble but I don't look it as necessarily a character issue. I've known lots of high character people who were recreational drug users. It's not like he threw his girlfriend down the stairs or cracked three vertebrae in some guy's back in a bar fight. Now, the robbery thing would bother me if it was clear that he participated in such a thing. But it isn't.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/blog/dr_saturday/post/Headlinin-Janzen-Jackson-is-in-the-clear?urn=ncaaf-204294


The investigation determined that neither Jackson nor the driver not only didn't have any advanced knowledge of a robbery, but were still unaware anything had gone down when they started to pull out of the parking lot.

[bjtheflamesfan]

Have to schedule somebody to play. The phones are not exactly ringing off the wall from FCS schools to get a home and home going.

I'll drop a note to our AD (friend of mine) and maybe yall can get to talkin. I think itd be fun to see a Southland team come up to the mountain in future years

[FormerPokeCenter]

I'll drop a note to our AD (friend of mine) and maybe yall can get to talkin. I think itd be fun to see a Southland team come up to the mountain in future years

We like taking trips to the mountains ;)

[Skjellyfetti]

Now, the robbery thing would bother me if it was clear that he participated in such a thing. But it isn't.

Have you seen the security camera video? Clear enough to me that I wouldn't want him near my football team.
http://www.govolsxtra.com/videos/detail/01142010ut-football-securitycam/

[crossfire07]

Should home and home it up with NDSU. Or maybe 2 for 1 (not a knock at you, we just really like our home games)

We will take a 2 for 1 and give you 100k for your second trip down :)

[crossfire07]

I'll drop a note to our AD (friend of mine) and maybe yall can get to talkin. I think itd be fun to see a Southland team come up to the mountain in future years

We are no strangers to mountains :)

[MSU_77]

We like taking trips to the mountains ;)

Hell yeah, and an easy road trip for me!

[bjtheflamesfan]

Excellent. I'll drop Mr barber a note (or maybe if I see him at the home opener I'll talk to him) and see if he can get in touch with your AD. what's your soonest non-conference opening that you know of?

[DG Cowboy]

Being honest, after the aforementioned "debacle" with Cecil Collins under Bobby Keasler, I am not real happy with Jackson coming to McNeese. I'd like to see some remorse and gratitude for a 3rd, 4th, or whatever chance he is getting. Time will tell, and I'll be the first to say I was wrong, if he makes it. Darius Carey was also dismissed from UNT for unannounced reasons. Two fine talents with baggage? Hope my concerns are unfounded.

[Cocky]

If he can play I would welcome him. I pay to watch good football not to see choir boys. Its the BCS way, you cant compete with the LSU, UAT, TExas and Ohio States of the world for fans unless you take the same character players. The public loves the thug type players as long as they play for their team.

[DG Cowboy]

Looks like Perriloux worked out OK.

[Cocky]

Yeah, I would have taking more off field issues and more wins.
Another question, why was he dismissed and the guy now isnt? It looks like his problems are greater than RP.

[DG Cowboy]

First-time for JJ to be in any trouble at all. RP had a list going. Also, JJ has not been convicted of anything. RP was dead in the water on facts.
Cecil Collins was just a screw-up. He's in jail in Florida for B and E to watch a woman sleeping. He was a Dolphin then and threw it all away. All McNeese got from him was an OT tailback TD pass to beat UNI in the Dome. I think he lasted 3 games in LC.

[FormerPokeCenter]

Being honest, after the aforementioned "debacle" with Cecil Collins under Bobby Keasler, I am not real happy with Jackson coming to McNeese. I'd like to see some remorse and gratitude for a 3rd, 4th, or whatever chance he is getting. Time will tell, and I'll be the first to say I was wrong, if he makes it. Darius Carey was also dismissed from UNT for unannounced reasons. Two fine talents with baggage? Hope my concerns are unfounded.

Check out Janzen's official statement about enrolling at McNeese....he hits pretty much all the points you raised. He even apologized to his teammates, coaches and the University of Tennessee for his behaviour and for letting them down, even after he got his second chances. He thanked Viator, et al, for the opportunity to come "home" and have a second chance to play out the remainder of his career at McNeese...

I don't know the particulars about Carey, but after he showed up on campus, I perused the UNT message boards looking or insight and as best I can tell, he worked hard and played his heart out last year, was Dodge's favorite target, and his relationship with the coaches soured immediately after Riley left, since they were close.

The vibe I got from reading the posts was that the new UNT coaches pretty much threw the old coaches and their way of doing things under the bus on a daily basis. Understandable, but the old staff went through a lot with those kids and - let's face it - UNT wasn't exactly a powerhouse before Todd Dodge got there....

I thought Riley showed a lot of character by even trying to stay under the new regime after his father got canned.

I don't care if Dodge ever hits the field, I like him based on the fact that he wouldn't let the UNT staff take him out after he broke his wrist and damn near brought UNT to a come-back win effectively playing with one arm. He'd dedicated that game to a former teammate who'd gotten killed in a car wreck, I believe, earlier that week. You can't coach that kinda dedication and resolve. He may end up being a total bust, but I like his attitude. To borrow a great line from "A Knight's Tale," if I knew nothing else about him, that would be enough...

I can totally see a new staff rubbing holdover players the wrong way, particularly if they played through adversity together.....I don't think Carey's "team rules" violation involved anything illegal, but was more about attitude than anything else....I could be wrong about that, but that's what the references on the UNT message board seemed to indicate.

By all accounts, he's acquitting himself well at McNeese, and Riley went to bat for him with the Cowboy coaches to get him on the team. Riley's uncle played with me at McNeese back in the early 80's. His Dad's half-brother, Richard Rice, was an offensive guard for us, and Riley's dad, Todd, grew up just a hop, skip and a jump away from Lake Charles in Port Arthur.

It was kinda cool back in the day, McNeese All-American kicker Don Stump's little brother Craig was the starting QB at Texas A&M, and McNeese OG Richard Rice's little brother was the starting QB at Texas...The smack would be flying fast and furious the week before Thanksgiving! ;)

[DG Cowboy]

FPC,

Hope he is sincere, for his sake more than ours as fans. I don't think Matt would do anything to mess up the chemistry of the team, so as of now, I'll put myself in the optimistic category. You have more inside info on these things than I do. Carey is good to go in your book also?

[FormerPokeCenter]

FPC,

Hope he is sincere, for his sake more than ours as fans. I don't think Matt would do anything to mess up the chemistry of the team, so as of now, I'll put myself in the optimistic category. You have more inside info on these things than I do. Carey is good to go in your book also?


Janzen's Lance Guidry's kid, so color me the ultimate homer there. He's family, so I'd be dissapointed if we didn't take him in. And, truly, that's got nothing to do with whether or not he contributes to the team or not. Personally, I'd like to see him redshirt and refocus, but I'm not the guy making the decisions.

I can tell you that the entire staff knows him and wants what's best for him. They're not taking him because he's gonna be "our saviour"..We're pretty well stocked at DB, even with losing Jace Petersen to pro baseball...

I edited my previous post to cover the Carey situation before I saw your question. I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. I didnt' get any impression that his dismissal was anything related to anything but a soured relationship with the new coaches. The UNT fans indicate that he played his heart out last year....

I respect the Dodge kid's guts and character. The fact that he went to bat for Carey tells me a lot about both of them. I'm going to take a wait and see, but all I'm hearing is that he works his *** off at practice and doesn't have any Prima Donna in him at all...but..I guess we'll see ;)

[DG Cowboy]

I don't think Riley will be a bust. I think he will 2/3 and Stroud 1/3 by October. That may help keep Riley healthy, based on his history.

[msupokes1]

Carey was dismissed for a failed drug test. It was his first. He had been tested at least 10 times before. Coach v talked to some of his old coaches and they all vouched for his character. I think there is more to the Jansen situation than we know. I was told that he contacted mcneese 2 weeks ago to discuss transferring.

[crossfire07]

I am not going to go into how they used Riley at the practices but did you attend any of them?

[crossfire07]

For Viator, gamble is personal


"I’m not sure which of our season previews, LSU or McNeese, has been rendered more obsolete by the events of the past few days.

But I am certain of one thing: Matt Viator’s intentions in bringing Janzen Jackson into the McNeese program are more missionary than mercenary.

If Jackson was a run-of-the-mill screw-up looking for a team desperate for his talent after being shown the door by a big-time program, he would not have been welcomed here. Viator has taken a pass on players fitting that description in the past.

This story is more of a personal reclamation project."

http://www.americanpress.com/lc/blogs/wpnewssum/?p=26788

[FormerPokeCenter]

Carey was dismissed for a failed drug test. It was his first. He had been tested at least 10 times before. Coach v talked to some of his old coaches and they all vouched for his character. I think there is more to the Jansen situation than we know. I was told that he contacted mcneese 2 weeks ago to discuss transferring.

Got a cite on the Carey issue? He was dismissed on June 30th, which is kind of an odd time for a test. He was tested 10 times in four semesters?

Wow...that's an awful lot of drug testing in a short time. I haven't seen any other references to a failed test, but it's conceivable that I might have missed something. How are you getting that info?

[msupokes1]

Coach v told me this. Carey was at unt for24 months.