I am worried about you. I cannot imagine the amount of pressure placed on you - 30,000 plus students observing you on campus, 95,000 plus fans cheering (or booing) you Between the Hedges, and millions of anonymous people (like myself) on the internet analyzing your every move and posting their thoughts about your life. It has to be an enormous amount of stress on you, but I ask that you within to find your voice, look for a mentor for guidance, and seek those who wish to see you succeed.
You came to the University of Georgia with much fanfare, and many saw you as the offensive savior for our struggling team. On the field, you have had a successful freshman campaign, netting 832-yards and 5-touchdowns in 10-games. You have shown glimpses of greatness with your running ability, and your pass blocking has improved over the course of the season.
However, for all the good things you have done on Saturdays, I am worried about your conduct Sunday through Friday. There have been rumors since the beginning of the season about your work ethic in the classroom and on the practice field. You failed a mid-season drug test and was suspended for 1-game. Now, there are rumors that you have an attitude problem with some of your teammates, and fans are openly wondering whether your attitude and/or lack of work ethic will cause the University of Georgia to release you from your scholarship.
Mr. Crowell, you have an amazing opportunity to get a free education at one the best universities in the country. Moreover, you get to play for a championship caliber team (which you helped make), and you get to play in front of national audiences, which gives you the exposure to highlight your talents for NFL scouts. There are some many people who never get these opportunities.
Please cherish and take advantage of your position. Learn as much as you can from your fellow UGA students, teammates, coaches, and fans. Ask questions and seek out positive experiences that will help you grow as a person. Work as smart as you can, so that you can make the most of your wonderful opportunity. Do not turn your blessing into a curse!
If you continue down your current path, please know that you can lose everything and you can be replaced. If you do not believe me, just ask former Bulldog players Washaun Ealey and Caleb King, who were both highly recruited tailbacks, but were both released from the team. They were given multiple opportunities, but they continued to have attitude and work ethic problems. Eventually, they were dismissed. I want you to succeed, but it does not matter unless you want to succeed.
Sincerely,
S. Dash
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