Arkansas coach Bret Bielema spoke on “The Jim Rome Show” on Thursday, and Bielema said he knows Arkansas won’t always have the most talented roster in the conference.
That fact won’t make Bielema stray away from his moral principles in order to get the elite prospects on the recruiting trail.
Bielema told Rome that he doesn’t put up with recruits that don’t have respect for women. He feels strong enough about that principle that it will terminate his interest in that prospect.
“I’ve literally left a kid sitting in his living room if they don’t respect … everybody talks about respecting their elders, but I think even in today’s world, it gets down to the person that’s raised you.
“I tell our coaches, ‘Look out for social issues with women,’” Bielema said. “If he disrespects women at that time in his life, wait until he’s on his own on campus. It’s just a ticking time bomb. Maybe if a kid curses his mother or says something you shouldn’t say in front of your mom. That’s a red flag for us. ‘Let’s get out of this thing before it’s too late.’”
Bielema told Rome that it’s important not to get wrapped up in the film and what the recruit brings athletically. It’s important to focus on character.
“A big one really, truly, is how they interact with the female people in their family,” he said. “We all got siblings. I fought with my sisters. But I have never said anything in any way shape or form to upset my mother that I have knowingly done or my grandmother.”
Born and raised in Gainesville, Talal joined SDS in 2015 after spending 2 years in Bristol as an ESPN researcher. Previously, Talal worked at The Gainesville Sun.
