TENNESSEE
Tennessee’s misfortune on the offensive line continued this week as recent signee Melvin McBride announced he would be forced to retire due to “health problems” on Wednesday. The Volunteers just confirmed the unfortunate news later in the afternoon.
The 6-foot-3, 312-pound McBride was rated as a three-star prospect in the team’s most recent signing class and was expected to compete on the interior of the offensive line this fall on Rocky Top. The 6-foot-3, 312-pound Memphis native signed with Tennessee out of Whitehaven High School.
Following the news, Tennessee released a statement from Jeremy Pruitt:
“Melvin is a great young man, and my heart breaks for him and his family. However, I’m glad that we have an outstanding medical staff that did a great job identifying the problem when Melvin first arrived here. We are always going to do what’s best for our student-athletes here at Tennessee. He is certainly a Vol for Life and will continue to be a big part of our program.”
Unfortunately, McBride is the latest in a growing list of Tennessee offensive linemen forced to call it a career early. In recent seasons, Jack Jones, Chance Hall, Devante Brooks, Eric Crosby and Tanner Antonutti have all had their careers ended prematurely. When you add Trey Smith to the list, although Pruitt did offer up an encouraging note on Smith recently, it’s easy to see why the Vols have struggled so much at the position in recent seasons.
Depth on the line of scrimmage is critical to a team’s success in the SEC and has to be among the top priorities for Pruitt’s Tennessee program moving forward.
You hate to see that, especially in a young man who never really had a chance to live his dream.
But, honest question… how can you retire when you’ve never been paid? This isn’t the NFL, it’s not a job, presumably he’s never been paid to play football. He isn’t retiring.
You are such a putz
Not the appropriate reaction, though understandable from a hillbilly who chooses to wear the ugliest shade of the ugliest color ever.
I was making a comment about the myth of AMATEURISM.
If they’re unpaid amateurs, how can they retire? It’s not a job. Or so we’re told,
You should read the definition of retire. I suspect you will learn something, like how wrong you are here.
He’s got nothing in his life. It’s evident from the amount of trolling he does and how he bashes athletes for medical problems. All he’s got is the reactions he gets, which I presume temporarily alleviate his recognition of his station in life, or lack thereof.
Only UGA fans could troll a young adult for a disease they can’t control. Glad our fan base isn’t like yours.
Are you people obtuse or just as illiterate as the stereotype says you are. In what way am I trolling??? I literally said you hate to see that. I feel sorry for the kid. For you dumb hillbillies, not so much.
Keep proving my point
Maybe you can go to an Iowa game and continue your critique of semantics used by sick young people. If you provide your name and address, we can crowdfund you the psychiatric help you need.
You strike me as an unpleasant person.
Unpleasant would one word you could use. There are others.
Pruitts statement is one more reason why I still respect him so much. It’s a sad moment for the young man. But, I suspect Pruitt and UT will help build him up in the way he should go. His life will still be better for it.
Can’t believe posters would ridicule this