Character Issues: Should the Niners be concerned?
One point that several individuals on this site and at other sites have noticed is the fact that the Niners have been bringing in rookies and retaining players that have potential “character issues”. Most recently, Aaron Wilson at ProFootballTalk.com posted this article noting the Niners willingness to take risks on potential talents.
Below is a list of some of the new and notable players on the Niners roster that have “character issues”:
Alex Boone – Arrested (and tazed) for having a blood alcohol content “at least three times the legal limit” after running from the cops, jumping on cars, and hiding under patios. He is currently in AA, attempting to get clean and sober. (This guy even generated his own discussion that eventually morphed into a discussion on alcoholism)
Glen Coffee – Suspended four games in 2007 for taking part in a university-wide textbook scandal. Hasn’t gotten in trouble since.
Ricky Jean-Francois - Suspended for a full year for allegations of academic cheating at LSU. Has also made comments about “taking out” Florida QB Tim Tebow prior to this past year’s LSU-Florida match-up. RJF insists he is not a cheater.
Kory Sheets – Did not have the best relationship with his coaching staff. We’ve heard a ton about this guy recently (here, and here).
Michael Crabtree – According to Mangini (and Subway), he’s a diva. Also there is the whole Oscar thing, which is less of a personal character issue, and more of an imaginary character issue.
So what do you think about the character issues with these rookies? Will Singletary be able to handle all of these personalities (in addition to the ones on the roster)? Is this a bigger deal than people are making it out to be?
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Comments
a couple yrs ago
we drafted two guys with similar character issues: Tarell Brown and Thomas Clayton. Have we heard from them ever since? Nope
These guys are just as likely to clean up their acts as a guy with a clean record is to all of a sudden get caught with an ounce of weed
But the good thing is that besides crabtree, in the world of finance these guys would all be considered “penny stocks.” In order to find the gem that will return 10x what you paid, youve gotta acknowledge that a couple of your high-risk high-reward investments will go bankrupt
by VD cant be Contained on May 5, 2009 11:56 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Agreed
Father Singletary will probably see right away who has a desire to play and straighten out, and who is incorrigible. If incorrigible, no great loss in cutting a late round pick or UDFA. Most young men are looking for guidance and Singletary will gladly provide it. Look what happened with VD…a little tough love and VD is in line with the Padre. Just wish it could cure his case of alligator arms.
by FanBelge on May 5, 2009 12:44 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
HA
Father sing will get a woopin on dey asses
by big beaner on May 5, 2009 5:00 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Forgive us, father, for we have sinned.

Mike Singletary, Priest in the House of God Pain
Seriously, I get that he’s a good guy and holds people accountable, but I don’t understand why this guy gets the ‘miracle worker’ label. The sin in view here is thinking that a coach is a ‘spiritual director’ of some sort. My profile pic and the line below are facetious.
In Singletary we trust.
by grantmp on May 5, 2009 8:03 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
These days
Holding people accountable IS a miracle.
by Arkie49er on May 7, 2009 6:13 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
No character issues here!
Bear Pascoe is a good guy it seems, you wont have to worry bout him. I’d have t say the same with Coffee, he seems like a quality guy, but to a little lesser extent than Pascoe.
People I dont know about are Ricky and Alex, I cant say anything about them, but in all honesty, I think Kory is fine, just got screwed over by his coaches. But we will see!
Doubt Crabtree is a diva. He seems fine.
by Poundtherock on May 5, 2009 11:56 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
its
cool with me. and it would be sweet if Alex Boone becomes the the starting RT (and a good one) in a year or two.
by save10 on May 5, 2009 12:54 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
No Problem
Low Risk (i.e. low cost) + High Potential Reward = No Problem
by ShaunHillQB1 on May 5, 2009 1:01 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
+1
Crabtree is only a risk to cornerbacks. Look out here he comes! Oh no where’d he go! TD!
by ShaunHillQB1 on May 5, 2009 1:03 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Glen Coffee.
Can anyone elaborate on the “textbook scandal” that got him suspended? I can’t really seem to find any info about it.
Thanks.
by Sultan of Seitan on May 5, 2009 1:22 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Well
Some players used their scholarships to buy books for other students. Terrible crime, right?
by Cruithear on May 5, 2009 7:27 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
is that really what happened?
…wow. The NCAA is crazy.
by swerv on May 5, 2009 7:39 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Any scandal involving buying a textbook
is no scandal.
by Bob On The Coast on May 5, 2009 8:04 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
There was a little more than that. IIRC, those “other students” were then selling said illicitly-bought textbooks back to the campus bookstore. For shame!
Joe Martinez: My fingers are crossed and my palms are together for you.
When it's all said and done, America will be remembered for three things: The Bill of Rights, jazz, and baseball.
by cornball on May 6, 2009 5:52 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
...Really....I mean REALLY
I have been involved in bigger “scandals” than this. I think people are just looking for some thing. If this really is all it was, how about we have ourselves a nice serving of GET OVER IT. I like the Coffee pick. Lets just hope he finds a way to kick his text book habit…
by Arkie49er on May 7, 2009 6:16 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think the past tense is Tased with a “s”
Coffee’s a boy scout, just listen to read the Bible in that video!
Rickey Jean-Francois sounds like a badass with a badass name.
Boone, could be great on the line if he stays sober.
McLouth is The Trouth
by GTrain on May 5, 2009 1:26 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Hopefully he won't be drinking alcohol during the game
"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, either way, YOU'RE RIGHT !"
by Eastbayjim on May 5, 2009 2:58 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Come on...
It sounds like the guy was unstoppable once his BAC got 3x above the legal limit. They should replace the Gatorade cooler with a Keg for this guy!
In Singletary we trust.
by grantmp on May 5, 2009 8:05 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Has also made comments about "taking out" Florida QB Tim Tebow
that’s not a character issue that’s just plain awesome.
"I'll be honest with you, I love his music, I do, I'm a Michael Bolton fan. For my money, I don't know if it gets any better than when he sings "When a Man Loves a Woman"
by 49erLou on May 5, 2009 1:33 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
+1
Everything was beautiful and nothing hurt
by richmond02 on May 5, 2009 1:53 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
you gotta keep 'em seperated...
Not sure why that came to mind, but now you all have it stuck in your heads too.
by Arkie49er on May 7, 2009 6:18 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
no its not
that’s f-ing stupid. It’s like the ravens talking about a bounty. There’s a difference between knocking a player out with a hard hit and playing to injure
by foosball4949 on May 5, 2009 2:01 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
lol calm down buddy
I was just joking around. I don’t want to see any player get seriously injured. not even Tebow.
"I'll be honest with you, I love his music, I do, I'm a Michael Bolton fan. For my money, I don't know if it gets any better than when he sings "When a Man Loves a Woman"
by 49erLou on May 5, 2009 7:17 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
cool
I know too many people that feel differently…
by foosball4949 on May 5, 2009 9:27 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Who gives a crap
If They mess up with Sing, they’ll be off the team. No issues here.
Fans stuck in the 80's are lame. Respect the past, live in the now.
by maveric_87 on May 5, 2009 1:56 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Unlike the Bengals
we seem to being doing a good job of identifying players who have had issues in their past but are working to overcome them or have changed. I also have faith that if they don’t uphold their end of the bargain, they won’t be long for the team.
On a slightly separate note, signing UDFA is a little bit like recruiting in college football and it’s an area where Singletary and/or his reputation seem to be doing a great job. It seems like almost everyone really wants to play for him and even if he’s unpolished as a coach, this aspect really matters
by foosball4949 on May 5, 2009 2:03 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Sounds like Winners to me.
…and screw Tim Tebow!
NINERS 4 LIFE
by LADubbz45 on May 5, 2009 5:31 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
my uncle’s doing 25 to life for a textbook scandal
If you had a lineup of 9 Jack Custs who hit(Cust career average) .239 AVG, .382 OBP, and .475 SLG, then your team would score 6.12 runs per game-totalling to 991runs a season.The 08 rangers lead the majors in runs score with 901.
by 9Custs on May 5, 2009 5:38 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
That's what he gets
for writing in the margins.
by Bob On The Coast on May 5, 2009 8:06 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
yeah
gotta watch those librarian/bounty hunters
they will nail your ass!
by foosball4949 on May 5, 2009 9:27 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
The guy I worry most about
and who I hope comes through is Alex Boone. He could be a monster on the field in a couple years if he can control his monsters off the field.
by Bob On The Coast on May 6, 2009 7:34 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
I think the Michael Vick thing
and drug-testing has tilted this whole character thing out of tilt.
I don’t know about others here, but when I was a teen and in my early twenties I abused drugs (true, not steroids, but alcohol and grass). That’s part of growing up. I’m not condoning drunk-driving or destruction of other people’s property, just saying that it’s a part of the teenage wasteland. When you’re 6’ 7" and weigh over three hundred pounds you make bigger dents.
And Vick’s sorry-assed entrepreneurship into dog-fighting, while vile and disgusting, is not equivalent to being a diva.
And since when is being flamboyant a capital crime for an athlete?
There’s a difference between being a sociopath and being a normal human being. Lawrence Phillips is a sociopath. Kory Sheets is a human being. Most football players are just kids with lots of physical ability coming out of college. They aren’t saints coming down off some mountain after years of meditation.
by Bob On The Coast on May 6, 2009 7:48 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Vick is garbage.
But you are right I think. It seems like a quest to villafy (sp?) every pro athelete. I’m just thinking, if I was an athelete, I would be in hot water. I drink, have been in more than my share of fights, and once sold a text book to a freshman for more than what I paid for it. I feel so dirty. I am also of the opinion that they are all paid about 10 times what they should be. That is a big part of it. If you are getting umpteen million dollars and can’t even manage to not drink or get high, you deserve to catch crap. Once society starts idolizing someone, the spot light is unavoidable. These days the spotlight means someone is looking for any and all flaws you may have. Kind of stinks for some one as young as a lot of these guys, but its part of it. Money and glory comes with the spotlight.
by Arkie49er on May 7, 2009 6:28 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

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