Jimmy Chitwood
Hall of Famer
okay ... try this thought experiment.
1) picture a defensive back in college football.
2) now imagine he's the leading tackler for Purdue as a first-year starter.
3) now picture him leading the Big Ten in interceptions as a sophomore.
4) now visualize him being recognized as his team's defensive MVP.
got it?
5) now, picture a walk-on.
did that change the picture?
all of the above things are actually true and embodied by Landon Feichter. you don't have to imagine them at all, but it is hard to imagine how a player this talented wasn't recruited by a single Division One program.
i should correct myself. it would be hard to imagine, if i didn't understand how the Caste System actively shuns White athletes at "black" positions.
Feichter, who had to walk on at Purdue, was a two-time First-Team All-State, 6-feet, 170-pound athlete with 4.45 speed coming out of high school. so it wasn't as if he was an unknown commodity. but he was unwanted.
once he got on campus, though, it didn't take him long to make an impact. it just took him a while to get a scholarship ... it's allegedly coming this spring.
as it stands, Feichter dominated on the scout team during his redshirt year, earned 1 start and 25 tackles (22 solo) as a redshirt freshman, and took over the starting (racially-appropriate) safety spot this season as a sophomore. he led the Boilermakers with 80 tackles (54 solo) and led the Big Ten with 4 interceptions. with his size and speed, he might even be a better fit at cornerback, but at least he's getting on the field. and dominating.
not bad for a guy who wasn't "talented" enough to be offered a scholarship. by anyone.
1) picture a defensive back in college football.
2) now imagine he's the leading tackler for Purdue as a first-year starter.
3) now picture him leading the Big Ten in interceptions as a sophomore.
4) now visualize him being recognized as his team's defensive MVP.
got it?
5) now, picture a walk-on.
did that change the picture?
all of the above things are actually true and embodied by Landon Feichter. you don't have to imagine them at all, but it is hard to imagine how a player this talented wasn't recruited by a single Division One program.
i should correct myself. it would be hard to imagine, if i didn't understand how the Caste System actively shuns White athletes at "black" positions.
Feichter, who had to walk on at Purdue, was a two-time First-Team All-State, 6-feet, 170-pound athlete with 4.45 speed coming out of high school. so it wasn't as if he was an unknown commodity. but he was unwanted.
once he got on campus, though, it didn't take him long to make an impact. it just took him a while to get a scholarship ... it's allegedly coming this spring.
as it stands, Feichter dominated on the scout team during his redshirt year, earned 1 start and 25 tackles (22 solo) as a redshirt freshman, and took over the starting (racially-appropriate) safety spot this season as a sophomore. he led the Boilermakers with 80 tackles (54 solo) and led the Big Ten with 4 interceptions. with his size and speed, he might even be a better fit at cornerback, but at least he's getting on the field. and dominating.
not bad for a guy who wasn't "talented" enough to be offered a scholarship. by anyone.