Gene Jelks Reflects on his decisions to seek Revenge on UA

[bamakeeb]

News Flash: Players from the Chicago White Sox threw the World Series a hundred years ago.

Seriously, this article will have no impact on the current state of affairs. Gene looks far worse than anything that Bama may, or may not, have done.

I've noticed in my life when people operate from spiteful motivations they typically bite them in the end.

 

[4Q Basket Case]

News Flash: Players from the Chicago White Sox threw the World Series a hundred years ago.

Seriously, this article will have no impact on the current state of affairs. Gene looks far worse than anything that Bama may, or may not, have done.

I've noticed in my life when people operate from spiteful motivations they typically bite them in the end.

Amen to that. Just ask Phil Fulmer.

 

[GrayTide]

After 20 years I still cannot understand why some fans hold a grudge against Curry for leaving Alabama and going to Kentucky. IMO that decision is the second best thing that has happened to Alabama since Coach Bryant's retirement, the first being the hiring of CNS.

 

[CapstoneTider]

After 20 years I still cannot understand why some fans hold a grudge against Curry for leaving Alabama and going to Kentucky. IMO that decision is the second best thing that has happened to Alabama since Coach Bryant's retirement, the first being the hiring of CNS.

You are correct. Curry left because he knew he wasn't wanted by many on the board and believed that he would never be accepted by some of those individuals who had the most influence, so why stay? But if he kept winning, I believe he could have turned things around, maybe. He was doing a great job recruiting and had Homer.

Curry is an sensitive hot tempered type and he attempted to try to get back at us with the way he left and lapped up all the student support.

Many people won't give up their dislike because he won't. He used his position at ESPN to devalue the head coaching job time and time again. From the crazy, never satisfied fans to the Good Ole Boy system. We at least found out what he was made of at Kentucky. A good coach, but not a very good or great one. His fault was his temper. I don't think he likes anybody.

 

[GrayTide]

I thought Curry, Franchione, and Price were bad hires from the day they were named HC. I foolishly fell for the Dubose, Alabama guy, Bryant coaching tree, etc, I was ambivalent about Shula, although I thought, at least genetically and through osmosis, he would be good not great HC.
Without going into a long winded conversation, IMO Curry simply did not fit in at Alabama for any number of reasons.

 

[rhunter]

My feelings on Bill are mixed to this day- some great memories and also Memphis State 1987- BUT, he did put CPB's tower back up where it belongs after rescuing it from the scrap yard so he can't be all bad.

 

[TidefaninOS]

I think Curry was a good (not great) coach. I certainly don't begrudge him for leaving, just the bad-mouthing he gave Alabama (the crap with the brick, etc.). I think he just couldn't take the pressure of being HC for Bama - a lot less pressure at Kentucky.

 

[Bama Torch in Pcola]

Because of the disappointment I felt over that idiotic 15 yard penalty that Jelks got for punching Lawyer Tillman after getting burned deep I am still in therapy. I've somehow found a way to forgive, now I just have to learn how to cope.

I wish Gene and Bill would move to an uncharted island together and hash stuff out for the next 20 years. What a joke.

 

[capnfrog]

I thought Curry, Franchione, and Price were bad hires from the day they were named HC. I foolishly fell for the Dubose, Alabama guy, Bryant coaching tree, etc, I was ambivalent about Shula, although I thought, at least genetically and through osmosis, he would be good not great HC.
Without going into a long winded conversation, IMO Curry simply did not fit in at Alabama for any number of reasons.

I thought Perkins was a great hire at the time and thought Curry was an above average coach that had an attitude problem. I met Curry coming out of a bbq joint in N'port (Morrows?), I said "hi coach curry," he didn't even acknowledge I spoke to him, only had an expression like 'I wish people wouldn't speak to me'. Wasn't Coach Perkins a Coach Bryant hire or recommendation for hire? If Coach Perkins had stayed I felt he would have been a great coach for Bama. I could understand him leaving when the pro's came calling.

 

[Ole Man Dan]

First of all I have known Gene Jelks since his high school days at Emma Sansom High School.
Gene had the misfortune of playing with another great back. Gene was a little quicker, but after blowing out his knee, he came back a step slower. Coach Curry (No fan here) eventually moved Gene, and Gene reacted poorly. Every player has to overcome some type adversity, some do it with class, and some play the blame game.
I think it's a coaches prerogative to try to put your best players on the field.

Gene eventually fell in with a bad bunch. (Auburn guys)
For a price Gene betrayed Alabama... 'He chose not too wisely'.

Gene became a bitter disappointment to those of us who knew him...
IMHO:
Gene got in bed with Auburn. He can stay there.

 

[bamakeeb]

Didn't the Curry hate actually begin before he left? I mean the whole brick through the window kinda says you're not welcome here. I really don't think much about him.

 

[TidefaninOS]

Didn't the Curry hate actually begin before he left? I mean the whole brick through the window kinda says you're not welcome here. I really don't think much about him.

From what I've read on this board by people who should know, the brick incident never happened.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

From what I've read on this board by people who should know, the brick incident never happened.

And with all due respect to everyone - was any of these people actually there?

 

[BamaInBham]

IMO, Curry was disliked by some Bama fans (most accepted him) at first because he was from GT and because he was suspected of being a bit of a fraud (this supposed caring crusader left his patient alma mater for more money and prestige). Joab Thomas didn't help matters by saying at Curry's hiring that Bama's days as a football factory were over - what a joke, on both sides of the equation.

After he left Curry ridiculed the program frequently over the years, rarely expressing appreciation for the majority who supported him.

Btw, IMO, he was not even a good coach. At the time he left Tech he had the worst record in their history (5 yrs or more). He has the worst record in UK's history (2 yrs or more).
Bama gave him his only glory and was the only reason anyone cared about his opinion and he spit on her time after time.

No grudge, just impossible for any objective person to have warm memories of him.

 

[Crimson1967]

I was surprised we gave his new team (and a bunch of money) a game their first season.

 

[TideMan09]

Had Curry beaten auburn at least once..He would've been around longer & would've had our fan support..Winning cures all in college football..Especially against you hated rivals..I miss Homer Smith's Offense during the "Curry Era"..JMO

 

[Alasippi]

Had Curry beaten auburn at least once..He would've been around longer & would've had our fan support..Winning cures all in college football..Especially against you hated rivals..I miss Homer Smith's Offense during the "Curry Era"..JMO

Yeah, me too. Curry, in all honesty did a great job. In three years he won an SEC Title and had us a win away from playing for the national championship.

For whatever reason, and some people just refuse to accept this, Curry recruited the majority of the Junior and Senior class of the 92 National Champions.

It's a pretty simple fact but I've argued this forever and no one even cares to listen. All anyone cares to remember is that he didn't recruit Jay Barker, who, in all honesty, wasn't a great Quarterback, as much as he was a safe one. He didn't get us beat and allowed our defense, which Curry recruited, to win games.

His downfall, in all honesty, comes down to one over thrown pass intended for Craig Turner from Gary Hollingsworth.

We were playing Auburn, in Auburn, in 89. Had the game under control(I believe we were ahead 24-13?) and had a third and inches in their territory.

Homer Smith(who was a genius IMO) called a play fake pass to the fullback. Turner was so open for a game clinching TD it was beyond comprehension and Gary just simply didn't hit him. Inches inches inches.

As it was we ended up missing a field goal and they came back and won.

We were undefeated and ranked number two at the time. Had that pass been completed Curry may now be regarded as a hero.
As it is, most Bama fans hate him. I don't.

At one time I believe he was 26-6, which was the best record of a three year coach in Bama history if I'm not mistaken, and I may be.

I'm just saying he's a good man and he was a very good recruiter and coach.

Does anyone here truly think that Gene Stallings would have recruited Derrick Lassic from New York state?

I rest my case.

Sip

 

[TideMan09]

Yeah, me too. Curry, in all honesty did a great job. In three years he won an SEC Title and had us a win away from playing for the national championship.

Sip

I agree 100% with ya..I too thought Curry did a great job at Bama(besides not beating auburn)..He had a good eye for talent..And did great job of bringing in talent nationwide..

Curry had the odds stacked against him from the moment he was hired at Bama..Just cause he wasn't one of "Bear's Boys"..Add fuel to the that fire by not beaten auburn..Curry saw the writing on the wall..The timing just wasn't right for Curry at Bama..It does make ya wonder how the course of Bama history would've changed(NCAA BS wise)..Had Curry stayed..

 

[selmaborntidefan]

This thread has been somewhat hijacked to talk about Bill Curry. Fine.

1) Please spare me the "his record was terrible at Ga Tech" argument. Look at the context. He coached there from 1980-86 (7 years). In FOUR of those seven years, the schedules he played were among the ten toughest in the nation. Better yet - he inherited a team serving MAJOR sanctions. As if that were not enough, his first 4 years at Tech just happen to coincide with the greatest four-year run in the history of the UGA Bulldogs. In 1980, the rookie coach wound up playing four of the top 9 teams in the country - and actually tied one, Notre Dame.

Oh - and do any of you know how hard it was to recruit back when Tech actually had some Stanford-like entrance requirements?

My point is not that Curry had the potential to be Nick Saban - he didn't.

2) If you're going to bring up Tech then let's point out that the team dropped from 5-5-1 his last year to 2-9 the following year.

3) Kentucky - seriously. How many of you have ever bothered to look up the records of OTHER Kentucky FOOTBALL coaches? That state is a basketball haven and always will be.

Jerry Claiborne had a very good record at both Va Tech and Maryland. He was terrible at Kentucky.

Fran Curci went 19-4 in two great years at UK (should I mention they were on probation?) and had an overall record of 47-51-2, meaning other than one good recruiting class he was awful.

Coach Bryant had a pretty good 60-23-4 record at UK. But subtract one phenomenal 11-1 year and it's a .680 winning pct, which is good, but...

Since Coach Bryant left Kentucky only ONE COACH - his immediate successor, Blanton Collier, has a winning record at Kentucky, And Collier can thank Bryant for that in light of the fact he was 20-10-1 his first three years and wound up 41-36-3.

In fact, if you look over Kentucky's history and subtract Coach Bryant, they've had a couple of guys with winning records that are just a couple of games above .500 and a TON of coaches who had decent records elsewhere but were utterly awful in Lexington.

I'm not arguing that Curry was some genius - and yes, he made the inane choice to go to Kentucky - but it's not like that school has any football tradition anyway.



Curry is probably not as good as his Alabama record of .722. Gee, even DuBose, Franchione, and Shula all won ten games here (though to be fair, Curry did it in TEN GAMES, not 12 or 13). A trained monkey could win ten games at Alabama with the talent we get. And his Alabama Mafia comment had me wanting to remind him that he got a brick through his window as opposed to a horse head in his king sized.


Should Curry have been our coach? No, someone dropped the ball with Bobby Bowden. But was he as bad as some want to say? Nope. And nobody argues he was great.

4) One more point I hope everyone will digest - you have to have the right combination of factors. We ALL AGREE on this board that Coach Bryant is the greatest ever.

How many of you seriously think he would have won six national titles at Kentucky? He MIGHT - and I say MIGHT - have won ONE at Kentucky because that's the situation. Yet we all concede he's the greatest. You HAVE to have the right set-up. If Jimmy Johnson or Les Miles would have stayed at Oklahoma State, their names would not be as highly thought of as they are. Same with CNS at Michigan State.

So please - remember to take the ENTIRE CONTEXT into account.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

And with all due respect to everyone - was any of these people actually there?

No, but I have several friends who were on the team at the time who swear it never happened. In fact, they laugh at the possibility, given how high the window is and how thick the glass is in it. They also pointed out that the story didn't surface for several years and was never reported by any reputable news organization at the time - just by Curry anecdotally at a later date. You're free to believe whomever you want, though...