Washington State suspends star receiver Wilson
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) - Washington State star receiver Marquess Wilson was suspended on Monday for an unspecified violation of team rules, and will miss Saturday's game against No. 17 UCLA.
Cougars oach Mike Leach declined to say why Wilson was suspended, although he said the punishment would last at least a week.
The Moscow-Pullman Daily News reported Monday that Wilson stormed out of a team practice early Sunday evening.
Washington State (2-7, 0-6) was blown out 49-6 at Utah on Saturday for its sixth consecutive loss. Afterward, Leach complained that the effort of his players was "bordering on cowardice."
"That could have been a zombie convention," he said of his team's play immediately after the game.
Wilson, a junior, has been the target of Leach's criticism for much of the season, and has recently been demoted from his starting position despite leading the team in receiving. Wilson has caught 52 passes for 813 yards and five touchdowns this season.
Last season, he caught 82 passes for 1,388 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Leach said Wilson's return was up in the air.
"It would depend on circumstances and we'd have a discussion," Leach said.
Leach was asked if the public criticism of his players might be counter-productive, and replied that he had in the past considered replying with "yes or no" answers to most questions.
"Typically if I am asked a question, I'll give an honest answer," Leach said Monday. "Evidently there is some dissatisfaction with that."
In response, Leach answered several reporters' questions with vague and positive comments.
"Everybody on the team is a great partner, win or lose," Leach said at one point.
"There's a lot of love in the room, totally," he said.
Earlier Monday, quarterback Jeff Tuel said the coaches were trying to get more effort out of the players.
"I think it's obvious at some points in the (Utah) game we could have got better effort," Tuel said.
"It's tough to put a finger on what makes this team play well some weeks and not well other weeks," Tuel added.
Tuel said he felt "disbelief" when he heard Wilson walked out of practice Sunday.
Tuel said the coaching staff has been pushing Wilson hard.
A players' only meeting was planned to discuss issues with the team heading into the final three games, Tuel said.
"There's a lot of flak coming in from the outside about this program," Tuel said. "You are not going to break us as players."
Linebacker Travis Long declined to discuss the Wilson situation.
Asked if Leach took some getting used to as a coach, Long said: "Yeah, it takes you a little while to get used to him. It's not that big a deal, because he is the coach."
Cougars oach Mike Leach declined to say why Wilson was suspended, although he said the punishment would last at least a week.
The Moscow-Pullman Daily News reported Monday that Wilson stormed out of a team practice early Sunday evening.
Washington State (2-7, 0-6) was blown out 49-6 at Utah on Saturday for its sixth consecutive loss. Afterward, Leach complained that the effort of his players was "bordering on cowardice."
"That could have been a zombie convention," he said of his team's play immediately after the game.
Wilson, a junior, has been the target of Leach's criticism for much of the season, and has recently been demoted from his starting position despite leading the team in receiving. Wilson has caught 52 passes for 813 yards and five touchdowns this season.
Last season, he caught 82 passes for 1,388 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Leach said Wilson's return was up in the air.
"It would depend on circumstances and we'd have a discussion," Leach said.
Leach was asked if the public criticism of his players might be counter-productive, and replied that he had in the past considered replying with "yes or no" answers to most questions.
"Typically if I am asked a question, I'll give an honest answer," Leach said Monday. "Evidently there is some dissatisfaction with that."
In response, Leach answered several reporters' questions with vague and positive comments.
"Everybody on the team is a great partner, win or lose," Leach said at one point.
"There's a lot of love in the room, totally," he said.
Earlier Monday, quarterback Jeff Tuel said the coaches were trying to get more effort out of the players.
"I think it's obvious at some points in the (Utah) game we could have got better effort," Tuel said.
"It's tough to put a finger on what makes this team play well some weeks and not well other weeks," Tuel added.
Tuel said he felt "disbelief" when he heard Wilson walked out of practice Sunday.
Tuel said the coaching staff has been pushing Wilson hard.
A players' only meeting was planned to discuss issues with the team heading into the final three games, Tuel said.
"There's a lot of flak coming in from the outside about this program," Tuel said. "You are not going to break us as players."
Linebacker Travis Long declined to discuss the Wilson situation.
Asked if Leach took some getting used to as a coach, Long said: "Yeah, it takes you a little while to get used to him. It's not that big a deal, because he is the coach."
When are they going to fire Leach? 17 kids have quit because of him. Paul Wolf did a hell of a lot better than Leach. No wonder they fired Leach from Texas Tech.
 @Seahawks782 Keep in mind that these aren't players that picked Leach nor did Leach pick to play for him.  A big part of college football is playing for a coach and a program that fits you, these players picked Wolfe and now are force to play for a coach they may have never chosen to play for, ever.
@Seahawks782 A. They left because they didnt fit the program, the vision etc, read the whole article. B. Its Paul Wulff, not the animal. C. Sorry, but he didnt.
Sweet mullet on the dude to his right...
Leach was supposed to be the Cougar savior, but he has been a complete catastrophe. Constantly throwing your players under the bus is a great way to breed team comradery ... against the coach. Â It sounds like young Mr. Wilson didn't want to put up with it anymore, and I don't blame him. This is going to be a very expensive mistake for WSU, and it will take a few years to recover.
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 @MVDad You have to give him a couple years to get 'his' players, players that choose to play for him and players he wants and thinks are a better fit for his style, it goes both ways.  The coach can be a larger part of a players decision than the school.
@MVDad Because your weak, a non team player and cant step up. So you and Reggie Williams errrr Marquess Wilson are more than welcome to leave, cause we are changing mind sets, changing expectations, and if you are too weak, dont let the door hitchya.
Losing was accepted by the players and coaches in previous years, it was, hey, we are doing the right things, we came a little short.
Check Leach's history, he wins, he graduates players, and he will do the same here.
The illustrious Sarkisian said, we have to change the mentality here at UW, and is still, 4 years later, to burn Mike Leach for doing the same, in his own way by calling out mentally weak, quitters, well I personally agree with. If you dont want to be held accountable, you dont deserve this scholarship, nor this uniform, so move on.
And I will tell you, my Marine Corp recruiter never came into my house, when I was 17 and said, son, its gonna be easy. But I committed to it.
Leach sounds like a control freak to me.
We've read many an article of his obsession to control his players.
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Mike, the sooner you learn to deal with reality, the sooner you'll prosper. I know it sucks to hear the truth, but yer suppoesd to be an adult. Your 'kids' see a different view than you do. Get over it ya self centered egotist. Everyone has an opinion. Be a man and explore the possibility that yer not all that.
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Grow up.
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@bobalouie Sure thing. Hes put in charge to take a D1 football program that has failed for over a decade with sub par players, and when he calls out players for lack of heart, lack of dedication, lack of effort, hes egotistical. And he will do the same here.
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But your right, hes not all that. I mean, god, Texas Tech, horrible record. As a coordinator, a disgrace. Dont even think to bring up the requirements that he puts on his players for education. Your spot on genius, hes totally out there.
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These kids are adults, and hes teaching them that life sucks, sometimes you are the windshield and what your giving me isnt enough. What an absolute horrible lesson they are being taught.
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Who would have thought a coach would call out his team for expectations.
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Quitters are quitters, period
The media and some parents keep putting these kids on a pedestal from about the 5th grade on. Little wonder they can't handle the "you are great and better then the rest" they sometimes hang on these kids, and the next thing you know the kid begins to believe the hype and he or she believes they are above the rules. Now the trouble starts and it may follow them for the rest of their lives. Maybe we need to lighten up on the hype and let the kid be a kid instead of a prima donna.
 @lmdk2 Why are you immediately assuming the problem is with Mr. Wilson? Leach is a big time jerk and he's managed to turn the whole team against him in 2 short months.
@MVDad @lmdk2 Right, cause in spring ball he was called out for his lack of effort and pouted, then 2 weeks ago he was benched because of his effort, but your right, the receiver that has every gift known to man that doesnt want to accept blame is the wrong one to look at. Hes supposed to be the most prolific player on the team, but routinely gives the least. Good for the coaching staff for calling out a quitter. Champions arent quitters. Quitters get participation awards. Wonder how many you have
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It will be interesting to see how this works out, won't make a difference this year since WSU is the 2012 doormat of the PAC-12 but in the coming years what effect will this have on incoming players? Could he lose recruits? This isn't like Texas Tech where the program was already good, Leach actually has to build the program this time and publicly ripping players doesn't seem the way to build players up.
Good luck getting recruits Leach. Kids don't wanna play for a jerk that publicly throws them under the bus like you do. Probably why you ended up in Pullman.
Check out the recruiting results he already has before posting nonsense. Little education goes along way
and there are some incoming freshmen who had their scholarship retracted immediately after Leach was hired. I believe there were about 8-9. Some ended up going to Eastern Wa in Cheney. Given the mess at WSU, I bet these players are thanking their lucky stars now.
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I given credit to Leach for trying to instill some consequences. I agree with the general consensus of some previous posters -- let him do his job... get the egos off the field.... even with a scholarship, it doesn't give you an entitlement to be above all. You still need to work hard. There are many guys who would love to have an athletic scholarship.  Need to be leaders on and off the field.
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If it's true the moron quit the team, good riddance. There's no "I" in TEAM
Leach is a good coach. Let him do his job and get the egos off the field. The players need to learn this is a team sport and not an individual one and Coach Leach is the leader.
@ObsidianOne Thank god there is someone with common sense here
Spoiled brat.
Real Star players don't get in trouble.
bunch of whiney babies... glad he is gone
Either Leach is a genius for shaking things up or is burning bridges with the players and potentially future recruits. Time will tell, but I'm still leaning toward future success. He has some impressive small school success, but this at least has the potential to get ugly. The ban on social media is also going to make things interesting. This might land a few more recruits to the western side of the Cascades.
I think Mike Leach is the best thing to happy to WSU football.  As the parent of a scholarship athlete - nothing is free, you work hard for what you get and there are rules to follow.  I hope he can maybe set an example at the school for other athletes/coaches and in time WSU football will be a program what has much more respect then it does now
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 @MVMom Kudos for raising a quality human being, Mom! Wishing you and your son/daughter the best, both in college and in life.Â
@MVMom  --- AMEN!
He quit the team.http://washingtonstate.scout.com/2/1236750.html
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The Cougs cancelled âpracticeâ Sunday but instead held a âconditioningâ event. According to one source, the football team then went through a âhellishâ workout Sunday night that spurned the explosive playmaker to quit the session, gather his belongings from his locker and walk out.
 @Rider So in other words, he took his ball and went home when he couldn't have his way, only he had no ball(s) to take with, so he just went home?Â
 @Rider This is the same website that claimed Ryan Leaf had transferred to Oregon his sophomore year.... It's like reading The Onion.Â
Wouldn't having to play for WSU and under Mike Leach be the punishment?
Guys like this don't realize how lucky they are to have a college football scholarship. If you can't handle it then let someone else have it.
 @mstipton Do you know what the violation was, I haven't heard so I'll reserve some judgement until I know what he is being punished for.
@oledawg @mstipton He was targeted early on by the new coaching staff as someone that does not work hard at practice, run routes correctly in games if he isnt the target etc. So in spring ball, he was called out, again 2 weeks ago, after another poor performance, he was called out and benched. After a very poor effort, Leach and the coaching staff threw together a conditioning practice instead of practice and 20 minutes into it, while doing pushups, he walked out. Hes a typical h.s. player that was given everything including taking practice off, and under Wulff, he was afforded the same habits. Unfortunately for him, and a handfull of others that now currently dont wear, or at the end of the year wear crimson, too bad. Hard work. Dedication. Belief. Commitment, if you cant get with those, go find some where else.
Those that dont like it, accept status quo.
 @oledawg  @mstipton Baby wouldn't do his push-ups, when asked to do them during Sunday's conditioning session. The kid from what I gathered kinda has a "me, myself, and I" instead of "team" . Leach is letting him know it's "team" instead of "you".