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Why Kadyn Proctor flipped from Iowa to Alabama (again)

Well, it was....

Here's the first 15 paragraphs:


Pinning down the exact moment Kadyn Proctor realized he wanted to return to Alabama, abandoning Iowa at the altar for a second time and becoming the focus of an intense national debate about what commitment means in an era of unchecked player movement in college sports, is next to impossible. We can't claim to know what was inside the star offensive tackle's mind, and so far he isn't speaking publicly.

But there's an image that stands out above all others, a picturesque opening scene for a story that's unique to amateur athletics: near Destin, Florida, a popular vacation spot for coaches like Kirby Smart and Mark Stoops. A thousand miles from Des Moines but a world away.

It was there, earlier in March, that Proctor went on a trip with friends and former teammates from Alabama, who were out of school on spring break. They enjoyed bright skies and warm white sand beaches, good food and good vibes.

Forget for a moment that Proctor is 6-foot-7 and weighs more than 300 pounds. Forget that he's been a public figure since he was in middle school, earning dozens of scholarship offers and drawing comparisons to fellow Iowa native and NFL All-Pro Tristan Wirfs. Forget that he's a former five-star prospect who was selected as a Freshman All-American last season and has played on many of the game's biggest stages. What's important to remember in the context of this story about rash decisions and regret is his age: 18 years old.

This was the first time Kadyn Proctor had ever seen the ocean.

As you might expect, sources say, he was amazed.

Did he look out into the crashing waves and make up his mind then to rejoin his old teammates in Tuscaloosa — two months after entering the transfer portal and enrolling at Iowa? Who knows? But shortly after returning home, he started putting plans into motion. He removed himself from a team group chat. He then went into head coach Kirk Ferentz's office to tell him he was leaving.

On March 19 — the day before spring practice was set to begin and what would have been Proctor's unofficial debut as the highest-ranked recruit in Iowa history — news broke that he was going to transfer again and planned to return to Alabama.

Proctor never said a word. Attempts to set up an interview with him were unsuccessful. But he seemingly confirmed the reports with an Instagram story he posted featuring an image of Michael Jordan and his famed one-sentence announcement marking his return to basketball in 1995: "I'm back."

At the Crimson Tide's pro day the following day, offensive tackle JC Latham was asked about Proctor's sudden change of heart. He said of Alabama, "We're the standard, you know?"

"The grass is always greener in other places," he added, "so when things happen and you think it might be better somewhere else, you get to find out the hard way that it's not."

According to sources close to Proctor, a return to Tuscaloosa was looking more and more like a possibility before he ever went on vacation. For weeks, there had been a building sense of discontent –a feeling that an Iowa homecoming wasn't all it was cracked up to be and that, on the flip side, perhaps Alabama wasn't as bad as Proctor had made it out to be last season.

That phrase Latham used – about the grass not being greener – was repeated often by sources who witnessed Proctor realize the weight of the decision he made by transferring in January.

From the outside, Proctor's arrival at Iowa had the look of the prodigal son returned. You'd think that the highest-rated recruit in state history playing for the Hawkeyes would have commanded a certain amount of attention. But Iowa never formally announced Proctor's return and didn't feature him in workout videos released by the football program – standard operating procedure to feed fan interest.

Iowa, according to sources, wanted to avoid the appearance that anything was being handed to Proctor without him having to earn it. They weren't going to roll out the red carpet. Behind the scenes, teammates didn't exactly welcome him with open arms. Rather, they were skeptical that the same player who flipped his commitment the day before signing day was truly all-in on Iowa's culture, which hammers home the idea that no one is granted special treatment, whether it's a five-star recruit or a half-a-star recruit.
 
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Franisdaman said:
Well, it was....

Here's the first 15 paragraphs:


Pinning down the exact moment Kadyn Proctor realized he wanted to return to Alabama, abandoning Iowa at the altar for a second time and becoming the focus of an intense national debate about what commitment means in an era of unchecked player movement in college sports, is next to impossible. We can't claim to know what was inside the star offensive tackle's mind, and so far he isn't speaking publicly.

But there's an image that stands out above all others, a picturesque opening scene for a story that's unique to amateur athletics: near Destin, Florida, a popular vacation spot for coaches like Kirby Smart and Mark Stoops. A thousand miles from Des Moines but a world away.

It was there, earlier in March, that Proctor went on a trip with friends and former teammates from Alabama, who were out of school on spring break. They enjoyed bright skies and warm white sand beaches, good food and good vibes.

Forget for a moment that Proctor is 6-foot-7 and weighs more than 300 pounds. Forget that he's been a public figure since he was in middle school, earning dozens of scholarship offers and drawing comparisons to fellow Iowa native and NFL All-Pro Tristan Wirfs. Forget that he's a former five-star prospect who was selected as a Freshman All-American last season and has played on many of the game's biggest stages. What's important to remember in the context of this story about rash decisions and regret is his age: 18 years old.

This was the first time Kadyn Proctor had ever seen the ocean.


As you might expect, sources say, he was amazed.

Did he look out into the crashing waves and make up his mind then to rejoin his old teammates in Tuscaloosa — two months after entering the transfer portal and enrolling at Iowa? Who knows? But shortly after returning home, he started putting plans into motion. He removed himself from a team group chat. He then went into head coach Kirk Ferentz's office to tell him he was leaving.

On March 19 — the day before spring practice was set to begin and what would have been Proctor's unofficial debut as the highest-ranked recruit in Iowa history — news broke that he was going to transfer again and planned to return to Alabama.

Proctor never said a word. Attempts to set up an interview with him were unsuccessful. But he seemingly confirmed the reports with an Instagram story he posted featuring an image of Michael Jordan and his famed one-sentence announcement marking his return to basketball in 1995: "I'm back."

At the Crimson Tide's pro day the following day, offensive tackle JC Latham was asked about Proctor's sudden change of heart. He said of Alabama, "We're the standard, you know?"

"The grass is always greener in other places," he added, "so when things happen and you think it might be better somewhere else, you get to find out the hard way that it's not."

According to sources close to Proctor, a return to Tuscaloosa was looking more and more like a possibility before he ever went on vacation. For weeks, there had been a building sense of discontent –a feeling that an Iowa homecoming wasn't all it was cracked up to be and that, on the flip side, perhaps Alabama wasn't as bad as Proctor had made it out to be last season.

That phrase Latham used – about the grass not being greener – was repeated often by sources who witnessed Proctor realize the weight of the decision he made by transferring in January.

From the outside, Proctor's arrival at Iowa had the look of the prodigal son returned. You'd think that the highest-rated recruit in state history playing for the Hawkeyes would have commanded a certain amount of attention. But Iowa never formally announced Proctor's return and didn't feature him in workout videos released by the football program – standard operating procedure to feed fan interest.

Iowa, according to sources, wanted to avoid the appearance that anything was being handed to Proctor without him having to earn it. They weren't going to roll out the red carpet. Behind the scenes, teammates didn't exactly welcome him with open arms. Rather, they were skeptical that the same player who flipped his commitment the day before signing day was truly all-in on Iowa's culture....
Click to expand...
And our players were right to be skeptical.
 
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"players at Iowa weren't exactly welcoming"

What a tool. It's ALWAYS someone else's fault for some people. It doesn't seem that he made the effort to actually be welcomed. Pretty obvious, when he ran off to spring break with Alabama teammates.

Polar opposite from what we saw from Cade coming in last year and being ALL IN from the jump.
 
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LetsGoHawks83 said:
"players at Iowa weren't exactly welcoming"

What a tool. It's ALWAYS someone else's fault for some people. It doesn't seem that he made the effort to actually be welcomed. Pretty obvious, when he ran off to spring break with Alabama teammates.

Polar opposite from what we saw from Cade coming in last year and being ALL IN from the jump.
Click to expand...
He is buddies with #1. It seems like X was caught off guard also.
 
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LetsGoHawks83 said:
"players at Iowa weren't exactly welcoming"

What a tool. It's ALWAYS someone else's fault for some people. It doesn't seem that he made the effort to actually be welcomed. Pretty obvious, when he ran off to spring break with Alabama teammates.

Polar opposite from what we saw from Cade coming in last year and being ALL IN from the jump.
Click to expand...

Cade used his NIL money and took his IOWA teammates to California

Proctor used his IOWA NIL money and took a trip with his Bama friends
 
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Cade didn't exactly have an easy time at first. Joe Evans, who eventually became his best friend, hated his guts at first....thought he was a cocky SOB and didn't like the fact he came from "the enemy". But Cade eventually won him over.

Iowa can be a tough place to transfer to if you're thinking things are going to be handed to you because of your pedigree.
 
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The Iowa Way is pretty much the polar opposite of entitlement. I'm sure KPs return was met with some suspicion and skepticism by the players and even some of the coaches which became a self fulfilling prophecy as the kid was not willing to have to prove himself again. But he got all the attention he needed apparently
tho...

I hope he figures it out soon, because I get the feeling if it was not for football he would not be making much of his life.
 
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NevadaHawk said:
The kid has very little character and integrity. Good riddance
Click to expand...

But, Kadyn, before you go....

gimme-my-money-back-jeremy.gif
 
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pistachio1999 said:
Can't wait to see if 'Bama really is "the standard" this year, lol.

They got beat by friggin' Michigan. How can the standard get beat like that?
Click to expand...

Not trying to be bogus but I can't comprehend a post like this.

Getting beat by Michigan last year means a lot?? Lol. Recall our game with them?

They were obviously a very good team. And I don't love saying that, i have a friend who is such an insufferable Michigan fan i kind of wanted them to lose.

But they were the best team in the nation last year, maybe other than Georgia, and Alabama lost by a razor thin margin.

Thats about what you'd expect from a program that's a "standard"...

I guess bc we are iowa fans we hate Michigan so losing to them last year is an embarrassment? Lol.
 
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Franisdaman said:
Well, it was....

Here's the first 15 paragraphs:


Pinning down the exact moment Kadyn Proctor realized he wanted to return to Alabama, abandoning Iowa at the altar for a second time and becoming the focus of an intense national debate about what commitment means in an era of unchecked player movement in college sports, is next to impossible. We can't claim to know what was inside the star offensive tackle's mind, and so far he isn't speaking publicly.

But there's an image that stands out above all others, a picturesque opening scene for a story that's unique to amateur athletics: near Destin, Florida, a popular vacation spot for coaches like Kirby Smart and Mark Stoops. A thousand miles from Des Moines but a world away.

It was there, earlier in March, that Proctor went on a trip with friends and former teammates from Alabama, who were out of school on spring break. They enjoyed bright skies and warm white sand beaches, good food and good vibes.

Forget for a moment that Proctor is 6-foot-7 and weighs more than 300 pounds. Forget that he's been a public figure since he was in middle school, earning dozens of scholarship offers and drawing comparisons to fellow Iowa native and NFL All-Pro Tristan Wirfs. Forget that he's a former five-star prospect who was selected as a Freshman All-American last season and has played on many of the game's biggest stages. What's important to remember in the context of this story about rash decisions and regret is his age: 18 years old.

This was the first time Kadyn Proctor had ever seen the ocean.

As you might expect, sources say, he was amazed.

Did he look out into the crashing waves and make up his mind then to rejoin his old teammates in Tuscaloosa — two months after entering the transfer portal and enrolling at Iowa? Who knows? But shortly after returning home, he started putting plans into motion. He removed himself from a team group chat. He then went into head coach Kirk Ferentz's office to tell him he was leaving.

On March 19 — the day before spring practice was set to begin and what would have been Proctor's unofficial debut as the highest-ranked recruit in Iowa history — news broke that he was going to transfer again and planned to return to Alabama.

Proctor never said a word. Attempts to set up an interview with him were unsuccessful. But he seemingly confirmed the reports with an Instagram story he posted featuring an image of Michael Jordan and his famed one-sentence announcement marking his return to basketball in 1995: "I'm back."

At the Crimson Tide's pro day the following day, offensive tackle JC Latham was asked about Proctor's sudden change of heart. He said of Alabama, "We're the standard, you know?"

"The grass is always greener in other places," he added, "so when things happen and you think it might be better somewhere else, you get to find out the hard way that it's not."

According to sources close to Proctor, a return to Tuscaloosa was looking more and more like a possibility before he ever went on vacation. For weeks, there had been a building sense of discontent –a feeling that an Iowa homecoming wasn't all it was cracked up to be and that, on the flip side, perhaps Alabama wasn't as bad as Proctor had made it out to be last season.

That phrase Latham used – about the grass not being greener – was repeated often by sources who witnessed Proctor realize the weight of the decision he made by transferring in January.

From the outside, Proctor's arrival at Iowa had the look of the prodigal son returned. You'd think that the highest-rated recruit in state history playing for the Hawkeyes would have commanded a certain amount of attention. But Iowa never formally announced Proctor's return and didn't feature him in workout videos released by the football program – standard operating procedure to feed fan interest.

Iowa, according to sources, wanted to avoid the appearance that anything was being handed to Proctor without him having to earn it. They weren't going to roll out the red carpet. Behind the scenes, teammates didn't exactly welcome him with open arms. Rather, they were skeptical that the same player who flipped his commitment the day before signing day was truly all-in on Iowa's culture, which hammers home the idea that no one is granted special treatment, whether it's a five-star recruit or a half-a-star recruit.
Click to expand...
This is a bullshit PR story.

Trying to soften things up.

The guy never tried and rejected the work.

You think Xavier wasn't there to try and help onboard Proctor? Really?

Players & coaches know the real story. And scouts will soon enough, if not already.

'Bama scribes should let sleeping dogs lie, but they won't. They lap it all up.

And it will hurt the kid even more.

So stupid.

Hard Stop on this dumb ass family trying to control the narrative .

F 'em.
 
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WestCoastHawkI said:
This is the type of player you roll out the red carpet for. This is why we're mediocre.
Click to expand...
On one hand I agree - especially bc candidly that is what it will take to ascend to the next level as a program. But I also respect the ability to protect the culture that is the underpinning of what sets Iowa apart from most other programs. I think KF is trying to preserve the concept of “team” and hard work in an age where $$$ is taking over.

There are definite downsides to missing out on players like Proctor. But if landing guys like proctor means we also lose some of the impact from a team-first culture, it might still be a net positive for a program like Iowa.

Ordinarily that might sound like fluff. But for a coach like KF and a program that has absolutely been built on teamwork, hard work, and integrity, I do think it’s legitimate. Doesn’t mean it doesn’t suck to some extent - because it likely means we won’t be a national title contender…probably not even a BIG champ contender without it. But so it goes, I guess, until the dumbass powers that be get this friggn NIL and transfer debacle leveled out at least some.

Edit: if I didn’t love Iowa so much I sure would hate college football right now…
 
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And in Florida not Alabama, especially with Tuscaloosa no where near the ocean either. This is all just one big turd in the punch bowl and I’ll leave that to their own interpretation.
 
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Keeker16 said:
A player I know on the team says KP seemed like he thought he was better than everyone and seemed like a prick. Didn’t make much of an effort to fit in. Others weren’t real excited to take him in. So basically confirming what we all know or thought
Click to expand...
He literally said that on the way out the first time with his selling himself short comment. I don’t know why everyone is surprised it ended this way, I’m just mildly surprised it happened this quickly.
 
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Is KP really that good? I realize he started at Bama as a freshman, which means he's good, but is he that good? Is he worth this much trouble? I remember he was kicked around a lot too.

I saw a clip from a Bama pod where their talking heads said they thought he'd be a cancer to their locker room. They were saying KP ditched them too, and somebody filled his spot. Now somebody else from their roster, who was all in on Bama, will have to leave bc this diva decided to come back. If he gets kicked around again there won't be a lot of grace for him.
 
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tWarnerHawk said:
Is KP really that good? I realize he started at Bama as a freshman, which means he's good, but is he that good? Is he worth this much trouble? I remember he was kicked around a lot too.

I saw a clip from a Bama pod where their talking heads said they thought he'd be a cancer to their locker room. They were saying KP ditched them too, and somebody filled his spot. Now somebody else from their roster, who was all in on Bama, will have to leave bc this diva decided to come back. If he gets kicked around again there won't be a lot of grace for him.
Click to expand...

He has likely burned all bridges
 
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