Khalen Saunders

Leathernecks playing at the next level.
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ST_Lawson
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vatusay wrote: Fri Apr 26, 2019 9:58 pm Heck. Yes.

Congratulations to Khalen and his family. How awesome to be drafted by team not too far from home. Hope he blossoms even more in the NFL.
Lots of WIU alumni and Leatherneck football families in the KC area. Plus only a few hours down I-70 for his friends and family back home in St. Louis.
Plus, as a Bears fan, I only have to root against KC twice this year...once when they play in Week 16, then again when they meet up in the Super Bowl ;)
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ST_Lawson wrote: Fri Apr 26, 2019 10:35 pm
WIU2DC wrote: Fri Apr 26, 2019 10:07 pm
vatusay wrote:
PS anyone catch Rodney Harrison announce LAC chargers pick and the PA announcer said “from Western Illinois Rodney Harrison”

Do you Think coach Elliot has reached out and tried to repair that relationship with our university?


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Ooof....I don't know. From everything I heard it was a pretty rough "breakup". He was well before the situation with Coach Patterson, so healing that rift, while awesome, didn't really affect the situation with Harrison. I haven't heard anything suggesting that had changed recently, but maybe things are starting to thaw out a bit.
For us newbies, what is the story with Harrison?
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GV Dad wrote:
ST_Lawson wrote: Fri Apr 26, 2019 10:35 pm
WIU2DC wrote: Fri Apr 26, 2019 10:07 pm
Do you Think coach Elliot has reached out and tried to repair that relationship with our university?


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Ooof....I don't know. From everything I heard it was a pretty rough "breakup". He was well before the situation with Coach Patterson, so healing that rift, while awesome, didn't really affect the situation with Harrison. I haven't heard anything suggesting that had changed recently, but maybe things are starting to thaw out a bit.
For us newbies, what is the story with Harrison?

He was before my time but the little information I have is when Harrison graduated from WIU he had a bad taste in his mouth about WIU. I’ve never heard a reason why though.


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WIU2DC wrote: Fri Apr 26, 2019 10:48 pm He was before my time but the little information I have is when Harrison graduated from WIU he had a bad taste in his mouth about WIU. I’ve never heard a reason why though.

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I don't really know any specifics, but from everything I heard, he was not so great at the "student" part of the term student-athlete. Was on the verge of getting kicked out of school, so he decided to forgo his senior season and go straight to the NFL. It was kinda a situation where Western didn't want him here anymore and he didn't really want to be here anymore.
Now, obviously everything worked out just fine for him, successful football career and now a broadcast/football commentary career, and it's been over 25 years since he was here (and just about anyone who was involved with the program or school back then are gone), but I never got the impression that he wanted any association between himself and Western before.

If his "introduction" was how he wanted it to be said, then maybe things are getting better...idk.
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I was a little nervous most mock drafts I saw had him going to the Vikings and that was the last place I wanted him going
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ST_Lawson wrote: Sat Apr 27, 2019 12:31 am
WIU2DC wrote: Fri Apr 26, 2019 10:48 pm He was before my time but the little information I have is when Harrison graduated from WIU he had a bad taste in his mouth about WIU. I’ve never heard a reason why though.

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I don't really know any specifics, but from everything I heard, he was not so great at the "student" part of the term student-athlete. Was on the verge of getting kicked out of school, so he decided to forgo his senior season and go straight to the NFL. It was kinda a situation where Western didn't want him here anymore and he didn't really want to be here anymore.
Now, obviously everything worked out just fine for him, successful football career and now a broadcast/football commentary career, and it's been over 25 years since he was here (and just about anyone who was involved with the program or school back then are gone), but I never got the impression that he wanted any association between himself and Western before.

If his "introduction" was how he wanted it to be said, then maybe things are getting better...idk.
Didn't Rodney play on the basketball team for a little bit?
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meganeck wrote: Sat Apr 27, 2019 9:58 am
ST_Lawson wrote: Sat Apr 27, 2019 12:31 am
WIU2DC wrote: Fri Apr 26, 2019 10:48 pm He was before my time but the little information I have is when Harrison graduated from WIU he had a bad taste in his mouth about WIU. I’ve never heard a reason why though.

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I don't really know any specifics, but from everything I heard, he was not so great at the "student" part of the term student-athlete. Was on the verge of getting kicked out of school, so he decided to forgo his senior season and go straight to the NFL. It was kinda a situation where Western didn't want him here anymore and he didn't really want to be here anymore.
Now, obviously everything worked out just fine for him, successful football career and now a broadcast/football commentary career, and it's been over 25 years since he was here (and just about anyone who was involved with the program or school back then are gone), but I never got the impression that he wanted any association between himself and Western before.

If his "introduction" was how he wanted it to be said, then maybe things are getting better...idk.
Didn't Rodney play on the basketball team for a little bit?
That I do not know. He's not listed in the basketball record books, but they only list letter winners,so it's not everyone who ever played on the team. He was just slightly before my time at Western.
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As I recall, Rodney Harrison was not happy with the way that Head Coach Randy Ball was being treated by A.D. Helen Smiley.

Coach Ball kept getting denied more funding for improving the locker room and weight room facilities. Coach Ball then left Western for a job with Southwest Missouri State. Coach Don Patterson was selected to replace him.

Rodney Harrison met his wife when they were both students here.

Rodney Harrison wearing his "37" while at Western:
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Do we think any of the other seniors get a shot at mini camp this year?


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