Former Red Raider Wes Welker tried to sway a recruit to pick Texas Tech over Brigham Young University on Twitter, inciting the rage of BYU fans in the process. Oh, and Welker also said something that could be perceived as factually wrong and probably committed an NCAA violation.
Wes Welker creates internet firestorm by tweeting college recruit
Wes Welker says he has 50 reasons not to attend BYU, and BYU fans didn’t take kindly to it.
USA TODAY Sports
Welker noticed a tweet from Nick Kurtz, a three-star receiver who plays at Grossmont Community College. Welker wondered if that tweet was sent from a trip to Texas Tech. With a hat-tip to Lawless Republic:
@thekurtzway You are visiting Lubbock already? #GunsUp
— Wes Welker (@WesWelker) June 8, 2013
When Kurtz responded that he was actually at BYU, Welker tried to convince him to play elsewhere. Like for a team now coached by Welker's one-time quarterback Kliff Kingsbury:
@thekurtzway Name me the last WR in the league from BYU? Think big picture. I will give you 50 more reasons why they would be a bad move. TT
— Wes Welker (@WesWelker) June 8, 2013
Of course, it turns out there actually have been wide receivers from BYU in the NFL, something Welker was presumably told like a bunch of times before tweeting out a link to an article about Austin Collie:
@thekurtzway Did a little research for you.Read this. deseretnews.com/article/700069…
— Wes Welker (@WesWelker) June 8, 2013
BYU fans did not take kindly to the "50 reasons" remark. Philip Morgan of the Provo Daily Herald went so far as to compile a list of 50 jokey things about BYU meant to balance the scales:
No. 1 You get to play on ESPN all the time #50ReasonsNOTtoChooseBYU
No. 2 Nobody’s seen a TT game since BYU Alum Mike Leach was there #50ReasonsNOTtoChooseBYU
No. 3 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP BABY! 1-0 #50ReasonsNOTtoChooseBYU
Some, though, seem less exciting:
No. 19 The lone late-night hangout is Rancheritos #50ReasonsNOTtoChooseBYU
No. 26 There’s mountains #50ReasonsNOTtoChooseBYU
No. 40 The Bookstore #50ReasonsNOTtoChooseBYU
However, let’s not ignore the obvious NCAA issues here. Tweeting at recruits by people affiliated with programs is considered taboo by the NCAA. It would be considered especially taboo if an NFL player affiliated with a program was actively trying to convince a potential recruit to pick a certain school. It’s an extremely minor violation, but somewhere a compliance officer at Texas Tech is figuring out how to get in touch with Wes Welker and yell at him. As for Kurtz, he didn’t seem swayed:
@weswelker it's a good place man!
— Nick Kurtz (@TheKurtzWay) June 8, 2013
Go Broncos! (A team comprised of BYU coach Bronco Mendenhalls, not Wes Welker's Denver Broncos.)
