Analyzing the Ruschel Shell Decision

Anyone interested in Pittsburgh sports can't escape our own homegrown drama of Pitt football. Be it drugs, arrests or just poor decision making, we're in the local news. And you're going to hear about it.

Not long ago, we saw Pittsburgh's own Ruschel Shell decide that after a mildly successful freshman season, he's taking his talents to... UCLA. One can say that his exit from the Pitt program was less than graceful. I'll choose to say that he plain F'd it up.

Barely able to contain his excitement to be away from his former team, he made it quite clear via pictures and tweets that his leave is quite permanent and that he couldn't be happier to go. I'd care to wager that wrongly imprisoned felons celebrate less after they're rightfully released from prison.

But fast forward to this week. Word came through that Shell was seeking a "reinstatement" to the Pitt program. It turns out, he never enrolled at UCLA. Rumor has it that he was unable to deal with being so far away from his family and children - a commendable quality, if true. I, however, like to speculate that the unfamiliarity he experienced churned up a certain amount of self-doubt or even fear. He wasn't in his backyard any longer, and his support network was time zones away. Could that be a distinct possibility? For a 19 year old, absolutely.

He's made a mistake. And 19 year olds will make mistakes. And like 19 year olds, we're all prone to making mistakes. Even entities make mistakes, such as the program Shell left. Days ago, Pitt rebuffed Shell in his attempts to return to the program. Head coach Paul Chryst apparently didn't even give the idea much thought, which is OK - that's their choice. Mistake or not, Rushel Shell won't be a Panther next season.

So if Shell and Pitt matched mistake for mistake, who comes out on top here? A part of me admires Chryst for "sticking to his guns" and understanding that history has a tendency to repeat himself... err... itself... But part of me feels for Shell. Mistake-prone 19 year olds aren't something new to college sports. Unfortunately, talent demands second and third chances. That's not going to change.

So what happens next? I would assume that Shell pursues WVU in an attempt to remain local. If that isn't possible or playing time can't be had there due to NCAA complications, then Division 1A ball is his next best shot at remaining relevant (and eventually getting drafted). Chryst and his staff are ready to move on, and so should Shell.