This isn't a rumor. Here's the Colts' tryout list.

 

2

This isn't a rumor. Here's the Colts' tryout list.

 

219 Colts Rookie Minicamp Rosters

 

Thanks @nees1212 and from the link:

 

49 Zeke Pike TE Louisville

 

And while I am at it didn't Indy head coach Frank Reich and Mark Pike play together for the Bills?

Thanks @nees1212 and from the link:

 

49 Zeke Pike TE Louisville

 

And while I am at it didn't Indy head coach Frank Reich and Mark Pike play together for the Bills?

 

They sure did (87-94).

This isn't a rumor. Here's the Colts' tryout list.

 

219 Colts Rookie Minicamp Rosters

 

That sheds a little more light on the situation. The way I understand Tryout Players, is that they basically haven't signed a contract and are only getting a few days at mini-camp to show what they can do. So I would say the Colts haven't invested any money, or made any promises to Pike, and really aren't taking any real risk in bringing him in for a look. Typically, very few tryout players , if any earn any extended time with the team after the Rookie Camp.

Looks like Chad Kelly got invited as well, should be a fun weekend out on the town!

Thanks @nees1212 and from the link:

 

49 Zeke Pike TE Louisville

 

And while I am at it didn't Indy head coach Frank Reich and Mark Pike play together for the Bills?

 

They sure did (87-94).

 

Not discounting his possibility to make the team but I had a feeling this was a favor for Papa Pike.

OK. I am sure there are things that he and a LOT, a LOT, of kids got away with in high school. I thought you were alluding to one of the bigger issues he got off better than the average person.

 

Those too! Certainly the NFL is not full of saints, so he should fit in just fine. It might be hard for the hometown to get excited for him. Too much dirt in his backyard.

Not discounting his possibility to make the team but I had a feeling this was a favor for Papa Pike.

 

I'm sure this is true but geez, how many favors has Papa Pike called in during the last few years?

 

Zeke has barely played competitive football after his high school days were over and I just don't see how this is even a possibility.

I'm sure this is true but geez, how many favors has Papa Pike called in during the last few years?

 

Zeke has barely played competitive football after his high school days were over and I just don't see how this is even a possibility.

 

Not to mention the fact that geez, how long has his biggest stretch been between arrests for substance abuse?

 

Conservatively speaking, 50% of addicts relapse. Zeke has already done so multiple times over - and I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that his ample bail-outs by his parents plays quite the factor in this equation. This certainly looks like yet another.

 

I'm all for Zeke staying clean, and I'm all for parents helping their kids, but I wonder how much all of Mark's connections and coddling is actually helping Zeke, at this point.

 

That's just my point zero two, anyway.

Looks like Chad Kelly got invited as well, should be a fun weekend out on the town!

 

Bills Mafia.

Not to mention the fact that geez, how long has his biggest stretch been between arrests for substance abuse?

 

Conservatively speaking, 50% of addicts relapse. Zeke has already done so multiple times over - and I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that his ample bail-outs by his parents plays quite the factor in this equation. This certainly looks like yet another.

 

I'm all for Zeke staying clean, and I'm all for parents helping their kids, but I wonder how much all of Mark's connections and coddling is actually helping Zeke, at this point.

 

That's just my point zero two, anyway.

 

Sorry to disagree in this case. Big difference between "bail outs" and "helping hand". If you do not know the agony and torture of these parents tough love, then your distant observations are generalized observations with little basis. I feel pain for Zeke's parents as they have navigated turbulent waters hopefully you and I will never have to. Their testimony is gut wrenching and makes me realize how Blessed and fortunate my wife and I have been. Zeke's parents may have made mistakes early (as many of us might); but, for the last 4-5 years they are not the enablers you so so flippantly accuse.

Sorry to disagree in this case. Big difference between "bail outs" and "helping hand". If you do not know the agony and torture of these parents tough love, then your distant observations are generalized observations with little basis. I feel pain for Zeke's parents as they have navigated turbulent waters hopefully you and I will never have to. Their testimony is gut wrenching and makes me realize how Blessed and fortunate my wife and I have been. Zeke's parents may have made mistakes early (as many of us might); but, for the last 4-5 years they are not the enablers you so so flippantly accuse.

 

So true. It’s easy to blame the parents. But I don’t know how any responsible, loving parent doesn’t do everything they can possibly do to help their children out. Some parents just have a higher capacity to do so. Unless you’ve been in that situation, you have no idea how difficult it is to watch your child struggle.

 

If I could make a call to get my kid a tryout on an NFL team, or a super high paying, great job, I'd have been on the phone yesterday getting it done. And I don't know anyone that wouldn't.

Edited May 8, 20197 yr by rjs4470

Sorry to disagree in this case. Big difference between "bail outs" and "helping hand". If you do not know the agony and torture of these parents tough love, then your distant observations are generalized observations with little basis. I feel pain for Zeke's parents as they have navigated turbulent waters hopefully you and I will never have to. Their testimony is gut wrenching and makes me realize how Blessed and fortunate my wife and I have been. Zeke's parents may have made mistakes early (as many of us might); but, for the last 4-5 years they are not the enablers you so so flippantly accuse.

 

People I know that were close to the Pike family called this behavior when he was in high school. Allegedly, he was never told no and because of that a lot of people could see this coming. It's a shame too because he really was/is a great human. Just made some mistakes he is trying to get over now.

People I know that were close to the Pike family called this behavior when he was in high school. Allegedly, he was never told no and because of that a lot of people could see this coming. It's a shame too because he really was/is a great human. Just made some mistakes he is trying to get over now.

 

Heard the parents testimony two years ago, they very openly admitted to parental mistakes early on. But, once the very painful tough-love became their only viable option they have stoically maintained the course. Helping hand....yes. Enabler....absolutely not.

Sorry to disagree in this case. Big difference between "bail outs" and "helping hand". If you do not know the agony and torture of these parents tough love, then your distant observations are generalized observations with little basis. I feel pain for Zeke's parents as they have navigated turbulent waters hopefully you and I will never have to. Their testimony is gut wrenching and makes me realize how Blessed and fortunate my wife and I have been. Zeke's parents may have made mistakes early (as many of us might); but, for the last 4-5 years they are not the enablers you so so flippantly accuse.

 

I don't disagree that there's a difference in a helping hand and a bail-out. The issue is, Zeke has yet to prove that he is able to break his cycle of relapse. Even after Zeke beginning his stint as a motivational speaker and seemingly putting his ways behind him with steps into a football coaching career, we see that it was only 2-1/2 years from his DUI arrest while attending Murray State and his latest arrest for DUI and possession in 2018.

 

As someone who has seen multiple friends, acquaintances, and even a very close family member struggle with very acute substance issues, I can tell you that even offering a "helping hand" to an addict who is yet to completely free themself of their cycle of addiction & relapse can have a crippling effect on the addict's recovery. I have personally been directly involved first-hand in getting two of those individuals into rehab and subsequently helping motivate them to remain involved in twelve-step programs. With that said, you can trust me that my comments were not made with any attempt at flippancy.

 

As I said, I'm all for Zeke successfully recovering. However, I don't see Mark Pike calling in a favor from Frank Reich to give Zeke yet another shot at a NFL career as an immediate positive thing. With the stress put on professional football players, along with the extreme money-making potential and the idol status held by many NFL players, there is an obvious recipe for disaster there. How many drug and alcohol incidents do we see in the NFL on an annual basis already?