Mitch Greibel, who would have been a sophomore for the Falcons this fall, decided to withdraw from the academy when he started to get concerned that he was going to fall too far behind academically, and landed at Montana State with an assist to coach Troy Calhoun.
“Coach Calhoun gave (Montana State coach Rob) Ash a glowing recommendation for Mitch,” said Mike Griebel, Mitch’s father. “That was really cool. I’m glad everything left in good standing.”
Griebel isn’t sure yet if he’ll have three or four years of eligibility, because he played junior varsity games last year and is unsure if that counts against NCAA eligibility. Griebel was set to compete for a backup quarterback job with the Falcons this year.
Did Griebel attend the AFA Prep School or did he enter USAFA right from high school?
Griebel went to the Prep School. Even if he only has 3 years eligibility left, he’s already had two years of playing against college level competition. I bet he is much better prepared to succeed in College now, both Academically, and Athletically.
How could he have “fallen behind” academically at the school who has it’s professors rated as “most accessible” by the Princeton Review?
I for one don’t buy the reason for the transfer given by his father. I wouldn’t put Montana State in the same stratosphere with Air Force academically.
The academics at AFA are TOUGH!!! And remember you have to be super smart to just get in the place. The academies are the only place where athletes are required to take a full load+ all four years and graduate with more credit hours than other colleges require for a bachelors degree.
The service academies are tough academically, and those who are not gifted academically often find it extremely difficult to play division 1 sports and still keep up with the academics. At other division 1 schools they can red-shirt for a year, and that allows them to take a lighter class load and still graduate. The service academies don’t have red shirts, except for the occasional medical red shirt, and as a consequence it is much more difficult for the division 1 athlete. In theory at least, the prep school is designed to make up for academic deficiencies so that the student is ready for the freshmen year academics at the service academy, It is not designed for giving the attendee a head start at college. I am constantly surprised at how few players we see transferring after discovering how difficult it is to play d 1 sports and keep up with the acadmics at USAFA, USMA, and USNA.
Bird…you obviously have no clue on what the Academy is all about and the demands academically, militarily and physically for any cadet much less a D1 athlete. Many cadets have tried, failed and departed the Academy not because they wanted to but because of the tough academics without playing sports. Add a D1 practice/game schedule to those academics and I am impressed with those that do it and succeed.
Or, he coulda been worried about his 2nd pending honor violation–that’ll certainly put you a little behind at AFA. Academics are tough, but it doesn’t take a superhuman to pass classes there. We have cadets with both SAT scores (M/V) in the 500s or below. But, if you decide that cheating is the way to get your grades, you’ll probably end up at… Montana State instead. Good riddens.
The world will likely spin on despite cadets leaving the wing…..It is saddening to hear that morale is low on the hill these days under the new leadership however…….. So….Let’s support the cadets now more than ever…..Here’s to the start of a new year and our Air Force Football kick off for 2012 !!!
GO FALCONS !!!!!!!!
FF,
Morale is low under new leadership? Please feel free to fill us all in with some facts that support that proclamation!
As far as the discussion of the Academy being difficult to get through well surprise surprise surprise who would have thunk it? You know what so is walking a dismounted patrol in Afghanistan for some 18 – 22 year old soldier, marine or airman so let’s not make this out to be more than it is.
Mike
BirdieDude,
2nd pending honor violation now makes this story totally plausible. Not the absurd excuse his father gave Frank Schwab. Downgrade from D-1 AFA to D-1AA Montana State makes sense too. At Montana State he may face off against Joe Montana’s son who is at Montana after he got kicked out of Notre Dame for unsavory behavior himself. I guess the schools in Montana are becoming a new home for D-1 castoffs.
If the bar is too high for you, just lower the bar….or in this case get Mom and Dad to provide cover for you.
Here’s to the cadets and cadet-athletes who are “doing it right” on and off the field!!!! They’re the ones worth supporting.
It is pretty sad that, with no public annoucement, someone in a blog would make such an acertion about someone…true or not…without some documentation. Maybe grow up and and recognize this actually is a public forum.
“How could he have “fallen behind” academically at the school who has it’s professors rated as “most accessible” by the Princeton Review”.
Bird, Is that tongue in cheek?
What does “most accessible” mean to a cadet when he or she doesn’t have time to take advantage of it? Time management may be the most important skill these young cadets attempt to utilize during their early time at the Academy. Combine their commitments to the Academy along with playing a D-1 sport and the “Princeton Review” means very little.
Chuck,
Your comments above are nothing less than offensive to any member of the Dean’s staff at AFA re: professor accessibility. AFA profs bend over backwards to meet whenever and wherever a cadet may need extra help.
The football program as all AFA athletic program does an outstanding job of working around the cadet’s athletic commitments and even travel with the team to tutor on the road. How many other D-1 schools can say that?
The Dean’s staff makes the effort for the cadet-athlete as long as the cadet-athlete makes the commensurate effort themselves. It’s a two way street.
This young man was entering his sophomore year. Many cadets struggle their freshman year academically, but virtually none are expelled for academic struggles alone after just one year. Also, this young man had the benefit of a year at the Prep School where they specifically emphasize time management while they still have football practice. That’s the mission of the Prep School….to facilitate a smooth entry into the first year Academy experience. While he may have “fallen behind” there was plenty of time to get back in the race and recover in the next three years in my opinion unless of course his academic coursework was dreadfully poor. If that’s true then perhaps this was a failure of the admissions process.
BTW, that prof accessibility is extended to every cadet, not just the cadet-athlete.
The Bird, the mission of the prep school changed a couple years ago and we’re all seeing the impact now. Recent prep school grads are dominating all the latest drug and honor problems. They aren’t failing academically. They’re failing in every other way and it’s decimating the depth of many of our athletic teams.
Forget smooth entry. Prep school grads seem to be more like ticking time bombs.
All these conspiracy theories… Did anyone ever think that maybe Griebel discovered the Academy is not for him? As a USAFA, Prep School grad and former player, I can say the academics are very tough. The Dean’s staff is very accomodating to all cadets, not just the athletes. Just because professors are “most accessible” does not mean the individual can necessarily keep up. The first year is not always recoverable and for some students it’s an indicator of what the future may hold since the academics only get more difficult as time goes on. The Academy is not for everybody, sure this is a “loss” for the Falcons but not one that is unrecoverable.
As far as eligibility, he should have 3 years, if not 4. Unless he stepped on the field during a D-1 game, Junior Varsity games do not count and neither do the Prep School cames. He’ll have plenty of eligibility at Montana State.
Bottom line: be proud of this young man for being strong enough to know his limitations, like I said, the Academy is not for everyone. Athlete or not. He’s not the first cadet to leave the Academy and won’t be the last, and that’s okay.
Bird, I don’t think my comments offended anyone but you. Tudors are available at almost every school, maybe not as part of the curriculum, but they are there.
I merely stated, What does “most accessible” mean to a cadet when he or she doesn’t have time to take advantage of it? I guess I should have said time, talent, or motivation. When falling behind academically you feel like a drowning man as I remember it. I know the AFA profs bend over backward but they can’t MAKE them understand or catch up. As a “Bird” I would think you would have thicker skin.
Whoever, said Montana St is a “step down” from AFA may want to reconsider. The last few years I would not like AFA chances against Montana or Montana St. (Strictly speaking football, not academics).
FrustratedFan.
I’d like to know what experience you have with the Prep School. Do you work there? If you did, I have a feeling you’d feel a bit differently today…
T, if by today you mean the current prep school class, that would be great news. And a big improvement. They will have their turn next year to prove you’re right, and I hope they do. Time to reverse the trend.
I usually keep my mouth shut and just listen to or read the garbage of the day but this time I have to speak up. The Prep school is a great tool to recruit future Air Force officers and true not all are Air Force material. The first priority of all the cadet candidates is to prepare for the battle on the hill and a future in the Air Force as a front line leader in our military. I think that we should all hold judgment on cadets who do not make it and if they do have negative issues do we have to drag them down in public with our comments and words. Ever heard of a thing called compassion and humility these kids are human and sons and daughters of proud families. They would not be at the Academy if they were not seen as potential Air Force officers in the future. If your whole world revolves on airing others dirty laundry may be you should look at the man or the woman in the mirror make a change in your life and stop being such a bitter loser yourself. Please stop blaming the Prep school kids for all of the woes on the hill and the athletic program I am sure there are issues with the direct ins just as much as the Preppies. Check your history the last commandant of cadets who came in from ROTC had a point to prove also so he made waves but remember in the end that General Gould was a Prep school graduate also. I close by saying who is without fault cast the first stone. Stop picking on kids who cannot pick back. The Academy will be fine and so will the football team. Just like in the real Military morale has its up and down moments but the troops will be there doing there job when it counts. Go Air Force from the parent of a former prepppie and present cadet on the hill. Also a proud Air Force veteran of ten years service to my country in the enlisted ranks.
Jimmie, our military remains the world’s best in part because it holds itself and its people accountable. Holding someone accountable for their decisions isn’t throwing stones. It is part of making them better.
Blaming our new commandant for problems that happened in the years before he got here isn’t a step toward fixing those problems. You’ve got to find the actual source and fix that. And you’re right. Looking in the mirror is often the first step. Even at the institutional level.
Frustrated fan,
I’m just wondering what qualification you have to say that the prep school needs (or needed) improvement. Better qualification than those running the prep school, teaching the classes, leading the squadrons, spending day in and day out with the preppies, and attending the staff meetings in which the superintendent’s vision and intent are shared? What’s frustrating about your comment is that there are people who dedicate a whole lot of their time and effort to making sure the Academy gets the best product from the prep school and that the preppies have a solid foundation to succeed in the future, in the Air Force or not.
In short, blaming the prep school for problems in the Wing is short-sighted and silly.
Montana or Montana State football?????
are you kidding me?
We’d rush for 900 plus a game….
Tom, agree with your last point and would add wrong. But I’m sure the prep school staff is looking at the same numbers as CW and it would be silly, shortsighted and wrong to deny recent trends showing prep school grads being well over represented in the wrong areas with a sharp curve in the wrong direction. Assigning blame is less important than acknowledging the problem and working together to fix it.
Frustrated Fan
Again, I think you don’t quite understand the mission of the prep school as well as you might think. Every kid who goes to the academy has a story, and that’s especially true of many of the prep schoolers. It’s tough to change someone in 10months, particularly with what many of these kids are working through…but 5 years is a different story.
I didnt mean to hijack this…but I think that it’s probably not terribly fair to make some comments without really understanding what the prep school’s entire mission is nowadays.
Im bowing out! I Apologize for hijacking this comment section.
Tom B,
So what is the prep school’s mission nowadays?
http://www.usafa.af.mil/information/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=9429
Yeah ok.
I think it was a really classy for Coach Troy to support the kid. He could have just said “See ya around kid, good look”
Notice, though, how Calhoun’s made no public statements about the situation? That’s smart on his part–let the kid’s dad lie about the reason for him leaving, and stay above that himself. Good move.
Birdie…you obviously have an agenda here….so tell us why the extreme angst? Inquiring minds want to know.
No angst at all–just trying to clear up what was clearing a disingenuous statement. The reason stated for his leaving by his father simply isn’t true. In what way is countering a lie a problem? My agenda: truth.
He was caught cheating twice along with a few other football players. End of story!
Exactly, FF. Now, if his dad wants to say, “He just decided it wasn’t the right place for him,” (which it clearly isn’t) or something like that I wouldn’t have posted anything here–but when you make up a story to sugar-coat BS, and you KNOW other people know about the situation, then you deserve to be called out on it.
BirdieMan,
Thanks for exposing the truth and providing…….”the rest of the story”!!!!!
Character STILL matters at USAFA.