Former University of North Dakota All-American running back Otis Weah has found a new home. After entering the NCAA transfer portal after the 2021 season. He has finally found a new home. Last week, he sent out a tweet announcing his landing spot. The envelope, please. Missouri State it is.
Anyone underwhelmed by his announcement? I was at least expecting an announcement he was headed to an FBS team, or a prolific FCS team.
Springfield News Leader Sports reporter Wyatt Wheeler had the exclusive article. There were a few interesting quotes, to say the least.
Bulletin Board Material?
On his way out, Weah appeared to take a couple of shots at his former team.
"I think they had something that we didn't have," Weah said in the article. "It was a winning mentality and they wanted it more than the team I was playing for."
That quote is rich. It was Weah’s fumbles in the fourth quarter that played a big part in Missouri State coming back and winning the game. Obviously, the UND defense also played their part by not stopping the Bears on the game-winning drive.
His other comment that caught people’s attention.
"It'll be something," Weah said. "Our practices were lighter so we never really tackled. There are some guys who haven't even gotten a lick on me and I know some of those guys are going to want them. It's going to be fun as long as we take care of business and get everything done."
Instead of taking a shot at his former team, Weah could have said, I want to thank North Dakota for the opportunity. I'm off to Missouri State to start the next chapter in my life. I'd like to thank everyone that made this opportunity possible, but he didn't.
There’s a good chance we will see this quote again. On October 1, 2022, The Fighting Hawks and the Bears will faceoff in Missouri Valley Conference play at the Alerus Center. The two teams play on October 1, 2022.
After the article in question created quite the buzz on the Twitter, Weah Tweeted this out.
My Questions
In reading Wheeler’s article, I wondered why he wasn’t a little more curious? In fact, his article glosses over a few things.
Weah’s stint at UND was rocky at times. He was declared academically ineligible and unable to play during the entire 2019 season. Last season, he was suspended for one game for a conduct-related issue and also missed a game due to a non-Covid illness.
Make no mistake about it. Weah has an impressive resume. He’s been one of the top FCS running backs during his time at UND. He’s a two-time First Team All-MVFC selection. He’s also a Walter Payton Award finalist, and a two-time FCS All-American. During his two years at UND, he rushed for over 1,400 yards, scored 18 touchdowns, and averaged over 6 yards per carry.
Some of us have questions. My first question, why would a two-time All-American leave a team he had so much on the field success with? Was he asked to leave by the UND coaching staff? Was he a good teammate? Were there other on-campus issues that prevented him from continuing at UND? When you cover a sports team, you don't want to burn bridges with the student athletes you cover. However, in this case there appears to be more to this story.
Finally, I like to wish Weah good luck with his new team. I hope you have continued on-the-field success at MSU.