Schegal Rumors Officially Confirmed

[Stallion]

...by the Air Force Academy Official Website. He says he doesn't know where he will transfer. First Team All-WAC as a Soph., Defensive MVP in San Francisco Bowl. Prior year he was 3rd Team Freshman All-American. He is extremely popular on the unofficial site. He becomes SMU Target No. 2.

[PX]

Dont you mean first team All-MWC?

[Dooby]

Aren't there different rules for transfers in-conference? Or am I making that up?

[PX]

A coach is less likely to give a player his release to transfer within the conference, which means he would have to sit out another year. That doesnt apply to us, though, we arent in their conference.

[Stallion]

we might even be able to turn this program around by 2004 if we were lucky enough to get Schegal and Derricks. You're not talking about prospects in these kids-you're talking about players who have proved they can excell at the Division 1 level.

[Pony Fan]

I agree as these two guys are really good and would make an immediate impact on your program! I just hope we get them. I have heard about Derricks for a while (before it showed up on here) but Schlegal is a new news for the good guys. We definitely finished second to AFA a couple of years ago as he really wanted to be in the military.

[Stallion]

the Air Force fans think he might be headed to South Carolina because that were a former coach is. Does anyone know whether the Air Force can limit his transfer like the rest of Division 1 since they don't give athletic scholarships per se. Wouldn't think Air Force would be too keen releasing him to former coach.

[Pony4Life]

This is the press release from the Air Force athletic website:

Air Force's Schlegel to Transfer from Academy
Sophomore Football Standout Leaves School
Jan. 22, 2003

Air Force sophomore football standout Anthony Schlegel is transferring from the Academy for personal reasons. The Highland Park, Texas, product has begun the out-processing paperwork and will be leaving the Academy this week. Schlegel is unsure about where he'll transfer to at this time.

"The Academy and a career in the military is not for everyone," Schlegel said. "It just comes down to doing what is my best interests. I realized that a career in the military is not what I want right now. It's tough to leave the Academy because of my brothers (teammates) and the coaches, but this is what is best for me right now."

Schlegel became the first Air Force sophomore to earn first-team all-conference honors this season. He finished third in the conference in tackles with 118, including a game-high 12 in the Diamond Walnut San Francisco Bowl where he earned defensive player of the game honors.

Schlegel earned Mountain West Conference defensive player of the week honors earlier this season with a game-high 17 tackles at Utah. He later recorded a career-high 19 tackles against Notre Dame which is the most by a Falcon since 1997. He started the final six games of last season as a freshman and earned The Sporting News third-team freshman All-American honors.

"I hate to see Anthony leave," said Air Force head coach Fisher DeBerry. "This is a big blow to our football team. He possesses a tremendous passion for the game and we're very proud of what he accomplished while he was a part of Falcon football. We have some very, very outstanding players waiting for the opportunity to step in his place. His brothers (teammates) and the coaching staff wish him well."

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Coach DeBerry always has been one of the classiest in the business.

[INFINITYRR]

The rumor is he is following a coach to South Carolina.

[Ikus]

Sure hope there's nothing to that rumor!