Former Avon Grove running back Blyden transfers to Camden Catholic
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Former Avon Grove running back Blyden transfers to Camden Catholic
Rick O'Brien, Inquirer Columnist
After a regional panel denied a petition for a transfer to District 12's Cardinal O'Hara from District 1's Avon Grove, standout running back J.T. Blyden has decided to enroll at Camden Catholic.
"I was pretty disappointed about the ruling, but I'm excited about going to Camden Catholic," said the 5-foot-11, 196-pound junior, who plans to register at his new school Thursday morning and begin practicing with the Fighting Irish.
In 10 games last season at Avon Grove, the speedy Blyden, who has scholarship offers from Rutgers and Massachusetts, carried 221 times for 1,127 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Cardinal O'Hara, on behalf of Blyden, lost the regional-panel hearing, made up of District 1 and 12 committee members, last month.
An appeal by Cardinal O'Hara to the PIAA had been set for Friday, but, according to John Blyden, J.T.'s father, the school "decided against going through with it."
Camden Catholic will be Blyden's third school in as many years. The 16-year-old spent his first year at Bishop Shanahan.
"He wanted to go back to a Catholic-faith institution," John Blyden said. "J.T. could have gone anywhere, and Cardinal O'Hara is where he really wanted to go. Everything just turned ugly."
Cardinal O'Hara lost the regional-panel hearing by a 3-3 vote (a tie goes against the petitioning school). "We didn't know about the hearing until the day before," John Blyden said. "We had to go in there on the fly."
Blyden, who plays safety on defense and is a dangerous kick returner, has also received recruiting interest from Penn State, Michigan, and South Carolina.
To immediately play in games for Camden Catholic, Blyden must first, per NJSIAA rules, prove a "bona fide" change of residence. If not, he would be ineligible for a period of 30 calendar days.
Camden Catholic is coached by former St. Joseph's Prep boss Gil Brooks. He went 10-1 in his first season with the squad.
-Rick O'Brien
Just to get this straight... It was alright for Avon Grove's star running back Brendan McLaughlin to transfer to O'Hara. Now this year two more kids want to go to O'Hara, a lineman and another running back. The lineman gets in, but the running back doesn't.
This have anything to do with not wanting to give away a kid with scholarship offers? How in the heck does the PIAA get away with letting the white kid transfer, but not the black kid? There's already a precedent too with McLaughlin making it even more laughable.
On top of this you have other catholic and private schools in Philly, Delaware and Jersey recruting every single year but noone says anything? Wood transferred in a state championship last year.
Joke.— Roy C.- Blyden is BANNED from playing football in PA. Has nothing to do with black kid/white kid. He is a school jumper that is why he is banned. — Chris70
- J.T. has been part of the O'Hara family since he visited the school. He enrolled as a student and was practicing with the team from the inception of the 2012 summer football program. He wants to be a Lion, he could have went anywhere. If a family chooses to send their child to a private school, there should be no issues with anyone. It is a personal choice. This was a transfer from a pubic school to a private school and they were paying the bill, there was no financial aid going on here nor was he recruited by anyone at O'Hara. JT is an outstanding young man who will do well wherever he ends up football or no football, pubic or private. It's just not right he was denied to go to school where he wants to go...with the friends he made and been with all summer. I do not pretend to know why this transfer didn't go through but something smells fishy, every other transfer in the area eventually went through.
Carmen— fooskie - Hey Roy C--got news for ya---Blyden transferred from Bishop Shanahan to Avon Grove for his sophomore year.— Delco Law
- Hey Delco Law - Got news for ya - What you just said has absolutely nothing to do with what I posted. At what point did I say the kid did or didn't transfer before?
You actually just furthered my point and his dad's point. He wants to go back to a catholic institution and this is hypocritical. Congrats!
Last time I checked slavery was abolished. High schools own players now? Did he sign a free agent contract?
Guess Avon Grove thought they had Thomas Talley on their roster.— Roy C. - The PIAA is a joke. The fact that they denied ANY transfer is hypocritical. Have there been ANY other transfers denied? PIAA language is clear - but recruiting rules are unenforced. All sports have now become 12 month a year projects - wtih Head Coaches involved and watching all 12 months. Phila Magazine had a great article about all the hypocracy a few months ago - but nothing came of it. The fact that 2 AW football players were on the verge of being found academically ineligible at Temple is disgusting. HSs give more athletic scholarships that academic ones. Priorities are out of whack. Can't wait for Buzz Bissinger's next book - Friday Night Lights - Philly Style— kjw
- It's hard for any public schools anywhere to compete when the private or catholic schools can recruit. Just a shame.— Gunny
- Public Schools should be happy they still receive the Taxes from these
parents .... Lets talk about more the football ...— mrgetemboy - Public Schools should be happy they still receive the Taxes from these parents .... Private and Catholic schools has more to offer then Football .— mrgetemboy
- Proper use of grammer, for example. Has vs. have, then vs. than. When and when not to use caps. — HokieMon
- Not a commentary on this specific person - but in general - coddling and catering to these young athletes just jump starts the massive ego and air of entitlement that pervades college and pro sports today. It's laughable watching adults bend and contort themselves around obstacles and through loopholes to feed their own egos as well (show me ONE 'bonafide' change of residence). I'm a big HS sports fan, but it's always nauseating listening to all the starry-eyed gossip about who poached whom in the off-season. Hey, Transfer THIS.— HokieMon
- Do we live in china ?— mrgetemboy
- JT's parents are school hoppers, everyone knows that. Everyone at AG and everyone at BS knows that. The boys 8th & 9th grade year there was a push from BS to recruit AG players. Several went for it, including JT. He then came back to AG. 3 schools in 2 years is a school jumper. The transfer didn't go thru because he is not ALLOWED to play football in the state of PA, period. Not just O'Hara...any school. Not his fault but his parents. The comment from Carmen is his mother. JT seems like a nice enough kid while he is out, but if his Dad is around he has to talk for JT. Won't let him answer a question. Happens all the time in the barbershop.— Chris70
