If I have put the redshirt on and taken it off after each of our first 15 games, is there any chance he will see the light and take it?  Should I just stop banging my head against the wall ?

He probably won't come around. But he's missed over 1/2 the season, so why give up? You have nothing to lose at this point.

I'm with al, just no reason to give up, who knows you may get lucky. You obviously don't need him this season. Personally I'd try to just leave him off the depth chart, and then after each game try to RS him. As I'm reading it you are saying you are trying before the game and he's complaining so his WE is probably dropping to 1 everytime you practice. The way I'm suggesting, every practice he will have his full WE. Don't worry about him getting into the game, if he's not on the depth chart he won't play. A few seasons back I kept a senior off my depth chart all season and RS'd him at the last minute so he would improve before he got the WE hit, and surprisingly his WE didn't drop to 1, I think it started at like 55 for the season and by not playing he dropped down to 34 and then went to 16 after I RS'd him.  

actually, I've been leaving him off the depth chart, he has not played, then during the day I try the RS, he says I'm an idiot and I take it off - so he is "active" but off the depth chart for each game

O ok, yea, just keep trying then. Him playing a few minutes every game isn't going to help is improvement much more than him just not playing, and who knows you may get lucky.

I tried everyday for an entire season on a guy, and he never took it.  I then tried at the beginning of his soph year and he took it instantly.

Posted by apollo7 on 10/11/2011 12:11:00 PM (view original):
I tried everyday for an entire season on a guy, and he never took it.  I then tried at the beginning of his soph year and he took it instantly.

LOL. I had something a bit similar, where I tried at the start of a guy's freshman season and he said no and I didn't try it again but then he accepted it with no problem his soph year. It makes no sense, it's like as a soph they realize they didn't play as a freshman and the same guys are there so they say ok, but as a frosh after 15 games of not getting in the game they don't get the point.

Not sure this is an option, but I had a guy that refused all year but took it no problem the following season.