symple19
11-26-2009, 02:22 PM
A nice write up on the all too familiar practice of going after kids despite their already having committed. The author suggests an early signing period. I think it's a great idea.
http://blog.al.com/press-register-sports/2009/11/bean_recruiting_showcases_hypo.html
In the cut-throat world of college football recruiting, coaches simply refuse to take no for an answer.
That's why the phone calls began again this fall for Murphy wide receiver Solomon Patton, after a handful of columnists -- including the Press-Register's Paul Finebaum -- suggested that Florida coach Urban Meyer would bolt for Notre Dame at the end of the season.
Never mind that Patton has been committed to Florida for months. Never mind that he's never wavered from that commitment. Never mind that he's intent on keeping his word.
Let's face it, the ability to convince a teenager to abandon a school and pledge to another has become an art form. Recruiting coordinators build their reputations -- and bank accounts -- with persuasive powers aimed at convincing a teen to flip-flop.
So as Patton tried to concentrate on enjoying his senior season at Murphy, he was forced to deal with a cavalcade of unwanted phone calls.
Simply put, this practice needs to end.
College coaches constantly preach about integrity and character, but this hypocritical practice of poaching a rival's commitment is anything but honorable.
An emphasis on early commitments has become an epidemic in the past decade, and players routinely bow to the pressure and make their public pledge months before their senior season begins. That's why college coaches spend more time protecting their commitments than recruiting them at this time of year.
Here's the most hypocritical part of this process: It places the youngster in an untenable predicament.
Players can't simply slam the door in a prospective coach's face. Savvy prospects like Patton realize that crazy things happen in December. Coaches get fired. Coordinators leave for head coaching gigs. Coaches leave to scratch that NFL itch.
While college coaches remain in contact with a player who has already committed, players also play the game by keeping rival coaches at an arm's length. That's called having a backup -- or back-out -- plan.
And most players say they simply don't want to be rude to coaches who take the time to call or continue sending mail.
This situation forces many prospects to work both sides of the street by staying committed to one school while flirting with others until National Signing Day.
Patton said he has relied on honesty when rival coaches call, telling them that he planned to keep his word to Meyer and Florida. He added that Florida's spread option offense appears to be the best fit for him.
Blount defensive back Jarrick Williams, a prized commitment for Alabama, said he also relies on honesty. "I basically just tell them nothing," Williams said.
A verbal pledge isn't going to prevent a coach from calling and cajoling.
The only way to end this hypocritical practice is for the NCAA to create an early signing period --perhaps in August -- for football. It's the right thing to do.
http://blog.al.com/press-register-sports/2009/11/bean_recruiting_showcases_hypo.html
In the cut-throat world of college football recruiting, coaches simply refuse to take no for an answer.
That's why the phone calls began again this fall for Murphy wide receiver Solomon Patton, after a handful of columnists -- including the Press-Register's Paul Finebaum -- suggested that Florida coach Urban Meyer would bolt for Notre Dame at the end of the season.
Never mind that Patton has been committed to Florida for months. Never mind that he's never wavered from that commitment. Never mind that he's intent on keeping his word.
Let's face it, the ability to convince a teenager to abandon a school and pledge to another has become an art form. Recruiting coordinators build their reputations -- and bank accounts -- with persuasive powers aimed at convincing a teen to flip-flop.
So as Patton tried to concentrate on enjoying his senior season at Murphy, he was forced to deal with a cavalcade of unwanted phone calls.
Simply put, this practice needs to end.
College coaches constantly preach about integrity and character, but this hypocritical practice of poaching a rival's commitment is anything but honorable.
An emphasis on early commitments has become an epidemic in the past decade, and players routinely bow to the pressure and make their public pledge months before their senior season begins. That's why college coaches spend more time protecting their commitments than recruiting them at this time of year.
Here's the most hypocritical part of this process: It places the youngster in an untenable predicament.
Players can't simply slam the door in a prospective coach's face. Savvy prospects like Patton realize that crazy things happen in December. Coaches get fired. Coordinators leave for head coaching gigs. Coaches leave to scratch that NFL itch.
While college coaches remain in contact with a player who has already committed, players also play the game by keeping rival coaches at an arm's length. That's called having a backup -- or back-out -- plan.
And most players say they simply don't want to be rude to coaches who take the time to call or continue sending mail.
This situation forces many prospects to work both sides of the street by staying committed to one school while flirting with others until National Signing Day.
Patton said he has relied on honesty when rival coaches call, telling them that he planned to keep his word to Meyer and Florida. He added that Florida's spread option offense appears to be the best fit for him.
Blount defensive back Jarrick Williams, a prized commitment for Alabama, said he also relies on honesty. "I basically just tell them nothing," Williams said.
A verbal pledge isn't going to prevent a coach from calling and cajoling.
The only way to end this hypocritical practice is for the NCAA to create an early signing period --perhaps in August -- for football. It's the right thing to do.