Leading off today: Kevin Witt of
The Times Herald-Record took an interesting look at one aspect of the recruiting process this morning by telling much of the story through the eyes of Monroe-Woodbury standout D.J. Young.
Though certainly talented, Young was flying largely under the recruiting radar until attending the University of Pittsburgh football camp in June. The 5-foot-10 defensive back had a solid camp, however, and attracted the attention of coaches from Eastern Michigan. With his senior season ahead, Young has the opportunity to play his way up and earn scholarship offers from more schools, perhaps including members of BCS conferences.
However, that's where the tale begins to become cautionary. Witt noted that Scout.com has added Young to its list of prospects. (By the way, it's beyond me how anyone can distinguish between the No. 120 and No. 146 senior cornerback in the country, especially if they play half a continent apart; I guarantee you all of the 5-foot-10 guys ranked between 75th and 150th are pretty close to interchangable.) Young's data on the site is accurate, and recruiting services like National Athletic Testing System (which charges $55 per athlete) also have a reputation for doing accurate testing that is made available to colleges. But testing poorly either with NATS or at a college-sponsored camp can be a disaster for a player with college ambitions because those results will also be widely distributed.
Young did months of training before attending a series of summer camps.
"It's a lot of pressure if you think about it, because it can either make you or break you," he told Witt.
Monroe-Woodbury coach Pat D'Aliso cites the case of Greg Sullivan, a 2007 graduate who is now Colgate's second-string quarterback. "They were throwing his (camp performance) scores in the garbage," he said. "You can go out there and have a bad day and be blacklisted. But he was a good football player.
Another football death: A sophomore receiver from Florida's panhandle region died early Saturday after a three-player collision on Friday. Taylor Haugen of Niceville High jogged off the field after the hit but then collapsed on the sideline.
That news comes in the aftermath of two football-related deaths at practices (one was for a youth team) in New Jersey this month.
Off to a fast start: If you're not familiar with Brittany Kinmond's name, you soon will be. The Spencerport senior
