Recruiters Gone Wild
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February 6, 2009
Wednesday was National Signing Day -- the day 17-year old football players sign papers confirming they will play football for particular universities in exchange for a scholarship. It has become a quasi-national holiday for college football fans – and I’m not so sure that’s a good thing. College football players might get scholarships, but the coaches get the big bucks, of course, and have almost all the power. Except during that brief gap between a player’s high school and college careers called “recruiting season.” Recruiting didn’t use to be such a big deal – or any deal at all. Six decades ago, former University of Michigan football coach Fritz Crisler warned that giving athletes scholarships would lead to all kinds of evils – like recruiting. Back then even the top college teams did little or no recruiting. They relied instead on their reputation and their alumni to attract the best players. That didn’t last long. By the sixties, most top college teams were giving out scholarships, but things were still pretty low key. Take Dan Dierdorf. He played offensive tackle for Glenwood high school in Canton, Ohio, the home of the NFL Hall of Fame. As football hotbeds go, it doesn’t get much hotter than that. And as prospects go, they didn’t get much bigger than Dierdorf – literally, in his case. He went on to become an All-American at Michigan and, in 1996, returned to his home town to be inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame. I once asked him if he ever held a press conference to announce his decision to go to Michigan. “Press conference?” he said. “I probably just told my parents over breakfast. And they probably said, ‘Good luck.’” Recruiting got more serious by the eighties – but not much. Jamie Morris finished his college career as Michigan’s all-time leading runner in 1987, but four years earlier he had to convince Bo Schembechler to give him a scholarship. When Schembechler signed Morris, three local reporters visited Morris’ house in suburban Boston to ask him questions, until his mom, Addie, interrupted to tell Jamie it was time to go to school. His father, Master Sergeant Earl J. Morris, told the reporters he’d be happy to stick around and answer their questions. Addie said, “No, you’ve got to get to work. And as for you reporters, you’ve all got to leave, too, because I’ve got to clean my home.” Those days are gone. Recruiting today is a season unto itself, with magazines, websites and radio shows devoted to 17-year old football players and the “verbal commitments” they make to coaches before National Signing Day -- but they’re really oral commitments, and they’re really not commitments at all. The player expects the coach to keep his commitment, while the player feels free to visit other schools. It reminds me of that Seinfeld episode, when the rental car company failed to keep Jerry’s reservation. When Seinfeld complains, the clerk says, “Sir, I know what a reservation is.” “I don’t think you do,” Seinfeld replies, and explains that it’s not taking the reservation that’s so important, it’s keeping the reservation. Likewise, someone needs to teach these high school phenoms that it’s not making the commitment that matters. It’s keeping it. Once they’re on campus, though, the coaches get the last laugh, when they start deflating the big heads they’ve blown up. One coach calls this the “de-recruiting process.” There are good reasons for schools to give athletes scholarships – but on National Signing Day, I can’t help but wonder if Fritz Crisler might have been right six decades ago.
Copyright © 2009, Michigan Radio
Professor Bacon,
Crisler may have had a point, but you and I both know that by the 1950s, an increasing number of schools were doing sketchy things to get good players. Giving players access to summer jobs with above-average wages for below-average productivity was common at the time. Now it's a violation, of course. At least football hasn't reached the absurdity of basketball recruiting.... yet....
How excited are you for that Delaware State game next year?...... me neither....
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Mr. Scherer,
You are certainly correct that all kinds of hijinx were going on in the old days, and many of the modern rules are necessary -- as irritating as they are.
But there's also no question that Crisler and Oosterbaan did very little recruiting, and it got nowhere near the attention it gets today. But there's probably no putting this genie back in the bottle.
Thanks for the comment!
-JUB
p.s. I suspect no one this side of the Delaware State players are excited about that game!
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I don't mind some of the hype regarding signing day, the attention is kinda of a reward for all of those student-athletes putting in hard work. Of course, that's an optimistic view of things but you probably get my point.
What annoys the heck out of me on signing day: divas (Pryor last year for example), helicopter parents, and lining up all those ball caps like it's some kind of dramatic shell game.
RE: The Delaware State Game.
I'm not old but I'm old enough to know who Don Canham is. Don Canham is rolling over in his grave (and Bill Martin must go)! EMU, WMU, and DSU? Abso-freaking-lutely embarrassing!!!
By way of comparison, you have to hand it to the tUoOS Athletic Director. He goes out every year and seeks the big boys every September. With Barnacle Bill, we continue to get this MAC and Division 1-AA crap!
I understand it’s Bill’s take he needs 8 home games to from a $$$ perspective but, you cannot tell me that the money could be made up in other ways. For example, I heard UGA called Michigan wanting a home and home and Barnacle Bill turned them down. Could you imagine the national attention surrounding that game when the most of the country is playing cupcakes in September??? While Michigan’s record against the SEC is good, tUoOS proved a loss like that in September doesn’t kill national title game hopes. Plus, I gotta hand it to an SEC team that actually wants to travel out of conference for a change.
I’ve been critical of RR for all the needing "his players" excuses —- instead of coaching the team he has on hand and worrying less about a system. But nothing burns my backside more than Barnacle Bill Martin. Adding DSU to the sked just throws another log on that fire. The Victors Club isn’t getting another dime of my money until that clown is gone!
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Hello Chris, and thanks for writing.
I agree that the shell-game recruiting press conference hat trick (as it were) has become as boorish as the dumbest of the endzone dances -- though that might not be fair to dumb endzone dances, because at least those guys have already scored touchdowns.
As for the 12th game, I've been against it since it was first proposed -- just like the players and coaches were -- and everything I've seen since only reinforces my opposition. It's a shameless money grab performed on the backs of unpaid labor.
While I was disappointed that Mr. Martin voted for it -- after Coach Carr and his players informally voted against it -- it must be said that even a dissenting voice would have changed nothing, when the AD's and presidents voted overwhelmingly for it. (And, in fairness, it's Mr. Martin's job to balance the books, not mine.)
Of course, when Michigan stands at 0-2 in its first two 12th games -- against App. State and Toledo, arguably the two most historically bad losses in the 129 years of the program -- perhaps Michigan should prove that it can beat Delaware State before ratcheting up the competition.
Like you, I miss the days of a more competitive non-conference schedule -- though perhaps this is a byproduct of a far more competitive conference than Michigan faced in the seventies.
-JUB
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Oops: That's "the two worst losses."
That's what you get for revising your copy without going over your changes!
-JUB
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No worries... It's a blog, I knew what you meant, it's entertainment and not coursework.
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Hey Jon, A lot of speculation on Threets transfering. Any insight on this topic
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Hello Jon,
I'm hearing the same rumors, though I have no confirmation whatsoever.
It would not be terribly surprising, given the buzz around Tate Forcier, who's already on campus. Unlike Ryan Mallett, the big-name quarterback who transferred about this time last year, Threet was well liked by his teammates, who respected his work ethic, attitude, and intelligence. (He was the valedictorian at Adrian High School.)
Doesn't answer your question, unfortunately, but I'm guessing the way you're guessing.
-JUB
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I'm replying to my own post to apologize for the misspelling of your first name, Mr Bacon. We share the first name and out of some sort of subconscious self aggrandizement, I forgot the H in yours. Again, My sincere apology.
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Jon B, I can assure you John B got over that rather quickly. But thanks for your consideration.
And thanks for joining our blog.
-JUB
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Mr. Bacon,
A very well thought out article. While I agree with the premise that we (fans), coaches, and media give these kids huge egos. What is the alternative? You want to get the best kids for your team right? The larger problem is first and foremost, the NCAA! They have DI Football so messed up, it is almost become a laughable. From the "no playoffs" to all the bowl games played on "neutral fields" (only located in the south/west). I could pontificate for hours but will choose not to do so...
The idea that recruiting has gone wild is only the tip of the iceberg my friend. Not to get to far off base, but I think the problem with "recruiting" is that the universities are simply not very good at it. One only has to look at the NFL draft to figure that out. How do all these really talented kids get missed? While guys that have no hope of playing at the next level play for the large schools? I give you one reason: Arrogance!
That's right, recruiters/coaches have huge ego themselves and they are so focused on taking that one guy away from a rival or keeping him "in state", and/or reading who other schools are going after, they miss on three or four other kids that can really play. Just my thoughts (remember I'm only a hockey guy)... enjoyed the topic though.. Jim
BTW- Dan Dierdorf is no longer welcomed in Canton. Well maybe Canton, MI but not in O-H-I-O. One word sir: Sellout...haha
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