Cardinal O'Hara's Corey Brown, one of the top recruits in the nation, along with some of his 'fan' mail.
Football '09: Recruiting has become exhausting process
Published: Tuesday, September 1, 2009
By CHRISTOPHER A. VITO,
[email protected]
MARPLE ? Every day after football practice presents the newest installment of a trite guessing game: Is today?s mail shoved between the front and storm doors of Corey Brown?s Upper Darby home, or was the postal worker able to squeeze it all into the mailbox?
?The other day, I got 60 (recruiting letters),? said Brown, a star running back at Cardinal O?Hara. ?Sometimes it?s media guides, too.
That?s happened on more than one occasion. Usually, it?s a lot. But 60?
That?s more than a lot.?
Brown is ranked by Rivals.com as the 83rd-best recruit for the Class of 2010. He has garnered interest from the nation?s top college football programs since the summer before his sophomore year. He has received phone calls and e-mails from the coaching staffs of those programs.
Brown, a senior who doubles as a cornerback, surmised that he should have invested in the purchase of a second cell phone ? one for personal use and the other to handle the onslaught of calls he will endure this month. College coaches, as of Tuesday, are able to place unlimited calls to Brown.
Like others in his situation, Brown wants the recruiting process to end.
The process, which began more than two years ago, has reaped more than 40 scholarships. According to Brown, it will conclude before January?s Under Armour All-America Game.
Does he ponder what that will feel like?
?Always,? Brown said, giggling. ?That?s basically every day for me. I don?t bring it up anymore because I don?t want to talk about it. I liked the attention at first. Now I can?t wait for it to be over.?
The recruiting process, both costly and thorough, has taken on more meaning in recent years with the advent of technological improvements.
Recruiting Web sites like Rivals.com and Scout.com provide the coverage that makes high school football a 365-day sport. Facebook and Twitter memberships increase a college coach?s access and visibility.
And these means of earning face time have worn down Brown.
?It gets hectic,? said Brown, who has narrowed his college wish list to five schools ? Miami (Fla.), Ohio State, Pittsburgh, Rutgers and West Virginia. ?It?s a lot to put on a kid, but I want to make the right decision.?
