I enjoyed this article...a good reminder of what we are dealing with as NLOID approaches...
Pitt Gazette
1/24
High School Views: Recruits have a right to change their minds
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
By Colin Dunlap
So much for the early bird getting the worm.
In this instance, Michigan State was more like a vulture swooping in and cleaning up the last scraps of meat attached to this year's Western Pennsylvania football recruiting bone.
Sunday, Gateway senior receiver David Williams accepted a scholarship from Michigan State that had been offered earlier last week. A 5-foot-10, 180-pound speedtsre, Williams did so after visiting Michigan State's East Lansing campus this past weekend.
Along with Duquesne receiver Elijah Fields and Woodland Hills receiver Wes Lyons -- who is slated to announce his college choice Thursday at a news conference -- Williams was one of the few remaining blue-chippers in this year's graduating class whose college future was still in doubt.
In making the commitment to Michigan State, Williams spurned Kent State, a school to which he had given a verbal commitment in December. There had been a ton of speculation in recent weeks that Williams' recruiting was opened back up and his commitment to Kent State wasn't iron-clad.
National letter of intent day is Feb. 1, the first day when recruits can sign a binding commitment letter. Williams' reversal wasn't a major surprise.
For the record, that doesn't bother me.
There are those people out there who, every time a kid changes his mind and "de-commits" somewhere and chooses another school, well, some people start with this whole, "A verbal commitment is your word" and "How can you trust a kid who backs out on a program?"
There have been more than a few e-mails that have found their way into my inbox from the people of this belief over the past 24 hours. The e-mails have pertained to the Williams situation and his choice of flip-flopping from Kent State to Michigan State.
Well, you know what, save it for someone else.
When Anthony Morelli and Andrew Johnson reneged on their pledges to attend Pitt and settled on Penn State and Miami, respectively, I didn't have any problem with it. To that end, I don't have a problem with it here. In this instance, how in the world could you ever fault Williams for choosing the Spartans over Kent State?
It doesn't take Pythagorus to do the math.
Michigan State is in the Big Ten Conference; Kent State in the Mid-American Conference.
That's like choosing between a Hummer H2 and a five-year old Dodge Neon.
Kent State had a total of 33,292 fans at its five home games this past season. Michigan State had more than two times that ... at its opener against none other than Kent State.
And, um, Kent State was 1-10 with its only win coming against Division I-AA Southeast Missouri State while the Spartans were just 5-6, but beat Notre Dame and played Michigan to three points.
Again ... H2 versus Neon.
This past season, I covered Gateway's 37-16 playoff victory against Bethel Park a few days before Halloween and Williams was, unequivocally and without an iota of a question, the best player on the field.
Williams rushed for 180 yards on 14 carries and scored four rushing touchdowns -- of 31, 3, 5 and 51 yards. He came into the postseason game and led Gateway's option attack when Gators quarterback Aaron Smith was injured in the second quarter.
But, more than that, Williams was an articulate, bright and polite kid .
In short, get off his back and all the others who choose to renege on initial verbal commitments. Coaches from various schools pull scholarship offers away from kids all the time (see: Eugene Jarvis and Desmond Brentley).
These are 17- and 18-year-old kids faced with momentous decisions that will change the scope of the rest of their lives.
They don't need to be taken to task for wavering on a decision.
Pitt Gazette
1/24
High School Views: Recruits have a right to change their minds
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
By Colin Dunlap
So much for the early bird getting the worm.
In this instance, Michigan State was more like a vulture swooping in and cleaning up the last scraps of meat attached to this year's Western Pennsylvania football recruiting bone.
Sunday, Gateway senior receiver David Williams accepted a scholarship from Michigan State that had been offered earlier last week. A 5-foot-10, 180-pound speedtsre, Williams did so after visiting Michigan State's East Lansing campus this past weekend.
Along with Duquesne receiver Elijah Fields and Woodland Hills receiver Wes Lyons -- who is slated to announce his college choice Thursday at a news conference -- Williams was one of the few remaining blue-chippers in this year's graduating class whose college future was still in doubt.
In making the commitment to Michigan State, Williams spurned Kent State, a school to which he had given a verbal commitment in December. There had been a ton of speculation in recent weeks that Williams' recruiting was opened back up and his commitment to Kent State wasn't iron-clad.
National letter of intent day is Feb. 1, the first day when recruits can sign a binding commitment letter. Williams' reversal wasn't a major surprise.
For the record, that doesn't bother me.
There are those people out there who, every time a kid changes his mind and "de-commits" somewhere and chooses another school, well, some people start with this whole, "A verbal commitment is your word" and "How can you trust a kid who backs out on a program?"
There have been more than a few e-mails that have found their way into my inbox from the people of this belief over the past 24 hours. The e-mails have pertained to the Williams situation and his choice of flip-flopping from Kent State to Michigan State.
Well, you know what, save it for someone else.
When Anthony Morelli and Andrew Johnson reneged on their pledges to attend Pitt and settled on Penn State and Miami, respectively, I didn't have any problem with it. To that end, I don't have a problem with it here. In this instance, how in the world could you ever fault Williams for choosing the Spartans over Kent State?
It doesn't take Pythagorus to do the math.
Michigan State is in the Big Ten Conference; Kent State in the Mid-American Conference.
That's like choosing between a Hummer H2 and a five-year old Dodge Neon.
Kent State had a total of 33,292 fans at its five home games this past season. Michigan State had more than two times that ... at its opener against none other than Kent State.
And, um, Kent State was 1-10 with its only win coming against Division I-AA Southeast Missouri State while the Spartans were just 5-6, but beat Notre Dame and played Michigan to three points.
Again ... H2 versus Neon.
This past season, I covered Gateway's 37-16 playoff victory against Bethel Park a few days before Halloween and Williams was, unequivocally and without an iota of a question, the best player on the field.
Williams rushed for 180 yards on 14 carries and scored four rushing touchdowns -- of 31, 3, 5 and 51 yards. He came into the postseason game and led Gateway's option attack when Gators quarterback Aaron Smith was injured in the second quarter.
But, more than that, Williams was an articulate, bright and polite kid .
In short, get off his back and all the others who choose to renege on initial verbal commitments. Coaches from various schools pull scholarship offers away from kids all the time (see: Eugene Jarvis and Desmond Brentley).
These are 17- and 18-year-old kids faced with momentous decisions that will change the scope of the rest of their lives.
They don't need to be taken to task for wavering on a decision.