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re: In your lifetime, the first HUGE recruit that impacted you

Posted on 11/23/12 at 12:19 am to
Posted by Cincinnati Bowtie
Sparta
Member since May 2008
11951 posts
Posted on 11/23/12 at 12:19 am to
When we got Marc Ippolito from Brother Martin. It was a big deal to have Bear Bryant visit your home, ( he didnt come to NOLA unless the recruit was great) but, we got Marc, who as a 6'4, 225lb LB was wanted by everyone.
Posted by Lester Earl
Member since Nov 2003
278387 posts
Posted on 11/23/12 at 1:15 am to
i was probably 8 or 9, and my dad used to take us to watch JPRD biddy basketball games (11-12's). The JPRD team was the all stars from all the local playgrounds in jefferson parish. They had this little black kid with a flat top from Frank C Lemon playground

his nickname was "Pumpkin" and despite being one of the smallest guys on the court, his family and friends would pack the bleachers and chant "dunk it, pumpkin, dunk it!!".... and of course he did once or twice even though it drew technical fouls. I knew his name then, but didn't realize what he would become until i watched him at Destrehan and then U of Miami and now one of the the best safeties in the history of the NFL; Ed Reed
Posted by Rabid Tiger
New York, NY
Member since Sep 2003
3694 posts
Posted on 11/23/12 at 1:37 am to
Single recruit that had an impact on me was Kevin Faulk. Was in 8th grade when Kevin Faulk committed to LSU. I never really paid attention to LSU football until he started playing.

I was aware of recruits here and there....Rohan Davey, Trev Faulk, Bradie James, Walter Young (name? the 5-star DT that never qualified in '99) stood out in mind. Having a really good basketball season really helped Saban who came in recruiting for the 2000 season really late. Still remember Shyrone Carey and Devery Henderson at the basketball games.

Randall Gay, Devery Henderson, Shyrone Carey, Adrian Mayes in 2000 got me paying a little more attention.

The 2001 class was what got me absolutely hooked:
Rick Clausen, Andrew Whitworth, Ben Wilkerson, Marquise Hill, Marcus Spears, Michael Clayton.

I love the 2001 class. They are the backbone and catalyst for our current bad arse 12 year run.
This post was edited on 11/23/12 at 1:43 am
Posted by Malaysian Tiger
Manila
Member since May 2008
4732 posts
Posted on 11/23/12 at 2:07 am to
When Stovall was the Head Coach he tore up Recruiting. About the time was Blue Chip Magazine and one year they had LSU No.1 in Recruiting which was unheard of at LSU. The Recruits were Hilliard and James and Wickersham. LSU signed Lance Smith from North Carolina and LSU was Recruiting Nationally. Hap Glaudi was having Recruiting Experts on his show. I remember one time one of them said that LSU was going to sign all the Blue Chips in the state and the Tulane people were ready to riot. It was a fun time!!
Posted by smash williams
San Diego
Member since Apr 2009
19749 posts
Posted on 11/23/12 at 2:35 am to
Reggie Bush, I started following recruiting religously after him.
Posted by LSUFreek
Greater New Orleans
Member since Jan 2007
14776 posts
Posted on 11/23/12 at 5:14 am to
I saw this kid in '86 who made Sport Illustrated's Faces in the Crowd section because he just set the (at the time) National Record for Rushing.

Then I saw him listed on Parade Magazine's All-American team (which I started collecting each year from then on, in addition to buying whatever-I-could-find recruiting mags & leaflets).

At the time, I was looking for the next CFB freshman phenom like Herschel Walker, and thinking this kid could be The One, and dreaming he would consider going to LSU.

He didn't. He picked Florida.

As the first big-time recruit to hook me into the recruiting game, Emmitt Smith turned out to be pretty good.
Posted by JakeFromStateFarm
*wears khakis
Member since Jun 2012
11909 posts
Posted on 11/23/12 at 6:12 am to
I remember when I was little, probably 7 or so, going to a high school football game with my parents. This player on the opposing team just dominated the game. He ran over people, he blew past people. No one could stop him. I had never seen someone who was just so much better than everyone else on the field. One of the adults leaned in and told me "That kid will play in the NFL one day." To this day, one of the most amazing individual performances I've ever seen live. The player? Cecil Collins.
Posted by chalmetteowl
Chalmette
Member since Jan 2008
47597 posts
Posted on 11/23/12 at 7:29 am to
i would say the LSU class of 2000... i cut out a sports section bc it had the baseball standings on it, but on the back it had a blurb about Ben Wilkerson, C from Hemphill, TX.

i would guess he was maybe 3* at best if he was rated, not much buzz, but he started all 4 years and won the Rimington award for the best college C.

also another one i followed from HS was the late Marquise Hill from De La Salle
Posted by LSUthruNthru
Member since Sep 2012
21 posts
Posted on 11/23/12 at 7:40 am to
McKnight was amazing in high school he played in our jamboree every year. RP game changer except In his last playoff game my team and I went to it was evangel vs ESJ. Chris Faulk I know on a personal level we played pop Warner together the guy has always been a tank. He flat backed EVERYONE. Played DE in high school also beast in that position but he is in a natural position now at OT. Mike Mauti who went to penn state would sniff out any play before the snap and brought the wood everyday!
Posted by TFTC
Chicago, Il
Member since May 2010
22280 posts
Posted on 11/23/12 at 8:52 am to
I think the first recruiting buzz I remember is when Harvey Williams was a "lock" for A&M and then chose LSU (1986)... Pissing everyone off in Texas with his choice and the way he did it...

After that I caught the bug... Back then you had to follow recruiting through the radio w/the experts on talk radio and the few publications that came out regularly... The internet wasn't an option quite yet.
Posted by Bayoutigre
29.9N 92.1W
Member since Feb 2007
5621 posts
Posted on 11/23/12 at 9:04 am to
i remember Dinardo,his first day on the job,goes to Kevin Faulk`s house,makes a big impression on Faulk the rest is history.
Posted by Choupique19
The cheap seats
Member since Sep 2005
61823 posts
Posted on 11/23/12 at 9:13 am to
I don't follow recruiting, and it didn't "impact" me personally, but Kevin Faulk has had the most impact as a single recruit perhaps in the history of LSU.

LSU was really down after Hallman, and Dinardo only had a month and a half to recruit Faulk. He signed, and LSU was immediately competitive. We made a bowl game in Faulk's freshman year for the first time following a 5-6 year drought. In the bowl game, Faulk ran all over some young, hot shot coach and his Michigan St squad. I believe the talent on the field and the passion in the stands at the Independence Bowl that night made an impression on the little man walking the Michigan St sidelines.

Kevin Faulk made it cool for the top in state kids to attend LSU, and we are still reaping the benefits of his decision today.
Posted by bulldogger
New Orleans
Member since Mar 2010
2094 posts
Posted on 11/23/12 at 10:35 am to
Jerry "ice" Reynolds. A 6'9" athletic shooting gaurd with a 25 foot "monster J". I thought we couldn't be stopped with this guy. He turned out to be an adequate player who never hit a shot over 17ft . I realized then that recruiting is mostly bullshite/hype, and this is still true. But I still follow it cuz I'm a little bored and have nothing else to do.

Posted by choupiquesushi
yaton rouge
Member since Jun 2006
30546 posts
Posted on 11/23/12 at 10:56 am to
quote:

When we got Marc Ippolito from Brother Martin. It was a big deal to have Bear Bryant visit your home, ( he didnt come to NOLA unless the recruit was great) but, we got Marc, who as a 6'4, 225lb LB was wanted by everyone.



but didn't bear get a couple other visits in Nola that same.. week.. including a pretty good one he got...
Posted by ScrapPack
Member since Nov 2011
3707 posts
Posted on 11/23/12 at 11:29 am to
I remember Harvey Williams being a huge get back in the day. Thats when I became aware of recruiting and its importance to the program.
Posted by FamousAmos
Member since Feb 2010
3276 posts
Posted on 11/23/12 at 11:31 am to
Xavier Carter
Posted by Weaver
Madisonville, LA
Member since Nov 2005
27722 posts
Posted on 11/23/12 at 11:55 am to
Probably Kevin Faulk. I didn't really seriously get into recruiting till I was in college in 1993
Posted by Meaux Bettah
Tiger Nation
Member since Nov 2011
2591 posts
Posted on 11/23/12 at 11:56 am to
Dalton Hilliard. Turned out to be a huge recruit.
Posted by Honest Tune
Louisiana
Member since Dec 2011
15590 posts
Posted on 11/23/12 at 12:23 pm to
Anthony "Booger" McFarland.

I was a 7th grader in Winnsboro (his hometown) when he was a national recruit, and an all around great guy.

My uncle used to pay Booger to do work, so i would tag along and help out splitting/stacking wood, moving cinder blocks, etc.

One day I had my 4-wheeler with me, Booger and WHS's hoss rb, Antwan Holmes, both got on it and tore out through a muddy field, both axles were about 2 inches off the ground. Ha, and yes, csb.

Boog was Mr. WHS, most likely to succeed and was quoted in his senior yearbook, when asked where he saw himself in 10 years....

"Helping the Saints win the Super Bowl."

For me, after having gotten to know Booger, i was a changed person for the better.



Posted by blowmeauburn
Baton Rouge
Member since Sep 2006
7885 posts
Posted on 11/23/12 at 12:33 pm to
The class with Spears, Hill, and Clayton got me hooked.

Followed it all year and was nervous as hell that Hill was going to go to Michigan? Then he came out and said he was just trolling us and was all LSU the whole time.

I knew LSU was about to take the giant leap forward.

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