Highlight Tape Question

Nice song choice.

Schools will probably take anything they can get. Most good evaluators will want to see full game film so they can get a better evaluation of strengths and weaknesses since a highlight tape is only going to show a player's best.

Good job Bro...Only think I would think of is I like is highlighting your bro in each take so we're not looking for him...Makes it easier to see how he progresses in reads, whether O or D...

Good job though...Looks like a solid player as well...I like him better on D. Could be a solid FB as well.

Make sure you speed the tape up.

quote:

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Here's the best highlight film I have ever seen, from an editing standpoint.

I don't think that you need to do this, and this is miles away from ordinary, but it's a good aspiration.

LINK

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I knew that looked familiar

Every coach and program is different.

Like Flask said, put some kind of marker over your brother to identify where he is on the field. Also allow for a couple of seconds to go by so the coaches can identify the formations the teams in the video are in. Normally, you'd separate into offensive and defensive plays. And you'd start the reel off with an explosive play (say like a kickoff return or an interception for a touchdown or someone getting their head knocked off).

Send in game film as well in case they are interested after the highlight tape but make sure it is clearly marked as game film.

Music doesn't matter much and most coaches don't care for it. They are probably going to watch it on mute anyways.

I'd lose the music. I've helped about half dozen players from my school get recruited in the past few years and have talked to a number of coaches in the process. Most don't care for music on the highlight videos. Some may mute it, but one kid who I helped went on a recruiting trip to a big 12 school and they told him that any video they get with music they just throw it in the trash.

Take the highlight tape and upload it on youtube first, then email as many schools as you can with his info and tell them his highlights are available on-line on youtube. Also mail the highlights to the schools that you think he has a shot of playing, his level whether it be D-1,IAA,SEC,Sunbelt where ever.

3 minutes 6 minutes max per highlight tape...along with one whole game tape...send as many tapes as necessary....buddy of mine sent one every week to different schools..they were short but showed his weekly highlights..along with a letter of his stats...

Who is the hilight tape you linked of?

I can't open it from that link

GeauxWarrior12,
I have helped kids get D-IA, D-IAA, D-II, etc. scholarships. It looks like you have a good program...I use Pinnacle Studio 12 ($50 bucks at Best Buy, etc.) It is really easy to use and good.
Some things to do with his highlights:
1. On intro page/screen: List name, ht/wt, postion & jersey #, high school name, year of graduating class. Leave the screen there for as long as it takes you to read it - 6-8 seconds probably.
2. Do not show any sophomore highlights
3. Show defensive plays first and list him as Safety/LB, focusing on man-to-man coverage against speed, quick smooth hip turns in coverage, good feet in backpedaling, acceleration toward the ball or ballcarriers, covering a lot of ground in the zone (deep 3rd, 2 deep, by-himself deep, good range toward the sidelines, instints/awareness in run support (like some hits you show and picking up that fumble), closing quickness to the ball and helping over the top outside the numbers, covering a lot of ground, hands/impressive interceptions, reading the QB and anticipating, seeming to be in the right spot, moving through trash/other players/bodies to get to the play, chasing sideline to sideline, wrapping-up well, tackling with good form, punishing hits and also a good fight dragging somebody down (in college he will need form tackling, low tackling, ability to wrap-up and drag people down much more than in high school, where he hits hard and high and guys wilt), coverage in the red zone against slants, fades, etc., shedding a block to make a tackle, fast and successful blitzes, lateral pursuit vs. the run, coming up to fill a hole, fighting through a sweep, planting and turning quick, good depth in all types of coverage, athleticism.
4. Then show the mixture of offensive plays as you have shown basically, lining-up as wideout, RB, slot, etc, followed by the kick/punt return or two. Depending on the school level, etc., he could end up at 5 or 6 different positions or on either side of the ball.
4. Freeze each play 1.5 seconds at the beginning and have parenthesis around him or an arrow over him (this needs to be done for every position really except QB or C generally).
5. Coaches will watch 2-3 minutes. Then if they like it, they will watch up to 5-6 minutes max. Load the best play first, the best plays near the front and limit it to 6 minutes. DON'T SEND GAME TAPE YET. SOME COACHES WILL CALL AFTER REVIEWING THE HIGHLIGHTS AND THEN REQUEST 1 OR 2 GAME TAPES OR 1 OR 2 HALFS FROM GAMES...PREPARE THOSE THEN. SOME SCHOOLS WILL JUST WANT SR SEASON GAME FILM, WHICH SHOULD BE BETTER ANYWAY.
6. Remove music from the tape.
7. As soon as the 1.5 seconds with the arrow on your brother ends, have the ball snap, unless your brother is in motion on the play (saves time for extra plays)
8. Remove time after the ball is dead. two steps into the end zone on a TD - end the play. Don't show celebrations.
9. Remove the last play from the video you made/attached and don't show those hits. He is a great athlete. The catch in the back corner of the end zone over the defender would be offensive play #1 to me...very few can do that. The last play looks like a helmet-to-helmet cheap shot and then a celebration on a kid away from the play...anybody can do that and coaches will not like that. (I realize there is more to the story though, but it looks bad.)
10. After you think the tape is finished, save it for a few days and review it again....you will rearrange, maybe delete some plays, maybe add some. Do this two or three times before sending.
11. Send to 30-40 schools, addressed to the recruiting coordinator and head coach.
12. Attach a cover letter, saying his name, that he is very interested in the school and what he likes about it, mentioning what he might major in, including his address, phone, email, ht, wt, willingness do to whatever it takes to be a successful student and football playing Tiger/Eagle/Bear, etc. at their school, congratulate them in the letter on a success from last year. Mention his high school name and the honors/awards/stats he has amassed too.
13. Send to the 4-5 lower tier schools in the most major D-IA conference he is interested in (In SEC for example: MS State, Kentucky, Vandy, South Carolina) - they have 85 total full rides. You can send to as many as he wants, but start like this.
14. Send to 10 mid-major D-IA schools (ie: UAB, ULL, Troy, AR State, Central Michigan) I don't know were he lives, but staying regional is preferable.
15. Send to 10 D-IAA schools such as those in the Southland conference. - they have 60 full scholarships, except the Ivy League schools (Harvard, Yale, Penn, Brown, Cornell, Columbia, Dartmount & Princeton)who offer $0 athletic scholarship money. They are great schools, but unless you can get grants and big academic money, you graduate owing up to $200K.
16. Send to 5-10 D-II schools also. They have 36 scholarships but can split them up among all their players. Some could offer 50-70% athletic plus 30% academic if he is a good student. He could get interest early here, which could lock-up an offer, give him good experiences talking to coaches, etc.
17. Have him respond to every coach, even NAIA and D-III, that call. They all work hard and deserve the respect. Plus they talk to other coaches and change schools by the hundreds every year (you want them telling big coaches that you called them back, not that you blew them off and they may be a head man or position coach at a big school he likes next year).
18. Have him email the coaches or their offices that you are putting the tape in the mail so they will look for it. Most email addresses are on their websites.
19. Carry copies of the tape to give to those running all the camps he attends.

Review several times every few days before you send. One common mistake people make with DB's too is to show a great tackle or hit after a catch, where the pass should never have been caught in front of the DB...be careful to forget about the significance of a play to the game or if your bro had good reason to hit that kid high, etc...just think about what each play shows on tape. Your brother looks big, reasonably fast, quick, strong and tough with soft/good hands, versatility and good instincts.

Remember too...he is young. If he will be a Sr. in 2010 season, then in 2011 he can be red shirt, in 2012 redshirt freshman, in 2013 redshirt sophmore. 3 and 1/2 years from now, in 2013, he could still have 3 years of eligibility left....imagine what he will have developed into by then. Maybe 1"-2" in height and 20-30 lb of muscle added. with good coaching and work ethic he could project to be a BEAST!

Also, get on line and register him with the NCAA eligibility center, which you need to do for D-I and D-II. Get the ball rolling.

It is late and I have rambled way to much. I even have 2 #4's in the list. If I can help more, email me at john86graham@yahoo.com. I can email you back some good sample videos, etc and I will never charge anything. Also, if you want professional help, NCAA allows it and I could refer you to someone in your area.