How About an Uplifting Topic - The Story of a Football Offer
Mates,
Maybe its time for a pleasant story, one that doesn't foretell of the coming (present?) apocalypse. Last month I wrote a diary about football recruiting. One of the topics asked was about actual offers. We had a campus visit to a smaller school earlier this week before corona-blitz and it was to a school we'd been to a couple of times. They had texted this son the week before and asked if we could come down for a 1-on-1 with the head coach and the DC. They also asked son's preferred areas of study and said they'd like to have to have us meet with admissions, too. Even someone as dim as I am knew that they weren't inviting us down for general chit-chat, an offer was very likely forthcoming.
We met them at their offices and we went to some campus activities and then met with a professor of biology. As providence would have it, he was Chinese and we had an interesting talk about the whole virus issue. Anyway, right after that the DC picked us up and drove us around the town a bit, highlighting various things, and then took us to have lunch with some of the players. Those kids were very cool, a strong selling point for the school. After lunch we met with admissions and then were driven over to spend time with the head coach again. This was the 'offer' talk.
The offer talk was really a neat thing, and I am happy that this son had that experience and that I got to have it with him. He is growing and getting larger seemingly daily, so its hard to figure out where he'd play. They want him as a safety because their defense plays 4 of them. He'd be slotted to be a 'drop safety' which is more like an OLB, but not the typical, say, 230 lb size, more like 210 or 215 lbs. The coach was very sincere about his enthusiasm for the school and for this son's place at it. He said basically, 'We want to be among the first of all the offers you might get so that you'll have ours to compare with the others. We think we will stack up very favorably'. Well, he's right, they do.
There is more on the horizon, though with all the schools closing down for a while, assumedly affecting all the camps that we would've planned on attending also, we are all in uncharted waters. Mods, this might have been a diary but I guessed this might be a day for it to go here. Move (or delete) as you see fit.
Be safe everybody,
XM
Congratulations to your son and your whole family. It has to be an exciting time for your son, with a lot of lifting, practice, and literal muck-raking paying off as he likely dreamed.
this particular son is famous for his real-life enactment of what i call 'hillbilly braveheart', when he grabbed one of my hockey sticks and charged two of our bulls who had escaped from the pasture. he was 11. the bulls were full sized. they turned when he charged and started whacking the lead bull with the hockey stick. he herded them back into the pasture. that could've gone south real bad, real fast, but fortunately it didn't.
That story is hilarious - but you might want to be careful what you post here. The board seems to be getting sensitive about certain topics... and hillbillies, animal/hockey violence, and Mel Gibson reenactments might just get a person banned these days.
Stay safe, my friend.
So you're saying he solves problems with aggression. Sounds like strong safety / OLB is a good spot for him!
its on video. don't know how wife managed that. as the coach said to that son this week, 'you are a hitter'.
Great story and congratulations to your son.
He's a lucky boy to be offered.
Was it your son, or a friend's son?
In either case, congrats to the young man, it must be a great feeling!
yes, one of our boys.
Great news. Good luck to your son!
Appreciate the positive story as well as the parent perspective. Thanks, XM
Quickly checks to make sure OSU doesn't play four safeties...
<Whew>
Congratulations, XM. I wish your son all the best. I hope he ends up with quite a few offers to choose from and can find the one that's the right fit. And I hope wherever he goes, they offer four-year scholarships, not the renew-every-year kind.
on a serious note, as much as every parent wants to think their son is a 5* recruit, and though i would never limit the lad, i'm pretty sure he's an FCS/D-II kid when its all said and done.
on a not quite as serious note, none of my kids will be spartys or buckeyes. ever.
"i'm pretty sure he's an FCS/D-II kid when its all said and done."
It's very refreshing to hear a parent make an honest, clear-eyed yet still loving assessment of where their own progeny stands. He's in good hands.
Just today a B10 school and another Ivy League school picked up his Hudl tape.
XM - that's awesome, congratulations to your son! This has been cool to see updates on the process along the way.
Thank you for bringing something new and positive to the board. You must be a super proud dad!
Good for you and your son . It’s unfortunate that camps and other visits/ offers are most likely on hold for awhile. One of my happiest days a decade or so ago was my sons early admission to U of M. Then a few weeks later a call from the College of Engineering offering a full ride in Chem Eng. Immediately went to Angelo’s for breakfast to celebrate.
I know you’re purposefully being cryptic but ... in state? D-3? Cute girls? Does he have to wear red? could I bring him banana chocolate chip muffins if I’m traveling near him?
Congratulations to your son and the whole family. From what Ive seen through your posts, some coach is getting a well-raised young man.
i can say for sure that my son is not the 'sonofalegend'.
With all due respect, I disagree. And I suspect your son might disagree also. :)
Awesome news XM!
I hope for your sake your attendance will be relatively convenient.
Thanks for sharing.
March 13th, 2020 at 11:47 PM ^
That's so damned awesome, I love hearing/reading this. Congratulations and way to raise a kick ass son. Good job Pappy
Having a daughter who swims competitively, I know the amount of support, dedication and sacrifices that’s required by not just my daughter but the whole family. Although she is nowhere near scholarship level, we are enjoying every minute of it nevertheless. We are blessed.
Huge kudos to you, your family and of course, your son.
swimming is a great sport and its also one of those things your daughter will be able to do her whole life, a fitness/wellness thing that we can all do even when we're too old and busted up to run or play hoops. i swim in the summers around here and i am so glad i have maintained that ability to some degree as i am now older than some minerals.
about football, it has been a sacrifice of sorts but there are two great qualifications to that. first, our four oldest boys play and they are the ones who have made sacrifices to greater or lesser degrees. oldest son plays at a small college now. i suspect the twins will likely play and maybe not at a small college as, like this most recent brother, i think they have better than average talent and need no motivation outside of their own love of the game, but of course a long way from that point.
second is that i have coached them up from pop warner to high school and back down again for the younger brothers too. it has impacted my business and makes the fall a tough time for me time-wise as everything is so compacted. but like most parents, i wouldn't trade that time for more revenue. i won't remember most of the case or clients i said 'no' to, but i will have fulfilled my duty (and joy) to speak into the lives of my children and walk besides them particularly when they are young. we'll never get that time back.
i also tell my kids: 'if you want to be a success in life, choose your parents very carefully. [i pause] you guys are hosed!!!'