International Recruiting (Football)

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January 27th, 2011 at 9:34 PM
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Laveranues
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Joined: 02/09/2009
MGoPoints: 797
International Recruiting (Football)

Why don't major college football programs (USC in the pacific islands excepted) recruit internationally? And I know what you're thinking: because it would be more expensive and nobody plays American football internationally.

My counter to these arguments is that it would require minimal effort to attract some kids from the Caribbean or South America, for example, where there is a surplus of athletes and a shortage of opportunities.

Regarding the fact that they would have no football experience, a Jamaican sprinter with not-quite Usain Bolt's speed could easily become an asset at corner or receiver with a year or two of coaching.  Or a Brazilian footballer that can't quite go pro but wants to get out of the favelas.

Taking one or two fliers per year on this sort of prospect would have minimal risk and huge upside, particularly if a few guys made it big and brought the game back home.

Thoughts?  Neg bangs?

Does it say Deke on the paper? Are there any other Dekes in your class?

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January 27th, 2011 at 9:43 PM | Kids that have no football (Score:1)
house of pain
Joined: 02/27/2009
MGoPoints: 220

Kids that have no football experience at all, would get handled by American kids who've been playing for a large portion of their life.

It's better to hate to lose, than love to win.

January 27th, 2011 at 9:58 PM | Some don't need much experience. (Score:1)
2 Walter Smith
2 Walter Smith's picture
Joined: 08/17/2009
MGoPoints: 227

Suh for the Lions only started playing football in high school and I think he's working out O.K.  I think the op has a good point.  West Coast schools do vey well by recruiting Pacific Island players.  That is a good example of international recruiting

January 27th, 2011 at 10:03 PM | But at certain positions, (Score:1)
Laveranues
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Joined: 02/09/2009
MGoPoints: 797

But at certain positions, athleticism is so much more important than experience.

Also, we just beat State.  Nice.

Does it say Deke on the paper? Are there any other Dekes in your class?

January 27th, 2011 at 9:44 PM | Is Renaldo Segesse the only (Score:1)
mwings
Joined: 01/27/2011
MGoPoints: 9

Is Renaldo Segesse the only "international player" to play at Michigan?

January 27th, 2011 at 10:01 PM | http://www.youtube.com/watch? (Score:1)
Lupe Fiasco
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Joined: 04/20/2010
MGoPoints: 847

 

 

January 27th, 2011 at 10:01 PM | Alain Kashama? (Score:1)
YakAttack
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Joined: 01/20/2009
MGoPoints: 10739

I'm sure there were more.

http://semichigansports.com

January 27th, 2011 at 10:05 PM | There have been a couple of other kids... (Score:1)
michiganprof
Joined: 10/19/2009
MGoPoints: 130

from that school in Montréal. I can't remember the name of one of them offhand - he was a phenomenally physically gifted kid at DE who never quite seemed to get it completely together but showed amazing stuff at moments. In particular I remember him taking a fumble away from Rex Grossmann in the Citrus Bowl against the Gatorzooks. The shotgun snap got behind Grossmann and this DE seemed to move at the speed of light to get it from him. 

January 27th, 2011 at 10:14 PM | There have been a couple of other kids... (Score:1)
michiganprof
Joined: 10/19/2009
MGoPoints: 130

Oh, yeah - Alain Kashama. Thanks. 

January 27th, 2011 at 10:18 PM | There have been a couple of other kids... (Score:1)
michiganprof
Joined: 10/19/2009
MGoPoints: 130

Sorry - don't know why the post was multiply duplicated.

January 27th, 2011 at 10:07 PM | There have been a couple of other kids... (Score:1)
michiganprof
Joined: 10/19/2009
MGoPoints: 130

from that school in Montréal. I can't remember the name of one of them offhand - he was a phenomenally physically gifted kid at DE who never quite seemed to get it completely together but showed amazing stuff at moments. In particular I remember him taking a fumble away from Rex Grossmann in the Citrus Bowl against the Gatorzooks. The shotgun snap got behind Grossmann and this DE seemed to move at the speed of light to get it from him. 

January 27th, 2011 at 10:08 PM | There have been a couple of other kids... (Score:1)
michiganprof
Joined: 10/19/2009
MGoPoints: 130

from that school in Montréal. I can't remember the name of one of them offhand - he was a phenomenally physically gifted kid at DE who never quite seemed to get it completely together but showed amazing stuff at moments. In particular I remember him taking a fumble away from Rex Grossmann in the Citrus Bowl against the Gatorzooks. The shotgun snap got behind Grossmann and this DE seemed to move at the speed of light to get it from him. 

January 27th, 2011 at 10:21 PM | Just to clarify, I was (Score:1)
Laveranues
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Joined: 02/09/2009
MGoPoints: 797

Just to clarify, I was mentally excluding Canada.  It's basically the 51st state.

Does it say Deke on the paper? Are there any other Dekes in your class?

January 28th, 2011 at 12:19 AM | Oh great, you just pissed off (Score:1)
토린
Joined: 04/07/2009
MGoPoints: 13890

Oh great, you just pissed off Puerto Rico.

January 28th, 2011 at 3:35 AM | Biakabutuka (Score:1)
912Jeff
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Joined: 01/18/2011
MGoPoints: 209

Tshimanga Biakabutuka was born in the Zaire/Republic of Congo. He later moved to Montreal and started playing football. What an awesome RB.  313 yards vs Ohio st. Enough said.

Bo's Lasting Lessons

January 27th, 2011 at 9:54 PM | They do but most (Score:1)
Irish
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Joined: 06/05/2009
MGoPoints: 3693

They do but most international recruits play a different kind of football.  MSU has a recruit from canada committed, Werner went to FSU last year, from germany I think.  There are others

Current Smug rating: "lethal"

January 27th, 2011 at 10:04 PM | Arjen Colquhoun (Score:1)
Lupe Fiasco
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Joined: 04/20/2010
MGoPoints: 847

Dude is a beast and will be a good player in the future for MSU as an upperclassman 

 

 

January 27th, 2011 at 10:03 PM | It's a changing world (Score:1)
KrisGoBlue
Joined: 10/06/2010
MGoPoints: 165

I think in the next 10 years, you'll see a major jump, in international kids, capable of playing division 1 football. There are so many leagues, and camps, and schools that are now running American Football programs, from Europe to Asia. It's the fastest growing sport in the world. It's only a matter of time, before kids around the world, improve in this sport, like they did in basketball, and even baseball. I for one hope to see it, an extended recruiting map, would only have benefits for this football program.

Even in a time of elephantine vanity and greed, one never has to look far to see the campfires of gentle people. 

Garrison Keillor 

 

January 27th, 2011 at 10:15 PM | I was just in Europe (Score:1)
Wereverine
Joined: 10/14/2010
MGoPoints: 1254

Visiting a Danish friend (who lives in London) and he is a huge NFL fan. He said there are a lot more like him out there and he said he knows younger kids who are playing American football growing up. Sebastian Vollmer did not start playing football until he was 14 (in Germany) but came to the US as part of a global tournament and got recruited to Houston (for those who don't know he is the starting right tackle for the Patriots).

January 27th, 2011 at 10:23 PM | All the more reason to do it (Score:1)
Laveranues
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Joined: 02/09/2009
MGoPoints: 797

All the more reason to do it NOW.  If we can get Jamaican and Brazilian pipelines, and some O-lineman and backers from Oz (with a little help from Russell Crowe) we can reap the on-field benefits and spread our brand across the world.

Does it say Deke on the paper? Are there any other Dekes in your class?

January 27th, 2011 at 10:26 PM | As great as this would be, (Score:1)
winged helmet
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Joined: 08/23/2009
MGoPoints: 89

As great as this would be, kids in favelas do not have the prior education to be admitted or to be successful at an American university, let alone UM. It's unfortunate. It could be an incredible academic opportunity for these students.

Q: Why did the (Ohio) State grad leave his diploma on his dashboard? A: So he could use handicapped parking.

January 27th, 2011 at 10:31 PM | Alabama has a DT commited (Score:1)
AnthonyThomas
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Joined: 11/13/2010
MGoPoints: 4206

Alabama has a DT commited who's originally from Australia. He's only played a few seasons.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/michigan/football/recruiting/player-Jesse-Willia...

http://michigan.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1141429

There are certain positions where athleticism/instincts can trump expereince. You'll find multiple Americans who've only played football for a few years and become good enough to receive D-1 offers. It's just about getting other countries interested and finding coaches that are willing to take chances on those kids.

And anyone living in a favela in Rio isn't going to have the academic record to get into community college, let alone Michigan. That's another huge obstacle in recruiting developing nations.

January 28th, 2011 at 8:52 AM | The good news for these kids (Score:1)
dennisblundon
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Joined: 02/23/2010
MGoPoints: 6631

The good news for these kids is that the SEC is also a developing nation. You know one of those coaches can find a loop hole and work one of these kids into the school through a foreign exchange program. Also Andy Katz. and Clarett stayed eligible at OSU, these kids have a pretty good chance of doing the same.

January 27th, 2011 at 10:39 PM | Isn't Texas it's own (Score:1)
willywill9
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Joined: 09/22/2008
MGoPoints: 11256

Isn't Texas it's own country?  The South is like a different world too...

Touchdown Michigan!

January 28th, 2011 at 12:02 AM | Not really. (Score:1)
dnak438
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Joined: 08/12/2009
MGoPoints: 2007

I lived in Texas for 10 years, and I live in Canada now.  Both don't want to be part of the US, both are (one in actuality, the other basically is).

Seriously, though, I think that it's a question of resources.  College football programs don't have unlimited resources when it comes to recruiting, so it makes more sense developing relationships with pipeline schools than sending scouts to Brazil to look for potential football talent.

January 27th, 2011 at 11:41 PM | I play university football ( (Score:1)
inshallah
Joined: 01/17/2009
MGoPoints: 280

I play university football ( the proper kind!) here in the UK and the sport is becoming more and more popular. As a team I think any non-US team would be dominated by a good American HS team. However, there are players here who have the attributes, character, work ethic and grades to play college football. There are 1 or 2 guys who have made practice squads of NFL teams. My program has a good link with Endicot College (D3) and 2 seasons ago, some 12 of their graduating seniors came over for a week. It was a great experience and their standard doesnt seem too far some of our top players. But the players in the UK don't have the top flight coaching (all coaches have other fulltime jobs) that is available in the US and have a much higher ceiling. My teams RB at the moment is one of the best in the league/country and I would say he would be able to compete for some playing time at a non-AQ school. Unfortunately there are not really any opportunities to take the talents from here to the US

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