GowerND11
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I have been gone this past week due to having to get training done for my new job. While at this training I had the pleasure to meet a former SEC football player who is currently training as well. I won't reveal a name, but he played in the late 80s/early 90s. We discussed many topics throughout the week, including the state of college football today. He currently knows many coaches in the sport (both high school and college) and of course played with some future NFL players.
Anyways, we got to the topic of recruiting, and he openly came out to say that it was/is dirty, especially in the South. He mentioned that coming out of Jr. College a few schools were looking at him including some bigger B1G teams as well as some second tier SEC teams. He chose to venture to SEC land. During his recruitment the recruiter assured his family that he would be taken care of properly and needs would be met when needing to travel home. His father was told to read between the lines.
This former player gave some good insight about life as a football player. He said that after a home win the players would walk through a certain area on campus where everyone was located and would pass through the fans. While walking and conversing with these fans it was not uncommon for one of them to be a booster, and depending on the position the player was, his role in the win, and his popularity, a player could walk out of this with about $1000 in his pocket. As he said, "if teams weren't cheating, they weren't trying to win." However, he mentioned one program he had the utmost respect for because they didn't try this... Notre Dame.
He mentioned he had conversations with recruits who went to Notre Dame, and never once were they mentioned as a school that would employ bagmen. (Which most/all of us already knew, but still nice to hear this reassurance) He also told me how through those he knows in the game today Notre Dame still plays the right way, and that he thinks we are SO close to having it all come together. He mentioned bringing in a few recruits a la Holtz's days that don't meet standards and we would be set.
Interestingly he also mentioned Michigan as a clean(ish) school as of late. I took the way he said that as in relation to other schools, especially Ohio State (surprise surprise haha)
It was great to get this kind of insight from someone who did go through the process, even if it was 25 or so years ago. It was also interesting to hear him tell stories about what it's like from a physicality standpoint trying to transition from high school and JC to D1 football.
TL;DR - met a former college football player, said many big programs are very dirty, but said he hears nothing but good things about the way Notre Dame does things.
Anyways, we got to the topic of recruiting, and he openly came out to say that it was/is dirty, especially in the South. He mentioned that coming out of Jr. College a few schools were looking at him including some bigger B1G teams as well as some second tier SEC teams. He chose to venture to SEC land. During his recruitment the recruiter assured his family that he would be taken care of properly and needs would be met when needing to travel home. His father was told to read between the lines.
This former player gave some good insight about life as a football player. He said that after a home win the players would walk through a certain area on campus where everyone was located and would pass through the fans. While walking and conversing with these fans it was not uncommon for one of them to be a booster, and depending on the position the player was, his role in the win, and his popularity, a player could walk out of this with about $1000 in his pocket. As he said, "if teams weren't cheating, they weren't trying to win." However, he mentioned one program he had the utmost respect for because they didn't try this... Notre Dame.
He mentioned he had conversations with recruits who went to Notre Dame, and never once were they mentioned as a school that would employ bagmen. (Which most/all of us already knew, but still nice to hear this reassurance) He also told me how through those he knows in the game today Notre Dame still plays the right way, and that he thinks we are SO close to having it all come together. He mentioned bringing in a few recruits a la Holtz's days that don't meet standards and we would be set.
Interestingly he also mentioned Michigan as a clean(ish) school as of late. I took the way he said that as in relation to other schools, especially Ohio State (surprise surprise haha)
It was great to get this kind of insight from someone who did go through the process, even if it was 25 or so years ago. It was also interesting to hear him tell stories about what it's like from a physicality standpoint trying to transition from high school and JC to D1 football.
TL;DR - met a former college football player, said many big programs are very dirty, but said he hears nothing but good things about the way Notre Dame does things.
