"Inside the Red River Recruiting Rivalry"

LUFKIN, Tex. — This college football season ended with Oklahoma and Texas once again demonstrating the intensity of their rivalry. The teams and their fans lobbied hard for the precious Bowl Championship Series points that would ultimately clear a path for the Sooners to compete for the national title against Florida.
But there is one place where the tension between these programs has long
run even deeper: on the recruiting trail. And while the debate unfolded over the teams, another battle quietly raged in this quaint East Texas town.
The fight was over Jamarkus McFarland, a 6-foot-3, 290-pound defensive tackle from Lufkin High School who is considered the state’s best defensive prospect this year and one of the nation’s most promising players. He is also a top student and the president of his class.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/26/sports/ncaafootball/26recruit.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=sports
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I ran across this story in the Richie Justice blog, Chron reporter.
Very good read.

I read it a few days ago... it's very intriguing.

In the end, Mack Brown did the right thing by backing off - but the player's stupid moron mother took that as an insult.

As someone totally alien to the process it always astonishes me to read tales of the recruiting process. The lengths that the colleges will go to in order to entice athletes towards their colleges is quite crazy. How many top prospects would decide that they fancied going to a college that would jeopardise their NFL chances through parties with **** loads of drugs and alcohol availible. I know that goes on at every college in the world, but seriously, if I was looking to make a career through my body, I'd stay the hell away from any college that looks like they're going to try to push me down the wrong path...

the mother sounds like a nut case - let your son make the choice which would have removed all the pressure in making the decision (e.g. him crying) and just be happy that all these great programs want to recruit your son.

Another J-TRAIN Lufikin player

They are not known for making good decisions.

mattieuk said:

As someone totally alien to the process it always astonishes me to read tales of the recruiting process. The lengths that the colleges will go to in order to entice athletes towards their colleges is quite crazy. How many top prospects would decide that they fancied going to a college that would jeopardise their NFL chances through parties with **** loads of drugs and alcohol availible. I know that goes on at every college in the world, but seriously, if I was looking to make a career through my body, I'd stay the hell away from any college that looks like they're going to try to push me down the wrong path...

Click to expand...

Unfortunately, we're not too mature in college. UT, Florida Schools, USC, Ohio State, and especially Wisconsin are big party schools and attract top athletes.