While many of the current Nittany Lions say no one should take too much out of the Blue-White game, recruits aren't always so casual in their approach to the Penn State football team's end-of-spring scrimmage.
For some of the more promising players, the college recruiting process unofficially begins before the athlete reaches high school, while some of the lesser-known players rely on a process of self-promotion. It's all part of a big crapshoot that can take many forms and several twists and turns before a player signs a binding letter of intent.
One of the most influential times in the recruiting process is the spring before a player's senior year in high school, which includes a university's spring game. What once was merely the final scrimmage in a brief spring practice period has now taken on a life of its own.
In the wake of Saturday's scrimmage before several thousand spectators at Beaver Stadium, Penn State got verbal commitments from two potential offensive linemen in the 2004 recruiting class -- Shenandoah Valley High School's Greg Harrison and Cumberland Valley High School's Wyatt Bowman. Chazz Lynn, a 5-foot-11 defensive back from Wayne Hills High School in Wayne, N.J., is another Penn State target for the class of 2004 and was in Happy Valley last weekend. While he says he is far from making his decision just yet, the attention has been a welcome addition to the routine.
"It's just fun to come home from school and open up letters from different colleges," Lynn said. "It's pretty enjoyable so far."
One of the most famed backs ever to wear Blue and White, Ki-Jana Carter was also among the several thousand fans to watch the weekend's game. After redshirting in 1991, his freshman year at Penn State, Carter went on to start at tailback for three years and was selected first overall by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 1995 NFL Draft. While his career as the Lions' tailback concluded with his runner-up finish in the 1994 Heisman Trophy balloting, Carter said the first few years on campus are tough. Perhaps the most difficult change, he said, is the transition from superstar to practice-squad player that comes with the promotion to the collegiate ranks.
"It's a humbling experience and it's harder for some guys than for others," Carter said. "It depends on how you handle it mentally because you were the man and now you're just a baby and you've got to start all over again."
He also said while the attention can be nice at first, it starts to become a distraction as signing day draws ever closer. From alumni to fans to friends and family, everyone has a specific agenda and will try to influence your decision, Carter said. The decision, however, should ultimately be the athlete's.
"The first thing is to stay down to earth," Carter said. "Don't get caught up in the prestige of certain schools. I went where I was going to be happy because you've got to spend four years there and you don't want to be miserable."
Offensive lineman Joel Holler from McCaskey High School in Lancaster came to State College last weekend to preview his teammates for next season and to keep in touch with the program. One of the most highly touted offensive lineman in the class of 2003, Holler emphasized the importance of the first impression on an athlete and said the feeling a player gets coming to a campus is something that weighs greatly in the decision.
"It was mostly the feeling I got when I came here," Holler said. "You only have one first impression, so it better be good."
In the months from now until next February, when the stars of tomorrow sign their letters of intent, the recruits of the class of 2004 will travel across the country, schmooze with high-profile alumni, and hear an endless stream of compliments. It's all part of the endless recruiting dance, in which the littlest steps can make the difference.
