interesting read on how Scott came to his decision.
basically, applewhite to RB coach was the reason he went to CU.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/07/sports/ncaafootball/07preps.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
in case it requires a login:
<nyt_headline version="1.0" type=" "> A Prize Recruit’s Thinking Cap </nyt_headline>
Marissa Roth for the New York Times
Darrell Scott, one of the top college football prospects in the country, and his mother, Alexis Scott, considered the pros and cons of different schools.
More Photos >
ANAHEIM, Calif. — In a nearly empty ESPN Zone restaurant here Wednesday morning, Darrell Scott, who is considered the nation’s top high school running back, ended the recruiting drama that had gathered for months around his college choice.
He dressed in a three-piece, single-breasted, light-brown suit with a pale-blue shirt that he purchased Saturday. He wore diamond stud earrings, and he put on the cap of his chosen team, the
University of Colorado.
“It’s a great fit,” he said. “I’m excited to be a Buff.”
The decision to play for the Buffaloes did not come easily. Although Scott announced it Wednesday morning as part of national signing day, his choice had come a day and a half earlier during a grueling discussion at a dining room table in his family’s town house in Oxnard, Calif.
The interest in his recruitment was so intense that he did not attend his classes at St. Bonaventure High School in Ventura on Tuesday to avoid reporters.
“I’m relieved,” he said more than an hour after faxing his letter of intent to Colorado. “Now I understand what people talk about. It really gets intense at the end.”
Scott gave The New York Times a look at a recruit’s thought process by inviting a reporter to witness his final private discussion about the programs seeking his services: Colorado, Texas, U.C.L.A. and Louisiana State. The 75-minute conversation in the town house included an assessment of the teams, the pleading of a Texas recruiter, the elation of a Colorado coach and a surprise text message from a star quarterback.
Scott is viewed as a recruiting prize. At 6 feet 2 inches and 215 pounds, he has been clocked at 4.4 seconds for the 40-yard dash. He rushed for 2,443 yards and 33 touchdowns on just 275 carries this season. His decision gives Colorado Coach Dan Hawkins a signature recruit to continue building around. In two seasons at Colorado, Hawkins has worked to overcome scars left by past off-field scandals.
Alexis Scott sat down with her son at 7 p.m. Monday. She held four 3-by-5 note cards and a lime green ink pen as a purple candle flickered on the table. She wrote Texas, Colorado, U.C.L.A. and Louisiana State on the cards.
“We’ll do the pros and cons of each school, and then we’ll go from there,” Scott told his mother.
In the minds of many, Texas was the favorite. Scott had made official visits only to Texas and Colorado, and he had privately committed to the Longhorns two weeks ago.
The discussion started with Louisiana State. He cited Coach Les Miles, the running backs coach Larry Porter and last month’s national championship as positives. But he said the Tigers had not spent enough time recruiting him. Scott also worried about the potential culture shock of moving to Baton Rouge. After two minutes, he eliminated L.S.U. from consideration.
Scott then focused on Texas.
“I like the area,” he said. “I like the atmosphere, the fans, everything. The coaching staff.”
But both mother and son also had concerns.
On Jan. 9, the Texas running backs coach, Ken Rucker, became the team’s director of high school relations and player development. He had 21 years of experience as a running backs coach in college. Three weeks before signing day, Major Applewhite, a former Longhorns quarterback, was hired as the new assistant head coach and running backs coach. He had been Alabama’s offensive coordinator.
Although Scott had been recruited by Bobby Kennedy, the Texas wide receivers coach, he told his mother that the change of running backs coaches worried him. He said he had made his private commitment without considering the potential impact of the change.
“I was just thinking about other things,” he said Wednesday. “But the more time I thought about it, the more it scared me.”
Scott pressed on, mentioning the Longhorns’ commitment to running the ball. He spoke fondly of Coach Mack Brown. He cited the program’s national prominence.
His mother then asked him about U.C.L.A., the only local program under consideration. She said Scott had been somewhat impressed with the university, which hired Coach Rick Neuheisel in late December.
“But there’s no time,” Scott said. “I don’t know any of them. Mom, there’s two days. Come on. It’s a little bit too late.”
Conversation turned to Colorado. Scott mentioned that he had a two-year relationship with the team’s running backs coach, Darian Hagan. He also said his uncle, the rising sophomore wide receiver Josh Smith, played for the Buffaloes. This caused Scott’s mother to raise her eyebrows.
“I know, but it’s a big thing,” Scott said. “I mean, family comes first.”
Soon his mother’s cellphone rang. It was Kennedy calling from Texas. Scott told him he would call back.
His mother then asked him about Hawkins, Colorado’s innovative head coach.
“He’s a good man,” Scott said. “I don’t know how to put him into words. He has a vision for that school.”
They shared a concern about Colorado’s weather, but Scott assured his mother that the Buffaloes had an indoor practice facility. He cited the rush-oriented offense and the depth chart, which appears to give him a chance to play as a freshman.
After 15 minutes, Scott declared that Texas and Colorado were his finalists. He revisited his concern about Applewhite’s experience with running backs and said he did not want to attend a university where he did not know the position coach.
“I do need to learn from somebody,” Scott said. “I do need to know how to actually do footwork and everything.”
When the starting Texas tailback Jamaal Charles declared for the N.F.L. draft on Jan. 2, Scott said he was “locked” to play for the Longhorns. But that began to change even though Kennedy and Rucker visited later in January and informed him of the staff change.
Alexis Scott acknowledged that the move had significantly hurt the
program’s standing with her son. Still, she asked him if he thought it was a risk to attend Colorado, which went 6-7 last season. After nearly 25 minutes, Scott told her that Colorado was his leader. Less than two minutes later, he said he had decided.
“I want to be part of a team going back to glory,” he said.
Scott called Hagan. Scott’s girlfriend, Brooke Calcagno, who had been sitting in the living room without saying a word during the discussion, asked him to put the call on speakerphone.
When Hagan answered, Scott delivered his news: “Yeah, it’s official. D-Scott is a Buff.”
Hagan paused and replied, “Hey, hey.” He added: “I pictured this, man. Glad you’re in the family.”
Scott then called Hawkins, who did not answer, before calling Kennedy and sharing his decision. As they talked for 25 minutes, Scott twirled a business card from Kennedy while Kennedy tried to sway him.
Kennedy reminded Scott that Applewhite had called him but that Scott had not returned the calls.
Kennedy said Texas would call more running plays out of the I-formation and that Scott could win the Heisman Trophy. Kennedy implored Scott to trust him and encouraged him to put his faith in his decision with God.
When Scott eventually said he was no longer leaning toward Texas because of the coaching change, Kennedy said he was disappointed and baffled.
“Texas isn’t the spot for me because of that move,” Scott said. “That’s it.”
The words seemed to leave Kennedy speechless.
“All right, Coach,” Scott said. “I’m sorry.”
After Scott hung up, his mother asked again if he was sure about Colorado.
“Yeah,” he said. “That was pretty tough, Mom.”
Five minutes later, Scott talked to Hawkins. He told his new coach, “Darrell is a Buff.”
Hawkins replied, “Are you sure?”
Scott answered, “100 percent sure.”
The drama did not end there.
Later Monday night, Scott received a text message from Southern California quarterback Mark Sanchez saying, “Hey, give me a call A.S.A.P.” Scott did not respond.
On Tuesday, Kennedy called Scott, but he did not answer. Scott did, however, return a telephone call from Texas tight end Blaine Irby, a former teammate at St. Bonaventure.
Rumors circulated Wednesday morning that Scott had picked Colorado because his mother was accepting a bank job there. Alexis Scott, who manages an obstetrics and gynecology practice, said: “That’s crazy. I’ve never even worked at a bank.”
Scott said he doubted his mother would move to Colorado.
Less than an hour before his announcement, he received another text message, from Texas quarterback Colt McCoy. It said: “Call or text me, man. It’s Colt.”
It was further proof that recruiting does not end until a player picks a cap.
