Media Savvy
Signing Day Ends Journey
By Andrew Stockey

Signing Day.

Welcome to the realization of a life-long dream – or the culmination of a yearlong nightmare for the best and brightest of high school football. Both descriptions are valid when describing a process that very few of us will ever know – unless we happened to parent a Heisman Trophy candidate.

For the past decade, I have had the opportunity to watch many young men undergo the recruiting process. Some have survived and thrived. Others have been overwhelmed and overcome. Some have lived up the hype – often created without their consent or help – while others have failed to match their credentials.

Recruiting is a unique institution. It turns even the most respected of collegiate coaches into wallflowers at a dance, hoping the prettiest girl at the prom will pick them out of a crowd of other suitors. It gives young men tremendous power. On the other end, these kids receive a volume of phone calls that would overwhelm the father of a high school homecoming queen. It has become an obsession for enthusiastic boosters and an industry for those who publish recruiting reports and scouting sheets.

Is this a condemnation of this exercise, which can be – at times – excessive? Heck, no. Hey, I'm a television sportscaster. This is my livelihood and even my station, WTAE-TV, makes signing day as significant as WPIAL championship Saturday. But, I'm still floored at the amount of interest in recruiting and I am awed by the way some of these athletes handle the pressure, the phone calls and the constant questioning.

Before I came to Pittsburgh, I worked in Mobile, Ala. One might think some town in Alabama would be small time when it comes to college football, but there must have been something in the Gulf waters. Each year, this area – with no more than 30 high schools – produces NFL-caliber players. When I was working there, Steelers quarterback Tee Martin was a sophomore at Williamson High School.

Mobile was not small-time in its talent or its passion towards recruiting.

My office was flooded with phone calls daily wondering which direction players were "leaning." This would go on from the end of the high school season to signing day in February. In state rivals, Alabama and Auburn, fueled the passions there. Picking one school could alienate a young man from friends and even families.

Think Pittsburgh is solely a pro football town? Let me take you back about three years ago – to the recruitment of Rod Rutherford. I remember seeing Rod as a sophomore and remembering how impressive a player he was. Not just athletically, but the whole package. He had the brains to go with the brawn and this City League player became the hottest commodity in the recruiting wars between the emerging program at Pittsburgh and the tradition of Penn State. Rod probably got advice and pressure from both sides.

Finally, signing day arrives and – before a live TV audience – Rod decided to stay home and go to Pitt. This, despite a visit that morning from none other than Penn State Joe Paterno.

So now that you know the nightmare the recruiting game can be for the young men involved, how do they handle it?

Remember that athletes get one shot at this and then must live with the decision and the consequences for the next four years. Tyler Palko of West Allegheny made his decision early in the season – allowing him to fully enjoy his senior year without the decision hanging over his every move. Of course, Palko also has the benefit of a father, Bob who is also his coach. The area's other great quarterback is Steve Breaston of Woodland Hills. His quickness and fleetness of foot has put him at the top of almost every college coach's wish list. Steve chose a different route. He wouldn't discuss what college's he visited. Then he finally announced in late January, he would attend Michigan.

Recruiting is the lifeblood – as they say – of every college football program. But it can also be the event that raises the blood pressure of any high school athlete. But there is light at the end of the tunnel. It is signing day, the end of the long hard journey. It's the end of phone calls from the programs and the press. It's the end of sleepless nights and fully-scheduled days. It's also the realization of the dream of anyone who has ever played high school football – to have one's athletic talents pay for your college tuition and take this heavy burden off your family.

I hope that now – as fans – you realize until signing day arrives how many young men go through in selecting the college of their choice. I hope that all the young men who sign their letters of intent enjoy the day. Take pride in surviving the rigors of recruiting.

I have seen some 250-plus pound young men well up with tears as soon as the put pen to paper. Tears of joy? Yes, but probably tears of relief as well.