[thepostman]

Hey guys I had heard a rumor he at one time was thinking of signing here. I was telling a friend about this rumor and he didn't believe me. I don't remember if it was someone here, or somewhere else or maybe I am just losing my mind. If somebody could fill in the gaps here and maybe provide a link or something for proof...but then again i may be just crazy, which of course is possible

[Sly Fox]

We were chasing him. He's the type of athlete would love to start landing ... the super blue chip who is a strong believer.

[thepostman]

so was he ever considering or were we just chasing him??

and you are right it would be nice to start landing players like him....in time i am sure it will happen..this friend of mine who i was telling is an LU student but his attitude about LU in general confuses me so much. I am often asking him why he stayed 4 years at Liberty and now he is thinking of Seminary...I just scratch my head all the time...but that is not the point, he just doesn't believe liberty could ever or will ever produce a decent athletic department, i for one disagree, the school has only been around since 1971...so young as far as colleges go

[Sly Fox]

Apparently our staff was led to believe early on that he was seriously given us consideration despite offers from nearly every major program in the country. But when he narrowed down his final choices we didn't make the cut.

[thepostman]

I see, thats what i thought...I had heard or read somewhere that he was thinking about liberty then during his senior season got more interest from schools like Florida and Alabama and decided on Florida....glad to know i wasn't going crazy...thanks for the info

[Rocketfan]

Geez, i didn't know about this......now i am left to wonder....IF Rocco were already here as coach ( as i am assuming his was not at the time Tebow was looking at us) would we have at least made the final cut or possibly landed him? That kind of talent would be amazing.

[Sly Fox]

This was during the Karcher era but I sincerely doubt it would've made much difference which staff was makign a run at him. Once he started making his official visits and the bigtime schools started putting ont he show for him, its tough for us to compete. Remember these are 16- & 17-year-old boys we are talking about here. I'm sure the Gators & the Tide (and all the rest) made a big deal about how he could grow spiritually at their schools through FCA, BSF and other organizations. But it certainly didn't help that while he was narrowing down his choices we were getting drilled every week by a different school. It'd be much easier for us to land one of these big fish now coming off a winning record and with the enthusiasm we are building on campus with our vastly improved facilities.

[TallyW]

I've heard a bunch of stuff this week about how terrible Miami's facilities are... I wonder if that's one of the big things we can do to get the blue chip athelete... continue improving every aspect of our atheletic facilities to make the players experience here rival that of any major school?

I know we'll always have to work around/with the LU policies but big time believers will come if we can show they will get the benefits and national attention (flames tv being improved?) that they'd get at a 25th-50th ranked Bowl Division program

My speculation is not including the top 2-3 of each major conference... I'm talking about the average major school. Just thinking out loud.

Personally I'd like to see us improve the facilities each year and work towards a national television package for our two major programs. Get a quality national showcase of our sports using INSP or purchasing time like the 700 club does.... Heck, it could even start with a Coaches show. It would help recuritment of atheletes as well as the student body.

[flameshaw]

It is my understanding that Tebow wanted to come to LU. He was being coached in HS by a LU alum ,he contacted Karcher, but Karcher was not interested. I was told second hand that this was a done deal, we didn't do our job on this one. This is not the only time either. Another kid, son of a former LU player, wanted to come to LU had offers from several 1A schools, and we refused to recruit him. He eventually signed with Duke and is currently on their team. His older son wanted to come to LU, but we didn't recruit him and he ended up being a defensive captain for VMI's defense. Jerry has recently been told about these gufaws by the kids dad. Don't think this will happen again with Rocco on board.

For some reason this seems to be a reccuring problem with LU coaches. UNC's best pitcher last year, pitched in the college world series, wanted to come to LU. He went to a small christian school in Charlotte, NC. A pro scout called our baseball coach and told him about the kid, our coach said he wanted kids who had played against better competition, so the kid went to Carolina. Have 1st hand knowledge of this one. This kid will be drafted in the top ten, possibly #1 when he is eligible.

Finally, before Mt. Zion in Durham NC was on the map, (Sherrod Williams, Tracy McGrady and many other D1 players attended there), Meyers and Dunton were both contacted by a good friend of mine, who is also a LU alum, and had an inside track there with the coach. They couldn't be bothered to make the trip to Durham. So my friend and I were in the stands with Phil Ford and several other D1 coaches watching these kids play and JM and RD were in Lynchburg doing whatever they were doing at the time. I know for a fact we could have gotten some of these kids, but we weren't interested. Most of these kids were good citizens as well.

Hopefully these things will not repeat themselves again, but who knows. I am sure these are not the only incidences of their kind.

[Ed Dantes]

Finally, before Mt. Zion in Durham NC was on the map, (Sherrod Williams, Tracy McGrady and many other D1 players attended there), Meyers and Dunton were both contacted by a good friend of mine, who is also a LU alum, and had an inside track there with the coach. They couldn't be bothered to make the trip to Durham. So my friend and I were in the stands with Phil Ford and several other D1 coaches watching these kids play and JM and RD were in Lynchburg doing whatever they were doing at the time. I know for a fact we could have gotten some of these kids, but we weren't interested. Most of these kids were good citizens as well.

Hopefully these things will not repeat themselves again, but who knows. I am sure these are not the only incidences of their kind.

Uhhh, regarding Mt. Zion: Dunton's first recruiting class brought in the #3 leading scorer at Mt. Zion, a guy named Norman Simmons. The only reason we wanted the #3 scorer is because we wanted the #2 scorer (who we didn't wind up getting). Simmons was a complete disaster, and even got into a fight with one of his teammates at the tail end of his first (and only) season. Can't blame Dunton for not being thrilled at making that mistake again.

[bigsmooth]

nice info flameshaw. i know we have missed out on a lot, but this happens at other schools too. but agreed if a kid says he wants to be at liberty and he is a true fit, then we need to do our job.

[flameshaw]

Finally, before Mt. Zion in Durham NC was on the map, (Sherrod Williams, Tracy McGrady and many other D1 players attended there), Meyers and Dunton were both contacted by a good friend of mine, who is also a LU alum, and had an inside track there with the coach. They couldn't be bothered to make the trip to Durham. So my friend and I were in the stands with Phil Ford and several other D1 coaches watching these kids play and JM and RD were in Lynchburg doing whatever they were doing at the time. I know for a fact we could have gotten some of these kids, but we weren't interested. Most of these kids were good citizens as well.

Hopefully these things will not repeat themselves again, but who knows. I am sure these are not the only incidences of their kind.

Uhhh, regarding Mt. Zion: Dunton's first recruiting class brought in the #3 leading scorer at Mt. Zion, a guy named Norman Simmons. The only reason we wanted the #3 scorer is because we wanted the #2 scorer (who we didn't wind up getting). Simmons was a complete disaster, and even got into a fight with one of his teammates at the tail end of his first (and only) season. Can't blame Dunton for not being thrilled at making that mistake again.

I am talking about a time before this. JM was still the head coach, Mt. Zion was just hitting the radar screen and we could have had our pick of players and possibly created a pipeline, but we will never know. Normally if I have a bad meal at a restaurant, I will give it one more try before totally writing it off. Besides if we don't ever go back after a bad experience, we will run out of schools to recruit eventually.

No HC will ever read every kid right, just like I have hired some bad employees, but you try to put the odds in your favor.

[PeterParker]

nice info flameshaw. i know we have missed out on a lot, but this happens at other schools too. but agreed if a kid says he wants to be at liberty and he is a true fit, then we need to do our job.

The only thing is that LU doesn't have the luxury or margin of error to be missing recruits like that, because LU, with some of its current student life policies in place, already has a limited pool of players from which to recruit. If LU can actually compete on the national scene, success will beget success, and eventually they might be able to consistently draw the blue chip recruit who is a christian as well. (i.e. the expose on the role of faith of a lot of the guys in the final four last year--in an ideal situation, LU should be first choice for these guys, just as Notre Dame football is for all catholic football players nationwide and for most non-catholic football players in Indiana and the surrounding area.


People are attracted to success, so there will be trailblazing by the likes of a Blair, Gado, Feenstra to help the programs get to that point and then there are those who will come after the pioneering has been done. Also, first rate facilities (insert awe factor here) will help tip the scales in LU's favor along with a winning tradition on the national scene (insert Notre Dame model here) as well as relaxing of some of the more "control-for-control's sake" student life aspects (hair code et al, and the ones LU constantly gets lampooned on by the general public and on alot of message boards.) Just my $.02.


Think about this, even if LU could only land 60 of the top ranked football players, 12 of the top ranked basketball players and 18 of the top soccer players from the Private faith-based high schools, LU would be able to field very competitive teams even in the D1BS, March Madness and College Cup. Presently, most of the top Private Faith-based high school recruits are opting for greener pastures at the more famous and successful programs. LU needs to set itself up to be the "greener pasture."

Edited to reflect land instead of merely recruit

[flameshaw]

I am not sure the rules are the MAJOR problem in getting the kids you are speaking of, from faith baseed schools. We need some more national exposure like the WBB team got a couple of years ago going to the Sweet 16. I think we will get it soon in football, but we need the other sports to step up and that is not easy to do. Of the major sports, I just don't see it happening in MBB and Baseball anytime soon.

[Purple Haize]

ONe problem with that theory is that back in the JM/RD or RD/JM days LU hosted several "all - star team" tournaments. We had several top high school teams from the area (MD,VA, NC, SC) come up and play. We also did the same for Christian schools. It was held on back to back weekends. It WAS a great recruiting tool. (Plus gave me an excuse to drive up and see the future Mrs Purple on "business) So these types of players we DID go after. As for rumors, remember we also "supposedly" had the inside track on some guy named Webber. But I think he went to Michigan or something. I'll have to take some "time" to remember his first name!!

[Sly Fox]

We couldnt afford the Fab Five guys. They were all compensated VERY well (hence their records being stricken by NCAA). Don't hold that knucklehead against us.

[PeterParker]

Okay, so instead of recruit, let the record show: land the top ranked private faith based recruits.

[PeterParker]

Update: Tebow seems to be doing well this year for Florida...He's become something of a pop-phenomenon down there in Gainesville.


1. http://www.tebowzone.com/about/

Before the 2007 season a reporter had asked Tebow how much he was benching, the response was “They [the training staff] never let me go over four, so . . .” The strength coaches have been limiting Tebow to only four-hundred pounds so that he won’t lose flexibility. [for a QB]

According to SI, there’s a new #1 candidate for the Heisman trophy. Our boy Timmy Tebow! Here’s what they had to say:

He’s versatile. He’s tough. And now he’s No. 1. Think about this: On Saturday he almost matched the rushing yardage of Arkansas’ Darren McFadden (173) and the passing yardage of Kentucky’s Andre’ Woodson (265). Most impressively though, when the Gators needed to run out the clock against the Rebels, it was Tebow pounding the line with 12 carries in Florida’s final two possessions.

2. http://www.athlonsports.com/college-foo ... -tim-tebow

Still, every Tebow throw from now until he graduates will be dissected like the Zapruder film. Tebow was a cult hero before he arrived on campus in January 2006. When he crashed through the left side of the line to gain two yards on fourth-and-one in the fourth quarter at Tennessee on Sept. 16, he morphed into a genuine cultural phenomenon. Fans launched Web sites and printed T-shirts (Tim Tebow is My Homeboy) to praise the home-schooled evangelist’s son who would help deliver the Gators back to college football’s Promised Land. But that was when Tebow was the backup to Chris Leak, who, with considerable help from Tebow, did lead the Gators back to college football’s Promised Land...

...Florida offensive tackle Jason Watkins said this of Tebow in October 2006: “I haven’t seen anybody like that. That’s not a regular person. Something is wrong with him. It’s something in his genes.” Watkins, of course, means “wrong” in the nicest possible way, but he’s dead on about the genes. Tebow’s father, Bob, confirms that basketball games involving Tim and his two brothers typically devolve into wrestling matches. “There are no fouls in our family games,” says the man who runs a mission that annually exports Americans to preach the gospel in the Philippines.

3. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 02653.html

"He has the desire in him that he wants to be great. He understands he's a good college runner but his focus, 100 percent, [in preparing for the season] has been staying in the pocket, making throws and making the right reads to become a great player."

Tebow threw for 9,940 yards and 95 touchdowns as a three-year starter at Nease High School, one of Florida's preeminent prep football programs, and he holds the Florida state record for passing yards in a season (4,286) from his junior year as well...

...But Tebow learned he didn't want to be a one-trick pony either. In the off-season, Mullen worked on Tebow's throwing motion, enabling the Jacksonville, Fla., native to get the ball out of his hand faster and with a little more zip.

Mullen wanted to break a few "erratic" habits of Tebow's and have him focus on improving his balance and throw the ball downfield rather than muscle it toward a receiver.