Years ago, once when famed Alabama football coach Bear Bryant was reflecting on his success, he spit a fleck of tobacco off his tongue and summed it up with a laugh, “Aw, all it boils down to is being able to talk an 18-year-old into making a decision in 15 minutes.” Since then, college recruiting has reached the point the University of Tennessee now budgets $2.3 million a year for football recruiting alone.
That said, I still don’t get all jumpy about what a bunch of high school seniors decide because a quick check after Wednesday’s national signing day will show at least nine SEC schools on most of the “Top 25” lists and the truth is nobody will know for sure until four years from now.
I do enjoy the stories that come after the top prospects sign because I’d hate to have to choose between the top programs in the country. For instance, the University of Georgia finally got the signature of Josh Harvey-Clemmons on Thursday and – believe it or not – a visit to the jailhouse in Valdosta might well have been the deciding factor in the Bulldogs landing the strapping 6-5, 200-pound athlete who most experts regard as the best player in the state.
Now it isn’t as bad as you may think, especially since the visit actually started at a Wednesday night prayer service. Both of the new Bulldog recruit’s parents are deceased and Josh’s grandfather, Woodrow Clemons, has done a sterling job in raising the Lowndes High School star the right way.
Woodrow, who is very active with his family at the Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, had already introduced Florida football coach Will Muschamp to the church’s deacons and, after the Gator coach had spoken in the church, the rumor was strong the grandfather, who is officially Josh’s guardian, hoped the star player would to go to Gainesville, Fla., instead of Athens.
So it was late in the drama when Richt, a committed Christian, got an invitation to the Wednesday night service and things were going smoothing until grandfather, who also happens to own a bail bondsman company, got an emergency call that three “clients” needed to be sprung from the lock-up. Well, the superstar and his sister are also bail bondsmen and the elder Clemons dispatched the two in his place.
After all, Coach Richt was the church’s guest. Soon the grandfather’s phone rang again – Josh’s sister had left her ID in her purse at the church – so the Georgia coach (who wanted more time with Josh to steer him away from Florida) quickly volunteered to miss 30 minutes of the Bible study and deliver the ID.
Woodrow, the grandfather, explained the situation to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “My kids are at an age where they have to work or do something. They’ve got to start learning about the real world. And with them being bond agents, they can pick up the fear of going to jail. Josh understood he had to do this. I own a business and one day Josh will own part of it, so he knows the responsibilities that come with it. It definitely beats working at Walmart or a hamburger joint.”
When Wednesday arrived this week, the grandfather was still thinking Gators but Josh was steadfast in his desire to play for Richt so, much to the chagrin of the Bulldog Nation, Josh Harvey-Clemons didn’t sign with either school. Instead, he had a lengthy pow-wow with the extended Clemons family deep into the night. The family talked about both schools, both programs and weighed each one’s advantages.
Yes, Florida’s campus is closer but, when it came down to it, Josh said, “I just had to sit down with my family and get them on the same page. I’ve got a cousin who still plays at Lowndes and my little brother is going to be in high school next year … Georgia’s a little farther away but I told (everybody) that was where I really wanted to go so everything worked out.”
Even down to the part where Mark Richt, who thought he’d now seen darn-near everything, had to make his most fervent plea at the jailhouse in Valdosta.