Christilaw: Player’s heart just as important as talent
Oh, there are a few mandated times out to be taken, but with entire publications and websites dedicated to the subject it’s a year-around hot topic.
So it’s no surprise when college football coaches, in the midst of an exciting season, get asked about prospects – even though college coaches aren’t allowed to discuss prospects.
But football fans insist on asking, even when the answers start with the phrase “Well, I can’t comment on specifics …”
Washington State’s first-year outside linebackers coach Roy Manning was asked about recruiting prospects in Southern California when he met with the Spokane Cougar Club luncheon Monday. What he had to say was an interesting juxtaposition of the present and future.
For the future, the former University of Michigan linebacker said recruiting in the backyard of Southern Cal and UCLA is going quite well.
“We have some very exciting players committed to come to play football at Washington State,” Manning said. “Our philosophy is that we want the best athletes available and that’s who we’ve been going after.
“The excitement level out there is way up. Kids are reaching out to us – I can’t even clean out my email in box. I’m getting so many messages. ‘Hey, nice win!’ and ‘Go Cougs!’ But we’re also getting ‘Hey, have you seen this guy!’ and ‘You guys need to check this guy out!’ And that’s from kids who are already committed to UCLA!”
Manning explained that Washington State is going after the best of the best – or in his case, the best in the West. With an offense that makes heads spin and a defense on display during prime time in recent weeks, the Cougars under Mike Leach can compete for top talent.
“We’re going after the kids who are big and fast and have lots of fast-twitch muscles,” Manning said.
And they’re having plenty of success, steering recruits toward Pullman at an impressive rate.
A few moments later, Manning was asked about outside linebacker Parker Henry, a redshirt junior.
“This guy is a former walk-on,” Manning said. “I remember him sitting in meetings back in the spring talking about each player’s gifts and how they have to be willing to give every ounce of that gift to this team.
“I would say that he’s been the MVP of this team, but it’s hard to go against Luke Falk because he’s playing as well as anyone in the Pac-12 Conference right now. Parker is definitely the MVP of the Defense.”
Falk was named the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week for the fourth time in his young career as the Cougars quarterback.
And that means that Manning’s offensive and defensive MVPs both are former walk-ons – football players who paid their own way to Pullman to join the WSU football program.
Which prompts the question: Who makes the better recruit? The player who may not have the most talent but gives you every ounce of it every time they step on the field, or the stunningly talented player who gives you enough to succeed?
The coaching parable goes like this: You have two sprinters to choose from who run identical times, one who runs with perfect technique and one who, well, doesn’t. Which do you recruit?
In the modern world, you probably try to get both, but the correct answer is to recruit the sprinter with flawed technique because, if you teach them proper technique, they will likely be the faster of the two.
Maybe it’s the fact that Washington State fans have had to console themselves with great stories about players like Falk and Henry, as well as Cougar greats like Jason Hansen, Hall of Fame inductee Geoff Reece and 10-year NFL veteran Cory Withrow – all of them walk-on players who showed up on their own dime, earned a scholarship while wearing crimson and gray before going on to lengthy professional football careers.
There will always be the occasional surprise player, and the coach who stakes his reputation on finding a team full of Rudys and underdogs will quickly be out of a job.
The new era looks like it will no doubt be filled of heart-warming stories and success.
Because with success, with a new era, comes a new narrative.