We Have a Recruit!
Special thanks go to the folks over at Ivy Sports Board, particularly the splendid poster "Asia Sunset" who has alerted us all to the following recruit. (He sounds promising, but of course recruits always sound promising):
Columbia is the right place for West Catholic's Holloway
By TED SILARY
silaryt@phillynews.com
It's luck if no true work is involved.
It's achievement when the reasons for success are nonstop dedication and total focus.
Last month, Marc Holloway's sterling play at linebacker helped West Catholic end years of frustration and capture the Catholic Blue football championship. This month, he has finalized plans to attend Columbia.
Does it get any better for a young man with hopes and dreams and, more importantly, the drive and family/school support to make them come true?
The 6-1, 220-pound Holloway, a first-team Daily News All-City selection, also gave heavy consideration to Penn, Brown, Cornell and Georgetown.
"On my visit to Columbia," he said, "I felt like the atmosphere was not too far different from what I'm experiencing at West Catholic. I realize I probably won't be playing football [beyond college] and the opportunities for people attending a college like Columbia in a city like New York are second to none. They don't come around too often. I felt it was where I needed to be.
"I did visit Penn and I liked it. But I want to grow up some more and experience life outside of this city."
As much as his visit meant, the immediate aftermath impressed Holloway even more. A few days later he had surgery to correct a shoulder injury he had suffered at the start of his season.
"I just played through it all this time," he said simply.
"The Columbia people were in steady contact. They showed they were really concerned with how I was feeling. I'm not just a football recruit. They have an interest in my character and the person I am."
That person plans to major in economics, with an eye on law.
"They have people whose job is to help the students get jobs and internships," Holloway said. "I also met with faculty members. I didn't sense any of the stereotypical, nose-in-the-air Ivy thing. They're accepting of everyone. All they care about is helping everyone do better."
On a sadder note, one of the members of Columbia's sterling 1945 team that went 8-1 has died. Bob Bowers served in the Navy in World War II before becoming a letter-winner for the Lions. His obituary is here: Bowers Obit
Sole Success
Head Coach Norries Wilson is featured in a piece the Minneapolis Star-Tribune published earlier this week on the lack of success for a NCAA program launched three years ago to help black assistant coaches get head coaching jobs. Of the ten minority assistants who started in the program in 2004, only Wilson is now a head coach. You can read the entire article here: Minority Coaches
One That Got Away
Colorado's freshman All-America punter Matt DiLallo is featured in his hometown Florida newspaper this week. In the article, we learn that he was heavily recruited by Columbia before choosing the Buffalo's. I have a feeling the presence of Jon Rocholl may have discouraged him from signing with the Lions. We'll see whether it's Rocholl or DiLallo, (or neither), who makes the NFL. Here's his story: Lost Recruit
Garrett Watch
One of Columbia's most famous turncoats, Jason Garrett, might get a job on Nick Saban's staff at the University of Alabama. Here's a tip for you Jason: when going out to lunch with your possible new boss, DON'T even THINK of picking up the check; he can afford it, believe me. Here's the story: Garrett to 'Bama?
Right Turns
"Lost" and "We are Marshall" co-star Matt Fox was featured in the Richmond Times-Dispatch and we talked a little about his experience as a Columbia football player and how he spurned a career in finance:
"We Are Marshall" afforded Fox the opportunity to get back on the football field. He was a wide receiver in college, first with the junior varsity (because freshmen were not then allowed on the varsity team) and then with the varsity. It was not a happy time for Columbia football.
You can read the whole article here: Matt Fox
AND THE COLUMBIA MVP'S OF THE DECADE nomination process has begun! Thanks to those of you who have made your picks. Let's keep it up!
And I still want your Baker Field pictures. Send 'em to novak.jake@gmail.com
posted by Jake @ 9:32:00 PM
9 comments
9 Comments:
Jason Garrett was not really a turncoat. He left with his brothers when their father was fired as head coach because of some remarks about the team. The Garrett boys just about had to leave, possibly because of father's pressure.
I know... you can't really blame Jason, John and Judd, but it really stung just the same. Their dad was really nuts.
So much so that Al Paul had to attend every practice to make sure that Garrett didn't become unhinged. John had already been at Columbia when his father was hired. Jason transferred from Princeton (where he played freshman ball)and Judd enrolled as a freshman. The father actively sought the job. He ran up a 17 to 0 lead in his first game (Harvard),and then went crazy when Harvard scored 41 unanswered points.
"My staff got pretty excited when they saw the Minnesota job had opened," he said. "I think a couple of them got a little too excited, and thought we were headed to Minnesota. But when I didn't hear anything, I had to have a staff meeting and say, 'Listen, we're not going to Minnesota.' Their heads dropped a little."
Say it ain't so Jake. How could he tell that to a newspaper, even in jest?
Jake, this is the type of stuff that Penn will use against us in trying to unhook our recruits. I can hear Bags now: "Wilson is a good young coach but he will not be around for four years. This is just a stepping stone for him." Use your influence to get Wilson to say it was all in jest, that he loves Columbia, that he is not Glen Miller, and that he hopes to be our coach through at least 10 Ivy championships!
Several of the players have read the article and are very upset about it because they really bought into the program, as asked. They'd walk through a brick wall for Norries. Now to hear that their leaders are ready to pack their bags at a moment's notice just doesn't digest well. The coaches must call a team meeting immediately and explain themselves. This is a top priority!
Let's call time out here for a second. The Minnesota job has been filled, Norries didn't apply for it when it was open, and everyone is sticking around. Any lingering controversy about this is crazy or the work of secret Penn agent provocateurs. If there are any players really worrying or angry about this, I would suggest they save their anger and zeal for the opposing Ivy teams.
But let's all be honest with each other. If Norries and his staff are truly Division I, Big Ten material, they will leave sooner or later. But we have a long way to go before we need to worry about that. Remember, a lot of people were worried that Shoop would join his brother in the NFL after his first year at CU. It turns out that was the least of our problems.
But Bags and Murphy -- Division I material -- have stayed for years. No reason why we can't keep a good young coach if we pay him and his staff. We have an endowed HC fund for starters. I would like to see Wilson say soemthing to the effect that his comments were -- as I believe is the case -- taken out of context. All that he said is that he is qualified for the Minnesota job.
No division I-A athletic director is going to take a risk on a I-AA coach who had a 500 record as a coach. Would Minnesota have considered Wilson if he was OC at division I-A UCONN? Probably not but if he was OC at a big ten school then the answer is maybe. My guess is that in 8-10 years Wilson may try to go to the pro ranks (as a OL coach) inorder to move up the coaching ladder (ultimately to become a I-A head coach). He is getting paid well (I thought I read in the 200k range) (That is high for I-AA coaches (maybe better than some lower rung I-A coaches). We shall see
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