In Wednesday's post, we ran part of a Q & A with PJ Fleck, recruiting coordinator and wide receivers coach for Northern Illinois University. Fleck downplayed the importance of high school combines to college coaches in general and gave his insights so to why, in spite of this, we are seeing more and more of these events in prep football. Today, we post the rest of the interview.
OK, so we know you don't show up at these combines. The NCAA has specific restrictions on contact. So how do coaches evaluate a student-athlete?
"What we look for is consistency. In game film, we want to see consistency. The big thing is a kid coming to our camp. We can have a (recruit) at our place under our format. We can have our own watch and properly evaluate a recruit. This has become a premium which is why our camps are so important."
Before a athlete is invited to a camp, someone has to know they exist. When is a good time to start the process?
“Parents need to do their research. Sit down with your son or daughter and prioritize what they want in their future. Scholarships are hard to come by, so you need to stay one step ahead of competion. In my opinion, kids don't mature until junior even senior year. My advice is to sit down with the high school coach and see where they legitimately fall. This is the year to get on the recruiting path. The main thing is they must love what they do.
How should it be presented?
"We’d like a highlight tape and 2 game films, with drills at the end. All on one DVD."
I believe Fleck's statement about loving your sport is the most impactful. It's way too much work- for both athletes and parents- without the passion.
Keywords: DVD, NCAA, Northern Illinois Univeristy, PJ Fleck, prep football, recruiting coordinator, scholarships
