In a little more than 24 hours, the New England Patriots and New York Giants will face off for the Super Bowl title. Thousands of high school football players will be watching, envisioning the day they could play on the same stage.
For these young teens, the chances of playing on the biggest stage in football could increase, depending on what college football program they play for. That's what National Signing Day is all about: where the best and brightest are headed.
Many under-privileged kids, especially blacks, have gotten opportunities to go to college through athletic scholarships. In exchange for an education (not everyone earns a free ride,) these guys put their bodies on the line to earn thousands of dollars for the university. In football, the top programs earn millions of dollars for the university. Not bad huh?
That's why the competition to land the most prized recruits has intensified over the years, increasing interest in what I now see as the outrageous National Signing Day with high school seniors signing letters of intent that they may or may not honor. While the intent (pun intended) can be good, such as this story of linebacker Jeremiah Allison signing a letter of intent without the cameras, next to his comatose mother in a hospital bed, the spectacle it has become is troubling.
Check out the video in my previous post about Richard (Ala.) Vigor High defensive lineman Darius Philon struggling through his decision to go to Alabama or Arkansas. Or this video of the nation's top safety prospect Landon Collins choosing Alabama over LSU, to the disappointment of his mom. April Justin said she was unhappy about Alabama coach Nick Saban's recruitment approach, which she felt did not emphasize education. But she also alleged that her son chose Alabama because Saban offered Collins' girlfriend a job in his office. This allegation has not been confirmed.
When Miami Heat star LeBron James announced his decision to "take his talents to South Beach," leaving Cleveland, he caught a lot of flak for it. But as self-centered as it may have appeared, it raised $3 million for a Boys and Girls Club. ESPN aired "The Decision" special and is also responsible for coverage of signing day. No money from advertising or ratings is donated to charity, yet there isn't any backlash about exploiting these kids or the situation for profit.
There's no need for these kids to face this much pressure before they have officially donned their college uniforms.Very few of them eventually graduate, and even fewer will ever suit up for an NFL team. But who cares? At the end of the day, what matters is the promise they are sold by the college recruits, pretending to care about the kids' future while mentally calculating their dollar-earning potential for the university.
And if a national TV camera happens to be there to capture the moment these young'ns sign away their lives, sometimes petrified or heavily burdened, then so be it.
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