emerald
sports
Looking for a few good men
Today the Duck recruiters find out how they fared
By Steve Turcotte
Ot 0M Emerald
It’s that time of the year that makes coaches feel
like O.J Simpson flying through airports, the time of
year that coaches sit and cross their fingers in
anticipation of obtaining the players they desire
That time of the year is football recruiting
And today — February 10 — is the day that Oregon
coaches open the letters of intent, and find out how
well they've sold their program.
“I'm exhausted right now,” Oregon assistant
football coach Neal Zoumboukos said, slumping in his
chair "I’ve been traveling a lot — mostly between
Eugene and the Bay Area
He hasn’t been the only Duck coach traveling
extensively According to Zoumboukos. all the Oregon
coaches are delegated an area in which to recruit
"Every coach is given a specific geographic
area,” Zoumboukos said. "One area is Washington
and Idaho, another is the San Joaquin Valley to part of
the Bay Area I have the Bay Area and points east
As the Oregon coaches sit and ponder who will
sign with them today, the process for next year's
recruiting has already begun
“The recruiting has already started for next year
by our mailing information to the high schools and
junior colleges. " Zoumboukos "Coaches respond to
us, but other coaches do not respond If they don’t get
in touch with us, we get in touch with them ”
This is when the process really gets into full swing
“In the latter part of our football season, our
coaches will fly out on Thursday and see high school
games in their region on Friday and then get back in
time for our game on Saturday , " explained
Zoumboukos
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The lineup so far
Oregon has secured verbal commitments
from a few top athletes before the Feb. 10 dead
line. Here's the list so far:
Quarterbacks:
Stephan Jones. 6-0. 195. J.C. transfer from College of the
Siskiyou* First team ah-state in Division II.
Todd Anderson from Lakeridge High School in Lake Oswego
Anderson. 6-2. 180-pounds, passed tor over three mites and 72
touchdowns in three years.
Dana Hill a 5-10. 180-pounder from Pomona Calif, had over
4000 total offensive yards as a junior and senior. Hill is also a
legitimate candidate for the track team having run the 100 in 9.7 and
long jumping 23-9.
Lineman.
Ray Wheatty. 6-6. 265 offensive tackle from College of the
Sisiyous. Steve Jenson. 6-5, 245. offensive guard from Ml. San
Antonio JC. Ed Stringer. 6-6. 260 offensive tackle from Orange
Coarst JC. Dave Matey, an offensive lineman from Crook County
High School is 6-3. 245. Brian Heater, another offensive lineman
from South Salem High, is 6-5. 240. Other lineman to verbally
commit are Joe Mansfield (6-5. 210), Tom Harpham (6-4. 210) and
Bob Starr (6-3, 215).
Punter
Kevin Hicks, tranter from Santa Barbara JC.
Kicker
Tim Wise. 6-0.180. from Danville. Calif., kicked 28-01 32 PATs in
high school »«d 12-01-15 field goals — including a 59-yarder. He also
punted fora 41-yard average.
Tight End
Rich Gaiser from Oregon City. He an all-stater who runs the 40
in 4.8.
After the football season, the process becomes a
bit more difficult. The coaches have to begin chopping
names off their list of 300
"In December, you take the list of 300 and get it
down to 65-70 players who you want to visit your
school," Zoumboukos said "They are all competing
for 25 scholarships That’s all we can give "
Recruiting is both frustrating and pleasing for the
college coaches Pleasing in the sense that if you are a
USC, rich in football tradition, you don't have to worry
about obtaining top players But a school like Oregon,
not so rich in football tradition, and spending a year on
probation, is not as successful in recruiting top prep
players
Duck coach Rich Brooks
is in Sacramento making
a last pitch for Willhite
"Recruiting is frustrating on two accounts,"
Zoumboukos said. "First, when you can't get a player
you want and second when you have good players you
want and you don't have enough scholarships to get
them
A good case in point about frustration in recruiting
for Oregon was the Kevin Willhite saga
Willhite. from Sacramento, California, considered
one of the top players in the country, narrowed his
college list to Oregon, Washington and UCLA He had
said that he wanted to play football at a college where
there was a good track program So the Oregon
coaches crossed their fingers when they heard that,
because Bill Dellinger has one of the top track
programs in the nation at Oregon
But last week. Willhite after a visit to Washington,
said that he wanted to become a Husky
"Everyone you bring for a visit you hope you make
an impression." Zoumboukos saic With someone
like Kevin, you try a little harder, but there are limitations
on what you can do
The Ducks are definitely trying harder still for
Willhite Head coach Rich Brooks was in Sacramento
Tuesday making one last appeal
Brooks and the Ducks are hoping that Willhite will
do something that a few players always do: After
making a verbal committment, they change their mind
to go to school elsewhere
"A player named Elton Veals, a junior college
transfer, has changed his mind three times, chuckled
Zoumboukos "First he committed to Southern Cal.
then to California and then to Illinois "
"You really never know until Feb 10 at 8 00 am"
Zoumboukos says recruiting is crucial to a football
program's well-being — even if the school is a Slippery
Rock or a USC.
"You can't have a football program without
recruiting." Zoumboukos said "Even the band has to
recruit to a certain degree
And by the end of the day today, the Ducks hope
they have done it the right way — enough to fill their
roster with quality recruits
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