good morning hokies! just wanted to share a little bit of inside insight on recruiting and how difficult a decision this is for these young men so next time we have a breakdown on a coach, kid, family, or whoever when a kid picks somewhere other than VT hopefully we can step back take a deep breath and try and keep a positive attitude and support (and stay the hell off twitter gosh dang lol) the kids we got and wish well the ones we don't get.
(only doing this because I know tyree wouldn't mind me sharing)
if you haven't had an opportunity to see some of tyree "showtime" saunders personality through social media or in person at a game let me tell you a little bit about this man. Hes a really really outgoing kid, his smile lights up a room when he is in it and he is ALWAYS smiling, laughing, and cutting up. I don't think ive ever met someone who doesn't absolutely love everything about him. Ive been blessed to have the opportunity to coach him in 7on7 and this kid absolutely LOVES the game. He works extremely hard but is so humble you would never know unless you saw it first hand, for a kid that talks, and talks........and talks lol he never talks about himself. to call yourself "showtime" (a nickname given to him by his father troy saunders FSU letterman and former NFL/CFL player when he was just a baby) you have to be a baller but you have to have some charisma about yourself too and confidence and swagger and he has that. He's an extremely confident kid. So when we were talking on Wednesday night (about 8 hours before he would sign his Nation letter of intent) and he told me
"coach I'm not going to lie I'm nervous. man I pray I made the right decision. they didn't keep my boy coach wiles and coach jafar only has one year left on his contract. which is my freshman year"
it really had me nervous for him.
I try to be as honest and supportive as I can be with these kids. I constantly reinforce to them that I am here for you first. and the hokies 2nd. If you decide that VT isn't the right fit for you I am not going to abandon you. I am here as a friend, mentor, coach, not a hokie fan. I responded and I'm not going to quote the whole thing telling him I was pretty hurt by the wiles news too wiles has been instrumental in the #FL2VT movement and more importantly the #904toVT movement and was really the first person to open up conversation with me and invite me into hokie nation as anything more than a fan. without him none of the stuff ive been able to do would be possible and none of the relationships ive made with the other staff members would have ever happened. I talked to him a little about tap and am exited for him to get to meet him because I know tyree will love him.
I talked to him a little bit about my feelings on jafar williams (and for the record I like him a lot, he relates to the kids extremely well, he has a great relationship with all the WRs, I think weve improved as a group in some areas and while there is still room for more I think the coaching in that department in trending upwards, can he recruit better? maybe idk. I don't follow how well coaches personally recruit and don't I'm more concerned with the relationships they have with the guys I know and how he treats them and hes always been amazing with any guys Ive brought up and treated them all great whether it was a guy committed like tyree or my no star son that plays WR, hes coached my son, gave my son tips, evaluated my son, broke down film with my son, and gone above and beyond the duties for him which may seem like normal stuff to a big time recruit but I think it just goes to show what kind of coach he is, his willingness to take time to get everyone around him better and his passion for coaching the position is important to me if I'm a recruit because walking in the room I may not be big play tre yet but I know I'm not going to get put on the back burner until its my time I'm going to get the same coaching as tre from day one.)
I told him if he has questions. call coach Fuente, call coach williams, call whoever you need to call. I know these guys will be as honest with you as possible and while no one can predict the future and plans can certainly change at the drop of a hat these coaches have a plan and you are a part of it, you are a part of it being successful and in turn making them successful and that leads to longevity for them. I told him communication is key, and fellow hokies ear muffs for the next part I told him if hes feeling uneasy he doesn't have to sign on early signing day he has time. I told him the importance of going into a situation that he is comfortable with and that he feels is really the best situation for him. its his future. its his 4 years. I want you to have a feeling of VT is about to get the best Tyree SHOWTIME saunders out of me that there is. He should feel that. he should feel strongly about the school he is singing with that they are going to do that. I reiterated that he has an AMAZING support system at home from his parents, coaches at his highschool, friends, family, me and that none of them are going to steer him wrong, if his dad can say go hokies and is in love with you going to VT and the coaches then I think that tells you a little something. I told him pray on it. that god wont give you anything you cant handle and every path has some bumps life is not without bumps but the folks at VT will be there with you every step of the way and help you through it all. that IF something happened where we lost a coach just like in the wiles situation that we would bring in the right kind of guys. guys that honor, believe in, represent VTs core values and that's one thing that separates us from a lot of other schools. the relationships are real. the people here are real. it sounds cliché but ive been around a lot of programs and nothing has ever came close to the way VT can make you feel.
anyways all this to say, so much goes into these decisions for these young men, and even a kid with supreme confidence like tyree who has already made plans for who his roommate will be when he gets to campus, already has made friends and himself just as much a part of the team as people who have been here for 4 years, already working on a relationship with his current starting QB, loves everything about VT, everything about being a hokie, understand what it means to be a hokie, takes pride in living up to and exceeding the standard of being a hokie, at the end of the day this is this kids life. most instances the first real decision they've ever made for themselves and they are getting a tremendous amount of pressure from every angle and at an age where ever GF is "the one" hes supposed to navigate through all these coaches tell you everything you want to hear just to get in your pants. All kids don't make the right choice. id love to believe VT is the right choice for EVERYONE but that's just not the truth. So lets try and have some respect for the kids that don't chose VT, embrace the ones that do as we are a big part of why he chose VT (even if indirectly I cant tell you how much the warm feeling of family means to these kids that are about to be far away from there family for 4 years and many for the first time, and the ability to provide comfort in knowing that they are in a safe place and they are indeed "home"). Virginia tech is more than football. and I say that with an immense amount of pride. the more we embrace these kids the more will come, the more VT we are the better our football team will be.
tyrees text to me yesterday morning at 6am. "coach you coming to the school for my signing?" wouldn't miss it for the world. he overcame the jitters, the fears, the nerves and signed his LOI yesterday morning and is officially a hokie and he hasn't stopped texting me about it since. and I'm ecstatic for him. I couldn't be more proud or excited for him to be a part of hokie nation and I cant wait for hokie nation to get to see him up close and personal. but it doesn't always turn out this way. all recruiting stories don't end well. just some perspective that has really hit home for me as I am no longer only invested in the wins and loses of VT football but the future of some amazing young men and now I'm tasked with a tremendous amount of eh I don't know the word for it, its not burden, its not pressure, but I want so badly for the recruiting process to work out perfectly for both parties. that's what the process is all about at the end of the day. getting kids that love Virginia tech and Virginia Tech getting kids that they love.
not trying to turn this into a recruiting debate thread. just wanted to share some insight from the kids and my perspective as a coach/ mentor because a lot of times we only get the "FANS" views on the who, what, when, why, and how we did or didn't get a recruit.
Comments
Thanks for the perspective and all that you do for these kids - it means more to them than you'll probably ever know.
Thanks for the "behind the scenes" perspective.
That's pretty much what I'd expect. And one thing these recruits need are intelligent adults around to help them keep their perspective while reviewing their opportunities.
I hope Tyree has a great career at VT and after. He's one of us now.
Go Hokies!
Thanks for the unique perspective, 904. Stuff like this really shines light on and humanizes the recruiting process, which often feels very mechanical and results oriented. It's not easy to make such a big life decision for any of these kids/young men (whatever you want to call them). There's a lot at stake for themselves, and potentially their families. It's good to know that some recruits have coaches/mentors that are helping them along in a way that is primarily focused on what's best for them.
Thanks for the perspective.
This is some great insight. Thanks for sharing.
You're good people man.
Thank you once again....we need to respect the kids. One day we might get a Tim Settle, another year we might get a Luther Maddy (came in as a 2 star but played like a 5-star) or sometimes we might get duds and sometimes guys we thought were surely going to sign with VT will chose another school. It happens, I love the recruiting part of college football, mainly because I follow soccer and AFC AJAX where it's all about potential and development and players leave the club to take on a bigger challenge. Reminds me a lot of how VT operated for a while. Whether its a 5-star or a walk-on, give them the honest, potential and fair assessment of life as a Hokie and we will build an awesome team.
I think overall we ended the recruiting well considering how bad we started this cycle. Most of our Freshmen are in the potential category so good news is there is time to develop. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of these guys went the red shirt route. We have a good amount of Juniors and Seniors for the 2020 Football season. Also after the bowl game, we might have more attrition from Injuries, transfers, etc, more spots could open up so there is a potential to sign more kids in the Feb Signing period.
I told him communication is key, and fellow hokies ear muffs for the next part I told him if hes feeling uneasy he doesn't have to sign on early signing day he has time.
Dude, I would never put ear muffs on for that. Nothing makes me more proud of being a Hokie than hearing that. Hokie Nation is special, I know that to be true. Cheers to you good sir, stay golden.
I remember how difficult/stressful it was for me to decide where to go to school (as a regular student). I can only imagine it's 100x more stressful for someone who has fan sites, twitter, and his whole high school watching his decision.
My reactions while reading this...
Leg for you, sir.
Your kids are lucky to have you. One of the reasons you have so much cred with them is because you give them advice which reflects their best interests. I may be old fashioned; but I think honesty leads to the best decision for both the kid and for VT.
I think the word you're looking for, 904, is TRUST. These young men trust you and you feel that responsibility, the weight, of that trust, which is a monumentally good thing.
Edit: Thanks for the insights you've shared. It definitely helps the recruits be more than stats next to a name and a star rating.
I'm making a similar comment.
904, I think the word is investment. Investment for their lives and yours. They're intertwined. Investment of this type is life long and they know it and you know it.
This is what life is about. Kudos to you, sir.
This is awesome! When you give advice and support for kids, for what's best for them and not what you want or hope for, that, in my book, is how a parent should look after and advise their kids. We say VT family, but this feels like an excellent example of it. And once they get to campus, if they're getting that attention, support, and advice from the coaches, it's like having "Foster" parents (see what I did there? had to say it, but can't think of a good one for Hamilton).
Thanks for the insight as well as the support you give to the kids!
I'd be interested in your perspective on Fuente's personality. Between your posts and the quotes from Hendon Hooker's dad, it seems like Fu is brutally honest almost all of the time. While I'd rather have that than a used-car salesman, I wonder how that plays during recruiting.
It works in the long term better than the short term.
The proof will be results on the field. I'd expect some decent results for the next couple of years, which should help.
People forget that these are 17 year old kids making a huge decision. For some of them, it's the first huge decision that really comes down to what they want. This is why it frustrates me when we get so upset that we didn't sign a kid that to us feels like Tech should be the obvious choice and we feel like blame has to be directed somewhere. These kids aren't always going to make the logical decision. Hell, I almost commited to Navy on the spot because i got so caught up with the coaches and the campus when i made my visit there and they weren't even in my top 3. The process is a roller coaster and it's not always going to be what we see as the logical decision for a kid. That's why sometimes, we need to take a step back from evaluating the number of 4 stars who didn't choose us and appreciate all the kids that did. But that's just my 2 cents...
Awesome stuff! I didn't upvote the OP because it was at 69
It was at 99 when I read it-proud to be the 100th even though OPs themselves don't go plaid. Honesty and wanting the best for someone -even if and maybe ESPECIALLY if it means someone besides yourself or your own choice-is the truest form of both love and respect!
PS I know it was a typo ('...he should feel strongly about the school he is singing with ...' ) but I couldn't help but hear the crowd singing along to Enter Sandman!
I think one of the realest things is the fact that I get to bring these kids with me to games and unlike other recruits that come to games with their coaches and parents once were in the stands I'm all on fan and the kids get a sense of the tradition and pride and energy of the fans while the recruiting section of seats is generally pretty dead. not my row I wont allow it. tryee, kede, some of the other kids ive brought have picked up the tradition as fans and the jumping and the singing of the enter sandman and H-O-K-I-E-S, stick it in chants and some of the other things and its something awesome to see. kids that get to be a fan of the school they go to instead of just a player def gives them a little more sense of pride I think and respect for what VIRGINIA TECH means to people outside of just the locker room. in short. yes he will be singing along with us all and he will know every word.
I love this kid and everything you do for our program. Thank you
904s post is exactly what we need to read and be reminded. Have faith in the process, fam.
Thanks for sharing that insider perspective and especially putting a little spotlight on Tyree. The Wiles departure is the perfect example of how things will happen that not all of the players (or fans) will like or understand, but that the Brand of Virginia Tech will remain consistent. Now I'm looking forward to seeing some Showtime in the coming seasons!
This is why these kids trust you. You're not selling them hopes and dreams, you're giving them guidance and facts. You do the type of mentoring that a lot of kids need, and some may not feel comfortable asking their parents about either.
As always, hats off to you 904 and please keep doing all you do. Hopefully none of those kids go to Miami (haha j/k....or am I?) but just know that you are doing a great thing for your community, as well as the football community.
It's good that you are looking out for what's best for these guys. Some one has to be there to reminding that while VT isn't right for everyone, UVA isn't right for anyone. Important life lessons there.