We got sidetracked, and I had to tell Bo about the two girls I’d spent time with at the Alabama camp and the resulting children I met last night.
“Sucks to be you,” Bo observed.
“Tell me about it,” I said and glanced over at my mom, who was scowling at me.
“Back to USC,” Bo said before I got yelled at once again.
“Did you know they have a practice field underground? Why would you ever want to practice indoors if you lived there?” I asked.
No one had an answer for that, so I went on.
“If it were just me, I might pick USC. I think that if I went there, they could get over the hump and win their conference.”
“They have some stiff competition. You have to get past Stanford, Washington, Oregon, UCLA, and Arizona,” Bo ticked off.
He’d left out Utah, Arizona State, and Washington State. All had solid programs.
“Do I need to go through the SEC list?” I asked.
Bo just smiled. The SEC was a meat grinder.
“If you go to Alabama, it shouldn’t be a problem,” Dad said.
“Check’s in the mail,” Bo joked. “That still leaves the SEC.”
“I’ve visited Georgia, and they were honest and told me they had other quarterback priorities. It looks like they’re in the hunt for some good ones. Coach Mason sat me down, and based on the number of recruits in a state versus the number of Division I football programs, he concluded that Rutgers and Georgia were two schools that were underperforming.
“I think Georgia may have figured it out and is starting to put together some special recruiting classes. They just got a new coach, and that may or may not have solved their problem. No one can know right now.
“I’ve liked Kentucky from day one. If this were just about going to play and having fun, I would go there and never worry about it.
“Finally, there’s Alabama,” I said.
“I can go either of two directions with this,” Bo said. “I can stick to the script and tell you why you need to come to Alabama. Or, I can help you decide what’s in your best interest, which very well could be Alabama. Which do you want me to do?”
“I’d rather you helped me pick a school. I keep flipping back and forth as to what to do. To be honest, I’ve considered making the decision based on what’s best for me.”
“What about Tim and Wolf?” Brook asked.
“That’s what has stopped me from going off on my own,” I admitted.
“Let me tell you a few factors that you may want to consider if you come to Alabama,” Bo said. “Baseball is not going to be the priority, football is. I’m telling you that might not be so bad. I just don’t want you to think that we’re going to be as flexible as other schools may be in allowing you to play two sports.”
“Does that mean David wouldn’t be able to play baseball?” Dad asked.
“No, I didn’t say that. I am saying if there is ever a conflict, football will take priority. At some point, you will be asked to make a choice, and the answer will be football.”
I let that sink in. I thought about the circles of trust my uncle had talked about. Bo Harrington was moving closer to the center group of people you wanted around you.
“You said you wanted to play with your friends. I think Wolf has the ability to make it to the field and, under the right circumstances, could someday play in the NFL. I’m not sure Tim has the talent to be more than a backup or special-teams player for us.”
“Ohio State basically said the same, except they refused to make him or Wolf offers. They had higher-rated recruits they liked better. The two of them were Plan B types if the higher recruits chose to go somewhere else,” I shared.
I could see that Brook was shocked that we were talking so frankly about this. I’d never shared with her that Tim wasn’t a high-level Division I prospect after his knee injury. Personally, I thought they were being shortsighted because he had come back stronger and faster.
“Is that why you said you might go it alone?” Brook asked.
“Yes. If Ohio State had offered them, I would be done with all this.”
Bo nodded his agreement.
“In my mind, Michigan is the logical choice if you want to play in the Big Ten. The only thing they’re lacking is elite quarterback talent and an upgrade at offensive line. David solves their quarterback problem the minute he steps onto campus. With him there, they will also attract better recruits who will want to play with him, including linemen. His addition would, in my opinion, put Michigan on an equal footing with Ohio State.
“I think that the same can be said for USC. You make them not only the conference favorite, but put them in the hunt for a national championship.
“The other school you should consider is Oklahoma. In their offense, you would be a lock as a first-round draft pick. You might actually put up record-book type numbers. If I were you, those would be my top three,” Bo said.
“Why not Alabama or Clemson?” Dad asked.
“I’ll take Clemson,” I said before Bo could answer. “It’s the competition at quarterback. They will keep recruiting the top quarterbacks and then throw them together and see who comes out on top. I already have to gray-shirt due to my movies. That means I’ll miss a semester of practice, giving my competition a leg up. I know that I’ll eventually show that I’m the best, but if I ever get dinged up and have to sit out a game, I might never get back on the field.
“I like USC’s approach better. They decide on who their man is and then focus on coaching him up. They seem good at spacing out when they bring in their next choice at my position. That way, there isn’t the constant hard-assed competition among quarterbacks each and every day. That stress is gone, and you can work to make the team better instead of fighting for your job. It seems to work for them because every starter has played in the NFL,” I said.
“Now let me tell you why I don’t think Alabama is a fit for David,” Bo said. “We need our quarterback, more than anything else, to be a game manager. The first time you take off and do what makes you special, the coaching staff will crush you. They have enough talent that they don’t need to do anything risky. They will turn you into an Alabama quarterback. When was the last time you saw one have success in the NFL?”
“Kenny Stabler and Joe Namath,” Fritz answered.
Both played in the Stone Age.
“My point exactly. Yes, AJ McCarron, Greg McElroy, and Brodie Croyle made it to the NFL. Only McCarron is still in the league and looks to be a career backup. If you came here, I would probably suggest that you switch to defense. You could make a lot of money as a lockdown corner or speed-rush defensive end,” Bo said.
Dad saw the gleam in my eyes and shut that down.
“No. You’ve worked too hard and spent too much time and money developing your quarterbacking skills.”
“Because of the Alabama system for offense, you see a lot of turnover on the offensive side of the ball as far as coaches go. They stay around for a year or so to add Alabama to their résumés and then move on to where they can be more creative,” Bo shared.
“You’re thinking of leaving?” I asked.
“I’m on my second offensive coordinator in as many years. It’s only a matter of time until they make another change, and the new coordinator wants their own guy, or I need to make a move for my own career advancement.”
“Honestly, you were the main reason I wanted to come here. Well, that, and I planned to win four national championships,” I said with a straight face.
◊◊◊
I was grateful that Bo had planned ahead and had us taken on our campus tour in six-person golf carts decked out in the Alabama colors and logo. Fritz had insisted that Cassidy drive ours. Brook and I kept our comments to ourselves as she learned how to drive it. She finally figured out that we didn’t need to be going full tilt on the sidewalks. I’m sure the coeds appreciated not having to dive out of the way when Cassidy tried to kill them.