3 Tennessee kids reach elite status

[CU06]

There are some great players in the state of tennessee

 

i agree there is talent in tennessee, but i was saying that the number of D1 talent does not compare to those other states. i was commenting on that "sense" that some football fans in this state that say "oh the kids in tennessee don't get looked at enough" or "they're being overlooked" just because big johnny on their local team is a good football player but doesn't have any offers. i was saying to those people if they went to an elite game in florida, georgia, or texas there might be 15 guys with D1 offers combined on both teams and see what the elite talent looks like. then maybe big johnny isn't so overlooked after all. but there is some good talent in TN every year, just not very much of it. college recruiters really do get the most out of what this state provides

[orangeblur]

i agree there is talent in tennessee, but i was saying that the number of D1 talent does not compare to those other states. i was commenting on that "sense" that some football fans in this state that say "oh the kids in tennessee don't get looked at enough" or "they're being overlooked" just because big johnny on their local team is a good football player but doesn't have any offers. i was saying to those people if they went to an elite game in florida, georgia, or texas there might be 15 guys with D1 offers combined on both teams and see what the elite talent looks like. then maybe big johnny isn't so overlooked after all. but there is some good talent in TN every year, just not very much of it. college recruiters really do get the most out of what this state provides

 

 

 

that isnt exactly true....if TN had a population like California...it would produce just as many D-1 prospects ..over the last 4-5 years TN has produced more talent than states like Michigan...that has a much larger population.....TN kids just dont get exposure because they dont go to combines, dont have access to computers, coaches dont send out tape to schools........

[bud]

that isnt exactly true....if TN had a population like California...it would produce just as many D-1 prospects ..over the last 4-5 years TN has produced more talent than states like Michigan...that has a much larger population.....TN kids just dont get exposure because they dont go to combines, dont have access to computers, coaches dont send out tape to schools........

 

 

 

True True. Tennessee has only a fraction of the population as compared to most major college talent producing states. The combine comment is true as well. Tennessee by not having a state income tax has some of the lowest paid teachers/coaches in the USA. Tennessee high schools have less money to spend on good coaches, number of coaches, facilities, team camps, and etc. Tennessee has some of the lowest paid teachers in the state and it hurts.

[HTV]

True True. Tennessee has only a fraction of the population as compared to most major college talent producing states. The combine comment is true as well. Tennessee by not having a state income tax has some of the lowest paid teachers/coaches in the USA. Tennessee high schools have less money to spend on good coaches, number of coaches, facilities, team camps, and etc. Tennessee has some of the lowest paid teachers in the state and it hurts.

 

 

 

Not having a state income tax has nothing to do with education dollars spent. While Tennessee may not have a state income tax, it has one of the higher sales tax percentages of any state in the southeastern United States. Tennesseans pay their fair share of state and local taxes.

[FootballDad]

Not having a state income tax has nothing to do with education dollars spent. While Tennessee may not have a state income tax, it has one of the higher sales tax percentages of any state in the southeastern United States. Tennesseans pay their fair share of state and local taxes.

 

 

Amen HTV. While I would like to see good, qualified teachers and coaches payed higher salaries, I don't believe someone can make a substantive argument that a state income tax, or lack of one, is connected with fewer TN student/athletes receiving D-1 scholarships. That's really a political stretch IMO. I do believe lack of participation in combines plays a role, how big of one is just a guess. I would say that the attitude and approach that each schools head coach takes towards actively exposing his legitimate prospects is a bigger factor. If he is a sincere, quality coach, then he will do a good job in this area regardless of what his salary is. The reality also is that with a smaller population base, you are going to receive fewer scholarships, thats simple statistics. Of course some years can vary, but overall this should hold true.

[soccerdevil]

I guess the thing to consider is that college coaches don't have the time or resources to go to every local high school game. There are just too many games across the country. UT and other big time programs can't send a scout to see Farragut or Hendersonville play 3 times each, plus you have to consider even if they did, there is a chance the best player has a bad game one or two times and then even an athlete that could play D1 ball would be overlooked for bad timing.

 

The reason Florida, Texas, and the other states get more recruits at the D1 level could be multiple, but the big reason is obviously speed which isn't a huge asset we see here in Tennessee compared to Florida. Plus just because a TN Stud kills everyone that may just mean he is killing less stellar athletes than the same stud is doing in Texas. If you aren't playing the best, how can you think you are the best?

 

If you want to be completely honest, besides a few, how many kids that were REALLY players, didn't get to play at the next level? Just because a kid is great at Station Camp, won't make him great at even UK or SC. To think that TN kids are not given a chance is somewhat paranoid. The best play. The best will always get their chance, that is why they are the best.

 

I'm sure some kids do get the shaft, but seriously, I would venture a guess that most of the build up and buzz around a player has more to do with parents and community than with true knowledge of what it takes to play D1. Does it make sense that any college coach WOULDN'T take the best? Of course not. They see the best and know what they need to be successful.

 

This isn't just a topic for football ... this is all sports.

[Knoxbball3]

Amen HTV. While I would like to see good, qualified teachers and coaches payed higher salaries, I don't believe someone can make a substantive argument that a state income tax, or lack of one, is connected with fewer TN student/athletes receiving D-1 scholarships. That's really a political stretch IMO. I do believe lack of participation in combines plays a role, how big of one is just a guess. I would say that the attitude and approach that each schools head coach takes towards actively exposing his legitimate prospects is a bigger factor. If he is a sincere, quality coach, then he will do a good job in this area regardless of what his salary is. The reality also is that with a smaller population base, you are going to receive fewer scholarships, thats simple statistics. Of course some years can vary, but overall this should hold true.

 

 

 

A question..... which areas in TN do not have Middle School football? I know in Knox Co, it was eliminated years ago in order to save $$. While there are youth programs established as city/county leagues, I think the coaching kids get at that level is somewhat suspect, plus I am not sure how "coordinated" the youth program is with the HS program. In other words, are middle school kids learning same plays? same terminology? same schemes? as what they will run in HS?

 

This may only be a Knox Co issue, but i think it hinders a the quality at the HS level.

 

Thoughts?

[HTV]

This may only be a Knox Co issue, but i think it hinders a the quality at the HS level.

 

Thoughts?

 

 

Agreed. When middle school/junior high football was eliminated it was a step backwards for high school programs. While the youth league coaches mean well, most were still just dads who really didn't understand the teaching aspect of football. Another big issues was that so many players didn't play for their "commuity" team since there are no boundries in youth football. It became like open league baseball and kids went to the better teams or teams where their friends may be, and not organizations that feed their local high school.

 

Things have changed a bit in that regard over the last few years, however. Quite a few of the high school coaches have become much more involved in their community youth program and are having the youth coaches come in and learn their system and even helping fund the youth programs through booster clubs and helping with fundraisers. In return those youth coaches are teaching the high school system with terminology, running the same sets, etc. That has made a big difference in many high school programs. Kids are much more familiar with the high school program by the time they get there as freshmen. That's about the only way Knox County and the other areas that have eliminated middle school/junior high football can compensate for not having football as a school sponsored sport.

[FootballDad]

A question..... which areas in TN do not have Middle School football? I know in Knox Co, it was eliminated years ago in order to save $$. While there are youth programs established as city/county leagues, I think the coaching kids get at that level is somewhat suspect, plus I am not sure how "coordinated" the youth program is with the HS program. In other words, are middle school kids learning same plays? same terminology? same schemes? as what they will run in HS?

 

This may only be a Knox Co issue, but i think it hinders a the quality at the HS level.

 

Thoughts?

 

Knox County is primarily by itself , at least in this area of E.TN, as far as not having middle school sponsored football. Those communities that have tried to formally structure a school sponored middle school program have repeatedly been denied permission by the County. Even though these programs would have been privately funded the County still said no, primarily due to a few commissioners opposition based on the "unfair" advantage it would give certain communities who could come up with the funding over those communities who could not come up with the funding. Since Knox County refuses to "sanction" middle school football, the TMSSAA will not allow any of its member schools to play Knox County schools, pretty much isolating Knox County from the outside schools who are members of the TMSSAA. Occassionally, coaches get together and have preseason scrimmages with each other, but that's as far as it goes. No Knox County team can compete for regional or state championships in football for this reason, only Knox County rec league championships.

 

So for the time being, the closest we can get to "sanctioned" middle school football is our Super Midget youth teams working with their area high school coaches to build a feeder program. The high school coaches that embrace their area rec league teams and coaches, rather than ignore them, will plant the seeds of a feeder program and hopefully sow the rewards in a few years. A few communites are trying to do this. In particular, I know Powell has been on the leading edge of this for the past 4-5 years. They practice right after school from 4-6pm, have some home games at the high school on Thursday nights, use some of the same terminology and offensive & defensive formations that the high school uses, and refer to themselves as the middle school football team (although that is unofficial).

[HTV]

Knox County is primarily by itself , at least in this area of E.TN, as far as not having middle school sponsored football. Those communities that have tried to formally structure a school sponored middle school program have repeatedly been denied permission by the County. Even though these programs would have been privately funded the County still said no, primarily due to a few commissioners opposition based on the "unfair" advantage it would give certain communities who could come up with the funding over those communities who could not come up with the funding. Since Knox County refuses to "sanction" middle school football, the TMSSAA will not allow any of its member schools to play Knox County schools, pretty much isolating Knox County from the outside schools who are members of the TMSSAA. Occassionally, coaches get together and have preseason scrimmages with each other, but that's as far as it goes. No Knox County team can compete for regional or state championships in football for this reason, only Knox County rec league championships.

 

So for the time being, the closest we can get to "sanctioned" middle school football is our Super Midget youth teams working with their area high school coaches to build a feeder program. The high school coaches that embrace their area rec league teams and coaches, rather than ignore them, will plant the seeds of a feeder program and hopefully sow the rewards in a few years. A few communites are trying to do this. In particular, I know Powell has been on the leading edge of this for the past 4-5 years. They practice right after school from 4-6pm, have some home games at the high school on Thursday nights, use some of the same terminology and offensive & defensive formations that the high school uses, and refer to themselves as the middle school football team (although that is unofficial).

 

 

Correct. I was the high school booster club president at Powell High when we tried to join the TMSSAA, and the booster club was going to completely foot the bill for everything. We had everything in place to do it, but the then power that was at the TSSAA/TMSSAA tried to use the opportunity to strong arm Knox County in to joining for all of its schools and all of its sports by denying Powell Middle admission and threatening the already TMSSAA member schools that had scheduled to play Powell with loss of their insurance if they played Powell unless Knox County paid membership fee for all of its middle schools. It really was a kick in the teeth to a community that was trying to do things the right way, and even a bigger kick in the teeth to the kids of Powell Middle School by denying them the opportunity to participate in school sponsored (but not taxpayer funded) football.

 

That act proved to me what the TSSAA, which runs the TMSSAA, is all about, and it certainly doesn't appear to be the best interests of the student/athletes and schools in this state.

[GCPioneer]

Congrats to all 3 and especially to Jabriel Washington (TCA). The kid is insanely good and is definately worthy of this recognition. I've seen him play the past 2 years and the kid is going to be a top prospect in all of TN by his Senior season. From what I understand, he's a huge Georgia fan and have heard that's where he wants to go. Kiffin better start coming to Jackson (Trinity Christian Academy) if he wants to keep Jabriel instate. Jabriel has a highlight video on youtube. Just go to youtube and type in Jabriel Washington.

[ihavenofriendzz]

nothing against Devrin, but I just don't get all the hype. He is good don't get me wrong, but has way too much hype. Also he gets worn out alot and doesn't touch the ball as much as he should. It doesn't help him that he plays both sides of the ball, but like I said in another thread the majority of his stats were vs. sub par competition. He didn't seem to do much game changing vs. DB, Farragut, or Soddy... basically the only good teams he played against.