Not one athlete participating in this interview felt that the recruiting process is truly clean. But another player offered additional firsthand insights as to just how dirty it can really be.
“A big alumnus at one school flew out to talk to me, and talk about how he could market me. He told me I would be on billboards, and I would be the face of the team.”
As appealing as he felt this was, the athlete had already made a verbal commitment to USC. Still, he took the recruiting trips to see what other opportunities might be available.
“They have people hosting you, they have cute girls walk up to you on the practice field and take you out to meet her friends. Take you out, and take you in limos. Players know they aren’t supposed to do it, but they want to have fun.”
He stated that the desire to have fun on these recruiting trips made it easier for him to justify some of the practices that colleges employ during the recruiting process.
“You kind of just roll with it. If a player takes you out, and he has a limo, you go with it. He’s there to make your trip fun.”
But even as a high school athlete, he observed on his trips that certain players were already taking money.
“I knew it on my recruiting trips, when they paired me with guys that took me out in limos. They had bottles everywhere. They were all being taken care of.”
Although he stated the recruiting trips of competing colleges were extremely enticing, he had already determined that, no matter what, USC was the school for him.
“USC symbolizes greatness, and everyone wants to come here, and if you come here you are pretty much great. And whatever you want to do in life, from school to football to basketball, everyone wants to come to USC."
In contemplating accepting USC’s offer, he stated that he never pursued any money or other perks because his family didn’t need it. Immediately upon arrival at campus, however, he explained that his coaches began preparing him for the attention that would quickly come from sports agents.
“They told me, ‘These are the rules. Don’t take anything from anyone no matter what. Just say no. Just like drugs. If they want to buy you drinks at the bar, say no. If they want to take you out to the clubs, say no. Anything, just say no.’ ”
But like most of the players in this investigation, he said he can get a good sense for which athletes ultimately succumb to taking money.
“If you really don’t have a lot, and your background is poor, but every day you have new stuff on, I’m sure somebody is taking care of you.”
And for him, he said he doesn’t really mind, unless the players get too flashy. He explained that Reggie and OJ didn’t know how to stay in control and fly under the radar.
“Rolling around in Porsches, and being in magazines with different cars. You can’t just hide some (of the money), you have to live the life that you already had. Just keep the money in your pocket so people don’t know.”
He did comment, however, that if he wanted to find an agent, he probably could, but that he’s going to play the waiting game.
“The agents are always going to be around as long as you are doing well. There are a lot of players that get caught up as freshmen with agents, and you are so caught up and start getting the silver spoon, and then they (the players) fall off. They get their money and then they fall off, and they lose their drive.”
He stated that it’s always the same with sports agents, and they will continually find players willing to take what they are offering.
“Everybody wants money. Whether or not they feel like they are getting used, people come up to you and tell you what you want to hear.”
But he commented that he learned early on from his recruiting trips about the process, and how it works.
“They try to get us while we’re young. They try to take you out to dinner, out for drinks, to a Lakers game just to talk to you. I had already seen it just by being around the older guys. Just by being around the high profile players, I have seen what it’s like. I’ve seen how it works, and I’m just waiting for my turn.”
He knows the game, and said he will know when it’s time to pick an agent.
But for now, he says “You already know who the top agents are, and if you want to talk to them. You just kind of tell them ‘I’m straight. I don’t take money.’ ”
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