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Tyner Tweet Points Out Lack Of Understanding Of Recruiting Process

October 17, 2012 in Codes, Other Football Related Topics, Rules by Football NW

Is Thomas Tyner Running Away From Oregon? Football And Marriage

by Dirk Knudsen | Posted on Wednesday, October 17th, 2012

It started last night with a simple Twitter Post by D4SH.  That is the Twitter Handle on one Thomas Tyner of Aloha High School.  And it happened during the debate and it touched off more of a response then the Candy Crowley’s assist to President Obama over Libya.

The phenom Running Back made one Tweet and the Prep Football world spun out of control.

There it is.  Earth Shattering isn’t it?

So much so that this kid blew up the evening news channels with TV Sports Anchors saying that he was decommitting from the Ducks.  Really?

Those same reporters are all saying he is heading out to UCLA and that he could come back to Oregon and sign his letter of intent the next few weeks to Oregon.

Calm down Duck Nation.  Really?

Thomas is not bound to anyone.  Understand that folks.  And any News anchor saying that he can sign, commit, or de-commit to anyone is crazy.  They simple do not know what they are talking about.

The Ducks and dozens of other schools have sent Thomas letters offering scholarships.  They can not do that until after August- September of the kids Senior Year; not before.

Once the kid has these letters he can do anything he wants with it.  He can paper his wall with them, burn them, or snap a photo and post them to his Facebook Wall.  He can mail them to Grandpa Joe, make a paper airplane out of them, and auction them off on E-Bay.

There is only one thing he can not do with Them.   And that would be to sign.

The National Letter Of Intent Office  makes it clear on the front page of their website.

February 6th, 2013.  That is the first time he can become a Duck.  Or a Bruin.  Or a Longhorn.

Here is a great Summary of the NLI Process from our own David Fox of Rivals.com.

Understand this is the world we live in us analyst types.  And this is all becoming way to ridiculous.  Much of this is an extension of the fact that College Coaches are allowed to verbally offer kids as young as Freshmen.  In fact 7th and 8th graders were being offered by the biggest colleges in the Land until the NCAA clamped down on that recently.

You want to know why High School football is being commercialized and ruined by Street Agents?  That is one of the main reason right there.  The grim reality is that the “Verbal Offer Process” is out of control.

It is like a bunch of guys offering to marry the hottest girls in High School when they turn 18.  And that is not a slam on Coaches or schools because to succeed they have to make the proposals.

The Verbal offer process starts the process of expressing interest from a College to a Kid.  Ok fair enough.

But because football does not have an early signing period like High School Basketball does this problem of pressuring the kids, even if not intended, is a very real one.

Tyner is a perfect example.

If he could have signed an early letter binding him to Oregon maybe he would have.  And it would sure help kids and schools both clarify the landscape.

Here is a great article about why we need and early signing period.

 

Florida Atlantic coach Carl Pelini said if those who are truly serious about their commitment could sign early, than it would “really clarify the landscape,” and allow for more kids to get recruited.

“You will know this kid is unavailable, let’s move on and recruit other kids,” Pelini said.

ACC Commissioner John Swofford said last week his coaches support an early signing period but the proposal has not had strong support nationally.

Catch the Full story here: http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/sports/college-football/does-college-football-need-an-early-signing-period/nL34L/

So understand this.  Verbal offers by a college mean very little until they send that official letter in August or September.

And even the written scolarship letter is not that big of a deal because the College can rescind it at anytime.  Know that.

Back to Tyner.

He made a verbal pledge as a Junior to play for the University of Oregon.

He does not have any way to commit to them under the rules we have.  But for anyone to suggest he is decommitting is just wrong.  This I confirmed first hand.

All he did was let folks know he is looking around a little.  Thomas is no dummy.  This is a smart kid who actually thinks everything through.  I have it on the record that he spoke with the Coaches before that Tweet went out.  So this Tweet he did was not a surprise and did not shock or surprise the staff.  Duck Nation is going ballistic for no reason.

Calm down you green and yellow Army.

And Thomas needs to look around.  Every kid needs to.

The colleges who have sent letters in can retract them at anytime.  Even the written letter is not binding.  Nothing in fact is binding until the Athlete sends the FAX or mails in his signed Letter of Intent (Feb 6th, 2013 or after) and then it has to be acknowledged by the school and the Conference office.

And Tyner, as well as I know he and the family, has been subjected to intense pressures and by not putting himself out there as a recruit has defelected most of them.  But the pressure is there and is very real.

Imagine having the Nations premier programs and Head Coaches blowing up your Facebook, your email, your texts, your snail mail, your Coaches, and parents and friends.  Coming to your school and your home and maybe trying to find out where you like to hang out.

You have all seen the Blind Side right?  Those guys were camped outside of Michael Oher’s home.

Welcome to the reality of a guy like Thomas.

He is free to look around and so are the Ducks.  One Tweet should not be the end of the world.  He can not become a Duck until Next February.  So everyone just needs to relax.

But guys and gals get your facts right.

  • Thomas Tyner did not de-commit from Oregon.
  • Thomas Tyner nor any athlete can not commit to any school until February 6th, 2013.
  • Thomas Tyner and Oregon- just like any athlete and school- can do anything they want until 2-6-13.  All they have done so far is build a realtionship verbally.  He can go anywhere he wants for a visit unfettered.  They can speak to any top recruit they want unfettered.
  • A Verbal Offer and a Verbal Committment are just that.  Are they meaningless?  Heck no.  They help both sides understand the level of interest.  It is a necessary part of the process.
  • Think of it as an engagement.  Are we bound when we get engaged?  Heck no.  It is part of our culture to break those off.  That is the whole purpose rigth?  We step up our committment to each other and start down the path to the wedding day.
  • The “We are offering you a Scholarship” letters which can be sent to a High School Senior after August from schools like Oregon are nice.  But they are not binding on either side.  Think of those letters as a proposal for Marriage.  An official request to become engaged.  Now the Wedding is on and everyone is fitted for their dressed and suits and the Hall is all reserved.  The cake is all but in the Oven.
  • On about 2-1-2012 the College will send an official Fed-EX/UPS Packet to the Athlete.  In that packet will be a Letter of Intent and associated forms.  Now we are in the aisle waiting for the Bride and the pews are full of our closest friends and on lookers.
  • Between February 7th and Apri 1st of 2013 the High School Athlete in receipt of this Letter can sign it and send it in.  Provided it and all necessary documentation is completed the Athlete and School are bound.  The Marriage is complete.

Here is a whole lot more you need to know on the National Letter of Intent Process.  Read Up guys and gals.  You sports anchors too!

National Letter Of Intent Informational Flyer and Diagram

 

 

“The only thing my mind is on right now is today’s practice and how I can help prepare my team for Friday.”  D4SH – @thomas_tyner

 

There is the guy we know.

Jesuit is up Friday.  This is going to be a Game of Epic proportions and both teams are playing for the Metro League Title.  So this recruiting stuff and all this circus is outside his world now because he is locked and loaded for bear.  Both teams and all their players and staff are.  Expect thousands at this game folks.

There is a piece of advice I would give to Duck Fans and Coaches and just people in general.  And back to our engagement-wedding theme above this comes from the courtship and engagement my wife and I had so many years ago. It worked for us and it will work for anyone.

“If you love something set it free.

If it comes back it’s yours.

If not, it was never meant to be”.

 

Good Luck to Thomas and all the Boys of Friday Night

 

 

 

About the Author

Dirk is a lifelong resident of the Pacific NW; athlete and Merit scholar. He runs camps, clinics, and has been a sports writer and analyst for nearly a decade now; mostly with Rivals.com as the editor of OregonPreps and WashingtonPreps.com. Dirk is the founder of NWPR & BrainChampions.org; a charity for injured athletes suffering from Brain Trauma / Concussion. He is a father of three and married.

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Even If The NCAA Bans Schools Using Recruiting Services The Problem Persists

September 10, 2012 in Ethics, Recruiting Services, Rules by Football NW

The "Street Agent" often appears as a good guy or friend but usually behind closed doors is negotiating fees and trying to manipulate the outcome of a Prospective Student Athletes decision in regards to college choice. This practice of offering fees to these people needs to be banned 100% by the NCAA and State High School Associations or at least heavily monitored just like any other form of Agency!

OK so there is a lot of ” scuttle butt” that the NCAA may or may not be in a position to fine or impose much in the way of penalties on the Oregon Ducks.   The heart of that argument is that the NCAA allows colleges to pay for recruiting services.  They are supposed to be paying for legitimate services and  not for illegitimate services.

Will Lyles was not paid for anything legitimate.  That much is clear.  And he surely peddles influence and helped get outcomes that were favorable for the Ducks.  So we know the Ducks are not getting off scott-free.  But this is a far cry from what USC did where they paid money directly to Reggie Bush’s family in exchange for his attendance at the University.

Universities and schools we have spoken too are very wary of these sort of folks all together now a days.  And in the period where there is a lack of interest in the schools paying for the Street Agent types a new business model is arising.

Instead of being paid by the schools most recruiting services are being paid handsomely by the parents now.  In exchange for the promise that the recruiting service will wield their power to get the kid an offer the parents pay.

Now the issues change a bit.  Where there is room for abuse is when the Recruiting Service is given special access and favorable treatment by the University or College in exchange for getting the kids onto the campus.

By empowering these Power Brokers with privileged use of the facilities or all access passes to the campus and football facilities they raise the stock of such a person.  The cycle of influence is in tact and maybe even more so as the parents are now paying and in many ways that makes it worse.

Kids need to be able to get help and recruiting advice.  Finding a way that they can get good help is an important and worthy goal.  This is why we believe the only way to do this right is to require a licensing component in each State run by the State in which any person seeking to act as an agent be held to the same standards as any other form of agency at the State level.  Examples would be Law, Accounting, Insurance, banking, Real Estate, and Investments.

We believe that any person or company wishing to charge a fee to anyone for providing representation and or agency on the matters of Collegiate placement and athletics should be strictly bound by a licensing group.

In Oregon boxing promoters are licensed and that sort of thing is monitored.  Requirements for Sports Agents can be handled in a similar manner and should include:

  • Criminal Background Checks and Clearance Once a Year
  • Educational Requirements including significant clock hours and a Test of NCAA / NAIA Rules prior to being issued a license.
  • A Fiduciary Account and proper records maintained on all clients with accounting and billings required for services rendered.
  • A log of contact made and communications transmitted should be kept for all clients.
  • A Performance Bond and Errors and Omissions Insurance should be required to insure all clients are protected from Fraud, Theft, and Rules Violations.
  • Full disclosure of all Pricing and Fee Schedules for the recruiting business should be clearly listed on all websites and publications along with a complete list of all services provided for the fee charged.
  • A complete Bio and Resume Notarized and signed by the agent to allow fact checking of all Statements made.

If we had these rules in place and SEVERE PENALTIES for any person conducting business out side of these requirements and for any school or university hiring a service or agent not licensed in the State we would be in great shape.

This sort of service is needed; if done right.  If someone can do provide these things there is little chance of undue influence or illegal or illegitimate  events happening.  The cost would be too great and the risk too high.

Can you see any reason these things are not reasonable?  After all we are talking about someone representing a minor here and also helping them make one of the biggest decisions of their life.    And the costs of defending the Ducks against these claims of wrongdoing in the Will Lyles case is going to run into the hundreds of thousands most likely.  And that is such an incredible waste!

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Combines Have Become Cash Registers and Their Value Tainted

April 27, 2012 in Camps-Clinics, Combines by Football NW

Combines Hurt More Then Help

This article is long overdue.  And it is not something we take lightly here at WashingtonPreps and OregonPreps.  But something has to be said and this is directed at all you parents and kids in the Pacific Northwest who we have covered and tried to look out for and written about tirelessly for 8 years now.

There is a money grab on.  And people are after your money first and for most.  Many of them don’t care what they need to say to get you to come out and compete.

You will be made to feel inadequate, left behind, or left out.  You will be made to feel as if you have to go or you will have no shot.  And you will be told if you come that “your life can change” and that your fortunes can turn in an instant.   But the reality is that almost all of that is about ego and getting you to drop that “C” Note and not about reality.

I am talking about High School Football Combines.

They were once rare to find and few and far between and College Coaches used them for major recruiting events.  Those days are over!  This year alone there have already been several in the Pacific Northwest and by the end of the Summer there will have been at least 20.  The issues at hand as we see them are that these events have lost their cache and their importance.  They really have.  And if you don’t believe that just ask any Coach from a Collegiate program.

“We could care less what a kid gets at a combine because we won’t trust those numbers.  And that only tells us a little bit anyway.  We recruit football players and athletes.  Not numbers,” said one PAC 12 Coach we spoke to this week.  ”There is no reason for a parent or an athlete to get pre-occupied with a combine when the job at hand should be keeping grades up and finding ways to get to know collegiate programs first hand.  No combine in the world will do that.”

Well said.  But combines which include testing physical skills like the 40 yard dash, vertical leap, 20 yard shuttle, bench press, and broad jump among other things can be run by anyone and can be quite lucrative.

At a recent combine in the NW 60 plus athletes attended paying over $100 each for a chance to test and compete.  That is all well good and fine.  But there is another one up the road the week later and two in Seattle a week or two after that and soon there is just nothing but a lot of noise and no one paying attention that can really help the athlete sort out what his options are.

And what of the $6,000 dollars that mostly left town with the promoters?  How much of that is retained by the public schools who let their Million dollar fields and facilities be used?  Tough questions to ask but they need to be because it appears to be very very little.

So here is what we have to offer into the mix and we feel justified in saying these things because no one has seen this unfold here in the NW the way we have.

What you Need to know about Football Combines for High School Kids:

  • There are no Collegiate Coaches at Combines.  It is against the rules and regs.  The only guys watching you are going to the the same guys charging you money and telling you your special.  So take it for what it is.
  • Your scores may or may not reported.  Everyone claims to send the scores out to Colleges Nationwide but few do.
  • Your scores can hurt you more then they help you.  You can not control what is written down or displayed.​
  • ​If the scores are not reported by a reputable source they will never see the Coaches desk nor should they.  They will be treated as SPAM.​
  • If the meaurments are not down by electronic equipment they can fool you into a false sense of self.  For instance a 4.46 on a hand held time is a 4.65 on a laser timer.  This is a real problem for athletes that want to know where they stand with other top recruits in the region.  Why pay to go to an event that can hurt you in the long run?​
  • The formula used by almost every Combine and camp group is to host a regional or small market event and then encourage the athlete to come to more and more and more events that will lead up to the Mega-Event at a location where kids from all of these smaller events meet and compete.​
  • Combines are held normally by companies who lack credentials and business licenses in the location they are holding them in and are held by people in most cases who have not had to endure background checks or scrutiny normally associated with High School Sports.​​
  • MANY OF THESE EVENTS ARE USED AS A WAY TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE KIDS FOR ADDITIONAL BUSINESSES RUN BY THE COMBINE GROUP OR THEIR AFFILIATES. THESE EVENTS ARE FERTILE SOIL FOR UNSCRUPULOUS STREET AGENTS TO OFFER YOU OR YOUR ATHLETE THE RECRUITING PACKAGE.   But don’t worry as you will only have to pay a few hundred or more then likely a few thousand.​

​

Are we saying never go to one?  No not at all.  Just do not pay very much and certainly take a hard look at what you are going to.  By no means does it make sense to go to more and more of these events.

They are what they are; a chance to see how you stack up.  But if you have D1 Visions for your future you better get to a Combine or event like the Army All American Combine where you will be judged based on competition against the Nation’s best.

Here is a real world approach to this process and how you can help yourself.

  • Talk to your High School Coach and ask them for their advice and input.  Many of these combines and camps sort of sneak in and out of town and do not even contact High School Coaches as they know they will be run off and unwelcome.  Go to Your Coach and Talk!  In  most cases you will get the straight scoop.​
  • Get to the NIKE SPARQ COMBINE held at Tigard High School.  No one can touch Nike and SPARQ on this front.  IT IS FREE!!!!!  They use the latest and greatest electronic timers and measuring devices so be prepared.  And the event is the best you can go to and we have been to them all.   You have a good showing there you will raise your stock.  The Nike and SPARQ Staff are the most seasoned and most experienced we have met anywhere and they see the Nation’s best every year at these the Nation’s biggest and premier events.  We are lucky they come here.  REGISTER FOR THE JUNE 9th, 2012 Nike SPARQ Combine- Event Right Here.​
  • If there is a Free event go if you have time.  If they are charging much money look at the list of critiques we listed above and ask yourself if alarms are going off.  Most likely any of these events will have this effect on you and you should immediately reconsider your next move.

 

Matt James of Nike Football and SPARQ is featured as one of the best trainers in the Country at the FREE Nike SPARQ Events which will stop in Tigard, Oregon June 9th, 2012.

 

Lastly here is a great perspective we found from a guy named Joe Kenn who is a Dad, a Coach, a long time trainer, and a guy in the sports business.

“My biggest problem with high school combines is they make a tremendous amount of money on parents who aren’t truly in tune to a real recruiting process. I overheard several parents talking about attending up to five combines and one of their sons hadn’t even played a snap of varsity ball yet. Attending athletes are training specifically for combine tests, and combines are manufacturing results that don’t transfer to the game. Players are leaving themselves open to injury by not preparing for their sport. This isn’t a words win. You want a words win. Produce solid game tape! I should note that there is one caveat to this. If your son is a blue chip recruit, a specific combine may be needed to provide a shot at the main all-American games that are now played. However, these are generally invite-only combines.”

 

Combines are now a Dime a Dozen, are all about the money for the most part, and they play to the athletes and parents desires and Dreams.  The events are not relevant with only rare exceptions.  Athletes who are good students and exceptional football players get scholarships.  The same guys who have always been at the forefront are still getting the scholarships.  No combine will help you be that guy!

Believe me when I say we understand because I did all this stuff with my kids and we chased all these events and went to most of them.  After a while few if any stand out as being worth the investment of time and money and we fell into the trap that Joe Kenn talks about above.  We had our son train to do well in the combine events and he did that.  But the time and money we spent doing that taught him how to do things that college coaches cared little about and that did not prepare him to be a better football player.

In the end the best thing you can do for your kid is get him in front of Coaches who can help assess where you are at and get game film.  If you do not do those things you had better be one of the above mentioned natural born Blue Chips.

We are here for you all you guys to tell the world your story better then anyone can through the Nations largest network.  But if my words left you turned off then maybe….just maybe… the truth hit home.

Contact me anytime I can help any of you at 503-799-8383 or dirkknudsen@gmail.com.

All the best from me and the staffs at Oregon and WashingtonPreps.com and the RivalsHigh Network!

 

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About the Author

Dirk is a lifelong resident of the Pacific NW; athlete and Merit scholar. He runs camps, clinics, and has been a sports writer and analyst for nearly a decade now; mostly with Rivals.com as the editor of OregonPreps and WashingtonPreps.com. Dirk is the founder of NWPR & BrainChampions.org; a charity for injured athletes suffering from Brain Trauma / Concussion. He is a father of three and married.

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“Illegal-Procedure” Offers A Reality Check About What Is Happening

April 12, 2012 in Codes, Ethics, Recruiting Services, Rules by Football NW

This is the sort of thing we need.  Truth.  Frankness.  An Insider Look at what is really happening to College F

ootball.  From High School to Collegiate and NFL recruiting Author Josh Luchs lays out all the dirt and reality as he lived it.  The former Sports Agent really has the pulse of this labyrinth of darkness as it exists today.

 In the book “Illegal Procedure” Josh talks about the dirty business of college football. Luchs talks about how sports agents make their biggest financial gain. Luchs touches on the subject of “poaching” clients and how that benefits the agents wallet. Josh reveals while he was an agent how he obtained the Wonderlic tests and how he prepared his college football draft prospects for the tests. Luchs was the sports agent for Ryan Leaf and comments on the recent criminal problems of Ryan Leaf. 

You can listen to a great live interview right
here as Josh Luchs and John Canzano take on the grim details.  This is an interview you should not miss and a book that we will no doubt all want to read.

Interview Is Right Here!

 

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The Street Agent Defined: Biggest Threat To High School Football There Is

March 6, 2012 in Ethics, Recruiting Services by Football NW

The "Street Agent" often appears as a good guy or friend but usually behind closed doors is negotiating fees and trying to manipulate the outcome of a Prospective Student Athletes decision in regards to college choice. This practice of offering fees to these people needs to be banned 100% by the NCAA and State High School Associations.

 

One of the biggest challenges going on in college recruiting is the emergence of what are called Street Agents.   Often times this person is a private coach, trainer,  or a so called longtime friend of the family.  That person takes on an advisory/father figure type role in helping to decide where the Prospective Student Athlete (PSA) is going to go to college.  They often end up lining their pockets with fees and money paid by the Colleges, the Family, or Both.   Some call these guys “Chicken-Hawks” or “Scum of the Earth” but they are commonly known as “Street Agents”.

Here is a portion of the story printed here:  http://content.usatoday.com/communities/campusrivalry/post/2011/07/oregon-will-lyles-ncaa-investigation-yahoo-sports/1  about Street Agent Will Lyles.

———————-

Will Lyles, who is at the center of the NCAA investigation of Oregon’s football program, said in an interview to Yahoo! Sports that he was paid by the school for more than scouting reports.

 Oregon has admitted paying Lyles $25,000 in connection with his company Complete Scouting Services.

Documents released by the school last month show it received outdated recruiting information from Lyles, who said Oregon coach Chip Kelly said “scrambled” in late February and asked Lyles to submit retroactive player profiles to justify payment.

“They said they just needed anything,” Lyles told Yahoo! Sports. “They asked for last-minute [stuff]. So I gave them last-minute [stuff] … I gave them, like, old stuff that I still had on my computer because I never thought that stuff would see the light of day.”

Lyles said he spoke to the NCAA for six hours in May.

“I look back at it now and they paid for what they saw as my access and influence with recruits,” Lyles told Yahoo! Sports. “The service I provided went beyond what a scouting service should … I made a mistake and I’m big enough of a man to admit I was wrong.”

About a month before Oregon’s payment to Lyles, running back Lache Seastrunk signed with the Ducks. Lyles has been described as having a mentoring relationship with Seastrunk. Lyles also attended an awards banquet last December as a guest of Oregon running back and Heisman Trophy candidate LaMichael James.

Lyles spoke in detail to Yahoo! Sports about working with Oregon to have Seastrunk’s grandmother sign his letter of intent because his mother did not want him to attend school there.

Lyles also said he advised James to transfer to an Arkansas high school as a senior so that he would avoid taking a standardized test required to graduate in Texas.

 

(Much more at the link above)

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Football Northwest is going to find these people and list them for our members.

While we are 100% opposed to these people in general there are some Recruiting Services that do not offer a “cash for offers” approach and who charge such a low fee that almost anyone could afford them.

In any case we will seek to get all of them to sign standard ethical agreements and commit to publishing their rates as well as filing an annual Agency business license in the State of Oregon and or Washington.  Someone has to provide oversight.  And it has to start very very soon.

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