13-year-old 'commits' to USC, and pancakes for breakfast

[Cancel 2018. 3]

13-year-old 'commits' to USC, and pancakes for breakfast

Last year, a fairly ridiculous story made the rounds wherein Lane Kiffin, then the new head football coach at Tennessee, reportedly offered a scholarship to 14-year-old Evan Berry, younger brother of UT All-American Eric Berry and soon-to-be high school freshman, who reportedly accepted. Now at USC, Kiffin apparently figured on Thursday that was setting the bar a little too low -- why target eighth-graders, after all, when you can get to them in seventh grade:

According to the Wilmington News Journal, Bear, Del., seventh-grade quarterback David Sills committed Thursday night to accept a football scholarship from USC.

The 13-year-old, who attends Red Lion Christian Academy, told delawareonline.com "my heart was beating so fast" when he talked to Kiffin.

Red Lion high school varsity coach Eric Day confirmed that Kiffin recently offered the teen a scholarship, and that Sills committed, according to the Wilmington paper.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/footba...ts-to-USC-and-pancakes-for-b?urn=ncaaf,217861

:eek3:

 

[Cancel 2018. 3]

seriously, does no one find this disturbing?

 

[cawacko]

I'm not a big fan of it. I mean seriously has this kid even gotten laid yet? If it's a one off thing I can overlook it but if this in any way starts a trend then it's frightening. Of course this is non-binding. Neither the school or the kid are committed to anything yet.

 

[WinterBorn]

I'm not a big fan of it. I mean seriously has this kid even gotten laid yet? If it's a one off thing I can overlook it but if this in any way starts a trend then it's frightening. Of course this is non-binding. Neither the school or the kid are committed to anything yet.

Thats the key factor.

But there are a lot of talented kids who never had any question of where they wanted to play. Kids all over the south grow up wearing crimson jerseys and dreaming of running out onto that hallowed field at Bryant Denny Stadium.

I am sure this kid will remember Kiffin. Its a great way to get a long-term relationship going with the athletes. The question is, how do you tell who the blue-chippers are when they are 6 years from finishing high school.

 

[cawacko]

Thats the key factor.

But there are a lot of talented kids who never had any question of where they wanted to play. Kids all over the south grow up wearing crimson jerseys and dreaming of running out onto that hallowed field at Bryant Denny Stadium.

I am sure this kid will remember Kiffin. Its a great way to get a long-term relationship going with the athletes. The question is, how do you tell who the blue-chippers are when they are 6 years from finishing high school.

Like you said you do hear kids saying "all my life I've of dreamed of playing for (whatever school)". Somehow this just takes it another level. I just hope it doesn't become a trend.

 

[WinterBorn]

Like you said you do hear kids saying "all my life I've of dreamed of playing for (whatever school)". Somehow this just takes it another level. I just hope it doesn't become a trend.

I can see why it looks disturbing. But I can see some positives coming from it.

Being a top level college football player takes a lot of work and dedication. If a big name coach makes a visit to a junior high school and gets some kid to put his nose to the grindstone, the kid wins big.

I guess I am trying to see the up side of things.

 

[cawacko]

I can see why it looks disturbing. But I can see some positives coming from it.

Being a top level college football player takes a lot of work and dedication. If a big name coach makes a visit to a junior high school and gets some kid to put his nose to the grindstone, the kid wins big.

I guess I am trying to see the up side of things.

It sounds like this kid may be a prodigy of sorts but as I think you mentioned it's pretty difficult in general to scout kids in the 7th grade for college football.