District303aPastPlayer
07-23-2007, 10:02 AM
FB Marshall writes its own rules
By Jake Shaw/TexasFootball.com
Marshall, one of 10 senior highs in the massive and ever-expanding Fort Bend ISD, has become a port of fortune for college football recruiters. Following Williams' signing in 2005, Marshall had seven players sign DI scholarships alone in February 2006. Marshall matched that again this spring.
But there's more to the story than talent. At least four other programs in Texas join Marshall in having 15 or more signees over the last three years.
Recruiters have come to realize players at Marshall have talent. But the biggest allure might be that once a Marshall player is signed, he's sealed and delivered.
"One of the things that coach (Dennis Brantley) likes to say is we've never had a kid offered a scholarship that's not qualified," said Marshall assistant and recruiting coordinator Michael O'Guin.
It's not because Marshall is the Harvard of high schools. Rather, it's conceivable that for every hour coaches spend preparing for opponents, three hours are spent preparing Marshall players for college.
"Basically, when coach Brantley got the head coaching job," O'Guin said, "he wanted me to establish a program that would make sure our kids were ready and able to accept a college scholarship."
That would be Marshall's program if you're into the whole brevity thing. But it runs much deeper than that.
Brantley installed an educational initiative and discipline system that would make Coach Carter look like a softy.
"Second semester 10th grade," O'Guin said, "every kid has to take SAT. If they don't take it, (Coach Brantley) removes them until they've taken it or bring a receipt proving they've registered for the test."
The results coaches gather from early testing allows them to identify players that might have problem areas academically.
"Once we know where they are SAT-wise, every semester we get a copy of their academic transcripts and I look at their core subjects to find their core GPA," O'Guin said. "We can find out if they're clacking and in what class."
If players don't play by the rules, they're off the team. If they do, they still face strict requirements.
If any grade drops below 75, it's mandatory tutorial for two weeks or until the grade goes north.
Since tutorials end at 4:15 each afternoon -- 45 minutes into football practice -- the players must return to practice armed with a signed form that reports when they showed up at tutorials, what they accomplished, and when they left tutorials.
"If a kid is still not on track to get a credit, we send out a letter to the parents and we identify the class the kid is in jeopardy of not passing."
When Brantley first implemented this system, few people took the "take-the-SAT-early-or-else" mandate very seriously. Actually, the number was five, O'Guin said.
So the nearly 100 others were shipped off to P.E. and weren't allowed to participate in football practice. It might've been the most athletic game of dodgeball ever.
"When we took over the program initially, that first spring semester, of course we were flooded with phone calls," O'Guin said.
Three years later, the attitude has changed. In Fort Bend ISD, students have the chance to apply to another high school. O'Guin said students districted to Marshall rarely leave, and the school receives a large amount of applications from students wanting to join Marshall's program.
"The kids that are supposed to come to our school, they're going to come," O'Guin said. "And the others, they'll apply here just because of our track record."
One of the first things they'll hear when they hit the campus: "(Coach Brantley) says 'I cant promise every kid who leaves this program will play college football, but if they do what we ask them to do, they will have the grades and test scores to go to college.'"
With that message in mind, the complaints from parents have nearly vanquished. But the number of verbal commitments remains high.
So far, five seniors-to-be have pledged to various Division I programs (see graphic with video).
College coaches will benefit from their talent years down the road. Because academically, it's a safe bet all five will qualify.
By Jake Shaw/TexasFootball.com
Marshall, one of 10 senior highs in the massive and ever-expanding Fort Bend ISD, has become a port of fortune for college football recruiters. Following Williams' signing in 2005, Marshall had seven players sign DI scholarships alone in February 2006. Marshall matched that again this spring.
But there's more to the story than talent. At least four other programs in Texas join Marshall in having 15 or more signees over the last three years.
Recruiters have come to realize players at Marshall have talent. But the biggest allure might be that once a Marshall player is signed, he's sealed and delivered.
"One of the things that coach (Dennis Brantley) likes to say is we've never had a kid offered a scholarship that's not qualified," said Marshall assistant and recruiting coordinator Michael O'Guin.
It's not because Marshall is the Harvard of high schools. Rather, it's conceivable that for every hour coaches spend preparing for opponents, three hours are spent preparing Marshall players for college.
"Basically, when coach Brantley got the head coaching job," O'Guin said, "he wanted me to establish a program that would make sure our kids were ready and able to accept a college scholarship."
That would be Marshall's program if you're into the whole brevity thing. But it runs much deeper than that.
Brantley installed an educational initiative and discipline system that would make Coach Carter look like a softy.
"Second semester 10th grade," O'Guin said, "every kid has to take SAT. If they don't take it, (Coach Brantley) removes them until they've taken it or bring a receipt proving they've registered for the test."
The results coaches gather from early testing allows them to identify players that might have problem areas academically.
"Once we know where they are SAT-wise, every semester we get a copy of their academic transcripts and I look at their core subjects to find their core GPA," O'Guin said. "We can find out if they're clacking and in what class."
If players don't play by the rules, they're off the team. If they do, they still face strict requirements.
If any grade drops below 75, it's mandatory tutorial for two weeks or until the grade goes north.
Since tutorials end at 4:15 each afternoon -- 45 minutes into football practice -- the players must return to practice armed with a signed form that reports when they showed up at tutorials, what they accomplished, and when they left tutorials.
"If a kid is still not on track to get a credit, we send out a letter to the parents and we identify the class the kid is in jeopardy of not passing."
When Brantley first implemented this system, few people took the "take-the-SAT-early-or-else" mandate very seriously. Actually, the number was five, O'Guin said.
So the nearly 100 others were shipped off to P.E. and weren't allowed to participate in football practice. It might've been the most athletic game of dodgeball ever.
"When we took over the program initially, that first spring semester, of course we were flooded with phone calls," O'Guin said.
Three years later, the attitude has changed. In Fort Bend ISD, students have the chance to apply to another high school. O'Guin said students districted to Marshall rarely leave, and the school receives a large amount of applications from students wanting to join Marshall's program.
"The kids that are supposed to come to our school, they're going to come," O'Guin said. "And the others, they'll apply here just because of our track record."
One of the first things they'll hear when they hit the campus: "(Coach Brantley) says 'I cant promise every kid who leaves this program will play college football, but if they do what we ask them to do, they will have the grades and test scores to go to college.'"
With that message in mind, the complaints from parents have nearly vanquished. But the number of verbal commitments remains high.
So far, five seniors-to-be have pledged to various Division I programs (see graphic with video).
College coaches will benefit from their talent years down the road. Because academically, it's a safe bet all five will qualify.