[jgrubby]

We know we have some GREAT talent in Eastern Kentucky. Why isn't the larger schools coming to Eastern Kentucky or the whole tristate area more often? One suggestion is that the kids in this area are natoriuos for getting homesick and tend to return to their hometown or a closer school. What are your thoughts?

[FBALL]

There just aren't alot of division one athletes in this area. Population alone would dictate that. There are some that have been overlooked but for the most part if you are good enough someone will find you.

[ComfortEagle]

I can't answer your question, but that is BLASPHEMY to edit that Ashley Judd picture the way you did.

[FOX SPORTS]

We know we have some GREAT talent in Eastern Kentucky. Why isn't the larger schools coming to Eastern Kentucky or the whole tristate area more often? One suggestion is that the kids in this area are notoriuos for getting homesick and tend to return to their hometown or a closer school. What are your thoughts?

Simple answer...We don't have that many D1 athletes, period.
The true D1 players have been recruited by the large schools.
Part of the problem is that many eastern Ky athletes are built up as being GREAT since they were 8 years old when they truly are only average when lined up on the statewide, regional, or national level.

Believe me, if a kid has the ability to play D1, he will be recruited...regardless of what players in the past have not panned out for whatever reason.

The latest example is David Jones...he made it and has done nicely.

[Possum Bait]

There are several reasons:

1)Lack of quality competition. Even if a kid has D-1 talent, how often does he get to compete with other D-1 talent.

2)Mountain kids have a reputation for getting home sick. How many kids that do go away to college quickly return home?

3)Speed, Speed, Speed. Mountain kids have a reputation for being slow.

4) Lack of exposure. Mountain kids get very little state wide exposure from the media. Mountain kids have to pay to attend camps (rather than being free invitees). Most either can not afford to attend or think the camps are not worth the cost.

5)Poor job by the mountain coaches regarding college placement. Most coaches spend very little time making/sending videos or phone calls to college coaches. It takes a lot of time to do this job properly. I would guess almost full time outside the season. Very few mountain coaches have the time, contacts, confidence, persistance or experience to perform this job properly. It takes a real sales job. Doors are going to be slammed in your face and you are going to be blown off. It is against the mountain personality to agitate people or to be turned down without embarrassment.

I think a lot of quality mountain players are missed, but until reason #5 no longer exists the problem will remain.

[Tomcat68]

The fact is that as good of players that you see in NE KY, very, very few of those players could compete for a starting spot at most D1 colleges. Another problem is that there are some players who COULD possibly play D1 on defense, but would rather go to a smaller school and get the recognition of being on offense.

When you look at the size, strength, and speed of many D1 talents, overall they often dwarf those of NE KY players.

Also, because there are not enough great players/teams from the area, and most teams don't schedule any big time powers, even if a young man looks incredible on film, they are playing against inferior opponents. Many colleges do not want to waste a scholarship on a player that they have never been able to view against top notch talent.

Like you said, the homesick part doesn't help at all. It occurs much too often and gives the area a bad reputation.

The lack of big time recruits from the area also limits the views that our players receive. Scouts would prefer to go to a game where they could check on 3 or 4 players, instead of just 1 or 2 tops which is usually the case in a NE KY game.

Does anyone have a list of D1 Talent out of NE KY over the last few years?

[Possum Bait]

Tomcat,

You make a very good point about the low numbers and concentration of D-1 talent. How many coaches are going to spend two to four hours driving each way to watch a marginal D-1 player when he can drive less than an hour to a game that will feature 4 or 5 potential D-1 athletes.

Again, it is exposure. If mountain kids are going to get exposure and consequently schollies, they have to go to the summer camps and their coaches have to do a good sales job.

[Blau Vogel]

We know we have some GREAT talent in Eastern Kentucky. Why isn't the larger schools coming to Eastern Kentucky?

They have tried, but they get lost on those back roads. I think I heard that Woody Hayes isn't really dead, he is just lost in a holler in EKy.

[DEVILOLOGIST]

So at what age would a kid start going to camps??????????? Middle school or wait until freshman year. I have heard at least by 8th grade.. any thoughts?

[Possum Bait]

Going to camps early is important to get the kids name known by the coaches. Going over a period of years also gives the kid an opportunity to display his likability and intangible skills.


6 th grade is a good time to start. The summer before his junior and senior seasons, a playe should attend as many camps as possible.

[Tin Cup]

Here's another thought Tomcat68 hit on...recruiters can find more top level athletes in Cincy, Indy, Louisville, NKY, etc. than traveling all of the 12-16th regions--population reasons...plus recruiters are on a limited budget also.

[Brooks4Prez]

There are several reasons:

1)Lack of quality competition. Even if a kid has D-1 talent, how often does he get to compete with other D-1 talent.

2)Mountain kids have a reputation for getting home sick. How many kids that do go away to college quickly return home?

3)Speed, Speed, Speed. Mountain kids have a reputation for being slow.

4) Lack of exposure. Mountain kids get very little state wide exposure from the media. Mountain kids have to pay to attend camps (rather than being free invitees). Most either can not afford to attend or think the camps are not worth the cost.

5)Poor job by the mountain coaches regarding college placement. Most coaches spend very little time making/sending videos or phone calls to college coaches. It takes a lot of time to do this job properly. I would guess almost full time outside the season. Very few mountain coaches have the time, contacts, confidence, persistance or experience to perform this job properly. It takes a real sales job. Doors are going to be slammed in your face and you are going to be blown off. It is against the mountain personality to agitate people or to be turned down without embarrassment.

I think a lot of quality mountain players are missed, but until reason #5 no longer exists the problem will remain.

Never heard it said any better, I agree with 100% of this post.

[jgrubby]

I can't answer your question, but that is BLASPHEMY to edit that Ashley Judd picture the way you did.

HUH, you should see the one I have without the Jersey.

[PC_You_Know]

The mountains just need more natural speed and the recruits will start rolling in.

[NEXT]

There are several reasons:

1)Lack of quality competition. Even if a kid has D-1 talent, how often does he get to compete with other D-1 talent.

2)Mountain kids have a reputation for getting home sick. How many kids that do go away to college quickly return home?

3)Speed, Speed, Speed. Mountain kids have a reputation for being slow.

4) Lack of exposure. Mountain kids get very little state wide exposure from the media. Mountain kids have to pay to attend camps (rather than being free invitees). Most either can not afford to attend or think the camps are not worth the cost.

5)Poor job by the mountain coaches regarding college placement. Most coaches spend very little time making/sending videos or phone calls to college coaches. It takes a lot of time to do this job properly. I would guess almost full time outside the season. Very few mountain coaches have the time, contacts, confidence, persistance or experience to perform this job properly. It takes a real sales job. Doors are going to be slammed in your face and you are going to be blown off. It is against the mountain personality to agitate people or to be turned down without embarrassment.

I think a lot of quality mountain players are missed, but until reason #5 no longer exists the problem will remain.

I agree with everything you said and want to add -

No coach is going to stick their neck to a college coach for a kid to not work hard enough and come back home.

Kids that are good enough are usually babied by the coach and school and do not know what it is like to work hard in practice or the classroom. For a college athlete it is a job. Too many kids do not realize that.

[bac2369]

well i got a question for every one. who do u think has a real shot at getting a d-1 scholarship here in the mountains, i just want to hear some names. and once i hear some i am going to put my 2 cents in

[Tomcat68]

well i got a question for every one. who do u think has a real shot at getting a d-1 scholarship here in the mountains, i just want to hear some names. and once i hear some i am going to put my 2 cents in

The only one I know of from Ashland is Matt Thomas who I've heard is getting looks as a CB.

From Raceland, Jacob Sparks is a great kicker. I haven't seen him enough to say D1 for sure, but in warmups at Ashland he was putting them through from 50 yards out with regularity, which is more than you can say for a lot of kickers.

[DEVIL89]

Here are a few that I know that have made it at the D-1 level within the last 5 years, Arlis Beach at UK, Nate McPeek at Marshall, David Jones at UK. I am sure there are others that have made it along time ago but that is who comes to mind right now.

[Tomcat68]

I don't want to get this thread off topic, but I think the new thread I created will go hand in hand with this one. It can be found here.

http://www.bluegrassrivals.com/forum/sho...post470761

The new thread is asking for all of the D-1A football players in the past 10 years from EKY.

[charlie22]

I tend to agree with the posters that have pointed out there really aren't that many D-1 players in E. Ky, or N. Ky, or any other region of Ky for that matter. No doubt that the quality of football has increased dramatically over the recent years and the number of D-1 players in Ky has likewise increased, but they are still relatively rare. In N. Ky this year, inspite of the greater population, we still have only one kid from all of N. Ky that has attracted any D-1 interest and that is from two schools who are in the level that used to be called 1-AA. Heck that school that supposedly recruits all the talent in the state (Trinity) only has one D-1 player most years in its graduating class (and to have none is not necessarily unusual) and I don't think had any last year. This year its Roby; next year its Whiting. LexCath (another alleged recruiter) only has one this year I think that's Guy.

While lots of regions have a lot of very good high school football players, the jump from high school to D-1 is huge, with size being the biggest limiter in my opinion. Jordan Kramer from Highlands last year is still the fastest, quickest and best running back I've ever seen at Highlands and I've been following them for 40 years plus. But because he's 5'6" or so, he ended up at Georgetown ( a very good program but certainly not D-1) and even then was redshirted this year. Great high school player but not D-1. Justin Smith, Boyle County's exceptional high school quarterback didn't go D-1 either did he?

I just think people mistake what it takes to get a D-1 scholly more than any other factor.

[~Pirates Pack a Punch~]

:eek: LOL

They have tried, but they get lost on those back roads. I think I heard that Woody Hayes isn't really dead, he is just lost in a holler in EKy.

[HAIL PIKEVILLE!]

Here are a few that I know that have made it at the D-1 level within the last 5 years, Arlis Beach at UK, Nate McPeek at Marshall, David Jones at UK. I am sure there are others that have made it along time ago but that is who comes to mind right now.

What about the kid from Raceland that kicked for Ohio State?

[DEVILOLOGIST]

Petry kicked at raceland and now for Ohio State.
Arliss played in the NFL for the Packers but got cut, I heard he was playing in the new CCFL??

[Sponge Bob]

Don't forget Grutza (Mason County) who is still playing at Cincinnati.

[jgrubby]

So do you think its our style of football that keeps the Kids from getting notice? The Franklin Offense etc....???? We have stuck with the "tried and true" ones, Wing-T the Wishbone(vear) Power I, but it isn't we don't have the quality players! I belive its the not knowing what we have until we catch up to the times. We may have talent in some kids and don't use it.

[red_devils_rule]

Petry kicked at raceland and now for Ohio State.
Arliss played in the NFL for the Packers but got cut, I heard he was playing in the new CCFL??

He want on to play for the cowboys and is still on there roster cause i got to go to there frist home game this year and i have a program that has his name in it3, But like i said that was teh frist gme of the year.

[Pupaw]

Eastern Kentucky may have some good athletes around here. But the simple fact of the matter is that there are VERY few, if any, football players in this area that can go on and compete at the Division I level. Size and speed are the 2 biggest differences in D-1, and D-2. Even then, the differences are not that great at all. I'd love to see some kids from the mountains go on and compete at the D-1 level, but IMO, I don't feel that there are any athletes around here that can accomplish that.