When Florida State University head football coach Bobby Bowden began his career at Sanford in 1959, he followed an adage passed down by the hard-liners of his generation.
"There was a saying, pretty standard among coaches, that every sophomore you start, you're looking at a loss," Bowden said.
No one then could have envisioned a high school basketball player dunking in front of a national television audience, or a 13-year-old driving the ball 300 yards in an LPGA event. Athletes are becoming superstars in their teens, and with that come the sometimes loftier expectations of freshman football players who want to make an immediate impact on college campuses.
"The climate has changed," said University of Miami coach Larry Coker. "Kids want to play right away. We tell them to come in good shape, learn and see where things fall."
How young is too young? Maurice Clarett carried Ohio State to a national championship as a true freshman tailback, and Phillip Rivers started at quarterback at North Carolina State in his first year out of high school.
Both Clarett and Rivers had the benefit of graduating high school in December and were able to practice with the team the spring before the season began.
Coker takes into account talent, maturity and depth at a certain position in determining whether a freshman plays right away or is given a redshirt year. As an offensive coordinator at Oklahoma State, Coker recalled a running back who was talented enough to play as a freshman, but was stuck behind Thurman Thomas and Barry Sanders on the depth chart.
"He was a heck of a player," Coker said. "But the situation at that position, there was not a need for that player."
University of Florida coach Ron Zook surprised some when he suggested that up to two-thirds of his freshman recruiting class could play this season. The Gators recruits were ranked first in the nation by CNNSI.com and second by SuperPrep.
"If there was one thing I would have changed from last year, I would have played more true freshmen," Zook said.
Zook started Estero High graduate Randy Hand as a true freshman at right tackle in four games last season. This fall, two true freshman, high school record holder Chris Leak and Charlotte High's Justin Midgett, will be among the four players competing for the starting quarterback job.
They may not play right away, but Zook expects them to contribute at some point this season.
"A guy who can't help a football team in that first or second or third week, by that fifth or sixth or seventh week he'll be able to help us," Zook said. "Maturity level goes into it."
Though Zook is endorsing a youth movement, others find playing true freshmen a risky proposition.
"If you count on too many freshmen," said Hurricanes defensive coordinator Randy Shannon, "you're in for a long season."
Shannon recalled the 1997 season, in which Miami was forced to play several redshirt freshmen, true freshmen and walk-ons due to NCAA scholarship limitations. The Hurricanes finished 5-6, their only sub-.500 season in the past 20 years.
"Guys are going in there thinking they know it all right away," Shannon said. "And then, you're going from playing in high school against guys that are 160 and 180 and now you're going to be going up against a guy that's 220 and 240.
"Physically, it's going to beat you up, and then mentally, you're done."
Some players emerge as the exception to the rule. Hurricanes All-American tight end candidate Kellen Winslow Jr. made the roster as a true freshman, but had the benefit of playing behind New York Giants All-Pro tight end Jeremy Shockey.
Winslow said his adjustment was more mental than physical.
"It gets to your head," Winslow said. "You think you know everything, and you don't know everything."
Bowden knows, too, that times have changed.
"Sophomores are old men now," he said. "Now some of these sophomores are winning national championships and even these freshmen are winning national championships ... no doubt about it."
http://www.naplesnews.com/03/08/sports/d959341a.htm
"There was a saying, pretty standard among coaches, that every sophomore you start, you're looking at a loss," Bowden said.
No one then could have envisioned a high school basketball player dunking in front of a national television audience, or a 13-year-old driving the ball 300 yards in an LPGA event. Athletes are becoming superstars in their teens, and with that come the sometimes loftier expectations of freshman football players who want to make an immediate impact on college campuses.
"The climate has changed," said University of Miami coach Larry Coker. "Kids want to play right away. We tell them to come in good shape, learn and see where things fall."
How young is too young? Maurice Clarett carried Ohio State to a national championship as a true freshman tailback, and Phillip Rivers started at quarterback at North Carolina State in his first year out of high school.
Both Clarett and Rivers had the benefit of graduating high school in December and were able to practice with the team the spring before the season began.
Coker takes into account talent, maturity and depth at a certain position in determining whether a freshman plays right away or is given a redshirt year. As an offensive coordinator at Oklahoma State, Coker recalled a running back who was talented enough to play as a freshman, but was stuck behind Thurman Thomas and Barry Sanders on the depth chart.
"He was a heck of a player," Coker said. "But the situation at that position, there was not a need for that player."
University of Florida coach Ron Zook surprised some when he suggested that up to two-thirds of his freshman recruiting class could play this season. The Gators recruits were ranked first in the nation by CNNSI.com and second by SuperPrep.
"If there was one thing I would have changed from last year, I would have played more true freshmen," Zook said.
Zook started Estero High graduate Randy Hand as a true freshman at right tackle in four games last season. This fall, two true freshman, high school record holder Chris Leak and Charlotte High's Justin Midgett, will be among the four players competing for the starting quarterback job.
They may not play right away, but Zook expects them to contribute at some point this season.
"A guy who can't help a football team in that first or second or third week, by that fifth or sixth or seventh week he'll be able to help us," Zook said. "Maturity level goes into it."
Though Zook is endorsing a youth movement, others find playing true freshmen a risky proposition.
"If you count on too many freshmen," said Hurricanes defensive coordinator Randy Shannon, "you're in for a long season."
Shannon recalled the 1997 season, in which Miami was forced to play several redshirt freshmen, true freshmen and walk-ons due to NCAA scholarship limitations. The Hurricanes finished 5-6, their only sub-.500 season in the past 20 years.
"Guys are going in there thinking they know it all right away," Shannon said. "And then, you're going from playing in high school against guys that are 160 and 180 and now you're going to be going up against a guy that's 220 and 240.
"Physically, it's going to beat you up, and then mentally, you're done."
Some players emerge as the exception to the rule. Hurricanes All-American tight end candidate Kellen Winslow Jr. made the roster as a true freshman, but had the benefit of playing behind New York Giants All-Pro tight end Jeremy Shockey.
Winslow said his adjustment was more mental than physical.
"It gets to your head," Winslow said. "You think you know everything, and you don't know everything."
Bowden knows, too, that times have changed.
"Sophomores are old men now," he said. "Now some of these sophomores are winning national championships and even these freshmen are winning national championships ... no doubt about it."
http://www.naplesnews.com/03/08/sports/d959341a.htm
