Interesting Recruiting Story

[50's PONY]

Duke transfer, Bellville graduate leading Buccaneer offensive line

By RICHARD BRAY/Sports Editor
The Blinn College football coaches didn't exactly have a difficult decision to make when Bellville High School graduate Kurt Falke walked into their offices and asked about a position on the team.

"He walked in right after Christmas and we were having a recruiting meeting and in walks a kid who's 6'6", 320 pounds who's local," Blinn head coach Scott Maxfield said. "It was a pretty easy decision on our parts."

Falke, a redshirt sophomore this season, came to the Blinn coaches after spending a year and a half at Duke. Frustrations with Duke's rigorous academic program and homesickness combined to convince Falke that he'd be better off attending school closer to his family.

"I think it's been a lot easier," Falke said. "My parents keep me in line so that's good, and I still get to see friends from back home. I don't have to worry about not seeing my family for six months."

Falke, who said getting back into Division I football is still a priority in his college career, has received interest from Central Florida, Middle Tennessee St., Louisiana-Lafayette and Syracuse.

"There's no doubt that he'll have an opportunity to go back to Division I," Maxfield said. "He can be one of the most highly-recruited guys on our team because of his physical stature and because he's got good academics. Academically, he's very strong. Athletically, he's 6'6", 320 pounds. There's not many guys like that walking around."

Falke would like to stay in Texas, but not many Texas schools are recruiting him, he said.

In the meantime, Maxfield is happy to have him.

"For our pass protection, he's huge," he said. "He's very important to us and what we do offensively. He's a big kid that understands the game and is a good football player. He brings a lot of character to our team. He's a stabilizing force."

The biggest difference between playing at Blinn and playing at Duke was the speed at which players were inserted into the system, Falke said.

"Practice-wise, the biggest difference is the speed we learn everything," he said. "At Blinn, there's not four years to learn everything, so you have to step in and be ready to go. The size of the players is just a little bit different, but not much."

Finding athletes like Falke who come from the surrounding area is important to the Blinn football program, Maxfield said.

"We like to have as many as we possibly can just because of the interest in the community and that it will bring more people to the games, but a lot of times the local kids want to get out of the area, so it's a double-edged sword," he said. "Sometimes it's difficult to get them to come."

Falke and the Buccaneers will face their biggest test so far this season when they host Kilgore at 7 p.m. Saturday at Spencer Stadium.


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Copyright © 2003 The Brenham

[SMUFan]

Not many Texas schools are showing interest? Is there really a lineman of that size that Syracuse is recruiting and we're not? Jeez, isn't he on the same JUCO team with Bobby Chase? Coach Bennett and his staff have got to give this kid a look, if only because of his size, right?

[Casey]

Do our coaches read this board? This kid has got to be worth a phone call, right? If we can get him in academically - and his JUCO coach seems to think he's a good student - isn't he worth a risk, even if he can't play? At that size, Coach Miller can teach him to be one nasty OL.

[Higher Authority]

A kid like that can NOT sidestep SMU to play for Syracuse, of all places. Coaches! Take a look at this guy!