Recruiting Journey - FSU Visit

[PlanoStang]

Originally posted by Cheesesteak:
Posted on Tue, Jan. 13, 2004

WILLIE WILLIAMS' RECRUITING JOURNEY
On trip, FSU has Williams' number
BY MANNY NAVARRO
[email protected]

RICHARD PATTERSON / THE MIAMI HERALD

AT THE TOP: Linebacker Willie Williams of the Class 6A State Football champion Carol City Chiefs is the top-ranked recruit in the state.

Willie Williams' weekend visit to Florida State felt like a scene from Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.

From a ride on a private jet to chowing down hundreds of dollars worth of steaks and lobster tails at Tallahassee's most elegant restaurant The Silver Slipper, Williams ate up the royal treatment.

Williams enjoyed it so much that he says FSU has moved back into a tie with the University of Miami in the battle for his services.

''After this visit, it's 0-0 again,'' said Williams, who will also visit Auburn and Florida. ``UM had taken a lead when they won the Orange Bowl. But I had such a great time [at FSU], I'm torn again. I guess UM and FSU are going to overtime on me.''

THE RIDE

Williams had been on a plane before, but not by himself.

''When I got to Miami International Airport, this guy was waiting for me,'' Williams said. 'He was like `Mr. Williams, right this way.' When I got on the plane, I was like 'Where's everybody else.' It was me, the flight attendant and the pilot. I was bugging out.''

Williams slept most of the flight. When he arrived at Tallahassee Airport, defensive line coach Odell Haggins was there to greet him.

''When he picked me up, he had a box of chicken wings for me,'' Williams said. ``I was starving, but there was only like two wings. I told him `Coach, we're still going to dinner right?'

``He took me to the hotel. This place was beautiful, nicest place I've ever stayed. It was called The Radisson. I was impressed.''

ALL YOU CAN EAT

But nothing impressed Williams more than when he sat down for dinner with nearly a dozen other recruits -- including Northwestern cornerback Trevor Ford and Killian cornerback J.R. Bryant.

''Dinner was tight,'' Williams said. ``We had our own section in the restaurant, but the only thing that bugged me was that I sat all the way in the back -- so I was the last one to get my food.

``Coach Haggins told us to order as much as we wanted. I ordered a steak and a lobster tail. The lobster tail was like $49.99. I couldn't believe something so little could cost so much. The steak didn't even have a price. The menu said something about market value. I was kind of embarrassed so I didn't order a lot.

'But then I saw what the other guys were ordering, I was like, `Forget this.' I called the waiter back and told him to bring me four lobster tails, two steaks and a Shrimp Scampi. It was good. I took two boxes back with me to the hotel.''

After dinner, Williams met his tour guide -- defensive back Antonio Cromartie. But he quickly urged the coaches to find him a new one.

''That boy was on crutches,'' Williams said. ``I would have had to hop around campus everywhere. Besides, I wanted somebody who played my position to take me around.''

Cromartie was immediately replaced by linebackers Ernie Sims, Willie Jones of Carol City and A.J. Nicholson as well as defensive lineman Clifton Dickson of Northwestern.

''After dinner, we hit the clubs,'' Williams said. ``I had a great time with [fellow recruits] Xavier Carter, Xavier Lee, Aaron Jones and Kenny Ingram. All of us really bonded and had a great time. We got back late -- and we paid for it the next day.''

Williams and other recruits were late for Saturday morning's tour of the campus, which was supposed to start at 8 a.m.

''Some guys like J.R. showed up really late,'' Williams said. ``All in all, it was a good day. They talked to us about their tutoring program. If you start struggling with your grades, they have a program set up that can help. To me, you have no choice but to be successful in school. I was impressed with that.''

After the tour, Williams said the players were treated to lunch at Doak Campbell Stadium. But it wasn't the type of meal the players had been treated to the night before. Just sandwiches.

LUCKY NO. 17

Lunch was followed by what Williams referred to as the highlight of the trip.

''They told us to take a walk into the locker room,'' Williams said. ``When we went in there, they had jerseys with our names on it. They even had my No. 17. I told them `Isn't that number retired for [Heisman winner] Charlie Ward? Coach [Bobby] Bowden was like, `For you Willie, we'll bring it back.''

Williams and the rest of the recruits then lived a childhood dream when they were each introduced on the Jumbotron screen as the 2004 starting lineup for the Seminoles.

''We all had our Seminoles jerseys on, and they told us: `Run out on the field about 10 yards,'' Williams said. ``I was so pumped up, I just kept running. I ran the entire field.''

Following a trip back to the hotel and a nap, it was time for dinner again.

''I asked Coach Odell, `Where we eating tonight?'' Williams said. 'He was like, `The stadium.' I thought he was playing. Then we ended up eating at the stadium again. I guess we spent all their money the night before.''

What the recruits didn't know at the time was that they were in for a treat -- a trip to Bobby Bowden's home for his wife's homemade deserts.

''Coach Bowden was cool, but Ms. Bowden was the bomb,'' Williams said. ``I swear, she must be related to Betty Crocker or something. When we walked into that house, it was like walking into a Publix Bakery -- banana pudding, chocolate cake, cheese cake. I had one of everything. I didn't want to leave.''

THE CROCODILE HUNTER

After dessert, Williams returned with his hosts to their dorm room, but quickly learned a few interesting facts about Sims, the top recruit in the nation last year.

''I like Ernie, but there is no way in the world I'd be roommates with him,'' Williams said. ``In fact, I don't know how [Dickson] does it. Sims thinks he's the Crocodile Hunter. It's like the Discovery Channel in his room.

'When Cliff and I walked in, Ernie was sitting on the sofa with a snake around his neck. He was like `Come in, Willie, give me five.' I was like 'Nope. I'm staying by the door.' I kept the door wide open. I was like, `If this man stands up with this snake, I'm outta here.

'I thought I was at the Metro Zoo. He had three snakes, three spiders. Not just any spiders -- poisonous ones. Tarantulas. He had scorpions. I asked Cliff, `How you deal with this.' He said, 'Man, I don't know.' ''

The next morning, Williams and Bowden talked -- one on one -- for nearly 20 minutes.

''We talked about everything,'' Williams said. ``The jersey. The trip. Next year's starting lineup. He told me if I came, they'd leave me at outside linebacker and give me a real good shot at starting next year. That was all I needed to hear.''

Next Tuesday: Williams details his trip to Auburn.

You got Tuesday's story???

[Cheesesteak]

Willie Williams - University of Miami Recruiting Trip

Posted on Tue, Jan. 27, 2004
The Miami Herald

FOOTBALL RECRUITING
UM trip is paradise for Williams
Star linebacker Willie Williams enjoys his Hurricanes visit but has yet to commit to a college. Florida is next before he decides on Feb. 4.
By MANNY NAVARRO

If his trip to Florida State was like an episode of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous and Auburn was a trip to the Simple Life, Willie Williams' experience this past weekend with the hometown Miami Hurricanes could be summed up in one word: paradise.

Coach Larry Coker picked him up at his Carol City home in a white Cadillac Escalade, then put Williams up at the Mayfair House Hotel in Coconut Grove. Williams' room featured a jacuzzi on his balcony.

The name of Williams' room? The Paradise suite.

As usual, Williams was treated to feasts at some of the area's nicest restaurants. He gobbled up ribs, shrimp and barbeque chicken at Monty's, then had three lobster tails and two steaks at the Rusty Pelican.

Williams called the trip his best yet, although he said Miami and Florida State are still tied in the battle for his services.

''This thing just gets harder every week,'' Williams said. ``Who knows, maybe when I go to Florida next week I'll like them so much I'll commit right then and there.

``This is going down to those three nights before National Signing Day [Feb. 4]. Then, I'll announce it.''

COOL COKER

Williams was surprised when Coker picked him up.

''Coach [Coker] looks like an old guy in his 50s or 60s, but he's real cool,'' Williams said. ``When he talks, he sounds like he's 18 or 20.

'And when I saw he was driving the Escalade, I was like, `Dang, coach got some taste.' ''

When Williams arrived at UM, Killian running back Bobby Washington and Killian cornerback J.R. Bryant were waiting for him. The recruits spoke with school counselors about academics.

''UM looks like it has a real good business school,'' Williams said. ``After going on these trips and living like King Tut, I think business is something I want to get into.''

After talking books, the recruits were taken to the weight room.

''I love that weight room -- it's state of the art,'' Williams said. ``I felt like I was in the year 2020 when I walked in there. They had some machines I've never seen in my life. Now I know why these guys get so big.''

During the tour, Williams said he enjoyed partaking in playful banter with Washington and Bryant over their state semifinal playoff game this past season. Carol City beat Killian 3-0 and went on to win the Class 6A state title.

''All they kept talking about was that game,'' Williams said. 'They were like, `If it wasn't for you Willie, we'd be state champions.' I told them, 'If it weren't for our defense -- not only me.' ''

RED LIGHT, GREEN LIGHT

Following the campus visit, the recruits boarded a bus with the coaching staff and headed for the Orange Bowl. Williams said he wasn't aware the recruits had a police escort.

''We'd get to a red light and I would hold on because the bus driver would just take it,'' he said. ``Coach Coker looked at me and he was like, `Are you OK, Willie?'

'I was thinking the bus driver was crazy. Coach Coker was like, `Willie, we've got police escorts.' I told him, 'Thank God. I thought the police were trying to pull us over and give us a ticket.' That was pretty funny.''

Williams, who wore No. 17 at Carol City in honor of UM linebacker D.J. Williams, had his own No. 17 waiting for him inside the Canes' locker room. In the next locker was jersey No. 52 -- the number once worn by superstar linebacker Ray Lewis.

''When I first put on [his UM jersey], I felt at home,'' Williams said. 'Coach was like, `That's you, Willie.' To be honest, it really felt like it.''

After the players put on their jerseys, parents were asked to leave the locker room. The players were then called out one by one to run out of the famed tunnel while their names were announced over the stadium speakers.

Williams ran out of the tunnel through a giant-sized UM helmet and the infamous smoke. The music playing over the loudspeakers was Bone Crusher's rap hit Never Scared. Oddly, though, Williams kind of was.

''I was running like a blind man,'' Williams said. 'I had my eyes closed cause I didn't want none of that smoke to get in my eyes. Coach was like, `It's OK, Willie. It isn't going to hurt you.' Now, I know. Running through that smoke was awesome.''

Williams and the recruits enjoyed their experience so much they didn't want to give back their jerseys.

''J.R. and I figured we would stuff it under our clothes,'' Williams said. ``Bobby hid his in his stomach, but he looked pregnant.''

DINNER AT MONTY'S

Following the stadium, the recruits were bused to Monty's restaurant on Miami Beach.

''As soon as I got off that bus, it was like a cartoon,'' Williams said. 'The smell hit me right away. Coach was like, `Willie, you've got an eating disorder.' ''

After the recruits were greeted with nachos and crab claws, the main course quickly followed -- along with the arrival of UM players, including D.J. Williams and cornerback Antrel Rolle.

''Coach Coker must be related to Cleo or something,'' Williams said of the famed TV psychic. ``The man knew what I wanted and had it already ordered. I didn't need a menu. I told him, `Coach, how did you know what I like?'

'He was like, `Willie, I've been reading up on you.' ''

Dinner was followed by a trip back to Rolle's apartment for a few hours of video games. Then it was off for a night out on South Beach.

'They took us to this place called `The Bed.' Warren Sapp, Clinton Portis, Jevon Kearse and a whole bunch of really hot girls were all there. We didn't stick around long. After that, we just went back to the hotel to sleep.''

After breakfast the following morning, Williams met with linebackers coach Vernon Hargreaves.

``He told me how they really want to use me for blitzes and that I'll play [weakside linebacker]. I liked hearing that.''

The following morning, Williams and the recruits headed back to the athletic complex for one final meeting with the coaching staff.

Williams met with Coker, who handed him the crystal football awarded to the Hurricanes as part of the Sears National Championship trophy of 2002.

''He asked me, `You ready to win one of these?'' Williams said. 'I was like, `Sounds good to me.' He told me, `All you need to do, Willie, is let me know. The jersey is the easy part. All we have to do is scrape off the D.J. on the number 17 and put a W.'

``Man, that sounded awesome. I like that No. 17.''

<small>[ 02-08-2004, 05:42 PM: Message edited by: Cheesesteak ]</small>

[Water Pony]

From Chicago Tribune, here is an excellent article on recruiting and how it's image is getting worse, e.g. s*x sells:

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/highschool/cs-0402060393feb06,0,2922642.column?coll=cs-highschool-navigation

[ponyte]

Something is seriously wrong when a University has to perform criminal backround checks on its football recruits.

Does FSU have an inhouse probation officer?

[Stampede]

Hope this works:

www.killerfrogs.com/forums2/index.php?act=ST&f=4&t=21947&s=76ca3721c544440b9ff87dab6daeb22b

More fall out from recruiting and, I believe we will see changes in the way prospects are recruited by universities....until they find "one they have to have" ,,,then it will be "busines as usual".

[Cheesesteak]

Associated Press
Feb. 10, 2004 12:52 p.m.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Top Miami recruit Willie Williams surrendered Tuesday after more criminal charges were added to a record of 10 arrests the university didn't know about when it signed him.

Williams turned himself in at the Broward County Jail on an arrest warrant that says he violated probation in a 2002 burglary case, sheriff's spokesman Jim Leljedal said.

Williams was charged Monday with felony criminal mischief, a misdemeanor count of illegally discharging fire extinguishers and misdemeanor battery at a hotel on a recruiting trip to the University of Florida during Super Bowl weekend.

Williams' record and complaints about his Gainesville trip were revealed Feb. 4, the same day he signed his letter of intent with Miami.

He is accused of setting off three fire extinguishers in his hotel, grabbing a woman against her will and hitting a man at a bar in a span of five hours.

Miami was unaware of his arrest record dating to age 14 and has acknowledged lapses in its background checks. Williams chose Miami over Florida State, Florida and Auburn. Florida and Florida State say they didn't know about his record, either.

[certainapendage]

What??? Another black male, aged 17-25 in trouble with the law?

"Until racism is executed and no longer able to be manifested, my people will continue to be molested and given to intimidatory tactics and police brutalities unspeakable."

Spoken by the Reverned Jesse High Jackson in an April 2002 interview with USA Today.

[Peruna_Ate_My_Rolex]

Originally posted by certainapendage:
"Today Germany is ours. Tomorrow the whole world."
der Furher

Alrighty then. BTW, it's Fuhrer, not Furher.