Anyone remember the highly recruited RB Ben Gay?

[MrMustang1965]

By JOHN P. LOPEZ
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle

Seven years ago, the only signature every college football coach in America wanted was Ben Gay's.


And they were willing to pay.

"Cars, condos, houses, paying my rent, buying my mom and dad cars," Gay said Wednesday, as he remembered some of the offers he fielded when he was widely regarded as the nation's No. 1 recruit in 1998. "I'm just being honest. I'm talking about people coming up to me and telling me ways they were going to give me extra money. One guy told me he had a job for me and they would pay me an extra $2,000. Every two weeks."

The Spring High School running back with the made-for-stardom name and rare combination of size — 220 pounds — and speed — a 4.3-second time over 40 yards — was everyone's Sure Thing.

He was a Parade All-American, a USA Today All-American, a Texas Football Super Team player of the year and a Scholastic Sports USA player of the year. He rushed for 2,217 yards and 27 touchdowns as a senior.


Coaches' convention

One day in the heat of football's recruiting contact period, four big-name coaches showed up at his house within minutes of one another.

Gay's family had to install two extra phone lines just to field all the calls from the recruiters.

"That had to be the wildest part of my life," Gay said. "I used to get calls from people I never heard of at 4 a.m., 5 a.m., 6 a.m. I used to come home from school and my parents were so tired of it. I had one coach on one phone and another would ring. I was like, 'Hold on.' Then another one would ring and then the mobile."

That was seven years ago.

Four years ago, after failing to qualify at Baylor, which won over Texas, Miami and Florida State for his signature, Gay jumped from junior college to the NFL, where he played parts of three seasons for the Cleveland Browns and Indianapolis Colts before injuries took their toll.


Feet on the ground

Just four months ago, Gay began his comeback. To earth.

He found himself riding in one of three 15-passenger vans that The Woodlands-area semi-pro Montgomery County Bulls rented for a North American Football League playoff game in Kansas City.

Gay sat there, scrunched together with former high school players, over-the-hill wannabes and long-shot prospects for what was an 1,822-mile round-trip drive. After winning that game, with Gay punishing defenders, the Bulls had to travel to Waterloo, Iowa, the next week.

He piled into a van again, this time only 23 players were able to make the more than 2,300-mile trip, and led the way to another Bulls victory.

Gay is just 24. No one is offering money, cars or the world anymore.

His telephone has stopped ringing. His agent has ditched him. He tapes his ankles, plays games at community parks and high school stadiums, and lifts weights at a local gym.

He wants every high school recruit who signed a national letter of intent Wednesday to remember just one thing. Actually, three things.

"School, school, school," he said. "I want to tell the next generation, it ain't about girls, girls, girls. It ain't about money, money, money. It ain't about the coaches or football, football, football. It's school.

"There's no other way to say it. Use common sense and just earn your keep. Everyone who says they're your friend ain't your friend."

Gay has no regrets. In fact, the man frankly is inspiring, the way he has come home to Spring and is starting over again. How often do one-time stars spew bitterness? Not Gay.

He has earned a business degree from Baylor, paying his own way. He has found more happiness now, working as a booking agent for Houston-area Marriott Hotels and playing the game for fun, than he did when a fistful of cash was just a telephone call away.

He never took the money when he was the nation's top recruit. That is why he says he can look in the mirror today with no regrets. And that is what he wants to tell future recruits.

"Whatever your parents teach you, learn it," Gay said. "There is no gray area. My parents never let me get swayed (by improper offers). Everybody always wants an easy ride or that little handout. But it boils down to doing it the right way.

"If I would have asked for a handout then, then what kind of man would I be later? I would grow old expecting handouts. Trust me, I'm head-over-heels happy to be where I am now and still have an opportunity to play football."

Bulls player personnel director Joey Saavedra says Gay, now 240 pounds, still possesses sub-4.4 time in the 40-yard dash. Gay's leg injury has been rehabilitated.

"He played one game in tennis shoes, because we were told it was artificial turf, but it wasn't," said Saavedra, who also is the team's punter. "He didn't bring cleats. He was sliding around but still going 20 or 25 yards every time he touched the ball."

Gay knows the competition is not what it once was for him.

"I haven't had so many guys trying to tackle my lower body since I was at Spring," he said. "I respect anyone that's willing to get run smack over. At least they're trying. I remember one game, a little old linebacker saw me coming at him and the whole expression on his face changed. I just said, 'Come on, come get yours,' but after the play I shook his hand."

He sees the hunger in the eyes of opponents and teammates, whom he calls "some of the greatest down-to-earth people I've ever known."

Gay's sole ambition now: "Just say, 'hut' and give me a chance."

He wants today's 18-year-olds to listen. He didn't always.

But he will lace up the shoulder pads again for the Montgomery County Bulls next July, hoping to get as many games as possible on tape. He dreams of getting a chance to play in Canada or Europe. And like every young player, he dreams of the NFL.

"When I was being recruited," he said, "it was an experience I'm glad only happens once. It was like it wasn't even real.

"These kids need to know they have the greatest opportunity to make their lives whatever they want them to be. They can't let that go just because they didn't keep their grades up.

"No matter what anyone tells you, going to college is not about what you can do with your body. It's about what you can do with your mind and character."

[MrMustang1965]

"Whatever your parents teach you, learn it," Gay said. "There is no gray area. My parents never let me get swayed (by improper offers). Everybody always wants an easy ride or that little handout. But it boils down to doing it the right way.

"If I would have asked for a handout then, then what kind of man would I be later? I would grow old expecting handouts. Trust me, I'm head-over-heels happy to be where I am now and still have an opportunity to play football."

Bulls player personnel director Joey Saavedra says Gay, now 240 pounds, still possesses sub-4.4 time in the 40-yard dash. Gay's leg injury has been rehabilitated.

"He played one game in tennis shoes, because we were told it was artificial turf, but it wasn't," said Saavedra, who also is the team's punter. "He didn't bring cleats. He was sliding around but still going 20 or 25 yards every time he touched the ball."

Gay knows the competition is not what it once was for him.

"I haven't had so many guys trying to tackle my lower body since I was at Spring," he said. "I respect anyone that's willing to get run smack over. At least they're trying. I remember one game, a little old linebacker saw me coming at him and the whole expression on his face changed. I just said, 'Come on, come get yours,' but after the play I shook his hand."

He sees the hunger in the eyes of opponents and teammates, whom he calls "some of the greatest down-to-earth people I've ever known."

Gay's sole ambition now: "Just say, 'hut' and give me a chance."

He wants today's 18-year-olds to listen. He didn't always.

But he will lace up the shoulder pads again for the Montgomery County Bulls next July, hoping to get as many games as possible on tape. He dreams of getting a chance to play in Canada or Europe. And like every young player, he dreams of the NFL.

"When I was being recruited," he said, "it was an experience I'm glad only happens once. It was like it wasn't even real.

"These kids need to know they have the greatest opportunity to make their lives whatever they want them to be. They can't let that go just because they didn't keep their grades up.

"No matter what anyone tells you, going to college is not about what you can do with your body. It's about what you can do with your mind and character."

[mavsrage311]

Ben seems like a great guy...too bad most of these kids wont hear his message

[ClassOf81]

That article says he was the nation's #1 recruit, and that he never accepted a handout .... yet he ended up at Baylor?
Calm down, that's not a shot at BU -- it's realism. If you're the best player in the country (or one of them) and you're being offered the moon by places all over the country, including a chance to win a lot of games, maybe a championship, be on TV, etc., why do you choose Baylor? Sure, he's a Texas kid, so maybe he wanted to stay near his family. In that case, he should have come to SMU ( ) .... or at least those little programs in Austin or College Station. Unless there's an unusual situation -- like the stud WR from California who wanted to run on Baylor's track team -- why does a can't-miss prospect guy like Gay sign with Baylor? Didn't understand it then, don't understand it now.

What's most impressive to me about that story, was this line: "He has earned a business degree from Baylor, paying his own way." THAT is evidence that this is a guy who gets it, and sees his future with a sense of realism. I don't know the specifics of what this guy ever did on the field, other than the fact that it was a lot. But I can't believe he ever did anything more impressive with a football than he did by going back to a good school and getting a degree, especially on his own dime.

[MrMustang1965]

Maybe he's just a good Baptist!

[Eddie P]

I can't trust anyone who doesn't indulge in some high-energy dance moves.

[Stallion]

I believe he went to Baylor because they were just about the only school who offered a scholarship-it was no secret he had serious eligibility issues during recruiting. Notice he failed to qualify at Baylor and went the JC route. In those years Baylor used to take 4-5 that everybody knew had no chance to get in.

[Rayburn]

I remember Ben Gay vividly.

I was covering high school football for the Chronicle when he was a blue chipper. Saw him play several times.

He was a human bowling ball: stout, built low to the ground and speedy.

[Sic_em]

I saw that article posted on one of the Baylor fan sites several weeks ago.

A couple of things...virtually everyone backed off of Gay because of grades. Toward the end, only Baylor and Southern were offering a scholarship, but Gay was later diagnosed with a learning eligibility and he was admitted to Baylor as a partial qualifier.

Dave Roberts was fired after Gay's first season at Baylor, which he had to sit out. Steele came in and Gay was habitually late to team meetings and wouldn't go to class despite the fact BU had tutors all over him. Steele dismissed him (he was flunking out anyway) before he ever played a down for Baylor.

Gay was a charming happy-go-lucky guy who would tell people what they want to hear and it sounds like he is still doing it. If the Chronicle reporter had checked his facts, I believe the story about Gay returning to Baylor to get his business degree is a total lie. He probably had a minimal amount of credit hours when he was dismissed. And somebody would have noticed if he was taking classes at Baylor for any extended amount of time.

Baylor coaches later arranged a tryout for him to come back to Waco and work out for NFL scouts. The Colts, I believe signed him, but he didn't make the final roster cut, but the Browns picked him up and he was on their roster for a season. Same habitual lateness and irresponsibility and he was let go. He tried out for a CFL team and was doing really well in camp, then just left to go home to Houston.

The guy has had his chances but hasn't taken advantage of any of them...so far.

Baylor actually got burned by bringing Gay in as a partial. They had also signed Rock Cartwright from Conroe but he only had the grades to get in as a partial as well. Big 12 rules only allowed one partial, so Dave Roberts chose Gay and Cartwright had to go JUCO. 2 years later, he signed with Kansas State and then went on to an NFL career.

[Rayburn]

Yep, Sic is correct. Baylor could have had Cartwright who went to K-State instead, I believe.

Gay was a hoss but no discipline.