Every year in Georgia, you come across a few kids who are good football players but not defined by football.
In other words, if football was taken away from them tomorrow, they would still probably be very successful in life. Football does not define them; it is only one small part of the total person.
Jordan Watkins (Stanford) and Jordan Jenkins (UGA) are a few of those young men that come to mind, along with Alpharetta High School quarterback Josh Dobbs, who signed with Tennessee this past February.
Dobbs is a terrific role model as a student-athlete. He’s a straight-A student who hasn’t missed a day of school since be began kindergarten and is studying to be an aeronautical engineer. Oh, and he may have been the state’s best QB not named Deshaun Watson this past year.
This is the kind of high-character guy (and elite athlete) you want leading your team.
Dobbs shared his recruiting experience with the AJC:
You’ve never missed a day of school since starting kindergarten. How do you explain that? “I don’t know. I just get up and go to school every day. When you get, I guess, to about seventh grade, that’s when you realize you haven’t missed a day of school (and that) you’re not going to miss a day of school. So you just keep going. I know it’s a great accomplishment, so I’m happy that I’m going to make it through high school. I still have a month left. I plan on going to school unless I get deathly sick. We’ll pray that doesn’t happen, knock on wood.”
What’s the most creative thing a college did to get your attention? “I would say the craziest thing was that one school sent me 100 different hand-written letters. It was 100 reasons to come to that school. Every single letter had a different reason to come. So that was pretty interesting.” Which school was that? “It was Mississippi State.” What was your impression of that? “I thought it was good. It really showed their interest. Of course, a lot of schools did a lot of different things throughout the (recruiting) process, especially as it came down to the last couple of weeks (before signing day).”
Which school finished runner-up to Tennessee? “Arizona State.” What could they have done better? “It wasn’t anything that they did wrong. For me personally, it was about where I felt I had a best fit. I enjoyed getting to meet that coaching staff and seeing that campus and that school. It just really came down to where I felt the most comfortable.”
What was your biggest recruiting secret? I guess that you were going to switch from Arizona State to Tennessee? “I didn’t really decide to go to Tennessee until a couple of days before signing day. I know a lot of (recruiting reporters) were calling and texting me to see what was going on. I didn’t really respond just because I was trying to take out distractions with making my decision. I wanted to focus in on where I felt best. I guess people consider it a ‘secret’ because I wasn’t talking. But I was just trying to keep all the distractions out so I could focus on my decision.”
What was the biggest recruiting rumor that wasn’t true? “The biggest recruiting rumor was probably when UCLA visited the school and the head coach, Jim Mora, came by. I never got the chance to see him. There was a rumor that they saw me, they offered me and I was de-committing that day to commit to UCLA. I thought that was funny because I never even saw (Mora). My coach told me after he left that UCLA was there. So I thought all of that was pretty funny. That happens. Those are rumors. So you have just let it go.”
What is the funniest thing that happened on a college visit? “That was funny seeing the rock up at Rocky Top (with the names of recruits painted on it). I think it’s just funny that every school you visit, everybody plays XBox. You go in there and play (the NCAA football video game) with the players, and sometimes the players don’t ever use their school. I don’t get why you don’t use your school. I thought that was funny.”
You switched your commitment from Arizona State to Tennessee, and that’s always a tough situation for any kid. What advice would you give other recruits about how to handle that? “Of course, committing is a big decision. Then if you change your mind, that’s another big decision. I would say to kids who feel that pressure (about de-committing) don’t be scared to de-commit because in the end, it’s not the college’s decision – it’s your decision and your life. And you’re going to be affected by the decision. So if you go to a school that you don’t feel 100-percent comfortable with, then you might not fully enjoy your college experience. You have only one time to enjoy those four years. So just make the best decision for yourself and go where you feel like you will be successful.”
What the funniest thing a college coach said to you? “I don’t really remember specifics. I can’t remember my dialogues. Well, there was a lot – just how they would compare themselves to other schools and just little tricks and funny things they would say not necessarily about other schools but about their school to try to put themselves ahead of another school. There was a lot of humor throughout the process.”
What about Clemson? They came in at the last-minute and wanted you to take a visit on the final weekend before signing day? “They did, and we had some family obligations (and couldn’t visit). They came by the school and visited a couple of times.” Did Clemson get involved too late to get consideration? “It’s tough when a school comes in the week before to offer you. That’s a tough situation because you’ve spent the past few months getting adjusted and trying to get a feel around other schools. So, of course, the timing was off with them (Clemson).”
If you were in charge of the NCAA, what’s one rule you would change? ”I think the NCAA should make the kids use all five of their visits, instead of having five and not having to use them all. When you use five, you’re able to see all the campuses. You’re able compare the campuses. And also, college coaches can’t get upset that you’re visiting other colleges because you’d be mandated to take all five of your visits. That’s one thing just because it would allow you to see a lot of places to make the best choice.”
What advice would you give a high school junior about recruiting? “I would say take all the opportunities to meet all the coaches that come and visit you at school. And take the opportunity to visit as many places as you can to see what you like and what you don’t like in a school because every place is different. Every place has its advantages and disadvantages. It’s about finding the place that you feel comfortable for the next four years that will help you succeed on and off the field.”
In BYU, Georgia Tech will face a defense that is one of the toughest in the nation to score against and has a playmaking force in outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy.
Tailback J.J. Green said he can’t say for sure how many times he has heard “you’re one play away from playing” from Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo and running backs coach Bryan McClendon.
Here is a clue that your trip to sunny south Florida may not be a carefree vacation: You’re a football team, and you lose one of your starters during warm-ups.
If nothing else, Georgia has ensured at least one thing about its season. Regardless of where the rest of the schedule takes them, whether its to an SEC championship, a BCS bowl bid or a national title, there will be no claims from outsiders that this team received too many breaks and escaped health issues, no suggestions that the road to success was lined with lollipops and unicorns.
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