By the morning of Dec. 11, 2010, Vad Lee had made known his intentions to play for Georgia Tech. He committed to Tech and coach Paul Johnson four months earlier, in fact. But as Lee led Durham (N.C.) Hillside High to play for (and win) the state's Class 4-A state title in Winston-Salem, N.C., a familiar gentleman took his seat in the Hornets' cheering section, eschewing any appearances of impartiality — Duke coach David Cutcliffe.
Cutcliffe did not attend in a last-ditch attempt to pry Lee away from Tech, but rather to support a friend and fellow Durham resident.
Said Cutcliffe, “He’s one of my favorite young people.”
Lee and Cutcliffe will be on opposite sides of the field Saturday when Tech and Duke play in Durham. But a relationship that had its roots in Cutcliffe's recruitment of Lee developed into a friendship that has outgrown the tie that originally brought them together.
“As far as our relationship, it was more on a personal level, friendship level,” Lee said. “He wanted me to go to school there, but coach Cutcliffe was a great guy.”
Duke was the first school to extend a scholarship offer to Lee, as a sophomore, Cutcliffe’s first year at Duke.
“We hit it off,” Cutcliffe said. “He’s a very personable person and a happy person, and so he’s easy to be around. I like to think that that’s kind of the way I am.”
Soon enough, Lee was dropping by to visit Cutcliffe in his office. Lee’s home is three minutes from Duke.
“I was treated as a player,” Lee said. “The assistant ladies knew my name. I would just walk in any time I wanted to.”
Lee liked to watch video of Peyton Manning, whom Cutcliffe coached at Tennessee. They talked about football and Lee’s recruitment.
“Coach Cutcliffe coached me up pretty good, showed me the ropes of being a quarterback,” Lee said.
But Cutcliffe also advised Lee on matters like personal motivation and various situations Lee was dealing with in high school. For a young man who seeks out counsel and a coach who likes to give it, it was a natural pairing.
“I enjoy the mentorship of coaching every bit as much as I enjoy the coaching itself, to be real honest with you,” Cutcliffe said.
Neither looked at the relationship solely through the lens of recruiting, a fact demonstrated by the way that they have continued to communicate. Cutcliffe has had a number of friendships borne out of failed recruitments. Former Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly, now with the Carolina Panthers, is another.
“If you’re sincere in those relationships and you’re not selling, you can build those kinds of relationships,” Cutcliffe said. “I would tell young coaches that recruiting’s not selling. It’s not what you’re doing.”
Cutcliffe was not too surprised, then, to receive text messages from Lee after he signed with Tech in February 2011, and even after he arrived on campus. Freed of NCAA rules regarding text messages to prospects, Cutcliffe finally could respond. Speaking Thursday, Cutcliffe stressed that the dialogue has been friend to friend, not opposing coach to player. The last time the two communicated was some time in the summer, Cutcliffe said.
He has seen plenty of Lee since then on Tech game video.
“Vad’s always just been really athletic,” he told North Carolina reporters this week. “He sees the field well. He’s a good ballhandler, like all of their quarterbacks. He can run the football. He’s sneaky fast, he really is. But I just think Vad’s got a big arm. He can throw the ball, I don’t know how far, 65, 70 yards. You’d better stay on your toes.”
In his return to Durham, Lee said he had more than 40 requests from friends and family for tickets.
“I’ve got a lot of people coming to the game, so I’m really looking forward to putting on a show,” he said.
At least one friend, though, can get in on his own.
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