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It happens every year, even before the Internet and recruiting services became cottage industries and ever-present influences on our lives. Someone--parents, coaches, alumni, friends, fans--will call or write or e-mail to tout an athlete whom they believe isn't getting his props.
They have seen another athlete who is getting more publicity and they are convinced they have seen somebody better. They have seen an athlete who has been offered a dozen Division I scholarships and can't understand why another athlete has none.
Sometimes, they are just looking for publicity.
Apparently, this is one of those times.
A year ago, we began receiving e-mails about a player at Clark High School in Chicago His name is Earlzo Singleton and his benefactor thought we were missing the boat. Singleton is a major Division I prospect, the e-mailer insisted, and we should acknowledge it.
I called Clark coach Tim Lacy, who is building a successful program at one of the Chicago Public League's newest schools.
Yes, Lacy said, Singleton is a 5-8, 160-pund junior receiver, cornerback and tailback on his team. He predicted the youngster will do well in college as a safety. He has 4.4 speed. Lacy said Singleton is a great defender. He had eight interceptions as a junior. Michigan State has invited him to attend its summer camp.
But Singleton isn't the best prospect on his team, Lacy said. He said Kyle Gipson, a 5-8, 180-pound running back is his best player. He is an honor student. He said Gipson has attracted interest from Nebraska, Illinois State and North Central. Lacy projected him as a strong safety in college.
I filed the episode in the "overzealous parent" portfolio with a note to check out Singleton's progress as a senior. But it didn't go away. Singleton's publicist had made other calls, including one to Rivals, the national recruiting service. One call insisted Singleton was going to make an oral commitment to Louisville within a week.
Rivals, recruiting analyst Tom Lemming and other services have been on the alert ever since an offensive lineman named Kevin Hart from Fernley, Nevada, fabricated his recruitment last February to the point where he conducted a press conference to announce his decision and nobody had ever heard of him.
In another recent case, a player said he had committed to Ohio State but he hadn't even been offered.
Singleton has fooled some people. One service ranks him among the top 150 juniors in the nation. Another service that covers Notre Dame said he is one of the top 10 players in Illinois. And another service said Singleton has scholarship offers from Louisville, Boise State, Oklahoma State and Southern Mississippi.
All untrue. Rivals did its homework. In fact, Rivals lists Singleton at 5-7 and 152 pounds. They checked him out and revealed that he has no offers at all. Yes, he is on the mailing list of several colleges. But nobody has offered. Some have never heard of him.
"My first red flag was that I remembered the kid from when he came to one of our events this past spring and he wasn't very big and wasn't very thick," recalled Illinois-based recruiting analyst Tim O'Halloran of Edgytim.com and Rivals.com.
"Seeing him in person, there was no way I would have thought he would be a national recruit. Red flag No. 2 is that he has never sent out a video. If you have that much to show, you'd want your video everywhere.
"And red flag No. 3 is that he plays in a lower level of competition in the Chicago Public League. I went out and watched him play a few weeks ago against Harlan. He is not a Division I player, simple as that. If I thought the kid had a chance, I'd tell you. But he doesn't look like a Division I player."
Cell Phone Alerts
THE YOUNGSTER IS GOING TO MAKE A GREAT USED-CAR
SALESMAN!
TAYLOR YOU JUST RUINED THIS YOUNG MAN'S NFL CAREER!
LIKE THE GROUP PUBLIC ENEMY SAID- DON'T BELIEVE THE
HYPE!
who ever wrote this story get a life. do it make you feel happy bashing people over the internet how bout you come to your school in see what we are working with here and we still winning. heres your mistakes we are not in the Chicago Public League anymore we moverd up earlzo is not 5'7 jus check the roster how bout you come up to our school face to face and be a man and not jus a internet name and talk to us its that easy but i guess you not a man then get a woman she will make it for your life instead of being on the computer talkin bout people and to that comment up their about the used car salesman nobody wants your job
Sorry! but this story doesn't hurt my confidence at all,I still think I'm the truth.I'm still one of the best players in the country you never seen play and Tim Ohalloran came to one of my games,I receive so much hype for a reason and as for my team we won our conference and made the state playoffs our first year eligible.Our school doesn't even have a weight room so there is really no way we can lift and yet we still won conference 3 straight years.ENOUGH SAID!
Earlzo is the real deal. He is currently starring in Pee Wee Football and we are mighty proud of him. In the future he hopes to play football on the 7th grade team and if successful he will play intramural football at a tiny private college where he can get a student loan since he will not receive a scholarship to any college in the country. Last time I checked it does not take very much money to buy some weights to put in your garage. College football teams are always recruiting short 150 pound football players. They are called place kickers. Earlzo plans on playing his Football at Depaul University once Depaul starts having a football program in the year 2085. Best wishes Earlzo and we all hope you face reality about your future rather than your delusion that football is in your future. My suggestion is to watch it at home on television. Two bits of advice, get a stretching machine and eat lots of pizza.
That's funny,you must haven't seen the kid play football and you probably weren't good at it growing up.I haven't seen the kid play either but there has to be a good reason why people write stories on this kid,Taylor Bell and Tim Ohalloran might think he isn't a D-1 player and thats why they wrote this story to expose the kid because of what they believe.On the other hand people have wrote good stories about earlzo,another thing that should be known is that college coach's don't even like talking to recruiting analyst about prospects there recruiting so how do they know who's not recruiting the kid unless they spoke to him personally,by reading this story seems like that wasn't done.I bet this kid has a bus load of mail from colleges at home,I don't think taylor bell was right for writing this story he hasn't seen the kid play he just basicly went off what his good friend Mr.Ohalloran said(Note:He wrote this story because of what another person said)I can see if Bell saw the kid himself but NO thats not what happen.I give alot of credit to Singleton for speaking up for himself on this post,Kid I'm sure you'll prove them wrong everybody has doubters.
The CPL is garbage. No team from the CPL has ever ever won an IHSA State Championship. The only team to ever go was Robeson in 1982. If the kid really wants to get noticed and appreciated has a valued recruit he should seriously consider transferring to a more prestigous and competitve with the state CPL team, like Morgan Park, Lane Tech, Simeon, even Curie is an upgrade. But still there is no way around the statement that CPL is the worst conference/league in all of Illinois.
If not, then he should consider transferring to a CCL school. The CCL has won 29 IHSA State Football Championships.
If doesnt want to cough up the money or cant, then he should move out to the suburbs and play an actual quality level of competition.
If not all of this, atleast make a highlight tape to send to colleges and go to summer camps. You cant demand a scholarship, this is real money they are using on you to come to their university.
He can put all of this bad plublicity on himself. You simply dont call paid High School scouts for big time companies and say you are missing the boat on a kid. The 2009 class isnt even wrapped up, do you think they will care about some kid calling them and saying they are top in 2010? No.
All things aside. Kid goes D-3 at best.
Clark High School has been one of the up in coming programs in the CPL.Taylor Bell what if Singleton's For Real? what if he is a legit D-1 prospect,I can't remember the last time I've heard so much about a City football player besides Craig Drummond.This is the 3rd story I read about someone trashing the kid.
The kid was at the Indiana junior day,I first saw him when he was with the coaches walking around outside the facility in my car,I saw his name tag.Then I saw him at the Ohio State vs Indiana game(IU heartbraking loss),he arrived at the game in the third quarter with a bunch of other recruits.I read this story sometime last month,but after seeing him it seems like he doesn't care about what people are writing about him.I think everybody knows who this kid is now,amazing!I couldn't believe he showed his face.Hey T.Bell what if e.singleton becomes a hell of a D-1 player.
Thanks for this awesome post This was just what I needed today!!!