Mountain Views News          Saturday, January 14, 2012

19

SPORTS

 Mountain Views News Saturday, January 14, 2012 


HUDDLE UP!

By Harvey Hyde


IT’S RECRUITING SEASON!

The holiday season 
is over, and now we’re 
in college football 
recruiting season. 
Recruiting was a 
major part of my job 
as assistant or head 
coach at PCC, UNLV, 
University of Hawaii 
and with George 
Allen at Long Beach 
State.

The deadline to sign letters of intent accepting 
a scholarship to a school is Feb. 1. In January, 
coaches, student athletes and their parents face 
some important decisions. Although I am no 
longer coaching, I still get questions from athletes 
and their families about this process.

The best advice I have is, don’t get discouraged 
if your favorite Division I-A school doesn’t come 
calling. It is true that all players don’t have the 
same exposure. High school and junior college 
programs with a tradition of winning get a closer 
look by recruiters. And in most, but not all 
cases, athletes from winning programs are the 
best players. 

Only Division I-A programs have guaranteed 
full-rides, but football has more full-ride 
scholarships than any other college sport. 
There are lots of opportunities. There are 
some 80,000 players at more than 850 college 
football programs in six divisions. There are 
120 programs in Division I-A, 128 in Division 
I-AA, 148 in Division II, 237 in Division III, 91 
in NAIA, and there are 138 community college 
programs.

A college football scholarship can be way to get 
an education, an opportunity to join a team on 
the playing field, and for a very few, a step toward 
an NFL career. 

I can tell you that in recruiting, football coaches 
look for size, speed and quickness. They evaluate 
an athlete against others of similar ability. They 
want to see competitiveness, how a player finishes 
a play or a block and how he handles pressure in 
finishing a winning or losing game.

There are many athletes who are not heavily 
recruited who end up having great careers. 
However, from a pool of 80,000 college players 
on 850 teams, only about 2,000 players end up in 
the NFL. Chances are slim. But if a player is great, 
he can be found.

I’ll give you few examples. I coached Randall 
Cunningham at UNLV. Other schools had 
recruited him out of Santa Barbara High School 
as a defensive back but he came to UNLV to play 
quarterback (and was a fantastic punter). Randall, 
the younger brother of USC legendary fullback 
Sam Cunningham, ended up an NFL star.

At UNLV I was the only coach to offer Ickey 
Woods of Edison High in Fresno a college 
scholarship. He did not play his high school 
senior year because of injury. He ended up 
leading the nation in rushing while at UNLV, and 
as a pro invented the Icky Shuffle. He played in 
Super Bowl XXII, for the Cincinnati Bengals.

Terrell Davis, was an NFL MVP for the Denver 
Broncos. I recruited him to Long Beach State. 
As a senior at Lincoln High in San Diego, Davis’ 
team didn’t win a game. He had no college 
offers. When I saw him at Lincoln, I asked the 
equipment manager, “Who is this kid?” He 
answered: “The best athlete we’ve had at this 
school since Marcus Allen.” He played tailback, 
nose guard, and linebacker. He competed in the 
100-yard dash, the long jump and the shot put.

At Long Beach State, I tried telling NFL scouts 
how good he was. They didn’t believe me. The 
Broncos didn’t draft him until the fifth round. 
He was the 191st player selected. The Broncos 
and John Elway didn’t win a Super Bowl until 
Davis arrived.

So if you are a parent or a student athlete, 
remember to not get discouraged. If there is skill, 
and a will, there is a way. If the effort, the grades 
and the character are there, there is a chance for 
scholarship. If you are good enough to play on 
Sundays, they’re likely going to find you. If not, 
get the most out of the college education football 
has provided to you. 

Listen to Harvey Hyde on 710 KSPN Sundays 
9-11 a.m.

LAST FRIDAY, 

LA SALLE 

VARSITY TEAMS 
CAME UP 

WINNERS 
AGAINST 

MARANATHA, 

In Everything!

La Salle defeated Maranatha 
in:

Boys Soccer 6-2

Girls Soccer 1-0

Boys Basketball 57-54 

Girls basketball 69-39

All the JV teams won as well.


SANTA ANITA THOROUGHBREDS RUN ON MONDAY... 

 
The current Santa Anita Park meet is in full 
swing. The premiere of the HBO show Luck is 
just over two weeks away on January 29th. We 
cannot ask for better horse racing weather during 
this coming week. The beautiful San Gabriels are 
in full view... 

 Current and future horse racing fans will be in 
for a real treat this coming Monday. It is $2 day! 
In addition to the live racing action, there will be 
$2 Hot Dogs, soda and domestic beer available 
in the general admission and clubhouse area 
concession stands and bars. 

Gates open at 11:00am. First race is set to start at 
1pm. For program and handicapping information 
you can go to santaanita.com 

See you at the races! 

Scoop For You:

For more value, you can have access to a 
complimentary clubhouse admission to Santa 
Anita Park this coming Monday by going to the 
following weblink: https://www.facebook.com/
CalHorseRacing?sk=app_155991834489042. You 
can use this pass one time during the meet. Why 
not on MLK Day? 

Stay tuned for coverage of the upcoming Sunshine 
Millions at Santa Anita Park on January 28th.

With Bobby Eldridge 
LA SALLE NAMES RUSSELL GORDON 

NEW FOOTBALL COACH


Pasadena, CA –La Salle’s Athletic Director 
Anthony Harris, announced the selection of 
Russell Gordon as the Lancers’ new football 
coach during a packed Athletics Boosters 
meeting Tuesday evening. Gordon comes to La 
Salle from Campbell Hall where he has been 
for the last 15 years. In his eight years as Head 
Coach, he has compiled a 51-37 overall record. 
Gordon has taken his teams to the post season 
four of his eight years including a trip to the CIF 
finals. Gordon was named CIF Coach of the Year 
in 2005 and is the Head Coach for the East in the 
2012 Daily News All-Star game.

Gordon has been successful preparing his 
athletes for the next level and has placed 17 of 
his former players on Division I and IAA college 
football teams. “I have had great success not only 
with a winning percentage, but also in making 
sure that student athletes learn to be accountable 
for their actions while learning lifelong lessons 
that they can implement into their daily living,” 
commented Gordon.

“We are very exited and pleased with taking our 
program to the next level,” said Harris. “Gordon 
was very impressive in the search process, but 
more importantly, he is the best fit for La Salle 
football as we move forward.” 

WHAT DOES YOUR PUTTING 
STROKE AND GREEN 

READING HAVE IN 
COMMON? 

If I had an opportunity to to stand up in front 
of the entire golf world and I was only allowed 
to say one sentence, what would it be? “EVERY 
PUTT IN GOLF IS A STRAIGHT PUTT”…
Since I would only be allowed to say one sentence, 
maybe the powers to be would let me 
repeat myself, “EVERY PUTT IN GOLF IS A 
STRAIGHT PUTT”.

If there is one thing that I am 100% sure of it is 
this. Most amateur golfers have acceptable putting 
strokes. Keep in mind that there are two 
parts to our sport. One part is in the air and the 
other is on the ground. The one on the ground 
(putting) is so precise at times that it can drive 
you up a wall. It is kind of like the Red Zone in 
football. You go 85 yards in two plays and then 
it takes four plays to go one yard. You hit a towering 
tee shot, followed up by the best 5 iron of 
your life, and then you 3 putt from 10 feet.

The reason I say acceptable putting strokes is 
because you don’t do this for a living and the 
putting strokes that most of you have is good 
enough for you to shoot lower scores. The problem 
begins after you read a putt. This article is 
all about matching your putting stroke up with 
reading the green correctly. 

No questions asked, the number one putting 
mistake that I see amateurs golfers make is they 
don’t aim the putter where they want the ball to 
start. Most amateur golfers that struggle with 
their putting, aim the putter at the hole and then 
they either swing out-to-in (pull) or roll the face 
closed for putts that break right and in-to-out 
(push) or roll the face open for putts that break 
left. 

Therein lies my favorite quote in golf “EVERY 
PUTT IN GOLF IS A STRAIGHT PUTT”. If you 
have a putt thay breaks 10 inches right to left, 
you have to aim the putter face 10 inches right of 
the hole and swing the putter straight back and 
straight through to that exact spot. You have to 
start that putt STRAIGHT and allow the ground 
to curve the ball from left to right into the hole. 
You can not start that putt at the hole and then 
swing the putter in-to out and push it on line. 

Of course this applies for putts that break left 
to right. You have to aim the putter left of the 
hole, swing the putter straight back and straight 
through, allowing the ground to curve the ball, 
not your stroke or clubface. 

The next time your struggling with your putting, 
remember this mantra: WHAT DOES YOUR 
PUTTING STROKE AND GREEN READING 
HAVE IN COMMON-EVERYTHING!!! 

We’d like to hear from you! 

What’s on YOUR Mind?

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