Posted: Feb 07, 2013
I got to sit inside the "War Room" today, on the busiest day of the college football year.
Central Methodist University offered me the opportunity to spend time with the Eagles coaching staff on National Signing Day. Most of you are already picturing a mad scramble similar to what you've seen on Wall Street near closing time. It wasn't quite that hectic, but it was still a sight to see.
When football fans think of National Signing Day, the first thing that comes to mind is a football prospect sitting at a table in a high school, with an array of college hats sitting in front of him. The nation waits for the recruit to reach out his hand and choose which team he'll lead to glory.
That's how television portrays this day at the NCAA Division I level, but that's not the NAIA way. And recruiting is just as competitive at this level, especially for the Eagles, who compete in arguably the most difficult conference in the NAIA - the Heart of America Athletic Conference.
As I take my seat in the "War Room," I begin to take a look at my surroundings. The first things I notice are two huge dry erase boards on adjoining walls. The board on the left shows the Eagles' depth chart of returning players by position, on offense, defense and special teams. The board on the right was more useful for today's events. That board listed each of the high school players by position that Central Methodist had targeted during the offseason. The players that had verbally committed to the Eagles had their names circled, much like the recruiting scene from the movie "Remember the Titans."
In the center of the room was a big conference table, surrounded by black desk chairs occupied by members of the Eagles coaching staff. Next to the door was a huge copy machine that practically greets you as you enter the room, but I still haven't mentioned the most important item in the room, one that makes National Signing Day possible. It's not a TV camera. It's not a computer. And no, it's not a cell phone. It's a fax machine.
No matter the size of the college, no matter the level of competition, the fax machine is the hub of National Signing Day. Yes, computers and cell phones may provide you a list of recruits that signed with your favorite college team today, but it's the fax machine that delivers the National Letter of Intent, signed by a recruit to commit himself to that college. Teams can't send 25 coaches to visit 25 players in one day, so the fax machine is vital to recruiting.
But it's not all done by fax machine. Some Central Methodist coaches were able to visit local recruits for their signing day and a couple of recruits stopped by campus in Fayette to pledge their commitment in ink to play for the Eagles next football season.
In the grand scheme of things, signing recruits is just a small portion of the day. Much of the energy in the "War Room" is spent piecing together the information of Central Methodist's 2013 recruiting class. In an era ruled by technology, the staff works diligently in the room trying to update the athletic website, positing information online recruit by recruit.
Want to know a recruit's senior season statistics? They've got them. How about which schools they were considering in addition to Central Methodist? They have that too. Want to know what a recruit's high school football coach has to say about him and what awards he earned? You guessed it. The staff has that information at your fingertips with the click of a mouse.
And if that wasn't enough, thanks to Hudl - an online video software - you can see highlight clips of the Eagles' 2013 recruits from high school games. Now fans have the chance to see athletes play before they first step foot on Davis Field.
So for three straight hours, I was the only person in the "War Room" who wasn't consumed by a cell phone or typing away on a laptop, trying to update information or keep in touch with a recruit. Much of the dust settled shortly before lunch, but the day wasn't over for the Eagles.
Now it was time for head coach Jody Ford to meet with KRES radio to discuss the first signing class he has put together as Central Methodist head coach. Ford was able to sign several in-state recruits and added a handful of out-of-state talent as well. In fact, San Antonio running back Kyron Davis is already hyped as the highlight signing of this year's class.
The day finally winds down and the Central Methodist coaching staff has managed to do the improbable. They managed to fit National Signing Day into an eight-hour work day. And today was only the first day of football's signing period. There are still more Letters of Intent to be signed, more players to recruit and more hands to shake.
While you may have been watching the top football recruits in the nation on ESPNU, this is what took place on the campuses of several small schools across the nation. So when you still down and watch coverage of National Signing Day next year, just remember what you see is only the tip of the iceberg of the busiest day in college football.
