I know we are supposed to post only the link but you have to register to read the entire article. It is relevant to LSU/SEC football.cademy Sunday, May 28, 2006 By NEAL McCREADY Sports Reporter CHATHAM, Va. -- It's lunchtime on a gorgeous April day in southwestern Virginia and two of the most coveted running back prospects in the country, Mike Ford and Keiland Williams, are enjoying ham-and-cheese sandwiches eaten off matching plastic trays. Across the table from Ford sits Vernon "Big Ticket" Macklin, a 6-foot-9 forward days removed from the McDonald's All-American Game and weeks away from enrolling at Georgetown. At the end of the table are two of the reasons Ole Miss fans are excited about the upcoming football season -- defensive tackle Jerrell Powe and offensive tackle John Jerry. They're all wearing olive green military uniforms, complete with name plates, and answering to a fellow student barking orders into a microphone at the back of the mess hall. Later that evening, they will retire to a concrete-floored room with no telephone and no television. Cars and cell phones aren't allowed either. To top it off, these star athletes -- once the subject of organized, awe-struck recruiting pitches from millionaire coaches at elite national programs -- seem perfectly happy in an atmosphere that couldn't be any less glamorous. "We take some people who can't make it (elsewhere) and they make it," Hargrave Military Academy postgraduate football coach Robert Prunty said. "That's pretty special, man. What's better than that in life? I feel like I'm saving lives." Prunty, a 40-year-old former Alabama A&M linebacker, grew up in Chatham and graduated from Hargrave in 1983. He returned to Hargrave four years ago after a successful stint as a head coach at a Virginia high school and now oversees a roster filled with some of the nation's most elite football talent, many of whom signed national letters-of-intent with prominent Division I programs but failed to meet the NCAA's initial-eligibility requirements. Hargrave Military Academy, a boarding and day school that combines a college preparatory curriculum with a comprehensive military program, provides student-athletes such as Ford, Williams and Powe a chance to correct their academic deficiencies while maintaining full athletic eligibility. The school has also become a paradox: An institution that, for a small fortune, often takes in underprivileged, underperforming young men who weren't good enough academically to play college football -- even after being signed -- and turns them into disciplined, productive students. However, some critics counter that Hargrave and other prep schools like it are nothing more than a way to get potential college stars qualified -- and some question how players of modest means can afford the expensive tuition. /subl/'Nobody over here is dumb'Part of Hargrave's attractiveness is the fact that, unlike students who enroll in a junior college or community college, its student-athletes don't see their eligibility clock begin. Instead, when and if Ford meets requirements and enrolls at the University of Alabama this summer, for example, he'll have five years to exhaust his four years of athletic eligibility. The Hargrave campus -- which sits near the end of Main Street in Chatham, a sleepy town next to Tightsqueeze on U.S. Highway 29 some 90 miles from Greensboro, N.C., and 30 minutes from NASCAR hotbed Martinsville, Va. -- is 215 acres of woodlands, lawns and athletic facilities. There are four main academic buildings, including facilities dedicated to science and technologies, supported by 48 full-time faculty members. The average student-teacher ratio is 11 to 1. The rigorous day for students begins at 6 a.m., and includes classes until noon and study hall and academic activities in the afternoon. Lights must be out in the barracks by 11 p.m. Three to four hours of military training are incorporated into the curriculum each week. "It's been tough," said Ford, a running back from Sarasota, Fla., who signed with Alabama in February 2005 but failed to qualify. "I'm not going to lie. When I first got here, everybody had trouble here for a good month. But after awhile, everybody got adjusted to it. Everybody's used to it now. "I'm glad I came here for discipline. A lot of us needed that. We needed to get organized. It's helping us get on our feet and it's showing us what it's going to be like in the future. It's helping us mature. They help me a whole lot here. At home, during the summer, I'd sleep until about 3 p.m. That's how I was. I wasn't used to it when I first got here, so it was a big problem getting up and stuff. It took me about a whole month to get used to it." Ford, whose academic status remains unclear, backed up Williams, a Lafayette, La., native who chose LSU over Southern California and Ole Miss after a dramatic week in February. Williams was ineligible to play as a high school senior last year, so Hargrave became an attractive option. "I knew I didn't want to sit out my senior year of high school and I was glad to find somewhere to play ball," Williams said. "Also, some junior college coaches came over to my school to talk to my (high school) coach and that was the route I was going to take, and then I found out about this prep school. A guy that played in my area (Louisiana-Lafayette linebacker Don Hargroder) attended this school last year and he told me a little bit about it. He said it was something I needed to look into. I found out more about it and decided this was the road I wanted to take." Months later, Williams is on course to qualify, and the speedy tailback is expected to challenge Alley Broussard for the starting spot in LSU's backfield in the fall. Williams, a soft-spoken speedster who has drawn comparisons from some recruiting analysts to former USC star Reggie Bush, credits much of his success to his brief stay at Hargrave. "I didn't take school seriously," Williams said. "When you first show up your freshman year (of high school), you hear all these speeches about how you have to buckle down. I heard it but I guess I really didn't pay attention to it. I slacked my first three years. When I tried to catch up, I still wasn't where I needed to be. My year here at Hargrave has really helped me out. If I stay on the same track I'm on now, I'll be at LSU in the fall." Prunty said the disciplined environment often brings out the best in the students who come to Hargrave struggling. "A lot of these guys aren't used to going to bed at 10 o'clock," he said. "There are adjustments to their lives that they had to make but it's for the betterment of their lives. I think they have responsibilities now. They have discipline. They gain confidence in their academic abilities. I think it's a combination of those things together. "You take a guy like Keiland Williams and once he's put in an environment like this and he starts to gain confidence, his capabilities of doing work increase. Keiland realized that, 'Hey, I can do this.'" There are skeptics, of course, who wonder if institutions such as Hargrave are nothing more than diploma mills. The New York Times and Washington Post reported earlier this spring that several universities have signed basketball players from dozens of unaccredited secondary schools. Alabama signee Verice Cloyd, for example, is attending one such school -- Genesis One Christian Academy in Mendenhall, Miss. -- and is awaiting a ruling from the NCAA and UA officials regarding his eligibility. In those reports, the NCAA acknowledged it was slow reacting to the proliferation of "diploma mills" -- schools designed to easily improve academic credentials to meet NCAA guidelines. After diploma mills were exposed for helping football recruits last November, the NCAA created a task force to examine the issue and is expected to make recommendations in June on which transcripts to accept. The New York Times found that at least 200 players had enrolled at Division I universities from illegitimate high school institutions. However, to earn an advanced studies diploma at Hargrave, students must successfully earn 24 credits in subjects such as English, social studies, math, science, foreign languages, fine arts/practical arts, health, computer application, military and religion, as well as four elective credits. The required religion course is a study of the Bible, including a general survey of the Old and New Testaments. The military grade is specific to a cadet's overall behavior. Hargrave is fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and the Virginia Association of Independent Schools (VAIS). Hargrave is also a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). Williams said there's nothing easy about Hargrave, which added postgraduate athletics in the early 1990s. "Nobody who is over here is dumb," Williams said. "A lot of us just weren't as focused as we should have been. You're in class from 8-12, then back in the academic lab for like 45 minutes in the afternoon and then you go to athletics and then on to study hall from 7:30 to 9:30. If everybody just pushes themselves and puts forth some effort, they'll succeed. This is a great place for anybody who is struggling academically." Hargrave's postgraduate football team was 8-3 last season, losing three games by a total of 10 points against the junior varsity teams at the U.S. Naval Academy, Virginia Tech and West Virginia. Prunty, like any coach, loves winning but insists that he doesn't judge his success on numbers recorded on scoreboards. Instead, he credits a higher power for his success. "We have to get them qualified," Prunty said. "That's our job. It's like a game, man. You don't want to see one not make it. But I'll tell you something: In a position like this, to prosper like we have, it takes a lot of hard work and the Lord. There's no way I could communicate to 40 of the top athletes in America without the Lord. There's no way I could do it. You have 40 different minds and all of them are All-Americans. At least they think they are. "Remember, they're still a big fish. They took a hit, but remember, those guys were tops in their states and everybody still knows them. It's like you see fans coming through here now. Those guys are still big. Don't get me wrong. They've been humbled, but just a little bit. Humbled is having to turn your lights off at 10 o'clock at night and having to get up at 6 o'clock in the morning. They're just like everybody else. They become just another number." In February, 34 of Hargrave's postgraduate football players signed Division I national letters-of-intent. Of the 34 signees, 10 signed with SEC institutions while six signed with Atlantic Coast Conference schools. "This is big-time football," Prunty told the Danville (Va.) Bee on National Signing Day. "I don't think the people in this community realize how big this is. They don't realize the level of football we're dealing with. They don't realize the pressure of the decision for these kids. This is about the next four years of their life." /subl/A complicated recruiting trailThe talkative Prunty spends most of his day talking. When he's not answering voluminous calls from parents and high school coaches, he's calling them back. Recruiting at Hargrave, after all, is a bit complicated. The Tigers pursue some of the nation's best players, competing with other prep schools and junior colleges in the process. In addition, players destined for Hargrave could always make a qualifying score late in the process and head to their college of choice on time. "We get on the road and go out to them," Prunty said. "Those big-name kids are not going to come to you. We have to find them. We recruit as hard as the college coaches do." Often, college coaches recommend that players who aren't going to qualify look at Hargrave. "I try to keep a relationship with them because who knows, we're going to get some surprises," Prunty said. "There could be a kid who everybody thinks is going to qualify who pops up not qualified." Powe ended up at Hargrave after Ole Miss coaches encouraged him to go to the prep school when it became obvious he wouldn't have the qualifying score on the American College Test. "At first I used to say that going away from home wouldn't be a problem until I started taking visits and I saw how far it was," said Powe, who has since qualified with an 18 on his ACT. "That's why I really didn't want to go to Hargrave at first. I wanted to go to Jones (Miss.) Community College if I didn't qualify, but I can't afford to lose two years. Once I found out I could come up here for a year and still have four years of eligibility, I chose Hargrave." The opportunity for a player to develop discipline and improve academically isn't cheap, however. Unlike junior colleges, which offer a free two-year ride for student-athletes, tuition for a year at Hargrave is approximately $23,000. Prunty said he has only 11 scholarships to distribute among the 50 or so players who make up his roster each season. "It's worth it," said Ford, who said he did not know the details of how his family afforded the uncovered portion of his tuition to Hargrave. "We talked about it but my mom agreed to it. I guess if I'm happy, my mom's happy." Prunty said the financial portion of the sales pitch is often the toughest part of the recruiting process. "It's hard," Prunty said. "You have to be a great salesman. I'm selling the program. They have to take out loans. You have to go get Sallie Mae or Freddie Mae or go to your bank and get a loan." Prunty said the most a player can expect in financial aid is usually $5,000-$7,000. "Some of (the players' families) mortgage their homes," Prunty said. "People love football. People love it. This is the dream academy. That's what the Orlando Sentinel said. They call this a dream. Where else can you go and get 40 kids signed to Division I? See what I'm saying? It'd be great if you could catch your dream." But Prunty knows the financial situation at Hargrave has raised more than a few eyebrows. After all, many of the players who wind up here come from financially strapped families that couldn't easily take on $16,000-$18,000 in debt or even qualify for the aforementioned loans. "(My family) wanted to do whatever it takes for me to get to the next level," said Powe, a Waynesboro, Miss., native who committed to LSU before shocking college football recruiting followers by signing with Ole Miss in February 2005. "My uncle kind of pitched in and helped out. I think it's been worth it. I came here and got what I needed, so I think it's been worth it." Rumors run rampant in college circles that boosters for the college that places a prospect at Hargrave make a donation to Hargrave to cover the student-athlete's tuition, thereby assuring the prospect will return to the school that signed him to a letter-of-intent a year earlier. Prunty emphatically denies that happens at Hargrave. Diana Washington wouldn't know about such illegal activities, since she drained her savings to send her son, Lorenzo, to Hargrave. He signed with Alabama in February 2004 after completing a stellar prep career in Loganville, Ga. However, he failed the second semester of senior English and did not qualify. He spent a year at Hargrave before re-signing with the Crimson Tide in February 2005. He enters the 2006 season as one of Alabama's backup defensive tackles, joining former Hargrave roommate Brandon Fanney. "The last of my savings went to my son," Diana Washington said. "I emptied my savings account to put him in there. It's very expensive to send your kid there, but for me, it was, 'Do I give him a second chance or do I let him fail?' He was worth the second chance. He and I discussed it. He knew when I sent him there, there would be no turning back because there would be no refund. It was a sacrifice that I'm still suffering. "Lorenzo is a tough-as-nails kind of kid. There was a time when he wanted to quit and the word 'quit' is not in our vocabulary. The specialized attention they receive, the one-on-one time, the discipline, the being away from home, all of that forced him to be a man. Had he gone straight to the University of Alabama (out of high school), he would have flunked out. I think any at-risk child should absolutely go to Hargrave. They'll either make you or break you." Diana Washington said she learned about different financial aid options during the summer before Lorenzo enrolled at Hargrave, including loans with heavy penalties assessed if the person taking the loan defaulted. "It's the same thing you could do in taking out a loan against your house and I refused to do that," Diana Washington said. "I had it to give to him and I gave it to him. It was an extremely expensive education but he was worth it. He did not deserve the alternative." In April, Prunty told one prospective player's mother not to send any money to the school until she felt completely comfortable with the financial ramifications. He referred specific financial questions to the school's financial aid department and insisted there is no financial hanky-panky in the recruiting process. NCAA director for public and media relations Erik Christianson said the governing body has bylaws in place to discourage boosters from providing financial assistance to student-athletes attending preparatory schools. NCAA Bylaw 12.1.1.1.3.1 states that "a prospective student-athlete may receive educational expenses prior to collegiate enrollment from any individual or entity other than an agent, professional sports team/organization or a representative of an institution's athletics interests, provided such expenses are disbursed directly through the recipient's educational institution." "I do things right," Prunty said. "The thing about it is you have to take out loans. Hargrave has been around since 1909. There's a reason for that. They do things right. "I think what the kids are looking at, from the Web sites they're reading, they see names like Charles Grant, Leonard Pope and Carlos Rogers being first-round (NFL) draft choices, not only do they see these guys qualifying academically but they also see we develop some good football players here. A lot of kids come out of high school saying they're going to be pretty good but they don't develop into great players. They're seeing the development of other kids who have come through our system who are doing well, so I think it's a combination of academics and getting better on the field. We do a good job coaching here. It's crazy. We've got almost 160 kids in Division I, which is basically unheard of." /subl/'I have the product'In Prunty's four years at Hargrave, no player has ever defected to another college. "Nobody is going to steal anybody's kid," Prunty said. "If they do, I'm going to dismiss that kid, so it won't be on me. "I tell them up front: If you come to Hargrave, you're going to go back to the school you signed with. Because I don't need you. I don't need a whole lot of drama. It's about loyalty, baby. A lot of people can't say that. I can. I've never lost one." Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville, who has sent several prospects to Hargrave during his career at Ole Miss and Auburn, said he has found that prospects form an emotional attachment to the program that guides them to a prep school. Relationships form, Tuberville said, and the prospect typically isn't interested in going through a traumatic recruiting process a second time. Powe and Ford agree with Tuberville's assessment. "A lot of coaches tried to contact me, but I think Ole Miss had a plan for me," Powe said. "They referred me to Hargrave, so I won't bite the hand that fed me." "When you're open, you're open, but Alabama stuck with me through thick and thin," Ford said. "They always called me and sent me letters and stuff. They kept me on top. Other big schools stopped sending to me because they said, 'He's not going to make it.' I'm sticking with Alabama." Prunty, who said that 40 college coaches visit Hargrave on a typical day during the heart of recruiting season, preaches loyalty to his players. "It's hard as hell," he said. "Those Alabama fans are counting on Mike Ford to go to Alabama. It's hard as hell because schools are trying to sneak and get to the kids, call the parents, everything. Remember, I have the product right here. You can't get to Mike Ford unless I let you." /subl/An experience for lifeHargrave has produced four NFL first-round draft choices, including Torry Holt, Charles Grant, Jonathan Sullivan and former Auburn star Carlos Rogers. Former Auburn standouts Jay Ratliff and Robert Johnson also started their careers at Hargave and are now in the NFL. In addition to the players from last year's Hargrave squad who are going to SEC teams, others are destined for premier programs such as Southern Cal, Syracuse, North Carolina, West Virginia, Maryland and Florida State. The daily competition, held on a practice field adjacent to a cow pasture and on the site of the school's old dirt airstrip, doesn't begin until the players walk half a mile through the woods up a gravel road. "That walk to that practice field? Man, it was night time and we'd come back and there'd be deer jumping out in front of us," former Hargrave and Georgia tight end Leonard Pope told the Macon (Ga.) Telegraph last fall. Just surviving the practices at Hargrave and earning playing time during the season is a confidence-builder for prospects who will have to start all over again at the college level this fall. "One of my friends had sent me Mike Ford's profile," Williams said. "He had like 2,800 yards rushing and 38 touchdowns and I was like, 'Man,' but Mike was the first person I met when I got to the barracks. He and I became roommates and we became good friends. We didn't really compete with each other as much as we pushed each other. If he did something extra, I'd do something extra. If I did something extra, he'd do something extra. That gives me tremendous confidence that I can compete with other running backs in the SEC." "God actually put me here for a reason," Ford said. "Stuff isn't going to be handed to you. You have to work for it. Actually, being here, you learn how to be calm, how to control yourself when times are hard. It helps you control your mind." "I'd tell any at-risk kid to go to Hargrave for a year," Diana Washington said. "Lorenzo said it should be a prerequisite." Those words are magic to Prunty's ears. While the maturation of players like Williams and Ford result in total offense and ultimately wins at places like LSU and Alabama, it provides Prunty with vindication and pride. It's this time of year -- not when games are being played in September and October -- that provides Prunty with the most job satisfaction. To illustrate his point, he calls Powe to his second-story office overlooking Hargrave's basketball court. Powe, who was borderline flabby and almost shy a year ago during preparation for the Alabama-Mississippi High School All-Star Classic in Mobile, has lost at least 20 pounds at Hargrave. He looks the other people in the room in the eye, smiles and speaks with confidence. "My mom says I've changed a lot," Powe said. "I feel like I have more confidence." Prunty shoos Powe out of his office. After all, there is schoolwork to be done and Prunty desperately wants Powe to run onto the field at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Sept. 2 when Ole Miss entertains Memphis. "I'll probably have tears in my eyes," Prunty said. "Down there in Mississippi, they have a tough school system. Some of those bigger kids, physically, need individual attention. Jerrell Powe needed somebody to work with him one-on-one. In the high schools they couldn't do it because they have a lot of kids. In our classrooms, he can get that individual help. Schools do the best they can but we can do a lot better. "That's what we do. All negatives die. That is why we call it 'The Grave.'" © 2006 The Mobile Register
