Even if we did have a men's soccer team, we could not give him a soccer scholarship. NCAA rules state that a two sport or multiple sport player on athletic scholarship must be counted as a football scholarship if one of the sports he plays is football. This is to prevent other sports from being used as "auxiliary stockpiles" of athletes for football programs and to make sure these sports are successful in their own right and not tied to football. Bear Bryant mastered the tactic at Alabama, that's why these rules exist.
Whats the story with Evangel and LSU? I keep hearing this and I have no idea what everyone is talking about. Thanks
You are so right about this. One of my best friends in high school went to Bama on a swimming Schollie and he sunk everytime he got in the pool.
Not to beat a dead horse, but since the "LSU-Evangel split-up" is way, way, waaaayyyy overplayed, I'll try to explain it in hopes of putting this to bed once and for all. In 1999, LSU was in bad shape, football wise. Even die-hard fans were forced to admit the obvious; our football program was in a state of absolute chaos. Losing on the field coupled with poor classroom performance and innumerable disciplinary problems off the field all came together to drag LSU down into the worst football season that I have seen as an LSU fan (and I've been an avid fan since about 1993). And it was obvious who was to blame; Gerry DiNardo. He was not recruiting the right kind of athlete to LSU. He recruited players who were academic risks. He recruited players of questionable character. And in 1999, when the chickens came home to roost, he couldn't deal with it. Amidst this turmoil, Dennis Dunn had the guts to come out and say publicly what many high school coaches in this state were saying to their prize blue-chippers behind closed doors: that LSU was a program in turmoil and that he could not, in good faith, recommend LSU to any of his players as a school they should attend at that time. And it's not like he wasn't in the know; several former Evangel standouts on the team at that time, like Byron Dawson and the Booty brothers were probably telling him about what was going on. If it appeared bad to us, it probably was REALLY BAD to someone on the inside. Dunn and the Evangel coaches never had a problem with LSU. They had a problem with Gerry DiNardo. Once DiNardo was out, the problem would have been over. Except for one thing, the countless LSU fans who, furious that Coach Dunn would dare find fault with anything about LSU football, lambasted him, Evangel, any Evangel players currently at LSU, etc., etc. And the Evangel family kinda took that personally, as would anyone. They were especially upset with the disgraceful efforts of many fans and boosters to tear down Josh Booty during the infamous quarterback controversy of 1999-2000. Of course, time heals all wounds. The only Evangel coach who was carrying any kind of grudge against LSU was John Booty (understandably upset with some of the things that went on with his sons) and now he's gone. I think we can now expect the Evangel connection to be fully re-established now. Hester is just the first installment IMHO. Especially since LSU is in great shape now, with a coach that holds his players to the highest academic and moral standards. Everything I have seen, heard, and read indicate that the Evangel coaches hold Nick Saban in VERY high regard, and vice versa. Personally, I'm glad Coach Dunn said what he said, and if his statements in any way hastened the departure of Coach DiNardo (and I think they did) he did this university and this program a HUGE favor. I love LSU with all my heart, but I am NOT a blind follower. I will criticize when necessary and I will ALWAYS question our leaders to make sure they are doing the right thing, as is my responsibility and theirs. I would have done the exact same as he. As we back in the glory of our newfound success, I hope hard-core Tiger fans remember how low we lay in November of 1999, and vow to never let this program fall again. And I hope we, like Coach Dunn, have the courage to speak out if we see LSU start to slide or become complacent.
Bear in mind, however, that Dunn was only getting THEIR side of the story. You can rest assured that Josh and Abram weren't exactly doing everything they could to make a bad situation any better. That in no way excuses DiNardo, but there are always 3 versions of any story: Yours, mine, and what really happened.
MAX EMFINGER 2003 ULTIMATE SUPER SEVEN! FULLBACK OR H-BACK 1. Peyton Hillis 6-2, 248, 4.62, Conway, AR (ARKANSAS VERBAL) 2. Jacob Hester^ 6-1, 220, 4.56, Shreveport Evangel, LA (LOUISIANA STATE VERBAL) 3. Dwayne Jones 6-1, 236, 4.44, Lakewood, NJ (NEB, MICH, OHST, SYR, UVA, VAT)(Offers: UVA, BC, NEB, RUT) 4. Brannan Southerland 6-2, 225, 4.5, Norcross Greater Atlanta Christian, GA (GEORGIA VERBAL) 5. Brock Bolen 6-0, 230, 4.5, Germantown Valley View, OH (ILLINOIS VERBAL) 6. David Holbert 6-1, 233, 4.5, Brentwood Academy, TN (LSU(Jan23), TENN(Dec12), AUB, SCAR, FLA(Jan16)(Offers: All favorites) 7. Max Martin 6-1, 218, 4.5, 24, Madison Jones, AL (MICHIGAN VERBAL) 7. Matt Quillen^ 6-0, 230, 4.56, Albuquerque La Cueva, NM (NEW MEXICO VERBAL)
