Knights of the Round Table: The importance of getting local recruits

The Knights of the Round Table returns as we ask three former Scarlet Knights about the importance of keeping recruits from New Jersey and New York at home for college. Check out what former players Mike Fladell, Lee McDonald and Marcus Perrry had to say about the importance of getting the local talent to commit to Rutgers.

OL Mike Fladell (2003-07)

“I think it would be cool to see kids growing up in that area going through middle school, high school and then playing ball at Rutgers; building a following of their friends and family. Why should they go anywhere else? They have a Big Ten program right there in their home state. They can stay there, their family can come to every single game. I am from New York, but I was only an hour and fifteen minutes away. My parents came to every single game. That meant so much to me. I went away to school, but I was close enough to where my family and friends could come see me play. That was really important to me. I just don’t think kids realize how important that is, to have that support system there.

"But it comes down to performing. Rutgers football needs to perform at a high level. They will. The conference change and coaching change was a lot to go through, but they are going to get there. I think these younger kids shouldn’t get wrapped up into everywhere else and overlook what is right there in front of them in their home state. But I think it will take a little bit of time. You saw what we did in ‘06 and ’07, we put Rutgers back on the map. Kids watching us at that time in elementary school, those are the kids that should have been thinking ‘I want to play here.’ That is what we need again. We have to get that momentum back and we have to perform.”

K Lee McDonald (1996-1999)

“It is certainly very important. But I think when a coach is coming in and trying to build his own program his way, you have to take the good players wherever you can get them. Unfortunately, the on-field results last year did not help in terms of recruiting. But that is kind of the reality of where the program is. There is always going to be some fallout during the transition from one staff to the next. It kind of reminds me when Greg Schiano was there the first few years. I was on staff then as an academic advisor. We had to get players where we could get them. You certainly try to build relationships in state and build that fence so to speak. But you have to get competitive right away if you want to be around for the long term. That is just the reality of college football today. It is a big-time business.

"Rutgers is now in a position in the Big Ten where they are going to have to recruit some guys that maybe other schools have backed off of. That is not to say it is a character issue. It could be an academic issue or something else. But the kid who has all his ducks in a row and is a high-level Big Ten player, you are competing against Ohio State, Penn State for that kid. Right now, you are not going to win head to head, unless there is some sort of niche position or connection there. So you might have to go for a kid who needs some development and you have to take a chance early on to get those kids in the program.”

DE Marcus Perry (1997-2001)

“Everyone that you talk to about Rutgers football will tell you the same thing. If they could keep the Jersey kids here, they would be very competitive. Schiano was able to eventually keep a lot of talent at home. I think it has to be imperative that Coach Ash is able to do the same. I think he is working his butt off to get that done. He has reached out a lot in South Jersey, which traditionally for Rutgers, has been issue, even back to when I was playing. I think what is going to have to happen now is the high school players are going to have to see some results on the field. That will make it more comfortable for kids to want to stay home and go to Rutgers.

"I chose Rutgers so I could stay close to home and so that my family could see me play. If it wasn’t for football, I would not have gone to college. I did not come from a well-to-do family, so it was important for me, for my father first and foremost, to see me play. Rutgers being where it was and being able to play at that level, afforded me an opportunity. I had an opportunity to go down to Ole Miss and some other schools. But I could also stay at home and still play against top talent. The Big East was very good back then.”