UAB was mentioned in an ESPN article that ranked all "Power 5" coaching jobs. Will Muschamp was discussing how South Carolina has talented players and cited Roddy White as an example. Then we get this quote:
Quote:An SEC coach responded that Muschamp may be thinking somewhat optimistically. "Roddy White is from South Carolina and went to UAB because he wasn't getting into South Carolina," he told Insider.
Any truth to that? That makes it sound like UAB is Troy or something.
More like they over looked him, but it could've been grades. Some older members may remember how White got here.
(02-24-2016 02:47 PM)rook360 Wrote: [ -> ]More like they over looked him, but it could've been grades. Some older members may remember how White got here.
Watson scooped up several studs because at the time, UAB could take Prop 48 players. The SEC opted not to accept them.
thanks to APR issues, we've "recently" (depending on how you define recently) lost a lot of players bc of academics. But in the late 90s, we got a lot of players BECAUSE of academics (which may have led to APR issues)
Many early UAB stars were able to come to UAB because of the "Prop 48" rule. Brian Thomas was one as I recall. One afternoon after school I dropped by the UAB coaching offices on the way home, and they were watching film (actual film shown on a screen, not video) on Roddy White who as I recall was wearing #1 and they were VERY impressed. They wanted him badly.
He came to us in the same class as Darryl Hackney whose GA high school team had beaten Melrose HS of Memphis quite handily. Melrose at the time was one of the nationally regarded HS teams. Only our insiders may know the whole story of how both of these star players arrived at UAB, but we are so glad they did.
As best I can recall, Roddy White qualified late. Clemson, So Carolina and others backed off him when it looked like he might not qualify. When he qualified late, major schools tried to flip him but he stuck with UAB. I am guessing out of loyalty or that he and Hackney had built a connection through recruiting.
Bryan Thomas and Eddie Freeman were our biggest Prop48 successes by far.
I think Hackney was being recruited by most folks as a linebacker. He was a truck
Roddy was a late qualifier.We had stayed on him instead of giving up. Thank goodness