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Beaufort High continues to be a football recruiting hotbed
Legree's commitment the latest example
bparker@beaufortgazette.com
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It didn't take Jimmy Legree's oral commitment earlier this month to the University of South Carolina for Beaufort High School coach Mark Clifford to realize that Beaufort County is becoming a recruiting hotbed. He knew back in January, when his cell phone bill skyrocketed some 300 dollars, thanks to all the scouts and coaches blowing up his phone.
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"That was escalated by all those schools wanting (former Beaufort High lineman and current USC freshman Devin Taylor)," Clifford said. "We had scouts at practice all the time and I had that huge phone bill.
"That 2004 team (that went 13-1) opened people's eyes and Devin kept it going by having the grades and the talent to play at the next level."
Now Legree has taken the baton, also using a combination of good grades and tremendous talent at multiple positions on the field to increase the number of eyes focused on the Beaufort area come signing day.
"I know they say people look over Beaufort a lot (in recruiting), but I wasn't really worried about it, as long as I stayed focused and played well," Legree, who also garnered interest from Clemson, Wake Forest and Vanderbilt. "I guess now they are thinking, 'Man, the guys down here must be kinda good.' "
Clifford said this increased respect has stretched to even the smallest areas of recruiting. No longer do scouts send letters asking about players from "Buford High School" or about an athlete who doesn't even exist on that year's roster.
Of course, this local legacy of talent really started with talented alumni such as Greg Jones, the former Battery Creek standout turned Jacksonville Jaguars fullback, as well as current Hampton University standouts Ryan Cave and Sam Pope, who could become the fourth and fifth Beaufort High players to make the NFL in 30 years.
But with the Eagles averaging 10 wins in each of the last four seasons, including last year's appearance at USC's Williams-Brice Stadium for the Class 4-A Division II state championship, similar fanfare is a given for current and future Beaufort graduates. For instance, senior lineman Duane Chisolm has already gotten offers from nine schools, including Clemson, USC and Tennessee.
"If you keep winning and get your kids to show good character, people are going to notice," Clifford said. "But what these kids have to understand is it's not just about size and speed; it's about academics. And that's the thing we keep hammering them with."
That's why Clifford keeps a file on each player's performance in the classroom and passes out a formula sheet breaking down the core courses and tests scores required for academic eligibility at a Division I or II program.
Ultimately, it's a dual standard effort that's paid off, and even if it means sky-high phone bills, Clifford is glad that big-name schools are finally realizing the talent resting within the Lowcountry.
"That 2004 team surprised people so those guys didn't get recruited heavily, but now today's kids are benefiting from the extra attention, and that's a good thing," Clifford said. "They just have to remember what's important and keep working hard in the classroom and on the football field."
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