Huge article on Josh Brister in today's Advocate...

[Bandwagon King]

Josh has come to my tailgate over the last few years and he definitely eats according to his stature. Lol.

You have outed yourself! This is a conspiracy. Everyone gets to be anonymous but me. I knew all you guys had a secret handshake deal.

[Bandwagon King]

I wanted to thank the guys in this thread that wrote the kind words. I appreciate them. I really do. But before this thread about my son goes off to sleep like all threads do. I want to emphasize one thing so it isn't lost in the shuffle. My son is a good young man. And he goes to a good school where about the biggest discipline problem is usually someone chewing gum in class, or forgetting their student ID.

But there are a lot of good kids at that school. And there are a lot of good players. In fact, there are several outstanding players at that school. And there are lots of outstanding players at lots of good schools all over the acadiana area. But at the risk of sounding like an arrogant father, I'm going on record one more time, and say it as loud as I can that Joshua is not only a good player, he is a great player. IMO he is one of, if not the best interior lineman in this state regardless of which class he plays in. And he made the decision to stay at LCA and be a part of building a tradition of excellence from the ground up four years ago when I gave him the choice of where he wanted to go & play.

And I told him there was a good chance at this point in time it could possibly cost him if he continued to grow & develop like I saw him growing & developing. That he could be caught in the numbers game which happens when colleges are looking for outstanding players to fill their upcoming rosters. But he chose his friends, his team mates, & the future of LCA football over that. And I admire him for that. I have no doubt if he were at Acadiana High, Carencro, St. Thomas Moore, or Teurlings that he would already have had at least three FBS offers on the table by now, or he would already be committed to an FBS program. But because he chose to stay & be a part of something special, rare, and once in a lifetime in high school, it may very well cost him an opportunity to be recruited seriously at the next level.

Not because LCA doesn't play good, honest, hard nosed football. Not because there isn't good hard nosed football being played at the class A level in this state. But because of this misguided perception that there aren't any outstanding players coming out of class A football in this state, or at least this part of it. That is a fact. And it is a disgrace. We had this very discussion earlier in the year about class A players being overlooked at the FBS level & many who are less informed than I said, oh if he's good enough he'll get his chance. I pointed out the Zenon felow as an example of an extremely outstanding player & athelete who achieved all he could and was overlooked. No wonder a team like McNeese can go to Nebraska & nearly whip their butts in today's game.

This system we have today makes it too easy for a college staff to say it's okay if we miss on this guy or that guy. Look at how many more there are who want to get in here. Because they would much rather take a chance on a young man from a rough background with a bad history & a horrible student who has the perception of being a great player. Than take a good kid, and a great leader from a small Christian school who's a good student because the perception of where he plays isn't mean enough. It happened to Zenon. It almost happened to McGuire. And as good as my son is, I have every reason to believe it is going to happen to him. And that is the tragedy which has befallen BIG time college football in this country. We have all sold our souls for a 4.4 second forty yard dash. And I wonder how many more there are like Joshua who never get the chance because they are in his situation. You may argue or doubt all you want. But I know what I know. And the film doesn't lie.

[BayouRichard]

I wanted to thank the guys in this thread that wrote the kind words. I appreciate them. I really do. But before this thread about my son goes off to sleep like all threads do. I want to emphasize one thing so it isn't lost in the shuffle. My son is a good young man. And he goes to a good school where about the biggest discipline problem is usually someone chewing gum in class, or forgetting their student ID.

But there are a lot of good kids at that school. And there are a lot of good players. In fact, there are several outstanding players at that school. And there are lots of outstanding players at lots of good schools all over the acadiana area. But at the risk of sounding like an arrogant father, I'm going on record one more time, and say it as loud as I can that Joshua is not only a good player, he is a great player. IMO he is one of, if not the best interior lineman in this state regardless of which class he plays in. And he made the decision to stay at LCA and be a part of building a tradition of excellence from the ground up four years ago when I gave him the choice of where he wanted to go & play.

And I told him there was a good chance at this point in time it could possibly cost him if he continued to grow & develop like I saw him growing & developing. That he could be caught in the numbers game which happens when colleges are looking for outstanding players to fill their upcoming rosters. But he chose his friends, his team mates, & the future of LCA football over that. And I admire him for that. I have no doubt if he were at Acadiana High, Carencro, St. Thomas Moore, or Teurlings that he would already have had at least three FBS offers on the table by now, or he would already be committed to an FBS program. But because he chose to stay & be a part of something special, rare, and once in a lifetime in high school, it may very well cost him an opportunity to be recruited seriously at the next level.

Not because LCA doesn't play good, honest, hard nosed football. Not because there isn't good hard nosed football being played at the class A level in this state. But because of this misguided perception that there aren't any outstanding players coming out of class A football in this state, or at least this part of it. That is a fact. And it is a disgrace. We had this very discussion earlier in the year about class A players being overlooked at the FBS level & many who are less informed than I said, oh if he's good enough he'll get his chance. I pointed out the Zenon felow as an example of an extremely outstanding player & athelete who achieved all he could and was overlooked. No wonder a team like McNeese can go to Nebraska & nearly whip their butts in today's game.

This system we have today makes it too easy for a college staff to say it's okay if we miss on this guy or that guy. Look at how many more there are who want to get in here. Because they would much rather take a chance on a young man from a rough background with a bad history & a horrible student who has the perception of being a great player. Than take a good kid, and a great leader from a small Christian school who's a good student because the perception of where he plays isn't mean enough. It happened to Zenon. It almost happened to McGuire. And as good as my son is, I have every reason to believe it is going to happen to him. And that is the tragedy which has befallen BIG time college football in this country. We have all sold our souls for a 4.4 second forty yard dash. And I wonder how many more there are like Joshua who never get the chance because they are in his situation. You may argue or doubt all you want. But I know what I know. And the film doesn't lie.

Good luck to you and your son. I know football is the route, but always an academic scholarship.

[USL1970]

It seems that you are saying that an athletic scholarship is the ultimate goal; however, the true goal should be to earn a spot on the team that your son chooses ... that is really the true sign of success - athletic scholarship or not.

A scholarship provides financial opportunity to achieve the goal, but it should not be the ultimate goal if he loves a sport which he is good.

There are many walk on success stories that ultimately get a scholarship.

Good Luck

[Bandwagon King]

It seems that you are saying that an athletic scholarship is the ultimate goal; however, the true goal should be to earn a spot on the team that your son chooses ... that is really the true sign of success - athletic scholarship or not.

A scholarship provides financial opportunity to achieve the goal, but it should not be the ultimate goal if he loves a sport which he is good.

There are many walk on success stories that ultimately get a scholarship.

Good Luck

I'm not gonna rehash the same argument as two months ago. I know how dominant he is & how well he's playing. And I also know if he has to walk on anywhere it won't be at an SBC program. When he could just as easily walk on 50 miles down the road & compete for a spot on a national championship contender. He can love the game just as much in Baton Rouge as he does Lafayette. If he's gonna get hurt with a ten percent chance of ever getting to start, it might as well be at a program where he can win a national championship ring. You just summed up the reason why the rich & foolish stay rich.

[cajunhawk]

I'm not gonna rehash the same argument as two months ago. I know how dominant he is & how well he's playing. And I also know if he has to walk on anywhere it won't be at an SBC program. When he could just as easily walk on 50 miles down the road & compete for a spot on a national championship contender. He can love the game just as much in Baton Rouge as he does Lafayette. If he's gonna get hurt with a ten percent chance of ever getting to start, it might as well be at a program where he can win a national championship ring. You just summed up the reason why the rich & foolish stay rich.

That usually ends around the time they play Alabama.

[Bandwagon King]

That usually ends around the time they play Alabama.

I hear ya. And believe me, it's not option number one on a to do list either. It's hovering around option 19 of twenty things to do. But I have to be realistic. We aren't talking about buying tickets to a charity donkey basketball game. This about my son's future. And his body isn't getting broke up without some kind of perks involved. I'd just as soon advise him to hang his cleats up.

[pathfinder]

That usually ends around the time they play Alabama.

BWK I understand your frustration with the recruiting process but don't let it get you or your kid discouraged or bitter. It is a process that only makes sense to the coaching staffs at these universities. I've come to realize each staff has their own philosphy and belief system in recruiting. Of course schools are looking to recruit rated guys with talent, but for the the most part they recruit to their level and to what is needed. In this process it seems schools always miss out on good local kids with a whole lot of potential. I'm can't condemn coaching staffs for the way they do things, because ultimately their employment hinges on it. But I think it puts a sour taste in the mouths of some fans, when you see good local talent going elsewhere or forced to walk-on. I never understood the misconception or bias some people have against kids that play at smaller schools, I think kids should be looked at individually and see if they can benefit a program. I'm not taking a shot at any coaching staff because their evaluation process is hopefully well thought out, but part of that should be taking a strong hard look of local kids. Local kids and local high school coaches also have the responsibility to make sure that grades and eligibilty requirements are in order.

[cajunhawk]

I hear ya. And believe me, it's not option number one on a to do list either. It's hovering around option 19 of twenty things to do. But I have to be realistic. We aren't talking about buying tickets to a charity donkey basketball game. This about my son's future. And his body isn't getting broke up without some kind of perks involved. I'd just as soon advise him to hang his cleats up.

Keep at it...good things usually happen to good people. Someone is going to realize what they are missing. I'm still in the Wake Forest camp. They have no offensive line to speak of...and academically few P5 schools are gonna give you better academics without going to cold weather climates. Get some film in their hands.

[Cajunrunner]

That usually ends around the time they play Alabama.

At least they're in the hunt, and that's the point Kyle's making.

[cajunhawk]

At least they're in the hunt, and that's the point Kyle's making.

I get it...just can't miss an opportunity to take a jab at the purple mess.

[Bandwagon King]

I get it...just can't miss an opportunity to take a jab at the purple mess.

\

By the way, I want to thank everyone on here. I didn't realize how allergic I had become to purple until I saw the picture of that football field the other day. I think I'm staring to get a case of Helsinki Syndrome? Hanging out with you guys has certainly had an affect on my color concepts.