Dat other OTHER boy run so good...

[Ben E Lou]

As promised earlier (http://dynamic2.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/showpost.php?p=700084&postcount=332)...

<script language=\"\&quot;Javascript\&quot;\" src="http://uga.rivals.com/insert.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2"> Offers starting to pile up for Georgia athlete <hr noshade="noshade" size="1" width="100%"> </td></tr><tr><td>
</td> <td align="right" nowrap="nowrap">
</td> </tr></tbody> </table>
Tucker, Ga. is notorious for producing its share of highly touted division I-A prospects. The school will boast several again this year, though none faster in the open field than Asher Allen (http://clemson.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=35935), a 5-foot-10, 185-pound two-way star who runs a sub 4.4/40 with regularity.

<!---------------Start asherallen Image--><script language="Javascript">document.write(insertImage('http://vmedia.rivals.com/uploads/911/213392.jpg', '213392.jpg', 0, 327, 230, 1, 'Allen, who runs a sub 4.4/40, already has several impressive offers. ', 'Bryan Matthews - Auburnsports.com/Rivals.com', 1107834399000, 'asherallen', 911, 'Align=Left'));</script><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="238"><tbody><tr><td width="232">
</td><td rowspan="4" width="6">http://vmedia.rivals.com/images/spacer1.gif</td></tr><tr><td align="right">
</td></tr><tr><td height="3">http://vmedia.rivals.com/images/spacer1.gif</td></tr><tr><td align="center">Allen, who runs a sub 4.4/40, already has several impressive offers. </td></tr></tbody></table><!-- End asherallen Image------------------>As a junior he totaled over 25 receptions for 400+ yards and six touchdowns. Defensively he collected 80 tackles and two interceptions, one of which he ran back for a touchdown.

Allen attended Furman's camp last summer, as well as Auburn's. But on the way back to Georgia following his trip to Furman, he stopped off at Clemson where he enjoyed his short stay. "I looked around a bit, or at least as much as I could. It was raining, so we didn't get a chance to walk out onto the field in the stadium. We stayed under the tunnel area outside of the dressing rooms. We went to the weight room and they were in the process of rebuilding it. Everything was pretty organized, and the campus looked pretty nice. Death Valley is pretty big. I can't imagine what it's like when it's packed," said Allen late Monday night.

Already he has offers from Georgia, Ohio State, Georgia Tech, Illinois and Duke, and with others on the way. He lists his favorites as Georgia, Auburn, Ohio State, Florida State, Clemson, Texas and Georgia Tech (no particular order).

Georgia "I've been a big, big fan of Florida State for a long time, and I remember coach (Mark) Richt from when he was the offensive coordinator at Florida State. I can look at Georgia's offense now and notice some of the same plays they ran at Florida State. I can tell by the way they get their running backs involved. Georgia is a great school. The fans are close, the players are close, there's tradition there, and they seem to be in the top 10, top 20 every year. Georgia is in the SEC, too, so there's a lot of competition every week."

Auburn "I've talked to James Swinton. He came from Tucker. I've known him for half of my life. He said Auburn is real nice, and they treat him well. I'm a big Cadillac Williams fan. They send players to the pros. I went to Auburn's camp last year."

Ohio State "They usually have a top 10 team. They have a lot of tradition at Ohio State, and they have a big-time running game. They always have great defenses. Ohio State is a national-type program."

Georgia Tech "I have family who went there. It's right up the street, so that's not bad. Georgia Tech is a real good academic school. They need to start winning some games, and I think they will. They'll pick it up. If I went to Georgia Tech I could probably play pretty early."

Clemson "I know the running back coach there, Burton Burns. He's a funny guy. He helped me a little bit, too. Last summer he was working this seven-on-seven camp at Stephenson High in Stone Mountain. He showed me some things. Coach Burns is a real down to earth type of guy."

Florida State "I've always loved FSU. I remember when I was real young I got an autographed photo of Bobby Bowden. He signed it in front of me. He probably doesn't remember me because he has signed so many photos down through the years. They have a lot of tradition and prestige at Florida State. If you come from Florida State, you're a good football player. They're sending people to the pros every year. Every time they're on the field, they've got a pretty good chance to win. They're loaded."

Texas "I'm looking at Texas. I have a lot of family in Texas, and we go there every Christmas break. It's a place I've thought about going to. If I visit them I'll get to know the layout a little better. Texas recruits well, and they are a top 10 program now."

Allen, who projects to qualify academically, carrying a 3.85 GPA, said he would like to make a verbal commitment before his senior season. Monday night he did not cite a favorite, though the Dawgs could be tough to beat.

[Senator]

Asher Allen you just come on down!!!

[Ksyrup]

Florida State "...Every time they're on the field, they've got a pretty good chance to win..."

Here we go tumbling down the slope to mediocrity. In a few years, that's gonna read - "Every time they're on the field, they've got a pretty good chance to compete."

[Easy Mac]

no, go to Furman!! Go to Furman!! we do win, we don't just have a chance. I mean, he has a 3.8, why waste your time at Clemson... thats like dropping a Nascar engine in a dodge stratus.

[Ben E Lou]

no, go to Furman!! Go to Furman!! we do win, we don't just have a chance. I mean, he has a 3.8, why waste your time at Clemson... thats like dropping a Nascar engine in a dodge stratus.Tucker's Head Coach (Bill Ballard) played on Furman's National Championship team, in the late 80s or early 90s. (He's a year older than me, so gotta be some time around then.) One of his former Furman coaches is at Vandy. Asher's dad was ragging on Ballard this summer one day at practice. He took Asher up to visit Vandy, and met that coach who, according to Asher's dad, said, "In all these years, do you know he's never even CALLED me about a player! You're the first kid that has played for Bill that I've even met, and he didn't even call me about you." Point being, I'm not sure the Furman "connection" is going to help y'all much. :p The Furman camp that Asher went to is traditionally Tucker's whole-team summer camp.

[Noop]

Well since he is a big Florida State fan he is going to UGA.

[Lathum]

Why wouldn't he go to Duke?

[INDalltheway]

Why wouldn't he go to Duke?
He doesn't play basketball.

[JeeberD]

U-TEP!! *clap clap* Mi-Ners!!!

[Ben E Lou]

Why wouldn't he go to Duke?Rivals.com has already said that he "might be the best running back in the state of Georgia," and I'd imagine that he has less than 100 career carries, due to playing behing Thomas and B.Y. Kids with that kind of acclaim, and multiple BCS offers in February of their Junior year in high school, generally are thinking about schools that will help prep them for the NFL.

[illinifan999]

Please let him go to Illinois. Please let him go to Illinois. Please let him go to Illinois. Come on Georgia alreayd has Brown, give us him.

[INDalltheway]

Purdue should definitely be a choice for him. Seems to fit the mold of their type of back. :D

[cartman]

Texas has a fine tradition of top flight running backs. He would do well to consider following in the collegiate footsteps of Earl Campbell, Priest Holmes, Ricky Williams, and Cedric Benson... :D

[kingnebwsu]

Priest Holmes went to Texas too? Damn, I'd forgotten that.

[Blade6119]

Texas has a fine tradition of top flight running backs. He would do well to consider following in the collegiate footsteps of Earl Campbell, Priest Holmes, Ricky Williams, and Cedric Benson... :D

Mizzou had...well...you can be your own damn list!!! :D :D

[IMetTrentGreen]

5'9 speedsters grow on trees in texas. leave him to the $ec and get a qb in here

[sovereignstar]

5'9 speedsters grow on trees in texas. leave him to the $ec and get a qb in here

Lucky for this guy he's 5'10".

[IMetTrentGreen]

i saw. i used the standard formula to get his accurate height.

[Ben E Lou]

From Scout.com's free site this morning...


<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="1" width="98%"> <tbody><tr> <td bgcolor="#ffffff" valign="top">http://media.scout.com/Media/Image/20/201311.jpg
Asher Allen

</td> <td nowrap="nowrap" width="3">
</td> <td valign="top"> The Tucker Pipeline to Continue?
By Scott Kennedy (javascript:location.href='http://search.scout.com/a.z?s=135&p=4&c=1&search=1&sskey=%22' + escape('Scott Kennedy') + '%22&sssiteid=135';) Scout.com - South
Date: Feb 21, 2005

Asher Allen is next in line to continue the great running back tradition of the Tucker Tigers, and like Brandyn Young before him and Thomas Brown before him, he is also an excellent defensive back that could see time on either side of the ball in college. Allen has a list of scholarships that totals a Lucky 7 thus far. Who are they, and does he have a favorite at this point?
</td></tr> <tr> <td colspan="3">
"I played slot receiver, running back, free safety, and corner last year," said Asher Allen (http://scout.scout.com/a.z?s=135&p=8&c=1&nid=1776602). "I've gotten offers from Georgia (http://georgia.scout.com/), Georgia Tech (http://georgiatech.scout.com/), Illinois (http://illinois.scout.com/), Duke (http://duke.scout.com/), Maryland (http://maryland.scout.com/), Ohio State (http://ohiostate.scout.com/), and Vanderbilt (http://vanderbilt.scout.com/). Some of the schools are recruiting me at running back, some of the schools are saying corner, and some are just saying 'athlete'. I don't really care; just put me on the field."

Allen took in junior day in Athens, and it looks like the home state Bulldogs could continue their Tucker Pipeline.

"I had a whole lot of fun there. I've been up there two times so far. I got a chance to talk with all of the coaches, and with Thomas (Thomas Brown (http://scout.scout.com/a.z?s=135&p=8&c=1&nid=1444621)) and stuff. I've been invited to some other junior days, but I'm not sure which ones I'm going to."

Any leaders amongst his seven offers?

"I haven't really visited that many campuses, so I can't really say anything, but I've been to Georgia a lot. I've always been a fan of Georgia. More than likely I'll have my decision before the season starts next year."

In the meantime, Allen stays busy on the field and in the classroom.

"I'm running track again this year. I run the 100, 200, and the 4x100. I went to state in the 100 last year, and I want to win it this year."

Allen also works just as hard in the classroom.

"I have a core 3.4 GPA right now, and last semester I got a 3.85. I took the SAT when I was a freshman, and I'll take it again soon."

Allen scored high enough on the SAT to be a full qualifier as a freshman, but he is a competitor off the field as well as off the field, and is looking forward to posting an even higher score.</td></tr></tbody> </table>

[illinifan999]

sway him to the illini ;)

[Ben E Lou]

Gotta love the last paragraph...



<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr><td colspan="2">March 21, 2005
Big-time Peach State athlete visits Auburn <hr noshade="noshade" size="1" width="100%"> </td></tr><tr><td>
(http://auburn.rivals.com/) </td> <td align="right" nowrap="nowrap">
(javascript:window.print();void('');) </td> </tr></tbody> </table>
One of the Peach State's most highly recruited prospects, Tucker athlete Asher Allen (http://maryland.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=35935) was one of many top prospects on hand for Auburn's A-Day game this weekend.

<!---------------Start Image--><script language="Javascript">document.write(insertImage('/IMAGES/PROSPECT/PHOTO/ASHERALLEN3_21150.JPG', '', 0, 220, 150, 1, 'Allen is one of the South\'s top prospects.', 'Rivals.com', 1111424682000, '', 884, 'Align=Left'));</script><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="158"><tbody><tr><td width="152">http://vmedia.rivals.com/IMAGES/PROSPECT/PHOTO/ASHERALLEN3_21150.JPG</td><td rowspan="4" width="6">http://vmedia.rivals.com/images/spacer1.gif</td></tr><tr><td align="right">Rivals.com</td></tr><tr><td height="3">http://vmedia.rivals.com/images/spacer1.gif</td></tr><tr><td align="center">Allen is one of the South's top prospects.</td></tr></tbody></table><!-- End Image------------------>The 5-foot-10, 187-pound gave his trip high marks.

"It was a lot of fun and I didn't know it was that close to home," said Allen. "We toured the facilities. They are all real nice. There's a lot of fan support at Auburn."

Allen met with several Auburn coaches including assistants Eddie Gran, Terry Price and Greg Knox, along with head coach Tommy Tuberville. He spent the most time with Gran, who coaches the Tigers' running backs.

"He showed a lot of interest in me and sounds like a real good man," said Allen. "I want to get to know him more."

Allen has played mostly wide receiver and defensive back in high school but will be the starting tailback this season. As a junior, he hauled in 26 catches for 407 and six touchdowns, and tallied 81 tackles and two interceptions.

Auburn is recruiting him as an athlete.

"Coach Price said I could play so many different positions, it would just be get there and see what happens," said Asher. "I like their situation at running back and defensive back. They have two first-round running backs and two juniors coming back."

Asher made the trip along with his cousin, Atlanta (Ga.) Westlake linebacker Morrice Richardson (http://maryland.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=37067).

Close friends, Allen and Richardson are taking most of their visits together and would like to sign with the same school.

Allen already has offers from Georgia, Auburn, LSU, Georgia Tech, Ohio State, Maryland, Illinois and Duke. He is receiving attention from a number of other schools but claims no favorites.

"I'm interested in the schools that are interested in me. They are all pretty even right now," he said. "There are advantages to making an early decision and advantages to waiting until February. Hopefully I'll know by the third or fourth game of the season. I'm really trying to make a lot of early visits."

Allen camped at Auburn last summer and will return in June with his Tucker squad for a 7-on-7 camp.

He is considering sports medicine for a major and is already a full qualifier with a 3.85 GPA (3.4 core) and a passing SAT. He took the SAT as a ninth grader and scored well but took it again on Mar. 12.

"I want to go over 1,200," said Allen. "That's my goal."

[Balldog]

I doubt he would come to OSU anyway, I'd like to see him there but I am pretty sure all of their scholarships are used up.

"I want to go over 1,200," said Allen. "That's my goal."

Don't see that often unless they are talking about yards, good to see.

[CraigSca]

Considering Josh Allen is gone for the year, he could start at Maryland day one. Of course, we all know the history of Tucker athletes who verbal to Maryland :D

[Ben E Lou]

<table class="contentTable"> <tbody><tr><td colspan="2" class="ContentTitle"><table class="headerTable"><tbody><tr><td class="HeaderTitle">Asher Allen, Big Play Threat</td><td class="HeaderDate">Date Added:3/25/2005 3:15:27 PM </td></tr></tbody></table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="ContentAuthorTD">Steve Patterson</td> <td class="ContentCatTD" align="right">Recruiting (http://www.brutusreport.com/content.asp?CatId=198&ContentType=General) </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" class="ContentTD"> Bill Ballard, Head Football Coach at Tucker High School in Georgia, answers 5 questions about highly sought after Corner Back Asher Allen. (Free Article)
Asher Allen, Big Play Threat

<o:p></o:p>

Bill Ballard, Head Football Coach at Tucker High School in Georgia, answers 5 questions about highly sought after Corner Back Asher Allen.

<o:p></o:p>

By Steve Patterson

<o:p></o:p>

What are Asher's 3 best attributes as a football player?

'In order, speed, strength, and feet.'

<o:p></o:p>

Was there a specific game or period of games where it became clear just how special Asher is?

'Started as a sophomore at z receiver for us and was a big play threat at that time.'

<o:p></o:p>

What colleges have shown interest in Asher up to this point and do you expect to hear from others?

'Offers from Georgia, Maryland, Auburn, Georgia Tech, Ohio State, Kentucky, Duke, Florida, and LSU. Any one who has seen his Junior Highlights has offered. He will be a top 5 back in the nation. He’s very comparable to Thomas Brown who played here as well.'

<o:p></o:p>

What is Asher looking for in a college and a football program? Has he shown interest in Ohio State?

'Asher wants a balance of academics and athletics and is interested in OSU.'

<o:p></o:p>

Does he have a favorite? When will he be making a decision?

'He is keeping things open right now. I think he will decide some time this summer.'


</td></tr></tbody> </table>

[Ragone]

hah he's seriously considering an offer from kentucky.. to play football.. thats the funniest thing i've read in days

[Ben E Lou]

hah he's seriously considering an offer from kentucky.. to play football.. thats the funniest thing i've read in daysWhere'd you read that? It wasn't in anything I've posted.

[Buzzbee]

Was there a specific game or period of games where it became clear just how special Asher is?

'Started as a sophomore at z receiver for us and was a big play threat at that time.'

<O:p></O:p>

What colleges have shown interest in Asher up to this point and do you expect to hear from others?

'Offers from Georgia, Maryland, Auburn, Georgia Tech, Ohio State, Kentucky, Duke, Florida, and LSU. Any one who has seen his Junior Highlights has offered. He will be a top 5 back in the nation. He’s very comparable to Thomas Brown who played here as well.'
Maybe he got the idea from this?

[Ben E Lou]

Maybe he got the idea from this?I'm not sure how. Where does it say in that sentence that he's seriously considering Kentucky? I missed that part. :p

[Buzzbee]

I didn't say his idea was accurate.:p

[Ben E Lou]

I didn't say his idea was accurate.:p:D

[Ragone]

Actually now that i do some hunting.. Kentucky has not made him an offer at all.. Louisville has hah

[Ben E Lou]

As far as a little "scouting report," a few comments:



The comparisons to Thomas are inevitable, and valid. They are very similar in more ways than one: incredible strength for their size, great speed, strong in the classroom, "model citizen" types. Therefore, most of my "scouting report" comments will be in comparison to TB.
Like Thomas, forget all this talk about him playing CB or slot receiver. A kid with his speed and strength will be toting the rock. Even Georgia fans who didn't understand what they were dealing with in Thomas's strength, were all commenting from Feb. signing day, until the day in late July when his weight room numbers were posted that he was "too small to be an SEC running back." Even some still had him pegged for a move to CB after they realized how powerful he is. Hehehehehe. Because of Thomas, primarily, Asher won't hear as much of the same talk, but he'll hear some of it.
Asher probably hits the hole a little more quickly than Thomas did at this point, and that's saying a lot, because it seemed like TB was there in a flash. In a 40-yard footrace with pads on, both in the Spring of the Junior year in high school, I think Asher would win by a nose. Tavares Kearney (http://uga.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=23863) commented at signing day at an interview at ESPN Zone that Asher is faster than Thomas--much to TB's chagrin, I might add. Ol' SkyDog did the same thing during a Tucker game this year, "pretending" I didn't notice that Thomas was standing right behind me. He smirked at me, but he didn't argue, either. ;)
Thomas is stronger, but not by much. I heard that Asher's getting close to maxing 350 on the bench press. Thomas was at 390 by the time he arrived at UGA, so Double A has a little over a year to get there. Any time you've got a running back who benches 350+ and squats 500+, he's a power back at any size, as Thomas proved on more than one short-yardage situation this fall. Both have absolutely other-worldly strengh for their size.
Asher is a little taller than Thomas--probably somewhere between 5'8 1/2" and 5'10 1/2," so he'll probably be able to carry a little more weight on his frame when all is said and done. This, imho, will probably be a trade-off. Thomas is short enough to have a leverage advantage and is actually a little difficult for defensive linemen to see behind the offensive line (picture) (http://dynamic2.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/showpost.php?p=757047&postcount=74), but Asher will probably have a greater momentum factor due to probably having higher weight and being slightly faster. Either way, he'll be a "small power back with speed" like Thomas is quickly getting known to be.
Neither Thomas nor Asher are the stereotypical black athlete from the broken home. Both are from strong two-parent households and live in nice suburban homes in the wealthier part of the Tucker school district. Asher has a strong work ethic, is a very good student, and has the family support (and funding) to go to some camps, do some visiting, and get some training that many other prospects won't have as much access to.
Asher's probably a little smarter than Thomas in the classroom. Both can graduate in four years or less. If Asher, like Thomas, decides to take summer classes, barring severe injury, it will probably be a waste to red-shirt him. At the end of his fourth year, whether that's Junior or Senior, he'll likely have a degree in hand, AND be ready to go to the next level.
As a running back, Asher will probably be a little more "raw" than Thomas was as a college freshman, simply because he won't have the experience of being the #1 guy that Thomas did. He was #3 on the depth chart at RB as a Sophomore, and #2 as a Junior, whereas Thomas was #2 to the oft-injured Terrell Jordan (http://nusports.collegesports.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/jordan_terrell00.html), now of Northwestern, as a Sophomore, and therefore got to play a good bit, and was #1 as both a Junior and Senior. Plus, as a Junior, Thomas was really THE primary offensive weapon--getting 30+ carries in close games, and Region was tougher. This year, playing on a team where the QB and FB are also D1 prospects, and the talent level in the Region is pretty weak, I'm guessing that Asher will be hard-pressed, even at #1, to get 15+ carries more than two or three times in the regular season. The ball will get spread around in the first half, and I expect to be talking to him on the sidelines during a lot of second halves. He'll pick it up in the playoffs, but he still won't get anywhere near the number of reps at RB in high school that Thomas had, even with Thomas's injury causing him to miss half of his Senior season.

[Ragone]

So maybe Tucker's Hs coach doesn't know the difference between Louisville and Kentucky.. i'm insulted personally.. :)


who knows :)

[Ben E Lou]

So maybe Tucker's Hs coach doesn't know the difference between Louisville and Kentucky.. i'm insulted personally.. :)


who knows :)More likely, it was just a slip of the tongue, because in the big picture, both are pretty insignificant in the race to sign him. :p

FWIW, I've seen Kentucky coaches at practices, but never a Louisville one that I can remember. That's not to say they haven't been there, as I certainly don't watch every practice, but I do specifically remember Ballard introducing Asher (along with FB Myke Compton) to a coach from Kentucky during a break in Spring Practice when they were Sophomores.

[CHEMICAL SOLDIER]

I take it UNLV is out of the question for him.

[primelord]

So would he really want to go to Georgia and sit behind Thomas again?

[Buzzbee]

As far as a little "scouting report," a few comments:


Like Thomas, forget all this talk about him playing CB or slot receiver. A kid with his speed and strength will be toting the rock. Even Georgia fans who didn't understand what they were dealing with in Thomas's strength, were all commenting from Feb. signing day, until the day in late July when his weight room numbers were posted that he was "too small to be an SEC running back." Even some still had him pegged for a move to CB after they realized how powerful he is. Hehehehehe. Because of Thomas, primarily, Asher won't hear as much of the same talk, but he'll hear some of it.
Thomas is stronger, but not by much. I heard that Asher's getting close to maxing 350 on the bench press. Thomas was at 390 by the time he arrived at UGA, so Double A has a little over a year to get there. Any time you've got a running back who benches 350+ and squats 500+, he's a power back at any size, as Thomas proved on more than one short-yardage situation this fall. Both have absolutely other-worldly strengh for their size.
Neither Thomas nor Asher are the stereotypical black athlete from the broken home. Both are from strong two-parent households and live in nice suburban homes in the wealthier part of the Tucker school district. Asher has a strong work ethic, is a very good student, and has the family support (and funding) to go to some camps, do some visiting, and get some training that many other prospects won't have as much access to.

SD - I'm curious, and you may or may not be willing/able to answer this, but these comments make me wonder about steroids or other supplements. Considering the success Tucker has had at churning out D1 prospects, it does raise the eyebrows a tad and make you question if the strength program is really that good or if there is a little help (known or not known by the coaches).

Can you/will you comment?

[Ben E Lou]

SD - I'm curious, and you may or may not be willing/able to answer this, but these comments make me wonder about steroids or other supplements. Considering the success Tucker has had at churning out D1 prospects, it does raise the eyebrows a tad and make you question if the strength program is really that good or if there is a little help (known or not known by the coaches).

Can you/will you comment?Kids tell me things that they don't tell parents and coaches, including kids from the football team--to the level that a former player told me (in front of several of his friends) straight-up that he had been slinging for months. With that amount of trust, I'd think that if there were rumors or reality of kids using steroids, I would have heard at least a whisper, and I never have. I do know for a fact that a former player (not Thomas) started using Creatine to help bulk up between the end of his Senior season at Tucker and the beginning of his Freshman year in college. The reason I know this is that he told me himself. Most (all) of his classmates knew about it, and gave him a pretty hard time just for using Creatine, so I'd think that if someone were on 'roids or suspected to be on 'roids, they'd have REALLY given that person a hard time. Also, the coaching staff at Tucker just wouldn't tolerate it if they got even a whiff of a rumor.

What Tucker has going for it that a lot of places don't is a unique combination of resources and talent. Tucker has a combination of:


a strong coaching staff--this fall, our coaching staff will feature more than three times as many coaches as most schools in DeKalb County have
football tradition--Six and seven year-old boys are playing at the TYFL right now, dreaming of putting on the maroon and gold one day, and ready to do what it takes. You go to a Tucker game, and there are TONS of little boys running around, all wanting to be the next Thomas Brown or Asher Allen, and ready to do what it takes to get there. There are 7th and 8th graders that lift weights 3 and 4 times a week at the gym I use.
black families with resources to get their kids extra training--I'm sorry if I offend anyone, but there's GOT to be more to the dominance of the black athlete than just culture. Genetics HAVE to enter in to it somewhere, on some level. Combine that with some families sending their kids to a $30-an-hour personal training company that NFL players use, then you get some eye-popping strength results. Heck, I know of at least one eighth grader whose parents dropped nearly a grand at Competitive Edge Sports (http://www.competitiveedgesports.com/index.html) after football season ended this past fall.
kids wanting to come to play there from other schools' districts--DeKalb, as you know, is a heavily populated county, and there are only three or four solid football programs (out of 16-20 public high schools) in the entire county. Between moving into the district (as QB DeWayne Harris did) and loopholes in No Child Left Behind, kids are trying their best to go there. Digamma told me (and I've observed this myself) that at the county wrestling tournament this year that several studly-looking athletes from other schools were coming up to Ballard and telling him that they were going to try to transfer to Tucker. We're ending up getting more and more cream of the crop players lately. Asher and Thomas both grew up in Tucker, but Tavares didn't, and the other two obvious D-1 players from the Class of '06, Myke Compton and DeWayne Harris, were both transfers--completely legal--but transfers nonetheless. There are rumors of a few more studly transfers coming in for next year.

[Ben E Lou]

So would he really want to go to Georgia and sit behind Thomas again?A few of important factors:

1. He says (and I think he means it) that he's willing to play anywhere. He's being recruited as an "athlete" at this point still.

2. Even after Thomas had become the starter at UGA, I personally witnessed Ballard tell Thomas, "You know I STILL think you ought to play corner!" His logic is simply because the lifespan of an NFL cornerback is so much longer. I'm quite sure Ballard has preached the gospel of the secondary to Asher, and, as I said, Asher seems more open to playing corner than Thomas really was.

3. There's a decent chance that he'd only have to sit for a year. I don't have any inside info, but if Thomas continues to develop like he has been, I'm not sure that he's there for a fourth year. Plus, if Asher is willing to red-shirt in order to play tailback, he'd arrive in Athens when Lumpkin, Brown and Ware are all Juniors, and therefore his first season would be 2007--their fourth year. In that scenario, even if Brown, Ware and Lumpkin all stayed for the balanced of their elibility, Asher is set up to be the starter for three seasons.

[Ben E Lou]

black families with resources to get their kids extra training--I'm sorry if I offend anyone, but there's GOT to be more to the dominance of the black athlete than just culture. Genetics HAVE to enter in to it somewhere, on some level. Combine that with some families sending their kids to a $30-an-hour personal training company that NFL players use, then you get some eye-popping strength results. Heck, I know of at least one eighth grader whose parents dropped nearly a grand at Competitive Edge Sports (http://www.competitiveedgesports.com/index.html) after football season ended this past fall.
Just had another thought on this.


Q: What's the other school in metro Atlanta that seems to be churning out top-tier talent year after year lately?

A: Stephenson. (Reggie Ball, Kregg Lumpkin, Marcus Ball coming out next year....)


Q: What's the wealthiest almost-all-black school in metro Atlanta?
A: Stephenson.


I don't believe that those two facts are unrelated.

[Ben E Lou]

From a Notre Dame recruiting site...Allen Has Impressive List of Offers Date: Apr 28, 2005

Tucker, Ga. athlete Asher Allen is a hot name in the recruiting world. With 13 written offers, and over 30 schools saying they're going to offer, Allen will have his choice of schools to attend. We spoke with the 5-10, 180-pound star athlete to find out if the Irish are interested in Asher? Does Notre Dame have a shot at this top prospect?

Athlete Asher Allen (http://scout.scout.com/a.z?s=109&p=8&c=1&nid=1776602) can likely play a number of positions in college.

"Most schools are telling me that they just want to get me on campus and then decide what's the best position for me," Allen said. "Some are saying cornerback, but then there would be some packages in for me on offense.

"I'm about equal on both sides of the ball. I guess it will depend on which side of the ball I'm most needed. If I had my choice, I'd probably say corner, but some packages for me to do some things on offense."

Allen could remember his stats but said he had over 800 yards of total offense. Plenty of schools have seen enough to know they want Allen.

"Georgia, Vanderbilt, Georgia Tech, Duke, Maryland, Ohio State, Illinois, LSU, Auburn, Kent, Louisville, Memphis, Kentucky and North Carolina have offered me," Allen said. "I have over 30 schools that have verbally offered me."

Surprisingly, the talented two-way player didn't grow up cheering for an in-state school.

"I was actually a big FSU (Florida State) fan. I liked guys like Peter Warrick (http://scout.scout.com/a.z?s=109&p=8&c=1&nid=1151315) and Warrick Dunn (http://scout.scout.com/a.z?s=109&p=8&c=1&nid=1845605)," he said. "I actually have an autographed picture of Bobby Bowden that I got when I was little."

Allen says the process of finding the right school has already begun.

"I've been to Georgia, Georgia Tech, Duke, and Auburn so far on unofficial visits," he said. "I plan to go see some more this summer. I plan to go to LSU for sure, but I haven't settled on a date for that yet."

The Irish have been recruiting Allen, but the top prospect admits he's not familiar with the program.

"They've verbally offered me," Allen said. "They told my coach that an offer was coming.

"Where is Notre Dame? What state is it in? I really don't know much about their program yet. I'm sure I'll find out more. I'm sure one of their coaches will stop by and I'll learn more about it."

When will Allen be announcing his college choice?

"I plan to take all my visits before deciding," Allen said. "I don't think I'll make a decision during the summer. I'll probably take some visits during the season and try to have my decision by the 4-5 game of the season."

Comments: It's not a good sign that Allen doesn't know which state Notre Dame is in. He obviously hasn't had any interest in Notre Dame in the past. He did seem very open to any school recruiting him right now. The Irish have a long way to go to catch his attention, however.I know for a fact that Asher knows where Evil Incarnate is located. Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. PROUD OF YA BOY!!!! :D

[VPI97]

Nice.

[Pyser]

well, its a dis to you, skydog, cuz you know for a fact he does know where ND is.

to me, it made him look kinda dumb.

[Huckleberry]

But not as dumb as proclaiming that a high school kid looks dumb simply for not knowing where The University of Notre Dame is located. In a post that includes "cuz" and "kinda" no less.

It's not like it's called the University of South Bend, Indiana.

[Ben E Lou]

to me, it made him look kinda dumb.I don't know what state Wagner is in, because is it irrelevant. Get it? :p

Good to see Georgia kids treating ND this way. It is a far cry from when Adrian Jarrell slapped us in the face. I'm still pissed at him. The boy went to Clarke Central, for crying out loud, right off of sorority row in Athens, and he freakin' goes to ND. Good to see that little punk playing arena ball now. http://dynamic2.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/images/smilies/mad.gif

What makes it more humorous to me is that:

a. Asher made a fully-qualifying SAT score as a freshman
b. He has said nothing but nice things to reporters about every other program that is recruiting him.

[Pyser]

yeah, huckleberry, youre better than me since you capitalize letters. awesome.

[Pyser]

dola, im not saying he is dumb. im just saying i dont know that the average reader of the story would know that this kid actually does know where ND is, thats all.

[Ben E Lou]

dola, im not saying he is dumb. im just saying i dont know that the average reader of the story would know that this kid actually does know where ND is, thats all.My experience on the recruiting sites is that the average reader of the 17th story in two months on a kid has a general idea of the kid's general intelligence. But actually, even if he DOESN'T know where ND is, it is still absolute gold. The kid talks about various teams' schemes in other stories, and in this very story, it is evident that he travels more than the average recruit. (How many top-tier recruits go on their own to visit DUKE?????) Gotta make their supporters feel bad that this kid is smart enough to have scholarship offers from Duke and Vandy, yet says he doesn't know where ND is. :D

[Honolulu_Blue]

My experience on the recruiting sites is that the average reader of the 17th story in two months on a kid has a general idea of the kid's general intelligence. But actually, even if he DOESN'T know where ND is, it is still absolute gold. The kid talks about various teams' schemes in other stories, and in this very story, it is evident that he travels more than the average recruit. (How many top-tier recruits go on their own to visit DUKE?????) Gotta make their supporters feel bad that this kid is smart enough to have scholarship offers from Duke and Vandy, yet says he doesn't know where ND is. :D
Me likey! I hate me some Notre Dame. The kid's done welll here.

[Schmidty]

I kind of agree with Pyser's post. "Ignorant" was my first reaction. I mean, wouldn't someone have enough brains to at least LOOK where a school that's heavily recruiting you is located?

[Ben E Lou]

I kind of agree with Pyser's post. "Ignorant" was my first reaction. I mean, wouldn't someone have enough brains to at least LOOK where a school that's heavily recruiting you is located?Not if:

a. the school is as irrelevant as ND :p
b. there are 30 or 40 other schools heavily recruiting you

As someone who was fairly heavily recruited academically, I can say that more than once I got a phone call from a school, and had no idea where it was, and didn't bother to look up where it was, either. {shrug}

[Schmidty]

Not if:

a. the school is as irrelevant as ND :p
b. there are 30 or 40 other schools heavily recruiting you

As someone who was fairly heavily recruited academically, I can say that more than once I got a phone call from a school, and had no idea where it was, and didn't bother to look up where it was, either. {shrug}

Well, I can understand if your point B is the case, as that's a lot of schools.

I guess I don't feel any hatred toward ND since I grew up like an hour and a half from SB (Schoolcraft, MI), and went to a few football camps on campus there. Now if were talking about U of M, I'd be right there with you praising the kid. :)

[Ben E Lou]

Well, I can understand if your point B is the case, as that's a lot of schools. Well, it says in the article that over 30 schools have verbally offered. Anyone who has offered a scholarship--verbal or written--by May of a kid's Junior year probably still thinks they have at least somewhat of a shot.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Now if were talking about U of M, I'd be right there with you praising the kid. :)
Watch it, Sparty. The kid's got it right. Put aside your hatred. Take your first step into a larger world...

[Blackadar]

Yes, it's much better that he goes to a dumbfuckjock school like Ohio State or LSU where he can be functionally illiterate, take basket weaving, get paid by boosters and not get an education than go to Notre Dame where he would actually be forced to meet decent academic entry standards.

[Buccaneer]

I'm sure if you told that kid (or any jock from Georgia :p ) that ND is in Indiana, the typical response would be, "Where's Indiana?".

[Joe]

the kid comes off like an idiot or an asshole, or both.

[Ben E Lou]

the kid comes off like an idiot or an asshole, or both.Let's see. A 3.85 and scholly offers from Duke, Vandy and Tech pretty much strikes off the "idiot" label, and the "asshole" label can not be applied to anyone who disses ND. You lose.

[Joe]

dang whats with all the ND hatred

[VPI97]

dang whats with all the ND hatred Did you just start following college football?

[Ben E Lou]

Did you just start following college football?:D

[Buccaneer]

dang whats with all the ND hatred
No university program should get preferential treatment at the expense of another. ND seems to demand it (e.g., it's own TV contract, special BCS considerations).

[Schmidty]

No university program should get preferential treatment at the expense of another. ND seems to demand it (e.g., it's own TV contract, special BCS considerations).

It's all those damned Catholics. Don't ya know that they, and the Jews and Baptists, rule the country?

[Joe]

Did you just start following college football?

in 2002.

[Buccaneer]

It's all those damned Catholics. Don't ya know that they, and the Jews and Baptists, rule the country?
I think it's that damn "mystique".

[Schmidty]

I think it's that damn "mystique".

I still have no idea how anything in Indiana could have anything close to a "mystique". No offense to INDalltheway and others, it is the most boring state I have ever been in (followed closely by South Dakota).

[JonInMiddleGA]

Did you just start following college football?

Gold.

[cuervo72]

It is a far cry from when Adrian Jarrell slapped us in the face. I'm still pissed at him.

Would this be more pissed or less pissed than you are at Bob Lewandowski?

[Tigercat]

I don't know if I posted it SkyDog, but the moment I saw your first post on this kid I thought LSU would be a great fit for this kid. LSU has a lot of good RBs this year, but after this year we lose our two small speed/agility backs. Which would put him in a position where he could learn behind a couple of good backs for a year after coming to LSU, but he could also get some good spot duty to work his way into the lineup his first year like the Tucker kid at Georgia did this past year. It sounds like he might be open to playing other positions too or being an athlete type weapon on offense, he could pick up where Skylar Green leaves off after graduation too if RB doesn't work out.

That first post had no mention of LSU, but looks like we've worked our way into the picture, glad Les Miles read my mind!

[Ragone]

Yo Momma so poor, i saw her kicking a can down the street.. i asked her what she was doing she said movin

[scooper]

No university program should get preferential treatment at the expense of another. ND seems to demand it (e.g., it's own TV contract, special BCS considerations).
At the expense of another? At the expense of who? What programs were kicked off of NBC when they inked the ND deal? If nothing else, teams that play ND on NBC MAKE money, probably more than they get from an away game on ESPN.

As far as bowl games, is it really any worse that a 10 win ND team can get in the BCS than having a 7 or 8 win conference champion getting one in a down year for that given conference?

Irrelevant indeed. This wouldn't be a discussion if they were irrelevant. A bad last decade? Yep. Terrible, but not irrelevant. Although it was significantly better than the decade preceeding Stoops at OU and Carrol at USC. Look it up. That's fact.

Though I understand the vitrol and I have my own thoughts on certain groups of arrogant ND fans. There certainly are plenty, though I live in Ohio so I get to see firsthand an even blinder group.

[scooper]

By the way, Skydog, I'd launch something back at UGA, but my newfound fandom of Messers Pollack and Thurman while already being fond of Mr. Geathers won't let me do that.

[DeToxRox]

Well, I can understand if your point B is the case, as that's a lot of schools.

I guess I don't feel any hatred toward ND since I grew up like an hour and a half from SB (Schoolcraft, MI), and went to a few football camps on campus there. Now if were talking about U of M, I'd be right there with you praising the kid. :)

Well, I'd say the same for him turning down MSU, but why would a highly touted recruit even contemplate going there? :)

[st.cronin]

I bet he does NOT end up at Kent.

[Joe]

so is Allen just an unbelievable cornerback? if anyone has his stats, I'd like to see them, as I don't see why he'd get so many offers for just 800 yards of offense.

[VPI97]

so is Allen just an unbelievable cornerback? if anyone has his stats, I'd like to see them, as I don't see why he'd get so many offers for just 800 yards of offense. Ronnie Brown was the #2 pick in the NFL draft and he only had about 850 yards of offense last season. Just sayin'

[Ben E Lou]

so is Allen just an unbelievable cornerback? if anyone has his stats, I'd like to see them, as I don't see why he'd get so many offers for just 800 yards of offense.Primarily because he's a phenomenal athlete from a school that has had every starting tailback for the last decade or so go D-1. His stats aren't that impressive because he's played on some teams that have been absolutely loaded at the skill positions--so loaded that Tucker's starting middle guard from last year will probably play tailback in college. Scouts have been seeing Asher in action since he was a Sophomore. They know what he can do, even though he hasn't gotten the numbes. He benches 350, and was timed under 4.45 at Auburn's camp on grass last summer. Those two numbers alone by a RB/CB will get some offers. :p

As a sophomore, Asher was the #3 tailback, behind Thomas Brown (UGA) and Brandyn Young (USC signee this year). He also played some Z that year, but with Brandyn, and James Swinton (Auburn), and Reajon Alexander (Lane College) all being upperclassmen, playing time was tight.

As a Junior in '04, he was RB2 behind Brandyn, and started at Z. He probably had around half his yards as a receiver, and half as a runner. The general consensus among Tucker fans was that Asher was better than B.Y. by midseason of 2004, if not before then. However, B.Y. had been SO loyal, playing behind Thomas for 2 1/2 years without ever complaining, always doing whatever the coaches asked (he was even willing to play QB as a Senior if necessary--a position at which he had NO chance of earning a scholly). B.Y. was a three-star prospect who had, in the minds of everyone, earned the right to be showcased in 2004.

Asher will be the feature back in 2005, but he won't put up eye-popping numbers in the regular season, either. He'll probably get pulled at or shortly after halftime in 7 or 8 of Tucker's 10 regular season games. Still, barring injury, he'll be a 4 or 5 star prospect when all is said and done.

[Ben E Lou]

Update:

Yesterday was the first day of Spring Practice. As usual, there were representatives and assistant coaches from a handful of D1 schools there. At various times, I was very near guys from Notre Dame, UNC, USC and Tech. The guys from the latter three schools were friendly, chatting with whatever local spectators were nearby on the track, participating in football conversations, asking who # so-and-so was, etc., as they watched Asher and several other prospects. In other words, they were acting like normal human beings. I had a great conversation with an assistant from Tech, as a matter of fact. However, the coach from ND barely (if ever) even acknowledged that people were standing near him--until he figured out who Greg Allen (Asher's dad) was, then he tried to be charming to Greg and the guys standing near him. He had brought a written offer for Asher. Greg noticed, and commented later on, on how un-friendly their guy was. :D (What's surprising is that I'm pretty sure that it was Bill Lewis. He really should understand the Tucker community better than that, considering he was A.D. at Marist.)

Interesting conversation with Greg. I asked if recruiting was getting crazy. He said, "No, it's getting plain stupid." He said he got at least a dozen calls on Sunday afternoon when he was trying to relax--including one from Pete Carroll, saying that Asher reminded him a lot of Reggie Bush. At least four or five coaches called during the 15 minutes or so that I was standing near him. It was funny to see which ones he ignored and which ones he answered. ("Hold on, that's Richt. Gotta take that one..." was particularly good to hear. :D :D :D )

His stats aren't that impressive because he's played on some teams that have been absolutely loaded at the skill positions--so loaded that Tucker's starting middle guard from last year will probably play tailback in college.This is now official. Newberry College signed Tucker FB/MG Hamilton Sims on Wednesday to play tailback for them. Ham and his dad were both at practice yesterday. His dad said that the coaches at Newberry were absolutely stunned to find out that Ham wasn't a TB and/or CB in high school and asked, "How much speed did your team have???"

If they only knew...

[Ben E Lou]

Merging this thread with "Best dis" thread...

[scooper]

However, the coach from ND barely (if ever) even acknowledged that people were standing near him--until he figured out who Greg Allen (Asher's dad) was, then he tried to be charming to Greg and the guys standing near him. He had brought a written offer for Asher. Greg noticed, and commented later on, on how un-friendly their guy was. http://dynamic2.gamespy.com/~fof/forums/images/smilies/biggrin.gif (What's surprising is that I'm pretty sure that it was Bill Lewis. He really should understand the Tucker community better than that, considering he was A.D. at Marist.)


Not to mention head coach at G Tech. I think he was most successful as an assistant in the pros. That take less personality than college.

This is somewhat dissapointing to hear, as Weis, Ianello, Polian, Minter and Haywood are supposedly charming the heck out of recruits. They break it up by region as opposed to position so right now they're stuck with Lewis recruiting GA. Cutcliffe's not out there right now after heart surgery. I wonder if he might have more responsibility in the south when he gets back.

On another note, that nose tackle turned tailback sounds like an FOF style position switch to get back at a player. That's a great story. You really should keep up with the kid's progress if possible and give us a dynasty.

[Ben E Lou]

I think he was most successful as an assistant in the pros. That take less personality than college.Good point. If that was him (and I'm 98% certain it was; he just looks older now), he showed basically zero personality. Like I said, it was particularly odd and in stark contrast to the gregarious guys from the other schools who were clearly "working the crowd." Even if Lewis HAD known who Asher's dad was by sight (which clearly he didn't), he should have had his "A" game on at every second, because he never knows if he's standing next to Asher's uncle, or his girlfriend's dad, or his dad's best friend, or his best friend's dad, or anyone who might have said, "Hey Greg, that ND guy seemed like a real jerk to me. I saw that he was nice to you and all, but I thought you should know what I saw when he wasn't 'recruiting.'" That kind of thing can make a difference. I'm no Tech fan by any means, but if one of Tucker's LB's were to mention to me, or any other non-Tech fan who chatted with their LB coach yesterday, he's probably going to get the following feedback: "Hey, I want you to know that I'm not a Tech fan, but that LB coach at seemed like a genuinely good guy." A college coach HAS to know that if you're at a high school spring practice, anybody there watching who isn't a recruiter from another college is someone who knows at least a handful of kids (like their kid and his good friends) and therefore cares a whole lot more about Tucker kids being taken care of at college first, their favorite college team second.

This is somewhat dissapointing to hear, as Weis, Ianello, Polian, Minter and Haywood are supposedly charming the heck out of recruits. They break it up by region as opposed to position so right now they're stuck with Lewis recruiting GA. Cutcliffe's not out there right now after heart surgery. I wonder if he might have more responsibility in the south when he gets back.If what I saw of Lewis yesterday is par for the course, you should probably hope for that.


On another note, that nose tackle turned tailback sounds like an FOF style position switch to get back at a player. That's a great story. You really should keep up with the kid's progress if possible and give us a dynasty.I will be. Because of doing the high school dynasty threads, this fall I'm going to start a Tucker: The College Years thread in the dynasty thread. We had six players from the 2003 team go D-1, and six others go to smaller schools. All but three red-shirted last year, so the thread would have been rather sparse. However, with 12-20 former Tigers (I'll also report on a few guys who played pre-'03 who are still in college) playing on Saturdays next year, it should be a fun thread.

As far as specifics about Hamilton, he's a freak of nature. He's grown some, height-wise, but he's still only around 5'7" tall--and weights nearly 190 pounds with pretty low body fat. He benches around 380, squats over 500, and high jumps 6'4". He's been dunking a basketball since he was a 5'5" sophomore. With his quickness and strength, he was a MONSTER as a high school nose guard. Pretty much no one could block him with one guy. Tucker usually has *crazy* speed, and average linemen (hence no state titles, but plenty of fairly-deep playoff runs). Hamilton runs around a 4.55, but there were four or five guys clearly faster than him, and six or eight others right in that range.

[scooper]

Basically, college coaches have to kiss a little butt. There are a lot of politics involved.

Georgia related from sportsline:

The early word out of Cincinnati is that second-round pick Odell Thurman is everything the Bengals thought he would be. Thurman, who came to the Bengals with some off-field baggage, was a star last week during the team's minicamp. As one Bengals coach said, "Odell Thurman is a bad ass." Thurman is expected to be the starter at middle linebacker. First-round pick David Pollack will play an outside linebacker spot next to Thurman. Pollack takes over for Kevin Hardy, who was released this week. Pollack will be making the move from college end to linebacker. If Pollack and Thurman are as good as the Bengals hope, their defense may be much improved.
Add Robert Geathers from last year to these guys, if Marvin Lewis keeps up with his UGA pipeline, I might have to adopt a southern team. :D

[Ben E Lou]

Just thought about something: wasn't Bill Lewis known to have a bit of an ego? I wonder if there's any chance that he was somewhat-indignant that he was in metro Atlanta and no one said, "Hey, you're Bill Lewis!" That would at least put his demeanor in context for me. Like I said, it was *vastly* different from any of the other guys, and pretty much any other recruiter I've seen, with the exception of that little dweeb from Michigan who I mentioned last year. If you missed that story, this guy, there to recruit Tucker players, was telling the Tucker faithful near him in his high-and-mighty, I-know-football-and-you-don't, I-have-little-man's-complex-around-all-you-alpha-male-fathers-fans-and-former-Tucker-players-because-I-weigh-165-pounds-soaking-wet, nasal, yankified voice that "We wanted Thomas, but as a cornerback. He'd be a little small to be a cornerback even. I wish him good luck at Georgia, but he's too small to be successful at running back at a major college." This guy did NOT write "How To Win Friends and Influence Recruits In Tucker, GA," that much is for sure.

[scooper]

Outside of his resume, I'm not very familiar with Lewis' history, so if that perception of him exists, it may very well be the case. If so, he needs to get over it. Charlie has said some guys are on the staff because they are great recruiters, some are better coaches. I guess Lewis is one there to coach. As mentioned above, recruiting is going better than it has in over a decade so somebody on the staff must be doing it right. For example, Charlie is spending the entire evaluation period on the road right now. I don't know how common that is among major D1 coaches, but do know that Willingham didn't work nearly that hard on recruiting. At this time last year, he was probably more concerned about his golf handicap.

I remember the Michigan story. I'm a yankee. I root for a team from a northern Catholic university. But I will NEVER question the football knowledge or passion of southern football fans. There are pockets up here that rival southern football passion. I live in one in Ohio, but in most places, it's not even close.

Besides, we are quite fond of our undersized RB from Georgia. Before it's said and done, he'll probably own the all time ND career rushing record.

[Ben E Lou]

I found this rather humorous today. Spring practice is now in full gear at Tucker this week. Lots of coaches have been around looking at Asher and several other prospects. There were three coaches there at this morning's practice: Rodney Garner (UGA Recruiting Coordinator), Burton Burns (Clemson RB Coach), and......

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
..


an assistant coach from Western Michigan. http://dynamic2.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/images/smilies/tongue.gif



Mighty Western Michigan. Western Michigan that went 1-10 last year, playing in the powerhouse Mid-American conference. One of the two current headlines on their web page is as follows:


"Black" Team Claims Spring Game Victory
The Western Michigan University football team took advantage of a picture-perfect spring afternoon Saturday by hosting the program’s annual spring game in front of a crowd of 1,217 at Waldo Stadium. more...


I wouldn't be schocked to see 1,217 at Asher's *high school* spring game. Heck, considering that Tucker has 167 kids out for football, that's over 500 if just mamas, daddies and little brothers show up. ;) You certainly have to give W. Michigan credit for being ambitious.

[primelord]

an assistant coach from Western Michigan. http://dynamic2.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/images/smilies/tongue.gif



Mighty Western Michigan. Western Michigan that went 1-10 last year, playing in the powerhouse Mid-American conference. One of the two current headlines on their web page is as follows:
Do you really think he was there ONLY to watch Asher play?

[illinifan999]

Never hurts to try. I know that if I was super talented at a sport and I had a scholarship offer to Notre Dame, Illinois, or Miami I would pick Illinois. This is assuming good at football, just because that's who I grew up loving. Now I would doubt a Georgia kid would like Western Michigan, but never know. Might be thinking TCY recruiting. :p

[Ben E Lou]

Do you really think he was there ONLY to watch Asher play?Well, I was curious about what players he was checking out, because I was fascinated that he'd come that far. The only position groups he watched as they worked on their position group drills were RB's and CB's. Asher is the only D-1 prospect on the team that plays both of those positions. Myke Compton, also a RB, is also a D-1 prospect, but if he were there to watch Myke, he probably would have at least paid SOME attention to the safeties when they were apart from the corners.

[Ben E Lou]

Yesterday was the first day of Spring Practice. As usual, there were representatives and assistant coaches from a handful of D1 schools there. At various times, I was very near guys from Notre Dame, UNC, USC and Tech. The guys from the latter three schools were friendly, chatting with whatever local spectators were nearby on the track, participating in football conversations, asking who # so-and-so was, etc., as they watched Asher and several other prospects. In other words, they were acting like normal human beings. I had a great conversation with an assistant from Tech, as a matter of fact. However, the coach from ND barely (if ever) even acknowledged that people were standing near him--until he figured out who Greg Allen (Asher's dad) was, then he tried to be charming to Greg and the guys standing near him.Heh. I got a fascnating perspective on this yesterday, from an assistant coach from Louisville. It turns out that every coach I mentioned above was in violation of NCAA regulations. Here's how my conversation with the Louisville guy started yesterday:

{Ben approaches}
Louisville Coach {cautiously}: Do you have a kid out there?
Ben: No.
{Coach Smiles, Extends Hand}
LC {warmly}: OK, good. I didn't want to violate any NCAA regulations. Nice to meet you. I'm {forgot name}. I asked because we're not allowed to talk with parents or kids face to face during the month of May.Ben: Really? So you can come out here, but can't talk with them?
LC: Yep.
Ben: Can you make phone calls?
LC: Yes. Phone calls are allowed this month, and we're allowed to be here, but not talk to parents and kids.


Very interesting. On Saturday, Garner, Burns, and Western Michigan guy all stayed out on the field next to the head coach during most of practice. I *think* that, along with the guy from Louisville, they're the only coaches out of at least a couple of dozen who didn't talk to at least one parent and/or kid. On Saturday, the three of them were the only ones at practice. I'm guessing that one of them is known to be a rules stickler, so the others dutifully followed the rules while he was there.

[Ben E Lou]

Rivals.com names Asher as one of their Georgia Elite Eleven.


<!-- ---------- Copyright 2000 ---------- --> Asher Allen (http://uga.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?Sport=1&pr_key=35935) – Tucker – ATH
Offers: Auburn, Clemson, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Louisville, LSU, Maryland, Memphis, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Michigan, Nebraska, Illinois, UNC, Kentucky, Kent State, Duke, Vanderbilt
Favorites: Open
Skinny: Allen is one of the best pure athletes in all of Georgia. He is the best cover corner hands down and may be one of the best in the Country. 'Double A' could play running back or corner on the next level, but I see him becoming the next version of Champ Bailey and Charles Woodson. I see him starting off as a corner, then as he grasps that, he moves over and get around five or so touches a game on offense. Allen does not list a leader at this point, but I say Georgia is the team to beat.

[DeToxRox]

Michigan. Finally, the kid is showing some smarts.

[Schmidty]

I found this rather humorous today. Spring practice is now in full gear at Tucker this week. Lots of coaches have been around looking at Asher and several other prospects. There were three coaches there at this morning's practice: Rodney Garner (UGA Recruiting Coordinator), Burton Burns (Clemson RB Coach), and......

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
..


an assistant coach from Western Michigan. http://dynamic2.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/images/smilies/tongue.gif



Mighty Western Michigan. Western Michigan that went 1-10 last year, playing in the powerhouse Mid-American conference. One of the two current headlines on their web page is as follows:


"Black" Team Claims Spring Game Victory
The Western Michigan University football team took advantage of a picture-perfect spring afternoon Saturday by hosting the program’s annual spring game in front of a crowd of 1,217 at Waldo Stadium. more...


I wouldn't be schocked to see 1,217 at Asher's *high school* spring game. Heck, considering that Tucker has 167 kids out for football, that's over 500 if just mamas, daddies and little brothers show up. ;) You certainly have to give W. Michigan credit for being ambitious.


Thanks for the insult to my alma mater and to the town of my birth. Appreciate it. I never see you trash-talking against teams that your team loses to. You just take pot-shots at mid-majors from small towns. You must feel so proud.

Thanks for the classy post.

[Ben E Lou]

Michigan. Finally, the kid is showing some smarts.Well, actually, wouldn't it be vice versa--that Michigan is showing some smarts by finally offering him? It's not like he has any control over his offers.

[Ben E Lou]

Thanks for the insult to my alma mater and to the town of my birth. Appreciate it. I never see you trash-talking against teams that your team loses to. You just take pot-shots at mid-majors from small towns. You must feel so proud.

Thanks for the classy post.Lighten up, Francis.

[DeToxRox]

Well, actually, wouldn't it be vice versa--that Michigan is showing some smarts by finally offering him? It's not like he has any control over his offers.

Read that wrong. Though he was showing mutual interest. Though he could be and no one knows it. Michigan is always getting recruits from out of state, and from the sounds of it, Asher would be one we'd love to have.

[DeToxRox]

Thanks for the insult to my alma mater and to the town of my birth. Appreciate it. I never see you trash-talking against teams that your team loses to. You just take pot-shots at mid-majors from small towns. You must feel so proud.

Thanks for the classy post.

He made fun of your alma maters football team. Did you play for them? Then maybe you can have *some* justification, but if you didn't, you're just being picky.

And, it isn't as if you've EVER made fun of Michigan on here amongst other schools or cities for that matter.

It's just a message board, I don't see the point in being worked up.

[Schmidty]

He made fun of your alma maters football team. Did you play for them? Then maybe you can have *some* justification, but if you didn't, you're just being picky.

And, it isn't as if you've EVER made fun of Michigan on here amongst other schools or cities for that matter.

It's just a message board, I don't see the point in being worked up.

Shut yer pie-hole, you dirty Wolverine. :)

[Ben E Lou]

Read that wrong. Though he was showing mutual interest. Though he could be and no one knows it. Michigan is always getting recruits from out of state, and from the sounds of it, Asher would be one we'd love to have.FWIW, a coach from Minnesota was at practice on Thursday. Asher was standing on the side, as he was being held out due to the state track meet being the next day. When the Minnesota guy left, he remarked, "Man, I can't see myself playing anywhere up there in the Big 10. Too cold!" I don't know how serious he was, but there ya go.

[Neuqua]

When the Minnesota guy left, he remarked, "Man, I can't see myself playing anywhere up there in the Big 10. Too cold!" I don't know how serious he was, but there ya go.

Wuss.

[Schmidty]

Lighten up, Francis.

I'll try, but I make no guarantees.

[DeToxRox]

Shut yer pie-hole, you dirty Wolverine. :)

ha. United as Lions fans until the fall for one Saturday. Then you'll get yours.

[DeToxRox]

FWIW, a coach from Minnesota was at practice on Thursday. Asher was standing on the side, as he was being held out due to the state track meet being the next day. When the Minnesota guy left, he remarked, "Man, I can't see myself playing anywhere up there in the Big 10. Too cold!" I don't know how serious he was, but there ya go.

True. And well, you know, the Big 10 doesn't pay as well as the SEC. :)

[illinifan999]

He should still go to Illinois.

[st.cronin]

Reading between the lines of everything he is quoted as saying in this thread, my guess is FSU. My second guess is Wisconsin.

[scooper]

Skydog, just a heads up, dat other other boy is the headline story right now on ND's rivals site. I don't have a rivals sub, so I don't know what it says. FWIW, the guy who wrote the article is not exactly the most respected writer amongst the ND web people.


http://vmedia.rivals.com/IMAGES/PROSPECT/PHOTO/ASHERALLEN5_9B150FP.JPG

by Steve Hare
Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis has been very busy during the month of May. Most recently Weis made a stop in Tucker, Georgia, home of Asher Allen, a 5-foot-10, 187-pound triple-threat athlete http://bgi.rivals.com/default.asp

Weis, by the way is spending the entire May evaluation period on the road, meeting with HS coaches. Willingham spent much of the same period on the golf course over the last couple years. Relationships with HS coaches are very important and Weis has some major catch-up work to do.

[Ben E Lou]

Skydog, just a heads up, dat other other boy is the headline story right now on ND's rivals site. I don't have a rivals sub, so I don't know what it says. FWIW, the guy who wrote the article is not exactly the most respected writer amongst the ND web people.


http://vmedia.rivals.com/IMAGES/PROSPECT/PHOTO/ASHERALLEN5_9B150FP.JPG

http://bgi.rivals.com/default.asp

Weis, by the way is spending the entire May evaluation period on the road, meeting with HS coaches. Willingham spent much of the same period on the golf course over the last couple years. Relationships with HS coaches are very important and Weis has some major catch-up work to do.Yeah, Weis showed up at the T-U-C. The spring game is today. I'm going to try to take some video of the big prospects, as well as the feeding frenzy of coaches and assistants sure to be there.

[Ragone]

Hopefully they brought a map so they could teach him some geography :)

[Ben E Lou]

Rivals 100 released. The update....

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr><td class="nav" width="100%"> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td class="nav" height="30"> Asher Allen</td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> <td class="nav" height="30" valign="bottom" width="164">http://vmedia.rivals.com/images/database/p_20062.gif</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3" height="1">http://vmedia.rivals.com/images/spacer1.gif</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <!--------------------end top header--------------------> <script language="javascript"> var k=1; </script> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr><td valign="top" width="230"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" height="20" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td bgcolor="#d2d2d2" height="20" nowrap="nowrap"> Cornerback / Athlete</td></tr></tbody></table>Tucker (GA)

Height: 5-foot-10
Weight: 187 pounds
40-yard dash: 4.4 seconds
GPA: 3.85

</td><td valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" height="20" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="outerbar" nowrap="nowrap"> RIVALS.COM RANKINGS</td><td class="outerbar" align="right">http://vmedia.rivals.com/images/database/help.gif (http://javascript%3Cimg%20src=%22../forums/images/smilies/redface.gif%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20title=%22embarrasment%22%20smilieid=%223%22%20class=%22inlineimg%22%20/%3EpenHelp%281%29;)</td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr height="1"><td colspan="4" bgcolor="#ffffff" height="1">http://vmedia.rivals.com/images/spacer1.gif</td></tr><tr height="34"><td bgcolor="#ffffff" height="34" width="1">http://vmedia.rivals.com/images/spacer1.gif</td><td bgcolor="#d2d2d2"> http://vmedia.rivals.com/images/database/stars4.gif</td><td bgcolor="#ffffff" width="1">http://vmedia.rivals.com/images/spacer1.gif</td><td bgcolor="#000000" width="34"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="1" height="34" width="34"><tbody><tr><td class="nav" align="center"> 5.9 </td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr height="1"><td colspan="4" bgcolor="#ffffff" height="1">http://vmedia.rivals.com/images/spacer1.gif</td></tr><tr height="1"><td colspan="4" bgcolor="#d2d2d2" height="1">http://vmedia.rivals.com/images/spacer1.gif</td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td class="nounderline" valign="top">Position Ranking: 5
Previous: NRRivals.com Rivals100 2006 <!--by [NAME OF SOURCE SITE]--> (74) (http://rivals100.rivals.com/viewrank.asp?ra_key=1162)
Rivals.com Cornerbacks 2006 <!--by [NAME OF SOURCE SITE]--> (5) (http://rivals100.rivals.com/viewrank.asp?ra_key=1158)

http://vmedia.rivals.com/images/database/pdbase04_rivals100logo.gif (http://rivals100.rivals.com/viewrank.asp?ra_key=1162)

</td></tr></tbody></table></td><td bgcolor="#ffffff" width="1">http://vmedia.rivals.com/images/spacer1.gif</td><td bgcolor="#d2d2d2" valign="top" width="152">
</td></tr></tbody> </table>

[Ben E Lou]

Rivals released their rankings for the state of Georgia today. Double-A comes in ranked as the 3rd-best prospect in the state, and apparently was very impressive at Auburn's passing camp yesterday:

<script language=\"Javascript\" src="http://rivals100.rivals.com/insert.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr><td colspan="2">June 9, 2005
Asher Allen is big man on campus <hr noshade="noshade" size="1" width="100%"> </td></tr><tr><td>
(http://auburn.rivals.com/) </td> <td align="right" nowrap="nowrap">
(javascript:window.print();void('');) </td> </tr></tbody> </table>
He may not be the biggest man in camp, but he was obviously the best.

Auburn's second passing camp did not have as many prospects as the first, but there wasn't a better athlete at either than Tucker (Ga.) High School's Asher Allen (http://rivals100.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=35935).

<!--Start Asher Allen action2 300 Image--><script language="Javascript">document.write(insertImage('http://vmedia.rivals.com/uploads/884/244027.jpg', '244027.jpg', 0, 200, 300, 1, 'Allen was by far the top performer Thursday in Auburn.', 'Rivals.com', 1118361695000, 'Asher Allen action2 300', 884, 'Align=Left'));</script><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="308"><tbody><tr><td width="302">http://vmedia.rivals.com/uploads/884/244027.jpg</td><td rowspan="4" width="6">http://vmedia.rivals.com/images/spacer1.gif</td></tr><tr><td align="right">Rivals.com</td></tr><tr><td height="3">http://vmedia.rivals.com/images/spacer1.gif</td></tr><tr><td align="center">Allen was by far the top performer Thursday in Auburn.</td></tr></tbody></table><!-- End Asher Allen action2 300 Image-->Allen, who is 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds, did it all in the first day of action -- playing safety, wide receiver and running back. He excelled at each. The four-star prospect and the nation's No. 5 cornerback (http://rivals100.rivals.com/viewrank.asp?ra_key=1158) snagged three interceptions in the first two games and had as many touchdowns on offense.

Allen led Tucker to a perfect first-day record of 5-0 and showed why he is rated the nation's No. 74 overall recruit in the Rivals100 (http://rivals100.rivals.com/viewrank.asp?ra_key=1162).

He not only led by his actions, but was also a strong vocal leader for the Tucker team, directing his teammates and encouraging them on every play.

While Allen was obviously the best overall athlete on the field, he was joined on his Tucker team with the camp's most impressive quarterback in Dwayne Harris (http://rivals100.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=37901).

Harris, a 5-foot-11, 180-pounder, may not have the proto-typical size for a big-time quarterback, but he has the arm. Harris was nearly flawless in the first part of the day and showed excellent arm strength and touch on the ball. He has already garnered early offers from North Carolina and Maryland among others, and could see his stock rise considerably this summer.

<!--Start Devon Freeman 200 (69) Image--><script language="Javascript">document.write(insertImage('http://vmedia.rivals.com/uploads/884/244015.jpg', '244015.jpg', 0, 300, 200, 1, 'Freeman is the top running back at the camp.', 'Rivals.com', 1118360006000, 'Devon Freeman 200 (69)', 884, 'Align=Right'));</script><table align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="208"><tbody><tr><td rowspan="4" width="6">http://vmedia.rivals.com/images/spacer1.gif</td><td width="202">http://vmedia.rivals.com/uploads/884/244015.jpg</td></tr><tr><td align="right">Rivals.com</td></tr><tr><td height="3">http://vmedia.rivals.com/images/spacer1.gif</td></tr><tr><td align="center">Freeman is the top running back at the camp.</td></tr></tbody></table><!-- End Devon Freeman 200 (69) Image-->Although Harris plays quarterback in high school, with his size and athletic ability, he could project as a wide receiver or defensive back in college. Allen and Harris were also helped by a couple of more standout athletes in Myke Compton (http://rivals100.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=37897) and a big junior tight end in Brandon Lampkin (http://rivals100.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=40726).

Another team which had success during the first day of action was Niceville (Fla.) Team A. Niceville finished the first day undefeated at 5-0 and received strong performances from running back Devon Freeman (http://rivals100.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=31828) and wide receiver John Whiddon (http://rivals100.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=33038).

Freeman was limited somewhat in the passing camp, but did line up some at wide-out where he showed good hands and explosive speed off the line of scrimmage. Freeman also came out of the backfield at times and at a chiseled 5-foot-10, 199 pounds, was definitely a standout among the others.

The camp schedule took a few hits before it started as three schools did not attend including Orlando (FL) Dr. Phillips and big-time linebacker Recardo Wright (http://rivals100.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=36336). Also, no-shows included McNair (GA) and Wilcox (AL) Central.

Play was stopped Thursday night because of bad weather in the area. On Saturday, the teams will be seeded by their opening day record and begin tournament play Saturday morning.

Following the two-day passing competition, Auburn will conclude its first set of camps with a Senior camp on June 11-12, which is expected to feature many of the South's premiere prospects. The Tigers will also hold a one-day Senior mini-camp on July 16 that will also include a plethora of highly recruited prep prospects.

[Ben E Lou]

Asher's getting more press than Thomas did at this point, if I recall. This
showed up today on the Scout.com free section...

Family Deals?

Asher Allen Profile (http://scout.scout.com/a.z?s=135&p=8&c=1&nid=1776602)

Georgia cornerback Asher Allen (5-10, 180, 4.45) said his newest offers are from Michigan. Virginia Tech, Arkansas, Purdue, Florida and South Carolina. Allen speaks as though he's still open-minded about his college choices, but said that if he had to pick today, it would probably be Georgia or LSU, with the Bulldogs having the slightest of advantages.

"I went to LSU a couple of weeks ago and had a chance to eat with and speak to the coaches," said Allen from Tucker High School in Tucker. "I liked coach Bradley Peveto (linebackers and special teams). He's really energetic. Also, I got to watch a lot of film with DB coach (Doug) Mallory. LSU reminded me of Georgia and Texas put together. A lot of my mom's family is from Texas. I liked the palm trees too and the campus. It's real nice there.

"You could put Georgia as #1, I guess, but they're pretty close. My dad's family is mostly from Georgia. Georgia is the in-state school and my cousin, Jeff Owens, just signed to go there. A lot of guys from Tucker are at Georgia too.

"But I really haven't been to all my favorites yet, so it's hard to say," he said. "I've been to Auburn for a seven-on-seven camp. But I haven't seen the other two schools in my top five, Notre Dame and Clemson. I'm also planning on going to seven-on-seven camps with my team to Georgia, Georgia Tech and Furman. I'm not gonna go to any other camps on my own.

"Another cousin of mine, Morrice Richardson, goes to Westlake in College Park. We want to go to the same school and we are looking at a lot of the same places. It's family…and it would be great to go to school with my cousin."

Allen reports a 3.4 GPA/1400 SAT (new version).

[Ben E Lou]

ALLEN LEAVING TUCKER EARLY



A trend that is becoming popular is high school student-athletes graduating early and enrolling in college mid year. Georgia's Asher Allen (http://uga.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?Sport=1&pr_key=35935) will follow that trend and leave Tucker High School for the college of his choice come January 2006. Allen is not only a football star at Tucker, but he is also successful on the track. He has decided getting to college early is a little more important than his senior year on the track. "I just think this is the best thing for me," said Allen.

Giving up track was a little tough for him, but he knew it wasn't his future.

"I would like to run track, but I don't think I'll be a track star of the future. My future is football and that is why I made this decision."

Allen went into Tucker High School Wednesday to meet with his counselor to discuss all his options and go over what needed to be done.

"We went over everything. I just need three credits to graduate, so we set all that up. I'll be taking weight training, analysis, British Literature, and Economics this semester. I have everything scheduled and all I need to do now is go online with Clearinghouse."

Now that Allen has this big decision behind him, he moves forward with recruiting and his senior year. The first task he has ahead of him is getting healthy. He has been bothered by a high hamstring injury for a while now.

"It has been bothering me for about a month now, but I am still walking through drills and stuff. I am just taking precaution. I am going to the doctor tomorrow to look at the tendon and make sure nothing is messed up. It is getting better, though. I am getting a sleeve to wear over it to see how that works. It will keep it tight and warm."

Allen did not dress or compete in last weeks' 35-7 win over Clarke Central and he will not play this Friday against Buford either. He does plan to be back for the season opener against Cedar Grove on August 19th.

Between all the school business and injury re-habbing, Allen still has to deal with being one of the more sought after recruits in the Country. 'Double A' brings us up to date on his recruitment.

"Right now, I am set to take three official visits right now. I'll visit Florida, LSU, and Georgia. I am still looking for the two more schools to fill my last two spots. Other than that, I am not thinking about recruiting too much right now. I am focused on winning a state championship."

[illinifan999]

Weight training analysis is a class?

[Ben E Lou]

Weight training analysis is a class?You missed a comma there. Weight training is a class (a PE credit, of course), and analysis is a pre-Calculus math class.

In other news, Double-A will be named in Sunday's AJC as one of their "Super 11"--the top 11 Senior prospects in the state. (Also of note if you've checked out past Tucker Tiger threads is that Statesboro QB David Cone is on the list...)

http://www.ajc.com/local/images/pixels/clear.gif
<!--startclickprintinclude--> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr><td valign="top"><!-- AD POSITION: HP02 --><!-- No Ad call set for position 'HP02'. -->
</td></tr> </tbody> </table> <!-- // BEGINNING OF CONTENT // --> http://www.ajc.com/sports/highschool/super/2005/images/super1105a.gif http://www.ajc.com/sports/highschool/super/2005/images/s11allen.gif <!-- Main News Section --> <table class="mainnews" id="mainnews"> <tbody><tr><td class="left-vertical"> http://www.ajc.com/sports/highschool/super/2005/images/s11allen.jpg (http://lpe.ajc.com/gallery/view/sports/2005/highschool/super11/) JENNI GIRTMAN / AJC

Grandma, how you doin'?

With a 1400 SAT score under his belt, Tucker's Asher Allen is only menacing the schools unlikely to sign him. Super 11 photos (http://lpe.ajc.com/gallery/view/sports/2005/highschool/super11/)

JUST THE FACTS

Did you know...



As a junior, returned four punts for touchdowns, caught 18 passes for 383 yards for five touchdowns, ran for 626 yards on 46 attempts for four touchdowns, returned one interception for a touchdown and had 81 tackles.
Bench presses 350 pounds, squats 440, power cleans 280. Runs the 40-yard dash in 4.4 seconds.
</td> <td class="right"> ALL ABOUT ASHER



Position: Cornerback
Vital statistics: 5-11, 185 pounds
Scholastics: Qualified 3.4 GPA, 1400 SAT
Colleges: Georgia, Florida, LSU and Georgia Tech lead the way.
If I weren't an athlete, I'd probably be: A head football coach or an ESPN sportscaster
My ideal car: 2004 Black Impala. That will be my graduation gift.
Favorite team, player: Chicago Bulls, Champ Bailey
Favorite actor/movie role I would like to play: Shawn Wayans in "Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood." He was just so funny. The best was when he was with his grandmother and she called him a punk and tried to hit him and he reacted and threw her across the room.
</td></tr></tbody> </table>

[HomerJSimpson]

Is he ok with being a CB, or is going to push for RB? Since he named Champ as his favorite player, it makes me think he is going to ok at corner.

[Ben E Lou]

Is he ok with being a CB, or is going to push for RB? Since he named Champ as his favorite player, it makes me think he is going to ok at corner.Sat with his dad for a while at the scrimmage last night. Sounds like Asher wants to play corner a little more than RB right now, primarily because of the lesser likelihood of getting injured before making it to the NFL. That being said, if he does *not* go to UGA (which is clearly the leader at this point), I wouldn't be shocked one bit to see him toting the rock next fall.

[Ben E Lou]

WOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He gave me a hint last night. He asked me with a curious glint in my eye if I was coming up to Athens today. I thought there might have been a reason for it. There was. Word just came from the Classic City that Double-A committed to the DAWGS!

[Ben E Lou]

<object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://active.macromedia.com/flash2/cabs/swflash.cab#version=6,0,0,0" id="rvflash" height="60" width="388">













<embed src="http://uga.rivals.com/fpheadlinesFinal.swf?h1=+Double+A++staying+home&h2=&lwidth=388&lheight=60&lshadow=1&sFontColor=000000&sLink=content.asp?CID=450136" salign="lt" quality="best" scale="noborder" wmode="transparent" id="rvflash" name="rvflash" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash" height="60" width="388"></object> <noscript>http://vmedia.rivals.com/uploads/878/268699.JPG ("]“Double A” staying home[/url]

</noscript>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody><tr><td>[url="http://uga.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=450136)</td></tr><tr><td height="10">http://vmedia.rivals.com/images/spacer1.gif</td></tr><tr><td valign="top">One of the top athletes in the Country is right here in the state of Georgia. Tucker High School has sent many prospects on to top programs around the South. Patrick Pass (Georgia, now with New England), Jabari Davis (Tennessee), and Thomas Brown (Georgia) are a few from recent years. This year, Tucker has another top prospect in Asher Allen. Allen, better known as ‘Double A’, had over fifty offers to choose from and settled on staying home and playing for The Georgia Bulldogs. Moments ago, Allen committed to Georgia and he talks about it right here. http://vmedia.rivals.com/images/premium.gif</td></tr></tbody> </table>

[Ben E Lou]

There's a nice writeup on Asher in today's print version of the AJC. The piture and the writeup take up nearly a half a page in the main sports section of the paper. For some reason, it is not online, so I'm re-creating the writeup here. The text is as-is. Formatting is as close as I could get it to the paper's in this environment.

Allen 'great example of a student-athlete'


The vitals: Allen, a 6-foot, 197-pound senior cornerback/running back, will lead No. 3 Tucker against No. 8 Marist on Friday night.
Accomplishments: Allen is one of the nation's top prospects, ranked No. 73 overall and No. 5 at cornerback by Rivals.com. Allen committed to the University of Georgia after receiving more than 50 scholarship offers. He missed the past two games with a separated shoulder but has been cleared to play Friday night.
His coach, Bill Ballard, says: "Asher is a great example of a student-athlete. He excels in the classroom and on the football team. He is a leader for us."
Allen says


On his shoulder: "It feels good. If I didn't feel 100 percent, I wouldn't be playing. I could've played in those other games, but I sat out as a precaution. I'm ready to go."
On sitting out: "It was hard, but our team found out that we were more than just one player. There were a lot of people who watched the games who watched the Myke Comptons and other guys who really played well together as a team. For me, I'm just a small part of the puzzle. It was hard to watch, though. I wanted to be out there with my boys. All I could do was to encourage my teammates through the game."
On staying in shape with the injury: "The big thing was that I couldn't get contact on the shoulder. I still ran springs, did conditioning drills and went through the plays to keep my timing down. I'm in just as good of shape as I was before the injury."
On Tucker's 3-0 start: "We expect to do well every year at Tucker. We always have high expectations, and I think it's good that our program has reached that point of excellence. No one is acting selfish on our team. We have great chemistry this year."
On playing Marist: "They have a great team every year. Marist has won state championships. They are very disciplined and well-coached. There always seems to be a lot on the line when we play. It's like a playoff atmosphere because it's so intense."
On committing to Georgia: "It felt like the right place. I like Coach Mark Richt and the defensive coordinator, coach [Willie] Martinez. Georgia plays big-time football and they are a top 10 team every year. If you have a school like that in your state, why would any player leave the state?"
On being such a good student (3.4 GPA and 1400 SAT): "My parents made it very clear from the start that grades come first. If I didn't make good grades, then my parents wouldn't let me play sports. I didn't always like that when I was younger, but now I really appreciate it as a high school senior."
THE FAVORITES
A list of some of Asher Allen's favorite things:


Outfit: "My UGA shirt, some black shorts and flip-flops."
Movie: "Don't Be A Menace to Society." "It's a parody of 'Boyz in the Hood.' I've seen it more than 30 times."
School subject: "Math. I like doing the problems and coming to an answer. I've always done well in math."
Fast food: "Chcken wings and fries from Zaxby's."
Car: "A 2003 Jeep Liberty."
Vacation spot: "Home. I like to kick back and relax. I haven't been on a real vacation in a long time."
Ice cream: "Cotton Candy Explosion from Bruster's."

[Ben E Lou]

'Twas a sad day in Tucker on Friday. Asher is finished with his graduation requirements a semester early, and it was his last day of school. On Friday, he was saying goodbye to high school buddies and teachers, but on Saturday, he was a DAWG!!! :D

Early arrivals yearn to learn

Athens — Asher Allen simply couldn't wait anymore.

Call it youthful exuberance. Or wisdom beyond his years.

<!--endtext--><!--endclickprintinclude--><!--startclickprintinclude--><!--begintext--> Whatever you choose, Asher chose to play. Now. The former Tucker standout, who graduated early from high school, is one of six Georgia mid-year transfers expected to start classes on campus in January.

The idea was to get a jump-start, Allen said, "not be an inexperienced freshman in the summer who is saying, 'Coach, what is this?' and 'What is that?' " he said.

Here's just how experienced Allen is: Coaches are not allowed to watch players practice in the summer. But Allen will learn.

In fact, just to make sure he does, the defensive back decided to practice with the Bulldogs as they began their Sugar Bowl preparations Saturday. Allen wasn't alone. Wide receiver Kris Durham, who like Allen will sign with the Bulldogs on Feb. 1, also took the plunge and has voluntarily practiced with Georgia.

The players can practice with the team while at Georgia but, due to NCAA rules, not when the team moves its practices to Atlanta.

So, for now, all Asher and Durham will get is a taste. And Allen walked away from the first practice licking his lips.

"I was looking at film thinking, 'I could play with these boys,' " said Allen, an AJC Super Southern 100 cornerback. "I wasn't really that shocked."

Maybe not when it came to individual drills and pass drills, but Allen did start to feel a little shaky earlier. In fact, it was even before practice began when he made a trip to the equipment room.

"It hit me when I put on those gray pants," Allen said. "There were a lot of people who put these on before me.

"Then I walked out there and I saw [Tim] Jennings and DeMario [Minter]; I knew it is real now."

It is becoming real now for an increasing number of players, recruiting expert Jeremy Crabtree said.

"It started to happen in the late '90s when kids started to realize they could take advanced placement courses toward college," said Crabtree, Rivals.com's national recruiting analyst.

Players also started to understand that by coming in a semester early, they could go through spring ball and then still redshirt as freshmen if they needed to. That would give them a potential 5 1/2 years in which to mature into the player they were projected to be. At the very least, a mid-year player would get 41/2 years.

Additionally, the player's scholarship could be counted against the class from the prior signing period and not the upcoming February one.

"Quarterbacks made it the cool thing to do," Crabtree said.

At Georgia, rising sophomore Blake Barnes did it. Quarterback recruit Matthew Stafford will do it this season. He is expected to arrive in Athens the first week of January.

In Allen's case, he was just happy to return to a football field. A Grade 2 shoulder separation forced him to miss eight of Tucker's 11 games. He is 100 percent now and wants to compete for playing time in a secondary that will have many holes to fill.

"Any time I get a chance to play football, I'm going to be there," Allen said. "Coming early, I knew I just wanted to get in there and compete. Any kind of advantage I can get I'm going to get."

[Ben E Lou]

Asher, on scout team special teams today at practice, ran back a kickoff for a TD against UGA's first-team special teams unit. :eek:

Can you say, "Immediate impact?"

I can't wait to see him in red and black. :D

Side note that those in Atlanta might appreciate: the Dawgs will be practicing for the Sugar Bowl at St. Pius. I'm assuming they're doing it there because Pius has the same turf that the Georgia Dome has.

[stevew]

Man, i wish we had early graduation when i was in HS. I probably could have skipped most, if not all of my jr and sr years.

[Ben E Lou]

Man, i wish we had early graduation when i was in HS. I probably could have skipped most, if not all of my jr and sr years.Ugh. No way I would have done it. Too much fun and too many great memories.

[Ben E Lou]

http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/mld/ledgerenquirer/sports/colleges/university_of_georgia/13461715.htm





Allen impresses Dogs' scout team

BY JOSH KENDALL

The Macon Telegraph

<!-- begin body-content --> Asher Allen made his first impression on Georgia's practice field this week. The early enrollee was working with the scout team on kickoff returns Tuesday when he split the Bulldogs' varsity defense for a long return.

"How about that return man?" coach Mark Richt yelled. After the workout, Richt expanded on his opinion of the Tucker High School graduate.

"He looks real good," Richt said. "He's got speed and agility and he's got some confidence. We're excited about him."

Allen and wide receiver Kris Durham of Calhoun High School are part of the Bulldogs' 2006 signing class, but have enrolled in school early and participated in practice this week. Allen was recruited to Georgia as a cornerback but played plenty of offense in high school and could become a weapon in the return game.

"I feel comfortable with the ball in my hand, guarding somebody, whatever," he said. "I just love football really."

Asher and Durham will not be allowed to practice in Atlanta, site of the Jan. 2 Sugar Bowl against West Virginia. Still, both have been glad to come out and get a taste of college football.

"Now I kind of know what to expect and how to work," Durham said. "This is so much different that I'm glad I did this. I kind of got my feet wet. Now, I'll know what to expect this spring."

[Klinglerware]

So what is the NCAA rule on this? He graduates HS this semester, but can practice with UGA same semester provided that he's graduated? At the same time, he can't practice for the bowl game. A little confusing.

[Ben E Lou]

So what is the NCAA rule on this? He graduates HS this semester, but can practice with UGA same semester provided that he's graduated? At the same time, he can't practice for the bowl game. A little confusing.My GUESS is that the no-bowl-game rule exists so that they don't get into the school paying for him to travel and a place to stay (which would be the better rule, imho). It seems a little silly in this case, since UGA's Sugar Bowl practices are at St. Pius, only 6-8 miles from Asher's house. I haven't seen him around Tucker this week, so I'm not sure, but I would hope that he's at LEAST allowed to drive over and watch practice. :p

[Ben E Lou]

Like Thomas, forget all this talk about him playing CB or slot receiver. A kid with his speed and strength will be toting the rock. Even Georgia fans who didn't understand what they were dealing with in Thomas's strength, were all commenting from Feb. signing day, until the day in late July when his weight room numbers were posted that he was "too small to be an SEC running back." Even some still had him pegged for a move to CB after they realized how powerful he is. Hehehehehe. Because of Thomas, primarily, Asher won't hear as much of the same talk, but he'll hear some of it.So they recruited and courted him as a corner after all, huh?

Well, today Richt said that the offense will "probably borrow Asher" some next year. They got him in practice and are starting to realize what they have. I reckon. ;)

[Ben E Lou]

Heh. UGASports.com just released their National Signing Day "awards" for the incoming class.

"Most likely to score the first touchdown": Asher Allen

[Ben E Lou]

Asher, on scout team special teams today at practice, ran back a kickoff for a TD against UGA's first-team special teams unit. :eek:

Can you say, "Immediate impact?"

I can't wait to see him in red and black. :DUpdate:

Asher continues to be very impressive. He had an interception yesterday, and was one of only four or five players mentioned by name in Richt's post-practice interview.

[Groundhog]

This has been a very nice read SkyDog. I know next to nothing about college football but I find myself very eager to see how this kid performs.

[Ben E Lou]

Asher picked off a pass in the end zone and ran it back around 104 yards for a TD in the G-Day game today.

This kid was playing high school football in the fall. :eek:

[astrosfan64]

Hopefully he is better then what they have now! I mean they couldn't even get past the big east champs last year...

Nokia Sugar
West Virginia 38
Georgia 35

[IMetTrentGreen]

how is stafford doing?

[GrantDawg]

how is stafford doing?


Ben can probably answer better, but from what I'm hearing, so-so. He is not projected to start next year, and has flashes of brillance broken up by interceptions. I wondre if he is the one that threw ASher's interceptions.

[Ben E Lou]

Ben can probably answer better, but from what I'm hearing, so-so. He is not projected to start next year, and has flashes of brillance broken up by interceptions. I wondre if he is the one that threw ASher's interceptions.Actually, he's the only QB who didn't contribute to the 6 INT's yesterday. Based on what I've heard, I expect him to play a good bit from Week 1, and to be the starter by the Colorado game.

[GrantDawg]

Actually, he's the only QB who didn't contribute to the 6 INT's yesterday. Based on what I've heard, I expect him to play a good bit from Week 1, and to be the starter by the Colorado game.


Good that he didn't, but that isn't what I've been hearing. Did Joe T. have a bad game?

[GrantDawg]

dola: Actually, I'm just reading the AJC and it said Joe T. was 2-7 with two picks. Wow, that's bad. I know Barnes has looked bad all spring, but they were really high on Joe's performance up until this.

As for Stafford, he is still being listed by Richt as the number 4 QB. I still think he's facing a redshirt unless the season falls apart or there is a rash of injuries.

[Ben E Lou]

Richt referred to Asher as "one of the three fastest guys we have." All indications are that he's going to play a good bit this year, especially for a true freshman in the secondary. At this point, he appears to have the
inside track for the nickel corner slot.

[Celeval]

Richt referred to Asher as "one of the three fastest guys we have." All indications are that he's going to play a good bit this year, especially for a true freshman in the secondary. At this point, he appears to have the
inside track for the nickel corner slot.

With the latest Georgia suspension, I'm hearing some rumors that Allen may start at corner in the first two games (Western Kentucky; South Carolina). I know you're a little out-of-touch, SD, but hear anything similar?

[Poli]

The Bulldogs, ranked No. 14 in the preseason USA Today coaches' poll, could replace Flowers with freshman Asher Allen, who graduated early from Tucker (Ga.) High and enrolled at Georgia in January.

That will be interesting.

[Ben E Lou]

With the latest Georgia suspension, I'm hearing some rumors that Allen may start at corner in the first two games (Western Kentucky; South Carolina). I know you're a little out-of-touch, SD, but hear anything similar?I'm a little out-of-touch with Tucker, but a little more in-touch with the Dawgs than I've ever been, due to a few direct contacts via facebook. Shhhhhhhhhh. ;)

Right now, the leader appears to be Ramarcus, but Asher is absolutely in the mix. Prince Miller has looked good as well. It sounds like it'll be a Dawgfight for that spot.

[Ben E Lou]

Oh....and punt return is now "wide open." Asher fumbled one in the spring game, but as far as ability in open space, I find it hard to fathom there's anyone this side of Deion that Richt would rather see take back punts.

[Ben E Lou]

dola: Actually, I'm just reading the AJC and it said Joe T. was 2-7 with two picks. Wow, that's bad. I know Barnes has looked bad all spring, but they were really high on Joe's performance up until this.

As for Stafford, he is still being listed by Richt as the number 4 QB. I still think he's facing a redshirt unless the season falls apart or there is a rash of injuries.No redshirt. First pass was dropped. Probably should have been caught.

[stevew]

UGA bumpin' gone crazy~!!

[Ben E Lou]

Asher will be the #1 punt returner this week, and the nickel corner. Pretty good for a kid who less than a year ago was sitting on a high school sideline writhing in pain with his shoulder in a sling. :)

[GrantDawg]

Asher will be the #1 punt returner this week, and the nickel corner. Pretty good for a kid who less than a year ago was sitting on a high school sideline writhing in pain with his shoulder in a sling. :)


Yeah, I heard that yesterday. I hope he shows some good highlights, not bad, freshman mistake highlights. If any freshman seemed mature enough to handle this situation, it is AA.

[Ben E Lou]

Yeah, I heard that yesterday. I hope he shows some good highlights, not bad, freshman mistake highlights. If any freshman seemed mature enough to handle this situation, it is AA.I walked into the Marist stadium last night at the same time that his dad did. I hope Asher's less nervous than his father about it. ;)

[Ben E Lou]

Rookie cornerback Asher Allen comes up big in his first game with Vikings

<!--subtitle--><!--byline-->By Rick Alonzo
[email protected] ([email protected]?subject=TwinCities.com:%20Rookie%20cornerback%20Asher%20Allen%20comes%20up%20big%20in%20his%20first%20game%20with%20Vikings)
<!--date-->Updated: 10/27/2009 11:54:40 PM CDT
<!--secondary date-->
<script language="JavaScript"> var requestedWidth = 0; </script>
<script language="JavaScript"> if(requestedWidth > 0){ document.getElementById('articleViewerGroup').style.width = requestedWidth + "px"; document.getElementById('articleViewerGroup').style.margin = "0px 0px 10px 10px"; } </script>When Vikings rookie cornerback Asher Allen went back and looked at the film of his performance Sunday at Pittsburgh, one thing stood out.



"I was just happy to see me on film," Allen joked.



It was the first time Allen, a third-round draft pick, played this season after being on the inactive list during the first six games. He made the most of his opportunity.



Allen made two big plays in the fourth quarter. With about six minutes left, he showed he could contribute on special teams when he made a big tackle on the Steelers return ace Stefan Logan, preventing a potential big play.
"He's a fighter," defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier said of Allen. "He's something else. A rookie, who hasn't dressed at all this season, and to go in there and make a play — whoa — in a very tense, tense environment. So, he showed me something."



Later, Allen forced a fumble when he blitzed Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, showing the guile of a veteran when he poked the ball out from behind.



"Coaches have always instilled the attitude that whenever it's your time to (play), make sure that you produce when you go in there, and I wanted to make sure I didn't let the team down when I was in there," Allen said. "I did what I had to do this week coming up to prepare. But the coaches made great calls out there and just allowed our players to make plays, including myself."



Allen said he was encouraged by his play but that after a loss, especially, there's always plenty of room for improvement.

Frazier also was pleased with veteran Karl Paymah, who started at left corner in place of injured Antoine Winfield. Paymah was solid in coverage.
"Paymah had a real good week of practice," Frazier said. "He knew the bull's-eye would probably be on him. And, from what I could see, it looked like he stood up and did a good job."


The film quote is so classic Asher. As I probably mentioned somewhere in this thread, he's a fun, charismatic kid. Good to see him doing well.

[Ben E Lou]

On another note, that nose tackle turned tailback sounds like an FOF style position switch to get back at a player. That's a great story. You really should keep up with the kid's progress if possible and give us a dynasty.
Heh. Didn't do this. Ham was used as a backup/ST guy. Had some injury troubles. Here are his numbers...

Football: Hamilton Sims | Newberry College Athletics (http://newberryathleticsite.com/profile.asp?playerID=700)