(Part 1 - High School)
Chapter 1 - #2676
June 2015
The Meaning Behind The Number
With Rivals.com latest expansion to their recruiting depth, the website now ranks as many as 2,700 players (including JUCO) amongst the United States. Some athletes are as fortunate to be listed in the top-100 while a handful of the elites are able to find themselves in the top-10 – others have struggled to even add a rank next to their name prior to the database expansion.
Rivals.com chief executive Brad Sayers says this not only added depth to the already major recruiting resource but it also gave many prep athletes the ability to see exactly where they stood from a national standpoint. Sayers has received a series of mixed reviews following the addition, some people happy while others... not so much.
“I would rather have been unranked than see myself at #2676 in the nation… it ain't even sugar-coded anymore, they just straight up put it out there that I'm one of the worst players in those rankings."
Defensive back Chris Graham says that ranking – #2676 – is his main motivation as he moves into his football season this year at Calhoun High School, a UIL Class AAAAA participant in the small city of Port Lavaca, Texas.
“He’s the golden child around here,” Calhoun head football coach Adam Pendleton says. “It’s not too often this city gets the chance to come out on Friday nights and watch a player of his caliber. It sounds pretty funny considering he’s only a one-star recruit but here in Lavaca that type of talent doesn’t come around too often – Graham’s a once in a decade type player for us.”
In Texas, typically the biggest recruiting state in the country, it’s no surprise that if you drive 10 miles beyond Port Lavaca the name Chris Graham becomes unheard of. The incoming high school senior receives little-to-no recognition outside the city he was bred in. At the moment he houses just one college scholarship coming from his coach's friend who just so happens to be the head coach of Texas Southern, a struggling FCS squad located just two hours away from Lavaca in Houston.
Graham’s dreams however trample the idea of playing FCS football.
“Every day I think about playing in the NFL,” he nods with confidence. “I know it sound unrealistic for a dude like me but if it’s one thing a man can always do, it is to dream. I think if I can get myself into a big FBS program that’d be the first step in the process.”
The idea is far-fetched and catches me off-guard, when I ask him of a backup plan he only defends his dream.
“It ain’t really no point of a backup plan cause all that’s ‘gon do is distract me from plan A… if I’m gonna commit myself to achieving something big then that’s gotta be the only thing on my mind.”
Graham goes on to explain his big opportunity this upcoming week when he’ll head up to Lubbock, Texas where he’ll take part in Texas Tech’s 3-day high school football camp where many of the university’s scouts will be expected in attendance.
“That’s gonna be real big for me,” he smiles. “Coach Pendleton tells me it only takes one big college coach’s interest to get your name out there. I know if I compete well at the camp it’d be a good start to my senior season cause they’ll probably keep they eyes out for me all year.”
In the meantime, Graham has been looking to improve every single day of the off-season. Along with his summer football practice, the 17-year-old has spent lots of time in the weight room and routinely attends a local football training facility every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday of the week.
“I just do it for my mom,” he says. “She the hardest worker I know, hands down. She raised me herself… Y’know? She been working over at the plant for so long – probably ever since I been alive. That's a lot of stress that no woman should ever have to go through. When I make it big one day I’m ‘gon come back and get her out of this place. Maybe move her up to San Antonio, y’know? I hear that place is real nice.”
With one of the lowest starting points possible, this story will be about Chris Graham and his trials and tribulations in route to his hopeful rise to the top. He’ll look for his heart and determination to carry him to the promise lands of some of his biggest, most daring dreams.
“Hopefully five years from now we can look back at all this and smile knowing it all started out with a number,” Chris says, “… number 2676.”
Note: This is a test run. I've had this idea running through my mind for quite a while and I was looking to see what you guys thought about it. This is ran through dynasty mode, I selected one of the worst players in the recruiting bank and decided to follow him through his career. He starts off a 44 overall. I will be using a 'skill-point' type approach regarding his skill boosts - meaning each off-season I will assign a number of attribute points in which I'll use to upgrade his skills (I will cap each skill at 10 attribute points per season). As to writing, I will either continue to use this documentary style writing or I'll just recap Graham's events such as earning a scholarship or whatever
So once again, this is a test, so I'd like to hear some feedback on whether or not you guys will be interested in this. Otherwise I'll continue to focus on my other dynasty.
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