Hello Everyone,
I am an Alabama fan and live relatively close to Hargrave, so with a little help from some old coaching contacts, I was able to attend the combine Monday. I had the opportunity to speak with Fanney, Washington, and Coach Randolph, and I thought I would share my conversations with you.
First, let me say that Fanney and Washington seem like nice young men. They answered questions with "yes sir" and "no sir" and were very cordial. I got the impression that both seem to be using this year as a learning experience, and are taking advantage of the extra time to not only get their schoolwork in order, but to develop physically as well. Washington told me that he is weighing 245 now, and admitted that he is in the best shape of his life.
Fanney sprained his MCL a couple weeks ago, and although he is fine, he did not work out. Washington looked really good as compared to the other D1 prospects there. As "The Tide" mentioned in his recruiting report, Washington ran a 4.04 in the shuttle that had all of the coaches buzzing. While I was speaking with Coach Randolph, Washington came by and said that on his first attempt in the 40 he ran a 4.9. When Coach Randolph told him that Demonte Bolden ran a 4.85, Washington went back and ran a 4.82! Don’t be surprised if Washington gets a look at defensive end next year.
Coach Randolph is the real deal. I came away impressed of how positive he is about the future Alabama football. I understand that he did not know me personally and therefore the majority of his comments are general in nature, but he did comment on a few things that were insightful. He wants to recruit kids that work hard. He mentioned in particular that Fanney is a hard worker and a good kid and that what he is looking to recruit and coach (I'm sure a little athletic ability doesn't hurt either). He also mentioned of how important it was to gain the extra practice time this month. They are planning to work a lot with the younger players during this time, and he equated it with having another spring practice. I think Coach Randolph is an excellent recruiter. Watching him speak with the players, you can tell that he has a good rapport with them. I know both Washington and Fanney both respect him a lot. They both mentioned (without prompting) that Coach Randolph was one of the main reasons that they chose Alabama.
Well that is about it; I enjoy reading the discussions in this forum and will keep in touch.
I apologize for the length of this; but I thought you might be interested.
I am an Alabama fan and live relatively close to Hargrave, so with a little help from some old coaching contacts, I was able to attend the combine Monday. I had the opportunity to speak with Fanney, Washington, and Coach Randolph, and I thought I would share my conversations with you.
First, let me say that Fanney and Washington seem like nice young men. They answered questions with "yes sir" and "no sir" and were very cordial. I got the impression that both seem to be using this year as a learning experience, and are taking advantage of the extra time to not only get their schoolwork in order, but to develop physically as well. Washington told me that he is weighing 245 now, and admitted that he is in the best shape of his life.
Fanney sprained his MCL a couple weeks ago, and although he is fine, he did not work out. Washington looked really good as compared to the other D1 prospects there. As "The Tide" mentioned in his recruiting report, Washington ran a 4.04 in the shuttle that had all of the coaches buzzing. While I was speaking with Coach Randolph, Washington came by and said that on his first attempt in the 40 he ran a 4.9. When Coach Randolph told him that Demonte Bolden ran a 4.85, Washington went back and ran a 4.82! Don’t be surprised if Washington gets a look at defensive end next year.
Coach Randolph is the real deal. I came away impressed of how positive he is about the future Alabama football. I understand that he did not know me personally and therefore the majority of his comments are general in nature, but he did comment on a few things that were insightful. He wants to recruit kids that work hard. He mentioned in particular that Fanney is a hard worker and a good kid and that what he is looking to recruit and coach (I'm sure a little athletic ability doesn't hurt either). He also mentioned of how important it was to gain the extra practice time this month. They are planning to work a lot with the younger players during this time, and he equated it with having another spring practice. I think Coach Randolph is an excellent recruiter. Watching him speak with the players, you can tell that he has a good rapport with them. I know both Washington and Fanney both respect him a lot. They both mentioned (without prompting) that Coach Randolph was one of the main reasons that they chose Alabama.
Well that is about it; I enjoy reading the discussions in this forum and will keep in touch.
I apologize for the length of this; but I thought you might be interested.
