National Signing Day for High School Football Players!

By B. Brown

If you didn't know, today is National Signing Day for High School Football Players! The majority of the top players in the country signed their letters of intent today and it was hectic!

ESPNU started broadcasting live announcements and signings at 10:00 AM and the "Signing Show" lasted all day!

Today brought back memories of my high school days when I was being recruited by a lot of Division I-AA & Division II schools. I ended up signing with Presbyterian College (GO BLUEHOSE!!!) a Division II school at the time, but now they are Division I-AA (or that funny new designation).

It reminded me of one of my best friends, Andre Hastings, the number one wide receiver coming out of high school our senior year. I remember seeing Lou Holtz, Dennis Erickson, Bobby Bowden, Ray Goff and many others visiting Morrow High School to visit with Andre. It was beautiful and amazing! I also remember being followed around school by a Sports Illustrated writer and photographer that were doing a recruiting story on Andre. Andre ended up being honored as USA Today's Offensive Player of the Year! Trust me, he was one of the reasons I developed into an outstanding cornerback being only 5'8" and 146 lbs. coming out of high school. When you get to practice against the best day-in-and-day-out, hopefully you get better and I did, thanks be to God; and I ended up getting a scholarship too. God is great!

Andre went on to star at The University of Georgia and then a nine-year career in the NFL, but that is not going to be the outcome for the overwhelming amount of the young men that signed their letter of intent today. I would like to see all these young men get their degrees even if they do make it to the NFL and start understanding that they need to use football as a tool to receive a relatively free education and a better life in general.

Parents, congratulations to you for your support and love for your children. Continue to be there for them because they are starting over as the low man on the totem pole and have to earn respect and playing time all over again. There will be low times for them as freshmen, but with your love, they will make it through.

Once again, it's going down in the fall as College Football Season Kicks-Off! I can't wait, but if you are like me, visit your favorite school's website and see who will be repping your school for the next 3 - 4 years!

2011 Georgia Tech Signees

2011 UGA Signees

2011 Overall Signings