FWST: How the Horns hooked Johnathan Gray

[TopFrog]

FWST: How the Horns hooked Johnathan Gray

By Brent Shirley
bshirley@star-telegram.com

... A&M and TCU, the other two programs in Gray's final three, sent formal form letters giving weekly program updates. The Aggies coaches sent Gray several personal letters."We just finished our staff meeting, and you were the topic of discussion," A&M coach Mike Sherman typed on Sept 1. "I told our staff that we have to find a way to get you on board with the Aggies. Our coaching staff is a young, energetic group with a collective 60 years playing and coaching in the NFL."

A&M also sent Gray photocopies of articles, a Star-Telegram article written by Ray Buck ranking Kyle Field as the No. 1 college stadium and a story from the Wall Street Journal touting A&M as the No. 2 school in the nation to job recruiters.

But A&M and TCU lacked the friendly feeling of Texas' correspondence.

"The Texas staff knows how to recruit, it's a home feeling, a warm feeling," Gray said. "They make you want to go there. They know how to sell the deal, and they know what they are doing." ...

 

[TopFrog]

So many people fall in love with a smooth talker only to find out ...

Eh, he wanted to be a Horn first all along I'd say, so he's a Horn.

Please oh please let us play Texas during his UT playing days.

 

[FROGDADDY]

So many people fall in love with a smooth talker only to find out ...

Eh, he wanted to be a Horn first all along I'd say, so he's a Horn.

Please oh please let us play Texas during his UT playing days.

Agree 100%. Almost feel badly for kids whose minds are made up by recruiters. Make up your mind on your own. I've always gotten the idea that's what GP wants his players to do when deciding on TCU.

 

[jack the frog]

Eh, he wanted to be a Horn first all along I'd say, so he's a Horn.

"That first letter from Applewhite was what Gray had hoped for." "To get a letter from Texas is what every kid in the state wants,"

Yep, I get the feel that despite all The Decision drama, this kid was texas from the get go. Mack would have had to run him off. This guy is gushing texas.

 

[ricksterh]

imo Gray is at the right spot for him at Texas where they kissed his tail and told him whatver he wanted to hear. He will get to play probably share time with Brown and Mack will let him coast his way through and just put in whatever effort he chooses to do. :angry:

The article doesn't really say anything about the TCU approach but if he had chosen to come to TCU Coach P and the staff would have pushed him to his max effort both on and off the field. He would be given every opportunity to earn pt but with the backs TCU has chances he would see the field much for the first two years.

The film I saw of him he is a good back in hs who plays on a great Aledo team who throws some great blocks for him to get him down the field. In college we will see how it works out at Texas. :unsure:

 

[HToady]

They failed to mention the burnt orange Camaro that will be waiting for him at registration?

 

[helcap]

To be honest, I would have found getting a Valentines Day card a little creepy.

 

[mrhornedfrog]

That's funny!!!!! He went to tx because of hand written sappy letters.
Do sappy letters develop players or win games???

Not the smartest kid, he fell for macks gimmick like alot of kids. Tell em what they want to hear........not what they have to do......oh wait it's tx you are given playing time by pedigree

 

[jack the frog]

To be honest, I would have found getting a Valentines Day card a little creepy.

XXXOOO

Mack :wub:

 

[Big Frog II]

Oh barf! Is Mac going to tuck him in every night?

It looks like we are going to have to buy Gary some warm and fuzzy cards to send to these recruits in the future.

 

[SuperToad]

** "They made me feel right at home with a big pay check, and a kiss on the cheek. Mack is my new Mommy "

 

[wes]

Come play for the Horns, son. If you get into trouble you can stay in our own detention center, use our staff of bail bondsmen and work with our staff of attorneys.

The detention center is nice. Each room, er cell, has a king sized bed, private bathroom, XBox and a flat screen TV. Now the TV is only 32" and you only have a choice of 10 games for the XBox but you have to remember that you are in detention and are there to learn a lesson.

Trust me son or my name ain't Mack Brown

 

[froghair]

One would think that if Mack Brown threatened to coach you, you'd run the other way.

 

[Dogfrog]

This story exemplifies why GP's recruiting strategy is so right for TCU. Gray is a very, very good kid with good parents and going to Texas is right for him. But kids who are the slightest bit intimidated by extreme hard work on the field and in the classroom or can't handle getting yelled at aren't right for GP's program. The kinds of kids who embrace it go 13-0 and win the Rose Bowl. It all works out in the end.

 

[Pure Purple]

Should Gray fail to live up to Brown's expectations those warm

and fuzzy feelings will be little more than a fading memory.

 

[SnoSki]

He was UT all the way. Nothing you can really do there. Austin is a nice town and Mack is a nice guy and the Horns are the only show in town in Austin, which I believe must be extremely appealing. It's like being a Cowboy or Maverick in Dallas.



If he didn't truly have interest in TCU then we didn't need him here. We won the Rose Bowl not with leftovers from UT and A&M like the media likes to say. We won the Rose Bowl and are 24-0 in the least 2 regular seasons because of kids who wanted to go to TCU. Kids who wanted to be pushed to the limit, who were willing to change positions for the good of the team and who were willing to buy into what Patterson has been selling. These kids were okay with sweating their nuts off every july and august and getting an earful from Gary.

And what happened last time the two teams met in 2007? UT won, but lets not forget that TCU led UT until 10 minutes into the 4th. OH by the way Colt McCoy was an upperclassman and our QB was Freshman Andy Dalton in his 2nd start.. with Ryan Christian at tailback.

I hope that TCU and UT meet for the crystal football once we join the Big East.

 

[oldscribe]

1. Gray seemed like a nice enough young man during recruiting, so I wish him well in life.

2. As an old sports writer I realize that after all the earlier hoopla about the kid, a story like this ``explaining" his choice needed to be done,
wherever he decided to go.

3. As a Frog fan, I wanted to throw up reading it.

 

[SuperToad]

I hope that TCU and UT meet for the crystal football once we join the Big East.

That would be the best Christmas gift ever...

 

[BABYFACE]

Daddy Gray would have love to see JG at TCU, but was fine if his son chose UT or Aggie.

 

[Lomez]

Johnathan Gray's an amazing talent and by all accounts a great kid, and I wish him the best of luck in his future in Austin and beyond.

What surprised me the most about this article was how poor a grasp Major Applewhite seems to have on the English language. I guess he is from Louisiana, though...