In one of the most odd exchanges I’ve had with anyone in almost a decade of covering recruiting, Mission Viejo (Calif.) High School football coach Bob Johnson refused to facilitate an interview with quarterback prospect Allan Bridgford and even declined to comment on any late developments in his star quarterback’s recruitment.
“I’ve got no comment on the recruitment of one our prospects,” Johnson said.
A bit stunned, I told Johnson that I’d heard that Tennessee is trying to gauge Bridgford’s commitment to California, Johnson said, “Find it out from Tennessee.”
Johnson refused to even confirm that UT had contacted Bridgford, who committed to Cal in May, and refused to confirm that he was a 100 percent headed to Cal.
When I told Johnson that it sounded like he was trying to cover something up, he declared, “I’m not covering anything up.”
OK.
Now before UT fans get too excited, I’ve been told by someone close to Bridgford’s recruitment that he has no interest in UT.
Nevertheless, based off Johnson’s reaction I think it’s clear that new UT coach Lane Kiffin has indeed checked in on Bridgford, which makes me think that Kiffin hasn’t given up on landing a quarterback for 2009.
Try as he might, I still think the most likely plan is for Kiffin to land a quarterback for the 2010 class.
The best recruiter in the world (whoever that might be) would have trouble landing a top quarterback given the timetable Kiffin has been forced to deal with. December isn’t a time to be recruiting any football prospect, much less a quarterback.
Bridgford is widely thought of as one of the top ten pro-style quarterbacks in the nation. He is slated to participate in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio in January.
The 6-foot-3, 215-pounder chose Cal over Nebraska, Stanford, Texas Tech, Arizona, Arizona State and Utah.
Bridgford spent much of his senior season challenging, and in some cases breaking, Mark Sanchez’s school records. Sanchez starred at Mission Viejo before signing with Southern California after being recruited by Kiffin.
Rumors have continued to circulate around Bridgford and his indirect ties to USC. Playing for former Trojans coordinator Steve Sarkisian, who has been named coach at Washington, and UT are the most prominent.
“I don't know where that came from, but someone just called and asked about that," Bridgford told BearTerritory.net, which covers Cal. "Honestly, I've never even spoken with Kiffin. I think the last time I did was up at the USC camp when I was a freshman. So there is no truth to those rumors whatsoever."
Now I wonder how BearTerritory.net got that interview. Must have not been through his coach.
© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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Comments » 111
bugman writes:
why post this if hooker isn't even sure of his own story.
Witch_Doctor writes:
1st and 2010
vollowme writes:
i'm not sure who the enigma is here - hooker or the coach.
AllVol2008#1353998 writes:
Very interesting, Dave. True or not, I love the intrigue. It gets the old juices flowing. Good post.
Ironcity writes:
Its an interesting article in that it shows how some coaches will protect and in some cases attempt to influence where players go. What it does show to me is that if there is a good QB that fits UT's system, coach Kiff has likely called him to gauge interest.
GR82BAVOL writes:
I think he's just trying to get any news whether good, bad, or indifferent to the board. We're so danged starved for up to date recruiting news he felt that even this was news-worthy. I thought it was because it illustrates what kind of dirt-bag this coach is. Not facilitating an interview can hurt this young man IMHO.
budd#207344 writes:
The title of the story should be "In Search of Anything That Will Meet My Deadline"
hotrodvol writes:
It sounds like Hooker was trying to break a story, but got nothing. So he wasted his time and ours for no story at all.
He should have thrown it away and went back to work on something else.
Throw the dog a bone!!!
cleVOLand writes:
Maybe you should have teased and giggled with him like you do with John Adams on the radio show.
TommyJack writes:
Doldrums story deluxe.
smokyredbone writes:
The amazing thing is that he is able to make a living writing BS articles. Is this not the guy that slammed Kiffin right before his hire? Almost as big an idiot as his boss.
NoogaVol55 writes:
Very Nice Budd!!!
gavol writes:
Don’t blame the coach. Who would want to talk with someone as arrogant as Hooker? As for the conclusions Mr. Hooker, they are laughable. Do you have even an ounce of common sense?
AllVol2008#1353998 writes:
"I've never even spoke?" If he had used standard English, he might have gotten into Stanford.
annemarie writes:
I know this has nothing to do with this article, but I am looking for the CSS interview with CLK. I sent the address to myself here at home from work, but it didn't come through. Now I can't find it. Can anyone help please?
AllVol2008#1353998 writes:
Come on, guys, give Hooker a break. It's a story. And you read it and commented upon it. The guy gets to eat supper. we all need to.
givehim6 writes:
I think unless Kiffin can get his hooks on the guy from Penn. ST. UT might well go with what we got, and get a 5 star in 2010. GO VOLS.
nicksjuzunk#646117 writes:
thanks for the try dave
MarineDad writes:
Kiffin - CSS Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYYrj0...
Kiffin - CSS Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUbvGr...
cwisenhower#637741 writes:
I think the coach was paid. Bet on it. There's some kind of guarantee there, and the NCAA needs to investigate this ASAP.
annemarie writes:
VOLgrad92 - thx much - I had not seen the first one. Guess what all you guys? I'm a VOLAHOLIC, even if I am a girl!
VolinCalif writes:
GR82 I think you are right. Lets hand it to Hooker at least it is something and we can start a new board.
SignalMtnVol writes:
Instead, he would rather lambast a coach who only had the privacy of his QB in mind.
pms151 writes:
It looks to me that Hooker did meet his deadline and got a story which we all read. That's his job. Also shows he is not afraid to ask tough questions to HS coaches in the pipeline to other schools. Good job Dave.
MarineDad writes:
You're welcome! I'm all for a co-ed Volaholic group.
straightshooter writes:
For all the heat Dave is taking on this one it just goes to show how critical some on the blog are. The biggest point the guy was trying to make was coach Kiffin is still beating the bushes for potential QB recruits for the 08' class. The remaining part of the story was mostly just filler. Give the guy a break. Its better than dead air isn't it.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
I have to laugh at all the criticism of Hooker for this article! How many posts have been written lately PLEADING for any scrap of information on CLK's recruiting? Hooker tries to satisfy you, incidentally showing you why there haven't been any articles lately--i.e., no hard news to report--and you slam him for trying! Some people would gripe if you hanged them with a new rope(;-P)!
khelton657 writes:
Thanks for at least trying to get us some information about recruiting, Hooker..this is a very imporatant issue to UT and there has been almost zero coming out of KNS..almost like they are trying not to step on the toes of the recruiting.com's Thanks for the effort and any info is appreciated.
ncvol writes:
Ditto on the volaholic..
Go Vols!
ncvol writes:
We beg for articles on anything football and he tried to give us some news about a quarterback. Thanks for trying,
Dave Hooker. Let us know if something else happens.
Go Vols!
Louisvol8859 writes:
This is old news though Bridgford shot these rumors down repeatedly a week ago. On the positive though we are about to hire another one away from Spurrier in the form of Mark Smith the strength and conditioning coach.
annemarie writes:
Exactly! We ALL want to read anything VOL football, and then when we get it, some of us beatch about it. Give the guy a break. Go Dave & I for one will read what you have to say.
MarineDad writes:
I was just about to ask if anyone else had heard the rumor that CLK is sticking it to the Ol' Ball Coach again, when I saw your post... How solid is the info? He's been with Spurrier a long time.
pms151 writes:
Guys when a little red line appears below your word please Google it for a correct spelling.
Louisvol8859 writes:
It was reported on volquest with in the hour by an admin. It looks pretty solid.
VolinCalif writes:
I don't know what you think, but it looks to me like lane knows how to build a staff. Maybe he is a daddys boy, then so be it. What ever UT is going to have the greatest coaching staff in college history. Fball, bBall men's and women you pick it and the coaching is top notch.Sit back and take pride in what is coming. We may not be the very top next year but I bet we will be in there kicking.
BolivarBob writes:
I don't really use the word "Idiot" much but Hooker you take the cake. When Berry played that one offensive play finally in a game and caught that 2 yd pass, (only one offensive play in the entire game), you wrote "Fulmer pulls out all the stops"....I thought then, this guy is an idiot.
The way this article sounds to me is that Coach Johnson didn't want to talk to a dumb arse. I don't think anybody on this board thinks Kiffin has given up finding a quarterback for this year's class and he may very well find one.
I know columnists are supposed to write opinions about what's going on, but they must be based on facts. There are no facts here, just your opinion on why a coach wouldn't talk to you. You should have written "Johnson puts in all the stops". No; you shouldn't have written at all.
MarineDad writes:
Thanks. From the few articles I found, he gets results quickly. He was a LB - team capt. at NC State in the late 80's. Although the timeline doesn't match up with CMK's time at NC State, it appears to be one possible link to CLK.
volhammer#634294 writes:
I would like to have heard something about a H.S. QB interested in the Vols, but if not, maybe making Spurrier mad is a good thing.
pms151 writes:
You are right. No one on this board has given up on that, however Kiffin will not find a QB this year just to satisfy us. He has said that he thinks we have solid QB talent already her for next year. Competition is going to bring him out this spring and fall. It is not his top priority in my opinion.
VolinCalif writes:
By the way Hooker did say in search of rumors.
ctownvol writes:
Mission Viejo? Is that where Casey Clausen played highschool ball?
ctownvol writes:
My bad. Casey was from Mission Hills.
andy112382#209793 writes:
Heck, why not, that doesn't stop the majority of the people posting on here, except at least Hooker says it may or not be true versus those on here think everything they say it true.
Louisvol8859 writes:
John Wilkinson also reported this on Sports talk this evening Ole' Steve can't be happy. Now let's take some of the committed big uglies from him.
pms151 writes:
He played for Bishop Alemany High School in Mission Hills, CA.
MarineDad writes:
I agree. When an athlete is the child of a former star athlete, we say, "he/she has great bloodlines." Same can apply with some coaching families ... they live it, breathe it, and love it. It's hard to match the parent's success, but what a goal!
Louisvol8859 writes:
Casey played at Oaks Christian in Mission Hills Which our next QB could come from here next year.
http://tennessee.rivals.com/viewprosp...
BolivarBob writes:
I agree totally and I don't think it's "life or death". The three we have now have the skills to be successful with proper coaching but Crompton may be a little "mental"
Louisvol8859 writes:
Sorry I stand corrected about Oaks Christian and Clausen, and yes The kid I posteds name is Montana as in Joe.
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