Grambling’s Rod Broadway won’t admit to concentrating on any one talent-rich area for recruiting.
“We don’t target states, we target players,” Broadway told me. “We will go anywhere to find a player that fits our needs and is interested in Grambling.”
But the program’s success in acquiring and winning with Alabama kids is local legend.
It makes sense that GSU would find success in Alabama, where assistant Andre Robinson has been the primary recruiter since 2004. Robinson, a former Bayou Classic MVP at GSU under Eddie Robinson, is a native. Later, he coached for years at Birmingham’s Parker High School – one of the state’s legendary pipelines of talent to Grambling, from Junious “Buck” Buchanan to Robert Taylor to Henry Tolbert to current players like defensive end Kendall Robinson.
The latest Alabama prospect just might be Erwin-Birmingham, Ala., quarterback Anthony Bowie (6-1/180), who Grambling has reportedly offered. Bowie recently made an official visit to Mississippi Valley State, and has said he’s received other scholarship nods from Tennessee State, Samford and Middle Tennessee State.
But Bowie, who had a 400-plus night of total offense during one thrilling night last season, has Grambling and Middle Tennessee as frontrunners, followed by Samford.
Clint Marsh (6-3/260), a one-star offensive guard from Blount-Prichard, Ala., credited with 18 pancake blocks as a senior, is also considering Grambling – along with Alabama, Alabama A&M, Alabama State, South Alabama, Texas Southern and Alabama-Birmingham.
Erwin defensive end Leland Baker (6-0/205), a teammate of Bowie’s, said he is mulling multiple offers, including one from Grambling. Baker set an Alabama high school record for quarterback sacks as a senior on the way to Class 5A lineman of the year honors from the Alabama Sports Writers Association last month. He also has offers from Alabama State, Mississippi Valley State and Middle Tennessee State, his coach says.
Another boost in recruiting the state: Grambling has also enjoyed a run of success in big games played on Alabama soil. Grambling is 5-2 at Birmingham’s Legion Field since 2000, winning the SWAC Championship Game in 2000-02, 2005 and then again last December. The losses were in 2007 at the SCG and at the MEAC/SWAC Challenge in ’06.
(Click HERE for Grambling’s complete signing class of 2009, first published on Wednesday, Feb. 4, by TheDerisoReport.com.)
We have always managed to get some get talent out of Bham. I say we continue to milk it for all its worth.
I like the site! This is a good idea.
“We don’t target states, we target players,” Broadway told me. “We will go anywhere to find a player that fits our needs and is interested in Grambling.”
That's a smart coach!!!!