I'm a simple man with a simple code. I remind my son, not as often as I probably should, the one thing that makes the world tick in the right direction are commitments. If it were not for a vast majority of them successful we would not be having this conversation.
Such is the case with a Mack Brown football scholarship. Earning one is sort of like the lottery as is the case for any collegiate scholly. Very few are full rides. The football version have a kicker. They come with a membership to Club BMOC.
Longhorns head football Coach Mack Brown has served notice the last several months. Tired of the smoky-room antics of his competitors who ceaselessly skirt a broken and evecsceral NC2A recruiting rules system, Coach Brown has gone on the offensive.
Last recruiting cycle he announced in fairly straight forward terms that if once you commit to The University of Texas then your recruiting experience is over as far as The University is concerned. Break that vow and your scholarship is revoked.
The upside? Honor the vow and you are set for the entire tenure of your university experience so long as you play within the boundaries of easy-to-follow rules.
Thanks to 2014 football recruit Lorenzo Joe, we are privileged to read what a Mack Brown scholarship offer reveals.
Dear Lorenzo:
The University of Texas is pleased to reconfirm our commitment to the football athletic scholarship you committed earlier this year. Now that we can state in writing, the full scholarship cover tuition, fees, board, and books. You will receive an official letter from the Director of Athletics and the Director of Financial Aid prior to the official signing date in February of 2014.
In the event of a football related injury that would prevent you from further participation, you'll remain on full (emphasis added) medical scholarship providing you maintain both University and NCAA academic requirements.
The University of Texas provides a wonderful opportunity for young people, and I know you will benefit tremendously from enrollment here, as well as make a significant contribution to The University and the football program.
There are a few things that you should know.
1) Since the day you committed to us, you have been guaranteed a scholarship in February 2014, with the understanding that you will not have any contact with any other universities (lower case emphasized).
2) You must maintain academic and athletic eligibility as required by The University and the NCAA. The arrest for, or conviction of a criminal offense may cause the grant to be discontinued.
3) The scholarship is awarded for four academic years. As long as you conduct yourself under the rules of the University, the coaching staff, and the Department of Athletics. It will be renewed for a fifth year when approved by the Head Coach, Athletic Director, and the Director of Financial Aid.
If you have any questions at any time, please contact our office. We are very excited to have you on board and look forward to 4 or 5 great years together!
Sincerely,
Mack Brown
The University of Texas
Coach Brown, now serving in the capacity of President of the American Football Coaches Association during a recent presentation at the Texas High School Football Coaches Association convention put on notice his unequivocal intent in calling out his peers when their efforts cross the NCAA recruiting gray line. In other words, "When they cheat."
There was no mincing of words. That shot across the bow means he is ready and willing to take on all of the street hustlers and their facilitators. No more Mr. Nice Guy. No more turning the other cheek. Play by the rules or get busted. Mr. Living Room has served notice and is gunning to clean up what has been steadily heading toward bygone days of payola.
Here we see a candid reminder of how commitments work. And a great example of how to remind your children how tit-for-tat makes the ol' world go ‘round.