Did you hear about the hospital that offered a sixth-grader its head of surgery position because he aced his scholastic aptitude test? What about the 12-year-old who signed a contract to become the CEO of a billion-dollar corporation because she set a record for girl-scout cookie sales? If you’re wondering what rock you’ve been living under that caused you to miss these momentous occasions, do not panic, they never happened. Nobody in their right mind would put the future of their organization in the hands of a pre-pubescent child, right? Not so fast.
Look no further than newly hired USC head football coach Lane Kiffin. I have already made my opinion of Kiffin rather clear (in case you missed that column, lets just say I’m not his biggest fan) and he continues to raise eyebrows again and again with his most recent action being a scholarship offer to a 13-year-old boy who appears to be a phenom at the quarterback position. Kiffin received information about David Sills from the boy’s personal coach Steve Clarkson who said “His skill set is off the chart…I’ve never seen anyone at his age do what he’s been able to do.” Clarkson has mentored guys like USC’s current starting quarterback Matt Barkley and Notre Dame’s Jimmy Clausen.
Obviously Clarkson has an eye for talent and knows what signifies the potential to be a standout at the college level. But let’s be realistic: This kid hasn’t even stepped on a high school football field yet. I’m not sold on a player just because he has been torching pee wee defensive coordinators who think an offense that utilizes the shotgun and pistol means that they bear arms.
One of Clarkson’s claims is that Sills is already six feet tall at the age of 13. What he doesn’t mention is that the kid looks more like a figure skater than a big time college football player. I’d be willing to bet that at least 75 percent of current Division 1 quarterbacks looked eerily similar to Sills when they were his age. There are thousands of factors that separate the good ones from the great ones such as his mental and physical toughness as well as physical development. None of these things can be measured at age 13.
Not surprisingly, Sills has already given Kiffin a verbal commitment to play for his football team when the time comes. Unfortunately for Kiffin, a verbal commitment holds about as much weight as a Brett Favre retirement threat. Chances are this kid will turn out to be a great football player and Kiffin will look like a genius. But there’s a reason USC is the only offer he’s gotten so far.
As of the fall of 2008, USC’s out-of-state tuition was almost $38,000 per year. By the time Sills would be there in the fall of 2015, it will be considerably higher. That means that Kiffin just made at least a $160,000 investment in something that could very easily not pan out. Would you invest that much money into a kid that rocks out to the Jonas Brothers?
"I'm stupid, you're smart. I was wrong, you were right. Umm, you're the best, I'm the worst. You're very good-looking, I'm not attractive..." "OK, as long as you're willing to admit that now." -Happy Gilmore
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