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| Wednesday, July 16 |
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| Croyle's Commitment By Jeff Goodman SchoolSports.com | ||||||
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It was supposed to be the start of a year in which Brodie Croyle cemented his standing as the nation's top high school quarterback. But less than one quarter into this season, his prep career was over, and he went home wondering whether the bevy of scholarship offers would still be honored by major college coaches.
Croyle, a 6-foot-4, 200-pound senior at tiny Westbrook Christian High (Rainbow City, Ala.), tore his left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the first quarter of the season-opener, but the concerns about his clouded future were lifted almost immediately. "Two well-respected (college) coaches called me that night within an hour of surgery and told me not to worry about anything," recalls Croyle, who is the state's all-time leading passer despite missing his entire senior season. "They told me I had nothing to prove to them and that the scholarship offer still stands." But Croyle wants to prove something to every coach in the country. He wants to show them he can come back from the injury and perform as well, if not better, than before. Croyle began his rehabilitation the day after the surgery and trains twice a day for two hours per workout, five days a week. He has already begun jogging and hopes to be full-speed by January, when he plans to enter college so he can get a head start on the competition. That means he will have to make a college decision soon from among his four finalists: Florida State, Alabama, Oklahoma and Miami. The reckless signal-caller -- who once tried to jump a 40-foot creek in a four-wheeler and landed in the water -- doesn't want to be sidelined again, so he is placing a priority on going somewhere with a strong offensive line. But there are other factors. "I want to go where I'm going to be able to play early," says Croyle, who started for Westbrook Christian beginning in eighth grade. "I also want a chance to win the national title and go somewhere that has the best offensive line. I really don't feel like tearing my other knee up." Miami will probably be crossed off Croyle's list soon because of the stellar play of its sophomore quarterback, Ken Dorsey. It would appear that the Crimson Tide have the inside track with Croyle's father, John, a defensive end on Alabama's 1973 national championship team coached by Bear Bryant. But John, who started Big Oak Ranch, a home for abused and abandoned kids, has never pushed his son to attend his alma mater -- and he won't start now. 'Bama's uncertain coaching situation (head coach Mike Dubose will not return next season) could also hinder the Crimson Tide's chances of landing the nation's top prize. The latest word is that Florida State and Oklahoma are the leaders, but a decision might not come until December. Regardless of college decisions, the hardest part of the injury for Croyle has been watching Westbrook Christian struggle in his absence. The team went 3-7 this season and never recovered from losing Croyle. "We didn't just lose a key player, we lost a system," says head coach Tony Osborne. "When you've got the best quarterback in the nation in a school as small as ours, you don't have anyone even close to Brodie backing him up."
Material from SchoolSports.com.Visit their web site at www.schoolsports.com | |
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