Wednesday, February 7, 2007 11:02 PM CST
In Spoo’s absence, Romo U got plenty of recruits
BY BRIAN NIELSEN Sports Editor
bnielsen@jg-tc.com
CHARLESTON n- At least 19 high school football seniors were not swayed from a football program whose head coach missed all of last season.
They signed on Wednesday to attend Romo University also known as Eastern Illinois.
Assistant coaches said the recruiting trail really did not find dead ends with prospects hearing from others that the program’s future was uncertain after coach Bob Spoo had surgery and missed all of last year’s 8-5 NCAA Division I-AA playoff season.
“I only had one question about coach,” defensive coordinator Roc Bellantoni said. “Cory Leman’s dad asked about it. He was sold on the school and on the program. With kids and parents on visits, it was never an issue.”
So even with Spoo absent from Wednesday’s NCAA signing day press conference after a Monday surgery that apparently is not nearly as serious as the one from late August, the talk was upbeat.
Maybe adding the 19 high school seniors n 12 from Illinois, six from Florida and one from Indiana n was actually easier after former EIU quarterback Tony Romo became a household football name with instant success once becoming the Dallas Cowboys’ starter.
Another former EIU quarterback Sean Payton becoming the NFL Coach of the Year in his first year with the New Orleans Saints did not hurt either.
“Everybody knows who we are now with Tony Romo’s success,” EIU’s receivers coach and recruiting coordinator Noah Joseph said. “Sean Payton’s success helped. When you start talking about that, they know us. With some transfers, we had guys calling us.”
Already announced from those transferring at the semester were a tight end from Notre Dame, three linemen from Bowling Green and a junior college defensive back.
On the day high school players could sign, Eastern added six offensive linemen, four linebackers, three defensive backs, three wide receivers, one running back/defensive back, one quarterback and another quarterback listed as an athlete whose position is to be determined.
“We have brought in a fine group of young men who are very talented football players,” Spoo said in a statement released through EIU’s sports information department. “Our football team was hit in some areas due to graduation, mostly at the offensive line and defensive back positions. As you can see from this year’s class we have had an emphasis on those two areas.
“We have also tried to recruit the best football players available that would be good fits into our Eastern Illinois football program. We want to be in a situation were we can reload. We do not want to be in a rebuilding situation and I think this year’s class will help us reload. In addition to the talented high school players we also had five junior college and four year transfers come into our program at the break. These players should also be able to help us and will have the advantage of working out with our players and coaches in the spring semester.”
More recruiting difficulties could have come even after EIU announced shortly after the season that Spoo was recovered and ready for next season because assistant head coach and offensive coordinator Mark Hutson, who ran the team last year in Spoo’s absence, had left for the offensive line job at Tulane.
But even with players from the offensive line, the position Hutson coaches, the letters-of-intent arrived.
“When Mark left as soon as that happened I called our guys,” wide receivers coach Mike Lynch said. “I called Ryan Grossman and he said ‘I really like the school and I like coach Spoo.’
“As far as coach Spoo’s situation, I didn’t really run into that on the road.”
Much of the groundwork for this class was done last spring.
“I want to thank Dr. (Rich) McDuffie,” Joseph said of EIU’s athletics director. “This is my fourth year here and this is the first year we were allowed to go out and recruit in the spring. We were able to develop relationships with guys in the spring. Twelve of our 19 signees committed to us early.”
Contact Brian Nielsen at bnielsen@jg-tc.com or 238-6856.
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Angie Miley wrote on Jul 17, 2006 8:05 PM: