He'd have done wonders for the Hurricanes but they have a thing for skinny and/or blond out-of-state QBs, so...
Last week's game at the new and improved IU Memorial Stadium, now with a new field after this past summer's flooding ruined the old field and made a mess of downtown Bloomington.
Kellen Lewis is a man in motion!
What I'll be watching and taping later on the Big Ten Network's encore presentation on Monday at 2 p.m., though I'm checking on it in between commercials of the U-M game.
Kellen Lewis outruns some Western Kentucky Hilltopper defenders on his way to a TD
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I had this in draft since early this year, so better late than never...
Frankie Hammonds, Jr. Woulda Made a Great Hoosier
First came across these articles on Frankie Hammonds, Jr. a few months back, and at the time, with the Hoosiers playing confidently and actually showing some offensive flair, couldn't help but wonder how much more firepower IU would have in the future if he was teamed up with Hoosier wide receiver James Hardy.
But now we know that was just a pipe dream, with Hardy now leaving IU a year early for the NFL draft, and speedy Hallandale High WR Frankie Hammonds, Jr. heading for Gainesville.
Growing up in North Miami Beach from 1968-79, but being one of those rare NMB families that didn't just limit its drives, trips and jaunts to within the Dade County lines, I recall thinking while I was JFK Junior High how odd it was that two high schools as physically close to one another as North Miami Beach Senior High School and Hallandale Senior High School, could, in those pre-
Dr. Krop High School days, both wind up with the same exact name for mascots: Chargers.
I graduated from NMB in 1979, and my sister followed in 1982, long before anyone we knew could conceive of the idea of some school, especially one named Krop dividing NMB's student population base and tradition, and cannibalizing Turnberry, Ojus, Madie Ives and Highland Oaks.
Nobody who graduated from 1247 N.E. 167th Street could conceive of such a thing, and as opposed to the Lightning Bolt you see with the NFL's San Diego Chargers, our mascot was that of a medieval jousting knight charging.
It would be one thing if it was that old standby, Wildcats, the most popular school mascot name in the country last I heard, and the most popular every year when the NCAA tourney comes around -Kentucky, Villanova, et al-but Chargers?
I could never find anyone in NMB or Broward who could explain that bit of odd logic to me.
Meanwhile, another bright and talented South Florida kid who would've looked good in the cream and crimson of IU, Hallandale High's Frankie Hammond, Jr. has crossed-up Rivals.com who thought he was headed to the U-M, and made an oral commitment to stay in-state and play for the Gators, who just re-load and plug in one super-talented kid after another in the "Urban Era."
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Miami Herald
Wideout Hammond Jr. catching on with Gators
Wideout Frankie Hammond Jr. might not be a typical college football player, but he has amazed coaches nonetheless.
By Joseph Goodman
August 21, 2008
GAINESVILLE -- Preseason camp is over for the University of Florida football team. One of the biggest surprises out of two-a-days was the rapid development of freshman receiver Frankie Hammond Jr. of Hallandale.
In February, when Hammond signed with the Gators, the team's coaches assumed this skinny receiver from Broward County wouldn't be a contributor for at least two years.
But that has changed. Receivers coach Billy Gonzales has praised Hammond several times during the preseason and coach Urban Meyer also has recognized Hammond's surprising start to his college football career.
''[Hammond] was a guy that we thought we would put on the shelves for a couple of years,'' Meyer said. "But Coach Gonzales and Frankie have a good thing going. He's doing very well.''
According to senior receiver Louis Murphy, Hammond adapted to the Gators' complex playbook faster than any other freshman and played consistently well during preseason practice and two-a-days. Gonzales now believes Hammond might see some playing time this season.
''One thing about Frankie is that he's extremely smart,'' Gonzales said. ``Any time you come into a system with multiple sets you have to be a smart guy. He is an extremely fast learner and he will have the opportunity to make plays.''
Hammond's journey to Gainesville was anything but ordinary. Like his successful preseason camp for Florida, pretty much every facet about Hammond's development was atypical.
A track and field star -- Hammond won gold at the 2007 AAU Junior Olympics in the high jump (6 feet, 10 inches) -- he was an unknown high school football player when he received scholarship offers from Florida and Miami.
''A lot of people didn't like that I picked Florida over Miami,'' he said. ``Where I'm from, everyone expects you to go to Miami.''
A DIFFERENT PATHSome high school football players spend their childhoods training constantly and playing year-round to increase their chances at receiving a scholarship. Not Hammond. He preferred hanging out the skating rink and dancing on skates.
''Skating made my legs strong and gave me balance and coordination,'' he said.
Some high school football players in South Florida transfer from school to school so they can play for a winner. Hammond was loyal to a loser. Hallandale didn't post a winning record until his senior season.
Some high school football players lift weights constantly and are physical specimens by their senior season. Hammond could barely bench press his own weight last year. He has gained 13 pounds of muscle since arriving in Gainesville at the beginning of the summer.
Hallandale is one of Broward County's magnet schools, and Hammond studied television broadcasting for four years. He hasn't taken a journalism or communications class yet at Florida, but he knows how to produce his own TV show. He graduated high school with a 3.7 grade-point average.
''I can be in front of the camera or behind the camera,'' Hammond said.
Some high school football players blossom early and college coaches know about them before the 11th grade. Hammond didn't even play football his sophomore season. His junior year, he only caught seven passes. Florida's coaches didn't learn about Hammond until midway through his senior season, when he mailed the Gators a highlight tape.
PLAYING THE SYSTEMSome high school football players don't really know how to play the recruiting game properly. They enjoy the daily attention from Internet recruiting websites and wait until February to commit to a school.
One week after being visited by the Gators' coaching staff, Hammond called Meyer to commit. But Meyer, well known for his communication skills during a player's recruiting process, didn't answer the phone. Hammond left Meyer a message, declaring his commitment.
At that point, Meyer and his staff barely knew Hammond. Shrewdly, Hammond leaked the news of his commitment to South Florida newspapers. The system uses some players, but some players use the system to their advantage.
''Everyone starts off at the bottom and that's where I'm at,'' Hammond said. "I've just got to prove to them that I can play.''
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Miami Herald
Hallandale's Hammond picks Gators
By Bob Emanuel, Jr.
October 16, 2007
Hallandale receiver Frankie Hammond Jr. orally committed to the University of Florida on Monday night.
Hammond, who was recruited by associate head coach Doc Holliday and receivers coach Billy Gonzalez, chose the Gators over a number of other suitors, including the University of Miami.
''They received film, transcripts and stuff,'' Hallandale coach Dameon Jones said.
"I guess it was a no-brainer for them. I guess they saw what Miami saw.'
'Hammond, who has caught 25 passes for 504 yards and seven touchdowns through seven games this season, called Gators coach Urban Meyer on Monday night around 7:30 and left his decision on Meyer's voicemail.
The allure of playing in the Southeastern Conference put Florida over the top.
''It gives me an opportunity to showcase my ability on one of the biggest stages of them all,'' he said.
Hammond did not play football as a sophomore.
Instead, he focused on track, where he helped lead his school to the Class 3A state championship.
Hammond spent the past summer on the track, where he took first place in the high jump of the AAU National Junior Olympics in Tennessee. But football always has been Hammond's passion.
After his layoff, he returned to football as a junior, and he started receiving heavy interest from colleges over the past few months. He admitted the offers, which included Miami and Boston College, were surprising.
''My goal this year was just to go to college,'' he said. "I didn't think any major colleges would come my way. I was lucky enough.''
Hammond said he would ''most likely'' go out for Florida's track team, too.
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Miami Herald
FOOTBALL HALLANDALE
Hammonds brings speed, power to Hallandale
Senior Frankie Hammond Jr., a track star at Hallandale, is gaining success with his play at wide receiver.
By Bob Emanuel, Jr.
October 9, 2007
After taking a year off from football, senior Frankie Hammond Jr. said: 'I might as well keep playing football and open up my options.'
Speed and power are required in both sports of interest to Hallandale's Frankie Hammond Jr.
The strong leg muscles needed to propel him over the high jump bar and the body control needed to maintain his form carry over to football, where his speed and leaping ability make him one of Broward County's top receivers.
Hammond, an accomplished track athlete, is gaining notoriety on the football field as a senior. While the scholarship offers slowly trickle in, interest in Hammond continues to rise. The University of Miami, which is building a strong recruiting class centered on local talent, recently checked up on Hammond.
Much like Dillard sprinter Harry Adams, who committed to Auburn, the transition from track star to receiver could pay dividends with a scholarship to an elite program.
''I started out running track originally,'' Hammond said. "I took time off from football my sophomore year. That year is when I really got a good grasp on what I was doing as far as track was concerned. Last year, I was like I might as well keep playing football and open up my options. I took advantage of it, and coach [Dameon] Jones came around. Now, it looks like I've got both of them going hand in hand.''
JUGGLING SPORTS
Unlike many of the athletes in search of similar scholarship opportunities, Hammond did not attend football camps over the summer.
Instead, he traveled to Europe and various other venues to compete in track meets, including his first-place finish in the AAU National Junior Olympic Games in Tennessee.
The track success garnered Hammond attention, but the lack of camp exposure slowed the pace of scholarship offers. Undeterred, Hammond is taking a methodical approach to the process.
''I'm just waiting for my options to open up to see where I go,'' he said.
"I plan on playing football when I go to college.''
The constant switch from track star to football prospect is taxing, but Hammond finds it worthwhile.
''It's real difficult,'' he said. "Your mind-set is set on something as far as track. Your body goes through a certain change. You're putting your body through different types of things because now you're dealing with contact. It's difficult, but it's manageable. If you're talented enough and you're good at it and you're dedicated, it should come very easily.''
The dual-sport success is nothing new for Hallandale. Hammond, like many of his teammates, makes the same transition every season.
A bulk of the school's 2006 Class 3A state championship track team remains as seniors, many of whom play both sports.
Each athlete owns their individual preference, but Hammond's teammate and close friend Alex Bailey said Hammond's choice is simple.
''Football is his No. 1,'' said Bailey, the school's quarterback. "I don't want to speak for him, but track is just something he's good in. Football is what he likes.''
QUIET LEADERSHIP
The solitary approach on the track carries over to Hammond's mannerism on the football field. Those around the Charger program describe Hammond as a quiet leader -- a player Bailey said "does it by example.
He's not that kind of emotional or rowdy kind of person.''
''He pushes me to be better,'' Bailey said.
"In gassers or anything we do, even though he's the receiver and I'm the quarterback, he's very competitive. That's why I am where I am. A couple of other people look up to him for that competition.''
What truly inspires Hammond on the football field is the camaraderie with his teammates. His father, Frank, played receiver and cornerback for Glades Central in the 1980s, and the love for team sports has been fostered over the years.
''I enjoy it more,'' Hammond said. "It's more of a friend thing. I have teammates around me. If I do good, they come give me a high five and show their love. When I'm on the track by myself, if I mess up or if I do good, the only person who can congratulate me is maybe my dad at that moment.''
Jones said he could put Hammond in any situation on the football field and knows he would deliver results.
ATHLETIC ABILITY
''He's a great kid, a 3.7-GPA kid,'' Jones said. "He rarely talks. He's very quiet. The only time you see him talk is when he's around his buddies. When he's around adults and coaches, he doesn't say a word. He's a very coachable kid. He's just an athlete. You could put him in any sport, and he's going to be successful.''
Hammond uses his six-foot frame and his leaping ability, a high jump of 6-10 and a vertical leap of 39 inches, to post up his opponents.
Or, if he prefers, he could use his 4.4 speed to simply run by them.
''He's like a Randy Moss-type of receiver,'' Hallandale defensive lineman Gregory Smith said. "He runs all his routes hard. He catches the ball. He showboats just like him. He's good.''
The comparisons to Moss are evident because of Hammond's size and leaping ability.
Jones and Bailey are quick to point out another, unmeasurable strength to Hammond's success -- his soft hands.
''He has speed like Moss, but he has hands like Marvin Harrison,'' Jones said.
"He runs precision routes for a kid in high school. You don't see that at this level, a kid running those type of routes. At the next level? Yes. Here? No."
He uses all hands. He doesn't use his body, just pure hands. And, he uses his speed. For a kid to really only play high school football, this is probably just his second full year, for him to do the things he's doing is amazing.''
South Beach Hoosier trivia: the entire time I was at IU, I never wore an IU cap.
IU All-American and Olympian Steve Alford on the cover of the 1987 IU Basketball media guide.
