the coaches at elite football schools and conferences always talk about size/speed combinations, and how they want big guys who can run fast ... right?
uh ... well, sort of.
meet Scott Patton (Woodbridge High, CA). the CIF-SS champion in the 100-meters (10.65 windy, 10.73 wind-legal) measures in at 6-foot-3, 190-pounds.
in addition to blazing speed, Patton was Mr. Everything for his high school football team's defense, whether it was at safety or linebacker. he finished his senior season with 126 tackles, 4 sacks, and 2 interceptions in 11 games. he totaled 130 tackles and 3 sacks as a junior. a three-year starter and three-year all-league performer, Patton, who was also a team captain, racked up enough awards to fill a trophy room.
[video=youtube;GLfG9-LX-w4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLfG9-LX-w4[/video]
can you guess what elite football-factory program snatched up this athletic specimen blessed with ideal size and speed and terrific football instincts?
if you guessed Yale, you'd be correct.
he wasn't offered a scholarship to any of the Division One schools around the country who probably came to mind.
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Gabe Warner (Woodbridge High, CA) is one of the elite 400-meter sprinters in the country (47.31 is #29 nationally), and his personal-best of 21.34 last year in the 200-meters was #54 in the USA (his best this year was 21.17 windy, 21.64 wind-legal).
a teammate of the aforementioned Scott Patton (who won the CIF-SS 100-meters), Warner was the CIF-SS champion of both the 200 and the 400. he also won the 4x100 (with Patton) and the 4x400.
Warner's 400-meter best this year (47.31) would have qualified for the the recent PAC-12 Championships Final in the 400. his time in the deuce (21.64) would have narrowly missed the cut (although his 21.34 would have made it).
Warner recently committed to run track for an in-state school ... can you guess which program craved his services?
nope, it wasn't UCLA or USC. USC actually has a couple of sprinters who are slightly faster than he is, though one is a senior ... UCLA, well, they could use him. especially in the deuce. but they weren't interested.
it wasn't Cal, despite the fact that he'd be their fastest 400-meter the moment he walked onto campus (and #2 in the 200).
heck, Warner's time this year is more than a half-second faster than anyone at Fresno State in the deuce and over 2-and-a-half seconds faster (yes, you read that correctly!) than their swiftest 400-meter runner. but they didn't sign him.
give up?
it was Mt. San Antonio College. uh ... what?!?
yep. you can't make this stuff up. oh! and all those other sprinters i mentioned? they're significantly darker than Warner. i'm sure it's just a coincidence.