thependulumswings

Riding high off of the 2003 BCS National Championship, LSU football ended 2004 on a down note.  Nick Saban announced that he was taking his talents to the NFL.  He left behind an energized fan base, a stable of future NFL players, and a small (due to the 85 man total limit) but promising 2005 recruiting class.

Enter Leslie Miles.  He quickly made the appropriate rounds and said the appropriate things to the recruits who were soon to sign and to their families as well.  Only one scholarship remained to be awarded.  After some deep thinking (just pretend) by Miles he offered an 11th hour scholarship to a spark plug named Trindon Holliday.  He stood all of 5 foot 5 inches tall and weighed about 155 lbs.  Oh, and Trindon could run.   In his 2005 senior high school year Holliday posted the nation’s fastest indoor time in the 55 and 60-meter dashes. He led his team to the state title by winning the 100 meters and 200 meters and was second in the long jump. Holliday was a four-time state champion in the 200 meters and a three-time 100 meters champion.   In fact, Trindon made the 2007 World Championships and had realistic hopes to make the 2008 USA Olympic team.

In other words Trindon and my best friend in the world Joseph Roy Miller, Jr. have absolutely nothing in common.  Nothing.   Big Joe stood 6 foot 4 inches and tipped the scales a biscuit shy of roughly 260 lbs. in early 2005.

Joey and I decided that a trip to Baton Rouge to join about 7500 other fervent LSU football fans for the early February, day long recruiting bash was just what we needed for some food, football, fun, and a wee bit of Makers Mark.

Not long after our arrival we hit it off with the then president and editor of my favorite recruiting website.  As the afternoon rolled on our insatiable thirst for Makers was quenched again and again.

The stage was set (literally) for the 5pm appearance by the Fighting Tigers Marching Band, the AD, and finally the new head coach who would give the football hungry crowd the low down on the newest sensations signed that morning.  Three foot wide placards with the signed recruits name, high school, height, and weight hung to one side of the otherwise empty stage.

I sensed that the crowd had grown restless and should be entertained.   I wondered aloud with the webite prez if he could get the three of us brief access to the stage.  He liked the dumb idea almost as much as I did.  He asked and we somehow were granted a brief opening.  Once we walked onto the stage the crowd (also enjoying a few adult beverages) noise diminished an octave or two.   Quickly, I grabbed Trindon’s placard for the photo opp.  I placed it in Joey’s hands and asked him to hold it out right in front of him.   “Ladies (a few) and gents(term used loosely) meet Trindon Holliday,” I said.  And then I said it again, only louder.  There was no way that this was happening.  Surely they knew that Joey was no Trindon.  One clap from the crowd turned to many which turned into darn near a standing ovation for the (not so) young lad.

Unfortunately the photos from that day are lost much like the recruiting geeks were for clapping.

What’s the moral of the story?  There are two.  One, people who tell you that they know all about their favorite team’s recruits, don’t.  And two, have lots of fun.  Life is short, like Trindon, not like Big Joe.