"I am still not interested in finding a college because I am still a junior
(in high school)," added Steve McNair. "I want to wait until after my
senior season has played out, and then I will take some visits and make a decision.
And when I make a decision, I will stick to it.."
This seems like a mature approach to take for a 18 year old young man, but McNair
obviously has not been raised in your typical household, as Steve gets daily advise
from one of the All-Time NFL greats.
"My dad has taught me everything I know, both on and off the field. I use
to play QB, but I wanted to move to WR, and he told me to never go against my
own will. I moved to WR that year in 9th grade. He told me to play what ever I
wanted to play. I ask him for advise on recruiting all of the time, and he lets
me make my own decisions, but I certainly listen to what he has to say. I could
not get any better advise. He knows the ropes about everything with football.
I actually work out with him every offseason, and now that he has quit playing
football, I do not know what I am going to do (laugh)."
Steve McNair Jr is serious about not getting caught up in recruiting at the moment.
"I have not even taken any visits yet. I have not been to anyone's campus,
and I do not even plan to go to any camps this summer because it takes away from
my focus on my senior season. I have a lot to do to get better and to help us
win a state championship. When I accomplish those goals, I will start to take
some visits."
That has not stopped several colleges from trying to get the Oak Grove product
on campus.
"FSU came by our practice last week. I talked to their QB coach, and he said
they were close to offering me. They want us (Robert Johnson, Vince Taylor, Jay Hughes) to come over there for their camp. We are thinking about it."
"Alabama also came to one of our practices. They just want to get me up there
and see the facilities and meet all of the coaches. I have never been up there
before, but I might take a visit over there this summer if I have time. Like I
said, I really do not have any time to take any visits this summer, but I might
take one to FSU and Alabama. I just do not know yet. If I open up the gate to
a couple of schools, then I will have to end up taking a bunch of visits, and
I really do not want to do that at this point."
Who else has scouted McNair during his practices?
"Coach Dickerson (Ole Miss) came by. MSU sent their DL coach down here. Coach
Fedora (USM) has been to like five of our practices (Fedora has a son that plays
for Oak Grove so it is within the rules for him to scout the Warriors more than
once). West Virginia sent a coach down here. Auburn and LSU have been down here.
Tulsa came down. There have been a bunch of them."
Two of those schools liked what they saw as a scholarship offer was extended.
"Ole Miss and Tulsa offered me this spring. I got my Ole Miss offer in the
mail recently. Tulsa offered me in late April, I believe. They offered all of
us (Robert Johnson, Vince Taylor, Jay Hughes) ."
Who else has offered?
"West Virginia, Kentucky, Mississippi State, and Southern Miss."
What does he know about each school?
Ole Miss - "I really do not know much about
Ole Miss because I have never been up there before, but Coach Dickerson said they
need a WR like me to come help their program. I am looking forward to visiting
them but I am staying open minded."
MSU - "I talked to Jay's dad (Tony Hughes is
Jay Hughes' father) in Hattiesburg yesterday. Coach Hughes talked to all of us
(Robert Johnson, Vince Taylor, Jay Hughes), actually. He talked about getting
us to one of their camps coming up. He wants us to come up on a visit. I really
do not know much about them either because I have never been up there, but they
are getting in Florida's offense, and the Gators have always been my favorite
team growing up. I love their offense."
USM - "I just like Coach Fedora. He is always cracking up and joking and
stuff. He keeps it fun. Like I said, he was at most of our practices, and he never
even brought up USM one time to me. He doesn't pressure you or anything. He keeps
it real light."
West Virginia - "My head coach is from West Virginia, and he tells us what
it is like up there. He says there is not anything going on so everybody goes
to their games. They get a lot of support up there."
When it does come decision time; what will be the main factors?
"Most people think they want to go to a big time college, and then they are
happy. I do not want to go to some big time school for the prestige. I just want
to go where I am needed, not even neccessarily where I like it the most. Say,
I like USM the most, but West Virginia needs me the most, then I am going to West
Virginia. I am going to look at their depth chart and see how many WR's they are
losing and who all they have coming in. That is what I am looking at the hardest."
The 6' 0", 190 pound receiver caught 58 passes for 962 yards as a junior.
This offseason, he has been working on a few things.
"I am really trying to work on my speed (reports a 4.5 flat forty) and being
more physical (reports a 280 bench press and 450 squat). I have the ability to
get off the press and run my routes without getting jammed, but I still want to
get my physical."
This springhe has been catching passes from another NFL legend.
"Yea, Brett Favre has been throwing to us this spring (laugh). You have all
of the media out here wanting to know what is going on, but we do not worry about
that stuff. We are use to it. He has been here the last two springs I have been
here throwing passes to us. It is good for us. He helps us focus on the ball more
because he throws it harder than a high school QB. That helps us out a lot."
The million dollar question is how is Brett's arm?
"It is as strong as ever. He is making all of the passes. Brett is just Brett.
He just loves football and loves to help us out. He explains the routes we need
to be running and points out where we need to get better. He has helped all of
us out more than you know."
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