Sunday, January 25, 2009
By Chad Conine
Tribune-Herald staff writer
As signing day approaches, Evant quarterback Aaron Doyle is still waiting.
His phone often rings early in the morning as a college football coach on the other end of the line calls to check up on him before the school day starts.
For Doyle, the process began more than 18 months ago. Yet, with the signing period opening in just 11 days, he hasn’t really even narrowed down his college choices.
Doyle, a 6-foot-3, 227-pound athlete, passed for 2,285 yards and 31 touchdowns, rushed for 1,235 yards and 12 TDs and made 178 tackles for the Elks last season. He landed on the Tribune-Herald’s 2008 Super Centex first-team as a punter, where he averaged 47.2 yards per kick. And the past two summers, he’s made the rounds to football camps where he believes he’s proven he can compete with players from any level of high school football.
Doyle has college offers from NCAA Division II schools Angelo State and Abilene Christian, and Division III Mary Hardin-Baylor. But he’s also been recruited by Division I programs like Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, Baylor, BYU, Toledo and North Texas.
And that’s why he’s still waiting.
“I know I’m good enough to play D-1,” Doyle said. “But a lot of these coaches don’t want to take a chance on a 1A kid.”
More than anything, that seems to be the question about Doyle. Can a player from the tiny town of Evant make an impact at the exponentially faster pace of college football?
For his part, Doyle, who wants to play quarterback in college but is open to playing just about any position from deep snapper to linebacker to slot receiver, has made an extensive effort to prove he can. Last summer, he practically went on tour as he attended 10 football camps and combines to compete with and against some of the state and nation’s most talented high school athletes.
“I was just as good as they were,” Doyle said. “That’s when I started to realize I could play at the next level.”
Among other feats at camp, Doyle clocked 4.6 seconds in the 40-yard dash, proving he has some speed to go with his big frame.
That’s when Oklahoma State, which saw Doyle the last two summers at its Texas satellite camps in Kilgore and Belton, started inquiring about the Evant QB.
“Oklahoma State said he was by far was the best quarterback at that camp,” Evant coach Keith Stifflemire said. “He got all the attention.”
That stirred up some buzz that Doyle could end up at Oklahoma State — and in the recruiting game it seems a player is often only as good as his buzz. Rumor had it that Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said Doyle was good enough to play quarterback for the Cowboys.
Although an offer from Oklahoma State has never come through, the Cowboys’ interest has a direct connection to the school that’s currently on the top of Doyle’s list.
Former Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Tim Beckman became the head coach at Toledo in December. As of Saturday, Toledo and Stifflemire were trying to work out a time for Doyle to take an official visit to see the school.
“They’re looking at him as a quarterback first and foremost,” Stifflemire said. “They told me if Aaron had been at Southlake Carroll, Toledo wouldn’t have a chance in the world at him because he’d be at USC or Florida.”
So that’s pretty good buzz.
But the reality is that Doyle doesn’t have a plane ticket to Toledo, Ohio, in his hand. This weekend, he’s visiting Angelo State and has a trip scheduled to Belton on Thursday to visit UMHB.
Doyle said the “what ifs” can wear on his nerves from time to time. That could either be resolved or intensified between now and signing day Feb. 4.
North Texas is expected to come by this week to have a conversation, but it’s uncertain whether or not the Mean Green will extend a scholarship offer during the visit. Stifflemire said he’s also had an indication that several schools — Baylor, TCU, Oklahoma State and Rice included — might offer Doyle a scholarship on signing day depending on what happens with other high school prospects.
Meanwhile, Doyle is left wondering when his time will come when he hears and reads about other high school players committing to colleges.
When he learned that Midway running back John Hubert had committed to Kansas State last week, Doyle’s demeanor almost instantly turned from self-assured to pensive.
Though he realized how much of a relief it must have been for Hubert.
“That’s great,” Doyle said. “That’s a good deal for him.”
The most difficult aspect for Doyle is that he’s stood side-by-side with players who have committed to Big 12 schools, and he feels he’s on the same level.
“Some of the big-name guys that are in my class like Drew Allen that committed to Oklahoma and Cody Green with Nebraska — I was just as good or better than they were,” Doyle said. “They just had the publicity.”
Certainly, a place like Evant doesn’t garner much publicity. So while recruiting buzz circles elsewhere, for the moment, Doyle waits.
Wherever he ends up, he and his coach believe he’ll prove himself once again when he gets there. And as the days pass, Doyle’s motivation to become an impact player in college intensifies.
“It kind of makes you mad and lights a fire under you,” he said.
cconine@wacotrib.com
757-5711
Comments
By JOHANA LIRA
Sep 10, 2009 11:42 AM | Link to this
i would like to comment on what bvdawgs said in the past four comments he made. Aaron Doyle was the best in football team and he will always be. I just will like to tell you that your jelous about aaron being the best and i don't care what other people think or say about evant we still keep our pride and aaron help evant keep our pride all the time he played football.I'm so PROUD of aaron KEEP IT UP AARON DOYLE!! If he was not that good he would not be playing in college and about getting shutt down by Bosqueville... please if michel jordan made thousands of mistakes in his games why cant aaron doyle not make a mistake ...nobody is perfect. If you don't want to waist your time then don't go to the games and don't comment bad about how other people play because you problably don't play that good either. GOOD LUCK AARON DOYLE IN WHAT EVER YOU DO
KEEP YOUR PRIDE ALWAYS!!! we're so prud of you.
By bvdawgs
Jan 29, 2009 4:19 PM | Link to this
Not attacking anyone even those who find it necessary to insult my opinion. Not gonna stoop to childish name calling. Won't be changing my screen name. Not embarrassed of who I am or where I'm from.
If this is a cheerleading site and we are only allowed to root for the home team then so be it.
Good luck AD.
By CPirate
Jan 29, 2009 2:07 PM | Link to this
I hope everyone doesn't try to associate the one person from Bosqueville vomiting on the web with everyone else from Bosqueville. Most people from Bosqueville are good people. Like anything one bad apple can spoil the bunch. Next time put a different name up there so you don't insult everyone else.
By bvdawgs
Jan 28, 2009 9:01 PM | Link to this
Again with the personal attacks....Wow, sorry this has so many of you upset. I have not said one bad thing about this young man or anyone else. I hope he does well wherever he ends up. I did not go to BV nor do any of my relatives/friends. I happened to be at the game to see this particular man. Sorry. I won't waste any more Friday nights actually watching the players that are getting the buzz I'll just take everyone elses word for it. I am no ones stepchild BTW.
I was wrong. He definately deserves to play in the Big 12 or SEC.
By champyun
Jan 28, 2009 6:49 PM | Link to this
As a former Head Football Coach in Evant's district, I can assure you the young man CAN play at the next level. Wherever he lands, he'll be a success for sure. Best of luck to him!
By Cougar
Jan 28, 2009 11:18 AM | Link to this
Typical Bosqueville. They feel like the stepchild so they have to put down everyone else to make themselves look a little better. It is what it is.
By bvdawgs
Jan 27, 2009 9:32 PM | Link to this
I'm sorry, I guess some of y'all can't read... I wished this young man good luck and hoped that he got his shot at D1. I correctly stated what occurred when he played BV. I assumed that he doesn't currently have a scholarship offer at a Big 12 school or he wouldn't "be wondering when his time would come" as quoted in the article. He's been to multiple football camps to showcase his talents directly to those making the recruiting decisions. I have no desire to coach at the college(or any other)level. There are 119 D1 head coaches. I feel comfortable siding with the majority. Nothing personal. Good luck to him wherever he ends up. It may be to his advantage to excel at a smaller school and move up, rather than being practice squad material at a D1 power. It is what it is.
By Waco Lion
Jan 27, 2009 8:56 AM | Link to this
Bosqueville Bulldog fan I guess there are lots of dumb college coaches then. Since you know so much about his talent level they must be real dumb to offer him a scholarship. He has 6 offers and more to come. Maybe you need to go coach at the college level. You would probably win the National Championship every year.
By oldlion
Jan 27, 2009 8:13 AM | Link to this
Good athletes can come from small rural schools as well as from the large schools. The numbers are much greater in the 4A - 5A schools so obviously the odds will be that more qualified athletes will come from these schools. However, good athletes do come from small schools as well. Consider Colt McCoy - Heisman candidate at the University of Texas from Jim Ned High School or his team mate Quan Cosby from Mart High School. I always remember the great Jack Pardee's (Christoval High School) quote that Sterling City hit just as hard as his college and professional rivals. I have seen Aaron Doyle play and he is an extremely talented athlete. The fact that he is being looked at by Big Twelve schools as well as by Division II schools testifys to that fact.
By bvdawgs
Jan 26, 2009 8:07 PM | Link to this
I wish him good luck but he might be overestimating his talent. He was totally shut down by Bosqueville this year and their defense was terrible. To make it worse they padded his stats from that game giving him credit for many more tackles and more offensive yards than he really got. I know that some 1A kids do extremely well at the college level. I hope he gets his shot at D1. In reality, though, Southlake Carrol, and almost any 5A or 4A school, would kill Evant with their Freshman team. Many of those schools have more freshman playing football than Evant has boys in their whole school. On average they are bigger, stronger, faster, and better coached. It is what it is.
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