More thoughts on Stirrups

The news reported in Tuesday's Times that former Hillsborough High lineman Leslie Stirrups had been arrested and charged with six felonies brought a range of responses from fans -- frustration, disappointment, disbelief.

I caught the arrest late enough Monday night that I wasn't able to get a lot of details beyond the basic charges. In short, police say Stirrups stole digital cameras worth about $300 each and other small items from cars parked in the parking lot near Tampa International Airport where he and his mother worked.

When I called Pearl River Community College, where Stirrups was set to play this fall after failing to qualify academically at USF, coach Tim Hatten was blunt: This was not the kind of activity he'd tolerate in his program, not the kind of character he wanted to bring to Mississippi. Unless the charges go away very quickly, Stirrups has no place on his team.

The easy reaction is that it's slightly hypocritical that one day after he takes  Carlton Hill off USF's hands, knowing he's had a recent arrest for possession of marijuana, Hatten says he wants no part of Stirrups and his error in judgment. With Stirrups though, the issue is greater, because it attacks a coach's ability to trust the young man. If he's willing to steal from customers of a business that employs both himself and his own mother, what conscience would stop him from stealing from a teammate's locker?

What's truly mindless in all of this, both funny and sad at the same time, is how Stirrups got caught: With both cameras, police say he took a few pictures of himself and friends before pawning them, never deleting the images. So when police were able to recover the cameras, they saw the post-theft pics and showed them around at the parking lot office. Of course, they could identify him; he worked there. It's the kind of silliness you normally laugh at while reading Carl Hiassen novels.

His six felony counts are remarkably similar to another USF signee who failed to qualify academically and wound up at Pearl River three years ago, a linebacker named Gene Coleman. We chronicled his problems last spring in a story about how college programs rarely do any kind of background checks on recruits; with Coleman, he'd burglarized a neighbor's home, with more than $13,000 in jewelry stolen. Again, not the smartest criminal mind, police said Coleman had stolen a $40 Wal-Mart gift card straight out of a Father's Day card, and was later identified on store surveillance cameras as he bought video games. The neighbor never got her wedding ring back, but still told a judge she didn't think his actions should take a college scholarship away from him.

This might not be the end for Stirrups. Coleman managed to avoid jail time in his case, and would probably be at USF today had he been able to get his academics straight at Pearl River. This is Stirrups' first known arrest, so it's reasonable to think he could get a plea agreement lowering the charges to misdemeanors -- the low end of the range for third-degree grand theft is $300, and he's barely above that on both sets of charges. He'll have to find a junior college willing to take him, then he'll have a year or two to show enough for a Division I program to trust him with a scholarship, all while solving the academic problems that have limited him so far.

On a far brighter note, I want to offer a link to an encouraging update from Times writer Brandon Wright on the rehabilitation of former USF standout J.R. Reed, hoping to return to the Philadelphia Eagles this fall after missing last season with a horrific injury that badly damaged the peroneal nerve in his leg. Reed, like Stirrups, is a Hillsborough High grad, but you'd be hard-pressed to find a former Bulls player more universally liked by fans, teammates and coaches. For all you newspapers-are-always-negative critics, the Reed story dominated the front page of Tuesday's sports section; the Stirrups one was on an inside page.

Hey, technically, could be worse for USF

If you wanted a positive spin on those 10 recruits that signed with USF in February but won't make it to campus this fall, this probably wasn't what you had in mind.

Leslie Stirrups, arguably the most highly touted of the 28 recruits who signed with USF in February, was arrested Monday on six felony charges, all related to auto burglaries. Two counts of burglary of a conveyance, two counts of third-degree grand theft, one for dealing in stolen property and another for giving a false name to a pawn dealer. The 18-year-old from Hillsborough High remains in jail on $17,500 bond.

So for USF, it's probably better today that Stirrups isn't on campus as a freshman. Stirrups didn't qualify academically and is slated to play this fall at Pearl River Community College in Mississippi. (You could argue that if he was in the structure and supervision of a major college football program, he might not be allegedly stealing things from cars, but that's another matter). So instead of a USF freshman getting arrested, it's just a talented local kid who signed with USF but didn't make it and hopes to get back to USF in a few years ... legal issues notwithstanding.

Speaking of Pearl River and arrests more closely linked to USF, that's where Carlton Hill is headed for this fall, as part of his academic/character rehabilitation. He's the fourth USF player/recruit placed at Pearl River since January, but he might not be playing quarterback at Pearl River, either. The school already has a strong quarterback in Mike Greco, an N.C. State transfer, so Hill could wind up at receiver or even safety. Either way, the plan is to get him back to USF in 2007, with two years to play. The guy's fallen a long way since March.

Remind me on Tuesday to write more about USF's first men's basketball practice. If you're yearning for the days of Will McDonald, Terrence Leather and Marlyn Bryant, stop by the Sun Dome this week. They're practicing against the current Bulls -- how appropriate that players playing in Europe help USF prepare for its trip to Italy in two weeks. (And you geography majors, yes, Bryant played pro ball this year in Mexico, which is not in Europe, I know .. )

Defensive end is USF's first '07 commitment

TAMPA -- USF picked up its first oral commitment for 2007 on Saturday as Lake Gibson defensive end Claude Davis told coach Jim Leavitt he'll sign with the Bulls in February.

"It's a great school with a lot of potential. They're bowl contenders every year now," said Davis, a 6-foot-4, 235-pound recruit who chose USF over offers from Florida, Louisville, Clemson and Iowa State. "It feels great to know where I'm going. It's a lot of weight off my shoulders."

As a junior, Davis had 96 tackles, including 14 sacks and seven forced fumbles. Davis committed Saturday morning as he participated in USF's senior showcase camp, which drew about 100 players, some from as far away as Texas and New Jersey. It's the second time in three years the Bulls have gotten an early commitment from Lake Gibson: two years ago, quarterback Matt Grothe was USF's second.

Catching up ...

News should start coming pretty steady -- the state's college football coaches meet in Tampa this weekend to meet with the media, and football practice starts for the Bulls on Aug. 7. For now, it's just tying up loose ends here and there around campus ...

-- After last week's surprising news that running back Andre Hall had been cut by the Bucs, it now looks like he should be in camp with another NFL team next week. Hall's agent, Jonathan Kline, said Wednesday that two teams have shown the most interest in Hall -- Seattle and Chicago -- and while no move is likely before early next week, the Bears and former Bucs executive Jerry Angelo seem eager to get Hall into their camp, even if it means cutting another player to make room for him.

-- I watched a voluntary workout at USF on Tuesday afternoon and left very impressed with the progress by the Bulls receivers since last fall. Jim Leavitt had said after spring drills that receiver was USF's most improved position, and the summer seems to be another step in that direction. Jackie Chambers was out there at full go for the first time I'd seen since he hurt himself during spring drills, and as deep as the Bulls' returning receivers go, I was impressed with the way freshman Jason Sherman looked. The three freshmen will be hardpressed to break out of redshirts this fall, but it'll be interesting to watch. ...

-- Got to see USF's football media guide on Wednesday -- looks sharp, with a player's outstretched hand holding a gold USF helmet on the front. Four key seniors are pictured on the back -- linebackers Stephen Nicholas and Patrick St. Louis, quarterback Pat Julmiste and receiver S.J. Green.

There's some curious updates from the depth chart in there -- redshirt freshman Danny Tolley is listed as the starting left guard, ahead of sophomore Matt Huners (the rest of the line, as expected is LT Thed Watson, C Nick Capogna, RG Walter Walker and RT Marc Dile). Another redshirt freshman, George Selvie, is listed as the starter at right end, ahead of Jarrett Buie, and freshman walk-on Ilia Petrov is the only player listed at punter.

-- Interesting news Wednesday about the new All-American Football League, a spring venture that will have pro teams playing on college campuses across the country. The league's official site invites fans to suggest schools they think are deserving of an AAFL franchise. The bad news for USF fans is that the Bulls aren't even an option: the site lists 68 schools, but four Big East schools (USF, Cincy, UConn, Rutgers) don't make the cut. So USF's alums -- and college degrees are required -- will likely play in Gainesville, it would seem. And no, Central Florida isn't listed either ...

-- From the Where Are They Now Dept., former USF defensive tackle Paul Uhatafe, who did not play in his only year on campus, will play this fall at College of the Canyons in California. His goal, his dad says, is to return to USF to finish his college career. And USF is considering two more Uhatafes -- twin linebackers Navi and Zco, rising seniors at Gibbs, will likely be a package deal wherever they go, according to their father.

-- USF men's basketball coach Robert McCullum has added a new walk-on for the upcoming season in 6-5 guard/forward Jared Rubens from Miami Krop High School. Good player from a great high school team that included three Division I players, his coach, Marcos "Shakey" Rodriguez, said he's a smart, heady player who wouldn't hurt a college coach if he had to play a few minutes here and there to spell someone.

By January, USF's depth problems should be a thing of the past, but this summer is still much like last spring. Because incoming freshmen can't practice with a team before a foreign tour, and because midyear transfers can't travel on them, the Bulls right now have six healthy players for their trip to Italy next month. Redshirt freshman Zaronn Cann has not been cleared to play yet but could before the team leaves on Aug. 12.

Hurricanes moving in on Bulls' real estate?

I'm not normally a rabblerouser, but I opened my mail this week to find the kind of slight snub that can really bother some Bulls fans. A local Realtor -- I'm always amused at how that profession gets a Very Special Capital Letter -- with Keller Williams Realty was nice enough to send me a fridge magnet, complete with the 2006 schedules of some area football teams ... and her contact information.

The Buccaneers take up most of the space, but the bottom has the schedules for three colleges -- Florida, Florida State and Miami. Those are the state's Big Three programs, sure, but you'd think a Realtor based in Brandon (and advertising to homeowners in Wesley Chapel) might have more luck reaching out to USF alums instead of Miami.

So I called the Realtor, Mary Joy, and it turns out she had noticed the slight as well. Her husband, as it turns out, is a USF alumnus, and in past years local Realtors had been able to choose the schools on the magnets sent out from Keller Williams, which is based in Austin, Texas. Not so this year, she was sorry to find out.

At first, you'd think it would make sense for an out-of-state corporation to simply plug in the Big Three for all mailers in Florida, but then again, if they can cater to Tampa customers by putting the Bucs in, they could probably switch in USF as well.

In another good sign, the Media Contact for Keller Williams has had its phone number and cell number disconnected. But anyway, if you want to pass along a thought about whether USF should have a place on your fridge, you can leave feedback on Keller Williams' official site, KW.com.

-- Now to a few football notes: First, I talked with Gary Garcia, whose son Stephen is one of the area's biggest football recruits and a quarterback at Jefferson. The Garcias made a campus visit to USF last week, and Dad, for one, left very impressed.

He called USF's athletic facility a "well-kept secret," something that surprised and impressed the Garcias, who are naturally very close to former Jefferson coach Mike Simmonds, now a defensive grad assistant with the Bulls. Gary actually went to USF briefly in 1971-72, and said he did a "180-degree turn" about the Bulls after listening to Jim Leavitt talk about the opportunity to build tradition at USF.

That's still a ways from being on Garcia's short list -- Stephen couldn't be reached for comment -- but his father said he wouldn't be surprised if Stephen makes more visits to USF this summer to talk with current players during voluntary workouts.

-- A familiar name in USF recruiting circles could be resurfacing: Terrence Jones, the Sarasota Booker running back who signed with the Bulls in 2004 but failed to qualify academically, is still on USF's radar.

Booker coach Fred Gilmore -- who will have his team at USF's Sling and Shoot camp this weekend -- told me offensive coordinator Rod Smith was at Booker on Wednesday and asked about Jones, who is entering his second season at Eastern Arizona College. Jones is drawing interest from schools out west like UCLA, Arizona and Arizona State, but Gilmore said USF is the only school close to home that's trying to get him. The Bulls have kept in good contact with Jones, the younger brother of former USF safety Johnnie Jones, and Gilmore said that means something to a recruit who could emerge as a major target.

-- Another recruit to watch at Sling and Shoot is Panama City Bay quarterback Bert Reed, a super-fast athlete who has offers as a QB from Florida and West Virginia and as a receiver from FSU. His speed is the draw -- coach Mike Healy clocked him at 4.31 in the 40, and Reed won the county 100 meters with a time of 10.5 seconds. At 6 feet, 162 pounds, he already has an offer from USF, which will also look at 6-3, 246-pound middle linebacker Bryan Gilbert, a four-year starter at Bay.

-- One more name to drop in the recruiting game: Pompano Beach linebacker Eddie Lisanti. He's another senior-to-be who will be at Sling and Shoot, and Pompano coach Vince Stephens gave me the single-most impressive stat I've heard on a recruit this year: Lisanti scored a 1600 on the SAT on his first try.

Given USF's recent troubles in getting all their signees academically qualified, it wouldn't hurt to err on the side of genius here and there. Asanti's 6-foot-2 and 230 pounds with a 5.2 weighted grade-point average, and he and teammate Cameron Burdick, a 6-6, 240-pound tight end, are drawing interest from a bunch of high-level programs, but Stephens said both like USF as a program where they can make an early impact and stay close to home.

Roster fun: More comings and goings

I'm always excited to get USF's fall roster, because it's like getting four months' worth of transactions in one day, always a surprise addition or subtraction or three. Here's the gist of what's new and gone for Bulls football:

-- USF landed a solid transfer in former Kansas State center Ryan Schmidt. Missed all of last year with a broken ankle, redshirted in 2004, but had been penciled in as the Wildcats' starting center, opting to transfer because he didn't mesh as well with a new head coach and position coach. His Boca Raton High coach told me his athleticism is unparalleled for a 300-pounder -- former basketball player, gifted enough to play any line position. He visited USF's campus Monday and told me the Bulls like him at center or guard. Thing is, he can't help the Bulls this fall ...

-- Which is unfortunate, because Tallahassee's Kevin McCaskill is one of five more signees who won't make it to USF this fall. McCaskill had a chance to compete with Nick Capogna and Jake Griffin for the starter's job, but he -- along with Jeremiah Warren, Joe Jackson and Jerrell Young -- failed to qualify academically. That's eight members of the February class that didn't make it, plus Frank Harry, who didn't make it a week into spring practice.

-- Speaking of not lasting long, Dixie Hollins offensive lineman James Boger quit after just two days of conditioning. Dixie is Jim Leavitt's alma mater, a pipeline for USF with the likes of Marquel Blackwell and Andre Hall. Boger just decided he didn't want to play college football, so he's off to firefighting school, according to Dixie coach Mike Morey. "It's a shame," said Morey, baffled at the decision from a player who never missed a day of practice at Dixie.

-- All these recruits missing the cut only hurt the Bulls so much. Nearly all would have redshirted, and many will spend this fall improving ACT scores so they can enroll in January, an early start on next year's recruiting class. Joe Jackson is heading to Butler Community College in Kansas, but McCaskill, Warren and Young plan on being at USF this spring. Being in the same class could help USF's chances at landing McCaskill's brother, Keith, a strong recruit. I count USF at 23 scholarships, and I wouldn't be surprised if walk-on running back Walt Smith gets one, with another kept in pocket for a midyear addition.

-- Walk-ons! Some great stories in a few new faces on the roster. Most intriguing? That has to be J.B. Bailey, a former Leto standout who last played in 2003 as a freshman at Tennessee Tech, starting five games at quarterback. He redshirted in 2004, was out of football in 2005, taking classes at Hillsborough Community College. So this spring, he enrolls at Itawamba Community College in Mississippi, where they think he might be their starting quarterback. Even Monday, when I called Itawamba, the head coach thought Bailey would be there; the kid hadn't told his coach. He hasn't gotten into USF and needs to finish two summer classes to get his associate's degree, but he'll be a defensive back for the first time since high school, easily the most well-traveled of this year's new walk-ons.

-- More walk-ons! All spring, Leavitt was making reference to a preferred walk-on who would be a contender for long-snapping duties this fall, careful not to leak the name at the risk that another program might offer him a scholarship. That snapper is Luke Birge, who played tight end at Sebring High and is already taking classes and working out with returning starter Ryan Bordeau this summer. It's Bordeau's job to lose, but Birge could be his successor. What got him to USF? His offensive coordinator his junior year was former USF lineman Larry Scott, who's now a graduate assistant and sold him on walking on. He drew interest from Southern Miss and was smart enough to have Columbia sending him letters. Walk-on Eric Setser and tight end Ben Busbee are other potential snappers for the Bulls.

-- Other odd notes: As you first read here, Bradenton Southeast's A.J. Love is on the roster (though he hasn't gotten into USF yet) but he's listed as a defensive back. One two-sport athlete to watch is Miami Palmetto's David Cozzo, who played quarterback and centerfield in high school but will be a speedy receiver for the Bulls. One year after the Bulls took a flyer on former hockey prospect Shane McElwain from Palm Beach Central, they've got a walk-on tight end from the same school: 6-foot-6, 220-pound Quincy Okolie, who played only one year of varsity football and caught only about 10 passes at that. "He's a project guy," the PBC coach tells me, noting that walk-ons are supposed to be just like that.

-- Two more returning scholarship players have left, though neither was expected to play any significant role: offensive tackle Jerome Springfield and defensive tackle Paul Uhatafe. Oh, and cornerback A.J. Brant, who missed last season with a knee injury and said in April he was transferring, has landed back in his hometown at Bethune-Cookman. With Brant, Ronnie McCullough and Josh Balloon, you could have three Bulls starting on the Wildcats' defense this fall, with Ramon McCullough there as well.

-- Five of USF's 10 lost recruits were defensive linemen, so there's some positional adjustments -- McElwain, once a tight end, is now a defensive end, where he'd worked a bit this spring, and so is walk-on linebacker Treco Bellamy, pushed aside by transfer Marvin Peoples and late addition Brandon Peguese. Carlton Hill is officially a wide receiver, Grant Gregory is now back at quarterback.

-- So it's good to be back from vacation. I'll have more roster fun Tuesday -- I'll challenge my loyal posters to guess (without looking at rosters published online) the names of the four Bulls whose listed weights went up by 20 or more pounds from last year's roster. Better still, five USF players managed to shrink, dropping an inch off their heights from last fall. Get those guesses and lingering questions for me in the comments ...