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Tracking the College Gridiron Stars of the Future
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Football Recruiting Report
Thursday, November 27, 2003
By Sammy Batten
Staff Writer for The Fayetteville Observer |
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Pedigreed Pinkney not
overlooked by ECU
©2003 Bonesville.net
Pine Forest High School coach Dean Saffos believes the
recruiting of his quarterback Patrick Pinkney might make a good episode for
the television program "Unsolved Mysteries.''
Because despite a senior season that would be the envy of
many prep quarterbacks, Pinkney's list of scholarship offers to date
consists of a handful from NCAA Division I-AA or II schools and East
Carolina. Other schools, such as Duke, are only interested if Pinkney
commits to playing another position.
Some might suggest that the even the ECU offer is based in
part because Pinkney's father, Reggie, was an All-Conference player for the
Pirates in 1976.
Saffos will tell you in the blunt manner that is a trademark
for the veteran prep coach that Patrick Pinkney is deserving of the Pirates'
offer, and more.
"One of those TV guys came up to me after our Millbrook
(playoff) game,'' Saffos said earlier this month as Pinkney spearheaded a
Pine Forest drive into the third round of the 4-AA playoffs. "I doubt if
they put it on, but I turned around and said, 'Hey, you can't tell me this
kid can't play in the ACC after tonight. If the coaches in the ACC don't
think he can play, you deserve the records you've got.'
"And I really believe that. He can play anywhere.''
OK, so Saffos is a little prejudiced when it comes to
Pinkney.
Former N.C. State quarterback and NFL wide receiver Charles
Davenport also shares Saffos' belief that Pinkney can play big-time college
football. Davenport is a Pine Forest graduate and served as Pinkney's
personal tutor during the 2003 season.
"A lot of people are going to miss on Pat, and it's going to
cost them,'' Davenport said. "You don't find many people who can make plays
like this kid. He's made them week in and week out for four years. I told
him before the season when it came to recruiting, 'No matter what happens,
don't let anybody tell you you're not a quarterback, because you are a
Division I quarterback.'
"In my mind, I feel like that kid will play on Sunday. He's
no different than a lot of other guys I came along with that are still
playing (in the NFL) today, even Jeff Blake. And Patrick has a lot more
footspeed and a lot more running ability. He can throw the ball. He's not a
thrower. He's a passer. Pat has all the skills. He's strong, he's smart. He
knows how to play the game.
"Somebody is going to make a mistake,'' he said. "I hope he
goes to a team that can utilize his skills.''
East Carolina may be the perfect team to do that, and not
because it's his father's alma mater or the only Division I-A school to
offer.
Pinkney would appear to be the perfect fit for the style of
offense first-year coordinator Rick Stockstill is developing at ECU.
Stockstill likes a mobile quarterback who is capable of stressing the
defense with his ability to pass or run on every play.
The state playoffs provided the perfect showcase for
Pinkney's ability to do just that.
In an opening-round, 35-32 overtime win against Raleigh
Millbrook, Pinkney showed off his passing skills by competing 24 of 32
passes for 442 yards and three touchdowns. He also added 75 yards rushing on
16 carries.
The second-round matchup against Raleigh Broughton provided
a stage for Pinkney's running abilities. He ripped off touchdown runs of 96
and 82 yards en route to a 280-yard game rushing on 17 carries in lifting
the Trojans to a 41-35 win.
"I'm a quarterback with a lot of athletic ability,'' Pinkney
said. "I can throw or run, whatever it takes to help my team win. It doesn't
matter if that's running, throwing or just handing the ball off. I'm
versatile. I'm an option quarterback and a throwing quarterback. You put
those two together, and it's hard to stop.''
Pinkney's numbers took a dip in a third-round loss against
Southeast Raleigh when he completed 8 of 21 passes for 102 yards and gained
only 1 yard rushing. Still, the performance impressed Southeast Raleigh
coach Chad O'Shea enough that during a quick meeting with the quarterback
after the game he offered to call "anyone I know'' in the college ranks to
give Pinkney a recommendation.
The furious finish helped Pinkney post some pretty
impressive statistics for the year. He completed 122 of 237 passes (51.5%)
for 1,680 yards, 12 touchdowns and 8 interceptions, then tacked on 1,172
yards rushing on 202 carries (5.8 yard-per-carry average) and 17 scores.
Now that his season is finished, Pinkney will begin to
concentrate more on recruiting. He said the schools making the most serious
contact with him at the present are East Carolina, Duke, Appalachian State,
N.C. A&T, Richmond and Wofford.
Pinkney has a high interest in the Pirates and has been in
constant contact with the coaching staff. First-year head coach John
Thompson actually extended Pinkney his scholarship offer soon after his
arrival in Greenville last January.
"They haven't been putting too much pressure on me because
we were in the playoffs, but they've still called once a week,'' Pinkney
said. "I am very interested in them and I've been very impressed with Coach
Thompson and Coach (Jerry) McManus (his recruiter).''
Sharing a house with a former Pirate doesn't put pressure on
Pinkney to choose ECU.
Dad Reggie Pinkney lettered three years as a defensive back
and kick returner for the Pirates between 1974-76. A first-team All-Southern
Conference pick as a senior in '76, Reggie's name is still prominent in the
ECU record books. He owns the school single-game record for interception
return yards with 137 and average per interception returns with 68.5 against
Richmond in 1976. Reggie also owns the single-season record for interception
return yards (197 in '76) and average per interception returns (32.8 in
'76).
The elder Pinkney, who went on to play in the NFL after
graduating from ECU, is now a principal in Cumberland County.
"My Dad doesn't pressure me about going to any school,''
Patrick Pinkney said. "He just says whoever gives me the best chance to get
a good education is what I should think about. It doesn't matter to him
where I go as long as I have a full scholarship and my education is paid
for.''
Patrick Pinkney isn't bothered by the fact that even at ECU
he'll face some tough competition to become a factor at quarterback. The
Pirates will return starter Desmond Robinson next season and James Pinkney
and Florida transfer Patrick Dosh are expected to challenge for playing time
next fall. ECU also has already gained a verbal commitment from one high
school senior quarterback, Antonio Miller from Charlotte's Olympic High.
"To me, that's not a factor,'' Pinkney said. "Everybody is
good in college. There will be competition no matter where I go. It's about
who is the best, who works the hardest and who plays up to their
potential.''
Pinkney, who is scheduled to make an official visit to ECU
on Jan. 6, is focused on playing quarterback in college, but said he would
consider a position change under certain conditions. A 6-foot-1, 190-pounder
who can run the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds, Pinkney is more than capable of
playing another position.
"If it comes down to that, I'll do whatever it takes to help
the team out no matter where I play, whether that's quarterback, wide
receiver or defensive back,'' Pinkney said. "I just want to help my team get
to a championship and I'll do whatever it takes.''
That unselfish attitude is just another reason Saffos is
baffled by the limited Division I-A attention Pinkney is receiving on the
recruiting trail.
"I think whoever gets him has got a winner,'' Saffos said.
"He'll get his grades and I don't think he'll do stupid things. I can't say
it enough. As good of an athlete as he is, he's a better kid than he is an
athlete. I've never had anything but yes sir and no sir (from him). He's
made some mistakes here. But he's always on the honor roll. He makes
excellent grades. He studies and gets his work done. He hasn't skipped
school that we know about. I don't know what he does on weekends because I'm
not with him all the time, but I don't think he does stupid things then
either.
"In June, we're going to clone him so we'll have him for
four more (years).''
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02/23/2007 02:35:58 PM |
