The Truth about a 4 year scholarship

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Ask Coach Taylor: Is My Scholarship Guaranteed for all 4 Years?

April 26th, 2011 - by Kate Heidenreich

Coach Taylor- Is my scholarship guaranteed for all 4 years?

An athletic scholarship is not guaranteed for all four years. They are awarded for one academic year at a time and officially called “National Letters of Intents”. However, they are offered with the expectation that it will be renewed each year on the basis of continued progress on both the field and in the classroom. Getting an athletic scholarship doesn’t mean you can now coast through school until graduation. It is common for most college coaches to make verbal commitments of 4 years. However, it is important to keep in mind that verbal commitments are not legally binding. The decision to renew a scholarship is made on a year-by-year basis, depending on the regulations of the institution.
If you are receiving an athletic scholarship, the scholarship may be reduced or canceled during the academic year ONLY if you:

• Make yourself ineligible for the NCAA competition
• Misrepresent any information on your application, letter of intent or financial aid agreement
• Receive a substantial disciplinary penalty due to serious misconduct
• Voluntarily quit the team

Athletic scholarships cannot be reduced, canceled or increased during the year they are awarded based on your athletic performance or team’s success or because an injury prevents you from participating.
If you are receiving an athletic scholarship, the institution must notify you in writing on or before July 1 whether the aid has been renewed or not. Though there are no four-year athletic scholarships in NCAA Division 1 or II, one-year scholarships can be renewed annually for a maximum of five years within a six-year period.

Top Recruit still Undecided!

April 25, 2011

Chris Clark
GamecockCentral.com

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Ramsey (NJ) Don Bosco Prep defensive back Elijah Shumate is one of the top prospects in the country at his position, holding offers from a host of major college football programs.

Most recently, Illinois, Notre Dame, and Southern Cal threw their hats in the ring for the 6-foot-1, 205-pounder. GamecockCentral.com recently caught up with the talented DB and he gave an update on his favorite programs and who is after him the hardest.

Shumate says USC, Rutgers are on top

"South Carolina is definately recruiting me the hardest right now but Rutgers is right there as well," Shumate said. "I have a top five of Rutgers, South Carolina, UNC, UConn, and LSU right now. Both South Carolina and Rutgers are in first with me right now. It's too close to call."

South Carolina quarterbacks coach G.A. Mangus signed three prospects from the Garden State in February and is after several more in the 2012 class. One of the 2011 signees, Sheldon Royster, is close with Shumate and has already been working him to head to Columbia as well. Shumate plans on visiting South Carolina this summer.

"Sheldon is my boy," said Shumate. "We grew up next door to each other and we are like brothers. He loves South Carolina and he is always telling me about it down there. He says it is beautiful and that the coaches are great. He also says that they give the freshmen a chance to play and I like that. I was supposed to go down to visit for the spring game but I had something to do. Sheldon says that the next time he goes down he wants to take me with him. That will be sometime this summer. I am looking forward to checking everything out."

Shumate has developed a great relationship with his Mangus as well, and he was asked about the bond they have built during the recruiting process.

"Coach Mangus is mad cool. He is a great guy and coach. I love talking to him and we talk all of the time. I talk to him by phone and sometimes on Facebook. He just tells me that I need to get down to visit and that he thinks I will love it down there. Sheldon was recruited by him as well and also really likes Coach Mangus."

Even though Shumate has not yet visited South Carolina's campus, he did catch several contests last season on TV. He offered up his thoughts on the team's progress.

"I watched them play a few times this year on TV and one was the Auburn game. South Carolina is up and coming. They are signing some big time players and they have some great coaches. Steve Spurrier is getting it done there and they won the SEC East last year and have a big chance to win again this year. I like the way their defense plays with swag and how they fly around. They are intense and fast. I would love to be a part of that defense. They also give freshman a fair chance to play if they work hard and get it done."

Shumate believes he is versatile enough to play several positions at the next level, and also addressed the potential of he and his friend having a chance to play together in college.

"I am just a d-back," he said. "I will play corner, free safety, or strong safety. It would be awesome to think that me and Sheldon could possibly play in the same defensive backfield. Jersey boys in the backfield would be awesome."

While a public announcement will likely be later in the process, Shumate plans on having his recruitment mostly behind him before then.

"I think I am going to wait till the Army All-American game to make a decision but I want to know where I am going well before that."

Bosco sends another to Div 1

December 8, 2010

Mike Farrell
Recruiting Analyst

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Ramsey (N.J.) Don Bosco quarterback Gary Nova has had some ups and downs over the past week. That's putting it mildly.

Nova remains committed to the Panthers.

The 6-foot-2, 210-pound quarterback led Don Bosco to a 37-27 victory over Bergen Catholic in the New Jersey Non-Public Group 4 state championship game.

That means Nova finished his high school playing career with a perfect record as a starting quarterback.

"I got better and became a better all-around player," Nova explained. "We didn't have a lot of seniors on the team so I had to step up as a leader and improve on my communication with the guys. I had to be positive on the field."

As exciting as that victory was, and as sweet as any championship is, the news that Dave Wannstedt had resigned at Pitt hit Nova like a ton of bricks and was tough to stomach.

"I was mostly just surprised," he said. "Coach Wannstedt had signed an extension and it seemed like everything was pretty much good. I thought he was going to be there. I guess that's the way college football is. It's a business and I understand that.

"That said, I'm sad to see him go because he's a good coach and a great person."

Nova said he has spoken with Pitt assistant coach Jeff Hafley each of the past two days and that has been very reassuring.

"Me and him have a great relationship," Nova said. "He's been 100-percent honest with me since the beginning.

"I've also talked to guys like Quinton (Alston) and Bill Belton. We want to stay strong with Pitt but we know if something happens we might have to make a change."

At this point Nova remains committed to Pitt and it would take a big change of course for him to reconsider and look at other options.

"I'm 100-percent committed," he continued. "Pitt is the place I want to play college football unless there's a full cleaning house of the coaching staff of there's a coach that comes in with an offensive scheme I don't want to run. I like all the guys they've got there now. I'm great friends with all the coaches.

"I like the offense they run now. It's a pro-style offense ... run the ball first, play action. I don't really want to be in a spread offense or anything like that where they want a running QB. None of that translates to the next level."

Nova is ranked the No. 11 pro-style quarterback in the nation.

Blue Chip Imaging Hit Its Mark With Elijah Shumate

Ramsey (N.J.) Don Bosco Prep is home to plenty of top talented each year and one of the school's best cornerbacks in recent memory is only a rising junior.

Shumate wants to visit three schools.

Elijah Shumate has all the tools to be a lockdown college corner and that's a scary thought, as he still has two more years to develop before he starts playing college football. It's even more impressive when you consider that most schools will probably be looking at him as a safety. His coaches moved him to corner to show off his cover skills.

Lots of schools have verbally offered him -- 11 to be exact -- and plenty of others are sure to get involved as they find out more.

Shumate attended a Boston College camp with his teammates back in June and he said that trip went well. Most schools found out about him at the National Underclassmen Combine, where he did very well for himself.

North Carolina, Arizona, Maryland, Virginia Tech, Tennessee, Georgia and Rutgers are some of the more recent schools to verbally offer him.

"(The offers) are based pretty much on the National Underclassmen Combine," Shumate said. "They like my cover abilities, my size and my speed. Plus my coaches have been in contact with a lot of schools telling them about me."

While Shumate won't come out and say he has favorites, it's clear that a few schools are on his mind.

"I'm open but I have three schools that I'm very interested in and I want to visit," he said. "Miami, Pittsburgh and North Carolina. I like those schools a lot.

"I like Miami because that's been my school since I was like four years old. I was born and raised on the Miami Hurricanes, watching them. My favorite player was Sean Taylor. That's my idol. They've shown interest. My coach went up there and he was talking to their coaches. He said I'm number two on their board so most likely they'll be offering soon.

"Pitt is a really good school and a lot of players I know went to Pitt. T.J. Clemmings and my quarterback Gary Nova. They've shown a lot of interest in me and they treat me real good. The coaches talk a real good game and they want me to visit. Everyone that's visited talks about how nice it is.

"With North Carolina, I've got family down there. My uncle and I have been in contact with some of the coaches. He's said it's a real good school and he said they've been talking about me big up there. I just want to see how it is and meet a lot of the players just to see how it is."

Shumate cannot receive written offers for a while, but he's already thinking about when he would like to make his decision. He does not think he will let the recruiting process drag on beyond the end of his junior season.

Last fall for Don Bosco he carried the ball 77 times for 900 yards and 15 touchdowns while recording 46 tackles, two interceptions and two sacks.

Blue Chip Imaging's Life Goal

“Our main objective is to give back to our community having embraced the family premise that “it takes a whole village”.   However, our ultimate goal is to help student athletes become conspicuous in order to gain entry in the recruiting process of elite schools and colleges.  Although, our focus will be to provide exceptional services through marketing and recruiting, the primary emphasis will be academic excellence.  The idea is to equip student athletes with enough tools to be able to function in this ever changing society.  Through this process hopefully, they will be able to attain their dreams and expand their body, mind and soul in a positive way.  Perhaps, that is why I encourage my son, Amir, who is one of my partners, to realize the importance of character and integrity.  Believe me; we care enough to give you the best because we want the best, particularly, for our young people.”

Please help us be successful in rebuilding and mentoring our youth!

Don Bosco Prep Myth or Reality

Everyone wants to know if DBP's program is real or just a myth.
Just watching the 2010 Ironmen of Ramsey go about their business on a
daily basis one has a tough argument to uphold to say anything different.
 The Ironmen believe in hard work, brotherhood, and mental toughness
as their daily supplement for success in a discipline program at Ramsey.

 Many critics believe that the 2010 year was suppose to be a rebuilding
year and one which would involve growing pains for the young and
inexperience Ironmen. Instead wide receiver Leonte Carroo got healthy
and focused, Freshman phenom defensive back Jabril Peppers played
like a veteran, transfer standouts from Paterson Catholic defensive
lineman Alquadin Muhammad, safety play maker Elijah Shumate
prove to be the intregal piece of the puzzle the Ironmen needed
to solidify the defense.

 Leadership is very important for any team's success and there are
three players that exemplify just that every weekend, senior quarterback
Gary Nova with his cool demeanor and pinpoint accuracy, senior linebacker
Lars Larsen who is a tackling machine has a nose for the football, junior defensive
lineman Darius unblockable Hamilton who is a man playing amongst boys.

 A lot of programs tries to imitate and duplicate DBP's intense program but
what make this program so unique and successful is that everyone buys into
the system faculty, kids, coaches, and the community.

 On the cusp on winning its fifth state title in a row thirteenth in all the
Bergen Catholic Crusaders ( 10-1) will have to invade the Ironmen (11-0)
prohibited island to dethrone them.
 If the Ironmen win another state title and Star Ledger top team Trophy
under the lights at the New Meadowlands Stadium on December 3rd there will be
no more questions about the legitimacy of their program.