College Recruiting’s Thin Gray Line
WICHITA, Kan. — The recruitment of the nation’s top high school football player, tailback Bryce Brown, has been so intense that he left town to escape the hoopla surrounding Wednesday’s national signing day. He may wait a month before deciding whether to join his brother, Arthur, a linebacker at the University of Miami, or go elsewhere.
Sharing the spotlight and the drama of the decision is Brian Butler, who identifies himself as the Brown brothers’ trainer and manager. To get to Bryce Brown, coaches must go through Butler. He handles Brown’s workouts, recruiting and news media requests.
On a Web site, Butler sells updates of Brown’s recruitment for $9.99 a month or $59 a year. He also seeks contributions that he says are used to take players on a tour of colleges each summer.
nytimes.com
2/3/09