From Deseret News archives:
BYU plays host to 150 potential football recruits
Well, Michigan and Ohio State experience "it." So do Miami, LSU, Stanford and USC. Penn State coach Joe Paterno once complained when "it" didn't return to his campus, a place way out of the way.
"It" is called a Nike Training Camp and it's for high school football players, a key step in getting labeled as a two-, three- or four-star recruit. After 10 years of lobbying hard to host one of these, BYU finally got one on Saturday.
It's a coveted event. Nike schools like BYU are candidates. Reebok or Adidas or Under Armour schools need not apply. Sorry, Notre Dame.
This one in Provo was small by Nike standards. The Stanford or USC camp can draw more than 600 athletes. But the BYU camp is one of the last in the circuit, and because of that, it drew campers from all over the country who wanted to get noticed just one more time heading into their junior or senior years next fall.
"This just didn't drop in our lap," said BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe. "Our relationship with Nike goes way back with LaVell Edwards and Phil Knight. We earned it."
Like most things this side of Tiger Woods irons and golf balls, Nike decides things.
"They pretty much tell us where to go," said Brian Stumps, the national football director for Studentsports, a marketing firm contracted by Nike to stage such camps that draw the top high school players in the nation to various venues each year.
Recent comments
it really works to our favor because Bronco Mendenahll, has a special...
Cougar man | June 18, 2008 at 4:17 p.m.
I guess if you can't prove that Kyle is a better coach based on his...
To: U | June 18, 2008 at 12:06 a.m.
BYU has just produced another professional world championship. Danny...
BYU champs National & Intl. | June 17, 2008 at 10:40 p.m.
- Kelly headed for Notre Dame 8:35 p.m.
- MLB notes 8:22 p.m.
- Speed skating tuneup Friday 8:19 p.m.
- BCS did TCU a favor? 8:16 p.m.
- Beadles earns Camp All-America Team 8:11 p.m.
- Wilson not running for re-election 8:10 p.m.
- Legislators to get new cell phones 8:10 p.m.
- Photos: Careful on the slopes 8:10 p.m.
- Snow may fly with warmer weekend 8:07 p.m.
- Man accused in mugging 7:41 p.m.
- Nude bathers cited for lewdness
- Few details on missing W.V. mom
- Jazz fall apart late at L.A.
- Crash landing next to I-15
- Defense witness goes on offensive
- BCS = power conference monopoly
- Palin signs books, chats with fans
- I-15 expansion barreling south
- 5 officers lose their certification
- Y.'s Emery bruised, but rarely beaten
- Letters: Global warming a lie
256 - TCU to play Boise in Fiesta Bowl
206 - BYU football: Bronco weighs in on Hall
193 - Palin signs books, chats with fans
161 - Cougars going back to Vegas
150 - Utah/BYU rivalry can be more civil
149 - Andersen apologizes for Jordan hoax
142 - Max Hall wants to look ahead
124 - Nude bathers cited for lewdness
118 - Jazz fall apart late at L.A.
110
When the 2008-09 season wrapped up, the Aggies had a 30-5 record and...
ESPN's Mark Schlabach ranked the Las Vegas Bowl as the seventh most...
How many BYU or Ute fans whining about Obama here will except a win for there...
Wow, gone as far back to say that buring fossil fuels does not really release...
They have one big run where they go unconscious," he said, "and they did that...
That's a great idea! I like the move away from commercialism.
I love David's Christmas album. He sounds great with the Prague strings and I...
It's only reading these hate fill comments from conservatives that make...
The stats don't lie. The award should be given to the best tight end. Not the...
Interested to see how Emery will do against Hesleph from Juan Diego. Emery is...
Harvey Unga eats Yewts for breakfast. Career vs. Utah: 61 Carries 373 Yards...
"The "ban this and ban that" crowd had better think long and hard about...

