National signing day is supposed to be the culmination of four-years of hard work by a prep athlete getting validated by an offer from some of the finest institutions in the nation.
That was not the case for University of Georgia signee Josh Harvey-Clemons.
Harvey-Clemons (ESPN150 #17/Lowndes High School, Valdosta, GA) was the number one outside linebacker recruit in the country and the number one recruit in Georgia. He was pretty tight-lipped about his commitment status until 2 p.m. yesterday when he announced on ESPN. What everyone didn’t expect was his choice: Georgia.
That set off a chain of events that were as inexplicable as they were confusing.
You see Harvey-Clemons legal guardians are his grandparents and in order for the deal to be official he needed both grandparents signatures on the letter of intent (LOI). Problem is his grandfather, Woodrow, went missing right after the announcement. The interesting part is he meant to do so.
Yep. Grandpa went AWOL.
You see his grandfather decided to take this kids opportunity and make it about himself and his desires rather than what his five-star grandson wanted which was to play in Athens. Because of proximity he didn’t like the idea of Georgia because it was two hours further for a drive. So we’re talking about giving up a chance to play for a great program and a coach who coaches who know how to get their guys ready for that next level for two hours and the wishes of someone who didn’t tackle a soul the last four years (although as a bail bondsmen I could be wrong on that second fact).
Listen, family is family, but understanding that when a kid makes a decision that he feels is best for him and his future in life (be it in football or otherwise) I think that should be understood. Especially considering the myriad other things he could be doing instead of the right thing.
it is unfortunate that his day will be marred by the actions of an overbearing guardian but I wish him all the best from here on out. Lets just hope this isn’t a precursor of things to come and its a smooth ride from here on out.
