By Todd Bradley, DCSportsFan.com
MaxPreps.com
For every Jelani Jenkins, there are a thousand Chris Townsends.
Last week, in front of a national audience, Jelani Jenkins was informing the sports world about his intentions to enroll at the University of Florida and play football. With his family by his side and a live ESPN audience clinging to his every word in front of a school-wide assembly, Jenkins took out a white Florida hat with his name and number already embroidered into the back and ended the biggest press conference Good Counsel High School will ever have.
Thirty miles away in Forestville, Md., Bishop McNamara senior Chris Townsend was announcing his decision to attend Prairie View A&M University in front of a small gathering in the school's library and media center.
Townsend, one of the best players in the WCAC the past two seasons, was often overshadowed and underrated by the high school football world despite recording over 200 tackles during his junior and senior seasons. Townsend used the lack of attention as motivation, which earned him a full athletic scholarship to Prairie View, and he was named the Defensive Player of the Year by DCSportsFan.com.
"Every time I worked out or was at practice, I always thought about Jelani Jenkins (Florida), Caleb Porzel (Maryland) or Pete White (Maryland)," Townsend said. "I thought that I was on the same level as them."
But many big Division I schools didn't. West Virginia, Maryland, Boston College, Syracuse and North Carolina State were just some of the schools that contacted Townsend over the past two years, but interest eventually faded. Some said his 5-foot-10 frame was too small.
"At first, there were so many colleges you wouldn't even believe," Townsend said. "The recruiting process is really crazy. You could be talking to a coach one day, and that will be the last day you ever speak to him. If you don't have the height, speed or skill, you will be ridiculed by colleges because they want everything in their recruits. My coach told me that if I had at least two or three more inches, I would have had over 20 scholarships. I always daydream about those two inches, but I am happy with what God has blessed me with."
The recruiting process can be very demanding, and it comes with both ups and downs. Townsend said that visiting colleges, talking to different coaches and getting mail really made him feel important. But having to tell colleges he wasn't interested, hearing that different programs had lost interest in him or never getting an official offer made the situation difficult to deal with. In the end, though, Townsend decided on Prairie View and is comfortable with his decision.
"They offered me a full scholarship," Townsend said. "I loved the campus and the area. I felt like I was at home. Plus, half the coaching staff is from D.C., so there isn't any real transition from Maryland to Texas. It just fits me."
Alan Elder, a senior at Gonzaga College High School, committed to Lafayette College last week after being the featured running back for Gonzaga for the majority of the past three seasons. Elder's coming out party was during his sophomore season when he filled in for an injured teammate and rushed for over 100 yards against Georgetown Prep in front of 5,000 people. It was the first time Elder played running back in a game despite playing football since he was seven years old.
"The Prep game gave me the confidence that I can run well against any team because it was such a big game and so many people were there to see it," Elder said.
Elder, who also lettered in track for two years, racked up 2,000 yards and 25 touchdowns for Gonzaga, and he was named offensive MVP in 2007 and 2008. Schools like Lafayette, Colgate, Lehigh, Bucknell, Albright and John Carroll showed interest in Elder, but he didn't get any offers from big Division I schools.
"The most frustrating thing about it all was the fact that some players who I ran well against were getting offers from schools that didn't offer me," Elder said. "But not once did I ever become jealous. I just continued to work hard and kept my faith in God and something eventually worked out."
Elder decided on Lafayette because it was a great academic school. He also liked the atmosphere, facilities, coaches and the players.
"It seemed like a place that would fit me and allow me to remain focused in the classroom and on the field," Elder added. "Also, Rodney Gould (a 2008 Gonzaga graduate) made me feel comfortable up there when I was with him. I didn't feel like a stranger."
Tom Chroniger, who led DeMatha to two championships as the team's starting quarterback, didn't have any trouble gaining recognition because of DeMatha's athletic reputation, but he struggled to get big offers despite success on the field. He was named the Most Valuable Player for the 2008 season by DCSportsFan.com, and schools like Eastern Michigan, Kansas State, Maryland, New Mexico, Akron, Buffalo and Towson showed interest.
Chroniger originally gave a verbal commitment to Eastern Michigan, but a new coaching staff came in and the evaluation process started all over. Last week, however, Chroniger committed to Towson, and he was called the "crown jewel of the class" by Towson's student paper.
"It makes me feel great," Chroniger said. "I know it won't be easy, but it definitely makes me feel wanted there."
Towson head coach Rob Ambrose is beginning his first season as the school's head coach after serving as the offensive coordinator at the University of Connecticut. He is joined by John Kaleo, who was named quarterback coach after being the offensive coordinator at Iona College the past two years.
"When I talked to Coach Ambrose and Coach Kaleo about playing there, they showed me what I was looking for. [Ambrose] knows what it takes to turn a program around."
While Chroniger, Townsend and Elder are excited about the opportunities that lie ahead, they realized the sacrifices it would take to get to the next level.
"Advice I would give to another athlete trying to play in college is to do the things that you can control," Elder said. "Work hard in the off-season, perform on the field and promote yourself. Always stay focused and never get discouraged."
