Saw these quotes from Ben Roberts talking to Vince Marrow, some really interesting stuff:
Over the past two years, has there been any change to your message to recruits or any change to how recruits are receiving that message?
"What's different is — we just rushed in that first year, trying to put a class together. And we stole some guys at the end. Now — with me and (director of football operations Dan Berezowitz) and Coach Stoops and our whole staff leading — it's a machine. I think when we did that 2013 class, people were like, 'OK, it's just a little excitement with the new staff.' That's what a lot of the other schools were using. And I think some of the people around here who were critical of the program, they thought, 'They're not going to put that together twice.'
"And the people in Lexington have a lot to do with it. I'd say 98 percent of my involvement with parents, their input back to me has been, 'Wow, we walked around the town and people were just so nice.' So I started using that from 2014 on. I'd tell the parents — they're staying downtown — and I said, 'Just go outside and walk around.' I felt very confident in the people in this community."
"And Lord forbid we win a couple more games. What are you going to have to say now? And parents are smart. They see where this thing is going. All you have to do is look around. I don't see it slowing down. I see it getting better, because our program is getting better. We're building something special."
When you go on these recruiting visits, do parents see Kentucky in a different way than they did two years ago?
"Yes. First year, it was like — I'm going to be honest — it was like, 'Kentucky? C'mon, man. Kentucky?'
"This is a true story, (freshman cornerback) Mike Edwards' dad — you know, Mike Edwards was a high-four-star, had over 30 offers. He committed to us, and I remember his mom said they first saw it on TV. He didn't tell his parents. So I knew I had to get with his dad, because the mom was like, 'Oh, my husband. He's not too happy.' And I called him, and he was like, 'Man, you all tricked him. What you did to my son, you all tricked him. We haven't even visited there. Man, Kentucky?' He just wasn't feeling it. Until he came here and visited himself. He was like, 'Man, now I see what my son wanted.'
Over the past two years, has there been any change to your message to recruits or any change to how recruits are receiving that message?
"What's different is — we just rushed in that first year, trying to put a class together. And we stole some guys at the end. Now — with me and (director of football operations Dan Berezowitz) and Coach Stoops and our whole staff leading — it's a machine. I think when we did that 2013 class, people were like, 'OK, it's just a little excitement with the new staff.' That's what a lot of the other schools were using. And I think some of the people around here who were critical of the program, they thought, 'They're not going to put that together twice.'
"And the people in Lexington have a lot to do with it. I'd say 98 percent of my involvement with parents, their input back to me has been, 'Wow, we walked around the town and people were just so nice.' So I started using that from 2014 on. I'd tell the parents — they're staying downtown — and I said, 'Just go outside and walk around.' I felt very confident in the people in this community."
"And Lord forbid we win a couple more games. What are you going to have to say now? And parents are smart. They see where this thing is going. All you have to do is look around. I don't see it slowing down. I see it getting better, because our program is getting better. We're building something special."
When you go on these recruiting visits, do parents see Kentucky in a different way than they did two years ago?
"Yes. First year, it was like — I'm going to be honest — it was like, 'Kentucky? C'mon, man. Kentucky?'
"This is a true story, (freshman cornerback) Mike Edwards' dad — you know, Mike Edwards was a high-four-star, had over 30 offers. He committed to us, and I remember his mom said they first saw it on TV. He didn't tell his parents. So I knew I had to get with his dad, because the mom was like, 'Oh, my husband. He's not too happy.' And I called him, and he was like, 'Man, you all tricked him. What you did to my son, you all tricked him. We haven't even visited there. Man, Kentucky?' He just wasn't feeling it. Until he came here and visited himself. He was like, 'Man, now I see what my son wanted.'
