Greater Houston football showcase offers hope for recruits, coaches

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There was plenty of college recruiting going on Saturday.

But it probably wasn't the recruitment most college football fans have come to know.

The room didn't stop when a head coach walked in. No one came on a "swagcopter." There were no private planes.

"That's not exactly the world I live in," said Brian Armstrong, the head football coach at Rocky Mountain College, an NAIA school in Billings, Mont.

Still, Armstrong and coaches from 50 other schools across the country made the trip to Houston. They came for the Greater Houston Senior Football Showcase.

Now in its seventh season, the combine brought together more than 460 high school

seniors to the Texans' Methodist Training Center, giving them a chance to not only perform in front of the coaches but talk to them and discuss college plans.

"We just drove 13 hours from Marshall, Mo., all the way down here," said Barry Rave, the special-teams coordinator/defensive line coach at Missouri Valley College. "Got in late (Friday). We have scholarship money left over, so we're just trying to find some kids that can play our style of football."

Added Lamar defensive lineman Trevon Jones, who came after not signing with a school in Arkansas: "Not playing anymore crossed my mind. You don't know if you're blessed to get that next chance to play again — you're just hoping that you do."

Road warriors

Elijah Chenier, of Baytown Sterling, runs his 40-yard-dash during the Greater Houston Senior Football Showcase at The Methodist Training Center on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2015, in Houston. There were 468 athletes showing their skills for coaches from 51 colleges during the combine-style event. less Elijah Chenier, of Baytown Sterling, runs his 40-yard-dash during the Greater Houston Senior Football Showcase at The Methodist Training Center on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2015, in Houston. There were 468 athletes ... more Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 24 Caption Close Greater Houston football showcase offers hope for recruits, coaches 1 / 24 Back to Gallery

For colleges in the lower divisions, utilizing combines and events such as this helps build rosters. Wednesday was national signing day, the first day football recruits could sign a letter of intent with their respective colleges.

That day is dominated by the NCAA's highest division (Football Bowl Subdivision). Schools such as Alabama, LSU and Texas collect letters from one touted recruit after another, who either fulfill long-standing verbal commitments or choose between the multiple offers they have.

Those coaching staffs are on the road, too, but it's a different kind of recruiting.

"I've driven from Jackson, Miss., to Houston five times in the last month and a half," said Brandon Lechtenberg, the defensive coordinator at Millsaps College. "So, yeah, you're hopping in the car. We're not flying the head coach here on a visit."

Added James Bauer, an assistant at William Penn University in Iowa: "We're always on the road, always out doing something and spreading our boundaries. It's just part of the job ... but it feels good after driving 17 hours down here that we actually get a player that is worth our time coming down."

Open audition

The trips do get results. William Penn found 10 players from last year's event and hopes to get about the same after recruits go through the admissions process.

Before the players were split up, coaches were encouraged to pull a prospect aside at anytime during the showcase.

This isn't a normal practice, they were told. And whether it was linemen engaging in one-on-one drills or quarterbacks and receivers playing seven-on-seven, coaches took full advantage.

If a player performed well, a coach pulled him over to introduce himself. If another had the measurables, he quickly was whisked off to the side.

One example was Lamar Consolidated's Hector Siller, a defensive end who consistently got the better of bigger offensive linemen.

Siller had drawn interest before the showcase but no offers.

"I'm just trying to get a chance," said Siller, who grew up playing football in Mexico before moving two years ago. "Hopefully play some college ball and earn a scholarship. That's been my dream."

Diamonds in the rough

The previous four combines have each generated more than $10 million in scholarship aid, with event organizers expecting the same with a record number of participants and colleges.

And returning schools prove the event works. Baker University, which is just southwest of Kansas City, Kan., has been to all seven and currently has three Houston-area players on its roster.

Former Travis running back Michael Igwe caught the attention of Baker head coach Mike Grossner, who originally zeroed in on a friend of Igwe's. Two years ago, Grossner found former Brazosport kicker Abram Garcia after he watched the 6-4, 235-pounder make several long field goals.

Without lines on the field, Grossner asked another coach to walk off the distance. Garcia's kicks were good from 52 yards out.

"There's many stories like that," Grossner said. "So that's what keeps me coming back."