Sean Christman ’17 & Pat Ferraiolo ’17
The Friar football players have been passing, running, and kicking in the early-morning fog since Coach Brady’s arrival.
If you want to play college football, you might have to set an early alarm clock. That’s what Malvern players have been doing recently, as college coaches have been coming from all over to watch them. Before school, rising seniors and select underclassmen go out onto Malvern’s turf in order to showcase their skills.
Newly hired football head coach Aaron Brady says that the school has been visited by 78 college coaches since April 22. “I would have liked to reach 100 but the Division III schools do not typically recruit in the spring,” said Brady.
For the players, it is an exciting opportunity. “I love the showcases,” said junior Mike McCarthy, “We get a chance to prove ourselves in front of a number of college coaches as well as meet with those coaches after the conclusion of the showcase.”
Junior quarterback Alex Hornibrook agreed. “I think it’s great to see our team get more exposure than we have in the past,” said Hornibrook.
[learn_more caption=”See a list of 78 colleges that have visited Malvern Football since April 22″]
University of Albany
Army
Ball State University
Bentley University
Boston College
Brown University
Bryant University
Bucknell University
Buffalo University
Butler University
University of Central Florida
Central Michigan University
University of Cincinnati
Colgate University
Columbia University
University of Connecticut
Cornell University
Dartmouth University
Davidson University
University of Dayton
University of Delaware
Dickinson University
Duke University
Duquesne University
Eastern Kentucky University
Eastern Michigan University
East Stroudsburg University
Fordham University
Georgetown University
Harvard University
Holy Cross College
University of Illinois
James Madison University
University of Kentucky
Kutztown University
Lafayette College
Lehigh University
University of Maine
Marist College
University of Maryland
University of Massachusetts
University of Miami
Millersville University
Monmouth University
University of New Hampshire
Northwestern University
Oberlin College
University of Ohio
Old Dominion University
University of Pennsylvania
Penn State University
University of Pittsburgh
Princeton University
University of Rhode Island
University of Richmond
Robert Morris University
Rutgers University
Sacred Heart University
St. Anselm’s College
St. Francis University
Stanford University
Stetson University
Stony Brook University
Temple University
University of Tennessee
Towson University
Tulane University
University of Virginia
Vanderbilt University
Villanova University
Virginia Tech
Wagner University
Wake Forest University
West Chester University
Western Michigan University
College of William & Mary
University of Wisconsin
Yale University
[/learn_more]
These coaching visits are not brand new to Malvern. “We have had similar showcases for other sports, like soccer and basketball,” said Athletic Director Kurt Ruch. “This is the first time we have had one for football. It was orchestrated by Coach Brady using his connections in the college coaching world.”
According to Ruch, the morning sessions are showcases for the visiting coaches, not football practices. Inter-Ac rules do not allow for off-season football practices.
“The morning showcases are positive in many ways,” said Brady. “It allows the coaches to see our players in person, it does not disrupt class, our players get discovered, and coaches will come back each year because they like to get outside.”
Coach Brady also stressed that getting outside to watch players was a nice break from the monotonous and boring task of driving all over the country as a coach.
For the coaches, it’s an opportunity to come watch some very talented football players in person. For the players, it’s a great chance to make impressions and hopefully get noticed. “I was most excited to play in front of Princeton. It is cool to be able to say they came to look for possible student-athletes at Malvern,” said McCarthy.
“It’s always great to play in front of a coach at any level, but it’s most exciting when the big time coaches come through. It’s pretty cool when you’re just having fun with your team and schools like Kentucky, Pitt, and Virginia Tech come to check it out,” said Hornibrook.
Not only do the players get to play in front of the coaches, but at the end of the sessions, the players actually get to have a conversation with the coaches. Face to face encounters are the best way for players and coaches to form a bond. Hornibrook also stated that the showcases help the players to work well with one another.
Another goal of these workouts is the promotion of Malvern Football nationally. According to Coach Brady, these types of events allow for nationwide exposure of Malvern players. “I will set the bar high for our players, and coaches know that about me,” he said.
These events are something that is beneficial to everyone involved, and certainly plays well into Brady’s philosophy: “Every day we either improve ourselves or lower ourselves. We never stay the same.”
