A false promise of college football glory
He thought he’d landed a second chance to achieve his dream of playing college football.
Hezekiah West, a once-promising running back from Wayne County, Mississippi, spent part of his senior season in high school sidelined with a torn thigh muscle. College coaches had stopped calling, and signing day passed without any offers.
That’s when West turned to Mississippi Prep, a post-graduate football team unaffiliated with any school. Coaches said he could have another season after high school to impress college teams. For a fee.
But when he arrived to play, the reality was starkly different. Games were canceled without warning. The video footage was blurry - when there was any. And there was no sign the team had connections with college coaches. West began to worry he had been reeled in by empty promises, but he stuck it out.
West didn't realize the team he joined was a part of a slew of programs that lure in recent high school grads who have not gotten offers to play college football. Selling the dream of making it to the next level, these teams charge young men thousands of dollars while exposing them to potentially dangerous playing and living conditions.
👋 Nicole Fallert here and welcome to Your Week, our newsletter exclusively for Paste BN subscribers (that's you!). This week, we talk with Paste BN investigative reporter Chris Quintana about Paste BN's investigation of "post-grad" football programs, organizations – essentially private football teams funded by the players – which claim to offer students who didn’t get into a D1 program a second chance to impress college recruiters without running down their NCAA eligibility clock. An exclusive Paste BN investigation found they almost never live up to their promises. Read it here.
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- Paste BN took a look inside Mar-a-Lago, ground-zero for the incoming administration.
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Red flags off and on the football field
Chris Quintana has written a lot of stories over the course of his journalism career. But one theme he sees over and over again? The struggle to pay for higher education that Americans face.
Quintana's and co-reporter Kenny Jacoby's latest investigation is no exception: A big motivator behind students signing up for post-graduate college football prep "schools" is to get a scholarship to a four-year college. Getting school paid for through athletic performance is a long-held way to bypass full tuition, he said. But that avenue has gotten more and more cutthroat, leading students to do whatever it takes to secure a full ride.
In his reporting, he found talented players are lured by the promise of high caliber training that will ensure them the attention of the nation's top coaches. But far too often these programs leave students high and dry, fail to improve players' fitness and, in some cases, leave athletes with injuries and missed opportunities.
Quintana first learned of these programs when he received a tip to his inbox.
"This seems really weird," were his thoughts at the time. "Right up my alley."
Paste BN's ensuing investigation is one of the first efforts to paint a national picture of these teams, Quintana said: "We know our readers love sports and have young people considering college football. It's to say there's a lot to be cautious of."
For this story, Quintana and Jacoby called over 100 programs, players and parents. Their experiences were broad: Some players were injured during the programs and never played again. Some were treated incorrectly by trainers. Some came out relatively unscathed, but had to play catch up.
"The result is the players are frustrated by lost time, falling behind in school and getting no closer to a roster spot at the college they wanted," Quintana said. They go to the programs for one or two years after high school under the illusion of improvement and a better deal at a four-year institution. But that often means missing eligibility windows for scholarships or falling off school recruiting staffs' radar, let alone lagging behind in learning.
"It was surprising how many thought their only route to college was through the game," he said. "The cost of college is ever present, and how that pressure manifests itself."
Many players and their families have expressed gratitude to Paste BN for reporting on these programs. In some cases, Quintana's reporting led programs to finally reimburse parents and players for hundreds of dollars. But incremental gains haven't changed the industry overall, he said.
"I can't believe how many programs get busted and just start over again," Quintana said. "There doesn't seem to be any enforcement or tracking of the issue. And for the players, they feel a lack of recourse. There's an element of, 'Who is going to believe us?'"
Quintana said it's important that victims aren't blamed for believing the promises: Many young people are going this route because their aren't resources in the first place to get them collegiate opportunities. Perhaps recruiters skip their high schools or their families cannot pay for college without football in the equation.
"Paste BN's story is very focused on the players themselves," Quintana said. "They signed up for these programs because they believe this thing will take them further in life. These young people have desire and passion. That's worth reflecting on."
Thank you
Chris and Kenny's reporting shows a side of the college football world that otherwise would go unknown. Thank you for supporting our journalism with your subscription. Our work wouldn't be possible without you.
Best wishes,
Nicole Fallert