HOUSTON — The Texas High School Coaches Association annual coaching convention, known as “coaching school,” is a rite of passage for college coaches in the Lone Star State. The convention, which featured more than 16,000 high school coaches from across Texas, is a great opportunity for colleges to press the flesh and get valuable face time to advertise their programs. It’s not uncommon to see every major brand in the state throughout the weekend, but the convention also attracts those beyond Texas borders.
One surprising name on the list for press availability was Andrew Luck. The former NFL star quarterback now serves as the general manager at Stanford. When his alma mater was in turmoil, Luck answered the call and helped steady the ship. Before the collegiate and professional frame, Luck was the quarterback at Stratford High School in the Houston area. With familiar ties to the area and a hunger to recruit Texas for the Cardinal, Luck made no secret of the fact that the Lone Star State is a key part of their recruiting strategy.
“I’m a proud Stratford High School graduate in 2008,” Luck said. “I’m here for a couple of different reasons. One is to support Texas high school coaches. It wasn’t just me — my sister played volleyball. I played basketball, ran track and played baseball and a bunch of other stuff.
“Selfishly, we recruit the heck out of the state of Texas. They do an amazing job with high school football here. From my vantage point and perspective as the GM of a college football program that recruits nationally, we get to recruit a bunch of states.
“We probably have more than 40 states represented in our locker room, and every state does a great job with sports, but nobody quite does it like Texas at the high school level.”
Because of its academic requirements Stanford has a national recruiting profile. Many stars from the state are willing to leave for their college ball, and Luck was one of them who took the Cardinal to new heights.
