Jeter on the Heater

[Captain Kangaroo]

Two articles from competitive papers. An interesting read even if the kid didn't choose the Zips:Did Jeter make the right choice? By Kevin GormanTRIBUNE-REVIEWSunday, April 30, 2006Lance Jeter was a first-team all-state selection in football and basketball, so it was no surprise the Beaver Falls star struggled to decide which sport to play in college.Jeter ultimately chose to play football at Cincinnati, picking the Bearcats last week over basketball offers from Akron and George Washington.Did he make the right choice?A college coach once said, if a football player isn't good enough to make an all-area all-star team, such as the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Terrific 25, you have to wonder how he'll do at a major-college football program.Jeter was the Trib's 2005 Player of the Year and a two-time Terrific 10 selection in basketball. In football, he wasn't an All-WPIAL Class AA pick, let alone on the Terrific 25.The 6-foot-3, 200-pounder has all the ability in the world; it's just a matter of whether he's following his heart or the advice of those who are telling him he'll play on Sundays. High School Views: Jeter's decision shouldn't be trashedTuesday, May 02, 2006By Colin DunlapSo how about this for trash talk?Some people are saying Beaver Falls senior two-sport star Lance Jeter made the wrong decision when he recently opted to play football at the University of Cincinnati and spurned basketball offers from George Washington and Akron.Some internet message boards are buzzing with the talk that Jeter's choice to play wide receiver for the Bearcats was flat out wrong .The statement that Jeter made the wrong decision might just be the most off-base contention muttered so far the entire school year.How can anyone truly believe that Jeter made the wrong decision?Sure, he played basketball hero virtually every time a Beaver Falls game went down to the wire. When games were tight, it was Jeter who seemingly always buried the final shot, propelling the Tigers to the win.But why must some people dog the kid because he's choosing to play football in college? After all, have you seen him recently? Just take a few minutes to give him a once-over. Give a quick look starting at his broad, muscular shoulders .Jeter is 6 feet 3, 200 pounds of athletic talent. He is put together on a par with any athlete in the WPIAL.Beaver Falls basketball coach Doug Biega knows exactly what Jeter's body has the potential to do on Saturday afternoons for the Cincinnati football team.Said Biega: "I told Lance, 'Hey, you can be really good in basketball, but with that body and with your athletic ability, football might just be the way to go.' There really aren't a lot of kids built like Lance who can run and jump like that."No, there aren't.And, um, oh yeah, there's something else. There's just another small little detail that the people who said Jeter made the wrong decision have failed to mention. The cost for one-year of school at Cincinnati for an out-of-state student is $23,904.On top of that, a meal plan and dorm lodging is an additional $8,286. That's a little more than 32 grand per year to go to Cincinnati. That is before the books and other incidentals.So think about that, Jeter is getting a four-year education valued at about $128,000 for free because of football.And he made the wrong decision?Yeah, right.Sure, he would have received a high-dollar education for free had he opted to play basketball at either George Washington or Akron.But, to say he made the "wrong" decision by choosing to head off to Cincinnati is so far off-base it borders on comical.To me at least, there wasn't a wrong decision Lance Jeter could have made. He had three schools fighting for his athletic services and, in turn, they were going to ante up the cash for his college education.Honestly, in his situation, there weren't any wrong decisions to be made.There's a big piece of me that is hoping Jeter becomes an All-Big East receiver at Cincinnati and a guy who sharpens his skills to the level where one day, he becomes an NFL prospect.That way, he can look back to his college choice. Maybe he'll crack a smile and say softly to himself, "Those people who said I made the wrong decision ... well, they made the wrong decision. They never should have doubted Lance Jeter."