Jarvis Update

[Captain Kangaroo]

I would say that, at the present commitment pace, Jarvis may find himmself on the outside looking in if he waits until late Jan/early Feb to commit to the Zips. Temple? They aren't even in a conference and may be 1-AA soon. Can't? Hey, if that's what he wants, we're better off without him.

I'd love to see him in the Zips Blue and Gold. He seems like a hell of a fun player to watch.

Jarvis ready to dispel doubters again

By Kevin Gorman

TRIBUNE-REVIEW

Sunday, January 2, 2005

Forget, for a moment, his size. Take into consideration just his statistics this season.

He rushed for 2,196 yards and 34 touchdowns on 266 carries in 13 games. He set a WPIAL championship-game record with 221 yards, tied a PIAA finals record with five touchdowns and became only the fifth player in WPIAL Quad-A history to eclipse 4,000 career yards (4,375).

What more could Eugene Jarvis have done?

For all his exploits, which includes leading Central Catholic (16-0) to WPIAL and PIAA Class AAAA titles, Jarvis has had as many scholarship offers withdrawn (Bowling Green, Pitt and West Virginia) as he has remaining on the table (Akron, Can't State and Temple).

"I was a little upset, with all the accolades I've earned," Jarvis said. "Whoever gets me will be proud they got me."

Now is the time to remember that Jarvis is 5-foot-6, 165 pounds. That his academic standing -- he claims to be qualified for freshman eligibility -- is in question. And that he made some comments last spring that irked Pitt's staff.

When a Pitt fan-based Internet recruiting site asked Jarvis about the Panthers, he said something to the effect of knowing that at least he can play Division I football.

At the time, it sounded like he was making the Panthers an afterthought, a fallback plan if bigger and better schools didn't come through. His words angered Pitt coaches and fans alike, especially after the Johnson-Morelli debacle.

"People probably took it the wrong way," Jarvis admits, "but I didn't mean it like that."

When Pitt got a commitment from Johnstown's LaRod Stephens -- another diminutive all-purpose back -- it withdrew its offer to Jarvis. Except, nobody from Pitt's coaching staff delivered the news to Jarvis directly.

"They gave me an offer face-to-face; I don't understand why they couldn't tell me to my face," said Jarvis, who recently heard that his offer was being pulled by West Virginia directly from assistant Tony Gibson. "Coach Gibson personally told me they weren't taking any more running backs. I can respect him for that."

So, Pitt isn't alone in backing off Jarvis -- and Panthers fans are quick to complain that no one criticizes Penn State for not taking overlooked WPIAL prospects - but new Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt is in position to make a splash in local recruiting by re-offering the dynamic playmaker.

Wannstedt has emphasized that the running game will be a priority, and Jarvis is not just the WPIAL's best remaining running back but its best running back, period, in years.

Jarvis has unique football instincts, a combination of acceleration, elusiveness, quickness and vision that are uncommon. He's a miniature version of Tony Dorsett, and Pitt has been waiting for his second coming since 1976. Yet Jarvis realizes that, at his size, he might be best suited for the Mid-American Conference and an offense that best utilizes his ability to line up in multiple positions.

"I know size and speed play a big role in college recruiting," said Jarvis, who runs a consistent 4.4-second 40-yard dash. "There's nothing I can do about that. I know that college has bigger players. I'm not just a running back. I can play in the slot, catch the ball and do returns.

"I think heart is the key. If you play football, you're going to take a pounding. I've got a lot of heart."

Unless he has a change of heart, Jarvis is scheduled to take official visits to Can't State on Jan. 14, Akron on Jan. 21 and Temple on Jan. 28. He's open to the idea of entertaining more schools, including Pitt.

"I'm giving everybody a chance," Jarvis said. "I think the visits are going to play a big role. We'll see at the end."

With Jarvis, seeing is believing. He thrives on proving doubters wrong, and relished the opportunity to outshine Upper St. Clair's Sean Lee, Gateway's Justin King, McDowell's Justin Hammond, Bishop McDevitt's LeSean McCoy and Neshaminy's Georg Coleman in the playoffs.

Now, Jarvis wants to prove some college coach right.

"It gives me another chip on my shoulder," Jarvis said. "I'm going to work hard for whoever I commit to. Whoever misses out on me, that's their fault."

And don't say we didn't warn you.