Jordan loves his letters
Railsplitter star learns first hand how recruiting game is played
By ANDREW LOGUE
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
June 21, 2006
In a snap, Jordan Bernstine went from sitting in biotechnology class to shaking hands with a college football blueblood.
Brennan Carroll, an assistant coach for perennial national title contender Southern California and the son of Trojans head coach Pete Carroll, made a visit to Des Moines Lincoln High School on May 24.
He wanted to pick up Bernstine's academic transcript and chat with Railsplitters coach Tom Mihalovich. Bernstine, the most coveted recruit in Lincoln's 83-year history and the top available prospect in the state this summer, was summoned to the principal's office.
That's when the whirlwind of attention surrounding Bernstine gained blue-chip momentum.
The 5-foot-11, 195-pound defensive back had already received hundreds of letters and more than a dozen scholarship offers. Among the list of suitors: Iowa, Iowa State, Nebraska, Purdue, Colorado and UCLA.
His encounter with Carroll, however, validated Bernstine's status as a central figure in a recruiting drama that determines the fate of thousands of NCAA Division I hopefuls, and has become a multimillion-dollar industry.
"That was pretty exciting," Bernstine said of his brief meeting with Carroll. "He just told me they'd be in contact."
NCAA guidelines prohibited Carroll from carrying on a conversation, but Bernstine got the message. In the next few weeks or months, he'll make a decision that will impact his future, and the people closest to him.
"He's going to take it in stride," Mihalovich said. "He doesn't have that ego, that big head."
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The recruiting process begins with a letter.
College coaches are not allowed to correspond with high school players until Sept. 1 of their junior years. That's when Bernstine, who will be a senior this fall, started feeling like the most popular kid at a Valentine's Day party.
"He needs his own mailbox," said Felicia Bernstine, Jordan's mother.
Chris Ash, Iowa State's secondary coach, said the Cyclones send out more than 1,000 introductory letters. Iowa recruiting coordinator Eric Johnson estimated the Hawkeyes' mailing list at 2,500.
A representative from Southern Cal's sports information department said it was impossible to keep count of how many letters the Trojans dispatched.
"There's so many letters sent out to kids that don't have a chance to play Division I football," Ash said. "It's just part of the business. You have to cover your bases."
When Bernstine celebrated his 17th birthday on May 31, several schools sent him cards, including Ohio State and Kansas State.
Others sent Felicia cards on Mother's Day.
"I was like, 'Who are these people?' she said. "Then, I was like, 'Oh, these are my son's people.' "
* * *
Once the envelope is sealed, the evaluations intensify.
Coaches keep their cell phones and BlackBerries handy as they sift through highlight tapes and scouting reports. Fans, meanwhile, start surfing through cyberspace.
The growing interest in college recruiting spawned Internet sites that rank prep players and monitor which schools are pursuing them.
Scout.com, an Internet scouting and publication company, was recently sold to Fox Interactive Media for a reported $56 million.
"People bring information to us, because they know we can spread the word a little better," said Scott Kennedy, director of programming for Scout.com.
Bernstine is listed as a four-star recruit by Kennedy's service and the No. 19 safety in the country.
Coaches also employ recruiting services.
Randy Rodgers, who runs a scouting network in Texas, provides information for 19 schools from the Big Ten and Big 12, including Iowa and Iowa State.
Rodgers charges between $3,000-$6,000 for information.
"Where I serve a niche is they can only be on the road so much of the time, where as I can be out and about," Rodgers said. "What it helps to do is identify kids who are good enough to play Division I, so they can put them on their priority list."
While an average of 350 players from Texas end up at major college programs, Iowa produces about a dozen such prospects.
That means fewer scouts are combing central Iowa for talent. So Mihalovich created a videotape of highlights from Bernstine's junior season and sent it to about 40 schools.
"I just keep dubbing them off and sending them out," Mihalovich said.
The tapes promoted Bernstine's talent and earned him invitations to some of the nation's elite scouting combines.
"The easiest way to see who a school is interested in," Kennedy said, "is look at who they invite to their camps."
* * *
In January, Bernstine participated at the U.S. Army All-American Combine at San Antonio. The next month, he received his first scholarship offer, from Nebraska.
"It's kind of a domino effect," Bernstine said. "One team offers and then the others say, 'OK. If they offered he must be pretty good.' They'll start contacting you."
The real breakthrough came in May when Bernstine showcased his skills at a Nike camp in Columbus, Ohio, running the 40-yard dash in 4.38 seconds and recording a vertical leap of 41.9 inches.
The biggest obstacle was making it to Columbus. Mihalovich helped raise funds, and used leftover money from a football booster account so that Bernstine could travel to the event.
Mihalovich estimated the trip cost about $1,500.
"If you think about it, it's a huge investment for the (university) and for the player," Mihalovich said.
Organizers at Columbus concluded the camp by giving Jordan and another athlete a tour of Ohio State's football facilities.
Bernstine also worked out at Notre Dame, after Rob Ianello, recruiting coordinator for the Fighting Irish, visited Lincoln.
Bernstine's swift rise on the national recruiting lists may remind some of former Southeast Polk quarterback Kyle Orton, now with the Chicago Bears, who announced before his senior year in 2001 that he would attend Purdue.
No timetable has been set for when Bernstine will pick a school.
* * *
These are the numbers that matter most to Felicia Bernstine: Single mom; three kids; one monumental decision.
Her oldest son came into the world two months premature, weighing 1 pound 3 ounces. His birth coincided with an NBA playoff series between Detroit and Chicago, so Felicia followed her heart and named him after Michael Jordan. "He was born with an athlete's body," Felicia said, "even though he was premature."
Jordan was born into an athletic bloodline that included his uncle Rod Bernstine, a former Texas A&M running back who went on to play for the San Diego Chargers (1987-92) and Denver Broncos (1993-95). His great-uncle, Pookie Bernstine, played triple-A baseball for the Iowa Cubs in the 1980s.
Felicia's children - Jordan, Keevon, 13, and Jasmine, 8 - haven't seen their father in several years, and she's recovering from a severe allergic reaction to medication sustained in 2004.
She was left blind in one eye, and her vision continues to fade in the other.
"I begged (God) to please at least let me have some sight," Felicia said. "So that I would be able to see them graduate and do something with themselves."
Felicia didn't need a scouting service to tell her about Jordan's potential. When he was 5, his uncle arranged for Jordan to meet his namesake.
Gripping the hand of the NBA's greatest player was awe-inspiring.
Bernstine tried to play cool. He looked the legend square in the eye, then spit over his shoulder.
MJ was impressed.
"Hey girl," Jordan told Felicia, "your kid spits like a ballplayer."
