Landon Collins, the nation's top high school safety had a very tough decision to make. After receiving several hundred scholarship offers he narrowed down his choices to LSU and Alabama. Although his heart told him to stay at home and attend LSU his mind told him Alabama was a better place for his college career. After the Crimson Tide shut out the Tigers last night it looks like he made a wise decision.
Not everyone in his inner circle agreed with his decision however. Landon's mother was visibly upset during his announcement and told the viewing public she thought her son made a big mistake. What should have been one of the happiest days of Landon's life turned into an awkward public relations mishap. What went wrong?
I'm no expert on the Collin's family, but my intuition tells me Landon's mother was more than just an interested observer in this whole process. Anyone who's seen the movie Johnny Be Good or He Got Game knows the recruiting of top high school athletes is a dirty business.
Boosters and alumni will do almost anything to gain an advantage over the competition. Family members and friends often take gifts or money with the understanding they can deliver the top recruit to the school that pays them. Watching the tape I think Landon's mom is on the take.
No one likes to disappoint their mother and the commitment is only verbal, but the backlash puts Landon in an extremely uncomfortable situation. To make matters even more complicated his girlfriend is attending Alabama as well and I'm sure she can be quite persuasive in her own right. No one knows what the future holds, but hopefully his decisions will be made with conviction and ultimately respected by everyone involved. Good luck young man.
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