The Bobcat Nation

Guillory to sign with Sac State Wednesday'
Bethel star: 'They believe in me more than the other schools did'
By BRAD KVEDERIS, Times-Herald sports writer


Guillory: Times-Herald's Athlete of the Year for 2004-05 performance in football, track
The big schools came calling for Bobby Guillory Jr., but they all backed off at the wrong time.

So he won't become a Trojan at USC or a Duck at Oregon: Last week, Bethel High's star quarterback made a verbal commitment to stay local and play football for Sacramento State, he told the Times-Herald on Sunday.

For Guillory, whose blinding speed helped him to more than 2,100 rushing yards and 37 touchdowns on the ground - and a Times-Herald Athlete of the Year Award - over the past two seasons, the decision basically made itself when the bigger schools stopped calling him. Although his numbers and pure talent had Division I programs drooling, everyone but Sacramento State backed off from their offers when Guillory's initial SAT scores came back.

Even though his original scores were high enough to allow him to play, Guillory planned to complete an SAT prep course and take the test again, which he did over the weekend. But even though he told the big schools about his plan, he barely heard a word from them in the meantime.

"Basically, they just kind of vanished," Guillory said on Sunday. "It's like, I told all the schools that's what I was doing, and Sac State was the only one that stayed."

When his scores from the second go-around at the SAT come back, they'll probably be higher, but Guillory isn't going to change his mind after being slighted by the big football powerhouses. He'll officially sign with Sac State at the Bethel campus on Wednesday.

"My mind's made up - I'm not going to change my mind or anything now," he said. "If they stayed with me when I was down and low ... well, Sacramento State, I'll help build them up big and high. All the other schools said, 'He's not going to make it.' Sacramento State said, 'He's going to make it. He's going to pull through.' They believe in me more than the other schools did."

Another benefit of playing for the Hornets is that Guillory will have the chance to keep playing quarterback, whereas most of the bigger programs wanted to use

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him as a tailback or even a defensive back. But coach Steve Mooshagian and his staff have designs on using him as a triple threat to beat defenses running, throwing or catching the ball.

"At Sac State, he wants me to play running back, but he also wants me to play quarterback," Guillory explained. "They want to put in an option this year, put in some wide receivers to run some screens and hook-and-ladders and stuff. ... He'll try to get me 15 carries a game, and most of the time have me at QB, and do a little bit of the option when I get my blocking schemes down."

But for a player who definitely has the speed, and possibly the other tools, that the pros might come looking for someday, won't going to a Division I-AA school make it harder to be noticed?

Again, Guillory isn't even worried about that, saying that Sac State's loyalty and the opportunity it will give him to succeed academically comes first - and if he's good enough to go pro someday, that will take care of itself.

"Not really," he said when asked if he was worried about a lack of exposure in Sacramento. "At first, I'm really going there for the school. In my mind, if I'm good enough to go pro, they'll come see me. It's not a matter of what school you go to or how big it is. Some of the players at the big schools don't even get recognized.


"It was like, everybody kept asking me where I'm going ... Sacramento State, on the other hand, was kind of nurturing me, saying, 'Don't worry about it, it's going to be OK; we're going to see where you go.' Basically, they got my trust."

- E-mail Brad Kvederis at brad@thnewsnet.com or call 553-6822.

No one has any opinions on Sac signing a 4 star recruit?

CelticCat wrote:No one has any opinions on Sac signing a 4 star recruit?

I saw it on AGS so I didn't feel like posting anything. Did I hear he has some attitude trouble or something? I can't remember. Great pickup for them nevertheless.

CelticCat wrote:No one has any opinions on Sac signing a 4 star recruit?

I'm not too proud to admit that I thought the "****" in the title was a swear word. I didn't understand why you were so upset at the "****" QB who signed at Sac State.

NOW I get it!

Nice get for the Hornets.

PapaG wrote:

CelticCat wrote:No one has any opinions on Sac signing a 4 star recruit?

I'm not too proud to admit that I thought the "****" in the title was a swear word. I didn't understand why you were so upset at the "****" QB who signed at Sac State.

NOW I get it!

Nice get for the Hornets.

Fixed.

This is a good pickup for the Hornets. Maybe they're trying to build up the program a little bit. This may take some of the pressure off of Steve Mooshagian. I have the feeling he's on the hot seat.

Sounds like a great pickup for Sac State. I haven't read much about him yet, but its obvious he really appreciated Sac State believing in him enough to keep contact with him when he was having trouble with the SAT score. Sounds like those other schools may have let a good one slip away over something that he is working to correct (and hopefully will correct).

What is there to say.
He's an option QB that didn't seem to throw much. Probably more of a RB than a QB. Then with low SAT scores, there would be a question of how bright he is, which is only questioned if you want a QB.

So the big schools said, not the QB we need (Oregon and USC want passers and bright ones). He would fit more into an option environment and most schools are going away from that to the West Coast offense style (where you need a bright QB that makes quick decisions, i.e. Travis).

They will find a place for him to play since he has speed, but I would guess not QB. Or they would have two QBs, one passer and the runner.

He might be a 4star player, but doesn't look like a 4 Star QB from what I read. More like Bubba Pugh that we picked up at LB.

(Did I read this wrong?)

As to taking pressure off the coach, freshmen do not do that unless they are superstars. If he is around in two or three years, maybe, but not next year with this kid.

BobcatLionFan wrote:What is there to say.
He's an option QB that didn't seem to throw much. Probably more of a RB than a QB. Then with low SAT scores, there would be a question of how bright he is, which is only questioned if you want a QB.

So the big schools said, not the QB we need (Oregon and USC want passers and bright ones). He would fit more into an option environment and most schools are going away from that to the West Coast offense style (where you need a bright QB that makes quick decisions, i.e. Travis).

They will find a place for him to play since he has speed, but I would guess not QB. Or they would have two QBs, one passer and the runner.

He might be a 4star player, but doesn't look like a 4 Star QB from what I read. More like Bubba Pugh that we picked up at LB.

(Did I read this wrong?)

As to taking pressure off the coach, freshmen do not do that unless they are superstars. If he is around in two or three years, maybe, but not next year with this kid.

Getting a good score on a SAT test and being able to make good, quick decisions on the football field are quite a bit different. Test scores really aren't going to show the type of football player you are getting.

For example... That "Wonderlic" test that they give to many FB players. If you look at the scores QBs have received on that test, some of the results may surprise you. From what I've read, the average score is 21. I'm sure we'd all agree that Dan Marino, Steve Mcnair, Daunte Culpepper, Donovan Mcnabb, Vinny Testaverde, & Jeff George, are all pretty good QBs. Even if you think that some of them were crappy Pro QBs, they obviously were very good College QBs to even get a shot in the pros. These players all scored well below the average of 21 on that "Wonderlic" test.

Anyway, just thought I'd point that out If ya do a search for "Wonderlic" I'm sure there are a few sample tests ya all can take to see how you stack up against NFL players, and to get a good idea of the type of questions on that test.