Greg Little - Class of 2007- Football Star
DURHAM -- When did Greg Little realize that he'd become a
big-time football recruit?
Maybe it was last May when he was walking down the hallway at Hillside High,
and Urban Meyer tapped him on the shoulder.
Like Florida's basketball coach, Billy Donovan, had done several years earlier
when recruiting Shavlik Randolph out of Raleigh, the Gators' Meyer just wanted
to stop by and say hello.
"That was a shock," Little said.
The way it's been going lately for the Hornets' 6-3, 214-pound offensive
dynamo, that's actually become the norm.
Since his impressive junior season, when he piled up 1,166 yards rushing and
475 yards receiving against stunts, double teams, chairs, benches, the water
boy and whatever else opposing defenses could throw at him, Little has become
one of the most heavily recruited players in the country.
It also didn't hurt to blow away coaches with his speed, moves and motor at the
two-day U.S. Army All-American Combine last January in San Antonio.
"It was on after that," said Hillside coach Ray Harrison, who has
helped Little sift through 65 scholarship offers over the last year. "It's
amazing how fast the colleges have come out of nowhere. They don't even send a
letter in the mail, and you get an offer.
"But he's been pretty humble about it. It's a part of growing up."
Humble? That would be an impressive feat, considering that Notre Dame's Charlie
Weis, N.C. State's Chuck Amato, UNC's John Bunting and Duke's Ted Roof have all
paid visits in recent months.
For a guy who moves so fast -- a
4.5-second 40 -- Little has opted to take the recruiting process slow,
patient and pensive. He's researched schools on the Internet, studied the
coaches' words and manners and carefully compiled the factors that will go into
his decision.
He wants playing time, of course, and the chance to make an impact right away,
just like he's done at Hillside for the last three years as a varsity starter.
He also wants a coach who's straightforward and honest -- the down-to-earth
type you can trust, he said -- and above all, he's concerned about academics.
He wants to become a computer engineer, like his father, Greg, a former
Hillside player himself.
"It's a big ol' process that you go through," Little said.
Patience actually is a trait that Little has shown ever since he started
playing football for the Tri-County Panthers at age 7.
After he snuck out of the house for the first week of practice, he finally got
the thumbs-up to play from his mother, Gail, but he had to wait until middle
school before he got his dream to play fullback.
"I was always one of the bigger kids, so I played offensive line,"
Little said. "And when I got to middle school, I wanted to play wide
receiver, but that's when they put me at fullback."
Harrison, who was one Little's middle-school coaches before taking over at
Hillside, said he recognized Little's potential at the time, and in high
school, the coach has lined Little up wherever he can imagine ? tailback,
fullback, slot, wideout, defensive back and returning kicks.
"He was a big seventh grader, very aggressive," Harrison said,
"and he had an attitude that he wanted to win. He didn't accept losing. He
played with a chip on his shoulder, like he had something to prove. Like he is
today."
Little said he plans to visit Southern Cal, Notre Dame, Michigan, Florida,
Miami and Oklahoma in the next two months, and he will announce his college
choice at Hillside's homecoming game Oct. 6 against East Chapel Hill.
Despite the recruiting buzz around him, Little's focus hasn't strayed from what
he's been waiting to accomplish since he put on a Hillside uniform.
In the last three seasons, the Hornets have posted a combined 7-26 record. This
season, he wants seven wins after seven games.
"After that, it's smooth sailing," he said. "Get into the
playoffs and get that championship ring."