W. Scott Jones - What A Crowd

Two years before Southern Methodist University received the ‘death penalty’ in college football for recruiting violations, a recruiting war took place at a small high school located in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. Coach Stephen Blake is a young African American high school assistant football coach in 1985, who is desperately trying to climb the steep ladder of the coaching profession. When some of college football’s greatest head coaches arrive at Coosawhatchie County High School for a spring practice they are able to witness the unbelievable athletic skills of star player Frankie Lake. Those head coaches deem Frankie Lake the unofficial number one prospect of the nation.

What a Crowd takes a look at how the presence of a star athlete can change an entire community and how a coach can be a positive influence for a player. This novel is intermingled with tales associated with local history, a kidnapping, an unexpected love affair, and the protection of an academically challenged athlete during the recruiting process. This novel offers readers inspiration, hope, and insight into the world of college football recruiting before the era of NIL