Camping Trips: Catching recruiters' eyes - MySanAntonio

Harlandale senior Paul Santos and his family spent 24 hours driving more than 1,400 miles to Canton, Ohio, in June. His mother, Shirley Flores, said the five-day trip for a family of five cost about $3,500.

All so Santos could participate in five drills at a football combine.

In this age of recruiting, the heights, weights and highlight videos for thousands of high school players are an online search away.

It has pushed many athletes to greater lengths to promote themselves.

Going to a combine is like applying for any job, Santos said. You have to show them you want it and deserve it.

Brennan sophomore offensive lineman Brandon Locha has yet to take a varsity snap. But hes already been to about 30 camps and combines.

The combine setting is routine for him now hundreds of teenagers herded from station to station measuring their speed and strength.

Locha and Santos see camps and combines as a necessary part of recruiting. As far as scholarships are concerned, summer performance is just as important as football season to them.

When I go to these camps, I treat it like a business trip, Locha said. Im not going to be that five-star guy, so the coaches arent going to come to me. Im going to have to work harder and show something at camps instead.

Santos was invited to the Blue-Grey Super Combine in Ohio after a strong showing at a combine in Arlington. Its an invite-only event that hosted 200 players from 36 states.

After Santos got the invitation, his family decided to make a summer vacation out of the trip, staying for five days and visiting the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

It meant a lot to him, so I felt like we had to try, Flores said. Even if it doesnt work out and he doesnt get a scholarship, I didnt want him to ask what-ifs if he didnt go.

Santos had the fourth-fastest 40-yard dash, with a time of 4.44 seconds.

But theres one obvious stat that has him waiting for his first scholarship offer:

Hes 5-foot-8 and 161 pounds.

Santos said the combine trip will be worth it, even if it doesnt result in a scholarship. If anything, its given him a confidence boost and memories of a family vacation.

It was a good experience for Paul, but you still have to be skeptical of camps and combines a lot of the time, Harlandale coach Isaac Martinez said. All these kids want to play college football, and somebodys making money off them somewhere.

The Locha family estimates theyve spent about $15,000 on camps already as Brandon enters his sophomore season.

One of the most expensive camps he attends, the Ray Guy kicking academy, has a registration fee of $425.

Lochas example may be a sign of things to come for athletes who want to set themselves apart even if they arent blue-chip recruits. Despite the fact that he hasnt played a varsity snap yet (Locha is expected to start this season), he has a head start on the recruiting trail.

Brandon went to five camps this offseason, including one in Arizona. For his father, Chris Locha, preparation and research is the key.

You have to do the research when its your money and your childs future youre dealing with, Chris Locha said. Weve talked to other parents and said, Watch out for this one, its a money grab.

Brandons worked on long snapping since middle school, hoping to use the specialized ability to draw more attention from colleges.

Theres a website, teambrandonlocha.com, filled with info and highlight videos dating back for three years.

He also played in the 2009 Middle School All-American Bowl. A few weeks after the game, UCLA sent a recruiting letter to Lochas middle school.

Locha has been weighed and measured plenty of times already, and according to prokicker.com, hes is the No. 8-ranked sophomore long snapper in the country.

Yes, that ranking does exist.

Everything fits together, Locha said. I want to play college football, so why not start early with camps? By doing the combines now, I know what to expect when college coaches will be watching.

Locha and Santos are well aware of the time and costs of combines, along with the possibility that they, among thousands of other high school football players, are being given false hope.

Theyre still happy about their camp experiences. Locha plans to go to twice as many next season.

Because to them, its still the best chance they have to get noticed.