Football: Northwest scouting combine gets good reviews from coaches as players get chance to be evaluated
As over 230 student-athletes walked off Morris Field at Roosevelt University, the IHSA Northwest Regional Showcase concluded to positive reviews.
“This was good. This was good,” Carmel Catholic coach Jason McKie said to St. Viator coach Robbie Gould as the sun began to set.
McKie gave all the credit for the event — which included biometric testing, position drills and competition in front of over 90 colleges representing various levels of competition — to Gould.
Through collaboration with the IHSA, Gould and St. Viator hosted the combine. An IHSA bylaw allowed schools to come together to have a combine for the first time. There have been a series of combines held the past few weeks throughout the state.
“(The IHSA) asked if I would be willing to help them put this on, and I said sure,” Gould said. “That’s why I got into high school, is to watch kids get an opportunity to one, go compete, and two, showcase their skills and have a journey that’ll hopefully last a long time.”
Twelve high schools in the Chicago area were represented at the combine. Gould called the environment “fantastic” and said it was “awesome watching guys compete.”
To Gould, McKie and Benet coach James White — all of whom had careers in the NFL — the best part about the showcase was its ability to bring college coaches to one place to see hundreds of student-athletes.
“It gives kids an opportunity to be seen and evaluated,” McKie said. “It’s also easy for these coaches. They don’t have to travel from school to school, Chicago traffic, missing meetings, because of those circumstances. Now they get an opportunity to see everyone in one space. It’s definitely a great opportunity for these kids.”
White heard from Gould that he was set to host a combine, so he asked his players if they would be interested in participating. The answer was a resounding yes.
White said that when he was rising through the ranks, he never had an opportunity similar to Wednesday night’s, noting that the only way to truly be seen by college coaches was on their campuses. He called the combine a “one-shop stop for the coaches and players.”
“It’s great exposure for the kids,” White said. “Not every kid can afford to get on a plane, or even drive, to get to a college campus to get eyes on them.”
Amid the breezy afternoon day, there was constant support between all 12 high schools in attendance. Despite lining up across from each other in the fall, every player rooted each other on. To Gould, that’s what made the event so special.
“Everyone got along really well, cheered each other on,” Gould said. “You saw different schools and different groups together. For me it was awesome to watch the camaraderie and spirit of the kids. You compete on Friday nights, but here, everyone was pushing each other and cheering each other on. That’s something that, as a coach, you look for, is being a great dude.”