While the array of college football coaches, some 50 or so in all, stormed into Secaucus to have a visit with Austin Hinton, the Patriots’ talented senior lineman, to see if he wanted to attend their school on a scholarship, some of the coaches wanted to see other things about him.
Take for instance the Penn State coaching staff, spearheaded by recruiting coordinator Fran Ganter and line coach Dick Anderson, the former head coach at Rutgers.
Anderson visited Secaucus at 7:30 a.m. last June, with one intention in mind – to see Hinton play basketball.
"They believe that athletes can learn to play," Secaucus football coach Charlie Voorhees said. "They believe that there are guys who might be bigger than Austin, but they’ve already maxed out. But if he was an athlete, then they could work with him."
Coaches from schools like Rutgers, Boston College, Clemson and North Carolina State had already come calling with offers, but Penn State needed to see more. They needed to see Hinton on the hardwood.
"I knew the interest was coming," Voorhees said. "Colleges have been following Austin since he was a freshman. He was on the cover of the McCarthy Report [the prestigious college scouting report put together by West New York native Dennis McCarthy and his sons] as a freshman. So I knew that the coaches were coming."
But to see him as a hoopster? That’s a different approach.
"Dick Anderson came in and saw Austin playing basketball," Voorhees said. "And after he saw him running and dunking, he said, `That kid’s a player. He’s an athlete.’ Ganter had already come in and said that Austin’s upside was tremendous."
"They wanted to see if I could move, if I had agility," Hinton said. "I didn’t mind that. There were a few coaches who came in to see me play basketball."
With the attention given to him by the Penn State coaching staff, it was only fitting that Hinton make a recruiting visit to the school, where he was greeted by the immortal Joe Paterno, the all-time leader in coaching victories on the college level.
"Paterno sat down with Austin and blew him away," Voorhees said. "It all happened in one day."
"It was like, ‘Wow, I’m sitting and talking with Joe Paterno," Hinton said. "It was pretty wild."
Hinton left Happy Valley and gave the legendary coach a commitment that he would become a Nittany Lion.
"The coaches were nice and the atmosphere was great," Hinton said. "Plus, the school has my major [sports communications], so it was perfect. I never could have expected this to happen. Everything turned out great."
Voorhees said that he was proud that Hinton chose to attend such a prestigious school as Penn State.
"People said that our program could never have a kid go to Penn State," Voorhees said. "Austin has a lot of ability. He’s a great kid who is a good student and is very mature. I think his intelligence and maturity had a lot to do with the decision. After he had a sub-par year last year, people said that he would never make it. But he’s proving them wrong."
Hinton is projected to be a guard at Penn State – and that’s where he’ll play this year for the Patriots. The 6-5, 270-pound Hinton had been a tackle during his three previous years with the Patriots.
"He’ll play left guard for us," Voorhees said. "Maybe he should have been a guard all along."
"I feel better playing guard," Hinton said. "It’s a better position for me and it will get me ready for college."
Hinton said that he felt good that his collegiate decision is over and he can concentrate fully on playing football this season.
"I’ll have the whole year with no pressure," Hinton said.
But the college coaches are still calling, even after Hinton made the verbal commitment.
"It’s hard to give them the bad news," Hinton said. "I hope they understand."
In fact, choosing Penn State has a special meaning for Hinton. His late father, Charlie, was a Penn State fan.
"When I was about five years old, I remember him wearing a Penn State jersey, No. 22 [which was worn by Heisman Trophy winner John Cappelletti]," Hinton said. "He would have been proud because he was always a Penn State fan. He’s definitely smiling down on me now."
Hinton’s mother, Carla, is also very proud.
"My mother has been taking phone calls, congratulating me," Hinton said. "I really never thought this could happen. I didn’t even play football at first. I was a basketball player."
Ironically, it’s his basketball skills that sealed the deal early that June morning. – Jim Hague