AMERICUS — Football coaches often have to go to extraordinary lengths in recruiting. There are arduous tasks, long drives, strange meals and endless meetings.
On the other hand, sometimes they get to fish.
Tyler Clark was an uncommitted defensive line prospect last year when Georgia assistant Kevin Sherrer paid a visit. The two disappeared at one point in Clark’s hometown of Americus, with Clark’s mentor and family friend Valecia Sales trying to track them down.
“I couldn’t find anybody,” Sales recalled, shaking her head.
It was raining, and Sales finally reached Clark, who reported that he and Sherrer were fishing, and had been for awhile at his uncle Tyrone Snead’s large pond.
“Have y’all caught any fish?” Sales remembered asking.
“No, we’re still fishing,” Clark said.
They fished for about two-and-a-half hours, but had no fish when Sales arrived at the pond.
“We threw them back because they weren’t that big,” Clark said.
Sherrer was unavailable for comment for this particular hard-hitting story, but he would probably say this was among his favorite recruiting trips. Georgia’s outside linebackers coach likes to hunt and fish. Or at least he told Clark that, and it’s not hard to believe.
Clark would end up committing to Georgia, and is due to join the team in June. He had two main recruiters at Georgia: Sherrer and defensive line coach Tracy Rocker, the lone two assistants who were retained by new head coach Kirby Smart.
While Sherrer got to spend time in the great outdoors on his visit, Rocker chose not to, according to Clark.
“Coach Rocker, he doesn’t fish,” Clark said. “Coach Rocker likes to stay fresh. He likes to stay clean.”
We’ll have more about Clark in a future story as part of our Next Generation series.