BlackSmoke
Senior Member
OL Watts Dantzler having fun with recruiting process
5:36 am March 8, 2010, by Chip Towers
It’s not long into an interview with Watts Dantzler before you realize you’re dealing with a different sort of college football prospect.
You’re thinking that after you hear how he’s sorting through his snowballing recruiting process. But then you’re sure of it when you get around to asking him if he’s involved in any spring sports such as track or baseball.
“I’m actually playing tennis right now,” said the 6-foot-7, 310-pound offensive lineman from Dalton. “I enjoy it and . . .”
It takes a second for that comment to resonate. So I interrupt him make sure I’ve heard him correctly.
“Tennis?” I ask, incredulous. “Like on the varsity tennis team?”
“Well, I’m on the JV right now,” Dantzler says. “I haven’t qualified for varsity just yet. But I’m trying.”
Dantzler explains that he’s not a lifelong netter or anything. He just grew bored a while ago as a thrower in track and decided to take up a new sport while staying active in the spring.
Plus, he insists, it has practical applications for his burgeoning football career.
“It’s helping me out with my footwork,” says Dantzler, who averaged 12 points and 10 rebounds on the Catamounts’ basketball team. “It’s an easy sport to play. We only practice about an hour a day, so I can work out real hard [in the weightroom] and not worry about being too tired for tennis.”
So much for convention. But then there is very little conventional about Dantzler.
He is at once a deliberate thinker and a free spirit. And he’s utilizing both traits to negotiate the sometimes overwhelming recruiting process.
For instance, people tend to think he’s a lock to sign with Georgia seeing how his late father, Danny Dantzler, is a Bulldog letterman and met Watts’ mother at UGA. Not necessarily.
Dantzler does indeed “love Georgia” (his words) and includes the Dogs on his list of favorites. But he vowed long ago to approach his recruitment with an open mind and a blank slate.
“I’ve tried to visit as many places as I can,” said Dantzler, who estimates he has been on at least 30 unofficial visits the last two years. “Colleges spend so much money recruiting me. Tons of colleges send me tons of mail and invite me to stuff. So I try to get out and visit everywhere at least once or twice to get a good grasp of what that college has to offer and what not.”
Dantzler’s latest stop was at Alabama this past weekend. He’ll spend his spring break on Tobacco Road touring Duke, North Carolina and Wake Forest.
It’s his intention to see the campus of every team that offers him a scholarship. He has 18 tenders so far. To date he’s been on about 12 different campuses.
“It really has been an enjoyable process visiting all those places,” he said. “Not many people have that opportunity. It’s just been a blessing to go through this whole thing. I’m just really thankful for all the things the Lord has blessed me with.”
One can see evidence of those blessings displayed in tangible form in Dantzler’s bedroom in Dalton.
“My sophomore year one of my good friends, Taylor [Dunn], he was like ‘why don’t you put up all your letters up in your room?’ So we went and bought some thumbtacks and started putting them up,” Dantzler said. “I probably got 40 or 50 letters my sophomore year. So that filled up a nice little section on my wall. This year I’ve probably gotten 1,500 or 2,000 letters. So now all my walls in my room are covered, my ceiling is covered with letters.”
In the middle of all that chaos is a bulletin board. There Dantzler has tacked up the envelopes of the schools he’s most serious about considering. When he gets an official scholarship offer, that envelope gets a black check in permanent marker.
Dantzler recently designated a top five of Georgia, Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee and Vanderbilt. But he said that was a tentative list at best.
“None of those written in stone,” he said.
Besides, new envelopes keep coming. Dantzler said Notre Dame recently offered and he expects Southern Cal will any day now.
Trips to South Bend and Los Angeles surely will follow, tennis schedule allowing of course.
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Watts Dantzler’s late father still a major influence his recruitment
5:11 am March 12, 2010, by Chip Towers
Earlier this week I wrote about elite offensive line prospect Watts Dantzler of Dalton and how much he’s enjoying the recruiting process. What I didn’t get into very much in that report was Dantzler’s relationship with his father, Danny Dantzler, who fought a valiant three-year battle with ALS (better known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease) before succumbing in February of 2009.
While Danny Dantzler is gone, he still has a strong influence on his son’s recruitment. A one-time recruit himself — he played offensive line at Georgia from 1971-73, Danny Dantzler lived long enough to know his son was going to be a big-time prospect.
“He definitely does play a big role in [the recruiting process],” Watts told me. “He knew my freshman year, when I first started to get some interest, that I’d be a pretty big prospect. So we talked about it. He said he wanted me to do what was best for me.”
That doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll be a slam dunk for the Bulldogs.
“He really liked Auburn,” said Watts, a 6-foot-7, 310-pound tackle. “That was his final two, Georgia and Auburn. I like Auburn, too, so that’s pretty cool. And he went with me on a visit to Vanderbilt and he loved Vanderbilt. He said he took in the whole recruiting process like I’m doing.”
That has opened Watts’ eyes to many possibilities.
“Obviously I grew up a Georgia fan because of my family,” Watts said. “But once I started getting recruited it kind of opened my eyes up. Growing up I was like, ‘Man, I love Georgia; they’ve got the nicest stuff.’ Then I went to Auburn and I was like, ‘Man, they’ve got nice stuff, too.’ Then you realize everybody’s got a great stadium and wonderful coaching staffs, you know.
“So my dad was happy whenever I got letters from any school. He was proud of me. But he said it was my choice. So I think anywhere I picked he’s going to be happy looking down from heaven.”
I decided to touch on Watts’ relationship with his father because I got responses from so many people who know the Dantzlers. They all talked about what an incredible person Danny was and what a profound influence he was on Watts (and daughter DeLancey). One of the first persons I heard from was Ray Goff.
The Georgia letterman and former head coach was very good friends with Danny Dantzler from the time they first met in 1973.
“I was a freshman and he was a senior and already married when I met him,” Goff said. “But he was just as nice as he could be to me even then. He was like that with everybody. That’s why everybody liked him so much. From the first day I met him ’til the day he died I never saw anything but a smile on his face. There is not a finer man I’ve met in my life than Danny Dantzler.”
After he was diagnosed with ALS and knew his fate, Dantzler vowed to speak to as many groups as he could about dealing with tough circumstances and not being afraid to die. Goff traveled with Dantzler often as he spoke at sports banquets, FCA functions and church groups about his situation.
“The title of his speech was ‘Why Not Me,’” Goff said. “Most people in that situation would say, ‘why me?’ Not Danny. He wasn’t going to feel sorry for himself. He was a devout Christian and believed he was going to go to heaven.”
In fact, Danny Dantzler actually started a blog to chronicle his journey. Called simply “Danny Dantzler’s Blog,” he cited scripture and commented on that and other writings that delved into the realities of life and death. He always signed his entries with, “I can almost hear the trumpet. Danny D.”
On Feb. 21, 2009, then 17-year-old Watts Dantzler wrote the next-to-last entry on Danny Dantzler’s blog:
Today my dad finally heard the trumpet. I try to think of the good times that my dad and I spent together for my 17 years he was with me. Last night I was with my dad; we were watching a basketball game on ESPN. As he usually does, he asked me if I had practiced basketball or lifted weights that day. I told him I lifted some weights. He was pretty excited about that.
I try to rejoice in the fact that my dad is finally home. I’ve spent three years knowing that he was going to die. Although he is dead, he is now truly living. After the game was over I turned to the Golf network. I asked my dad who he thought would win the Masters; he got his board and wrote, “Tiger.” We both laughed. I left and told my dad I would see him tomorrow and I loved him. He gave me a thumbs up. I think my dad is 0n the golf course right now in heaven. I’m very thankful for all the wonderful times I got to spend with my dad: playing basketball, lifting weights, and watching football. I can’t describe how much I will miss my dad. I want to thank everyone who has put in so much time, prayer, and love.
–Watts Dantzler
5:36 am March 8, 2010, by Chip Towers
It’s not long into an interview with Watts Dantzler before you realize you’re dealing with a different sort of college football prospect.
You’re thinking that after you hear how he’s sorting through his snowballing recruiting process. But then you’re sure of it when you get around to asking him if he’s involved in any spring sports such as track or baseball.
“I’m actually playing tennis right now,” said the 6-foot-7, 310-pound offensive lineman from Dalton. “I enjoy it and . . .”
It takes a second for that comment to resonate. So I interrupt him make sure I’ve heard him correctly.
“Tennis?” I ask, incredulous. “Like on the varsity tennis team?”
“Well, I’m on the JV right now,” Dantzler says. “I haven’t qualified for varsity just yet. But I’m trying.”
Dantzler explains that he’s not a lifelong netter or anything. He just grew bored a while ago as a thrower in track and decided to take up a new sport while staying active in the spring.
Plus, he insists, it has practical applications for his burgeoning football career.
“It’s helping me out with my footwork,” says Dantzler, who averaged 12 points and 10 rebounds on the Catamounts’ basketball team. “It’s an easy sport to play. We only practice about an hour a day, so I can work out real hard [in the weightroom] and not worry about being too tired for tennis.”
So much for convention. But then there is very little conventional about Dantzler.
He is at once a deliberate thinker and a free spirit. And he’s utilizing both traits to negotiate the sometimes overwhelming recruiting process.
For instance, people tend to think he’s a lock to sign with Georgia seeing how his late father, Danny Dantzler, is a Bulldog letterman and met Watts’ mother at UGA. Not necessarily.
Dantzler does indeed “love Georgia” (his words) and includes the Dogs on his list of favorites. But he vowed long ago to approach his recruitment with an open mind and a blank slate.
“I’ve tried to visit as many places as I can,” said Dantzler, who estimates he has been on at least 30 unofficial visits the last two years. “Colleges spend so much money recruiting me. Tons of colleges send me tons of mail and invite me to stuff. So I try to get out and visit everywhere at least once or twice to get a good grasp of what that college has to offer and what not.”
Dantzler’s latest stop was at Alabama this past weekend. He’ll spend his spring break on Tobacco Road touring Duke, North Carolina and Wake Forest.
It’s his intention to see the campus of every team that offers him a scholarship. He has 18 tenders so far. To date he’s been on about 12 different campuses.
“It really has been an enjoyable process visiting all those places,” he said. “Not many people have that opportunity. It’s just been a blessing to go through this whole thing. I’m just really thankful for all the things the Lord has blessed me with.”
One can see evidence of those blessings displayed in tangible form in Dantzler’s bedroom in Dalton.
“My sophomore year one of my good friends, Taylor [Dunn], he was like ‘why don’t you put up all your letters up in your room?’ So we went and bought some thumbtacks and started putting them up,” Dantzler said. “I probably got 40 or 50 letters my sophomore year. So that filled up a nice little section on my wall. This year I’ve probably gotten 1,500 or 2,000 letters. So now all my walls in my room are covered, my ceiling is covered with letters.”
In the middle of all that chaos is a bulletin board. There Dantzler has tacked up the envelopes of the schools he’s most serious about considering. When he gets an official scholarship offer, that envelope gets a black check in permanent marker.
Dantzler recently designated a top five of Georgia, Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee and Vanderbilt. But he said that was a tentative list at best.
“None of those written in stone,” he said.
Besides, new envelopes keep coming. Dantzler said Notre Dame recently offered and he expects Southern Cal will any day now.
Trips to South Bend and Los Angeles surely will follow, tennis schedule allowing of course.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Watts Dantzler’s late father still a major influence his recruitment
5:11 am March 12, 2010, by Chip Towers
Earlier this week I wrote about elite offensive line prospect Watts Dantzler of Dalton and how much he’s enjoying the recruiting process. What I didn’t get into very much in that report was Dantzler’s relationship with his father, Danny Dantzler, who fought a valiant three-year battle with ALS (better known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease) before succumbing in February of 2009.
While Danny Dantzler is gone, he still has a strong influence on his son’s recruitment. A one-time recruit himself — he played offensive line at Georgia from 1971-73, Danny Dantzler lived long enough to know his son was going to be a big-time prospect.
“He definitely does play a big role in [the recruiting process],” Watts told me. “He knew my freshman year, when I first started to get some interest, that I’d be a pretty big prospect. So we talked about it. He said he wanted me to do what was best for me.”
That doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll be a slam dunk for the Bulldogs.
“He really liked Auburn,” said Watts, a 6-foot-7, 310-pound tackle. “That was his final two, Georgia and Auburn. I like Auburn, too, so that’s pretty cool. And he went with me on a visit to Vanderbilt and he loved Vanderbilt. He said he took in the whole recruiting process like I’m doing.”
That has opened Watts’ eyes to many possibilities.
“Obviously I grew up a Georgia fan because of my family,” Watts said. “But once I started getting recruited it kind of opened my eyes up. Growing up I was like, ‘Man, I love Georgia; they’ve got the nicest stuff.’ Then I went to Auburn and I was like, ‘Man, they’ve got nice stuff, too.’ Then you realize everybody’s got a great stadium and wonderful coaching staffs, you know.
“So my dad was happy whenever I got letters from any school. He was proud of me. But he said it was my choice. So I think anywhere I picked he’s going to be happy looking down from heaven.”
I decided to touch on Watts’ relationship with his father because I got responses from so many people who know the Dantzlers. They all talked about what an incredible person Danny was and what a profound influence he was on Watts (and daughter DeLancey). One of the first persons I heard from was Ray Goff.
The Georgia letterman and former head coach was very good friends with Danny Dantzler from the time they first met in 1973.
“I was a freshman and he was a senior and already married when I met him,” Goff said. “But he was just as nice as he could be to me even then. He was like that with everybody. That’s why everybody liked him so much. From the first day I met him ’til the day he died I never saw anything but a smile on his face. There is not a finer man I’ve met in my life than Danny Dantzler.”
After he was diagnosed with ALS and knew his fate, Dantzler vowed to speak to as many groups as he could about dealing with tough circumstances and not being afraid to die. Goff traveled with Dantzler often as he spoke at sports banquets, FCA functions and church groups about his situation.
“The title of his speech was ‘Why Not Me,’” Goff said. “Most people in that situation would say, ‘why me?’ Not Danny. He wasn’t going to feel sorry for himself. He was a devout Christian and believed he was going to go to heaven.”
In fact, Danny Dantzler actually started a blog to chronicle his journey. Called simply “Danny Dantzler’s Blog,” he cited scripture and commented on that and other writings that delved into the realities of life and death. He always signed his entries with, “I can almost hear the trumpet. Danny D.”
On Feb. 21, 2009, then 17-year-old Watts Dantzler wrote the next-to-last entry on Danny Dantzler’s blog:
Today my dad finally heard the trumpet. I try to think of the good times that my dad and I spent together for my 17 years he was with me. Last night I was with my dad; we were watching a basketball game on ESPN. As he usually does, he asked me if I had practiced basketball or lifted weights that day. I told him I lifted some weights. He was pretty excited about that.
I try to rejoice in the fact that my dad is finally home. I’ve spent three years knowing that he was going to die. Although he is dead, he is now truly living. After the game was over I turned to the Golf network. I asked my dad who he thought would win the Masters; he got his board and wrote, “Tiger.” We both laughed. I left and told my dad I would see him tomorrow and I loved him. He gave me a thumbs up. I think my dad is 0n the golf course right now in heaven. I’m very thankful for all the wonderful times I got to spend with my dad: playing basketball, lifting weights, and watching football. I can’t describe how much I will miss my dad. I want to thank everyone who has put in so much time, prayer, and love.
–Watts Dantzler
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