The world of recruiting can be cruel.
We hear far too often about kids losing scholarships amid a numbers crunch, but what happened to Taurrian Stafford, a class of 2018 offensive lineman from Miami, goes way beyond that.
On Tuesday, Stafford received what he thought was a phone call from Auburn offensive line coach Herb Hand. During the call, whoever was on the other end offered him a scholarship — Stafford’s first from a major college program. However, Stafford later found out it wasn’t Hand calling him after all.
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Stafford told 247Sports.com he was the victim of a cold-hearted prank:
“I went and Googled him,” Stafford said. “I was talking to him and he was like, “I like your film, I like how aggressive you are. I like the way you drive block.’ “
And then, the person on the other end of phone gave him some unexpected news.
“He was like, ‘I would like to offer you a scholarship,’ “ Stafford recalled. “I cried. When I got that offer, it was the high point of my whole life.”
But, there was a problem. It wasn’t Hand on the other line. And, as Stafford would later learn, there was no offer.
“I got pranked,” Stafford said Thursday evening.
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Stafford’s coaches at Miami Central High School got in contact with the Auburn football program in effort to verify the offer. They soon found out from Herb Hand himself — the actual Herb Hand — that he hadn’t made the phone call.
Stafford, understandably, was devastated.
“(Hand) called and said, ‘I’m sorry for the incident, but that was not me who called,’” Stafford told 247Sports.
I just pray the blessings stay upon me on my journey to success???? pic.twitter.com/PCZqMdSKFu
— Taurrian Stafford ひ (@teedo56) March 30, 2017
Something positive did come out of the experience, however. Herb told Stafford, who is listed at 6-foot-4 and 320 pounds and has an offer from Florida A&M, he would make the trip down to Florida during the spring to evaluate him in person.
Hand also offered a message to the demented individual who called Stafford.
Only a true scumbag would 'prank' a HS athlete w/a false scholarship offer-If that's you, you should reevaluate the priorities in your life.
— Herb Hand (@CoachHand) March 31, 2017
Well said, coach.
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Sam Cooper is a writer for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
