By Ray Glier – for The New York Times CLEMSON, S.C. — Clemson center Jay Guillermo could disguise his unhappiness in front of his teammates, but the hoax had its limits. His face in the morning mirror, he said, made him shudder. Guillermo had tried to cushion his fall from star offensive lineman in high school to banged-up backup in college with nightly … Read More
The New York Times: With Alabama and L.S.U., a More Earthbound Game
By Ray Glier – for The New York Times November 8, 2013 In college football, the field has become the party deck for the quarterback. Many games are a loose, festive three hours of lickety-split football, a full buffet. The defense is spread out by formation, and quarterbacks pick their way downfield by delivering short passes to four or five … Read More
The New York Times: Georgia Tackle Overcomes a Stubborn Foe – Steroids
By Ray Glier – for The New York Times ATHENS, Ga. — Kolton Houston said he paid $10,000 to sit in a sauna with drug addicts for 31 days to try to sweat an anabolic steroid out of his body. A University of Georgia offensive lineman, Houston also took a pill normally prescribed for tuberculosis and had 60 ultrasound treatments to … Read More
The Athletic: The little-known group of recruiting grunts who helped Alabama build a dynasty
By Ray Glier – for The Athletic February 6, 2018 In early 2009, on the second floor of the Alabama football headquarters in the Mal M. Moore Athletic Facility, there was a windowless room, approximately 12 feet by 12 feet. This room, which had one door, was down on the left in an interior hallway. The walls of this room … Read More
The New York Times: Pets, Car Repairs and Mom: How College Football Players Use Their Stipends
By Ray Glier – for The New York Times Jan. 5, 2017 CLEMSON, S.C. — Clemson safety Van Smith drives a BMW, but the car is long past its days as a ride of luxury. It is a 1999 sedan with 300,000 miles on its odometer. Like many college students, Smith holds his breath every time he turns the key in … Read More
The New York Times: High School Recruits Think Twice About Signing Letters of Intent
By Ray Glier – for The New York Times February 13, 2015 MONTEZUMA, Ga. — In a crowded gymnasium at Macon County High School on Feb. 4, Roquan Smith, one of the top high school linebackers in the country, picked up a U.C.L.A. hat and put it on his head, signaling his intention to play for the Bruins. Smith, however, did … Read More
Bleacher Report: Mississippi State’s Gang of Misfit Recruits on Revenge Tour of SEC
By Ray Glier – for Bleacher Report October 7, 2014 STARKVILLE, Miss. — This is a Vengeance Tour, that’s what this is. It sounds a little sinister, but some Mississippi State players are looking for a little retribution around the SEC. Coach Dan Mullen talks in public about the cuddly emotions of chemistry and togetherness and other nice things, but his … Read More
The New York Times: ‘The Process’ Can’t Always Beat the Breaks
By Ray Glier – for The New York Times December 2, 2013 Alabama has become the envy of college football because it has won three national championships in four seasons under, utilizing a heavy-on-fundamentals formula that Saban refers to as a process. The Crimson Tide has also produced 24 N.F.L. draft picks, including 11 first-rounders in the last four drafts with … Read More
The Georgia State University Magazine: First Down and Miles
By Ray Glier – for The Georgia State University Magazine Fall 2013 Issue The rebranding of the Georgia State football program started like this: At 6:07 a.m. on Jan. 14, a Monday, the first day of winter workouts, seven players arrived at the weight room door to find the Little Bald Man blocking the entrance. “You’re late. You can’t come … Read More