Bryce Brown: On the Road Again
July 17, 2008 @ 2:22 p.m. by jlongBy J. Long
Miami has Arthur Brown. But let’s not pencil lil’ brother down as a Hurricane just yet.
Rival’s No. 2 rated running back and ninth best football prospect in the country East’s Bryce Brown is out enjoying the luxuries of being one of the best prospects in the country. Which means that he’s being wooed by any college football program that can get him on campus.
As you read this Brown is on his way back from a college tour with the Potential Players program operated by his mentor Brian Butler. While Brown verbally committed to the Hurricanes, he insists that it’s not yet a done deal. Miami has several things going for them - one being his older brother wearing a Hurricane uniform, but he wants to check out his options and see what the others calling have to offer.
Why shouldn’t he. He’s been up front with Miami telling him that he still was going to take his five official visits and that’s all he owes them. And though he won’t say it, I believe that Miami shouldn’t be real worried.
The “superstar treatment” as I like to call it doesn’t come often. He’s made the sacrifices that takes to be at the level he is at so he deserves the right to enjoy the perks. On this recent trip he got a chance to check out Illinois, Purdue, and Missouri which he liked a lot. He plans going to St. Louis for their game with Illinois on August 30. He also has plans to visit Oregon and Clemson and perhaps Ohio State and Texas if they fit into his schedule.
So it could get pretty interesting this recruiting season. Then again it could be pretty quiet. The only person that knows is Bryce Brown and nobody should fault him for making sure he uses all the time he has to make sure he’s making the best choice.
July 17th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Lets be honest, if Bryce didn’t go on this trip Butler couldn’t even get in the door of these colleges. There would be no “tour” because everyone wants to see Bryce but not really anybody else.
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July 17th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
I don’t understand why people having been giving potential players such a bad rap. Brian Butler is doing a great job with those kids. I’ve been to a couple of the workouts and there are kids of different ethnic backgrounds who make up potential players. Brian has done something no one in the state thought was possible when those college coaches came to east high. Keep up the good work.
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July 17th, 2008 at 7:10 pm
Chibears you have no clue what you are talking about, Bryce will be gone next year and the Trip will continue on. Get your facts straight.
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July 17th, 2008 at 8:39 pm
Not only will the trip continue but the potential players pipeline as well and wanna be’s like chibears, you get used to the idea. Not everyone is a loser in this state.
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July 17th, 2008 at 9:26 pm
chibears u r an idiot! there are several D1 players working with butler.before u judge the man u should go watch one of there workouts.there are all kinds of kids there.if a kid will work hard he will train them.any player that worked with him and quit is lazy and does not want to do what it takes to succeed.he has helped many kids other than the brown brothers.
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July 17th, 2008 at 11:32 pm
I am far from an idiot. I have seen the list and yes there will be some D1 players on left for Potential players but none as big as Bryce and I can’t see many schools just opening their doors like they have when you have bryce with you. I am not giving Butler a bad rap, I think he is doing a great job but it is not very often a talent like Bryce Brown comes along. The problem is not Butler but all you others who think you kid is better than their are. I guess we will find out a year from now when Bryce is gone, we will find out then how many college coaches are flocking to Kansas to see all these studs. I will take watching Hutch football over anything that potential players is doing. I have a feeling that guys like Shuckman and Dreiling have still helped many more kids in than your savior Butler.
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July 17th, 2008 at 11:34 pm
Nothing like a guy calling himself coach then getting on here and calling someone else an idiot. I hope my kids doesn’t play for a great role model like you.
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July 18th, 2008 at 6:39 am
I hope the tours do continue and Butler is doing a good job for some of these kids. The funny thing is if a kid is part of potential players Hovpen will put you on his first team preseason all state.
The national Rivals site has a top ranked group for each state (which was posted here on VK)and Hovpen has his own, and it is interesting how Hovey inserts all the Potential Players. So it does help in a lot of ways to be a Potentiel Player.
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July 18th, 2008 at 6:57 am
Who else are the Potential Players besides Bryce?
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July 18th, 2008 at 9:42 am
Rivals are the idiots, they don’t even list the states leading career receiver in the top 15.
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July 18th, 2008 at 11:06 am
Sorry, who is it? I honestly don’t know.
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July 18th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
Bryce Brown: On the Blog Again
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July 18th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
Chibears yes Bryce is special but that has nothing to do with these “tours”. You clearly dont understand even what they are about. Yes We “Will” find out in the next few years wont we! As far as your comment about taking hutch over Potential Players any day that made me laugh to be honest . I will take 22plus players in Potential Players in a blowout over hutch,,if you wanna look at it that way. I dont think you or many realize the level of talent involved in that group.
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July 18th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
Oh and WHO are these “others” you speak of ? just curious
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July 18th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
Others being you parents who think your kid is D1. How many state titles came out of the potential players camp last year? You take potential players and I will take state titles.
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July 18th, 2008 at 5:25 pm
you are entertaining anyway, they are 1 player in a “team” game to answer your ridiculous statment about state titles.
Parents tend to think there kids are better than they are,which is another great reason to workout with Potential Players to see how you match up with the top players in the aera. If you have a kid/parent that “thinks” they are a D 1 talented and they bring them to Brian you will find out real quick!
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July 18th, 2008 at 6:57 pm
fballfn - you are the one who said that potential players could “blowout” a team like Hutch. How many of the potential players has ever really played in a big game? You mention talent but the talent will eventually disappear but the state titles will always be there. My statement is no more ridiculous than you saying that potential players could blowout Hutch. Who would coach your allstar team when the best coach in the state will be coaching against them.
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July 18th, 2008 at 7:59 pm
how many hutch players will be playing D1? i know of at least 5 that butler has helped. would bryce and arthur have gotten D1 offers without butler? yes,of course they would have and butler is the first to admit that.but if anyone thinks that there high school coaches helped to prepare them for college they are a fool,that is what butler does.hutch has had a great team for a long time,due largely to a great coach.wichita has terrible coaches and that is why they cant win a title not because they are lacking in talent.B.C. does have a good coach and they do well every year with far less talent than the public schools.east could not even make the playoffs with bryce and arthur and several other good players and that is because the coach is not good.
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July 18th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
Chibears i completely stand by what i said BLOWOUT ! i can tell you have no idea the group of players that im talking about and i only was responding to your statement. You are right about one thing the state titles will always be there ,however im still not sure what that has to do with playing D 1 football,having your education paid for and setting yourself up for “life” ? I think id take that over Any “title” if i had to choose wouldnt you ?
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July 18th, 2008 at 10:22 pm
Comparing state titles and scholarships are apples and oranges.
Both are great, but they’re different.
Remember, not everybody needs their schooling paid for, so there are plenty of kids with state titles to enjoy who then go on to college, get an education and get jobs.
Some kids walk-on, then get a scholarship and move on.
Getting a D1 scholarship is awesome, but it doesn’t necessarily set yourself up for “life.” We see people blow those opportunities on a daily basis.
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July 18th, 2008 at 10:50 pm
i agree i would rather have a D 1 scholarship over a title.some kids get both.i bet jaydan bird will with conway springs this year.i also bet that he plays at OU his freshmen year.he is a great player and will go up there and work his ass off.
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July 19th, 2008 at 12:14 am
coach
you really don’t have the slightest idea what you are talking about do you? butler helping hutch guys? I think dreiling might have something to say about that (probably with a few f-bombs thrown in). How exactly does butler prepare these kids for college? what special services does he provide (for a hefty fee) that the HS coaches don’t? Bad CL coaches? Seriously? Shuckman, Schartz, Wheeler, Byers, Guzman. Are your serious? Check the titles amongst these guys (and then compare to butler). Last, look closer at the CL teams and the talent there. Don’t just see a few amazing athletes and assume every team is loaded like that. Carroll usually has the MOST overall talent, not the least, they just don’t always have players like arthur, bryce or harper.
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July 19th, 2008 at 6:52 am
I have known Brian Butler since he was 12 years old and know he is trying to do the best he can for ALL the kids .Now does he do more for the Potential Players kids? Sure they pay for his service and trust me it’s not cheap making calls, taking trips,time off work so forth,also cost of workout place Brian has no profit from. Brian is doing something most coaches would have to admit they have little time to do.Brian did put together a Workout Camp this year and last for players to come and be seen by coaches which was FREE and I do remember 7 or 8 Hutch kids there so yes that is helping kids and for anyone saying that is no big deal you are wrong,thats why it hasn’t been done in the past.It is alot of work/time which again he did for free. I also know of several kids films he took on the trip this year and last that are not Potential Players.Finally to let you know my son nor I are part of Potential Players and have never been.
(we have been to the player camps both years) We do our own thing but alot of kids don’t have parents that know what to do or have time /money to do it.I am sure someone will have something negetive to say but State Championships are great and free College education is awesome but bottom line is these kids play football to have fun and enjoy it .When thats gone it’s a job.
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July 19th, 2008 at 11:26 am
Very Well Said CP ! Voice of reason im not sure where to start but “hefty fee” WRONG ! BC most talent in the city WRONG ! and fianlly most of the “overall “Coaching STAFFS”in wichita are poor for several reasons ,some out of the control of the head coach . One man can not be everywhere and also do 2 fulltime jobs. BC,s Staff is 10,12 deep and fully comitted so that is a giant advantage.
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July 19th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
to voice of reason-i never said that butler helps hutch kids.if u want to see how butler prepares kids for college ball u should go to one of his workouts and observe for yourself.as for special services i know he spends hours every week to college coaches all over the country.if u think that the h.s. coaches do that u r wrong.how many h.s. coaches set up free workout camps for any athlete to attend and be observed by college coaches? as for the c.l. coaches i did say that B.C. had a good coach and i also would agree that N.W. and heights has a good staff.byers? r u serious? last year they could not even make the playoffs with the talent they had.in one game 2 of there players got into a fight on the field and the cops had to be called to escort them.how does a coach not get fired after that?east had several really good players other than the brown brothers too.but it was all for nothing.now someday when both of the brown boys are n the n.f.l. byers can brag that he coached both of them and oh yea we did not make the playoffs. B.C. has never had a player like the brown boys and they still do well because of coaching.if east fired byers tomorrow all he would have to do is wait a year at most and either north,west,or south would hire him.that is how the wichita city league coaching merrygoround works.back to butler,how i know what i know is that i have 2 sons that workout with him 3 times a week,and not for a hefty price.if u see all the time he commits to it u would see y it cant b for free.
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July 19th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
easy coach take it from experience there are a lot of missimformed people on this site.
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July 19th, 2008 at 5:17 pm
the difference is that hutch is a FOOTBALL team and theses INDIVIDUALS he is coaching are just that, single players. the brown brothers hardly succedded in the fact that it was all up to them. now, if you get a team of all stars together, i also think that will flop…
its like having to many queen bee’s and not enough workers, if you small minded people can get that. there can only be so many stars on a team for it to be a success… so with that said, it would nto be a blowout either way. but… hutch would win. becuase they are a TEAM THAT KNOWS HOW TO WORK
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July 19th, 2008 at 9:19 pm
This whole subject has become such a bore. We all promote our own brand of elitism depending on our value systems.
Potential Players addresses the needs of individual athletes. It isn’t intended for “average Joe”. Suspect we should be way less suspect of Mr. Butler’s agenda and be less bothered by his sometimes grating ways. It’s a distraction from the good that can come from what is trying to be accomplished.
For those in communities where entire towns are behind one team, or private schools whose families practice commitment and participation in order to support their institutions, have clear advantage over the team concept. The quality of the programs is a direct result of the investments made. Your pride is surely earned. It does not, however, lessen the worth of schools who do not enjoy these benefits.
Our family is every bit as proud and invested in our USD259 public school football program. While the team struggles, and often falters and fails, they deserve respect. On the flip side of prestige and privilege is the significance of being bold enough to play the game without automatic glory or with particular greatness. For this I believe our kids are the absolute best!
Let’s just salute all and move on.
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July 19th, 2008 at 10:36 pm
there are a lot of misinformed people around here… on both sides
“A fool and his money are soon parted.”
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July 20th, 2008 at 7:31 am
yoman you can think what you will and voice it all you want that is what this site is for but know this those “stars” work harder than ANY kids in this state. I agree with Mominthestands that this has become a bore and the point wasnt intendednot to go more than one comment really.With that being said you will never convince me that a team (ficticious as it is) of the cats from Potential Players wouldnt completly destroy any High School team. Like i have said before i dont think people realize the pure talent,speed,and power advantage they would have even with out being “coached” its not even a fair comparision.
voice of reason i watch pretty close on here and havnt read to many missinformed from this side my friend and this “money” issue is laughable really,i promise you people spend more going out to dinner in a month than is spent to train a kid at Potential Players. Im not sure where the idea came from that Brian is stealing peoples money believe me this dude is “real” and one of the best things to happen for football players in this aera ever! Take the time to gather information people on what is really going on.
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July 24th, 2008 at 12:29 am
Winning a state championship feels better than most any of you will ever know. Being the state record holder of Tennessee, and the state champion of the 110 meter high hurdles, I very well know what it feels like. If I didn’t get a D1 scholarship (I obviously will) I would be fine with it. The state record and the multiple state titles will last forever, even if the record is broken.
So anybody that thinks they know shit about how success feels, you most likely know nothing, because if you did, you know its all about the titles. and for me, the records.
you can always go to college, walk-on, work you ass off, and end up making the team and earning a scholarship.
you arrogant idiots that say scholarships over titles are full of crap! i have both, and i would take the titles over the scholarships any day.
and i did used to live in mcpherson kansas, so i do know what you are talking about. i know of all the teams and coaches and athletes you speak of and none of them (excluding the Brown brothers) can match Tennessee. the teams are better, the athletes are better, and the atmosphere is WAY better.
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July 24th, 2008 at 7:55 pm
jackporter-now that u live in tennessee u think all the athletes are better.r u some kind of talent scout? no,u r just some punk kid who shoots off his mouth to prove his ignorance.well you have convinced us so please find a site in tennessee where u and all your superior athletes can stroke each others ego.why r u even on a kansas site if tennessee is so great?
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July 25th, 2008 at 7:43 am
I think he just wanted to tell us he was fast.
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July 25th, 2008 at 8:57 pm
because kansas is great. everything about it is better than tennessee, except sports. coach, you obviously have not had much athletic success in your own right or you would very well know that titles are one of the greatest things that can happen to an athlete. you call me ignorant, but i must disagree with you. ignorance means unknowing, but as you know, i do know what it feels like to have titles as well as scholarships. you obviously are the ignorant one in this conversation because you must not know what it feels like if you choose scholarships over titles. you seem like the mediocre athlete who never made it, and is now paying some mediocre talent coach to try to get your sons to a level you were never at. you are the classic jv athlete who never made it, and now you probably are living through your sons. people like you give kansas athletics an even worse name.
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July 25th, 2008 at 9:10 pm
the main problem with kansas is that athletes dont have enough school spirit and pride. this became obvious the second day in my new school (blackman high school). the pep rally on the second day left you with ringing ears and goose bumps because of the sheer intensity of pride and spirit. it is this way with all schools in tennessee. when i stepped out onto the track at state, it was not only for me, but more importantly for my school and county. they ACTUALLY care about their athletes, and in turn, the athletes care about winning for their schools more.
a good example being the state title that me and fellow Rutherford County student Terr won at state. the county commissioner invited us to be honored at the semiannual county commission meeting. it was an honor that would not have been experienced in kansas because they dont care about their athletes as much there. everytime an athlete is out there competing, its not only for themselves, but for their school and county.
the point: kansas athletes and coaches are too selfish. period.
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