Mother knows best: Jennifer Coney drives Rashan Gary's recruitment
ATLANTA -- When it comes to recruiting, it usually goes without saying that if a college coach can win over the mother, the son is sure to follow. In the case of this year’s No. 1 overall player Rashan Gary that old adage not only rings true, it’s being taken to a whole other level.
Gary’s mother Jennifer Coney has spearheaded Gary’s recruitment. From scheduling official visits to talking directly with some of college football’s most famous names, mom is in charge and Gary wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I thank my mom every day for just taking that weight off my shoulders and just letting me focus on football and school and workouts and have her handle all the recruitment,” Gary said Thursday night after accepting the Bobby Dodd National High School Lineman of the Year Award. “Not a lot of kids can say that and I’m happy to I have my mom. She’s my right and my left hand and my mom and my dad – she’s my everything.”
That special bond has allowed Gary to function much like a regular high school student -– or at least as close to one as possible. Over the past week Gary said at least 20 college head coaches have reached out to him, but he’s barely spoken with any of them.
“Thanks to my mom I haven’t had to deal with none of them,” Gary said.
Coney said one of the main reasons she’s taken such an active role in the process is because she wants her son to relish his time as the nation’s No. 1 player, especially considering all the hard work he’s put in to get there.
“I want Rashan to embrace every minute of it because this is once in a lifetime,” Coney said. “I don’t want him to be stressed out or annoyed. I want him to enjoy this. So I’m stressed out and I’m aggravated and I’m annoyed.”
While Coney may describe herself as annoyed, she’s taking it in stride and was all smiles as she discussed her son’s impending college decision. The pair will travel to Bristol, Conn., on Wednesday to announce Gary’s college destination.
“We’re going to go down to ESPN and do SportsCenter, ESPN Radio,” Coney said. “They have the whole car wash thing set up for him so that’s pretty exciting.”
Before they can announce a decision, Gary and Coney must first come to an agreement on which school best fits the bill. On Thursday, the pair hosted coaches from Alabama, Michigan, Auburn, Ole Miss and Clemson while in Atlanta. Those meetings of course were scheduled and spearheaded by Cooney.
Throughout the official visit process, which will conclude with a trip to Clemson this weekend, Cooney said she and Gary have kept extensive notes. After returning home to New Jersey on Sunday, all factors will be weighed before a final decision is made.
“When Rashan and I go to colleges we have our notebook with pros and cons, the things that we like and the things that we don’t like and the things we’re indifferent about,” Cooney said. “And we put them together and we’re going to go over them Sunday. It’s going to be our own war room.”
So what might put one program ahead of another? Gary was mum about the possible factors. But he did say he expects the Sunday night discussion to include other family members and no matter how long it takes, a choice will be made.
“It’s going to be me my mom, my stepdad, my cousin, my aunt,” Gary said. “It might be 100 of us at the table. My family’s big but we stay united and by Sunday night a decision will be made.”
Gary will keep that decision under wraps until Wednesday, when he will announce his intentions live during ESPN’s Signing Day coverage.