Snoop Doggs son a rising prospect

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - Cordell Broadus had just received the call 600-plus kids at Football University's Top Gun Camp were hoping to earn.

Although he has yet to enter his sophomore year of high school, the wide receiver from Diamond Bar, Calif., was being elevated to the big field at the Warhill Sports Complex to play with the camp's top upperclassmen, many of whom have already received Division I scholarship offers.

Broadus is not just any rising sophomore, however; he already holds his own Division I scholarship from a BCS school. But before UCLA Bruins head coach Jim Mora gave Broadus his first offer he was best known as the son of legendary hip-hop artist Snoop Dogg.

"I don't like the term 'Snoop Dogg's son,'" Broadus said. "I want to set my own name, do my own thing, go on my own path and work hard for my mom and my grandma so they can be proud of me one day."

Where his father found success in the music industry, Broadus is hoping to establish himself on the football field. And his father is one of his biggest fans in that pursuit.

"He gave me a lot of support ... words cannot even explain," Broadus said. "He's always there on my side, and whenever I need him, I call him. We talk about anything, and he's my best friend."

Snoop Dogg has been heavily involved with the game of football for many years through his Snoop Youth Football League and the Snoop Bowl (also called the "Snooper Bowl"). So, it is no surprise that he has been coaching Cordell since the younger Broadus was first able to run routes.

The first chance for father to coach son in organized football came when Cordell was six years old and he was added to the 10-year old all-star team his father coached. Playing with older kids was an opportunity for the young Broadus to physically prepare for the game. That preparation continued straight through until the eighth grade, with Snoop Dogg coaching his son on the Rowland Raiders and then the Pomona Steelers until he entered Diamond Bar High School.

After starring in Snooper Bowls and leading his youth teams to titles in places such as Texas and Florida, Broadus was relegated to the spot most freshmen on varsity find themselves: the bench. He caught just one pass during the 2011 season.

Broadus knows he will have to earn his own way in the game of football, and that was the case with his first scholarship offer. In June he traveled to Westwood to participate in one of UCLA's summer camps. It was his play over the course of the camp that earned him rave reviews from Mora.

"At the UCLA Camp I did pretty good," Broadus said. "We did a lot of 7-on-7, and the last play of the game I had caught a fade [pass] in the back of the end zone.

"Coach Jim Mora pulled me to the side and said, 'How would it sound if I offered you?' I just had a big smile on my face. I didn't expect it at all."

At 6-foot-2 and 186 pounds, Broadus is already big by high school wide receiver standards and appears to have more growth left on his frame. UCLA and other schools have already mentioned the possibility of Broadus growing into a tight end, but he is intent on staying at the wide receiver position.

After the success he found at the UCLA Camp, Broadus next attended a camp at Oregon State and received interest from that staff. Snoop Dogg has been associated with the USC football program in the past and was brought into the Trojans' locker room by former head coach Pete Carroll. The younger Broadus, however, claims no allegiances.

"To be honest, I wasn't anybody's fan. I just liked football," Broadus said.

The early offer from UCLA has certainly piqued Broadus' interest in that program, and a close friend - Randall Goforth - signed with the Bruins in the class of 2012. Florida State and Oregon are two more schools Broadus said he would be interested in hearing from.

How the recruitment of his cousin and fellow Diamond Bar class of 2015 wide receiver Kanya Bell goes will also play a major role in Broadus' own recruitment.

"Kanya Bell, he is like my best friend/brother," Broadus said. "He also plays corner, so we are getting each other better every day. I'm pretty sure he will be getting an offer soon."

There are more than 30 months, though, before Broadus will be able to sign his national letter of intent, so there is plenty of time for him to decide on a college destination.

Although his father is no longer his football coach, Broadus still receives guidance from him on a daily basis in the areas of achieving, and handling, success and they are lessons he has close at hand.

"Staying humble, keeping your eyes on the prize, staying focused, not letting nothing distract you and just picking up whoever needs help," Broadus said.

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