As Eddie George helps his son navigate the ups and downs of football recruiting, the Titans legend has made it clear that he’s hoping to steer him away from two schools in particular.
George, who’s entering his second season as Tennessee State’s head coach, recently shared with The Tennesseean his preference on a future college home for Eriq, a senior defensive lineman at Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville. Unsurprisingly, the Ohio State alum said he wouldn’t want his son to play for the Buckeyes’ archrival, Michigan. As the steward of an HBCU program, the elder George also said he doesn’t want Eriq committing to Deion Sanders and Jackson State.
“He can’t go to Jackson State. He’s not going there or that team up north,” George said Friday, subtly acknowledging OSU fans’ pseudonym for Michigan. “But I tell him to see all that’s out there and ultimately trust your intuition, trust your gut.”
Standing 6’2” and 260 pounds, Eriq is making a name for himself at a different position than the one his father dominated in college and the pros. The promising D-lineman already holds an offer from Marshall and also is being recruited by several FCS schools, including Furman and TSU, per USA Today.
While George’s contempt for Michigan is understandable, the TSU coach’s opposition to JSU ties directly to the two programs’ long-standing rivalry. The bad blood between the HBCU programs intensified in March after JSU pulled out of the annual Southern Heritage Classic, leading to a lawsuit involving the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
Still, despite his reservations and both rivalries, George reiterated that he plans to fully support whatever Eriq decides. Of course, that didn’t stop the Tigers coach from pitching his son on the possibility of one day playing for him at TSU.
“This is his deal, his process, his career,” George said. “He knows what I’m doing (at TSU). He’s around me every day, and he knows how he’s going to get coached (if he chooses TSU). I tell him to go and see what’s out there. Go where your heart’s desire is.”
