In the months after giving a verbal commitment to Temple, Keith Carlos started to have his doubts. The former Central football standout, who had just completed a second strong year at Lackawanna (Pa.) Community College, began to think he took himself out of the recruiting game too quickly.
Just two days before the Feb 2. National Signing Day, Carlos told Temple he wasn’t going to sign.
“I just think I made my decision too early,” Carlos said. “I didn’t explore all of my options. I should have given it more thought. I thought I owed it to my family and to myself to shoot for the stars, you know?”
With the help of Central assistant coach John Carolina, Carlos put out some feelers. Almost three weeks later, wound up catching what he believes is a bigger fish. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound tailback and receiver accepted a scholarship offer to play at Purdue University next fall.
“I had a plan,” Carlos said Tuesday after signing his letter of intent. “I wouldn’t have done this if I didn’t have a plan. The plan was to get into a bigger school with bigger opportunities.
“I had a belief in God and, though one door closed, He opened up another door.”
Carlos credited Carolina for helping circulate recruiting videos to a number of universities after National Signing Day, when recruits traditionally sign with their chosen schools.
In addition to Purdue, Carlos scheduled recruiting visits with Kansas Sate and Rutgers. But he chose Purdue almost immediately after returning from an official visit at the West Layfayette, Ind. campus last weekend.
Carlos attended a Purdue basketball game, met with the players, new coach Danny Hope and his staff, including running back coach Cornell Jackson and receivers coach Brian Rock.
“They really liked me a lot,” Carlos said. “They said they hope to get play me at both wide receiver and running back. They said they need help at both positions and I kill two birds with one stone. It just felt right to me.”
Carlos was a non-qualifier when he graduated from Central in 2007. He got into Lackawanna with the help of Central assistant Peter Cox and scored 16 touchdowns in two seasons. This spring, Carlos will graduate with what Carolina said was “a high C-average,” at Lackawanna.
“Keith saw a lot of players he thought were lesser talents than him going to bigger schools,” said Carolina, a Bridgeport resident. “His grades were better, he’s a good kid and never misses class or workouts. He was thinking, ‘If they can do it, why can’t I?’
Though he didn’t wind up going to Temple, Carlos thanked Cox for his efforts to find him a school.
“A degree from Temple would have great, but I think (Purdue) is a better opportunity for him,” Carolina said. “He was a non-qualifer out of high school. To be where he is now is amazing.”
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