Greg Schiano’s NFL foray with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was not successful. Schiano struggled mightily in the pros and discovered what many other quality college football coaches have learned over many decades: The NFL is a different beast. Schiano was chewed up and spat out by the NFL. The man who coached Rutgers for a decade and then wanted to test himself in the pro game was back at Rutgers several years later for a second go-round in New Jersey.
Schiano got kicked around in the NFL, but instead of lamenting his misfortune, the coach did at least forge connections in the state of Florida. Those connections are benefiting Rutgers on the recruiting trail as part of the Scarlet Knights’ national approach to player acquisition. Rutgers isn’t relying on New Jersey and New York prospects — players close to the campus and the school’s home base — to fill the vast majority of roster spots. The Scarlet Knights are going into North Carolina, Florida, and other states to fill out their rosters.
Kristian Dyer, the editor of Rutgers Wire, talked about this and a lot more on our recent USC Big Ten Tour podcast:
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