LINDALE, Texas — It's no secret that Lamar University is a top destination for East Texas football recruits. Conveniently located in Beaumont, it's never too far of a drive for the players and their families.
The proof of this is in the numbers: an incredible 20 percent of Lamar's current roster is made up of East Texans. That recruiting charge is led by Assistant Head Coach Coby Gibson, who's in charge of East Texas recruiting.
"Our university and our football program fits a lot of qualities that East Texans have. You love football here, and Friday nights are a big deal for the community," Gibson said. "That's what we want to build at Lamar. It's a blue-collar, hard-working mentality with great coaches here, so it ends up being a great fit. Our guys that come from East Texas transition really well to Lamar."
Roughly a hundred local athletes were in attendance for Thursday's football camp in Lindale, hosted by Gibson and the Lamar coaching staff. It provided an opportunity for these football players to show their skills in front of the college coaches in hope of leaving a lasting impression.
"It's a big opportunity to just go out there today with my teammates and as an individual. Beast Texas is a big thing right now," Lindale offensive lineman Trey Rozell said. "You have to recruit East Texas to get those big guys and those Division One offers. It's a great opportunity for everybody.
Coach Gibson is well acquainted with the region, as he had a successful stint as the head football coach of Bishop Gorman in Tyler. Now, being able to recruit this region gives Lamar a step ahead when it comes to knowledge and rapport with the local players and coaches, in hopes of bringing more home-grown East Texas talent down to Beaumont.
"We keep up with Texas high school football a lot. Some of our coaches have not been in Texas before, and they're amazed at what the facilities are like," Gibson said. "More importantly, they're amazed at what the athletes and coaches are like. You're at elite levels of that here in East Texas."