Joe Unitas , Recruiting Specialist

University of South Carolina

(312) 610-6075

Since 2001, I have had the distinct pleasure of assisting student-athletes and their families with their college recruiting process. I believe the college decision is one of the most important decisions in a young persons life. Being able to provide guidance to young men and women, along with their parents, through the daunting “recruiting process” is very rewarding and something I take great pride in. My two favorite days, related to my work, are “Introduction Day” and “Signing Day”. Introduction Day is very rewarding because the student-athlete is usually getting their first taste of what it feels like to be recruited. The countless hours of training, practice and games are paying off in the form of interest from college coaches for the student-athletes. Signing Day marks the end of the recruiting process for young men and women with the start of college just few months away.

My personal experience with the recruiting process wasn’t a very good one, primarily because I didn’t take my academics serious enough in high school. After two years at Ohio Wesleyan University, where I played football and lacrosse, I transferred. This due to a change in major and the realization that OWU wasn’t the right fit for me. The University of South Carolina was a great fit. While at USC, I played football and lacrosse (SELC: Player of the Year, Hall of Fame, 25th Anniversary Team). Most importantly, I graduated in 1998 with a B.S. in Sport Administration.

I wish “recruiting services” like NCSA existed when I was going through the process. I certainly wouldn’t have made the mistakes I did. The support, guidance and expertise provided by our staff is second to none and one of the main reasons that NCSA student-athletes are so heavily recruited and find their “best fit” college. As I mentioned earlier, picking the right school is critical, and having a team of recruiting experts to help guide this decision is critical to ones success.