Banning Counselor Gives Helping Hand to College Prospects

The walls of John Becker’s tiny office at Banning High School are covered with the mementos of his labor. Posters, schedules, letters and photographs, each representing a college football program, give his cubicle the look of a cluttered travel agency.

“This is what is known as credibility,” he said, a poster from Michigan State perched above his head. “I’m not on an ego trip.”

But, like any good travel agent, Becker is in the business of trips.

Since 1971, the Banning counselor has helped set up college recruiting trips for a talented stream of football players who have passed through the Wilmington campus. In turn, Becker has had the pleasure of entertaining many of the nation’s top college coaches.

Frequent visitors over the years have included Oklahoma’s Barry Switzer, who successfully recruited running back Stanley Wilson, linebacker John Truitt and quarterback Jamelle Holieway from Banning; Tom Osborne of Nebraska, Larry Smith of USC, Terry Donahue of UCLA and virtually every other Pac-10 coach.

Before the Feb. 8 signing date for letters of intent, Becker expects to see Lou Holtz of national champion Notre Dame, Bo Schembechler of Michigan, Dennis Green of Stanford and Donahue, all waging a recruiting war over Banning’s prize senior--6-7, 275-pound offensive tackle Bob Whitfield.

“I do what I can as far as getting scholarships for our players,” Becker said. “My basic job is PR (public relations).”

As recruiting coordinator, Becker provides a variety of services for Banning’s players and college coaches.

He promotes players by mailing newspaper clippings and placing phone calls to recruiters. When a coach visits, he provides transcripts and game films and sets up interviews with Banning coaches and players.

“It’s so much easier this way,” Becker said. “When a recruiter comes to Banning, he knows he can come to me and get just about anything.”

Proof of the system’s success lies in the high number of Banning players who acquire scholarships. This year, Becker said nine Pilots are certain to sign with four-year schools.

“We may even have 11 if everything works out,” he said.

Carlson Leomiti, a 6-4, 340-pound lineman who has made a non-binding verbal commitment to San Diego State, says Becker’s help is invaluable.

“We’re very fortunate to have Mr. Becker,” he said. “With him handling all the athletic scholarships, it makes it less stressing on the players and coaches.”

Becker got his start as a recruiting coordinator in 1971 with one of the students he was counseling, Steve Rivera. A talented wide receiver, Rivera signed with UC Berkeley. In the following years, Becker continued to assist players who happened to be students he was counseling. The list included running back Freeman McNeil, who went on to star at UCLA.

Before long, nearly all of Banning’s college football prospects were coming to Becker, who had played at Eastern Michigan.

“I created a monster,” he said. “What happened is that my students told other players, ‘Go see Mr. Becker if your want information about colleges and recruiters. He knows a lot about it.’ ”

Becker says he communicates with 50 to 60 colleges every year.

“I wear two hats,” he said. “I have my own load of 350 students that I’m responsible for, and I try to help the football players as much as I can.”

In this, the era of Proposition 48, Becker says one of his main duties is making sure Banning’s players are academically qualified for college. Players must score at least a 700 on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and maintain a 2.0 grade-point average in core curriculum to be eligible as freshmen.

“I try to get my kids to take the SAT in the spring so they can get it out of the way and go into football season with no problems,” he said. “I’ve been very successful this year. I think everybody on the squad who is a senior is eligible for a scholarship except maybe two kids.”

And what does Becker get out of his part-time labor of love?

“If I can steer a player in the right direction,” he said, “then I’m happy.”