For Navy football coach Ken Niumatalolo, Induction Day in Annapolis brings as much a sense of relief as it does joy.
On Wednesday, 1,259 plebes entered the Naval Academy to begin their careers as Midshipmen. But it also represented the day Niumatalolo which freshmen will vie for spots on his team. Unlike the vast majority of Division I schools, Navy?s players do not sign National Letters of Intent and the Academy does not release its list of recruits until Induction Day.
“It feels great because everyone we expected to be here showed up this week,” Niumatalolo said. “Usually, we at least have a few players who decide not to show up at the last minute.”
Navy has 58 first-year players in its class, combining direct admission freshmen and those who went to the Naval Academy Prep School last year. In all, the class has players representing 17 states, including 10 from Florida, seven from Texas and three from Maryland: offensive lineman Alex Boddiford (Loyola Blakefield), linebacker Jonathan Hill (River Hill) and slot back Jarren Brown (C.H. Flowers).
Niumatalolo, a first-year coach who was hired shortly after Paul Johnson left to take the head coaching job at Georgia Tech, said he always checks with incoming plebes to make sure they don?t have any last minute concerns. He added he doesn?t try to sugarcoat life at the Academy, which could give players a false idea of what to expect on The Yard.
“I used to just tell recruits all of the good things that the Naval Academy has to offer,” Niumatalolo, 43, said. “Now, I make sure to do thatand be up front as well. You have to let them know that coming here is going to be a challenge, but it is also a great opportunity.”
Boddiford, at 6-foot-4 and 260 pounds, spent last year at NAPS, which Niumatalolo believes will help him in his bid for playing time. Two years ago at Loyola, Boddiford proved to be an effective run blocker ? a skill required in Navy?s triple-option offense ? as Loyola rushed for more than 3,000 yards.
As for Hill and Brown, both are coming to Navy directly from high school. Hill, at 6-foot-1 and 230 pounds, had 80 tackles and four sacks in 2007 in helping River Hill win the Class 2A state title. Brown rushed for 1,115 yards and 14 touchdowns as a senior.
“I like Jonathan?s versatility and size and I believe the winning mentality he developed at River Hill will transfer well here,” Niumatalolo said. “Jarren also impressed me, especially during the spring when he made an effort to come out and watch us practice and try to learn about the offense despite still being in school.”
