NCSA caught up with football standout Hunter Blackmore about his high school career and the opportunity to compete at the college level.
NCSA: How do you show a college coach that you are really interested in their program?
Blackmore: I show a coach that I'm interested in their program by not waiting for them to call me. I will call them and express my interest in the program.
NCSA: What are you doing to “take charge” of your recruiting process?
Blackmore: Like I said before, I take charge by taking the initiative and not waiting for the coach to call me once a week or even for him to initiate contact.
NCSA: What makes you a unique athlete that stands out from a crowd?
Blackmore: I think the way I take the initiative and my grades make me stand out from a crowd. Having good grades has opened so many doors for me and I am very glad to have them.
NCSA: How do you handle nerves when communicating with college coaches?
Blackmore: I consider myself a tactful person and I think having confidence in yourself and what you're saying really helps.
NCSA: How do you deal with disappointment in the recruiting process? Can you give an example?
Blackmore: I was told that they were not recruiting centers (my position) this year by a school that had been interested. At that time they were the only big school recruiting me and it was disappointing. But I moved on and worked on other schools and just kept doing what I was doing. It paid off and more and better opportunities came around.
NCSA: What motivates you before a big game? What’s your pre-game ritual?
Blackmore: The thing that motivates me is the thought that the guy across from me wants to beat me and thinks he can beat me. He wants to embarrass me. That's not going to happen.
As far as a pre game ritual, I just eat our team meal, sleep on the bus and run/walk a couple of laps with my two buddies and fellow linemen Greg Humphreys and Nathan Herrick. We all jump and hit the crossbar when we go by.
NCSA: What are your goals for this club/high school season? How is the season going?
Blackmore: Our goal this year is to win state. Right now we are 8-2 and are one of the final 16 teams left in Washington State.
NCSA: Who is your favorite college athlete?
Blackmore: Aaron Boyce all American receiver at Eastern Washington. I've known him all my life and he is a play maker. He's exciting to watch.
NCSA: Tell us what you've learned working with NCSA so far?
Blackmore: I've learned that with some work and persistence you can accomplish all of your goals. NCSA has really helped me get to my perfect spot and an offer from the best school I can think of.
