When Greenwich's Jonathan Meyers realized he was going to become a national college football recruit, he came up with an expedient way of giving potential suitors everything they needed to know about him.

With the help of his father, Glenn, who owns a shopping Web site Shopbig.com, Meyers put together a comprehensive site aptly named Jonathanmeyers.com, complete with links to newspapers and recruiting sites and — most importantly — his career highlight film.

"It was both his and my idea," Meyers said. "The thing is, game tapes and DVDs can get lost easily. This has definitely helped with the process."

Of course, even without the benefit of the information superhighway, Meyers' 6-1, 215-pound frame and exceptional strength and speed, not to mention an impressive 4.3 GPA at Greenwich, would have drawn hordes of recruiters to his doorstep anyway.

Meyers, a two-year starter, had a dominant junior season, earning all-state and Connecticut Post all-star honors as a junior. As a fullback, he rushed for 1,140 yards on 135 carries, averaged 8.5 yards every time he touched the ball. As a linebacker, he made 127 tackles, 10 sacks and had 13 quarterback pressures.

He scored 23 touchdowns during Greenwich's 12-1 season, and was the MVP of the Class LL championship victory over Southington.

But the Web site has certainly streamlined the process.

"Most, if not all the schools that have recruited me, have seen it," he said.

He is easily Greenwich's best prospect

Advertisement
since current Notre Dame offensive lineman John Sullivan, with official offers from national champion Florida, where his father played, Purdue, Nebraska, Virginia, Duke, Maryland and Northwestern.

Meyers promises that many, many more are on the way.

Name your school, they will eventually offer. Florida State, Miami, Michigan, Vanderbilt, Penn State, Ohio State &

By the time Meyers' mailbox is stuffed to the brim, he just might have offers from anyone.

"It's almost surreal," he said. "You're living the dream."

While handling all of the attention — not to mention his budding lacrosse duties and his school work — isn't easy, Meyers says he calmly takes each task and each day individually before moving onto the next.

"It can get hectic, but I try to look at the big picture get things done fast because, if you let them pile up, it can get overwhelming and becomes hard to handle," he said. "It's nothing that I don't want to be involved in."

Meyers said his ideal college would be the one which has the best academic and football reputations.

"Wherever I go, I want to be at the best there is," he said. "I don't want to be at any middle-of-the-road place. But there aren't many schools that have both great academics and football. Unlike most recruits, Meyers has the advantage of having the pick of the litter.

Some have speculated that Florida has the inside track on retaining Meyers' services since his father is a 1983 graduate and often brought Jonathan down to Gainesville for the big games.

Meyers says his dad's Florida connection, while significant, will have a minimal bearing on his final choice. "At the end of the day, it'll come down to what's best for me," said Meyers, who has made two trips to Gainsville, in addition to trips to Boston College, Penn State, Maryland and Stanford, among others. "My dad's not pressuring me."

Meyers also is in no rush. Though he would like to make his decision "sooner rather than later," there are still plenty of options he has yet to consider.

"The most important thing I've found is the coaching staff and kids," Meyers said. "Most places have great facilities. But the thing that set places apart are the coaches and kids."

Meyers doesn't have any plans for more visits in the coming months. He's content to sit back and let the programs come visit him during the four-week live period, which began on April 15.